The Best Things in Life Come in Fours

I am going to be completely honest and admit that I have no recollection whatsoever of where this palette was from, other than that it is obviously a Clinique palette. It was given to me during the summer months, which was acutely fitting, as each of the four colour just scream 'summer'!

My favourite colour, by far, is the beautiful 'Strawberry Fudge' shade. I am in absolute love with this colour, and love how it is so versatile to use. The possibilities are endless. The shadow colour be used as an all over lid colour, contour, brow hilight, facial hilight, or for the purpose that I most commonly use it for, as a tear duct 'brightener'. The peach colour appears on camera and in the palette as a frosty pink, although one applied it is clear the the shadow is in fact a veluxe pearl. The colour applies as an indescribable concoction of golds and satin pearls: simply breathtaking. Below are the colours swatched without a flash, and then secondly with a flash. (Left-Right: 'Beach Plum', 'Strawberry Fudge', 'Like Mink Duo'. 

I have to admit that my joy for the palette is bitter-sweet, as half of the colours, namely the 'Like Mink Duo', I am not very impressed with. The colours both appear as beautiful neutrals in the palette, but once applied, appear to be very poorly pigmented and, for lack of a better word, 'washed-out'. The nude colour is barely visible once applied, and I can only imagine it looking semi-professional on very dark skin tones. 

Despite the fact that the 'Duo' is not what it was destined to be, I am still besotted with this palette. The purple is amazingly pigmented, and I love how all of the colours synchronise so well with each other. I would definitely recommend this palette, as not only are the colours gorgeous, but the packaging is compact and pretty too!  

Gifts for Her: Beauty Gifts for Younger Girls

It can be hard around the festive season to really take time out to concentrate and think about what that niece, cousin, sister or daughter really wants – no, please don’t reach for socks again! Ignore the sales ladies and read on to discover part one of this series of Gifts For…Younger Girls.

The first gift, which is by far my favourite, is the Liberty Hello Kitty Brush Set. I just cannot get over the high quality of the bristles, and the brushes are just so soft. I cannot see these shedding any time soon, and let’s not forget the adorable clutch/roll that it comes in: gorgeous! I have to admit, once I had purchased this for a friend, I was tempted to splurge on two, so that I would have one forever more! It also strikes me how professional the brushes are. I guess this could be seen as a disadvantage, as not many younger girls who are beginners in make-up are able to identify an eyeliner and blending brush (or maybe that’s just me with my stupid assumptions?). 

Quality: 10/10

Appeal: 10/10

Value for Money: 10/10

Average Age Appeal: 11-15

Next up is the Trevor Sorbie Professional Beautifully Moisturised Mini Collection. I have to admit, I have been slightly disappointed with Mr Sorbie in the past, for his claims that his Beautiful Brunette shampoo would guarantee to make my hair darker were ill lived. However, I am willing to wipe the slate regarding our little disagreement after stumbling across this little treasure. With their full sized bottles setting you back £5.10, this set is quite a little gem when it comes to perfect Christmas gifts. Although this set is in the gifts for young girls post, it would still be great for aunties, nans and mums. I absolutely love how the use of this bag is so versatile, seeing as it could be used as a make-up bag, travel bag, or just a handy bag to store odds and ends.  The products themselves are extremely generous, with 75ml of shampoo and conditioner in each bottle. The value for money you receive from this package is strengthened furthermore by the beautiful professional clips you receive; perfect for all avid curling tong addicts! Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who has a fetish for healthy, shiny hair: or just hair in general!

Quality: 10/10

Appeal:  10/10

Value For Money: 8/10

Average Age Appeal: 12-infinite

Lastly, I'd like to introduce a fairly small stocking filler to conclude this gift guide. It would be fair to say that the hype for NYX cosmetics was just about dying down: until now. YouTube beauty gurus have successfully re-introduced the hype for NYX Jumbo Eye-shadow Pencils to the world of cosmetics. I cannot say I am disappointed. Out of the many hundreds (yes, literally, hundreds) of types of shadow I have trialled and evaluated, NYX Jumbo Eye-shadow Pencils have to be among my top five best quality products. Not only is the pigmentation of their products impeccable, but the unique way the pencils slide onto the eyelids is incredible. The pencils are amazing in an incredible 28 shades, and a vast majority of them are wonderfully wearable. My personal favourite shade out of the collection is 'Yogurt', a shimmery pink shade, with a slightly golden iridescent. These Shadow Pencils are the perfect addition to a make-up addicts collection, or an amazing gift for girls just beginning to show an interest in make-up. 

Quality: 10/10

Appeal:  10/10

Value For Money: 10/10

Average Age Appeal: 9-infinite

I hope this gift guise was helpful to all of those last minute shoppers (I salute you!), happy shopping!