Sunday Wishlist #2 The Brush Edition

I love, love, love me a good wishlist... They work to get out my spending itch in a more constructive and less bank-balance-bothering fashion, and if  I can afford to, reading other people's is the perfect spending inspo. 

This wishlist is a brush themed one as I have told myself many a time that you can never have too many brushes (or skincare... one for another wishlist!) Given that at the time of writing I am currently curating my favourite brushes from my present stash, I felt it was the ideal opportunity to give you the lowdown on what other brushes I have my eyes on...

The High End Heroes

Charlotte Tilbury's Powder and Sculpt | Louise Young's LY34 | Paula Dorf Sheer Crease | Suqqu Cheek

These lovely ladies have been on my wishlist for what feels like an eternity... Pixiwoo, Lisa Eldridge and of course Charlotte Tilbury are all responsible for the lust that I feel for these four. The Paula Dorf and Suqqu Cheek brushes in particular have been on my mental wishlist for a good couple of years now; I am thinking their purchase will have to be save for a very special occasion!

Sold On Rose Gold

Zoeva's Rose Gold Set

But of course! This particular pick has received arguably more blog coverage than any other set (with the exception of perhaps Real Techniques' Core Collection) so I won't bore you too much with its merits but good LORD it is GORGEOUS.

Bobbi Brown Beauties

Full Coverage | Face Blender | Blush | Eye Sweep | Eye Smudge

I'm a real fan of Bobbi Brown and her brushes are no exception... So far there is just one in my collection but I wouldn't say no to having a fair few more as the quality and look of these brushes is just fabulous...

Those are my choices, I hope you liked 'em - what are the brushes you are drooling over?

July Lifestyle Favourites

What a great time of the month this one is! I love me some favourites, I really freakin' do. Let us check out what I have been loving:

On TV: The Honourable Woman - Maggie Gyllenhaal is my new spirit animal.
On Youtube: The amazing Emily Diana Ruth has had me hooked on her Letters To July series; just beautiful.
On my iPod: I have listened to Kygo's remix of Brother by Matt Corby endlessly since hearing it in this lookbook by the fabulous Sarah Hawkinson.
On my bedside table: I have been reading Abhorsen by Garth Nix and I will be finished any minute now!
On Bloglovin': It's been all about A Girl And A Beauty Blog, That Grace Girl and Citron and Guavaberry this month and brilliant they each are!

And on my end, I loved filming and editing my 7 Days of Makeup and 3 Things To Do This Weekend, and my Trying Some Style Classics post was one of my faves I've done ever!

I hope you enjoyed guys, and that your July was as wonderful as mine. Take care and see you tomorrow for an exciting blog project!

VIDEO: Skincare Update

Ooosh, do I love me some skincare wafflin' - today's video is all about the products I have been using lately, with some rates, hates and tolerates thrown in!

My Favourite Daft Punk Songs

Image Source

I lurve Daft Punk... my adoration is a fairly recent one, as I bought their album Discovery on a whim in my first year of uni and I'm about to go into my forth, but the love is real guys, the love is real. I figured as I'd shared my love of some obscure acts and their songs in this post, it was about time I made some recommendations for bands you may have heard of!

We'll do this in reverse order, to keep things exciting!

Get Lucky
Oooh come on, you can't begrudge me this one?! I figured I'd pop this fella in first just to get it done. Overplayed, maybe... but does it deserve it? I'm gonna say yes - I've had a weird thing for proper 70's disco for a couple of years now (please don't tell my dad) and any songs that combine the old with the new are always my faves. This just gets me dancin'.

Rinzler
From the Tron Legacy Soundtrack, this song has some seriously bad ass vibes. Come my wedding I'll be walking down the aisle to this one for sure. Play it loud and feel the goosebumps.

Motherboard
This track is from their latest album Random Access Memories and is arguably my favourite. Probably nothing like you might expect from the album that gave us Get Lucky and Lose Yourself To Dance, it's a slightly wacky but seriously wonderful piece. BIG LOVE.

Da Funk
I mean, if you're not guessing the vibe of this one from the title, I just don't know where your mind's at... Fun and of course funky, this one makes me want to move. For hours on end.

Make Love
Nope, not an instruction from me there, that's actually my favourite Daft Punk song's title. This is a lush, subtle catchy number that I serious could listen to for hours on end (there's a link here if you share the urge!) I could listen to this all day and I am amazed I've not heard more people talking about it/bloody well playing it.

Man I love these songs - if you've not heard them already, feel free to listen and let me know what you thought!

In Defense Of Luxury Makeup

Everyone has their vices.

For some it's smoking. Others gambling.

Mine is expensive-ass makeup.

Most people recognise that of the addictions I could have got hooked to, makeup really is a pretty harmless one - but there'll always be the odd voice that says, "But why?"

Today, I consolidate my reasons into one handy post, so that next time that voice pipes up, I can hand them a piece of paper with the URL of this page on it, and my troubles will (hopefully) be over.

1. I am pale. I have yet to find a cheaper foundation that has both matched my skin and my formula needs, so it means that when it comes to base, I am happy to pay more if it means I'm not orange.
2. The. Packaging. By and large, this is where high street brands really fall down for me and high end just sprints ahead: the frosted glass on my Giorgio Armani foundation bottle... the exquisite opening of a Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick... And Tom Ford. Oh boy, Tom Ford.
3. That stuff is going on ma FACE. I want it to stick around... Higher end products that really work justify their price tag to me, not least as their cost-per-wear works out as pennies...
4. Colours. Some drugstore shades are up there for sure, but when I think of iconic or unique colours, I'm thinking MAC Satin Taupe, Laura Mercier Sable, Nars Cruella, Clinique Black Honey... most of the time, it's higher end brands that have the shades I love.

That's me done for now... I could of course wax lyrical for months on end, but I figure you probably have better things to be doing! Are you a high end honey or drugstore diva? I am desperate to know as always!

GIMME 5: Hand Creams

I'm somewhat new to the hand cream game, but I strongly feel that what I lack in experience, I make up for in litres of enthusiasm. I have been slathering my mits in these five babies for the last few weeks: here's my rundown of the Good and the "Good God..."

Also, if you missed last month's Gimme 5, you can get the dirty here...

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream
Still not a brand that I've been convinced by, this hand cream failed to push me onto the Nuxe bandwagon. Formula-wise, is one of the more decent formulas of the five: it absorbs well and I do feel its moisturising benefits, but the smell... I can't even begin to describe it to you properly.  According to the internets this fella contains Chilean rose, avocado and sweet almond oils, which possibly explains why it smells like a weird old herbally jumble to my nose.

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector
I have actually tried this chappy before (in TBS's pre-L'Oréal days) and, along with their Shea Lip Butter, I feel there has been a distinct decrease in quality since the company changed hands. No longer sold in its cool, medicine-style metal tube, this is now available in a tacky, plastic one that is 20ml smaller. It's also somewhat lacking formula wise; I remember it as a light but potent balm that was powerful but weightless... Now it's by no means a bad hand cream, but just not a patch on the old formula, and it's another one with a smell you're probably going to have to learn to love.

Pure by Waitrose Hand Cream
At £1.99 I wasn't expecting much... but good LORD this is awful. Two minutes post application, all hints of hydration are long gone. I could weep... but I won't, I swear I won't.

Clarins Hand and Nail Cream
One of Momma B's faves, this one hit the (finger)nail on the head with a great formula and nice scent... It's the priciest of the bunch, but Clarins put its success down to the sesame oil and Japanese Mulberry: how lovely sounding. It does work well and would have come top if another hadn't beaten it...

La Roche Posay Lipikar Xerand Hand Repair Cream
It turns out my first hand cream is my fave... so much so the tube pictured is my second. While it's not quite rich enough to be my overnight hand cream of choice (that quest continues... chime in if you have recommendations!) it is going to live in my handbag, forever. It's got what I think of as a "proper" hand cream vibe: a floral smell, nice formula and the packaging just reminds me of whatever my mum was using when I was little... For the mo, it's my hand slap of choice and it's also only a fiver from Escentual... nice one.

I'll be back with another Gimme 5 next month but until then, what hand creams are you feeling? And basting your paws in? I am pumped to hear about them as per!

Mini Budget Haul

Guys, I have a confession...

I may have gone to Boots and some accidental shopping may have occurred.

If I'm honest it felt like good deals were just fighting to be exploited.

I couldn't not.

Here you go my loves!