January Beauty Favourites

January was the longest month ever! I thought we would never get to the end of it. I didn't really try a whole lot of new products, but since I didn't do a December favourites I thought I would just show you what I have been using and loving lately.

Inglot Sparkling Dust 02

I have actually owned this for months, but only really started to use it over the past month. If you are after a seriously intense highlighter, then look no further. While it does have flecks of glitter in it, once it is applied and blended I find it doesn't look glittery at all. It is the most intense glow I have found in a long time, some people may find it is too much for everyday but I am obsessed with highlighting and wouldn't hesitate to wear this on a day to day basis!

MAC Blankety

Another product I have owned for ages and have fallen in love with again over the past couple of months. I am starting to go for the more brown-toned nudes again after a couple of months going for the more pink look. MAC Blankety is the most gorgeous neutral toned nude. Perfect for throwing on day-to-day or for wearing with a smoky eye. It is an amplified finish so it has amazing pigment and feels nice and moisturising on the lips.

MUG Cocoa Bear & Grandstand

I recently wrote a blog post all about my go-to shadows which I keep in my z-palette. But this month, two of the stand out colours for me were Cocoa Bear and Grandstand. I have been wearing these shades in combination with each other most days this month. Cocoa Bear is a warm brown that I think I probably wore every day regardless of what combination of shades I was wearing, and Grandstand is a foiled rose gold shade. The formula of these two shadows are out of this world, they blend so easily and they last so well throughout the day. I find they look as good at the end of the day as they do when you first apply them. I love wearing Cocoa Bear in the crease with Grandstand on the lid. Match made in heaven!

Essie Angora Cardi

If you follow me on snapshot, you would have seen I was so bold this month and I picked off my gel nails. I've had gels for the last year and a half so it was a bit of a shock to the system to have to start painting them again. I have been loving this shade so much. It reminds me of Kat Von D's "Lolita" lipstick in colour. I'm not even sure how to describe it, it is a plum with a bit of mauve in there. I find that it looks good with or without a tan, which suits great as I have been abit lazy when it comes to tanning the past while. 

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt

I was lucky enough to get a bottle of this for Christmas and I have been flying through it since. It is my all time favourite perfume. It is the only one I have ever tried from Jo Malone, and I am in love. Again I am so useless at describing things, scents being one of the more difficult things..but it is woody, fresh and a very clean scent. It does remind me of the beach, and I love wearing it because of all the happy memories I made wearing it. I 100% recommend you head into Brown Thomas, or wherever your nearest Jo Malone counter is, and give it a sniff!

Let me know what your favourite product for the past month has been, and if any of your favourites are the same as mine!

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My Go-To Eyeshadow Palette

Everytime I look at this palette it makes me so happy. I have been building this up for the past couple of months and recently had enough to fill it. I have been collecting MAC eyeshadows for years, but only recently have gotten into the Make-up Geek range. I started ordering off Beauty Bay, and after swatching the first few - I was hooked. I ordered the "Z-Palette" from Beauty Bay too. It is the biggest one that I could find, if your interested you can buy one here. Since filling it, I have brought this palette everywhere with me and it has done every occasion! I have used it for everyday make-up, night out make-up and I used it when I was Bridesmaid for a wedding. The shades I have put in this are simple, easy shades with a few pops of colour if I want something extra.

I asked on Facebook and Snapchat if you would like to see a blog post going into detail about what shades I keep in this palette and swatches, and a few of you said you would (thank god!) so here it is. As I said earlier this palette is mostly MAC and Make-Up Geek. I have really started using Make-up Geek shadows in the last three months or so and I am officially converted! They are just so pigmented and buttery compared to other shadows I've used, that I really don't see myself straying away from the brand. There are a few shadows from MAC, which once I've finished I will be switching with the Make-up Geek alternative. They do so many dupes and there are millions (well not millions...) of shades to choose from.

L-R:- MAC Vanilla, MAC Nylon, MUG Peach Smoothie, MAC All That Glitters and MUG Creme Brulee

MAC Vanilla

This is one of my go-to, staple shades. I use this everyday on top of my eyeshadow primer as an all over base. It is, as the name would suggest - a pale vanilla shade with the tiniest hint of sparkle to it. I find it makes blending eyeshadow on top so much easier, and it's brilliant to even out the skintone on my eyelid.

MAC Nylon

Again this is something I reach for on an everyday basis. I use this as an inner corner highlight or to highlight the top of my brow bone and it just to make my eyes look more awake. I have actually used this as my face highlighter if I have forgotten my usual one. It is so frosty and shiny, it just looks fab.

MUG Peach Smoothie

This is one of the shades that converted me to Make-Up Geek. I use this as a transition colour most days, and it really makes my eyeshadow look more seamless. I never used to use a transition shade but since starting, it has changed the way I do my eye make-up.
MAC All That Glitters
This is another recent addition to my collection and one that I can't believe I didn't have before. This is a very light champagne shimmer colour. I normally use it on the inner section of my eye lid to brighten it up, or I put it on top of another shadow to give it a bit more shimmer.          
MUG Creme Brulee
This is another shade that I use as a transition shade. If I'm not wearing Peach Smoothie then it's this. It is a very light, creamy brown colour. It's actually really nice all over the lid on its own too. 

 L-R:- MAC Amber Lights, MUG Chickadee, MAC Wedge, MAC Patina, MAC Cork

MAC Amber Lights
I wore this so much over the Christmas period. It's a gorgeous gold, but it's not overly brassy. I just can't wear really yellow golds on my eyes because they just don't suit me, but this is one that I can get away with. 
MUG Chickadee
This was one of the shades that had a lot of hype surrounding it when I was looking for swatches for shadows online. I had myself convinced that I didn't need it and I would never wear it, but after watching a few tutorials online with it, I had to have it. It's definitely one of the crazier colours in my palette but it warms up any eye look. 
MAC Wedge
This is a cool toned, light brown shade. I like popping this in the crease before I go in with a darker brown, and I love when it is put all over the lid and blended out in the crease. Perfect everyday eyeshadow.
  MAC Patina
I bought this after seeing Lily Pebbles talk about it a few years ago, and I remember seeing her wear it all over over her eyelid and thinking it looked amazing. This would be perfect for a bride on her wedding day. It is so natural and pretty. 
MAC Cork
This is the warmer version of Wedge in my opinion. If I am looking for a warmer toned shade for blending out darker colors, or again just to sweep all over the lid, Cork is the one I reach for. 

L-R:- MAC Swiss Chocolate, MAC Saddle, MAC Espresso, Push Orche, MUG Frappe

MAC Swiss Chocolate
This is not the most pigmented shade in the world, but it is a gorgeous warm toned brown. It is matte, and it does take a little extra work to blend but once you do, it is definitely worth it. 
MAC Saddle
I think this is a Pro product, I bought it off the MAC website directly. It is another matte shade and it is like Swiss Chocolates baby sister. I love pairing the two together. If you told me a few years ago that I would love wearing warm toned browns, I would have thought you were mad! 
MAC Espresso
This is a shadow that I used to use all the time for my eyebrows. When my hair was darker, this was the perfect match. Now I use it to deepen up my (non-existent) crease area. 
Push Orche
Push is an Irish make-up brand that I discovered when I was on the hunt for a dupe for MAC's Uninterrupted. Uninterrupted was the most hyped eyeshadow ever for a couple of months awhile ago, and then it was discontinued! So this is the closest thing I could find to it at the time. It is such a strange colour. It's a very yellow toned brown and paired with MUG's Chickadee, they are a match made in heaven!
MUG Frappe
Another medium, warm-toned brown. I love this one paired with MUG's Cocoa Bear. I would wear this, Creme Brulee and Cocoa Bear on an everyday basis. They would be my favourite for a quick natural-ish look.

L-R:- MAC Expensive Pink, MUG Poppy, MUG Mango Tango, MAC Coppering, MUG Morocco

MAC Expensive Pink
This is a gorgeous pink shade with a gold shimmer running through it. A few years ago I would have run a mile from shades like this but over the past year or so I have been loving the warmer, red/pink toned shadows. This is gorgeous on the lid with a matte colour in the crease.
MUG Poppy
I love this shade to brighten up an everyday look. I blend this into the crease with a brown and it completely transforms something simple into something different. It is a matte, muted red shade that looks really intimidating in the pan but when you actually apply it, it is very wearable.
MUG Mango Tango
This is the pinker sister of Poppy, it has the slightest hint of shimmer in it which makes it easier to blend in my opinion. I love the hint of peach that this gives to an eye look, it looks amazing with a tan! 
MAC Coppering
This is one of the first eyeshadows I bought in the red family. I really didn't know how to wear it for ages, so it sat in my palette at the time just looking pretty. Again this looks gorgeous all over the lid and blended out in the crease, or I tend to wear it with a darker brown in the crease with this all over the lid. 
MUG Morocco
This is one I normally pair with the warm browns in the palette. I apply it in my crease first and then apply a brown on top and it creates a gorgeous warm toned eye without looking like you have a mad orange shadow all over your eyelids. 

 L-R:- MUG Flamethrower, MUG Cupcake, MAC Passionate, MUG Bitten, MUG Cherry Cola

MUG Flamethrower
This is one of the standout shades in this palette for me. It is just a beautiful,rich burnt orange colour. It is beautiful on the eyelid with warmer colours in the crease. There is a fair amount of fall out which is understandable since it is such a pigmented shade, so just be aware of that. 
MUG Cupcake
This shade looks a little bit like a bruise in the pan, but when applied it creates a gorgeous mauve eye look. I love pairing this with both browns and burgundys. It is a matte but it is so blend-able.
MAC Passionate
Another mad shade- but as you can see from the swatch it is not overly pigmented, which I actually like. I build this up to the intensity I want to create a gorgeous hot pink eye. I would apply Cupcake first and then blend this in.
MUG Bitten
The first burgundy shade in the palette is my go-to. It is one of my favourite eyeshadows ever. It blends beautifully, looks amazing on the eyes, and is ridiculously long lasting. If you want to start using more red toned shadows I 100% recommend that you give Bitten a go!
MUG Cherry Cola
This was the first MUG shadow I ever tried. It is the more brown version of Bitten. I love this when I want to deepen up a smokey eye. It is gorgeous paired with Bitten or the next shadow I'm going to talk about. 

 L-R:- MUG Burlesque, MUG Cocoa Bear, MUG Grandstand, MAC Blackberry, MAC Embark

MUG Burlesque
This is the shimmery version of Bitten. It doesn't have any hint of glitter, it is a gorgeous seamless shimmery shade and when paired with Bitten or Cherry Cola it creates the most gorgeous smokey eye.
MUG Cocoa Bear

This is another absolute favourite out of this palette, and if you were looking for one shade to get from Make-Up Geek, I would recommend this one. It is a deep, warm toned brown and I wear this almost everyday basis. I couldn't be without this shade.
MUG Grandstand
Another major favourite of mine. I would wear this all over the lid with browns blended out in the crease. It is a gorgeous rose gold shade. It is one of MUG's foiled shadows, which is the same formula as Grandstand. So it is ridiculously pigmented and so shimmery.
MAC Blackberry
If I want a cooler toned look, this is one of the shadows I would reach for. It is a matte, cool toned purple shade. I would wear it with either MUG's Cupcake or MAC's Wedge.
MAC Embark
A cool toned, matte, dark brown. Perfect for deepening up any eye look, or for creating a smokey eye.   
 

L-R:- MAC Satin Taupe, MUG Dirty Martini, MAC Club, MUG Enchanted Forest, MAC Carbon

MAC Satin Taupe
This is a gorgeous shimmery taupe shade which is a perfect pairing with MAC's Blackberry. It creates a gorgeous cool toned eye which used to be all I would wear. 
MUG Dirty Martini
This is a gorgeous matte olive green shade. Something that is a little out of my comfort zone, but once I applied it - I loved it. It is similar to Bitten in texture and works beautifully. 
MAC Club
This is a gorgeous duo-chromed shade. It goes from brown to green depending on the on the light so you can pair it with both brown or green shadows.
MUG Enchanted Forest
This, paired with Dirty Martini would create a gorgeous green smokey eye. Not everyone's cup of tea but a nice change from the traditional browns and greys.
MAC Carbon
This is the only shadow that I am not happy with in the palette. It is not nearly as pigmented as I would like, but for the amount of times I use a black shadow it will do for now. But I do have my eye on MUG's Corrupt.      

If there are any shadows that you think that I need in my collection, or that you feel would go well with the other shades in my palette please let me know and I will be sure to check them out! 

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