KIKO 01 Lounge Warm Tones Palette!

When I saw this palette on Hannah's blog, I just knew I had to have it! It's a slightly unique palette I think because of the colours and finishes, there is a real mix of neutral matte shadows, as well as the matte cranberry and beautiful sparkly ones. When she said they currently had 50% off, I snapped it up in no time along with a few other KIKO products as they have a minimum spend of £25. (Free delivery off your first if you sign up!)

I was SO excited to receive it because I knew I was going to love it and I wasn't disappointed, just look at them! They are seriously pigmented and blend SO smoothly, the formula is lovely. I have been using this palette constantly for the last few days and you can create so many different looks. I have used some of the sparkly colours on my inner corner and it really makes the eyes pop. You can also use these shadow wet to intensify them which would be lovely for a night out. 

Top row & swatches.

From these swatches, you can see just how creamy and buttery the mattes are and how the tiny specks of glitter are picked up by the light in the sparkly ones. I have been using the first darker brown lightly in my crease for days where I want a bit of definition but still a natural look. I have used the cranberry colour a few times on my outer corner when I want a brighter look and I haven't tried out this gold yet.

Bottom row & swatches.

This first slightly bronzier gold colour I have also used a couple times on the outer half of my eyelids teamed with the matte middle colour. It looks pretty but again still soft and natural. The middle colour is the perfect base eyeshadow and when I have tan, really opens my eyes and looks gorgeous just all over the lid with a bit of mascara. This last colour is the one I have been using most often for my inner corners, it isn't too much for day time but adds a lovely reflective glitter to help open and brighten the eyes. This palette is such a great buy at full price let alone half price, I am SO glad I ordered it! It is now my go to palette no matter what look I am going for.

What do you think of this palette? Any KIKO recommendations? 

Kerry

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GHD V GOLD professional styler!

Shock horror, I have never owned a pair of GHDs! The thing is, I have pretty naturally straight hair anyway and rarely straighten my hair, so I have never really felt the need for high quality, top notch straighteners. 

However, in a bid to cut down my 'getting ready' time in the mornings so Sienna and I can actually go out and do things, I have started washing my hair at night. The only problem with this is by night time, I am so exhausted from the day that I can't even be bothered to blow dry it! This means it gets a couple hours (maximum) 'air dry' time and then I lay my head down for the night, with half of my hair still damp. 

(before)

This has meant I start waking to wavy, fuzzy, bed hair. Not what I am used too! I have tried to love it and go with it but I have been having more bad hair days than good and just started feeling that my hair always looked horrible. Thank the lord for this GHD V Gold professional styler.Bad hair days are now a thing of the past and my morning routine is still much quicker than washing & blow drying my hair!  

The design of this is gorgeous, we all know I have a new obsession with gold and so I instantly fell in love with the design; it looks very classy and luxurious. Black and gold are just perfect together!

As well as looking beautiful, it performs extremely well. It warms up to the highest temperature in around 10 seconds (amazing) and beeps to let you know it is ready, it glides through the hair no problem, none of this pulling and sticking I have had with cheaper straighteners to leave a straight, frizz free mane in a matter of seconds. It's so quick to do, you don't need to run over the same piece of hair a million times to get it poker straight.

(after)

It looks and feels so shiny and healthy, instead of dry and damaged. I can also use them to curl my hair if I want to stray from my conical wand for any reason! Now I know what all the fuss is about GHDs, they are totally worth the investment and I won't ever go back to cheaper ones! I love them!

Kerry

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FIRST PUBLISHED ON LIVEDWITHLOVE.COM BY MYSELF

Collective Beauty Haul!

My skin has been playing up recently and my acne has come back in full force. I have been prescribed some treatment by the doctor in the past and even though it worked after a few weeks, it's leaves my skin looking like I have had a chemical peel and is very harsh on the skin. Before jumping straight back into it I wanted to see if I could find any other products that would work instead. I also picked up some make-up to help me cover it until it clears up and a few other non essential make-up bits!

Here are the skincare bits...

KIKO eyes rescue £11.50, Ren Clearcalm 3 Clarifying clay cleanser £18.00, Soap & Glory Dr Spot currently on offer at £5.33, RRP £8.00.

The first thing I picked up was the Ren Clarifying Clay Cleanser. I have heard a lot about Ren lately and the fact that they are known as a 'clean' skincare brand stood out to me. This cleanser was reviewed on Caroline Hiron's blog (she is a skincare goddess) and got a 5/5 so I thought it would be a great starting point. I have been using it a few weeks now so expect a review to come soon!

I also repurchased the Effaclar duo from Amazon, however it is un-pictured because it still hasn't arrived yet, despite me ordering it on the 10th! I am very annoyed about this as I need it like, right now! So yesterday, I caved and went to boots. They didn't have the Effaclar duo in stock but I picked up the Dr Spot from Soap and Glory after hearing great things about it and have been applying it religious since, I will let you know how it works!

This month my eye cream ran out and I was so pleased to get this KIKO one. I had seen the eyes rescue talked about by Ruth from A Model Recommends and had it in the back of my mind to try next time round, so far, so good!

Now for the make-up…

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Make-up £28.50, KIKO eyeshadow palette currently on offer at £8.40 RRP £16.90, Topshop Cheek Duo £12.50, KIKO eyebrow marker £5.90.

To cover my skin until it clears up, I picked up the Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover make-up. I use it as a concealer before my foundation and it does a bloody good job! I have used it before and loved it so I knew it was a good investment.

With KIKO, you have to spend a minimum of £25 on their website and as I wanted the eyes rescue cream, I had to purchase a few other things to make up the amount. This palette was reviewed on a few other blogs and it looked so gorgeous! At half price, I couldn't resist!

The Topshop cheek duo I have already reviewed here.

The eyebrow marker was the last thing I got to make up my £25 and as my current Avon eyebrow pencil was coming to an end, I thought it worked out quite well. I haven't tried this out yet but I'm excited as I have never used one of these marker type things on my brows before!

So that is everything I got recently. I am sure I will be doing a review on most of it, if not all of it soon! If there is anything specific you want a review of let me know :)


What have you been buying recently? What are your skin saviours?

Kerry

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Topshop 'Desert Sun' Cheek Duo!

With my beloved Benefit 'Fine One One' coming to an end, I was on the hunt for something equally as beautiful. I was on the fence about wether to try a cream or a powder but decided powder may be better as my skin has become a bit more oily lately.

I had some Topshop vouchers left over for christmas and originally popped in for a midi skirt. With no luck on the skirt front, I was drifting around the store to see if anything would take my fancy and I spied their make-up range. I have never tried anything from Topshop's make-up line so was eager to find something I liked the look of. 

Topshop's Cheek Duo in 'Desert Rose' definitely stood out to me. I have been loving The Balm 'Fat Boy' blush recently which is a gorgeous pinky peach and this looked like the same kind of shade, with a gorgeous gold highlight on the other side. It looked perfect for what I was after!

I fell in love with it and soon it was on it's way home with me and of course, it had a quick debut on Instagram! The colour is more similar to Frat Boy than I thought so that was good memory skills! 

The highlighter is a bit more gold than I normally go for, but I actually prefer it I think. It blends in a lot more with my blush/bronzer and skin tone than a paler more white based highlight does and together they create a gorgeous bronze highlight. LOVE! I am wearing it in this post if you want to see what it looks like on my face.

 I was a bit worried that the quality wouldn't be great seeing as it is predominantly a clothing store, I'm not usually a fan of the make-up in places like New Look, H&M etc... but I am really impressed. The quality seems great, the colour payoff and pigmentation is good and I think I will get a lot of use out of it. I think this has encouraged me to dip my toes a little further into the Topshop line of cosmetics! 

What's your favourite product from Topshop's make-up range?

Kerry

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Blog love #1

This weekend I have made some new discoveries and so I thought I would share them with you. I am always finding new fashion or beauty blogs that I love so thought I'd do these regularly under the title 'Blog love'. I also have my all time favourites on 'My favs blog' page if you want to check that out. I'm not going to write a blurb about them because it's obvious why I love them; either great style or taste in make-up and generally lovely blogs!

Blogs I'm loving right now!

The Girl In The Tartan Scarf

What blogs are you loving right now?

Kerry

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New winter coat & snood!

In Winter, I think there are 3 essentials you need for staying warm and snug. Boots, Coat and a Snood/Scarf. I have had my Winter boots for a while, my black quilted ones from F&F at Tesco. But as for a coat and snood? Well, I never really got round to it until now! 

This gorgeous coat is from OASAP (sold out but similar HERE) and I am in love with it! I normally go for black coats however, Warren encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and go for the camel and I am so glad I did! I think with the lighter colour you can really see all the lovely detailing; big buttons, big collar, and A-line shape. It will also work really well for the Spring and maybe some chillier summer evenings.

I love the longer A-line shape of it, again, not my usual style but I think it is very elegant, pretty and flattering. I normally go for shorter coats as I am quite short and worry longer coats will swamp me and not help the situation, but I really like how this looks with skinny jeans and heels or flats. The belt means I can really pull it in to give a gorgeous silhouette and emphasise my waist so I don't look bigger than I am. 

The big collar is a great feature of the coat and feels luxurious. The quality of this coat and material adding to the luxury feel so it is a brilliant price, you would pay much more for coats like this on the high street! OASAP currently have 20% at the moment with the code New-year and have some lovely coats in the sale, with up to 50% off! So go and see what you can find :)

My lovely snood is from Britfash.com. Britfash is a new online store which brings the best of British Fashion together in one place. They have a selection of womens and menswear from handpicked British brands which include Stone Union, Risk Couture, QED London, Zuppe and Espace. To see the full range of brands go here. I love how they are supporting emerging british talent in the fashion industry and appeal to both men and women. They have some gorgeous items on their site, I am lusting over this Helene Tank Top in the pink. Perfect colour for Spring and I love the little details of the studs, it just adds something a bit different from all the other tanks you can pick up. It's currently in their sale as well, bargain! 

This snood is from the brand Xcessories and is a gorgeous weave knit snood. It is big and fluffy to keep you warm but also soft and not itchy like some snoods I have had in the past. I chose the black as it will go with everything, day or night, casual or dressy! I have been wearing this everyday and now of course, have my eye on the leopard print one! These can also be machine washed which is great when you have a teething, dribbling toddler in your arms most of the time ;)

What do you think?

Kerry

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FIRST PUBLISHED ON LIVEDWITHLOVE.COM BY MYSELF.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar K Review

We all know how amazing the famous La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo is, so when the chance came up to review another of their products, I couldn't contain myself. I don't know if it's a recent change of my cleanser but skin has been horrible lately, oily, bumpy and breaking out a lot. 

The La Roche-Posay Effaclar K  is described as a daily renewal fluid that helps gradually exfoliate the skin to create a smoother texture, smaller pores and regain a clearer complexion. It is a lightweight yet hydrating fluid and sinks into the skin lovely to create the perfect matte finish to the skin, but without being too flat. I find it leaves my skin looking much smoother under my make-up and helps keep the oily at bay amazingly. 

My skin has started clearing up after only using this for a couple of days, I swear by it now! I can feel around my nose and chin, all the congestion has been smoothed and those bumps under the surface are disappearing. Even though I have some scarring left, my skin looks in a much better condition even without make-up. This is another La Roche-Posay that has been added to my holy grail collection, it just seems they can do no wrong when it comes to keeping my skin happy. 

Do you love this? What other La Roche-Posay products do you recommend? 

Kerry

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FIRST PUBLISHED ON LIVEDWITHLOVE.COM BY MYSELF.

Nourish Skincare Review

Nourish natural skincare is fast becoming one of my favourite skincare brands after trying out these products. I have been using these everyday for a while now so I feel I can really give them a great review and have seen the effects myself. Nourish very kindly sent me the Purifying Balance shower gel*, Golden glow illuminating face shimmer* and a sample of the Argan skin renew*. 

Now I must admit, the shower gel is not something I would usually purchase myself as I normally go for any cheap, random shower gel and 90% of the time, they are full with lots of bad ingredients. Using this one has made me see the difference in my skin from using a natural brand. It feels more moisturised and supple and just generally in better condition. This one smells amazing and the apple scent is a nice change from the typical citrus or relaxing scents. It also has smoothing peptides and the apple extracts are elasticity boosting!

The Golden glow illuminating face shimmer is my absolute favourite product right now out of everything I own. I have a pretty oily t-zone so prefer not to use a highlighter or shimmer all over my face. I also like to use as little products as possible so was not sure this would fit in well with my skincare routine. 

Shimmer is definitely the right word for it, the particles are tiny so don't leave you with that glittery face that some people dislike. I love it because it really makes my skin feel great, not oily at all. It also makes my skin look super glowy, nice and plumped and just absolutely amazing! I use it under my foundation to create a base so I don't have too much glow going on for autumn/winter but enough to make me look fresh and awake. 

As well as it being a great make-up product, it also acts as a skincare product and you know how I love my multi purpose products! It is full of goodness to feed and protect your skin throughout winter including aloe vera, tripeptides and hyaluronic acid. Aloe vera stimulates collagen resulting in firmer, smoother skin as well as repairing damaged cells and the tripeptides and hyaluronic acid help reduce wrinkles and fight signs of sun damage. On my oilier days I have replaced my moisturiser with this and it works great.

I have been making this little sample of Argan skin renew last for ages because I really like using it. I have already warned Warren this will have to become a staple in my skincare kit. It's quite a thick cream but it sinks in so well and when I wake in the morning, my skin looks and feels great and is plumped and moisturised, not shiny and greasy. I have definitely seen a result in my hydration levels as my skin was pretty dehydrated before I started using this. This will be down to the advanced cellular enzymes that again help repair skin but also reduce water loss and improve hydration levels.  

I am seriously impressed with these products and the prices are very reasonable too. I highly recommend them.

Have you tried these? Do you like a glow in winter? 

Kerry

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FIRST PUBLISHED ON LIVEDWITHLOVE.COM BY MYSELF.

Recent Beauty Bits!

These beauty posts on my blog are few and far between these days. This is not because I don't love beauty anymore, it's just that at the moment, I feel like I can't relate to beauty as much as I used too. Now Sienna is a year old and toddling around, she is so full on and needs a lot more attention and stimulation, it leaves little time for hair and make-up, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Sienna is definitely the focus of my life so for now, I am going to be doing these monthly or bi-weekly beauty posts, combining any new beauty products and bits I have been buying/using/testing in one post. It is just more manageable and organised for me, I hope that's ok!

Xen-Tan Body Scrub
This is great, it really exfoliate leaving the skin soft and clean and perfectly ready for tanning! I love the colour of it too, it makes using it more fun :)


Xen-Tan Face Tanner Luxe
This is nice, it gave my face a nice soft colour and left it feeling smooth and nourished from the Vitamin E and Shea butter. I do think it made me break out though so I haven't used it since, but when my skin has cleared up, I will try it one more time to see if it was coincidence or not.

Xen-Tan Luminous Gold Gel
I was really excited to use this as we all know I love my tan! I was surprised at the sparkle in it, it is like covering yourself in shimmer powder! I'm not sure if the sparkle is for me but it did give me a nice natural tan colour. I'm was wearing it on Sienna's birthday and it lasted and faded really well, I could tell it was a high quality tan.

Miners Fresh Faced Powder

I've been using these for a couple of days and I LOVE them. They are finely milled, help mattify my skin without making it look cakey and the best thing is they are paraben free. They haven't made me break out like the Rimmel Stay Matte powder does so I am very happy. It's also very handy having the 3 different colours; Translucent Ivory, Soft Sand & Warm Honey. When I am a little paler, the Warm Honey shade is the perfect, natural contour colour for me. at only £3.99 these are a bargain and great for sensitive skin like mine!

Rouge Bunny Rouge Nocturnal Ink

A gorgeous, easy to use eyeliner. The pen for is so quick and handy and the nib is perfect, you can create a thin or thick line. The satin finish means is draws so easily and there is no dragging of the eyes. I have been using this daily as it is much easier and quicker than using my gel liner and a brush.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Sheer Lipstick in Murmerings

This lipstick is so dreamy, I've been wearing it constantly! It is the perfect Autumn/Winter colour and I find it great for my skin & hair colouring, I am always drawn to these kind of shades. It is a little darker than pictured but still gorgeous. The formulation is the best I have ever used, they are such amazing quality. It is so pigmented, leaves a glossy finish and feels SO moisturising. I can't express how much I LOVE this lipstick. Rouge Bunny Rouge is really becoming my favourite make-up brands, they are a little more expensive but I think they are definitely worth it. I'd rather pay for these than buy a MAC lipstick!

GlamGlow Youth-Mud Treatment
This mud mask is right up my street, I love face masks as I have quite combination/oily skin and it can get quite congested. I always reach for a face mask to calm it down and help me feel better. This worked wonders, I was breaking out quite badly but after using this my skin started clearing up. I love products I can feel working and this tingles so I felt like it was doing something. After I removed the mask, my skin felt super soft, clearer and less oily. LOVE it!

GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment
This again really feels like it is working. I'm not sure if I took it too far down or if it was just because my skin is quite sensitive, but it did start to sting the very tops of my cheeks for a few seconds. It soon went away without me having to remove the treatment or anything and there was no redness or stinging when I did remove it, so it wasn't too bad! The results were fantastic; my under eye area looked brighter, less puffy and I swear it helped my dark circles?! My fine lines were gone, the skin around them felt softer and nourished and my eyes just generally felt more awake and refreshed.
I'm so impressed with these samples of GlamGlow, it's the first time I have used any of their products but I can see why they are so popular, they give fantastic results and really do what they say!

Do you love any of these? What appeals to you the most?

Kerry

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FIRST PUBLISHED ON LIVEDWITHLOVE.COM BY MYSELF.

Leaves & Leather; OOTD

Earrings; New Look,

Necklace; Kitsch,

Blouse; Asda,

Bracelets; New Look & Speechless,

Skirt; Chiara Fashion

Tights; Tesco

Flats; Tesco. 

I just wanted to do a quick post and share the outfit I wore for the #southwestbloggersmeet. I got this pretty Autumnal blouse in Asda which I showed in my grocery shop video. Tucked into my new gorgeous leather look skirt from Chiara fashion I thought it made for a great outfit. I love, love, love the zip detail that goes diagonally down the front, it does actually unzip the whole way not that I would ever use it as a feature haha! It just looks fun. I know this is going to be a staple in my wardrobe throughout Autumn/Winter and even into Spring/Summer. Teamed with an embellished cami, it's going to be one of my Christmas party outfits! 

Do you love leather as much as me?

Kerry

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FIRST PUBLISHED ON LIVEDWITHLOVE.COM BY MYSELF.

Birdy Accessories; Blue Bohemian Statement Necklace

Cobalt blue is one of my favourite colours for this time of year. I find it can warm and brighten duller colours like black and grey whilst not being too much of a summery hue. I can already tell this bohemian statement necklace from Birdy Accessories is going to become my must have accessory for A/W.

It's a chunky necklace but still has the dainty aspects of pieces being linked together. It's not only the colour and size that make a statement, it's the irregular shapes. I love how it is a little bit more unusual how isn't symmetrical, it adds real interest to the piece.

Birdy Accessories is a new business and actually ran by the lovely Jay. She is also a blogger and I got to meet her at the #southwestbloggersmeet. She was lovely, we got on well and I'm so glad we got to have a good old chat. Her website also offers other lovely pieces such as bracelets, rings and phone covers. We would both appreciate it if you would help support her new business. She has a competition running at the moment where you can win ANY item of your choice from her website! To enter, all you have to do is 'Like' her Facebook page, share the competition photo and comment on the same photo, it's as easy as that! You never know, you could be the lucky winner so don't miss out.

What's your favourite piece from Birdy Accessories? 

Kerry

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FIRST PUBLISHED ON LIVEDWITHLOVE.COM BY MYSELF.

Heat Holders Thermal Leggings!

You may have noticed that it's been a bit cold lately, if you're in England that is. Before Christmas, I was sent the Heat Holders Thermal Leggings to try out. I have never tried Thermals before as to be honest, I am quite a hot bod. Having said that, I do feel the cold when I'm out walking with Sienna or shopping and I hate wearing lots of clothes and layers, so thermal seemed a possible solution. I was surprised that they weren't a lot thicker and was a bit sceptical as to how they would help keep my legs warm, seeing as they were thinner than some of my regular leggings/tights.

I wore these the other day and normally with leggings, I feel the cold hit my legs the second I open the door but with these, I didn't. It wasn't until nearer the late afternoon, I realised my legs hadn't felt the cold at all, despite being out most of the day shopping, it must be that 0.39 tog! They really do help hold the heat in and I'm very impressed, I think I need a few more pairs, definitely worth the £15 to not freeze my bum off and be grumpy! I personally love the fact they aren't too thick or heavy but still keep the cold out, they are what I have been wearing with a lot of outfits, even my Christmas outfit!

Do you wear Thermals in the winter?

Kerry

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FIRST PUBLISHED ON LIVEDWITHLOVE.COM BY MYSELF.

New Spangly Dangly Earrings!

I've never been a fan of drop earrings. For some reason, I always think of them as being for the older lady, so I've always stuck to studs. That was before I saw these babies on Jewellery World. Even the packaging was so pretty for Christmas!

I love how simple and elegant they are, I think because there is no 'bling' on them, I would be comfortable wearing these in the daytime with just jeans and a tee, but they would still look striking with an up do and dressy frock in the evenings as well. 

They have the two tone of 9ct white gold and 9ct yellow gold that is amazing quality and not to mention, perfect for me. They will go with whatever jewellery I want to wear, be it silver or gold. I love the unique shape of the 2 rectangles as well, it gives them a bit more dimension and character. 

I think they would look stunning on a bride on her wedding day with an undo and maybe a strapless dress. If only I was getting married soon…


When would you wear these?

Kerry

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FIRST PUBLISHED ON LIVEDWITHLOVE.COM BY MYSELF.