Kat Von D Serpentina Eyeshadow Palette | Swatches

If you follow me on social media, then you'll probably know that I was in NYC a couple of weeks ago. I of course had to go into Sephora, and I was so excited when I saw they had the Kat Von D Serpentina Eyeshadow Palette in stock! 

Kat Von D products are actually launching tomorrow in Debenhams in the UK, so I thought it would be the perfect time to share this palette! It is limited edition, but I believe there are some still out there. 

This palette is 100% cruelty free and vegan, and at $45 it's not too pricey for what you actually get. Honestly, these eyeshadows are INCREDIBLE. The pigmentation, blend-ability and the texture of the shadows is pretty much as good as you're going to get.  They are so creamy and buttery, with very little fall out which is kinda rare. There's also a separate pot of pigment, which is just as pigmented as the other shadows. The colours are of course quite bright, but does contain wearable everyday colours. There are two matte shades altogether and six shimmery shades. 

If you can get this palette, then don't hold back. I promise you won't regret it!! 

Cream Highlighters | Yay or Nay?

I absolutely love powder highlighters, but have never been too keen on cream highlighters as I find them difficult to blend into my foundation. For this post, I've tried 3 different cream highlighters and will give my verdict on whether they're worth purchasing or not!

Left to right: Peony Pink Glow, Natural Collection Rose Glow and Rosie For Autograph Get the Glow

Left to right: Peony Pink Glow, Natural Collection Rose Glow and Rosie For Autograph Get the Glow

PINK GLOW - LUMINIZING STICK $22

I had high hopes for this highlighter, but unfortunately it's just way too pink when applied to my cheek bones and is difficult to blend in. It also lacks pigment and I personally wouldn't recommend it.

Verdict: NAY

NATURAL COLLECTION - ROSE GLOW £1.99

This cream highlighter stick is very budget friendly and pigmented, although I think it may have too much glitter and shimmer in it. It blends nicely however, and looks very pretty on! 

Verdict: YAY 

ROSIE FOR AUTOGRAPH - STARSTRUCK £15

Without doubt, this is my favourite cream highlighter! It applies so smoothly and blends beautifully as well. The pigmentation is also great and it gives a very subtle glow without the cheek bones looking too sparkly and glittery. Also, how stunning is the rose gold packaging?! 

Verdict: YAY!!

Pamper Evening Essentials

I love a pamper evening after a long and stressful day. My favourite scent to relax with is without doubt lavender, and you'll find the majority of these products contain lavender oil. I use mainly natural and organic products now as no one wants to destress in a load of nasty ingredients!!

Faith in Nature - Lavender & Geranium Shower Gel & Foam Bath 

I picked this up from my local co-op and it smells incredible. A lot of the bubble baths and shower gels I have used unfortunately contain SLS, but this is free from both parabens and SLS. I've gone through a couple of these bottles now and although it is more pricey than your average shower gel, it is worth it in my opinion. 

Miaroma Relaxing Lavender Bath Oil

Another lavender bath product! I only ever use this on special occasions as it's quite expensive. If I need a deep relaxation session then I will put 3-5 drops of this into warm water and soak away my worries! 

Dr Organic Lavender Soap

I like to wash with organic soap now to save money and reduce the amount of plastic I use. I really like this one as it comes in cardboard packaging and is made from organic ingredients. This is the second one I've purchased and I will continue to do so! 

Living Naturally Lavender Sugar Body Scrub 

If you read my blog regularly then you will know that I love this stuff! I wrote a full review here if you're interested in having a read. No other body scrub compares to this one!

JOIK Relaxing bath salt with lavender essential oil

I've been using these bath salts for a couple of weeks now and I even took a little pot of them on holiday with me! They smell absolutely incredible and my skin feels very soft when I come out of the bath. Most bath salts available in Superdrug and Boots contain unnecessary and harsh ingredients which you really don't want to be soaking in. The beauty of using these salts is that they only contain sea salt and lavender essential oil, so no nasties and no unwanted synthetic perfumes. They're also going to last me a very long time! The best way to ensure that you don't use too much is to sprinkle some into the lid, and then into the bath. I took these pictures after using these salts a couple of times and as you can see it still looks full! They are available at LoveLula, one of my favourite online stores that stock natural beauty products! 

Faith in Nature Coconut & Frangipani Moisture Boost Conditioner

I also like to deep condition my hair when I have a pamper evening. Sometimes I'll just use coconut oil, but recently I've been using this conditioner and leaving it in for half an hour. My hair feels so soft and healthy afterwards! 

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Lip Monthly Subscription Bag | August

Apologies that this months Lip Monthly bag review is late, I received my bag whilst I was away and only got back yesterday!

If you didn't already know, Lip Monthly is a relatively new subscription service that send out 4-5 FULL sized lip products every month. It costs $12.95/£9 per month but you can get 55% off your first bag with the code 'CHAR55'. This months bag had an overall retail value of $69/£51, so you'll be saving a lot of money! Lip Monthly also offer free worldwide shopping.

This subscription bag is a great way to try out different brands whilst only costing a tenner a month. The August bag featured four full sized lip products, including a lip liner which I was really impressed with. 

Hikari Lip and Cheek Tint in Dusk - $15

This product looks really bright in the packaging, but when applied its actually really pretty! I feel that this is the perfect lip colour for transitioning from summer to fall, although I personally wouldn't wear it as a blusher. 

Lord and Berry Lip Liner in Romantic Rose - $10

I am OBSESSED with this lip liner! It's the perfect dark nude/mauve shade, and it goes so well with the Manna lip crayon in this bag.

Seraphine Lip/Cheek Gel - $20

I'm going to be honest and say that I can't see myself using this product. I didn't like the smell and the colour is just too bright for me. It also didn't swatch very well and stained my lips when I tried it on.

Manna Kadar Lip Crayon - $24

This shade is pretty much the perfect nude and will be great for the transition to autumn. It's also extremely pigmented and long lasting for a lip crayon. 

Left to right: Hikari Lip and Cheek Tint in Dusk, Lord and Berry Lip Liner in Romantic Rose, Seraphine Lip/Cheek Gel and Manna Lip Crayon. 

Minimal(ish) Skincare Routine

I've been trying to use more minimal and natural skincare products, and I actually want to experiment with making my own. But for now, here's what I use in the morning and evening. 

Morning Routine

Dr. Organic Dead Sea Face Wash 

First of all, I'll wash my face with this organic facial wash. It doesn't contain any nasty ingredients such as parabens, SLS, DEA, BHT and synthetic colours. This really makes my skin feel clean and refreshed, without feeling too harsh. I've noticed a lot of facial washes from the drugstore make my face feel very sensitive. It's really important to know exactly what you're putting on your face!

LUSH Eau Roma Water

I went into LUSH a couple of months ago and was recommended this toner. So I got it and only started using it a couple of weeks ago. It smells lovely and it's a lovely product, HOWEVER it contains  Perfume and Methylparaben, which are both ingredients I now try and avoid. These are both described as safe synthetics, but I was still gutted when I saw them on the ingredient list. I would really recommend checking the label of any product properly before you commit to buying it! 

Laidbare Pack Your Bags

I use this eye cream in the morning and in the evening. It keeps the area around my eyes hydrated and I've definitely noticed the under eye area tighten, which very rarely happens!

The Body Shop Day Cream 

I've been using this product for years now and it always makes my skin stay matte throughout the day. I don't think I would repurchase it however, purely because of the parent company issue. 

Evening Routine

For my evening skincare routine, I switch the day cream for the Superdrug Vitamin E Night Cream and the Balm Balm Face Balm, and use the other three products as I would in the morning. The face balm makes my skin feel and look incredible after I've applied it. I used to worry that putting oils on my face would make it look extra oily, but in reality, it's completely changed the way my skin looks.