Category Archives: Nails

Limited edition Essence and Catrice haul

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I have an Essence and Catrice haul to share with you today. I think most, if not all, of these products are limited edition. Some of them are even holiday releases (I know I’m a bit late). I haven’t tried nearly all of the products yet, but there are some good ones among the ones I have tried.

Let’s begin with Essence. I purchased quite a few items from the Essence x Beauty Benzz Everyday Is A Mystery collection. I picked up the eyeshadow & eyeliner palette in 01 Who Would You Like To Be Today?, the pH-reacting blush stick in 01 We Need More!, the plumping lipgloss in 02 Everyday, and the makeup sponge.

Here’s a closer look at the palette. This is one of the more colourful palettes, I’ve seen from Essence, and I’m excited to try the water activated liners, which is a fun addition to the palette.

Catrice released a holiday collection called Sparks of Joy, which has a very classic red, gold, and shimmery Christmas theme to the packaging. I purchased the nail lacquer in C03 Wrapped In Happiness, the two satin lipsticks in C02 Ruby Kisses For Santa and C01 Red Kisses For Santa, the two blush sticks in C01 All I Want For Christmas Is Red and C02 All I Want For Christmas Is Pink, and the eyeshadow palette in C01 Sparkle & Shine.

This is what the eyeshadow palette looks like. I think the colour story is perfect for Christmas time, but it’ll also be great for autumn. I’m wearing this palette here.

The two lipsticks are a classic red shade (which I’m wearing here) and a dark burgundy shade.

The blush sticks are my favourite products from this haul so far. I really like the formula, and the colours are stunning on the cheeks.

Lastly, I got the Catrice Pearl Glaze pearly eyeshadow & blush palette in C01 Joyful Shimmer Dream. It’s an all shimmer palette, which I like the idea of. It might be a nice companion palette.

Essence Happy Holidays advent calendar (2022)

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Merry Christmas! I hope everyone’s enjoying the holidays. Once again, I purchased the Essence advent calendar, and these are the items it included.

The first six items in the calendar were a moisturising sheer lipstick, a colour correcting mattifying powder, an eyeshadow shader brush, a pocket glitter nail top coat, a brow wax pen, and star-shaped hydrogel eye patches.

The next six items were x-mas nail stickers, an overnight lip mask, an I Love Extreme crazy volume mascara, cuticle manicure sticks, a blushlighter, and an angled eyeshadow blender brush.

The second to last six items were the following: a pocket whitening nail base coat, braided hair ties, a Juicy Bomb shiny lipgloss in 04 Crazy Cherry, mattifying oil control paper, a duo sharpener, and an x-mas highlighter.

And the last six items in the calender were a kajal pencil eyeliner in 01 Black, a moisturising hand cream, a pocket nail polish, an eyeliner brush, a gradient glitter nail file, and a pH-reacting glitter lip glow.

I think these calendars are getting a bit repetitive. There are a lot of similar products every year. I’m not sure that I’m going to purchase it next year, but we’ll see.

Collective haul – clothes, shoes, and make-up (October) + Christmas clothes

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I have a collective haul to share with you today. It’s a mix of clothes, shoes, and make-up, and most of the items were purchased in the October, but I’m also going to include the few Christmas clothing pieces I bought this year. Let’s begin with those.

I purchased three Christmas jumpers this year. This first one is from my local supermarket’s brand VRS. I thought the sequin snowman was cute.

I’ve already posted an outfit with this cardigan. It’s from Pieces.

I’ve also already posted a look with this Grinch sweatshirt. It’s from H&M, and I love the Grinch green colour of it.

Last Christmas clothing item I picked up this year are these leggings. They’re from a brand called JDY, and they’re super comfy.

Now let’s move on to the stuff I bought back in October. I got two cardigans from H&M. I don’t own a lot of cardigans, but I thought they would be practical to wear when breastfeeding.

I also purchased two shirts from H&M; a navy corduroy one and a denim one.

I also picked up two more nursing tops from H&M MAMA. I really like these nursing tops from H&M MAMA, and I got them in quite a few colours now.

When I saw these chunky silver platform heels from Monki, I knew I had to have them. They’re perfect for the party season, and I’ve already worn them to a family Christmas party.

I recently picked up these two pairs of bauble earrings from my local supermarket. I love festive earrings.

And now let’s talk make-up. I picked up four items from the Essence Pumpkins Pretty Please! autumn collection. I got the Pumpkins Pretty Please! eyeshadow palette in 01 Impressed, Blessed & Pumpkin Obsessed, the Pumpkins Pretty Please! colour-changing lip oil in 01 Pumpkin Kisses & Autumn Wishes, the Pumpkins Pretty Please! matte lipstick in 01 Sweeter Than Pumpkin Pie (which I wore here), and the Pumpkins Pretty Please! matte nail polish in 02 Autumn Leaves & Pumpkins, Please?.

How fun is this Shrek X I Heart Revolution collection? I picked up the Transformation lip balm in Transformation and two lipsticks in Donkey and Gingy. I wore Gingy earlier this month, and I really liked it.

I also got the Shrek X I Heart Revolution Gingy highlighter even though it’ll be two dark on me. But just look how cute it is!

Lastly, I have four indie eyeshadow palettes to share with you that I’m super excited about. I made my first ever purchase from GlossGods Cosmetics. I picked up two of their newer palettes; the Vintage Glam Remixed palette, which is a stunning purple palette, and the Look For Rainbows palette, which is a beautiful all shimmer palette. I’m so excited to play with these.

And the very last two palettes (and items) in this haul are the Oden’s Eye Christmas Eve palette and Merry Christmas palette, which I featured in my latest 5 favourites post, because they’re that good. I’ve falling in love with Oden’s Eye eyeshadows this year, and the colour stories of these particular two palettes really speak to me. They’re absolutely gorgeous, and the quality is amazing!

Catrice and Essence Disney Villains collections

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Catrice and Essence have made another Disney collab, and this time the theme is Disney Villains. I picked up a lot of stuff from both Catrice and Essence, and I think this might be my favourite Disney collab the two brands have done so far.

Let’s begin with Catrice. Both the Catrice and the Essence collections contain three eyeshadow palettes, and I got all six. The three villains in the Catrice collection are Maleficent, Cruella, and the Queen of Hearts.

The Maleficent palette is called 010 I Run This Castle. It has a cool-toned purple colour story, but the shades are very light, and I’m the least impressed by this palette so far.

The Cruella palette is called 020 Fashion Above All, and it’s a black and grey palette with a pop of red. This is my favourite palette so far; the quality is very nice.

The Queen of Hearts palette is called 030 All Ways Are My Ways, and it’s a warm neutral palette with a few yellows and berries. This palette was quite nice as well on first try.

The collection came with two highlighter palettes, and I picked up one of them. I got the Cruella one called 020 Walk Like You Mean It Darling.

These are probably my favourite products from both collections. They’re the Catrice Disney Villains Maleficent liquid highlighter in 010 Magic and the Catrice Disney Villains Cruella liquid highlighter in 020 Divine. Do you see the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand resemblance?

I also picked up the Maleficent face primer and the Cruella hydrating fixing spray. I’ve used the primer a couple of times, but I’m not blown away by it. I haven’t tried the fixing spray yet.

The Catrice collection also included two lipsticks; the Maleficent Satin Collagen lipstick in 010 Elegancy and the Cruella Satin Collagen lipstick in 020 Iconic. I love the packaging and the embossings on the actual product.

The last product I got from the Catrice collection was the Maleficent nail polish in 010 Thorns, which is a super pretty iridescent purple shade.

Let’s move on to the Essence products. The three villains in the Essence collection are the Evil Queen, Ursula, and Scar.

The Evil Queen palette is called 01 Magic Mirror, and it’s a nice warm neutral palette with some purples mixed in.

The Ursula palette is called 02 So Long Lover Boy, and it’s a pretty purple palette. This purple colour scheme is a lot nicer than the one in the Maleficent palette.

The Scar palette is called 03 My Territory, and it a neutral palette with some pops of green. I haven’t worn this palette on my eyes yet.

Essence definitely also got some inspiration from Charlotte Tilbury, when they created the Evil Queen Maxi Blush in 01 Love At First Bite and the Ursula Maxi Blush in 02 Leaving U Speechless. However, I really enjoyed both of these. I used the Ursula one as bronzer and highlighter.

This is the Evil Queen ELECTRIC GLOW colour changing lipstick in 01 Obsession. I haven’t tried it on yet, but the packaging is cute.

These Disney collections usually has face serums, and this one is no exception. The Evil Queen one is called 01 Beauty, and the Ursula one is called 02 Promises.

I love a nice hand cream, so I had to try the Evil Queen one.

Lastly, I picked up the Make-up Tools & Bag Set from the Essence collection. It comes with a make-up bag, six brushes, and three reusable make-up remover pads. I’ve already travelled with the make-up bag, and it’s the perfect size to bring on a weekend trip.

Collective Lyko haul (October)

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I have a collective Lyko haul to share with you today. This haul includes a bunch of different brands and types of products.

I’ve heard such good things about the Sigma Beauty Eyeshadow Base Primers, so I wanted to try one out. I got the shade Persuade, and so far I’m really liking this product, maybe because it does a similar thing to the MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly, which is my favourite eyeshadow primer.

I’ve been wanting to try the Maybelline Instant Anti Age Perfector 4-in-1 Glow Makeup for quite a while. It’s supposed to be a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, however, I do think that this product has a bit more coverage, and I really like it. I purchased the shade 00 Fair Light.

I’ve been loving the Sigma Beauty Spectrum Color-Correcting Duo in Light to Medium, and I thought I would try a colour correcting product from the drugstore, so I picked up the Catrice Under Eye Brightener in 010 Light Rose. So far I like it, however, I still prefer the Sigma Beauty one.

I missed out on the Essence Pure Nude highlighter, but this Essence Make Me Glow baked highlighter in 10 It’s Glow Time! is supposed to be very similar. It’s a very pretty, more subtle highlighter.

I mainly picked up the Smashbox Be Legendary Monster of Horror lipstick in Dracula because of the packaging and the Halloween theme, but it’s also a pretty red shade.

I picked up three of the Essence Hidden Jungle Effect nail lacquers. They’re in the shades (from left to right) 06 Magical Emerald, 05 Forbitten Berry, and 02 Misty Shadows. I usually really like Essence nail polishes, so I’m excited to try these.

I also got this Lift Up Brow Styling Brush from Catrice. I think it’ll be nice to use with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze.

The last three items I purchased were the Essence Nail Art Duo Designer, the Essence Prime Like A Boss eyeshadow base, and the Kokie Cosmetics Soft Glow highlighter in Rosy.

I also got a By Lyko Moisturising Serum as a free gift with purchase. I haven’t tried Lyko’s own brand yet, so it’ll be interesting to try this serum.

Cocopanda haul (July)

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I have a Cocopanda haul to share with you today. It consists of a mix of products I purchased back in July.

Let’s begin with some random bits. This haul came together because I’ve been wanting to try the Maybelline Superstay Active Wear 30H concealer for a while. I picked up the shade 05 Ivory, which is a good match for my skin. However, I’m not sold on this concealer. At least not yet. I have to test it out a bit more. I also picked up the Wet n Wild Mega Slicks lip gloss in Sinless, which is very pretty. The two products I’m probably the most excited about is the MAC Shadeshifter Duochrome Eye Shadow in 05 Calling Your Bluff and the Clinique Almost Lipstick in 06 Black Honey.

I’d been considering getting one of these MAC eyeshadows, since the launched with last year’s holiday collection, and Cocopanda had this one shade left and it was on sale, so I thought that it was now or never. I haven’t tried it on my eyes yet, but I’m really excited to create an eye look with it.

Apparently this Clinique lipstick has been popular on social media. I just liked the way it looked in swatches and pictures, so I thought I would give it a try. I’m wearing it here, and it’s really pretty. A great lip colour for autumn.

Then I picked up some products from the Essence Cute As Shell collection. I got the Nail Polish in 01 You’re An Ang-Shell!, the Blushlighter in 01 Let Us Take A Shellfie!, and the PH-Reacting Lip Tint in 01 Ready, Shell, Glow!. All three products are very pretty. I’m wearing the blushlighter and the lip tint here.

The last thing I got was this Shelas sponge set. It looks like a holiday release (probably from last year), and it was heavily discounted. I purchased it mainly for the sponge holder, but it’s also nice to have an extra travel case, and I’m also going to try out the sponges at some point.

Collective haul (May)

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It’s time for my collective haul from May. This haul consists of clothes, shoes, and make-up. Let’s begin with the clothes.

I purchased four dresses from Monki, and I’ve already posted outfits with all four. Monki has been my go-to non-maternity brand throughout my pregnancy, because they make a lot of loose and/or oversized clothes especially dresses. Also, Monki is one of my favourite brands in general; they have the best prints and colour combos.

The only other piece of clothing in this haul is this pair of pleated trousers, which is also from Monki, and I’ve also posted an outfit with these already.

I featured these violet Crocs in my last 5 favourites post with a mix of different Jibbitz. I purchased some of the Jibbitz (the bottom two sets) at the same time as the Crocs, and some of them I already had. I also purchased two sets of Disney Jibbitz, which are now decorating my black Crocs sandals that I use indoors.

Let’s move on to make-up. The main reason why I keep buying the I Heart Revolution X Disney Fairytale palettes is the packaging. However, this Tangled one is actually not bad. I really liked the look I created with this palette.

Next up is a mix of different products. I got the Essence Fix & Last Make-up Gripping Jelly Primer and the MAC Wild Cherry Pro Palette Eye Shadow X 2. I thought the little MAC palette would be nice for travelling. I also picked up two highlighters; the Catrice Glow Lover Oil-Infused highlighter in 010 Glowing Peony and the Pixi + Hello Kitty Glow-y Powder in Sweet Glow.

Here’s a closer look at two highlighters. They are both pinky shades and very pretty.

Essence recently launched a bunch of new gel nail colours, so I picked up a lot of shades; 17 I Lilac You, 23 Tangerine Ahead, 27 Hey Sand Tropez, 34 Love U So Mocha, 41 Violet Voltage, 45 Lavender Vibes Only, 48 Squeeze The Day, and 49 Save Water drink Lime.

Lastly, I picked up a few things from Beauty Bay.

I picked up the new By BEAUTY BAY Bright 2.0 16 Colour Palette. There are also 42 and 9 colour versions, but I liked the 16 colour one the best.

I also purchased another e.l.f. Cosmetics Putty blush. This is in the shade Fiji, and it’s a beautiful red shade.

And then I got my first two products from About-Face. I picked up the Light Lock Highlight Fluid in Fight Or Flight and the About-Face Light Lock Stick in Frenzy. It was love at first application with the liquid highlighter; it’s so stunning! I also like the highlighter stick, however, it’s very glittery, so I don’t think it goes with all make-up looks. But it is pretty nonetheless.

Collective H&M haul (February)

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I have a collective H&M haul to share with you today. Most of the items were purchased on sale, and I got a mix of clothes and beauty.

I picked up two shirts, and you’ve already seen me wear both. The purple fleece shirt is boxy and cropped, and the orange shirt is oversized.

I also purchased two pairs of trousers. The striped knitted trousers are super comfortable, and I love me some pastels, so I really like the second pair as well. I also bought a pair of pink tights, but they got holes in them after the first wear, so I had to throw them away.

I think this was the first time I purchased make-up from H&M, but they actually carry quite a few different brands e.g. Morphe. So I picked up the Morphe x Nyane lipstick trio in Beyond Bold and the Morphe x Nyane 6-Piece Color pencil set.

I love how fun and colourful these lipsticks and pencils are, and they’re really pigmented too.

I also picked up the Morphe Continuous setting mist and the Take Home The Bronze bronzer in Oliver from The Balm. I’d heard good things about both of these products.

Lastly, I purchased four nail polishes. They’re in the shades Dewy Rose, New Leaf, Green As Gold, and Forest.

Collective haul – clothes + beauty (January)

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I have quite the large collective haul to share with you today. These are clothing and beauty items that I purchased throughout January. Let’s begin with the clothes.

You know how much I love Christmas and Christmas jumpers, so I always look out for them when the January sales begin. This cardigan is from PULL&BEAR, and I didn’t already have a Christmas cardigan, so I had to add this to my ever growing Christmas jumper collection.

I might as well talk about both of these next pieces at the same time considered they have the exact same print. They’re from Monki, and I love the retro floral print and the pastel colours. I’ve already posted a look wearing these two items.

I’m really glad that I discovered these tights from the brand Calzedonia. I picked up a purple pair, another navy pair (because I wear navy tights very often), a dark brown pair, and an off-white pair. I just really like the thickness and texture of these tights.

Let’s move on to make-up and skin care then. I’ve been sort of collecting these I Heart Revolution x Disney Fairytale palettes, so I had to add the Mulan one to my collection. The eyeshadows are usually okay, though not my favourites, but the cheek products are quite nice.

I was quite intrigued by these Milani Cheek Kiss blush palettes. I picked up both the powder and the cream version, and so far I really like them. Especially the cream palette.

I talked about how much I’ve been enjoying Essie nail lacquers in a recent haul, and I also picked up this stunning pink shade with a gold shift called #680 One Way For One. I also finally got my hands on the e.l.f. Cosmetics Putty bronzer in Tan Lines, and it quickly became one of my favourite cream bronzers.

And speaking of e.l.f. Cosmetics Putty products, I also picked up another one of their Putty blushes. This bright pink shade is called Bora Bora. I also got a Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Blush in the shade Natural Glow, and then I picked up the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion for spot treatment.

The other two skin care products I got was a full size of the Clinique All About Eyes, which I love and use everyday. The Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser was a free gift with purchase. From Revolution I picked up the Eye Bright Illuminating Under Eye Concealer in Porcelain. And then I purchased the following two products from the Essence Catching Clouds collection.

I got the Essence Catching Clouds Cloud-touch Mousse Primer in 01 Up On Cloud and the Essence Catching Clouds Cloud-touch Highlighter in 01 Daily Dose Of Dreamy Clouds. I’m not quite sure how I feel about the highlighter, but I really enjoy the primer.

And last, but certainly not least, I purchased three more of the Clinique Cheek Pop Pearl blushes. These blushes are just so stunning; if you love a glowy blush, you have to try these out. I picked up the shades 03 Coral Pop, 04 Rose Quartz Pop, and 06 Garnet Pop, and I love them all.

Cocopanda haul: nail lacquers and back-ups

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I think this will be the last haul from 2021 that I have yet to post; I’m so behind, I know:) It’s a very small sale haul from Cocopanda consisting of nail lacquers and back-ups.

I think it was only last year that I started getting into Essie nail lacquers, and these two shades are so good. The glittery orange one is called #757 Cupid’s Beau, and the bright red one is called #781 Bunches Of Love.

I try not to buy too many back-ups, but I know that I’ll use up my favourite foundations. My number one favourite foundation has to be the L’Oreal Paris Infaillible 24H Fresh Wear foundation (which is now called 32H Fresh Wear I think), and I use the shade 015 Porcelain. I also really enjoy the e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo CC Cream in the shade Fair 120N, and the Catrice True Skin Hydrating foundation, which I use in shade 004 Neutral Porcelain, is one of the best full coverage foundations.

Lastly, I got some back up Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponges, because it’s my favourite make-up sponge, and then I got the e.l.f. Cosmetics Flawless concealer brush as a free gift.