Bourjois Smokey Eyes Trio in Gris Dandy

Bourjois is a brand that right now I'm really enjoying having quite the collection of products in my make-up stash. It's been building up over the last few months and they've really won me over. I find sometimes it's quite nice to take a break from palettes and pick up a trio or quad of eyeshadows as a lot of the time the hard work is done for you. I'm talking which shades suit each other nicely all in one place. 

The Bourjois Smokey Eyes Trio in Gris Dandy does exactly what it says, creates a smokey eye. A pretty damn good smokey eye as well. Pigmented but can leave a little fall out if there's too much excess on the brush. There's all sorts of different colour trios to try and you can find what suits you best. It's become a little bit of my go to eyeshadow choice and it's so easy to use together. 

What do you think of Bourjois? 

Christmas Nail Art In 3 Steps

Nail art can be tricky, very tricky. The best way to tackle it is just to keep it simple. As Blogmas nears an end I thought I'd better throw in one last Christmas themed beauty post as well..

Step 1 - Paint the base coat of your choice. I used Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Pear Drop. Which is a lovely green pearl-like finish shade. I used two thin coats for best results.

Step 2 - Then using a red nail polish paint on a rough triangle shape. For this step I used thin strokes to build up an equal shape using Nails Inc by Kate Spade in Big Apple Red.

Step 3 - Using a white polish draw a thin line at the tip of the nail before spreading it out with random strokes to create a fur-looking effect. Repeat this at the tip of the triangle but in a circle shape.

And there we have Santa's hats for your nails!

Top Tips

• Always use a top coat once dry to ensure it stays together well with no chips
• Apply thin layers so it's quicker dry and less likely to smudge
• Have a flat work surface with good lighting if possible

Have you given nail art a whirl before?

Current Favourites

I've realised that lately I've really been changing up a lot in my beauty routine. I've been shopping the stash a little and rediscovered a few old favourites. Last Winter I adored Sleek's Storm Palette and this year is no different. The shadows are creamy, pigmented and last ALL day - making them near enough perfect for the very little price tag. Another old favourite is Rimmel's Match Perfection Foundation. This was the foundation I used for years and then I deemed myself in a foundation rut and forgot all about it until a few weeks ago. The love affair continues as it's long lasting, medium coverage and ideal for every day use. Delarom are a brand I was unfamiliar with prior to my Birchbox subscription but I've been using this mini size of their Aquaconfront Mask and  it's really made a difference to my skincare routine. Priced at £24 there is probably cheaper options out there but this leaves me feeling refreshed and gives a nice radiance - exactly what is needed in the Winter. Finally a nail polish favourite in the shape of Revlon's Nail Enamel in Daring Graffitti. 2014 has the been the year I found a love for glitter polishes and this is perfect for the current festive period.

Christmas Films You Just Have To Watch

What better way to post on Blogmas Day 20 than my favourite Christmas films that I have to watch every year without fail. It doesn't matter how many times you've seen them when the festive period hits you dig the DVD's out and recite half the script as you watch. 

• Elf - SON OF A NUTCRACKER. Who doesn't love Elf?! If you want the film with continuous laughs but also realising the true meaning of Christmas then you can't go wrong. Buddy literally warms my heart with his naivety. You'll also find yourself quoting something every 15 minutes on twitter too. 
• The Grinch - How could anyone want to steal Christmas?! More than likely you start out pretty anti-Grinch but soon warm to him as Cindy Lou befriends him. "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps means a little bit more". 
• Home Alone 1/2 - Let's just admit that Home Alone is just not the same without Macaulay Culkin. 1 and 2 though are both fantastic. Every time I watch Lost In New York though it makes me want to visit the city even more.
• The Holiday - A classic Christmas rom com. I love Jude Law. I love Cameron Diaz. I love Jack Black. I love Kate Winslet. So you can imagine that I love this film. Also, how cool would a home exchange be?! The website they use in the film is real as well.

What's your favourite Christmas film?

Avon Luxe Eyeshadow Palette in Cocoa Couture

Avon are a brand I find to be incredibly underrated. They're constantly having new releases with unique and exciting concepts. Plus they do some pretty nifty palettes and I'm a sucker for a good palette. The prices are pretty average but they are always having really good sales.

This is a palette I bought last year as part of last year's Christmas collection. However this year they have re released it as it was hugely popular. It is their Luxe Eyeshadow Palette in Cocoa Couture. Priced at £10 you could probably find a cheaper alternative in the drugstore but I really love these shades and how they work nicely together. In total there are 6 different shade collections available.

In terms of pigmentation the lighter of the shades needs more work than the others - but my pale skin doesn't exactly help that. With the right primer these shadows last all day and create a perfect golden smokey eye. I find that the soft pink shade makes a lovely blush colour rather than an eyeshadow which would make it a lovely palette to travel with. I've read a few bad reviews on the Avon website about this palette but I've had no problems with mine unless others have been using a different colour collection. I can definitely see why this was re released for the festive season as the colours are perfect for this time of year but can certainly be used all year round. 

What do you think of Avon's products?