Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator & Baked Gelato Vivid Swirl Blush

Hi everyone! Sorry my blog has been lacking in posts this month I've honestly been so busy with uni, I've got three assignments and an exam still however exactly a month today I will be finished and will no longer be a student so I can finally concentrate on my blog more. I'm thinking about doing a little life update post sometime soon because I feel like a lot has been going on with me recently that I should probably update you on so that might be up soon. Anyway back to what this post is actually about, I'd never actually tried any Laura Geller products before I bought these two but I'd heard a lot about them so when I was in Leeds and there was a counter in their House Of Fraser I was so tempted by them! I knew straight away I wanted to get their Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator in Gilded Honey because I'd heard so much about it and it honestly is so pretty I actually couldn't resist it, but their Baked Gelato Vivid Swirl Blushes looked so nice as well so I picked one of those up in Cantaloupe.

Not going to lie the appearance of these products is definitely what pushed me to buy them, I'm obsessed with the swirls I think they look so nice, only thing is they look a bit rubbish once you've used them a lot so this appeal doesn't last forever. I've been trying to go for blush shades a bit different to what I usually go for which is why I went for Cantaloupe, it's described as a light peach which is different to my usually pink shades, it looks so bright in the pan but it's a lot more subtle when you swatch it, it's got a luminous sheen to it which I quite like, I usually prefer this to a totally matte blush. I'd actually heard a lot about Gilded Honey so when I saw it in person I needed to get it, it's a light-medium yellow gold with a luminous sheen and it looks so pretty at the tops of the cheekbones, I always go for gold/champagne coloured highlighters so this one was perfect for me, I only wish I was a more tanned at the minute because it would look so lovely with a tan. It does go with fair skin as well but I think if I was a bit more bronzey it would be so nice.

Gilded Honey, Cantaloupe

To be honest as pretty as Cantaloupe is I do regret buying it a bit because it is expensive, it costs £21 and I just think that it's similar to a lot of other cheaper blushes. It was definitely an impulse buy and it is lovely however when it comes to blushes I just think cheaper products do the same job. When it comes to Gilded Honey however which also cost £21 I 100% do not regret buying this because it's so gorgeous! I'm actually highlighter obsessed so I'll happily spend more money on highlighters and this one definitely lives up to the hype, I also don't own a highlighter like this one so I've been getting so much use out of it. It gives the nicest golden glow without being too full so I'd definitely recommend this!

One issue I do have with them is the size, I like to use a fan brush with highlighters and it's so awkward trying to put product onto the brush because it's a small pan so I wish they were a little bit wider. The packaging as well for the price isn't very luxurious, I actually think it looks quite cheap considering these cost £21, those are just minor issues because the quality of the actual products is lovely especially Gilded Honey which I have been using non-stop, let me know in the comments if you've tried these and what you think!

Mini Yankee Candle Haul #2

Hi everyone! I really feel like I'm turning into the girl that's obsessed with candles from Scream Queens, anyone know who I mean? Anyway I absolutely love buying candles at the minute, I've done a post just like this a few months back and I bought a few more Yankee Candles when I went shopping the other day so I thought I'd share them on here in case anyone needs some ideas of some new scents to buy. I actually think one of the candles I bought is a new scent, I'm really not sure of that though, it was just in the new section when I bought it in the shop with a few other scents I'd never seen before. I only bought three because I try not to go crazy, and they aren't exactly cheap either so I tried to limit myself!

- Mango Peach Salsa (£8.99)

- Pink Dragon Fruit (£8.99)

- Summer Peach (£8.99)

I'm  actually so obsessed with the ones I bought! I love fruity scents so these are gorgeous, I feel like my room smells like Summer when I light these! Summer Peach is the one I think might be new as I'd never seen it before and it's honestly so nice, it's a little different from Mango Peach Salsa but they're both gorgeous. Pink Dragon Fruit is really nice as well, I'd been wanting this one for ages, this sounds so daft as well but I love the colours of all of them, I feel like they look so nice on my dressing table which is were I put them when I light them. It's so hard for me to pick a favourite, I absolutely love them all, but it's probably Summer Peach if I had to choose, this sounds so weird but it reminds me of the apricot Frubes and I used to be obsessed with the smell of those. I'm going to try and be good and burn through these before I buy any more, but let me know in the comments what scents you like so I know for next time!

NYX Butter Glosses

Hi everyone! I feel like I've completely disappeared off the face of the earth recently because I've been so busy with uni but I am so happy to say I finally handed my dissertation in on Tuesday! It's actually such a strange feeling, I felt really stressed after I'd handed it in actually because it was out of my hands now and I didn't know how happy I was with it, but I'd gotten to the point where I couldn't stare at it any longer. I actually handed it in 9 days before the deadline which I never usually do but I feel like I can relax now while everyone is still trying to get it done which makes a nice change. I've still got three assignments and an exam though so I won't be able to post as often as I usually do but it's a start at least! Anyway I am so excited that there is finally a NYX counter that's opened near me, anyone who lives in the North East go to Boots in Middlesbrough and that's where it is, I was also at the Metro Centre yesterday and there is one opening in the Boots there as well, so nice to finally have things opening in the North East where there is hardly anything that bigger places have! I've wanted the NYX Butter Glosses for ages, I'm really not a lip gloss person, my hair always gets stuck in them and I hate the stickiness but I'd heard good things about these and I absolutely love NYX so I thought I'd give them a try.

I only picked up three because I wanted to see if I actually liked them first and I tried to get shades that were different from each other, so I ended up with Maple Blondie (deep peach), Creme Brulee (natural) and Madeleine (mid-tone nude). The website describes them as "butter soft and silky smooth" with a sheer to medium coverage that melts onto your lips, I never buy lip gloss but I'd seen so many people talk about how good these were and in pictures they always look so nice so I thought they would be really good for Spring and Summer, plus since a counter had just opened near me I really wanted to try some more products anyway because I've never had accessibility to these other than online.

Left to right: Maple Blondie, Creme Brulee, Madeleine

I need to say that I absolutely love the scent of these! If you've tried the Soft Matte Lip Creams they have a really similar scent to that, it's very sweet and has that vanilla scent, plus it tastes really nice on your lips. When I first applied it I absolutely loved the colours, they're so pigmented for a gloss but they aren't too full on, I feel like they have just the right amount of gloss before being too shiny. One thing I did notice though was that little line that appears in the middle of your lips when you put on a lip gloss was there, it did disappear really quickly but I don't know if it was me putting too much product on or if this happens all the time. They are a little sticky but it isn't too much, you kind of forget about that after you've applied them. The staying power isn't that good though but I think that's just to be expected with a lip gloss, they definitely come off after eating which I found out quickly but I don't expect them to last all day. I think Creme Brulee is so pretty, definitely a nice natural pink shade that would suit everyone, Maple Blondie I would probably reach for in the Summer and I love Madeleine, it looks really brown when swatched but it's just a really nice nude shade that isn't too brown.

I do really like these, I'm never disappointed with NYX products to be honest, I'd love to get some more shades plus they're only £5 which I think is so affordable. You get 8ml of product but I think these will last a while because you don't need to put a lot of product on and they are the perfect size for travelling or just keeping in your bag. I never normally mention anything like this on my blog but at the minute I'm so close to hitting 300 followers on Bloglovin so I'd appreciate it so much if you followed me, I'd be so excited to get to 300! Let me know in the comments if you've tried these and what you think!

Benefit Cheekathon

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been a bit MIA recently on my blog I've been so busy trying to finish my dissertation, I'm hopefully handing it in on Tuesday though so that will be a massive relief if I can manage it! I'm just going to have a weekend dedicated to finishing it, as depressing as that thought is because I just need it to be over. I've been trying to save money recently because I've got so many expensive things coming up, but when I got an email last week from Benefit's newsletter promoting their new blush and bronzer kit I actually could not resist buying it, purely because it was such good value! Usually around Christmas Benefit releases blush kits but half the time they aren't full size so it's not really that good value, but in the kit they just released they have 4 full size blushes and a full size Hoola for £44.50 which is insanely good! Considering one of their Box'O'Powders is £23.50 and you get five full size ones in this kit you're saving so much money. I've always loved Benefit's blushes anyway and I needed another Hoola so it kind of turned it into a bit of a need rather than a want for me!

It comes in a really cute little palette with a nice big mirror, it's thankfully not too bulky because I think Benefit can sometimes have a bit too much packaging but this is a decent size.

Benefit was actually one of the first brands that really got me into makeup because I was always so obsessed with their packaging and this kit definitely doesn't disappoint, really pretty illustrations and girly packaging so standard Benefit really. You also get a little how to guide with some looks you can create with the palette.

You get a full size Hoola in this and the blushes are Dandelion , Rockateur, Dallas and Coralista along with a little brush. I don't think I will be using the brush though but it's good if you're travelling. I actually really like these palettes for travelling because you get a mixture of products all in one rather than bringing lots of loose products.

Left to right: Dandelion, Hoola, Rockateur, Dallas, Coralista

I'm so obsessed with this palette I'm so happy that I bought it! I feel like I'm so set blush wise now for ages and definitely won't have to be buying more anytime soon. The quality of all of them is so nice, I've always loved Rockateur but I've never tried Dallas and that is probably my favourite from the kit. I actually love all the new products that Benefit has released recently, I want the liquid version of Dandelion so much but it's out of stock at the minute, plus it's expensive and I definitely can't justify it after having a full set of blushes to work through now. All their new Hoola products look so nice as well, they have made me feel so summery! I really think this palette is worth buying while it's still in stock, I'm actually surprised it's still available as it's such good value, let me know in the comments if you've tried any of these shades and what you think!