Monday 30 November 2015

Give A Little Animal Magic | Christmas By Green People

Christmas has officially started here on Hope, Freedom, Love! This year I've got a whole host of gifts that I'm going to be reviewing for you. So if you're looking for the perfect gift for your mum, dad, sister, boyfriend, best friend (or even yourself) you're in the right place! At the beginning of December I'll also be sharing my Christmas Gift Guides which will be a giant blog post sharing all of my favourite gifts for the season.

I love when a great brand supports a great charity! This year Green People are proud to be supporting The Woodland Trust, with their range of gifts that give a bit of animal magic. The Woodland Trust aims to protect the native woods, trees and the wildlife surrounding them, by planting new trees are encouraging others to enjoy the woodland environment. 
Green People have created four different gifts that support The Woodland Trust. Each gift is decorated in a different colour and a different animal on each one. 





Here I have The Facial Care Gift Collection, which is decorated with an owl and houses three fabulous skincare products. First up there's the Rosemary & Sandalwood Facial Moisturiser (30ml), which is an organic moisturiser which has a subtle Sandalwood aroma. Then we have the Calendula & Geranium Facial Cleanser (30ml), which is a 2-in-1 organic cream cleanser removes all impurities and make-up. Last but not least we have the Mandarin & Bergamot Face Scrub (30ml), which is an organic exfoliator which gently removes dead skin cells and impurities for instant radiance. As always, the Green People Limited Edition Facial Care Gift Collection is made without parabens, alcohol, lanolin, artificial fragrance, phthalates and colourants. 

If you buy any of the special woodland magic gifts, not only are you getting some fabulous products, you are also helping to support The Woodland Trust, what's not to love? The NEW Limited Edition Facial Care Gift Collection retails for £15.95 from the Green People website (here), with 30p from every pack sold being donated straight to The Woodland Trust.
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Sunday 29 November 2015

Maybelline Master Sculpt | Contouring For Beginners

I'm always up for purchasing a contour kit, I love trying them out and I think it's a product that you get an opinion on very quickly. I especially like trying contour kits from the high street, as I'm really keen to try ways to contour on a budget. After all, not everybody wants to spend £50 on the Charlotte Tilbury equivalent. 



Maybelline Master Sculpt was released earlier this year; it's a black compact with a little window which lets you see the product inside. Under the lid there's a powder which is split into two halves, the contour and the highlight. The powders are labelled (incase there was any confusion) and have numbers to show you in which order you should use them. Under the powder there's another section, which contains a little brush. Like all brushes that come in high street palettes, it's really not great quality. I would much rather have a slimmer compact that is easier to store.


The contour palette is not particularly pigmented, normally I'd say this is a good thing, as it's good for contouring novices. However, this thing really is not that pigmented at all, so it takes a lot of work to get it on your cheeks. The highlighter on the other hand is gorgeous, it's got a bit of fallout, but it adds a beautiful subtle glow on the cheeks. I honestly feel like the high street can nail highlighting shades time and time again, however the contours seem to need a little help.


If you read the reviews online, people contouring for the first time really love this palette. However, people who are a little more experienced crave a little more pigmentation. Like all high street contour kits, it's great for beginners, but if you want something that packs a punch, you might prefer something different.


The Maybelline Master Sculpt retails for £6.99 and is sold in two different colour combinations.  
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Saturday 28 November 2015

Help Your Skin Survive The Winter Chill With NIVEA

Simple skincare that doesn't cost a fortune, but protects and cares for our skin. That's exactly what NIVEA stands for, it's embedded in the brands DNA. Many of us will recognise these blue tins, especially as 15 billion blue tins have now been used worldwide. NIVEA has been creating the iconic NIVEA Creme for over a century, but they've just announced that NIVEA Creme soon to be available permanently in a 75ml tin. 

To mark this exciting evolution in the range, NIVEA has launched four 75ml limited edition collectible tins* for the Christmas season. These special tins will bridge the gap whilst we wait for the formal launch of the 75ml tin in January 2016.




In a world where we all require something different from our skin, these 'do it all' products are really something quite special. The NIVEA Creme has had decades of research pushed into it, which means they can create quality but affordable product, that anyone can use on a daily basis. The special 75ml limited edition NIVEA Creme tins are a great addition to the existing iconic range. They will appeal to everyone, young or old - and they will be a great addition to any Christmas present this year.

Each special tin has been designed by artist Joelle Tourlanias, creating beautiful illustrations which will resonate with everyone at this time of year. Joelle Tourlanias took influence from the core values of NIVEA Creme – simplicity, care, courage, trust and family. What I love most about these special tins, is that inside the lid, there is a link to an online fairytale, written by children’s author Udo Weigelt. NIVEA hope that the four unique stories will encourage families to spend more time together, reigniting the magic of story time. 

The NIVEA Creme Tales range is limited edition and they will be available for a limited time only. They are available now at Boots, Asda, Morrisons, Superdrug.com and the NIVEA online shop.
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Friday 27 November 2015

The Best Beauty Black Friday Deals

Black Friday is quickly becoming a ‘thing’ in the UK. We might not celebrate Thanksgiving but we can definitely benefit for the fabulous beauty deals. I’ve created a little list for you to check out. Whether you’re treating yourself or finishing the Christmas shopping, I hope you find something useful. I'll be updating this page regularly, so do check back! 
DECIEM
I've been raving about DECIEM all year long, I love everything they produce and nothing has ever let me down! Last year DECIEM had some incredible deals and this year they are back again with impressive offers! They have put together a range of bundles which offer 50% & 60% off the usual retail prices. The deals are running until 9am on Tuesday 1st December and you can even get free worldwide shipping. My favourite of all the gifts is the 'Best of DECIEM bundle' which contains; Grow Gorgeous Hair Growth Serum, Hylamide SubQ Anti-Age Face Serum, NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, HIF Growth Support Hair Cleansing Conditioner, AB Crew Caffeine Shampoo, Fountain The Hyaluronic Molecule, Hand Chemistry Extreme Hydration Concentrate and the Hand Chemistry Heel Hydration Complex!  They have a handy Black Friday deals page, which you can browse by clicking here

Models Own 

Models Own are chopping your shopping bill by a whopping 50% this Black Friday! That's right, when you shop this weekend you can get all your favourite nail shades at half the retail price. There are a couple of caveats; first you need to fill your basket with at least 5 items and you must enter the discount code at the checkout. This offer is available on the Models Own website (here) and at the Bottleshops nationwide. This is such a bargain!

Escentual

Escentual is one of my favourite places to shop online and they have a whole host of fabulous deals for Black Friday. They will be sharing 15+ exclusive special offers, which are all a special selection of bestsellers and beauty icons all with 50% off RRP! One fabulous Escentual are running is the La Roche-Posay Cult Classics bundle! You can get Serozinc and Effaclar Duo+, all for the tiny price of £12! (link here)

And that's not all - there's an extra 10% off everything at Escentual using the code BLACK10.... including the Black Friday offers. How's that for a an amazing deal? Click here to shop.


Nip + Fab

I've been a huge fan of Nip + Fab recently, so I'm excited that I can stock up on all my favourites with 30% off. All you need to do is add 'BFWKD30' in the code box at the checkout, this also entitles you to Free UK Standard Delivery. Why not try one of my favourites, like the Kale Fix range or the fabulous Glycolic Fix Night Pads

Cult Beauty
Cult Beauty are  delighted to announce their tiered promotion for Black Friday. Simply enter one of the corresponding codes below to enjoy up to 25% off your Cult Beauty order.
The codes are £10 off £60 (MERRY10), £20 off £100 (MERRY20), £45 off £200 (MERRY45) and £75 off £300 (MERRY75). Click here to shop.

Merumaya
It is the first time that Merumaya is participating in Black Friday and they have gone all out to please. Their "super savings" are only available on merumaya.com until 30th November 2015! They are offering you the chance to save £33.50 on the Moisture Marvels Gift Set, which makes it less than half price! Inside the set yo will get 15ml sizes of the; Iconic Youth Serum™, Overnight Recharge™ Night Cream and Youth Preservation Moisturiser™. It comes "boxed, bowed and ready to place under the tree". If that isn't enough to tempt you, they are also offering the Pure Radiance Mask™ for just £5 with any order!

Roger & Gallet
If you like the look of any of the fabulous gifts from Roger & Gallet this year, you need to head to My Dermacenter today! You can get a HUGE 40% off entire Parisian-inspired range, including beautiful gifts and chic Christmas crackers! Click here to shop

Illamasqua
To celebrate Black Friday Illamasqua have up to 70% off all their nail polishes and lipgloss! Click here to shop.

NARS
Take 20% off your order at NARS by entering TAKE20 at the checkout, it's a great opportunity to get some cult classics for your collection at a fraction of the price. Shop here.

Benefit Cosmetics
If you're planning to buy some Benefit Christmas gift sets, now is the time! Enter 'BLACK15' to save 15% off your Benefit order. I personally think the 'get your party on' set is fabulous, as it contains some of Benefit's cult products, all in a fabulous tin! I also think the 'pucker up & party' set would make an amazing stocking filler. Shop here

Ciate London
Whether you want to purchase the a nail polish advent calendar, stock up on some polish or buy some makeup, Ciate have the deal for you today. You can save a whopping 30% off every single thing on site, plus you can get free delivery when you spend £50. I think it might be time to stock up on some Olivia Palermo makeup that I've had my eye on... Shop here

This Works
Save 25% on all orders over £25 by adding 'BLK25' at the checkout. It's a great opportunity to stock up on some of their amazing Christmas Gift Sets! I'm personally a huge fan of the 'Dream Team' set (here) or the 'Seventh Heaven' set (here). 

eBay 
As always, eBay have a whole host of amazing offers to add into the mix! They've got lots of health and beauty offers for Black Friday, which you can see by clicking here. The deals include the fabulous Babyliss Curl Secret curling tool for £69.99 (here). They also have the Braun Silk-epil 7 for £49.99 (here), which I'm personally really tempted by!

Look Fantastic
Look Fantastic are promising the "best Black Friday deals on your most-wanted beauty brands" this Black Friday. They are including brands such as Foreo, GHD and Jurlique. They will have exclusive offers and hundreds of discounts on skincare, hair and make up products. Enjoy an extra MYSTERY discount off our their Black Friday List (link here) by entering the code 'LFBLACK' at the checkout. Deals valid until the 30th November. 

They are also giving you an exclusive EXTRA 25% off your beauty order today on top of our amazing BlackFriday deals! But hurry, the discount declines by 1% on the hour every hour.
Simply enter code 'LFBF' at the basket. 
Click here to shop.

ESPA
ESPA are hiding 100 golden tickets inside online orders placed this Friday 27th November. If you find a golden ticket in your order, you will be eligible for an exclusive gift (either directly from ESPA or Liberty of London Gift Vouchers to luxurious ESPA collections and divine Aspinal of London accessories). If you purchase something today, you'll also get complimentary delivery and a 50% chance of receiving your own deluxe treat. Shop here.

KIKO
KIKO MILANO is thanking its fans with an exclusive 30% discount valid online. In stores, you can take advantage of the promotion ‘Buy 3 products, get 3 more free’. Online you just need to add products you wish to purchase to your cart, then the 30%-off promotion will be activated automatically.

Boots
All of Vichy's bestselling face care pots are now just £15! So now is the perfect time to switch up your skincare. I'm a huge fan of the hyped Idealia Skin Sleep, it's perfect for refreshing your skin from late nights and the cold winter weather. Shop here

Rodial 
If you like Rodial, this weekend you can save a whopping 25% off the whole site! All you need to do is enter BF25 at the checkout. They have a whole host of exciting products, including lots of items in their 'last chance' section, so you can really grab a bargain on some top of the range skincare and makeup! Click here to shop.

Feel Unique
Beauty site Feel Unique are offering 15% off everything on site today, simply by adding 'BLACKFRIDAY15' at the checkout. They've also got a whole host of 'flash' deals on makeup, skincare and pamper products. Click here to shop

The Hut
The Hut love to spoil us beauty lovers with deals all year round, Black Friday is no different. There are a couple of fabulous deals I've spotted, including the Full Monty brush from Magnitone for HALF PRICE (link here) and GHDs for £79 (link here). 

HQ Hair
HQ Hair are offering huge savings with HQhair's Black Friday Declining Discount, all you need to do is enter 'HQCYBER' at the checkout! Move quickly though as the discount will continue to drop until the 30th November. Click here to shop.

Beauty Expert
You can save 20% off Beauty Expert on selected products from the Black Friday list (link here). Just enter 'BLACKFRI' at the checkout!

Aromatherapy Associates
Aromatherapy Associates say they have a "special treat" for us, "that's not to be missed". This exceptional shopping event will be available for four days only. All will be revealed later today!

OPI
I've not bought something from OPI for the longest time! However, right now you can get 25% off everything on the OPI website this weekend, plus some nail polishes have 40% off them already. Click here to get shopping.

Very Exclusive
Save 25% on selected beauty brands at Very Exclusive today! All you need to do is (click here) add your favourite items to your basket. No codes needed, Very Exclusive have done all the work for you! The selected brands include Bliss Spa, Perricone MD, Eyeko, GHD, Nails Inc, Paul & Joe, REN, Stila, This Works and many more! Shop here

Charlotte Tilbury 
Charlotte Tilbury is promising a weekend of 'makeup magic' to celebrate Black Friday. There will be a special 'Tilbury Treat' every day until Monday, I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us! 

Makeup Revolution
Fancy a Makeup Revolution haul? During the Black Friday weekend you can get a free gift worth £30, when you spend £30 or more. You do not need to enter any special code, you simply just fill your basket and the free gift will be added automatically. One outstanding deal they have today is the 100 Eyeshadow Collection, for just £6 (here)!

The Body Shop
Black Friday has been buzzing at The Body Shop all week, so if you're looking to purchase some goodies from The Body Shop this Christmas, now is the time! Right now you can save 40% on your shopping by entering '14670' at the checkout. As always there is a few exclusions with The Body Shop, but there is no excuse to leave your gift buying until the last minute this year.

Vintage Cosmetics Company
Get 40% off the whole site by using the code 'BLACKFRIDAY40' at the checkout, this includes free shipping in the UK.

Fashion Black Friday Deals

This isn't strictly 'beauty' but I thought I'd share a couple of fashion deals too! 


ASOS

Get a whopping 20% off everything on the ASOS website until Tuesday at 8am. Just enter the code CYBER at the checkout. Click here to shop.

Topshop
Save up to 50% and get free worldwide shipping with Topshop this Black Friday. Click here to shop the sale

New Look
For the whole week New Look have 'Cyber Week' where they have up to 50% off tons of clothes. Including, shoes, accessories, petite, curve, mens and ladies! Click here to shop the deals!

Cambridge Satchel Company 

Get 40% off that new bag at the Cambridge Satchel Company this weekend. Click here to see the items included

Happy Socks
Happy Socks are offering 40% off all orders on their site, both today and on Cyber Monday. They are also offering free shipping, so it's a good time to stock up on some Christmas presents. Click here to shop

Clarks

Save 20% on your order by entering 'BELIEVE' at the checkout. Click here to shop.

*This post contains some affiliate links
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Thursday 26 November 2015

Thursday Tittle-Tattle #23

'Thursday Tittle Tattle', is a Hope, Freedom, Love blog series which has quickly become home to some of my popular posts. The series is dedicated to breaking news of the beauty world. From time-to-time, Thursday’s blog post will be dedicated to news featuring; beauty and lifestyle news, events, discounts, and even a bit of fashion news thrown in too! 




LancĂ´me & Clarisonic Join Look Fantastic

Week after week Look Fantastic are adding fantastic new brands to their line-up! This week they are celebrating the launch of Clarisonic and LancĂ´me! LancĂ´me is one of the world’s leading luxury beauty brands; specialising in fragrance, make-up and skincare. Clarisonic uses patented sonic frequency to transform your skin from dull and lifeless, to healthy and radiant, with their range of brushes and cleansers! Shop LancĂ´me (here) and Clarisonic (here) on the Look Fantastic website.

Soap & Glory launch limited edition gifts designed by Philip Colbert
If none of the Soap & Glory sets this year have caught your eye (if not why not?!), you might want check out their latest launch. Soap & Glory have collaborated with Philip Colbert, creator of the RODNIK BAND, to create three limited edition gifts. Each are delivered in hat box style packaging and they've been given a pop art make over. There are three to choose from; Matchbox (here), Poptastic (here) and Dive-In (here).

Marc Jacobs set to launch in the UK
For well over a year I've been stepping on planes and heading to Sephora to get my hands on the Marc Jacobs Beauty Collection. Luckily it won't be the case for much longer, as Marc Jacobs Beauty is joining the UK at Harrods in 2016. More information is due to drop late this year. 

Fresh opens second UK store
Another store expanding in the UK is Fresh, one of my much loved brands in Sephora. They've opened a store in Covent Garden to complement their store which is already on Marylebone High Street. They store carries all of the brands core values, bring their products to life with the full Fresh experience.

The Cult Beauty Goody Bag is back
If you're planning a bit of a haul at Cult Beauty, you'll be happy to hear that the Cult Beauty Goody Bag is back! If you spend £125 you will receive the Cult Beauty Goody Bag, which contains the best of beauty in 2015. It's worth £180 and contains products from Neom, Becca, Laura Geller, Alpha H and many more (click here to see the full contents). Click here to shop. This offer is now sold out, but there is an amazing Black Friday coming tomorrow!

DECIEM announce Hair Density Shampoo and Hair Growth Serum Intense 
Grow Gorgeous have expanded their range once again with two brand new products! Hair Density Shampoo is a concentrated damage‑free shampoo that promotes visible growth, density, thickness and health. The Hair Growth Serum Intense is a super serum for healthy visible hair growth, density and thickness. You can shop both products here on the DECIEM website

Kure Bazaar has unveil Limited Edition Christmas collection 
Kure Bazaar is a l
uxury nail polish brand and they've just announced their Limited Edition Christmas collection. There are 15 high-impact and multi-tonal glitter polishes, to  ‘dazzle up nails’ this season. You can layer the collection over a special peel-off nail base and following with the glitter collection! The collection is available now at Fortnum & Mason, and Naturisimo.com

EOS Holiday 2015 Gift Set
You can always count on EOS to bring a pretty gift set for the Christmas season. This years Holiday 2015 Lip Balm 3-Pack is Limited Edition. The set comes with some jewel transfers so that you can customise your EOS collection. Inside the pack there are three lip balms; Sweet Mint, Pomegranate and limited edition Vanilla Bean. The Holiday 2015 Lip Balm 3-Pack is available in-store and online at BeautyMART, priced at £21. 

What's the most exciting beauty news you've seen this week?

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Wednesday 25 November 2015

The House of Roger & Gallet | Giveaway With Escentual

I think now that it's the very end of November, I'm officially allowed to talk Christmas without feeling guilty right? I love Christmas, it's my favourite time of year! So I'm so excited that on Hope, Freedom, Love this year - I have lots of Christmas joy to share! If you've followed my blog or twitter (@hopefreedomlove) for a while, you'll know that when the Roger & Gallet Christmas Collection was announced I was very excited! I've been a huge fan of Roger & Gallet for the longest time and their Christmas gifts never cease to amaze me. This year the gift range is adorned in bright colours and finished with gold details. 


My favourite gift this year has to be the House of Roger & Gallet (£25 here). It's a stunning gift set, inspired by the Boutique du Bonheur in Paris. Inside the box is home to Roger & Gallet's iconic fragrances and body treats, giving you the chance to try some of the most beautiful products from the brand.

Inside the box there is; the Fleur de Figuer Eau Fraiche 30ml (fresh fig aroma, paired with mandarin, caraway seeds, grapefruit, musk, fig milk and cedar), Roger & Gallet Bois d'Orange Sublime Hand Cream 30m (hydrating hand cream providing eight hours of moisture), the Fleur d'Osmanthus Shower Gel 50ml (gentle cleansing shower gel infused with gourmet floral notes) and the Gingembre Rouge Body Lotion 50ml (a luxurious Body Lotion is infused with the Gingembre Rouge scent). 

This beautiful gift set is presented in a house shaped box, the doors open to reveal the goodies inside. The box is decorated with the traditional Roger & Gallet golden swirl pattern, which just gives it a stunning luxurious feel. It would truly look beautiful under the tree before you've even had the chance to wrap it! 

Thanks to the beautiful team at Escentual, I have the opportunity for you to win the House of Roger & Gallet! The giveaway will end on the 10th December, which means you can get this beautiful gift in time to pamper yourself over the Christmas break! All you have to do to win, is fill out the rafflecopter form below (you need to be following me on bloglovin' and Escentual on Twitter). Good luck! 

The House of Roger & Gallet retails for £25 from escentual.com 





a Rafflecopter giveaway
TERMS & CONDITIONS! The giveaway will be running until December 10th and you can enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. To be eligible to win you must be following my blog via Bloglovin and you must follow Escentual on Twitter. The giveaway is limited to the UK on this occasion, due to shipping regulations and to allow you to get the gift for Christmas. The giveaway prize has been provided by the lovely team at Escentual. 
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Tuesday 24 November 2015

Currently In My Makeup Bag...

All too often I forget to make the most out of my makeup collection. I have a LOT of products and great products sometimes get forgotten about. I've recently given my makeup bag a bit of a shake up and this is what has made the cut. All of these products have recently been reviewed on my blog, but they’ve also become staples in my routine. Lets take a look at what is currently in my makeup bag..



The Maybelline Fit Me Foundation has become a staple in my routine recently as it's perfect for when your skin is a bit dry. It has all the benefits of the Maybelline Superstay foundation; it buffs into the skin with ease, it covers imperfections and it doesn’t feel tacky on the skin. It has fantastic coverage too, which makes it good for days when you’re being a bit more demanding on your skin. It only costs £7.99, which I think is an absolute bargain! 

What I love about the Lunar Rose palette, is that all the colours perfectly compliment my eye colour, so it really is the perfect quad. Inside the palette there are four shades, which you can use on their own, or build up for a full eye look. There's a dusty baby pink, a lovely rose gold, a shimmer rose and finally a mauve shade that has a hint of shimmer. The eyeshadows last really well on my skin, they actually happen to last all day and they blend beautifully.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer has been a staple in my routine for a long time. It's not only by first ever concealer repurchase; it’s actually my first ever high-end repurchase. So that should be an indication of how much I love it. The concealer has a large doe foot applicator, which holds a lot of product. One dip in the tube gives me more than enough concealer for my whole face. The best part is that this works for everything; it's amazing for covering dark circles but it covers redness and blemishes too. 

Marc Jacobs - The Innocent palette
The Innocent is a gorgeous three-piece eyeshadow set by Marc Jacobs. The packaging is gorgeous (it's a lovely sleek black compact) but the contents are equally beautiful. The Innocent has two matte shades, a beige and a brown crease shade. The third shade is a glitter gold shade which looks incredible in the pan. The palette is a little bit of luxury and it's perfect for this time of year. 

This is one of those products that is worth the hype. It's a two part bronzer that has a light side and a darker side. It has "S&G" embossed in the powder, which looks super pretty when it first arrives, as it has a pink dusting to it. I have really pale skin, so I used to find bronzers really difficult to use but this is great as a contour and an all over bronzer. It's got the most gorgeous colour to it; it's not too muddy, too dark or too orange. It just blends into the skin and adds a really lovely warmth.

There's no doubt that this product looks incredible, it's one of the prettiest items in my whole makeup collection. The beautiful embossing takes inspiration from art deco and it feels like a work of art when it's sitting on my vanity. The formula of these is really quite special, it's very finely milled but there's absolutely no fallout as I swish my brush round in the pan. The highlighter blends into skin effortlessly and it doesn't seem to settle or crease. The powder has no glitter in it, so you just get the most gorgeous glow, without the glitter flecks falling on to your cheeks. 

The Ombre Blackstar Cream Eyeshadows come packaged beautifully and the colour is so pigmented, you literally need the tiniest bit to give a wash of colour. It's buildable too, which means you can go for a full smokey eye, if the mood takes you. You have a couple of minutes to play around and then the formula sets and stays put all day. I have the shade Velvet Orchid but my current favourite is Misty Rock.

This is something quite different, when you look at the blusher in the pan, it looks like a sponge but it's actually a very special formula. Technically it's a lightweight powder, which has been made to be supple, soft and blendable. It's got a velvety feel to it and it actually feels like a cream blush as you touch it. The formula is incredibly pigmented, you really don't need much on the cheeks and it provides a lot of coverage with a small amount. The finish is matte, but it's not a drying matte shade, it's incredible wearable even when your skin is feeling dry. 

These brushes in the collection are incredibly soft, if you felt that the original brushes were soft, these are on a whole other level. Whilst the original Real Techniques brushes are beautiful quality, the Bold Metals collection offers something that feels luxury. These definitely are not just an "excuse" to charge more money, the brushes have a noticeable jump in quality, performance and style. I actually spent months trying to convince myself that I didn't need the fancy Bold Metals brushes by Real Techniques. However, when they released the luxury Christmas Sets, I knew that I would not be able to resist - I'm glad I caved! 

What products do you currently have in your makeup bag?
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Monday 23 November 2015

Three Little Nights of Peace | Christmas by Neom

Christmas has officially started here on Hope, Freedom, Love! This year I've got a whole host of gifts that I'm going to be reviewing for you. So if you're looking for the perfect gift for your mum, dad, sister, boyfriend, best friend (or even yourself) you're in the right place! At the beginning of December I'll also be sharing my Christmas Gift Guides which will be a giant blog post sharing all of my favourite gifts for the season.

Neom have launched their 'Scent To Make You Feel Good' range, which is their special Christmas Collection for 2015. The whole range has been given a sprinkle of gold or platinum and it's focussing on enabling you to give a real therapeutic gift. The range includes two Christmas candles; Christmas Wish (that has been given a sprinkle of real gold) and Perfect Peace (which has been sprinkled with Platinum). There's also a further eight gift sets, so there really is something for everyone, whatever their beauty passion.

Here I have the limited edition 'Three Nights Of Peace' set, it comes in a dinky little box, finished with a ribbon which carries the 'Scent To Make You Feel Good' slogan. Inside the box there are three mini bottles of the famous Neom bath oils. The scents included are; Tranquillity (English Lavender, Sweet Basil & Jasmine), Time to Unwind and Real Luxury (Jasmine, French lavender and Brazilian rosewood). Inside the box there is also access to the Neom Ultimate Sleep eBook (worth £9.99), which aims to give you practical advice on getting better quality sleep.

The three oils are incredibly potent and are all designed to induce sleep or deeply de-stress the body and mind. What I love about this gift is that you're almost giving a friend or a loved one the gift of pamper and sleep! It would be a lovely gift for a new Mum who needs to take some time for herself. 

The 'Three Nights Of Peace' kit retails for £14.95 and you can pick it up from Look Fantastic
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Sunday 22 November 2015

Glitter Rush & Glitter Gelly | Christmas by Barry M

If there's one brand you can count on to bring a bit of glitter to the Christmas season, it has to be Barry M. Every year they wow me with a collection of glittery products, which are fit for any Christmas party. This year Barry M have two Christmas releases to shout about; Glitter Rush & Glitter Gelly. 



Glitter Rush in Snow Globe & Desert Bronze
Glitter Rush is the perfect multi-purpose product and the perfect solution for adding glitter to any look. Glitter Rush are little pots of glitter that you can apply to your face and body. The best bit is that you can use these glitter pots on-the-go as they come in really handy shaker pots. It means that no matter what happens, you won't end up with glitter all over the bedroom floor. Glitter Rush comes in two shades; Snow Globe (silver glitter) & Desert Bronze (bronze/copper glitter). You can apply the glitter on the face to add sparkle to an eyeshadow look, or some some glitter highlighter, or you can add it to your body, buy sprinkling some into your body lotion. The possibilities are endless...


Glitter Gelly polishes in Sparkling Ruby & Sparkling Amethyst
The famous Gelly Hi-Shine polishes from Barry M are back and this time they are packed with glitter; creating 'Glitter Gelly'. The Glitter Gelly polishes are limited edition for the Christmas season and they come in two shades; Sparkling Ruby (a glittery red) & Sparkling Amethyst (a glittery plum). The Gelly formula offers a hi-shine finish, a gel formulation and long lasting wear. The shades are both exclusive to Superdrug.

I know that all four of these products will be staples in my makeup routine for the rest of the year. If you fancy getting your hands on these products, Glitter Rush retails for £4.49 each (here) and the Glitter Gelly polishes retail for £3.99 (here). 
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Saturday 21 November 2015

USA Beauty Haul | Sephora & Target

I'm not a keen traveller. There are people who love hopping on a plane and exploring the world, but I've definitely not one of them. I'm not adverse to holidays with my family, but when it comes to work travel, count me out. Unfortunately, traveling is a big part of my job, so I'm not about to get out of it anytime soon. However, I always say that the one advantage of having to travel with work, is that it's a good excuse to go shopping! I was recently in San Francisco, so it was the perfect excuse to check out what Sephora and Target had to offer. 



Sephora Favourites - Lashstash
Lashstash is one if the famous Sephora Favourites kits! I'm a huge fan of the Sephora Favourites kits as they offer you the chance to try lots of things, at a bargain price. If the name doesn't give it away, this one features eight coveted mascaras—plus, a lash curler, lash fibers, and an eyeliner. The contents of the box includes; Benefit Roller Lash Mascara, Blinc Mascara, Hourglass Cosmetics Mechanical Gel Eye Liner, Marc Jacobs Beauty O! Mascara, NARS Cosmetics Audacious Mascara in Black Moon, Tarte best in faux extending fibers and the Too Faced Cosmetics Better Than Sex Mascara. 

Get The Skinny Eye Set from Clinique
I found the Get The Skinny Eye Set in the aisle of doom, which is filled with mini products just before the checkout. Inside the cute purple packaging, there's miniature samples of the; High Impact Mascara in Black, Clinique Skinny Stick in Slimming Black and the Take The Day Off Makeup Remover. 

Sephora Collection 'Wonderful Dreams' palette
I actually had a more expensive palette in my basket and I decided to swap it for this beauty. It only cost $10 and inside the little box, you get eight eyeshadows. There's a mixture of matte and iridescent eye shadows all in sweet soft hues. Sephora says that they are "highly pigmented shades in matte and shimmer finishes to create a multitude of stunning looks". The shades included in the palette are; Chantilly Lace, Marron GlacĂ©, Crystal Ball, Midnight Swim, Soft Cookie, Toasted Almond, Pretty Sunrise and Hot Cocoa.

Mini Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light 
The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders are famous in the beauty world. I've tried the Ambient Lighting Blushers, but I'm yet to try the Ambient Lighting Powders. Naturally, I couldn't resist the miniature version of Dim Light. The Ambient Lighting Powders are infused with Photoluminescent Technology, micron-size, color-correcting particles refract light and create transparent coverage. The Ambient Lighting Powders come in six shades; Dim Light is a neutral peach beige powder that blurs imperfections and highlights a radiant complexion with the perfect balance of warm and cool tones.

Maybelline Blushed Nudes Palette
This palette is about to be launched in the UK, but it's actually FAR cheaper to buy it in the states as it's only $10 at Target. The palette features 12 shades of shadows, which appear to mimic the gorgeous Naked 3 palette. The shades are infused with rose gold pigments for bolder blushes, provocative plums, and risque roses.

The Regal Wardrobe from bareMinerals
I was drawn to The Regal Wardrobe in the airport, as it has some stunning purple tone eyeshadows, which happen to be my latest weakness. The Regal Wardrobe is an elegant palette, featuring eight eyeshadows (Regal, Treasure Hunt, Natural, Cognac, Namaste, 500 Thread Count, Romp and Flash), two blushers (The Love Letter and The Summer Fling), a bronzer (The Skinny Dip) and an Luminizer (The Brilliant Sunset). Looking at it in the pan it looks like my perfect palette, so I cannot wait to play with it!

Travel Brow Kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills 
As a new fan of the beautiful Brow Wiz from Anastasia Beverly Hills, I couldn't resist this little kit. It's a cute portable brow set with three mini tools for sculpting, filling, and setting brow looks on-the-go. Inside the box there's the Mini Brow Wiz Crayon, Mini Tweezer and a Mini Brow Gel in Clear. I honestly think this is a perfect trio to chuck in my makeup bag when I'm travelling!

Mini Pixi Glow Tonic
This is another product that you can obviously buy in the UK, but I've wanted to buy the miniature bottle of Glow Tonic since Caroline Hirons announced it's launch. The tiny bottle is 100ml and it's exclusive to Target at the moment, it's a great way to try the product before investing in the larger bottle. 



I'd love to know if you've tried any of these goodies? Let me know what you think of them in the comments below!
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