Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Nudes Collection With Swatches

I am well and truly guilty for being a liquid lipstick hoarder. As soon as the trend hit I wanted to try every brand and every shade available. The first major chance I had to stock up on some was in Los Angeles last year, and included in my haul was two mini Kat Von D Everlasting Lipsticks and the full sized version in Lolita. I loved the formula and for Christmas I received the Everlasting Miniature Set ($49) that was available from Sephora that included 8 mini Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. Kat Von D have recently released their Nudes Collection in 6 nude shades, with one to suit everyone and they kindly set two shades for me to try, Crucifix and Hawkwind.

I'm a pale gal, so these two shades are definitely not 'nudes' to me, but I like the shades regardless. There are six shades in the Nudes Collection; Crucifix, Hawkwind, Ophelia, Ludwig, Muneca and Sanctuary. Crucifix is the darkest shade in the collection and is a deep brown, Hawkwind is more of a nutmeg shade, Ophelia is pink/brown nude, Ludwig is a mauve, Muneca is a light peachy-pink, and Sanctuary is a darker mauve. These are just 6 shades out of a total 43 available and I think Ludwig would be my perfect nude out of all of them as although I'm quite fair, my lips are a bit darker than you'd expect.

The formula has impressed me since I first tried Lolita, and they're creamy in nature and try fairly quickly to reveal a matte finish. When I've worn the Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks they've never flaked off but some shades are more opaque than others, but Crucifix and Hawkwind are very much true to colour and try opaque. No matter where I go, I always bring the lip colour I'm wearing with me just in case but I can't recall every re-applying these. They claim 24-hour wear but to be honest I've not worn any lipstick longer than about 16 hours and they're not as perfect by the end of the day as they were when first applied. 

I've compared the swatches of Crucifix and Hawkwind to two other Everlasting Liquid Lipstick shades in my collection; Lolita and Plath, to show what the shades look like. All of the shades dry really well without dehydrating the lips as they contain Vitamin E and Sunflower Seed Wax as natural moisturisers. I noticed that Plath doesn't dry as opaque like I mentioned before, but thought it was worth showing a few similar shades out to aid people looking for their perfect nude. For the best results. Kat Von D Beauty recommends shaking the products well before application for the best results.

The new Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Nudes Collection is available exclusively from Debenhams, Debenhams.com and Debenhams.ie for £17 each.* I know I have eleven shades already but that's not going to stop me picking up Ludwig and Sanctuary to try out! Make sure to check out my Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette review too!

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Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette Review & Swatches

Kat Von D is a brand I've been intrigued by since it launched in America and became big in the beauty community. Last year I went to Los Angeles and actually walked past Kat's High Voltage Tattoo Studio and it reminded me to have a splurge in Sephora, especially to pick up the Tattoo Liner. Since then I've been collecting makeup like wildfire and when I saw the release of the Alchemist Holographic Palette (£25)* I knew it was the type of product I've been missing. With four holographic shades, you can transform your eyes and face without sticking to your usual highlighter regime. 

The outer packaging is one of the best parts of the design, with a holographic A that did take me a few minutes to put down after I saw that it changed colour in the light. The packaging of the palette itself is more subtle in nature and is a lot smaller than I expected from the photos. In fact, it's a really handy size for both storage and travel, as triangular palettes aren't the easiest to store. Inside are four different holographic highlighters, formulated with Double Dimension technology, with each prismatic power submerged in a refractive coating to catch the light from all angles. It's said to create a spectrum of luminising special effects on the eyes, lips, collarbone, cheekbones and cupid's bow, or anywhere you wish to achieve an 'extreme iridescent highlight'.

The palette is inspired by the ancient science of alchemy which is the art of turning natural minerals into a precious elixir. In essence, using the Alchemist Palette you can magically transform any shadow, or bare skin, into an iridescent and beautiful finish with a small flick of your magic brush. The shades available are Emerald (green), Amethyst (ultra-violet), Saphyre (blue) and Opal (pink). The pigmentation is definitely here, with the ability to pack on the product to be illuminous, or blend it out for a more subtle finish. I can't say I've used green, blue or violet highlighters before so I'll be challenging myself to see what I can come up with both creatively and for natural looks too.

For £25/$32 for four pans of highlight is good in my eyes, especially when they're holographic and unlike other shades you've seen before. When the light hits the shades really come alive and they'd look amazing as eyeshadows at the same time. Another amazing idea from Kat Von D is to layer the product over an Everlasting Liquid Lipstick for a bolder look, which I'll be trying for sure as the combinations are endless, especially with the 13 Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks I own myself.

The palette is 100% cruelty-free and vegan-friendly so is suitable to all which is good to hear. Previously I've been quite brand-loyal when it came to highlighters but now that I've tried Kat Von D's I can see myself wanting more of her powder products. The Alchemist Holographic Palette is exclusive to Debenhams in the UK and I'm excited to see the brand coming to Debenham stores soon so I can nip into town to browse the rest of the range. 

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Debenhams Festive Christmas Hamper

Debenhams are feeling very festive this season and I'm so glad I can share the Christmas spirit with you this year. They're one of the department stores in the UK that have a big focus on Christmas, stocking plenty of brands and gifts to make sure present buying is a doddle so there is something for everyone. I'm going to be talking about a selection of products they stock on their website and in store that they chose specifically for me, to help you with your Christmas shopping this year.

Firstly let's talk about makeup. It's my first point of call and these were the presents that were wrapped up all lovely when I opened the hamper. Too Faced is a brand that I've only been trying out for the past year but they're one of my favourite beauty brands. Every year they bring out the most beautiful Christmas collection and this is the Merry Macaroons set (£28)* which features a romantic New York ice skating rink filled with the delicious vanilla scent of Merry Macaroons. Inside the box there is a mini Better Than Sex Mascara and a pop out palette which contains twelve vanilla scented eyeshadows. The box is presented with such care, and after Christmas if you don't have room for the box anymore, you can pop the eyeshadow palette and mascara out to put in your makeup storage.  

The second gift set is by Kat Von D which is another brand I've only recently fallen in love with. The London Calling limited edition makeup set (£19.50)* is filled with three of Kat's favourite products from her range so that you can create your own bold and beautiful look. It includes a mini Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita, mini Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Double Dare and a mini Tattoo Liner in Trooper. I've tried out all three of these products before, not in the same shades but they're honestly so good, which makes it perfect that Debenhams now stock Kat Von D. Having mini sized products also means they won't take up too much room in your bag too. The last makeup item was a pleasant surprise; the Mac Matte Lipstick in Kinda Sexy (£15.50)* which is a full sized lipstick. The shade is described as a pinky-peach with brown undertones and a semi-matte finish. It's a new favourite of mine and looks so lovely with my pale skin and blonde hair.

The second category I want to talk about is what I describe as home comforts. This starts with the Isotoner Ladies Novelty Penguin Original Slipper Socks (£6)* which are toastie socks with grips on the foot so that you can wear them instead of slippers. Aside from having the cutest design on them, they're so warm and comfortable to wear. I didn't even know Debenhams stocked slipper socks but I know what I'll be adding to my Christmas list this year now! The Yankee Candle Melt Cup in All is Bright (£5)* is a wax filled heat-resistant cup which can be used and reused for up to 24 hours of fragrance. The scent has top notes of grapefruit and orange, mid notes of redcurrant and the base note of sweet cup. I've never actually used a Melt Cup before but will be stocking up as I love Yankee Candle products, especially since they're actually cheaper from Debenhams than they are the Yankee Candle shop online. The last comforting product is the Lindt Advent Calendar which is 160g in weight and has 24 doors to open to count down towards Christmas. I've not bought myself a Lindt advent calendar since 2014 and was going to pop into the new Lindt store in Liverpool One but now I don't have to which saved me a trip!

The third section from the hamper was filled with Kitchen goods. My favourite item from this department is the Jamie Oliver Non-Stick Baking Sheet (£15)* because I absolutely love baking and I am a huge fan of Jamie's. I've been to his Italian restaurants more times than I can count and love watching him on TV. When this arrived I was so happy to finally have one of his products other than a recipe book. Each piece from his bakewear range has been smartly designed to turn out showstopper cakes and melt-in-the-mouth dishes time after time. After seeing the photo on the card around the sheet, I'm inspired to make scones for the first time and this is definitely the most heartfelt present in my eyes.

The other three products in this section are from the brand At Home with Ashley Thomas. There is the adorable Salt & Pepper Set which has two shakers in the shape of hearts with little red hearts dotted around them. They lean to the side and don't at all look like your traditional seasoning table item which mixes things up a bit. The set of three printed tea towels I couldn't find on the website for this specific set but they do have different designs on the site are £14* and made of super-soft cotton and scream Christmas to me. Although this year I'm still not into a new house, I'm going to put them away for the next place as they seem so lovely, I wouldn't want to mix them up with my cheap tea towels. Finally, the Jam-Packed With Love Storage Jar is so up my street and is a little jar with a floral print and an easy to close lock fastening to keep food items fresher for longer. I already have different sized lock jars similar to this from Ikea but they're plain and a little boring, so this one will be saved until I can fill it with something pretty, like party rings or a similar item.
I'd like to say a huge thank you to Debenhams for making this Christmas special and make me feel like a kid opening all of Santa's presents. The hamper really cheered me up and has filled me with inspiration for presents to buy for my family and friends. If you want to check out their Christmas range, click here to find a gift for everyone you know.

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