MY GO TO EYESHADOW PALETTES - THE BALM

The Balm has to be one of my favourite make up brands out there. The quality of their products is incredible and such good value for money. Can we also talk about how damn cool their packaging is?!! I'm going to be talking a little bit about my favourite eye shadow palettes. 

The first palette I want to talk about is The Balms Nude Tude. Each shade is extremely pigmented and blends like dream. I tend to use the lighter shades in this palette to create natural day time looks. Although, it is really easy to create a night time look by using the other end of the palette. I would recommend this palette to any one who is just starting out at make up as the colours are super easy to wear and really easy to apply.

This next palette is easily one of my favourite palettes ever! its a completely matte palette, hence the name - Meet Matt(e) Nude. The eye shadow pans in this palette are so big, so you are definitely getting your moneys worth. Each shade is named after a different Matt, so we have Matt Johnson, Matt Wood etc. There are some blue, maroon, pink and yellow toned shades - perfect for creating some day-to-night looks. This is a must have for matte eye shadow lovers.

Finally we have the Balm Jovi palette. I absolutely adore the range of colours this palette offers. In my opinion, this is the ultimate travel palette. Each shade is named after a famous rock band/singer which is pretty cool. It has 12 eye shadows, a bomb asf highlighter, blush and two lip/cheek stains. What more could you want in one palette?!

I cant wait to get my hands on some more products from the Balm. I'm desperately after the Meet Matt(e) Trimony palette. I'd love to hear what your go to eye shadow palette is. Let me know in the comments section down below.

TheBalm products are available to buy from Superdrug and FeelUnique.

Love, Maddie x

BIRCHBOX JUNE 2016 - PARADISE FOUND

I'm not going to lie, when I first had a peek at what was inside my box, I wasn't estatic. I saw tubes of creams and a neon pink lip balm, my initial thoughts were disappointing. After giving all of these products a try, I proved myself wrong. I LOVE this months box. From the box design to the contents, everything about this box just SCREAMS summer to me. 

Jelly Pong Pong Paradise Pigment in Fig Jam RRP £17.95

This would look lovely on darker skin tones, but if you are fair skinned with bleach blonde hair, like me, then I'm afraid this is not for you. The formula is nice and creamy. Although I would recommend applying this with a brush and not your fingers, just to get a more precise application.

Absolution Le Nettoyant Purete RRP £26

This gel cleanser uses natural ingredients like chamomile and oats to remove dirt and make up, as well as reducing redness and irritation. I really like the formula of this, it feels so light and gentle on the skin.

Whish Coconut Milk CC Body Cream RRP £15.50

This has got to be my favourite product from this months box. In fact, it's probably one of my favourite products I've ever received in a Birchbox. This cream is designed to hydrate the skin but also bronze at the same time. It gives the skin a gorgeous shimmer which is going to look amazing on top of a tan. The smell is also INCREDIBLE! If you love coconut scented things then you are going to love this. I cannot praise this enough, I will definitely be purchasing this when I run out.

Huygens Le Gommage Visage RRP £17.90

This brand was totally new to me so I was especially looking forward to trying this out. This creamy scrub is amazing at buffing away dead skin cells. It has a strong citrus smell which leaves you feeling cool and refreshed.

Percy & Reed Reassuringly Firm Session Hold Hairspray RRP £12

So far I am impressed with this hairspray. I used it for the first time this morning to keep my braids in place. Just over 5 hours later, my hair is still looking as fresh as it did this morning. It's humidity-resistant, which makes it great for summer and ideal for taking on holiday with you.

This month you also have the option to upgrade your box to receive a beautiful pair of Quay Australia sunglasses at a heavily discounted price. I wish I had done this now because I've seen so many pictures of the sunglasses and they look gorge!

If you would like to treat yourself to your very own Birchbox, use my referral link to sign up and you will receive 50 points (worth £5) to spend in the Birchbox store. If you use the code TUBE you will get a massive 30% off of your first box.

Love, Maddie x

WHAT'S IN MY HANDBAG?

I've never done a 'what's in my bag' post on my blog before and these are my absolute favourite types of posts to read, so I thought I'd share with you what I carry around with me. Besides all of the other crap that I have in my bag (train tickets, receipts, food wrapper and bottle water), this is generally what I keep in my bag on a day to day basis.

My bag is from New Look. It's just a mini tote back with gold detailing and woven panel. Its a great size for just carrying a few bits and pieces. I also love that it comes with a long strap which gives you that option to carry it on your shoulder. 

So here is a few of my absolute essentials..
My purse, which is also from New Look, is black and has gold detailing which matches my bag. It is a good size to store all of my cards, receipts and spare change - if I ever have any!

Next up we have a bit of make up. I always carry around some powder as I tend to get quite oily throughout the day. This particular one is the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder which I have absolutely been loving recently! I also carry around a mini roller lash and a mac lipstick to touch up my make up during the day.

Antibacterial hand gel is the next essential. I go through so many of these because I am always using them when I am out and about to keep my hands clean. This one is the strawberry and raspberry scented gel from Superdrug which I believe only cost me around 60p! I also work in a doctors surgery so this is an absolute must-have so I don't catch any nasty germs. 

I also keep a snack, usually a Special K cereal bar, and a packet of chewing gum to keep me going throughout the day.

Finally, we have my sunglasses from Primark. Can you believe that these only cost me £1?! They are such good quality and are the perfect, much cheaper, alternative to the Prada cat eye sunglasses. The weather is so unpredictable in the UK so it's good to just keep some in my bag just in case the sun decides to make an appearance.

I'd love to know what you carry around in your bag, let me know in the comments section below.

Love, Maddie x