Rosie For Autograph Insta Glow Matte Bronzer Review

Make-up review time and how god damn pretty is this!

A few weeks ago now I ventured into a place I don't tend to visit often, good old Marks & Spencer's!
I'm not a regular visitor as I don't live super close to a store but when I do go in there are always two aisles I head straight for.... the food (hello chocolate covered cookie dough) and the make-up!

I first stumbled across the Rosie For Autograph range earlier this year and fell head over heels for the range and everything I tried from it.
The packaging, the quality, the colours - I was hooked... so it was inevitable that I would end up walking away with a bag full of goodies.... opps!
Yes, not only did I just HAVE to have this gorgeous bronzer (yes we'll get to it I promise) but I also purchased a fragrance and the candle from the range (but we'll get to those later this month!).

I am a sucker for any highlighting product. Literally anything with a bit of a shimmer or a glow I'm there, I will throw my money without a second thought and it to my ever-growing collection of pretty powders, creams and sticks!
As soon as I saw the Insta-Glow Matte Bronzer from the Rosie collection I was sold - it didn't have a price on it and I didn't care, I was buying it.

This is gorgeous marbleized bronzer and highlighter duo in a super pretty floral design compact (I seriously didn't want to use this at first!). It helps to create a sheer natural glow and, for me, is the perfect finishing touch to my everyday make-up.
I have to say though I'm not too sure why this has the word 'matte' in it and it is super shimmery.... which I love!
I had a Fake Bake bronzing brick which I used for years and years and since that ran out (and was discontinued #boo!) I haven't found anything half as good, until now - I'm obsessed with this!!!

Priced at £20 I would happily buy this over and over.... although I don't think that's going to be necessary as powders seriously last me forever, I don't know how I do it!

My Everyday Contouring Duo

Contouring has been talk of the make-up town for at least a year now and although I'm no Kimmy K when it comes to shaping my face, I do use a couple of products in my everyday routine to give me a little definition, colour and shimmer.

These two have been a solid make-up favourite and in my make-up bag since the day that I got them. It was literally love at first use and I know I've talked about them a fair few times already on here but I do feel like they deserve another mention! 

These two are both from the ever-growing cosmetic brand theBalm - on the left the Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter and on the right the Bahama Mama bronzer - and I cannot rant and rave about these enough.

The highlight is a gorgeous pinky silver shimmer highlight which gives a gorgeous sheen and glow to the skin and the bronzer is a fantastic matte tan shade, which I always find hard to get hold of (For under £25 anyway!) - together they are a dream team!

I start off my doing my usual base of make-up - primer, concealer and foundation. I then use my Zoeva Sheer Luxe Cheek Brush to sweep the bronzer into the classic '3' shape from my forehead round to my cheekbones and then down towards jawline. At this point I look a bit OTT and ridiculous but that doesn't last long.

I then use the other end/side of the brush to start of the highlighting.
 With the Mary-Lou I usually pop a bit alongside/above the line I had made along my cheekbones, then down my nose, a tad on my forehead and a little on my cupids bow and chin.
Then it's time for the blending - I use my big fluffy Real Techniques powder brush to buff it all together in small circular motions, blending away those harsh lines and creating a soft, subtle and wearable bronzed and highlighted look.

As you can see.... these are running thin and I'm already panicking about running out! Even though I'm trying to save money this next year these will have the be a re-purchased as I really can't see me living without them anytime soon.

What are you favourite bronzers and highlights? Have you tried either of these?

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September Favourites 2015

Well, well, well it has been a little while since I uploaded a monthly favourites post or video, so I thought it was about time I started them up again - let's jump straight on in!

Let's start off by talking make-up. My Seventeen shimmer brick has been a godsend since my Fake Bake beauty ran out a few months back (I just can't seem to get hold of another one).  This is a gorgeous finishing touch to my everyday make-up routine, a summer glow is a constant mission of mine!

My Naked palette has been my go-to palette this month, nearly 3 years and countless smokey eyes later and I'm still so in love with this classic. I still love playing around with the different shades, they are so easy to wear.

My lipstick of the month HAS to be MAC's Velvet Teddy - I cannot stop wearing this, it is such an easy shade to just put on no matter what I'm doing or wearing, it's nearly running out which I'm pretty devo about.

Little Ondine is a brand I talked about last week, their nail polishes have changed my thoughts on doing my own nails - they are just so easy and I love this pretty baby blue shade. (Full review here)

The Lee Stafford Arganoil Nourishing Miracle Mist is easily my favourite hair product of the month, it has made my hair feel so much softer and healthier - I couldn't even tell you how many times I've used it already.

Yes, that is an anti-bac hand gel you see there. This is the cheeky little number that has been living in my handbag for the length of September - one of Bath & Body Works best (of course) this is Cozy Vanilla Cream and it smells so yummy!

Skincare pick of the month is my Simple protecting light moisturiser. I'm not normally one for wearing a moisturiser at night but with the change in weather recently my skin has been a little drier than usual but just a light layer of this each night has worked wonders. My skin never really works well with thick, expensive creams so this is perfect.

My Travalo Milano has probably been everywhere with me this month - armed with my fav Vera Wang Princess - this was amazing when spending whole days at Bestival and great for a little freshen up while I'm at work or out for the day! (Full review here)

Dry lips have been the bane of my life the past few weeks so having a lip balm next to my bed has been a total and utter must! Nivea's lip butter in Blueberry has been my balm of choice - I LOVE these butters so much, I still can't decide what my favourite scent is.

Last but not least is a candle from PartyLite candles - you may remember seeing this in a post last month. This Berry Blossom candle is totally Sweet Pea scented and I have been burning it like crazy (as you can see from the photo above!) This candle brand has had me SO impressed, they last for hours and hours and the scent really does fill the whole room/home!

Are you still a fan of the classic monthly favourites posts?

What have been your favourites products from the past month?

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I'm Loving... #24

Inside Amy Schumer

Okay - this woman is bloody hilarious! I can't believe I had never watched this show before - it's now on Season 2 and it literally makes me lauhg out loud! Unfiltered, outrageous and ridculous comedy, it really is so up my street! I want to go out and party with this girl!

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical

I went to see this at the Mayflower this month with my parents as they had bought me a ticket for my birthday back in February! I LOVE musicals and this was amazing. For one... it had Duncan James in it - and he was in his pants about 30 seconds into it which was an added bonus! The music, the comedy, the drag - this made me smile from start to finish! I highly recommend!

MAC Give Me Sun Bronzer

I had totally forgotten about this little chestnut in my make-up collection until I dragged it out for Bestival! I got this years and years ago in New York but don't wear it that often anymore just because I'm never normally tanned enough! I had fake tanned for Besti so this was a perfect match - such a gorgeous shade.

Bleach London Pink Rose Shampoo & Conditioner

This shampoo and conditioner worked wonders in my hair this past month - even better than the dye itself! I left them both on for 5-10 minutes and it turned my hair into a fabulous shade of baby pink - winner wiiner!

My New Elsa mug

Opps, I may have gone to the Disneystore this month. This mug was half price so I couldn't not buy it, you know? Cute!

L'oreal Make-up Genius App

The clue is in the name - this is genius! Honestly just download it and give it a go, and if you fancy a laugh try it on your boyfriend/husband/dad!

Scream Queens

YES! Finally! I have been waiting for this show for so many months now and it is finally here - Yay!!!! This show is hilarious and the cast is just so on point - I love Emma Roberts and the fact Ariana has a guest role in it just makes it even better!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

With the change in weather recently my lips have really been paying the price. Crusty, flaky, dry lips are just a no-no so I've been using this stuff a few times a week to try and keep my lips soft and smooth!

Zoeva Luxe Sheer Cheek Brush
I have used this brush everyday for over a year now - I feel like I haven't spoke about it a lot so I wanted to share my love for it in this post! I use this for my contouring, the angle makes it fab for my bronzer and then I use the other end/side for my highlight - I don't think I could live without it!

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theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer

There's a new bronzer in my life and I'm in love.

I've talked about a few things from this brand lately and I am yet to find a product from them that I am disappointed with.

theBalm has indeed lived up to it's incredible reputation for me and their products really are as good in quality as they are in their packaging and names.

Today I am talking about Bahama Mama - a gorgeous bronzer fantastic for contouring and giving your skin a healthy glow!

After using my Sleek contour palette day in-day out for over a year and being totally in love with it, trying something new wasn't really on my to-do list!

So when the lovely people at theBalm sent me over this I wasn't sure whether it would live up to my high expectations of that drugstore bargain!

But after trying it out alongside the Mary Lou Manizer (review and photos here) as a contour and highlight, my sleek kit was quickly chucked to the back of my make-up bag and happily replaced by this duo from thebalm.

I sweep this in the number 3 shape from my chin up towards my forehead and after highlighting blend together with a large powder brush.

I love the subtle contour it gives and the fact it is a matte finish is even better, it seems like more and more matte bronzers are becoming available thank goodness.

The bronzer comes in a gorgeous little compact, complete with mirror - which is very handy if you're on the go!

theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer*

Bahama Mama is £13.50 and is available at ASOS and Superdrug. 

BIG, big love for this bronzer - it has made it's way into my everyday make-up routine and I can't see it leaving anytime soon!

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Boots Christmas 2014 : My Top Picks £20 & Under

Post number 3 in this little series is here! To catch up with my guide's to presents £5 and under and £10 and under just click HERE or HERE!

I love love love shopping for other people and I love going overboard at Christmas! These gifts range from just £12 to £20 .... yes they are mostly beauty bits but I know most of you normal readers love that kind of thing! 

Joules Cream of the Crop Skincare Kit - £14

Last year was the first time I had tried out products from Joules and I was so impressed! The quality is amazing and the scent was right up my street! This pack contains a huge pot of both body scrub and body butter - this is perfect for the ladies in your life... I know my Mum would love it!

Soap & Glory The Perfect Ten Palette - £16
S&G are always a favourite... espically with bloggers... and this year they've stepped it up with their make-up gifts and have relased a gorgeous eyeshadow palette! 10 great shades for a fantastic smokey eye - sometimes you don't have to pay a fortune for palettes!

Benefit Sweet Tintations Set - £19.50
The Benefit balms caught my eye as soon as they were announced earlier this year and this gift set is the perfect chance to give someone a proper treat! You get 2 of the lip balms which are about £14 on their own usually so this itself is a total bargain plus you get 2 mini tints aswell - a total steal! Sooooo tempted to buy this for myself!

Starbucks Cocoa Hot Chocolate Duo with Mugs - £16.50

I swear I always end up buying at least one person a mug for Christmas - most people drink some form of hot drinks right? So they are always going to come in handy! This Starbucks Cocoa Duo set is a yummy hot chocolate gift with 2 lovely mugs and some chocolaty goodies, perfect for anyone who's not a coffee fan too!

Smashbox Try It Kit - £19
Know someone who's never tried Smashbox and their amazingness? I love this brand, although working a boring 5 day a week standard job I can't really afford to kit my make-up bag out head to toe with it *sad face*! This is a gorgeous gift of 5 mini products to try out, any make-up lover in your life would be super impressed with this!

More? ... oh okay then! Here's some more gifts for £20 or less!

Seventeen Ready Steady Glow Bronzing Kit -£12
Seventeen have some amazing products in their collection at the moment and this gift set contains at least 2 of them! I use the shimmer brick all the time and I've also tried the cream bronzer which is fabulous! 
So if you're looking for a decent present with a tiny price tag this is he one to go for!

Nandos The Magnificent Seven - £20
I have a confession to make... I've never been to Nandos...I know right? Who even am I? Sorry guys! BUT I know how much everyone goes crrrrazy for it so why not give them the pleasure of Nandos at home with this yummy gift set! (If you're a Nandos fan, or know one head to the Boots website as they have LOADS of gifts on there!)

Boots Vintage Collection Jewellery Box Caddy - £16

I love this shabby chic jewellery box, perfect for keeping rings, necklaces and other delicate pieces! *Pretty alert*

Twinings Tea Tray Mugs Loose Leaf Infuser and Towel Gift Set - £16

Tea, tea, tea - who doesn't love a nice cup of tea? This set is a lovely home gift for any lady in your life! 

Jack Wills Ladies Signature Toiletry Bag - £18

Jack Wills is a new brand to Boots this winter and their stuff has been flying off the shelves! Their range fits in perfectly with the other collections Boots has to offer and I love their classic blue and pink scheme! This is a great size for holidays, trips away and even as an everyday make-up bag!

Burt's Bees Bounty Collection - £15.99
This set contains products for your feet, hands, nails and lips! A lovely looking set - perfect for Mum's & Aunties!

Bleach London Scrap Book & Disposable Camera - £16
I love this set (and pretty much everything Bleach has to offer this Xmas!). The idea is so cute, a scrapbook alongside a disposable camera an stickers! Imagine having a NYE party, birthday party, holiday and being able to take along your your camera and then making a fun scrapbook of your adventure afterwards! This is a great gift for teens - so maybe a sister, friend or daughter! (saying that I would 100% use one of these too!)

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POTW #25 : The Body Shop Honey Bronzer Powder - Medium Matte

Happy August people - its the 1st, it's a Friday so it's my Product Of The Week time!

A product I've wanted for months is finally mine! Yes a couple of weeks ago I was on the mainland (yes that's what us islanders call it) and hopped into the nearest body shop giving my boyfriend no choice but to traipsed in behind me! Although this trip I knew exactly what I wanted and went straight in for it and managed to leave without picking up anything else - miracle much?

It's the honey bronzer from The Body Shop! I have been looking at reviews/photos etc of this online for ages now but for some reason hadn't picked it up until now! 

This product is so pretty I didn't even want to use it at first!
 It comes in a lovely brown compact with slight honeycomb pattern, open it up and you get the amazing bronzer!  I choose the medium matte shade. It's quite hard finding a matte bronzer for a cheap(ish) price, the only one I've used alot and love is the one in the sleek contour kit, so this is fab! I thought the light shade would be way too light for me especially with it being summer and hopefully I'll be getting some form of a tan at some point.

A perfect bronzer added to my daily make-up routine! I'm in love with this, so easily blended and can't wait to take it to Florida with me!

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Make-Up Revolution Haul

If you haven't heard of Make-Up Revolution yet then.... where on earth have you been? After trying out a few products a couple of months ago I was long over-due to place a cheeky order with the new bargain brand!

After a long, long browse I narrowed my shopping basket to these few beauties - I literally could buy everything... and I'm sure overtime I probably will!

Lips

First up I'll share with you the lip products I ordered - everyone knows I have a lipstick/lipgloss/lipanything addiction so it was seriously hard to pick only a few to buy at first!

Bottom photo left to right 

Amazing Sheer Lipgloss Tube - Hush Hush (Top left photo)

I have one of these tubes already in the shade 'Baby Try' and love it! Normally I'm not a fan of tube lipglosses but these are great and this one has a lovely sugary scent!

Salvation Intense Lacquer - Gave You All My Love

These remind me of Rimmel's Apocalips - a gorgeous thick lipgloss with amazing highly pigmented colour and this one has a great shimmer to it too!

Happy Lips Amazing Care Lipstick - Love pink! (Top right photo)

I was a bit dubious about buying this as I wasn't sure weather it would be a normal lipbalm product which I already have a million of but after trying it out quickly I have been so pleasantly surprised! This stuff feels amazing (funnily enough that's the name of the product!) it has argan oil in it which is pretty cool and it gives a great colour aswell as fully hydrating my lips!

How I only bought 3 lipsticks I don't know..... I'm already twitching to buy more!

These are the 'Amazing Lipsticks' and they are only £1 each! Total bargain!

I picked up (left to right top photo) Beloved, Dazzle & Depraved!

These are a gorgeous trio of colours and for £1 I cannot express how much you need these in your life! 

Face

Bronze Shimmer Highlight 

This was so much bigger than I was expecting which is awesome - talk about more for my money! This has three lovely shades though it adnd looks like it is going to be perfect for summer - cannot wait to take it on holiday with me!

Vivid Baked Highlighter - Pink Lights

Now I already owned one of these highlighters and loved it so much I have to buy another one (I now only have one of them left to buy which I can imagine will be very soon) These are only £3 each and a total steal - the perfect powder highlight!

The lovely people at MUR actually contacted me when they knew I was going to make an order and asked if I wanted to try out one of their NEW palettes as part of my order for no charge! Obviously this was a huge yes please!! I have been seeing so much about these palettes and it really was a right toughy trying to pick one!

Cover & Conceal Concealer Palette - Light-Medium*

I thought this looked perfect for sorting out an imperfections and may have a go at some contouring with it!

Eyes

Lastly we have eye products!

Baked Eyeshadow - Pure and Innocent

This gorgeous neutral/bronzed selection is my idea of heaven. I live for my naked palette and these colours are right up there with them! I am so so chuffed with it and can't wait to try it out properly!

Focus & Fix Eye Primer - Original

I have been running out of eye primers to use so obviously buying another one was already on the cards - this feels like it is going to be great, can't wait to try it out along the baked eyeshadows!

So there you have it they are the 11 items I recently picked up from Make-up Rev!

You can find everything you've seen here on the Make-up Revolution official website - www.makeuprevolutionstore.com or Superdrug.

What are your favourite products from MUR so far? What should I buy next?!

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Seventeen Skin Wow! Tan Liquid Glow Review

Seventeen are a brand I have been loving this past year - one of my favourite products that I have gone on and on about time and time again has been the Skin Wow highlighter (review here) and they've only gone and done it again with the Skin Wow Tan Liquid Glow

As the skin wow highlighter was one of my favourite beauty finds of 2013 this was a no-brainer - I had to try it out.
When I saw it I immediately thought  to myself oooo first a highbeam dupe and now a sunbeam - and I was not far wrong although this product is more of a bronze shade than a gold!

Like the Skin Wow Highlighter this stuff has multiple uses for making you look glowing and fabulous!
 You can use it on your cheekbones to help give yourself a lifting, flattering summer shimmer (my personal fav), to help contour or even mix with your moisturiser and give your legs a gorgeous tanned sheen!
The photo does make it look a little orange - it isn't! Once blended in it gives a lovely healthy looking glow!

I think this product is going to be so perfect for the upcoming spring and summer months (not long to go now!) when we can all emphasize our tan's and healthy looking skin! Right now I may be a little too pale (although with a bit of foundation and fake tan I'm thinking I can use this also as a highlighter type product under my bronzer) but roll on summer where I'll probably be rocking this head to toe!

I am loving Seventeen - loads of their new products are becoming staples in my make-up bag, I can't wait to see what they come out with in 2014!

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Boots Half Price Sale Haul Part 1

Hello again you lovely lot! 
So it has been nearly a WEEK since I last posted and it actually has felt like a lifetime. But in my defence it has been the week of festiveness (aka Christmas) so I have been super busy with family, friends and work (booo hiss booo) !
Now we all know what comes after Christmas (well ... all us beauty addicts know...) - the Boots half price sale! All those gifts, perfume sets and goodies with massive savings which you literally cannot say no too!

Obviously I got a little over excited and bought...LOADS - but this was totes acceptable as I bought alot of it with my advantage card points that I had been saving up! 
Because I have bought alot I thought I would spilt it into 3 different hauls... so here is Numero Uno! (these things were bought both online and in store!)

Taylor By Taylor Swift 30ml Gift Set

WAS £23 NOW £11.50

This was a no-brainer for me! Everyone knows that I love Taylor Swift! She is a total babe and I love her music. Obviously I already own this and it was actually in one of my monthly favourites posts back in the summer but I am just about to run out so this was perfect timing! As well as a bath gel and a body lotion you get the 30ml perfume - a bargain if ever I did see one! (and this may not be the only perfume set I bought.......)

Soap & Glory - Powder Trip 

WAS £20 NOW £10

Now this was something that I had eyed up before the sale but couldn't part we £20 before Christmas and the fact that the powder aren't in separate compacts did put me off a bit! But as it was half price I thought I'd give it a go as they are all products I have looked at individually! This set contains GLOW ALL OUT a Luminizing Face Powder, LOVE AT FIRST BLUSH a shimmer blushing powder and SOLAR POWDER a multi-shade bronzer. I've heard and read such great things about all 3 of these products so can't wait to try them out!

Baylis & Harding beauticology Mini Trio 

WAS £4 NOW £2

I bought this for both my Blogger Secret Santa's this year and was so jealous when I was wrapping them up! This is something I knew I was going to try and get when it went into the sale and I am so glad I managed to grab one online! Such yummy smells - I'm a sucker for yummy smells!

Boots Extracts Cocoa Butter Collection

WAS £10 NOW £5

Another bargain that I just couldn't say no too! The body butter alone is around £7 out on the shelves so why would I not want all 3 for just £5? I love cocoa butter - always have done, can't wait to use this trio!

Fearne Kiss & Tell Lip Set

WAS £10 NOW £5

Every year I seem to get some Fearne goodies from Boots. I don't have any lip crayons (shame on me I know) so I'm really looking forward to trying out these! 

Such a great range of shades and a sharpener included! Which is great as I always worry I'm going to ruin things like this with some of the sharpeners I own! For £1 per item... how could I not!

So there we have it - Haul #1 done! Keep your eyes peeled for numbers 2 and 3 which are coming up very soon! I bought such a wide range of different products which I am so happy with - I'm a total bargain hunter and love haring them with you all - have you guys bought anything in the Boots sale?!

(I am really sorry about the quality of my photos aswell at the moment, really struggling with good lightening where I work full-time, hopefully they will improve soon!)

Also a HUGE thank you to all you beautiful people as today I hit 800 followers on Bloglovin! Something I have wanted for so long and I'm nearly at 100,000 blog views aswell, I am so so chuffed and grateful to all of you - you make all this hard work even funner for me!

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Deborah Milano Natural Blush - 01 Chocolate

Now you all know I'm just really a blush fan, for some reason I've never really liked the look of it on me. It may be because when I was younger I always used to have red cheeks and hated it!
So... I always like to go for a brown/coral toned blush if there is one instead of a pinky shade! So when I saw Deborah Milano had a "chocolate" coloured blush I thought perfect! I am the bronzer queen - I love them.
I first encounered Deborah Milano a few months ago and did a post on a lovely lip colour - you can read it here.

First of all I love this packaging, the shape is so cute and unique.. (sounds stupid but it really reminds me of those shells you skim along the water at the beach...) and it comes with a little brush too. I'm going to be honest here, I will probably never ever use this brush but it is great if you are on the go and really don't fancy carrying around your usual brushes, but for me I'd rather lug around my Real Techniques or Zoeva.

The love the shade of this bronzer it is pretty so wearable and would be perfect for a variety of different skintones. 
It is mostly a matte colour but there is a slight teeny weeny bit of shimmer in there - reminds me slightly of the "chocolate" bronzer from Bourjois (what a coincidence haha!)

A little bit of information straight from the Deborah Milano site - 

Natural Blush is enriched with precious gem dust: Amethyst,Mother-of-Pearl, Coral, Tourmaline, Amber, Jade and Ruby. Precious gems are bursting with the minerals and trace elements that skin needs, and are especially gentle on sensitive skin types.The unique formula blends flawlessly into skin, leaving a luminous, matte finish that lasts and lasts.

For only £6.90 I think this is great value for money! Deborah Milano have such lovely products and if you haven't tried any yet I really do recommend them!

What are your favourite bronzers? I have so many I struggle to choose one to wear in the morning!

(***Disclaimer : This product was kindly sent to me by the lovely people at Deborah Milano. All thoughts, opinions and ideas are always my own and I would never include an item or product on A Yellow Brick Blog that I didn't truly believe in.)