Too Faced Melted Kisses

I LOVE Too Faced cosmetics. The feminine packaging and the high quality products mean it is in my top 3 favourite beauty brands easily. It is a little hard to come across in the UK (which, being a typical female just makes me want it more) so I order all my Too Faced products either on ASOS or Boots.com. To this day I have never been disappointed with any of the products I've bought.

Today I'm focusing on a Christmas Gift but in all honesty is something I just bought for myself. Incapable of waiting for anything let alone December I ordered Melted Kisses ''The Ultimate Liquified Longwear Lipstick Set''. This set includes 4 deluxe sizes of the most popular liquified lipstick Too Faced offers, Melted Berry, Melted Fuchsia, Melted Peony & Melted Nude. (my favourite!) The beauty of these is that they are so nourishing but with the same great depth of colour you'd expect to get from a full-blown lipstick. Sometimes with other lipstick brands I shall leave unnamed MAC my lips feel really dry after about half an hour of wear and go all gross and flaky- not with these babies. They are just the right middle ground between a lipstick and a lipgloss while embodying the best of both. One application lasts bloody ages as well, I applied one coat and it lasted 2 hours before needing any touch ups!

As you can just about see from the swatches on my orange claw hand each shade is very pigmented, perfectly creamy and has a slight shine to it without looking too much like a gloss (and without the stickiness). The lipstick comes out onto a soft velvet brush attached to the tube, so no messy pumping action needed. Each shade is gorgeous with Melted Nude quickly becoming my all time favourite for day to day wear.

If you're new to Too Faced but like the look of these lipsticks I'd definitely recommend this set - £22 for 4 when a full size retails for £19! link! (Or if you're more selfless than me and don't fancy buying it for yourself whack it on the old Christmas list).

(This shade above is one I ordered previously in the full size and is the shade Melted Violet. I absolutely adore this colour and is so different to anything I've tried before. #nofilter)

The power of primer

Until I started working on a makeup counter very recently I was always really sceptical of foundation primers. I had the naive view that they were unnecessary and just a beauty company's way of getting us to spend money on more makeup than we actually need. I tended to moisturise and then put foundation directly onto my skin. I had the view that the closer the foundation was to my natural skin the better the result right? Wrong.

I was recently sent a Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in My Little Box and oh my god its amazing. This isn't a brand I would typically use myself and so the fact I got it in a subscription box was a massive bonus and gave me the kick in the right direction that I needed regarding primers and actually adequately preparing my skin before foundation.

I've used it for just under a week now and holy shit. The difference it makes to my foundation is unreal. I pretty much have a compact mirror permanently attached to my hand throughout the day so I can keep an eye on my makeup and quickly fix any mishaps but with primer on my makeup stayed put all day - even when at work (which is quite an accomplishment really especially given that I wear enough makeup to comatose a rhino.)

Just a pea sized amount all over the face after moisturising meant my makeup went on smoother and lasted longer. I didn't have to touch up at all when I had this on which is pretty unheard of for me. Usually I find my concealer doesn't sit well for the entire duration of the day and foundation around my lips can wear away but not with primer on. It stays put without going cakey or wearing away. Result.

This particular primer is white and quite creamy in consistency. I haven't needed to use much to get the desired amount of coverage which is always good. If you've been a primer sceptic like me definitely give one a go. It's still relatively early days for me and so far I've only used this one brand but I'm definitely looking to try a few other brands and possibly a tinted primer - bareMinerals BB primer anyone? ;)

How to get over a ridiculously melodramatic meltdown - by the ultimate drama queen

I have a really bad habit of allowing insignificant things bother me more than they should. When something negative happens I dwell on it, lose sleep and generally become a miserable soulless muppet going over the situation in my head to no avail. But I've decided that there really isn't much point allowing things that are out of your control affect you - obviously this is easier said than done but I wanted to share a few things that always make me feel better. I realise this topic has been written about to death but instead of ''look on the bright side'' rubbish I've mentioned things that work for me rather than hoping to meet a unicorn on the walk home who can take me away from it all. Positivity is great but airy fairy ''life is a journey'' crap doesn't really help anyone.

Shopping. Anyone that knows me will have seen that one coming. Curse my predictable nature. But there is definitely something to retail therapy. You can tell how many ''down days'' I have based on how many online deliveries I get. PMT? There's a dress for that. Bad day at work? New shoes! Argument with a friend? Hello 45 new shades of lip gloss. When you're feeling down, treating yourself to something is always a mood booster even if only for a while. And if it's an argument with a boyfriend I find slamming doors while he's asleep does the trick. 

Exercise. Right, I know exercise releases endorphins that make your brain happy yadayadayada but I'm not a fitness expert so I'm not even gonna pretend to be going at it from that angle. ''Looking good is the best revenge'' and by going to the gym/walk/swimming you're doing something that is actually beneficial to you. In every possible way. Being self-indulgent in a fitness sense is the best type of self indulgence so channelling negative energy into something positive is great. Plus how can you not feel better doing the stride of pride out the gym after a decent workout? [insert mandatory gym brag tweet]

Justin Timberlake. Whenever I'm sad, I listen to Cry Me A River. Suddenly when I think of my problem compared to Justin getting cheated on by Britney with his best mate and writing 32 songs about it gives me a bit of perspective on my situation. Things could be worse couldn't they. Or I think about Lindsay Lohan and that definitely sheds some perspective on my problem. For the love of god girl get it together. 

I truly believe sleep to be the holy grail of improving a bad mood. (Aside for the first 10 minutes after waking up when you just want food and to never be spoken to again). When I'm sad or down a nap always perks me up and things that seemed horrendous pre-nap are a bit more bearable post-nap. Day time naps are the way forward and as a student I practice this belief aaaall the time.

Wine with friends. A problem shared is a problem halved and all that and providing your friends are happy to listen to you bleat on for hours about your life, a bottle of wine always helps the process along. Ain't no party like a pity party. This is always a good excuse for gossip too - and who doesn't secretly love a bit of gossip? Friendship can make the biggest of problems seem more manageable, so I strongly advise in getting the girls round for wine time.

Get your nails done girl! Never have I had a bad mood that wasn't momentarily improved by a bangin' manicure. Same goes for eyelashes, eyebrows and spray tans. These bad days we have are what keeps the beauty industry thriving!

If none of the above work in at least temporarily easing your post 'meltdown' mood - there's always the obvious solution and that is tackling it face on. But if you're like me - an incessantly annoying people pleaser this isn't always easy. But stick up for yourself. Be heard. Talk about things that are bothering you and you'll be surprised how quickly the issue is resolved. If there are changes you can make to aid towards alleviating the problem do them. Be proactive and all that jazz. And if that fails there's always Jeremy Kyle.

7 girl things we shouldn't have to justify

Being a girl is great fun. But as time goes on things that were once considered socially acceptable are sometimes frowned upon. Below is a list of things I personally do regularly that I don't think we should ever have to apologise for/feel ashamed of. Embrace your ovaries!

1) Wearing ''too much''/not enough makeup. Makeup is down to personal preference and I personally love it. There really shouldn't be any judgement associated with how much a person decides to wear. Good god don't even get me started on this issue. Go ahead and wear 4 layers of lip gloss with pride its got bugger all to do with anyone else. On the same note, there really shouldn't be any shame associated with not wearing loads of makeup. Or in fact any makeup at all. It's personal preference people! It's your face, rock it however you wish. - (although a bit of mascara never killed anyone - just sayin).

2) Eating the entire contents of a multi bag of crisps/4 muffins/a whole Galaxy bar in one sitting. My stance on this is providing you aren't doing it too often a little bit of what you fancy isn't against the law - knock yourself out. Sometimes you've eaten them all before you even know what's happened.

3) Going to the gym too often/not enough. This, again is down to personal preference and if you have the determination and willpower to go everyday you go girl! People in the past have criticized me and my gym habits but I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do. Equally, skipping the gym once in a while isn't going to make you fat and often rest days are the best days. It's all about balance so don't feel ashamed if you miss a session. Just get back on the wagon the following day and all is well with the world. But if you do have the motivation to get up and go do it!

4) Deciding which hotel/bar to go to based on whether or not they have wifi. It's 2014 and wifi is pretty much essential for the majority of us so don't feel ashamed if it's in your top priorities when picking places to go, The first thing I ask when arriving anywhere is ''is there wifi?'' First world problems.

5) Crying at the last episode of Friends/Sex and the City regardless of the fact you've already seen it 3 times this month. As soon as Rachel says ''I got off the plane'' I'm in bits. They just belong together ok.

6) Listening to the Spice Girls/any other ancient manufactured music considered 'crap' by some men and hipsters. I've been listening to the Spice Girls since I was 5 and I will continue to do so 20 years later. Ginger Spice taught me everything I know about girl power and controversial or not - had me believing in the feminist movement from a very early age. Zigazig ah. 

7) Having a day/night where you ignore all your calls and texts. Obviously if your best mate's in labour this is probably inappropriate but I think every so often having some time where you ignore the outside world and enjoy some alone time is great. Do not disturb mode is nearly always switched on on my iPhone and I bloody love it. Nobody's interrupting me watching America's Next Top Model for nothin'. 

I realise this list kind of embraces all the stereotypical things girls supposedly do and I'll be the first to put my hand up and say - yeah I am a muffin eating, Friends weeping wannabe Spice Girl.

The importance of sweatpants Sundays

These days in our overworked, underpaid 24/7 world relaxation is often a luxury rather than a given. With endless bills, 8 hour working days and the constant stress associated with having to endure Louis Walsh on X Factor, we could all do with a day off. Sometimes, you need to be selfish and just take care of you. Just one day a week of doing bugger all and pottering around the house should be mandatory. And there's nothing more comfortable to do this in than sweatpants.

Karl Lagerfeld once said “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.” I disagree. Sweatpants are the most comfortable alternative to just strolling around naked and I think one day a week they should be mandatory. They by no means mean you've lost control of your life, if anything they indicate the total opposite. You've worked/partied so hard all week you're comfortable allowing yourself a day off. Go with it.  I always try and look polished and well put together during the week, so Sundays are a braless - sweatpants-full day of rest and I love it.
And I'll be damned if I put a scrap of makeup on on a Sunday. 

An important part of every beauty routine and staying healthy in general is allowing yourself some downtime.  When you don't get enough sleep or your body begins to feel overworked you'll start to break out, hair won't look as healthy and you'll just feel crap in general.

Relaxation is imperative for good skin. Make it a priority. This mindset also allows you time to refocus and recover from the working week, which is also good for mental health. Feeling stressed and over stretched is unpleasant and can have adverse side effects on your health so make 1 day a week a sweatpants day. No excuses are required, sweatpants re the universal sign of ''I'm not getting off the sofa today so don't even ask'' - like a get out of jail free card for being lazy. Enjoy it.  

Barbie joggers are my favourite - no judgement

So whether you're recovering from a weekend of wine or a week of work embrace the universal day of rest. Don your sweatpants and make the most of doing absolutely nothing. It's good for your skin after all. Any judgement from others is likely to be jealously. For extra health benefits drink loads of water/green tea. Your skin will look better than ever come Monday.