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A few weeks ago i went to Paris for a few days with friends (a perfect restbite from A-level stress!) and as you will be able to see, i am awful at deciding what to take. I always like to pack multiple options just in case i change my mind when im there i.e. 7 lipsticks for 3/4 days, oops. This means my makeup bag is usually full to the brim and bursting with wonderful makeup. So here is, the slightly over top, whats in my travel makeup bag- Paris edition!


For base i took my current everyday choices; Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, Benefit Erase Paste (for when my undereyes need extra brightening) and Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.
For cheeks i took my 3 favourites; Nars Laguna Bronzer, Sleek Contour Kit and Mac Well Dressed Blusher.

For eyes i took the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, which is perfect for travelling and is my current go to. Its really natural too, which just one shimmery shade in the line-up of six. Just in case i fancied a change, i took two other options; Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze and Rimmel Scandalayes Eyeshadow Stick in 002 Bulletproof Beige. Standard. I decided this holiday was the perfect opportunity to use my mini Benefit They're Real mascara; a rediscovery that i am loving! I slipped in 3 eyeliners; Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner in Black, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Rockstar and Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude giving me the options of classic black, a less harsh alternative and a nude for the waterline. As this kind of fits into the category, ill quickly mention that the brow product of choice was the Rimmel Professional Eyeshadow Pencil in 002 Hazel.

Now, lipsticks are where i really go mad and i always find it impossible to limit myself to only a few choices, especially as im not really a massive lipgloss gal. Here are the seven in question; Mac Rebel, Rimmel Kate Moss in 107, 03 and 12, Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Big Bang and Luna and Avon Lipstick in Carnation. A whole range of colours depending on which one im feeling. 

For tools i kept it mainly Real Techniques as always, with a few extras thrown in from Mac, Avon And Elf and then my Shu Umera Eyelash Curlers.

I know I'm a broken record but Rimmel is my favourite drugstore/ high street brand. I think they keep on bringing it with really good products at such good prices. As i seem to mention Rimmel in almost every post recently, i thought it was only right to show my Rimmel collection. I don't own loads from Rimmel, but what i do own i use all the time and love!
                     

• Lasting Finish 25 Hour foundation- This is my least favourite product from my Rimmel collection and my least favourite of the 3 foundations i own from them. I found it didn't last particularly well despite the name and that was the reason i bought it in the first place. It gave alright coverage but it clung to any dry patches i had. Saying that, i have nearly finished the bottle and i do have friends that have liked it. Price= £7.99.
• Wake Me Up Foundation- This one needs no introduction. Everyone seems to have tried this and this is my second bottle of this foundation, an indication for me that it must be good. However, i much prefer this for the spring/ summer months as when i used it for the first time in a while in early December, i found it to feel very tacky on my face and it made me want to claw my makeup off (weird i know). I just really didn't like the feel on my skin. However, in the summer i loved this and used it everyday so i just think its not suited to my skin in the winter and I'm looking forward to hopefully loving it again in a couple of months. Price= £8.99.
• Match Perfection Foundation- This is my newest Rimmel addition and my current everyday foundation. It gives a light coverage that is very buildable and gives a natural finish with a light glow in places. Price= £6.99.
• Stay Matte Pressed Powder- A lightweight powder that does the job but doesn't leave the skin looking cakey. I have this powder in 001 Transparent and 002 Pink Blossom for when I'm having a bad skin day and need an extra bit of coverage in places. Price= £3.99.
• Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Stick- I have the shade 002 Bulletproof Beige and it is a really gorgeous champagne colour that is super smooth and pigmented and lasts all day. I definitely want to get more shades of this! Price= £4.49.
• Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal- 005 nude. I use this on days when i want to open and brighten my eyes and it does a really good job. Price= £3.99.
• Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil- 061 Jet Black. This is just a normal black eyeliner which is pigmented, long lasting and can also be smudged out for a softer or smokier look. Price= £2.99.
• Apocalips Lip Lacquer- I have two shades of these and they are Luna and Big Bang and they are both beautiful! These are another of Rimmel's products which have been hyped up so much and they do live up to it although i don't use them as much as i should, especially Big Bang. The new colours that have been brought out have also caught my eye and I'm looking forward to getting my little hands on them. Price= £6.49.
• Kate Moss Lipsticks- 03, 12, 107. I absolutely love these. They are my favourite Rimmel product and i just cant speak highly enough about them. I love all 3 shades that i have and 107 is my all time favourite lipstick, it just looks great with anything and everything. The only teensy weensy criticism is the lack of a colour name on the packaging. Price= £5.49.

I definitely want to add to my Rimmel collection with the new stay matte foundation particularly catching my eye. Good quality, cheap makeup, that matches or even beats some high end products. What more do you want?!

When i came to do my makeup this morning (okay, i lie it was midday) some of my brushes were still slightly wet from a deep clean last night. I thought it would be fun to do my whole makeup application with only my fingers and this is a strange concept for me, as i use brushes for just about everything. 

The Base:
Of course, applying foundation (Rimmel Match Perfection) and concealer (Collection Lasting Perfection) is a fairly normal application choice for many people. I switch between using my fingers and a brush for blending in concealer but for foundation, 99 times out of 100 i will use a brush.

Eyes:
This is where it starts to get more interesting and i used the wonderful Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette to create a neutral look using my ring and pinky finger. I patted and placed W.O.S all over the lid and then took Naked 2 onto the outer half of my lid before taking Faint with my little finger and dabbing it in the outer third of my eye and into the outer half of my crease. I then took Venus in the inner corners to brighten my eyes and Foxy under my brow. It definitely took more work than using brushes but i liked the precision and control i got using my fingers, although it did feel very strange. I then whipped on some mascara (obviously not using my fingers) using Avon Super Enchant Mascara which one day i love and the next i loathe. 

Face:
Now bronzer/ contour is what i was most interested in in finding how it would work with fingers. I used the Sleek Contour Kit for this and once applying it on to my cheeks, temples and jaw line it needed to be blended quickly. For blush, i cheated and used a cream blusher, Benefits Posie Tint did the job for a pink glow. 

I have to say i was fairly happy with the results. It definitely took a lot more effort and i will stick to brushes for most jobs but it was an interesting test. Mary Greenwell would be proud!

My obsession with Asos has died down slightly over the festive period, partially due to the spending strains of Christmas and saving for a couple of little holidays with friends. But trust me when i say its been hard and all I've really wanted to do is press the beloved 'add to bag' button. It's been a good few months since my first Asos Wishlist post and there's still ever increasing saved items, so i thought it was time for take 2! Here is a selection of my most wanted:
                                                                                       

First of all, i hope everyone had a really good Christmas with far too much food and drink being consumed. Christmas always makes me realise how blessed and lucky i am and shows how much we should appreciate the free things in life such as family! One beauty related gift i received which is just beautiful, is the Nails Inc Christmas Crackers. I'd never seen this before and it consisted of 6 gorgeously packaged mini crackers, with 6 full size nail polishes inside. Although I do apologise, i didn't think to take pictures of the crackers unopened until after id already opened them, whoops! 
As well as the nail polishes there were also 6 quotes from women such as Coco Chanel, Anna Wintour and Audrey Hepburn which added another lovely touch. Now on to the polishes themselves:

• Baker Street; Nails Inc best selling cobalt blue
• Mayfair Mews; A new midnight blue fibre optic nail polish
• Trafalgar Crescent; A new silver galaxy effect nail polish
• Kings Road; A new rose gold foil effect nail polish
• Kensington High Street; Burgundy, wine shade
• Marylebone Lane; A new special effects nail polish in ruby red glitter