Beauty bits new to my collection which I think are AWESOME: Makeup & nails

It's been a while since I have blogged, and especially about beauty. Since starting at my new job, I have been lucky enough to hear about lots of new beauty launches, and sometimes try them out. I've also been separately picking up & buying a few bits this year to add to my collection which I have been lusting after for a while, so thought I would bring back beauty to my blog by chatting about some new bits to my collection that I've been trying & that I think are AWESOME.  

Starting with the face, Too Faced's Born this way foundation is an oil-free, heavy-duty base which I like very nearly as much as Makeup Forever's HD offering. If you're after something a little (or a lot) lighter, go for Chantecaille's Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser, which gives a 'your skin but better' effect, and is perfect for taking on your summer holidays. A new release from Benefit has also really caught my attention, which is a BB cream for your eyes. Despite not being a necessity (only pick it up if you fancy trying something a bit different), this is pretty handy for preparing your eyes for makeup in the morning without having to awkwardly apply foundation to your browbone/eyelids. The product I'm talking about? Benefit's AirPatrol priming BB eye cream, which is out in September. 

Moving on to blushers and bronzers, I have really been enjoying using Stila's new Aqua glow watercolour blush in Shimmering Lotus. Lily Pebbles has declared her love for this liquid blush, which is an entirely different formula to any other cream blush I have tried before. It's not a cream, or a gel, but has a watery and runny texture which sort of blends into skin and dries when applied. This colour is super pretty as it has gold shimmer particles in its otherwise pink base... really lovely. Bronzer wise, I've been giving Tom Ford's Bronzing Powder in Gold Dust (this is the mini version) a go. It's the ultimate in luxury, and the packaging is to die for. The product isn't half bad either!! For paler skinned ladies like myself, Aerin's Bronze illuminating powder is absolutely gorgeous. It's a very pale-toned bronzer, which can also be used as a blusher and has a highlighting effect too. 

For eyes, two mascaras have been capturing my attention. Too Faced's Better than sex mascara, despite having a slightly ambitious name (am i right...?!) is rather lovely on the 'ol lashes. It gives length and volume, but isn't too clumpy. Benefit's They're Real can often come off on lashes as slightly clumpy, but their new brighter shades are also just too good to resist. The electrifying blue shade is incredible, and with some blue eyeliner makes brown eyes especially look top notch. If you're looking for a new eyeshadow, give Burberry's new formulas a try... they are SUPERB. Their new Eye Colour creams (I have the gold copper shade) are a cream/powder hybrid and are, in my opinion, truly unique in texture and super smooth to apply.  

Finally, there have been lots of beautiful lip and nail options I've been enjoying too. First, Laura Mercier's Lip Parfait Creamy Colourbalms (out later this month) are great, and come in a super pretty range on shades. They're excellently nourishing on the lips, and my favourite colour by far has to be the Juicy Papaya, which is the perfect bright orangey/red summer hue. I've also been trying By Terry Baume de Rose, which is, without a doubt, the nicest lip balm I have ever used. I was really suffering with super dry lips and was using a Sisley balm which was actually making the situation worse. But this By Terry balm smells like sweets and is really lovely & nourishing. For nails, I've been loving Deborah Lippmann's limited edition Rose gold shade Earth Angel, which is a Harrods exclusive. It's soooo pretty, and has gold speckles which add a special sparkle to your tips. My lovely colleague Alice also introduced me to the amazing NailBerry polishes, which are free of nasties and come in the most amazing colours. A bunch of us in the office were totally fan-girling over this Mystere shade, which is a lovely lilac/grey. 

For more detailed reviews of the products, please ask in the comments and I will elaborate!

PS. On a slightly different note, I recently interviewed the hilarious Paul Rudd for his new movie Ant-Man, check it out here: