Pinterest Tips For Bloggers

Up until early 2016 I had no idea how to use Pinterest or how to make it work for me. By the end of the year I surpassed 15,500 followers, and I'm going to show you how you can too. Creating Images If you're creating images for your blog that you want to share to Pinterest, choose wisely how you create your image. I create my Pinterest photos using Canva to create infographics or quotes by either using their free images or designing my own and adding text. I also use Photoshop CS3 to add text to my own images if I'm writing a blog post and want it to reflect my own work, which can be shared to my blog board. Vertical photos work the best as the website and the app are designed to favour long images and they're also more eye-catching. For image sizes, this website shows the best sizes depending on your image. I know it will be tempting to upload all of your photos onto Pinterest, but you should choose your best images that represent your ability as an influencer or personal style. When I have my own photos to pin, I pick images out of the bunch that I feel will do the best. If you want to showcase a few images, create a long photo and add them in as a collage, so a few landscape photos like this, or more of a 'how to' pin like this. Pinned Images Add descriptions to your pins to make them relevant, as it helps the pin show up in searches. Don't add hashtags as they're unnecessary I have found, and don't really add to the photo. Pin high-quality images, as not only will they do better but they're more aesthetically pleasing and will make your boards more appealing. Brighter photos catch the eye almost immediately, so having a range of colours in images you're pinning has helped me improve my profile. Pin images as often as you can. I try to set out a few times a day to spend pinning, mostly in the morning during commuting hours, around lunch time and around tea time as these are the most active times I've found, based on following mainly UK boards. If your following seems to be based around the world, try and pin over more hours when possible or use a scheduling website to cover more hours in the day. Be consistent to help build your audience and keep them engaged with your content. 
Growing Your Following Join group boards as they often do really well since a range of different people will be pinning into it. If people follow the group board they often click to see which members are pinning to it, and are more likely to follow you as a result. Group boards also bring new pins to your attention so you can pin them to your own boards, which is another great way to discover pins without going onto your feed or using the search feature.
Follow suggested boards that come up on your feed. Not only are the boards related to images you've been pinning but you'll see that people may follow you back too. Follow other people too as this will help to grow your own following but will also open up other boards to follow to gain more inspiration. If you're a blogger like me, ask on Twitter or Instagram for blogger's Pinterest usernames and you'll soon find if people are interested in your other content, they'll want to follow you here too. If you follow bloggers whose content you enjoy, this will most likely be the same for them too.
Profile When it comes to creating your profile, you need to do a few things to make it clear who you are and what you're interested in. Try to make your username the same as that on other social media platforms to make it easier for people to find you. Mine for example, is laurahadleyx which is consistent throughout Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, but also the beginning of my email address. In the same way, if you have the same profile image across platforms it will help people recognise you.
If you're a blogger or own a website, add your url to your profile. You'll notice on your referral traffic that people will click through and you'll see Pinterest under 'sources' in whatever you use to view your analytics. Adding your url helps your profile look more professional. Another feature that I love about the profile page is there is a recently released feature where you can put your favourite boards to your profile page which you can see on my profile. If has a slideshow function to show off your chosen boards and since installing it my followers have been increasing at a faster rate.
Boards & Titles When creating a board, keep the title relevant i.e. Makeup Organisation. A user searching for boards under this name will find this easier that if you named it under something broader, like just 'makeup'. This relates to my second point; split boards up into more niche categories. For example, split up food and drink into savoury food, baking and drinks. If someone is interested in, say for example 'drinks' but your board is 'food and drinks' they may not follow it as it's too broad. 
Make seasonal boards for events or holidays. These will be searched a lot and will cycle round every year so can won't get old and can be updated when needed. If you're starting off a board for the summer months but you're currently in Autumn or Winter, keep the board a secret until you've built it up enough, then make it public at the end of Spring. 
Make your boards have bright, interesting covers to allow pinners to be interested in what you pin. Switch your covers up every few weeks to mix things up and to show you're active on the platform. Move your best boards to the top of your profile page on the desktop version as potential new followers will want to see relatable content first, and boards with the most pins on when they first view your profile to see that you're active. 
Widgets For Your Blog Until a few months ago I didn't have a Pinterest widget on my blog, and I was really missing out. My widget shows a selection of my most recent pins, which may intrigue blog readers and encourage them to click through to follow or explore your boards. The widgets will often display the last few pins so make sure the last few images you pin are high-quality and intriguing.  Pin from your blog and social media. Adding a 'share to Pinterest' button helps promote your blog posts which will in turn help create more traffic from Pinterest to your website. On chrome add the extension so people can hover over your images to pin them themselves. Analytics View the analytics function on Pinterest to see statistics and use them to your advantage. You can see your profile visit numbers and impressions, activity from your blog, pins that have performed the best, and the people that you reach. You can see where in the world people are viewing your content from, what your audience demographics are like in terms of gender and language, your most favourable boards based upon viewer activity and views from pins from your own website. There is a wide range of information you can analyse from this function and I'm using it almost daily to help tailor my profile and boards to suit my audience to help it to grow to its best. I hope this post has helped you! Make sure to check out my other tips posts for more advice on blogging and social media.

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Tangle Teezer Detangling Hairbrush For Thick & Curly Hair

I've mentioned before on previous hair posts that my hair can be a struggle to manage sometimes. My hair is naturally thick and curly, but half the time I often straighten it to make it more manageable. A disadvantage of having curly hair is that it's prone to frizz, so I've only ever brushed it previously just after I've washed it, whilst it's still wet. Tangle Teezer have brought out a new brush specifically designed for people like me who want to manage their hair, and finally use a hairbrush that fits their needs. The Detangling Brush for Thick & Curly hair ranges at £11* and is in a pretty maroon colour.

Designed to be used on both wet and dry hair, the brush was created after the inventor spent time on researching what features this type of brush required. To make it suitable for people with thick and/or curly hair, they spent time strengthening the innovative teeth for improved detangling. The Firmflex technology is ideal for gently detangling even the curliest or thickest hair to give the best results. The design of the brush itself is the same as the other products by Tangle Teezer too, to fit in the palm of your hand for a non-slip fit. I've got an original Tangle Teezer which I use on wet hair along with my Wet Brush, but the thick & curly version means I can finally brush my hair when it's dry. The brush has a two-tiered system technology, with the long teeth to detangle the hair and the short teeth to smooth the hair for healthier looking hair.

My curls are a mix between smaller curls and S type curls and is incredibly similar to the singer Lorde's hair, with all the thickness and frizz that has to be tamed. With the teeth being 4mm longer than the original brush, it's a stronger brush whilst still being able to flex. I'm glad that I can take it with me in my handbag and if my hair gets a bit knotty I can give it a quick brush which I thought I would never be able to do. This will continue to be my dry brush since it works quite well and means I can have more curly hair days, which in turn will help my hair grow healthier since it won't have heat on it as much, which means longer hair in the end.

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London Beauty Haul - Mac & Lush Products

A few weeks back myself and Andy took a trip to London and picked up a few items whilst we were there. We also stopped off at Bicester Village on the way to break the journey up, so I obviously had a wander round and found myself in Estée Lauder's 'The Cosmetic Company Store' to pick up some bargains. We also have a vlog on the way so keep your eyes peeled for that!

I was on a budget, given that it's Christmas and all, so I decided just to go to the Mac Cosmetics section in the Cosmetics Company Store in Bicester Village en route to London. I normally visit the one in Cheshire Oaks but I never end up buying Mac items from it since it's got limited stock and everyone rushes to this area first. I picked up two lip liners in Ruby Woo and Whirl to match my lipsticks that I already had for £9.25 each. I originally had no plans to pick up a lipstick, but since Velvet Teddy was there and I was yet to try out the hype, I went for it since it was only £11. The last item I picked up was totally unexpected, but since I had previously done my Fragrance Direct Makeup Haul and I had guessed my shade in NC15 correctly there, I picked up the Studio Fix Fluid Foundation at a steal for £15.50. When I got to the till the lady actually mentioned that on the day they had an extra 10% off so my total came to £40.50 when full price it would have cost £63.50, so not a bad saving!

When I was actually in London I thought 'I better get to the Lush store on Oxford Street!' all happy and jolly until I got there and realised 1. how big the store was and 2. how packed it would be, as it was three weeks before Christmas. I fully intended to scope out what was there, what was exclusive to the store and so on, but because there were so many products it gave me a huge headache from the scents they were giving off. I knew I wanted to try Snow Fairy (£7.95) for the first time so I picked that up, and I quickly found the bath items and picked up the Shoot For The Stars bath bomb (£4.25) and the Magic Wand Bubble Bar Wand (£5.95). Whilst I was queuing for the tills, an employee asked if I wanted to buy a Hand & Body Lotion sample for charity for £1 and even though I knew I probably wouldn't use the sample itself, I wanted to give to charity anyway so why not.

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What I Got For Christmas 2016

I write this post every year, with the usual disclaimer of course. I thought I would pick out my favourite bits that I received this Christmas and why I love them. Of course most of my presents were beauty based and I have left the homeware and stocking fillers out otherwise I wouldn't have the table space nor the patience to stop myself from eating chocolate before taking the photos. You may notice that my backdrop is a bit different to usual, and that's because I brought my marble board 2 hours away to Derbyshire where I'm staying with my boyfriend's mum because I wanted to get this post up before new year. Dedication!

As I mentioned, the majority of my present were beauty based so I'll start with the makeup. I received two palettes this year, one was the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette, and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Ultimate Glow Kit. I really wanted the Modern Renaissance palette when it came out earlier in the year but didn't have the money to pick it up, so when it finally came back in stock on Cult Beauty, Andy picked it up for me along with some Morphe Rose Gold Brushes which I just realised I forgot to photograph. I had asked my family to repurchase some items I was running out of, as they were asking for ideas and I couldn't think of much! They bought me the Benefit Gimmie Brow and Stay Don't Stray which are two items I couldn't live without, as they keep my brows strong and my lids perfect so my makeup doesn't come off during the day. As I'd tried the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara in mini form but it didn't stay on too well, I now have the waterproof version so hopefully it will last all day.

Every special event I always receive some Mac items since it's an easy gift for people to pick up and I'll never stop loving Mac. I received the Diva lipstick and the Cherry lip pencil which are both red shades that I know I'll love when I wear them. I received a Mac voucher too so I've ordered two more single eyeshadows to go into my Mac palette which I've not touched in a while so it needed some love. Another item I forgot to photograph (but brought all the way to Derbyshire regardless) is the Sigma Beauty Dry'n Shape Spa which is multi-purpose item to help with washing and drying your makeup brushes that can hold up to 18 brushes and has a detachable middle to aid with washing them. I have about 40-50 brushes right now and getting them all cleaned and dried has been a tough task, so this is going to help so much.

Of course it wouldn't be a haul without a bit of Colourpop. This as a gift from me to me, and also a gift to my best friend. I bought two of the value kits, the Persuede Me and Staycation and knew that e both wouldn't like all the colours, so took three out of one kit and swapped it with the other and we both adore the lippie stix we have now. From the two kits, I've got LBB, Goldie, Cookie, Le Freak, Hotline and Grunge. They're a mix of nudes and warm tones and since I have so many bright shades in my entire lipstick collection, it was time I tried some shades I wasn't to familiar with. Colourpop Lippie Stix are hands down one of my favourite lipstick products.

I received a few home and style items but I'll start with these beautiful silver heels from New Look, bought for me by my boyfriend's brother. He asked what I wanted and I sent him images of two pairs and told him to surprise me, and these were my favourite pair out of the two. They're more of a classic shape and style, with glitzy silver finish to make them perfect for this time of year. I was asked quite a lot what I wanted for Christmas this year and two items that I thought of was camera bags. I've had my Olympus Pen for quite a while and love being able to take my blog and Instagram photos with it, but I hated the bag it came with. I was looking for something that didn't look like a camera bag, and this one from Asos was exactly what I was after. It fits my camera in, phone and plenty of other things in without causing damage to the camera itself due to the soft lining. I've also had my Instax camera for most of the year but hadn't found a good bag for it yet. My best friend bought me this matching white Instax bag to carry it in and I'm in love.

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Homedics Pampering Weekend

Everyone loves a good pamper, so when Homedics sent me some items to use, I knew I could use them on a weekend to make the most out of them. I love getting my nails done, so they sent me the Rokit Salon Gel Nails Kit (£69.99)* and the Foldaway Luxury Foot Spa (£49.99)* to try out.

The Rokit Gel Nails Kit includes a professional LED curing lamp with timer, 50ml Ready polish preparation, nail file, buffer, cuticle stick and 5ml Bordeaux Red gel nail polish. I love the shade of the polish as I wouldn't normally reach for this colour, but it's a beautiful red wine colour that lasted on my nails longer than other cured nail polish. My nails are, bluntly, pretty rubbish at holding onto colour so for this to last longer than the other curing kits I have is a small miracle in itself. The lamp is really easy to use and it's great that it's not boxy so you can slide your nails under the lamp, preventing you from smudging the polish before it's finished. You can remove the gel polish with normal nail varnish remover which is a plus too.

I'm currently so limited on space at the moment as I'm currently saving for my first house which is exhausting and means that I'm living in a more cramped area. Having a foot spa that can fold away is so useful for me. It pops out and folds away easily, but I did have to get some help for this as I'm not the strongest gal out there. It will fit just about everyone, as the foot spa fits up to a size 12 so even my boyfriend can try it out and means I have plenty of space too. When you switch it on it vibrates which work with the acu-nodes to stimulate acupressure points on the soles of your feet. I've enjoyed using it and will definitely bring it with me when I move into my house!

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Christmas Lipstick Picks

When it comes to Christmas makeup I always tend to go for glittery eyeshadows and making sure my brows are just right, but picking a lipstick is always a tough one. Do I pick out a liquid lipstick that would last all day but might go flakey? Do I stick with a regular lipstick that will probably end up on my chin after I've eaten the biggest roast potato I can find? One thing is for sure; I always pick a shade of red.

When I first started wearing makeup I had three lip options, the first was a baby pink lip gloss that was perfect for every situation or at least in my teenage mind anyway, a hot pink cheap lipstick so I could look like Barbie, and finally a bright red lipstick that had barely any product left in the bullet. When I began blogging I amassed plenty of lipsticks and I started wearing more nudes, more matte shades and the occasional really bright colour. Nowadays I almost force myself to pick a red shade as it feels like it's out of my comfort zone. This Christmas I am opting for a red lip partly out of force and also to be festive.

Traditional Lipsticks The newest lipstick I have is a Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lip Colour in Red Carpet which is such a stunning classic red. This type of red I think looks create with every skin colour and is very similar to Mac Cosmetics Lipstick in Ruby Woo. For a deeper, more purple toned red, I love the Nars Audacious Lipstick In Charlotte which I'm still weighing up whether it will go with my dress which is light pink. The Nars lipsticks are so luxurious, and the magnetic packaging is so satisfying to open and close. For more affordable lipsticks, try L'Oréal Paris Color Riche Lipstick in Blake's Red. Chosen by Blake Lively, it's another true red but at a cheaper price. Another choice is the Kiko Intensity Lavish Lipstick in Luscious Red which has one of the creamiest formulas I've ever seen, plus the pretty rose gold packaging too.
Liquid Lipsticks 2016 has been the year of liquid lipsticks, and there are so many to choose from. I have a few selected brands what work every single time. My favourite brand has to be Too Faced for liquid lipsticks, and their Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Velvet is in a tube packaging with a sponge applicator to create a price finish without air getting into the packaging. Another of their products is the Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in the shades Lady Balls (a bright red) and Drop Dead Red (a deep, deep red). A shade I'm actually yet to wear (oops) is the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 03. I've already worn another Sephora Cream Lip Stain and loved it so picked another up when I was in LA. For the most affordable liquid lipstick is the Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade Amsterdam which is such a lovely shade and is actually really small so can fit into any bag too. 
So what should I go for, traditional or liquid lipstick? It's probably going to be one of those spare of the moment decisions on Christmas morning and I'll end up taking a few with me in case I change my mind too like I usually do.

*Affiliate links included

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Joan Collins Contour Velvet Blusher

Everyone loves a good blusher, so when the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Contour Velvet Blusher* (£22) arrived, I was intrigued to see whether it lived up to my expectations. Now for contouring I usually apply my Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit and then a blusher, I don't think I would just contour with a blusher. But anyway, it claims to add a touch of contouring colour that warms the skin to give a healthy and natural looking glow.

The formula of the blusher is soft and makes it so easy to apply and blend. Joan Collins Timeless beauty describes it as 'melting seamlessly to create a totally natural effect' to allow a delicate finish with an underlying luminosity. It's available in four shades: Natural Glow, Coral, Dusky Pink and Rose which are all really pretty colours that I think would suit every skin tone.

The Contour Velvet Blusher comes with a mini brush but it's advised on the website that you apply this product with the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Contour Pro Brush to get the best application, so I think the little brush may as well be not included. I'm keen to use my own brushes when applying makeup, and blusher isn't something I'd top up when I was out so the packaging would be better suited without the little brush in my opinion. It's a lovely product nonetheless, and for £22 it's on the more expensive side but if you're into this brand its well worth checking out.

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Blogger Box | Ideal World

I love buying makeup online but I have the bad habit of sticking with the same brands over and over again. It's great discovering new brands or even makeup you haven't tried from brands you already love. Ideal World TV sell makeup, skincare, haircare and more over on their website and I had no idea! They've sent me over a Bloggers Box to try out some of the products they sell there to give me a taste of what they have to offer.

What first stood out to me was the Estée Lauder Stay In Place Gel Eyeliner which is a gel based eyeliner with a small brush to create precise lines with a soft satin finish. To be frank I still haven't got the hand on eyeliner but I find gel based formulas so much easier to use, and I've found since using this that I can create a thin line on the lid of my hooded eyes which makes them stand out without taking away from my eyeshadow. I've actually thrown away a cheaper gel eyeliner because this one is so good. Another makeup product that was in the box was the Skinn Rosette Eyeshadow Palette which I think is such a good dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 3, and is a fraction of the price. Also from Skinn was the Ultra Luxe Mascara which is designed to lengthen and thicken the lashes. The mascara wand has both short and long bristles to help lift and separate the lashes. An added extra was three flavoured lip balms that will soothe dry lips in the cold months!

There were a few items in the box that I'd never tried before that seem like genius ideas. The first was a light up mirror which is a great item to pop into your bag since it has white led light inside so no matter where you are, you can apply your makeup in the perfect light. The second item is the Spongellé Bourbon Vanilla, which is a sponge infused with body wash so you can wet it in the shower and get scrubbing. It's another great item to take with you if you're staying with family over Christmas as you can pack minimally with items like this. The third item I fell in love with is the Makeup Eraser. I actually picked one up in LA but haven't had time to use it yet, but since this one is all new I decided to give it a go. It's a cloth that removes makeup when wet without using extra products, and can even remove waterproof mascara. I'd previously been using a separate micellar water and eye makeup remover with cotton pads but this is far less time consuming.

Onto skincare, the product I've been using daily is the Elizabeth Grant Graceful Angel Bath & Shower Gel. It's a thick gel that lathers up to either make a bubble bath with or simply to wash with, and it's the best smelling shower gel I've ever used. I think I'll actually cry when it runs out, since it smells like so sweet and lovely. Another beautifully scented product is the lip balms that were included which have three different scents. I don't use lip balms too often until Winter, so now is the perfect time to be applying them to the lips after being out in the cold weather. The third skincare product is the Beauty Pro Rejuvenating Collagen Mask with Green Tea Extract. I have a condition where I can't produce collagen as well as others so of course I was delighted to see this. It's a sheet mask that only takes 15 minutes to work and leaves your skin feeling super soft.

I had no idea that Ideal World sold so many different beauty products, and will be picking up some more items in the near future! They stock brands like Gucci, Armani, YSL, Burberry and more, so if you're looking for makeup or fragrances, have a look on their website to see what you can pick up today.

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Fragrance Direct Makeup Haul

I love a good makeup haul, so today's post is all about my picks from Fragrance Direct. I've shopped there for a while, actually buying makeup more than fragrances. They always have better deals that other stores, especially on fragrances and makeup. I recently reviewed the Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume and the delivery was so quick, as was this makeup order too. I didn't know that Fragrance Direct stocked brands such as Nars, Mac and Bobbi Brown so I was pleasantly surprised when I went online to choose a few items.

The first item I chose was the Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation* (£32) in the shade Mont Blanc as I've got a fair amount of Nars products including their Creamy Concealers but had never tried their foundations before. I was unsure which to go for since their Sheer Glow foundation hit big in the beauty community, but I opted for the All Day Luminous Weightless choice due to my skin type. I used to think that to combat combination skin meant I had to cover up every pore to make sure that my skin didn't get oily or dry. Since trying out different foundations I've learned that actually lightweight foundations are better for my skin and make it look so much better. This has actually replace all of my foundations at the moment and it's 100% the best choice I made from the haul.

Continuing the theme of base makeup, I had never tried a high end powder aside from a Benefit one years ago, so I chose the Mac Select Sheer Pressed Powder* (£19.99) in the shade NC15. I actually Googled what shade to pick up as again I hadn't used a Mac face product before and it looked like I was in between NC15 and NC20 but chose 15 since if it was too pale I could bronze up, but couldn't do the reverse if it was too dark. It's a lovely lightweight setting powder and doesn't add much colour on top of your foundation, but keeps it in place. I'm glad I picked this up as I'd only really used a Maybelline powder that seemed to run out every few months, and now that I know my Mac shade I can buy more Mac products too.

Now what is a beauty haul without a bit of lipstick? I decided to expand my Nars Lipstick Collection by picking up another Nars Audacious Lipstick* in Jane (£24). It's a lighter shade than I usually go for, but lately I've been picking up so many dark shades that I thought I needed a change. I'm yet to wear this but from swatching it, it looks like a lovely warm toned nude. The second lipstick I picked up was the Bobbi Brown Cream Matte Lip Colour in Red Carpet* (£16.96). I've never tried a Bobbi Brown product before so thought it would be a nice introduction to the brand. I love matte lipsticks but some can be very drying, so the creamy matte formula of this lipstick in a classic red colour is exactly what my collection needed. 
Fragrance Direct also stock items like makeup brushes, nail varnishes and many more makeup items, along with skincare, haircare, bath & body, mens items and fragrances too, so if you're doing a bit of Christmas shopping or looking to treat yourself, there is something for everyone. If you're looking to save with their discounts, pop over to the website to have a look for yourself.

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Beauty Lovers Gift Guide 2016

I love creating gift guides for Christmas and this year I'm doing it in a different way. Focusing solely on beauty, I've picked out some of my favourite items this year to recommend to any beauty junkie, or for someone stuck for a gift to give that needs a little help. I've chosen to include fragrances, palettes, beauty tools and makeup so there should be something for everyone here. I'll start off with two new releases from 2016; the Urban Decay Blackmail Vice Lipstick Palette* (£31.50) and the Too Faced 'The Chocolate Shop' (£45) or similarly, the Too Faced Merry Macaroons Set* (£28). The Urban Decay Blackmail Vice Lipstick Palette has twelve different lipstick shades inside so you can guarantee someone who likes makeup would be over the moon with this. It's a great travel palette as it comes with a mirror and brush too. The Too Faced Christmas sets come with mini items included and a ton of different eyeshadow shades, and once you remove the palette from the packaging it's so compact and thin that you could take it anywhere with you and is such good value for quality Too Faced shadows. 

For makeup tools and accessories, a well known applicator that is very well known is the Beauty Blender (£16). I picked one up when I went to Los Angeles and it was a total game changer when applying my foundation. You can pick different colours and sizes up in Boots and I'll definitely be picking up more of them. If you're more into brushes, Beaubelle have pretty rose gold brushes that are really lightweight and fluffy. I'm yet to post my full review but I would definitely recommend them so far! Finally, the Mac Brush Cleanser (£12) is the best product to thoroughly cleanse your brushes in my opinion. I've been using it for so long now I can't even remember when I first bought it, but it does the job, especially on stubborn makeup like foundation and concealer. I tend to receive one at Christmas every year as it tends to be an item I only remember to replace once I've ran out.

Lipsticks are a great stocking filler, so of course I'm going to recommend Mac lipsticks (£15.50) as they have a ton of different colours and finishes, with sleek packaging and limited editions to choose from if you're looking for something different. My newest shades are Kinda Sexy, Whirl and Velvet Teddy which I think would look amazing on everyone. For a touch more luxury, pick up a Tom Ford Lipstick (£39). My one is an Ultra Rich Lip Color in Les Mepris which is more of a spring/summer shade but there are plenty of shades available to pick up a colour to suit your recipient. If the person you're buying for is more into subtle lip products, try the Lancome Juicy Shakers* (£18) as they are basically lip oils with different shades and scents. They moisturise the lips and are incredibly natural looking, and even perfect for underneath lipstick.


A lot of people receive fragrances at Christmas time, as it's a product that not many people tend to pick up for themselves. Two favourites of mine this year have been the YSL Black Opium Eau de Parfums* (Ranging in price depending on the ml) as they're not sickly sweet but smell luxurious, with Black Opium Nuit Blanche being my current favourite. Another gift to buy is the Monsoon Rose Gold Fragrance Set* (£28.50) that comes with a large edition of the Rose Gold Perfume and 100ml of the corresponding Body Lotion and is packaged to match the products inside.  A final gift choice that I would encourage you to pick up is the GlamGlow Gift Sexy Treatment Set* (£39) that comes with four of their mud treatments to leave you with 'sexy Hollywood skin' and I've really enjoyed using them this month. It's getting colder and your skin reacts to the weather, so having mud masks to help nourish and exfoliate is a lovely gift. You can also buy this in Boots and I'm going to pick up the SuperMud treatment as I've nearly ran out already! It's amazing at eliminating spots and imperfections which is what I've needed for party-ready skin this festive season.

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Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Ultimate Glow - Review and Swatches

Ever since I picked up my first Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Gleam, I've wanted to try out another. Over the past few months I saw other Glow Kits from ABH such as That Glow, Moonchild, Sun Dipped and Sweets but I wasn't fussed on them. There was at least one shade in the palettes that didn't capture my attention, but I looked on the ABH website a few weeks ago and saw a new Glow Kit in Ultimate Glow and knew it was for me. It's $45 to buy and I used a shipping service so it wasn't as cheap as the roughly £36 it converts to due to shipping and customs costs (that may have been due to Colourpop or Bath & Body Works but I'm not too sure). 

Ultimate Glow consists of six limited edition powder highlights available in shimmering and metallic pearl finishes. You can layer them up or wear individually, and can be used anywhere you desire on your face. The shades all compliment each other, as one is a bright white and all the others are of a gold shade. The formula is ultra-fine that claims it won't leave any shimmer particles for a smooth, even glow. 

Inside are three shimmering luster shades: Snow, which is a true icy white with a platinum reflect, White Sand which is a warm beige with gold reflect and Golden Dawn, a warm amber with a gold reflect. The metallic pearl shades are: Sunray which is a warm copper with peach-gold lustre, Amber Gold, a warm rose with gold lustre and Hot Sand which is a warm bronze with an amber lustre.

 It's definitely a palette made for an obvious highlight and is in no way subtle. The formula isn't as light as the Glow Kit in Gleam, and works best with a densly-packed brush. It works so well for eyeshadow too since it's very pigmented and lasts so long on the skin. I feel like it definitely leaves some sparkle on the face which you can see from the swatches above but I don't mind this. I have more subtle highlighters for when I want a hint of glow, but this palette is made for a more intense look. This palette is being released in the UK soon, so people in the US have enjoyed it for a few months ahead of us, but it would be perfect during the summertime. Snow is the perfect shade for the winter, especially on my pale skin but I'll definitely be taking this with me everytime I travel in 2017. For darker skin tones it might suit more of an everyday wear, but I'm going to be using this as an eyeshadow whenever I feel like it, especially using Amber Gold as it's the truest rose gold shade I've seen out there so far.

I can't wait for it to be released in the UK so other beauty bloggers and lovers can get their hands on this. I imagine it will sell out fast too! This is actually a Christmas present for me from my Nan, but I've been allowed to review it before having it back until the 25th. I'm sure over the next few months it will make its way into my favourites and you'll definitely see it in my What I Got For Christmas post!

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