The Sephora Haul, Face and a Ramble

WARNING: Ramble on the way.

The excuse went a little something like... 'I have a loyalty card, I should probably go and buy some things to wrack up the points', and it seemed fair enough to me! 

The damage:

1. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

2. Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer - Medium Neutral

3. Original Beauty Blender (I just fancied getting another one)

4. Marc Jacobs Sheer Lip Gel - New Nudes - 106 Moody Margot

5. Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick - Melted Fig

6. Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water (Impulse buy)

7. Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette

8. Sample: Sephora Smoothing Primer which i'm kind of loving!

I won't bore you with all the details but here are my thoughts.

Let us start with Marc Jacobs, an exclusive brand to Sephora. The only thing i've tried from Marc Jacobs Beauty is the Highliner Gel Eye Crayon's, it's a product I love and highly recommend. In all honesty the packaging is what caught my eye the most. The lid is magnetic making it OK to literally chuck into your bag and i'm a bit of a sucker for nudes. The colour itself is a muted sheer peachy nude that is great for everyday and accommodates any make up look. The formula is smooth and comfortable to wear but most definitely isn't forgiving on dry lips. Exfoliation and moisturising are a crucial step to take before application.

After binge watching Lily Pebbles YouTube videos, I was so eager to try out the Urban Decay Naked Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer (longest name ever). I find this concealer to be quite moisturising and a little smidgen definitely goes a long way. This product is a joy from the design and size of the container to the applicator. Many bloggers have compared it to the Nars Creamy Concealer, and pointed out the similarities between the two, but that is a product that i'm still yet to try. When experimenting with concealers I either think: too light, too orange, too thick or too drying. But I was pleasantly surprised by this so overall, a bloody good buy.

I'm going to be brutally honest here when I say that the Benefit They're Real! Mascara did absolutely nothing for me. But it's just one of those things whereby you either love it or you hate it. Anyway, I was reluctant to purchase the Roller Lash Mascara purely for that reason. However, I had done a bit of research on it (reading 90% positive reviews) and the packaging is pink, cute and just rather lovely. The pink lid has a rubbery texture which makes it quite the delight to apply and the product itself leaves my lashes long and separated with a fluttery and flattering curl.

DUPE ALERT: SEVENTEEN Falsifeye HD Mascara (£6.99)

I've been meaning to try the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks for a while and after picking up Melted Fig I can't really fault them. In fact, I need about another 10 shades. The formula is soft, not at all sticky and pretty long lasting. The oval shape of the spongey applicator makes it easy to follow the natural shape of your lip and encourages seamless application. Plus the colour is gawjus! (See picture below). 

I'm loving it, loving it, loving it.

Practicing to achieve perfection with eyeshadows over the last year has encouraged me to want to wear subtle washes of colour on my lids on a daily basis and I thought that this Naked Basics 2 palette suited the criteria. This small and petite case includes 6 matte eyeshadows that are appropriate for everyday day-to-night looks. The pay-off of Urban Decay eyeshadows is something that i've always been a fan of, however they can sometimes seem a little too powdery when I dust my 217 into them.

The Rest:

• Beauty Blender -  I just fancied another one.
• Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water - I recalled reading about this somewhere, so I picked up a mini tester. There was also a lady in front of me who seemed to be buying everything in the shop (good on her!), so it was a bit of an impulse buy. Oops.
• Sephora Smoothing Primer - The lady assisting me kindly popped lots of testers into my little striped monochrome bag, and I really like it! Moisturising, smoothing...'blah blah blah'... you know the drill. 

And breathe... I love a good ramble about all things make up!

Do you enjoy going mental in a beauty shop/department beauty hall like I do?

Pushing The Boundaries and Tackling Snake Gorge

Well, that sure was a great Easter holiday! After spending the past month visiting my mum in Bahrain and friends in the UAE I am now back to the reality that is Manchester. Exams are coming up and I probably should be revising but I couldn't help but reflect on what an amazing holiday i've had. Sunbathing, socialising (a little bit too much), Sephora-ing and travelling around the Gulf pretty much sums it up!

The weekend before I flew back to the UK, my other half and I did the long drive from Abu Dhabi and up to the mountains of Oman to meet up with friends to do a bit of glamping and to tackle the three hour trek through Snake Gorge. I definitely surprise myself sometimes. I've always preferred going to a nice hotel and soaking up the sun by the pool, away from any form of creatures. You know, girl stuff. On this trip, however, apart from the 7-8 hour drive I had a fantastic time!

Following the long and bumpy ride up the mountain, we found a place to set up camp, cook some yummy food and have a couple of drinks. The location was particularly peaceful apart from the odd goat moan, but that didn't bother us too much. The following morning we got up bright and early to grab a bit of breakfast before beginning the trek through Snake Gorge or Wadi Bani Auf. Having grown up on an extremely small and flat island such as Bahrain (which I hold very dear to my heart), the scenery was a delight.  

The Dream Team as I like to refer to us by consisted of four boys and two girls. Groups of tourists would pass us by with a qualified guide. They were equipped with life jackets, helmets, rope and trekking boots. On the contrary, us dream team members threw on a pair of trainers, swimming gear and carried only but a piece of rope to help us through it. Luckily we had the minds of four boys to suss out the tricky obstacles for us girls and i'm here to tell the tale! The trek itself was challenging but one of the best things i've ever experienced. While we were walking or swimming through all of the nooks and crannies of the gorge, I would keep telling myself 'Wow, this is just like a natural, peaceful and way more attractive water park'. 

When the trek came to an end I gave a positive sigh of relief and a feeling of accomplishment came over me. I pushed the boundaries and went out of my comfort zone. Something I should do a lot more often! Anything is possible, even for a whimp like me *Hehe*.

Lying by a pool for the weekend in a hotel is still my preference when it comes to trips away though, and i'm kind of OK with that. But every so often it's nice to be cool and traveller-esque too.

Why don't you push the boundaries? Like me, you may surprise yourself.