Spendy Wendy...

Maybelline Colorsensation Elixirs in Caramel Infused, Signature Scarlet and Rose Defined

Maybelline Baby Lips Dr Rescue Lip Balm 

Loreal Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in Molto Mauve 

Loreal La Nude Palette

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Relvon's Vixen Nail Polish

Essie's Summit Stylish

Barry M Polishes in Chai, Treasure Chest and Moonlight

Around this time of year all the brands go crazy for Christmas gifts and I love it. I always end up buying too much to get the free sets! And that's exactly what I did on my recent trip into Boots... 

So after falling in love with the Maybelline Colorsensation Elixirs I picked up three more shades, Caramel Infused, Signature Scarlet and Rose Defined, a shade for every possible occasion. Then as a freebie I got the Baby Lips Dr Rescue Lip Balm which I would never of bought myself but I'm actually looking forward to trying it. 

Then from Loreal I got their recently launched La Nude Palette which has some really stunning shades in it and is really great for the price. Then I wanted to compare the Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick to the Maybelline equivalents so I picked up one in Molto Mauve. That then meant I qualified for the free gift which was a foursome of their products, including a lipstick, nail varnish, eye liner and mascara, all in very festive shades. I also then received a free limited edition Christmas Nail Varnish from Barry M from spending over £6 on their products, so I picked up a repurchased of their gold glitter and then their gel polish in Chai. Since loosing my Max Factor Ruby Fruit Nail Polish I thought I'd pick a similar shade up (not the same, so when I find it I wouldn't be annoyed) so I picked up a blogger's fave Relvon's Vixen and I love it. Then to go with that I grabbed Essie's Summit of Stylish which might look similar to the Barry M one I just bought but it's totally not (justifying it to myself here) the Essie is a true gold where as the Barry M one is much yellower. 

Then on my way to the til I spotted a little sample stand which is very dangerous for my bank balance, and I thought I'd try the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer which is oil free and I'm always open for different primer to wow me. 

Jess xo

Wishlist #46 - Back In Love With The T-Shirt Dress...

Wishlist #46 - Back In Love With The T-Shirt Dress... by jesscotton featuring Rebecca Minkoff

Zipper dress / Topshop v neck top, £15 / Commando black hosiery, £22 / Casadei genuine leather boots, £375 / High heel bootie, £56 / Boohoo chain statement necklace, £13 / Rebecca Minkoff accessory, £125 / Nail care, £8.28 / Essie nail polish, £3.44

Maybelline Colorsensation Elixir Lip in Raspberry Rhapsody - Review ...

Maybelline Colorsensation Elixir Lip in Raspberry Rhapsody - £6.99

I know, I know, again I'm late on the band wagon. I know everyone's been raving about these for a while but I've only just gotten around to trying them out and that's only because I picked one up on a Boots 3 for 2. Now, I thought that these would be similar to the Rimmel Apocolips Lip Lacquers and the Bourjois Rouge Vevlets, a type of liquid lipstick, very pigmented. But to my surprise these are actually more like the YSL Stain Rouge Laques a thick pigmented gloss that set in place after a couple of minutes.  I am so in love with the packaging, I think it's really cute and unlike anything else I've seen in the drugstore. It has a doe foot applicator, which is really great for getting the outline of your lips and your cupids bow, then the wider part is perfect for just filling in the rest. The formula is really thick and glossy but still with great pigmentation and coverage without being patchy or chunky. The formula remains thick but without being heavy whatsoever. The shade range is brill, whatever your go to lip shade I'm sure they will have one suitable for you. The thickness of the formula makes it much more long lasting than your average gloss. I definitely be grabbing some more of these they're just really easy and effortless without looking like you've just thrown one on when you actually have. 

Jess xo

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer - Review

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer - £20.50

I received this small sample in a Christmas set I purchased from Benefit not long ago. I thought it would be a perfect way to try out a few products from them without breaking the bank and not liking the full size. But luckily I've actually been really liking this. It's not like a primer I've tried before, it's quite thin in consistency but it creates a really even base across the eye lid, perfect for really bringing out the colour of whatever eye shadow you're applying. In terms of longevity, it really gives the shadow something to cling to which generally make shadow application easier and smoother. I've not noticed any creasing when I've used this with a smokey eye or subtle simple shadow looks. This is also supposed to total up as a concealer as well, which I can see where they're coming from because it's skin toned but the shade range is very limited and it doesn't match me so I wouldn't use it as that. I also wouldn't use it as a concealer for any spots or redness either because it's too thin and just isn't the right formula for that type of coverage.  I'm definitely thinking of repurchasing this primer, I'm not sure I like it more than my Urban Decay Primer Potion but I'm willing to give it another go. I often find that I cannot gain a proper opinion of whether I like it or not until I've tried for a couple of months, especially when it comes to primers because it completely depends on the make up you're wearing alongside. However, so far I'm really enjoying this one and if you're in the market for a new eye primer then I'd recommend this one. 

Jess xo

What's On My Face #4 ...

Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer - £10.99

L'oreal  True Match Foundation - £9.99 

Rimmel Match Perfection Loose Powder - £6.99

Dior  Diorshow Mono Fusion Eye Shadow in Meteore - £24

Benefit's Hoola Bronzer - £23.50

Seventeen's Instant Glow Bronzing Powder in the darkest shade - £4.59

Ted Baker Illuminator - 

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette - £34

Sleek Brow Stylist - £4.49

Maybelline Brow Drama - £4.99

Collection Liquid Liner - £3.99

Eylure 015 False Lashes - £5.29

Mac's Diva Lipstick - £15.50

Base - Recently I've completely fallen in love with a particular combo. Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer is brill, I've reviewed it already confessed my love for it so I won't go on about it for too long, but it's just a perfect base for foundation. Then over that I have been wearing the L'oreal  True Match Foundation which everyone in the blogging community loves at the moment. It's a really lovely consistency and just applies really nicely and evenly. Like it blends into the skin without much effort. I've then not been bothering with concealer because I haven't felt like I've needed it, then just applying the Rimmel Match Perfection Loose Powder which I'm not in love with but it does the job. Recently I've really been going for a more contoured look, I love a good cheek bone so I've really been defining mine with Seventeen's Instant Glow Bronzing Powder in the darkest shade because it's completely matte and not orange toned. Then to warm up my face all over I've been using Benefit's Hoola Bronzer all over to create a more sunkissed look. Then to pair with the contouring I've been using a Ted Baker Illuminator that I received in a gift set for my birthday which is a liquid highlighter that's just really stunning. 

Brows - Nothing new here, the usual Sleek Brow Stylist and the Maybelline Brow Drama. Fail safe combo, cannot go wrong. 

Eyes - I've been keeping it quite simple with the eyes and just having a heavy winged liner. I've been using the Benefit Don't Stray primer which I haven't quite formed a proper opinion of yet but I think I'm liking it. Then over that I've pressed on the Dior  Diorshow Mono Fusion Eye Shadow in Meteore which is a really pretty sparkly gold shade, really festive. It's a cream to powder shadow which is easy to apply with a finger tip and then blending out the edges. Then I've just been using a matte dark brown shade to the define my crease and lower lash line, easy but effective. My fave matte brown is one from the Smashbox Full Exposure Palette. Then for liner I've gone back to my old favourite, the Collection Liquid Liner, super cheap and gets the job done. I then throw on any mascara and whack on the Eylure 015 False Lashes, gorgeous and natural for the day time. 

Lips - Finally I've been just sticking to this one lipstick constantly recently. Mac's Diva. It's just a gorgeous winter lip shade and I've just fallen completely in love with it and can't get enough. I'm planning on getting the matching lip liner soon but it works brilliantly without actually using any lip liner. 

Jess xo

Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eye Shadow - Review

Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eye Shadow in Bronze - £7.99

So many brands are bringing out their versions of cream eye shadows after the success of the Maybelline Tattoos and after my love for the Tattoos I'm all for it. This is the Max Factor version which does slightly differ from your average cream eye shadow. I would say that it's actually more like a moose rather than a cream product. It's a really soft texture and little goes a long way so be cautious. At first I really didn't like this, I applied it with my finger tip and I just couldn't get an even enough coverage but once I applied it with a brush I liked it much better. In terms of longevity, I think you've got to be careful with how much you apply, because the more you apply the more likely it is to crease. So a little works better with this product, I would recommend applying thin layers until you get the colour pay off that you desire to avoid creasing too badly later on in the day. Don't let the name scare you off, I mean Excess Shimmer sounds intense but actually it's not. It sort of creates that wet glossy look rather than a super chunky glittery mess. 

Over all I really like this, I definitely think it will work better in a light shade because you definitely won't need to apply as much, so I'm definitely going look into the lighter shades and see if any take my fancy. 

Jess xo

Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Liner - Review ...

Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Liner - £5.29

I'm always on the hunt for my perfect liquid liner. Gel liner doesn't work for me so it's gotta be a liquid one and I've tried a few over my years but unfortunately this is not my one true liner. What really grabbed my attention with this liner is the "waterproof" claim that it holds. Over all it's not a bad liner but it's just not for me. I should of read the bottle more clearly when I first purchased this because it's a lacquer finish which I really don't like. I want my liner to be bold and matte and obviously a lacquer finish isn't like that. As for it's waterproof claim, I wouldn't necessarily say it was. For me when something says it's waterproof I actually expect to get in the shower or go swimming and for it to have lasted but this doesn't. It's easy to remove with water or make up remover which also has it's benefits, but when you're like me and have incredibly watery eyes you need something to be actually WATER-proof. The applicator is one of those firm pointed sponge tips which are my faves rather than an actual brush. I'm sure this could make a fellow liner lover very happy but it's just not for me and I won't be repurchasing this unfortunately. 

Jess xo

HD Brows Bombshell Eye Shadow Palette - Review...

HD Brows Bombshell Eye Shadow Palette - £29

Now, HD Brows are famous for their brow products and they do it so well, I didn't realise they actually do all make up products. My best friend paid for me and her to have our make up done by a HD Brows team at a local salon and all though I wasn't super impressed by the experience, I loved the products although it was a really fun experience especially to do with your girl friends before a night out. Out of the products they used on me I bought they Bombshell palette. It looks like a cooler toned eye shadow palette but actually on the lid it's much warmer. My favourite shade is the middle brown colour, it's really pretty and really compliments my eye colour. There are two shimmery shades in the palette and then three matte colours, great for definition and crease work. The lightest pink shade is really shimmery and the perfect highlight. This is definitely one of those palettes that's great for traveling because you can create both day and night looks with it. The brush that it comes with is actually really nice too, maybe not for packing on the colour but brill for smokey it out and crease work. Then the angled brush on the other side is perfect for pressing colour alone your lower lash line for subtle definition. 

I'm not sure this palette is worth the price over all, I think there are much better palettes with more shadows in for a similar price but I've been really enjoying it anyway. I was lucky and actually got £10 and 30% off so it was worth it at the discounted price of £13.20 because of the event we went to. 

Jess xo

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eyeshadow in 02- Review

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eyeshadow in 02 - £26.50

Probably one of the most ascetically pleasing products I've ever seen, it sure is a beaut. It looks like a cream product but actually it's more like a pressed pigment, L'oreal do a version of this but at least half the price and I love those so I knew I'd love this. The shade of this is just really unusual and gorgeous and that's why I splashed out on this one instead of settling for a cheaper version. The product itself is really soft and buttery, and you need the tiniest amount for a full smokey eye.

It is a black base colour with vibrant red glitter running through it which gives it a really purple-y over all look to it. This sort of shade is really great if you want your eyes to do all the talking, it's a really intense eye catching shade which definitely has the wow factor. The packaging is very luxurious and feels very expensive. I really love these glass jars with the screw on lids for eye products. It's very sleek and chic with the all black and silver writing. I think Giorgio Armani as a brand is brilliant, yes they're a little more expensive than your average  make up brand but everything feels very luxurious and the quality of their products is outstanding. I have loved everything I have tried of their products. 

Jess xo

Wishlist #45 - Dreaming Of Sequins...

Wishlist #45 - Dreaming of sequins by jesscotton featuring high rise skinny jeans

Cocktail party dress / Topshop slouchy sweater, £48 / Dorothy Perkins green tank, £38 / Topshop zip leather jacket, £100 / Topshop velvet jacket, £67 / Topshop high rise skinny jeans, £57 / Pointy toe boots / Black strap boots

Mac Objects of Affection Bronze Pigments and Glitter Holiday Set - Review...

3D Copper Glitter

Chocolate Brown Pigment 

Copper Pigment 

Naked Deep Dark Pigment

Melon Pigment

Objects of Affection Bronze Pigments and Glitter - £26

 As soon as the Mac Holiday collection was released I instantly purchased one of the pigment sets. Last year I wasn't quick enough and missed out and I was gutted, so this year I was straight on it. I purchased the Pigment set in Bronze shades which is just stunning and I wish I'd bought more than one but they've sold out now. The sets come with 4 pigments and 1 glitter all for £26 which I think is a massive bargain considering a full size pigment is £17 and you'll never use the whole of a full size one, a littler really goes a long way. This bronze set comes with Melon which is vibrant peachy gold shade and also is available in the full size. Naked Deep Dark which is a neutral matte brown, I think this is only available in this set. Copper is one of my faves, it's a highshine bronze copper shade, really pretty day or night, another limited edition. Chocolate Brown is the darkest of the pigments and is also one of my faves, this is available in full size but I never thought it was very interesting now I've seen it in real life, I love it. Then finally the glitter that this set comes with is 3D Copper glitter which has a copper colour base then with flecks of holographic running through it which captures the light beautifully. I've been incredibly with all of the Mac pigments I've tried and the glitter is just as good. They're really smooth and a little goes a long way. They're definitely the best products for a night out smokey eye for the wow factor!

Jess xo

Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer - Review...

Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer - £10.99

When it comes to primers, I definitely think you get what you pay for. I've never tried a 'drugstore' primer I've liked until now. I've heard this can be compared to the very expensive but very loved Hourglass Veil Primer so I thought I'd give it ago and I love it. It's not specifically designed for any certain skin type but supposedly keeps your make up looking fresh no matter what your skin needs/wants. One pump is enough to cover the whole of my face and it feels lovely to apply. It has a velvet silky finish to it, which I thought my oily skin might disagree with but it doesn't. I have noticed a dramatic improvement with how long my make up lasts when using this. A lasting power that I had come to terms with not being able to achieve with my oily skin. It is on the more expensive side for a 'drugstore' product but I would pay for this over and over again. Also, the bottle is quite large so it will last for a while which is great. I'm actually more impressed with this over some of my more expensive primers, I'll definitely be thinking twice from now on when trying 'drugstore' primers and give them more of a chance.  

Jess xo

Everyone's Loving That Matte Lip, I'm Loving It Glossy..

Rimmel Lip Liner in Eastend Snob. 

Bourjois 3d Effet in Brun Rose.

I'm sue we've all heard the raving about Kylie Jenner's new look and especially her lips, they're amazing. Everyone is going for the matte brown, pink, very nineties lip and I've also recently given into the hype. But I love it glossy instead! I like my bright, dark shades matte but I prefer my nudes glossy. My natural lip colour is quite dark anyway so raved about nudes don't suit me which kills me, so shades like this suit me better as a nude. Wearing a lip liner all over the lip with a lip gloss over the top, gives the desired precise shape to the lip and also makes it easy to slightly over draw your lips. Then to apply a gloss over the top just gives you that glamourous, juicylook which I love. This shade of lip colour is great for any make up look, it's just one of those effortless looks that goes with anything so you don't need to worry about it. The lip liner is a Rimmel one in Eastend Snob, raved about by Amelia Liana, it's more pink toned than that Kylie look but with a more brown toned gloss over the top, it really ties the shades together. The gloss is a Bourjois 3d Effet in Brun Rose which is a gorgeous unique shade. 

This is my twist on that Kylie Jenner lip look, what's yours? 

Jess xo

A Perfect Pair #4...

Daniel Sandler Lipstick in Casablanca. 

Max Factor Colour Elixir in Polished Fuschia 

It's no secret that everyone loves a red plum lip in the Autumn months and I am a definite lover of the vampy look. Now, there's nothing I love more than experimenting with make up and colours. My most recent successful experiment is this heavenly combo. The Daniel Sandler Lipstick in Casablanca is a really glossy deep red, gorgeous on most skin tones and almost fool proof. Although it is an already glossy finish, I love to ass extra gloss but I found my other lipglosses were too much until I tried this beaut. If you're a regular reader than you'll know I've already reviewed this gloss and I was disappointed but I love using it with this lipstick. The pink tone to the gloss slightly tones down the striking red but in a good way! The super glossy finish is really glamourous and eye catching, making lips look really juicy and kissable. Sexy, but don't wear this on a windy day when you've got your hair down because it will end up all over your face!

Jess xo

Wishtlist #44 - Birthday Night Out ...

Wishlist #44 - Birthday Night Out... by jesscotton featuring black shoes

NLY Trend black top / Topshop jacket, £88 / Topshop high-waisted skinny jeans / Topshop black shoes, £57 / River Island black shoes / Vince Camuto leather handbag / Charlotte Tilbury lips makeup, £33 / Charlotte Tilbury lips makeup, £20 / Charlotte Tilbury lips makeup, £14

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation - Review...

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation - £26.50 (full size). 

For some reason lately I've really been loving Benefit, I just can't get enough of them and recently my skin has been a bit all over the place so I've needed something with a little more coverage. I found this hunting through my stash and thought I'd give it ago. I've completely fallen for it. When I first got it I wasn't keen but now I love it. It's a heavy coverage foundation but blends really nicely into the skin with a buffing brush. It lasts really well with a primer underneath and I don't need to worry about it wearing unevenly throughout the day. I actually have this in a tiny size from a set I got and I think I'm actually going to go back and get the full size when I get paid because it's great! I love how the packaging pumps the foundation up and you can see how much you've got left very clearly. It doesn't just sneak up on you and leave you in the shit! 

Jess xo

Birthday Treats...

Maybelline colour Elixir in Rasberry Rhaspady - £6.99

Ted Baker Sweetness and Light gift set and Peach Perfect little gift set

Soap and Glory All The Right Smoothes body butter

Mac Objects of Affection bronze pigment collection - £26

Benefit Goodies A Go-Go - £19.50

Maybelline lip liner in Intense Pink

Rimmel lip liner in Eastend Snob

Mac Factor Facefinity All Day Primer

Bourjois Gloss in Brun Rose

Barry M Nail Polish in Starlight

L'oreal Paris True Match Foundation

Maybelline colour Elixir in Rasberry Rhaspady

HD Brows Palette in Bombshell 

So, it was my 22nd birthday on the 10th of November so I was treated to a few things by my faves and I treated myself to some products too, but as usual I went over the top. Let's start off with the amazing presents that my boyfriend bought me for my 22nd, he likes to do this annoying thing where he pretends he has no idea what to get me then ends up surprising me with sometime amazing and he did not disappoint this year either. He gave me the Ted Baker Sweetness and Light gift set which is all rose gold and completely stunning ascetically. The set comes with two illuminating liquids which are totally gorgeous, a blusher compact and a kabuki brush. All the packaging is just mouth wateringly stunning and I will be the keep the compact in my handbag to use the mirror. The he also got me the Peach Perfect little gift set too which is soooo my colour, he knows me so well! The set contains a nail polish and lip gloss both the same beautiful colour. Then finally he got me the Soap and Glory All The Right Smoothes body butter set. It's just a set of their body butter which I always use. He knows I love Soap and Glory so it was really lovely of him!  Then my best friend treated me to have my make up done by HD Brows too, which was really lovely. The event got us £10 off and 30% off of that too so I picked up the Bombshell Palette which they used on me that night and I loved. It was originally £29 but with the deal we got it for £13 which was great! The shadows are lovely and the brush it comes with is really great too! 

Next I treated myself to a few Holiday releases from Mac and Benefit. I picked up a pigment and glitter set in their Objects of Affection holiday collection which contains 4 pigments and 1 glitter priced at £26 which I think is amazing considering one full size pigment is £17. The I got the Benefit Goodies A Go-Go which contains four eye shadows, a mini Stay Don't Stray Primer and a mini They're Real Mascara. These sets are great to get if you want to try out a brand without buying full size items. 

Then I picked up a few bargains in the Boots three for two deal they've had on for a while. I picked up two lip liners, a Maybelline one in Intense Pink and a Rimmel one in Eastend Snob, just colours I don't have in collection and I really fancied them. Thena gloss from Bourjois to wear over the top in the shade Brun Rose. I then picked up the Mac Factor Facefinity All Day Primer because I've heard it's the closest drugstore dupe for the Hourglass Primer that everyone raves about and I fancied trying it out. Then I spotted this gorgeous Barry M Nail Polish in Starlight which tiny little stars in it, so pretty. Then on another trip I picked up the L'oreal Paris True Match Foundation in two shades to try. Everyone also raves about this so I thought I'd give that a go because I'm in the market for a new cheaper foundation, then the freebie that I chose was the Maybelline colour Elixir in Rasberry Rhaspady, which is a really lovely cool toned purple pink. I've wanted to try these for a while so I thought I'd grab one.

Jess xo

My Favourite Holiday 2014 Releases So Far...

It's that time of year again where brands start releasing their Christmas exclusives and amazing gift sets. I always end up buying a tonne for myself because they're amazing bargains and as a treat for myself for being so good all year, haha! 

Mac - As usual they have some amazing releases, I love their sets of products which are brill value. They have already released these in the UK, not sure about in stores but definitely on the website because I've actually ordered a few must haves. They have two ranges I think, Keepsakes and Objects of Affection. The packaging is still really chic and gorgeous but a little more festive. 

Benefit - Benefit also bring out the big guns when it comes to Christmas releases. They always release some amazing sample sets of their best sellers and other bits and bobs. I have ordered a few from them as well via Asos, who have a lot of their products on there. They're great if you're new to Benefit and you want to try a few things but without wasting money on the fun size and they're so fun!

Smashbox - Smashbox will be releasing their 'On The Rocks' collection which is goregous, I'm tempted to order a few from this too. I love the lip box deals they have and with rumours of the Double Exposure palette being released I'm so excited. Definitely a must have for my Christmas list. 

Too Faced - This is the least brand I've heard about so far in terms of Christmas releases but I've seen on a few blogs that they're releasing some beauts. I'm not sure on the packaging I've seen so far, it's a bit tacky in my opinion. But it's super girly and pretty. 

What are your fave Christmas releases so far? There are always amazing advent calenders too and I'll be picking up a few of those too. I love make up. 

Jess xo