Wet 'n' Wild - Comfort Zone Palette

This blogger favourite has been on my wishlist for what seems like forever. Up until I had the opportunity to go to New York in February, where I literally squealed with delight when I’d finally got my hands on it. Wet 'n' Wild is a very inexpensive drug store brand that's not easy to get your hands on unless you live in America, which is flipping ridiculous, sort it out W&W!

Isn't it a beauty?

This pallet contains 8 beautiful, highly pigmented buttery shades that can be mixed and matched to create endless eye looks. It's a palette made for those who don't feel comfortable enough to move away from their beloved neutrals, but the pinky undertones and the flash of khaki green enables you to include a pop of colour in your routine without being OTT.

SWATCHES:

Starting with the left side of the palette.

(top-bottom)

Brow bone, Eyelid, Crease, Definer

Right side.

(top-bottom)

Brow bone, Eyelid, Crease, Definer.

I'm almost certain the definer shade on the right side of the palette is a dupe for MAC's blue brown pigment.

Additionally, on the reverse side of the palette it's numbered each of the shades and shown you what looks you can create by using those different numbers. Perfect for those just starting out with make-up, or if you’re someone trying to experiment with different looks but don’t know where to start.

This is such a perfect little palette and a complete bargain as from what I can remember, it was definitely under $5. So if you're lucky enough to be able to get your hands on it, I would 100% recommend you do so!

All I can say is that Wet 'N' Wild seriously need to bring their products to the UK ASAP!

Hope everyone has a lovely day,

Liv xo

Deliciously-Floral

March favourites 2014

I can't quite comprehend how quickly this year is going. Not such a good thing when you've got exams in the summer that seem to be creeping up on you. But instead of dwelling on the negatives, lets look back over the products I've been loving in the month of March!

Firstly, I knew from the moment I first used the Clinique take the day off cleansing balm that I was going to love it. I picked this up in Macy's on a recent trip to New York after spending so long trying to hunt it down in the UK. At first it looks like a hard, white balm but once in contact with the skin it almost melts, cleansing away every inch of make up with it. I also use this to take the bulk of my eye make up off with before I go in with my No.7  beautiful skin eye make up remover. It's quite hydrating, my skin never feels tight after using it. This product is definitely worth the hype! 

Next up is my Dove summer glow body lotion. This is basically a gradual tanner, with a pleasant fresh smell and a whole lot of hydrating goodness. In the winter my body always ends up looking pale and pasty with really  dry skin, so I've been having to reach for this a lot more, especially this month as the sun has made an appearance on a few occasions. However after a  few trial and errors, I've discovered that the best way to apply it to make sure its even, is with a tanning mitt. Other wise it can end up looking very very patchy.

Painterly paintpot by MAC, is such a hyped up product and for good reason. This was another New York purchase and it was a flipping good one at that. This product is so long lasting that I applied it on the morning of my flight home and it survived a day of crying (Ground Zero), exploring and a flight home - my eye shadow was pretty much perfect 24hrs afterwards! (not much could be said for the rest of my face, however). I've worn this every day since without fail. 

My next March favorite is a Mineralize blush from MAC in warm soul. Seriously the prettiest blush shade on the planet. Its a gorgeous warm pink with tiny gold shimmers running through it. Next time you're strolling past a M.A.C counter, swatch this blush and see for yourself, guarantee you'll fall in love!

There's only one way to describe Benefits Gimme brow and that's 'perfect brows in a bottle'. It's got tiny fibers in it to thicken brow hair, to help them appear fuller and the coloured gel tints the skin and the brows to further give to the illusion of perfect brows. It also has a tiny wand for precision and it lasts all day. I struggle to find any faults with this, other than I wish they did a lighter shade because light/medium can some times be a tiny bit too dark for me. 


Hope you have a good April, whatever your plans are and if you're rapidly approaching exams, like me, don't panic, get revising!

Liv | Deliciously-Floral

E.L.F Haul

Not too long ago I saw on a few blogs that  eyeslipsface.co.uk (ELF) were having an offer where if you spent £30 or more, you received all of your basket for half price! Seeing as it's a very inexpensive site, I decided to take a browse and ended up making the most of the offer and buying a few things, oops.

In total I purchased 6 items (fan brush not shown) and then my sister purchased a few items so it came to just over £15 after reductions, bargain!

Firstly I ordered the ELF Mineral Face Primer the most expensive of the lot at £6.95 (before reductions). I'd heard a lot of good things about this particular product. It's a silicon based formula that comes out clear and instantly smooths out any pores and lines on the face. There's also no funky scent either which can only be a good thing. I'm not usually a big fan of this type of primer, but at the bargain price I thought 'why not try it'.

Next was the ELF HD Blush in the shade 'Headliner'  - £4.50. This is a very pigmented cream blush that gives a diffused look when on the skin. This has often been compared to the Make-up Forever HD blush due to its packaging, name etc... When I first swatched this I wasn't expecting it to be so pigmented -seriously the phrase 'a little goes a long way' definitely applies here! However because of its packaging, the pump dispenses way more than you need, so a lot is wasted per use. 

I also noticed that the ELF all over colour stick - £1.95, has been compared to the NARS multiple, so this heavily influenced me to pick up one of these. I got the shade 'Persimmon' which is a gorgeous light shimmery pink which is perfect as a highlight shade rather than a blush as there isn't much pigmentation. Never the less it is gorgeous! 

Another NARS dupe was also on my wish list, this being the ELF contouring blush and bronzing powder in the shade 'st. lucia' - £3.95. I've regularly seen blog posts comparing the NARS orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer to this particular product. I can't comment on the blush comparison. However the bronzing powder is much more powdery/talcy than the NARS Laguna bronzer. Yet it's so easy to blend and looks stunning as a contour. The blush is a gorgeous pink with golden shimmers running through it although, like the bronzer, it's very talcy. 

Next was the ELF daily brush cleaner - £3.95. I was looking for something to replace my MAC brush cleaner however this is definitely not it. First of all, it has a really strong scent which made me a bit nervous about applying it to my brushes, especially with my extremely sensitive skin. Then when I tried to spot clean, the product just evaporated almost instantly and did absolutely nothing to clean my brushes. Basically all it does is make your brushes smell nice.

Finally was a Fan Brush - (£1.95). I can safely say I payed for the quality, this is nothing worth raving about. But it will do for applying highlighter, contour etc... until I find something better. 

Swatches- 

(top-bottom) Bronzer and blush duo (st. lucia) , all over colour stick (Persimmon) & HD blush (Headliner)

ELF have regularly got offers on, so I would totally recommend checking out their website and grabbing yourself a few bargains. 

  

Liv | Deliciously-floral

Midweek Treats | Cloud Cakes

Sometimes Monday's are just too far away from the weekend and you need something half way through the week to look forward to. Which is why, since starting my second year of sixth form, I decided to dedicate my Wednesday afternoons to baking. There's something so therapeutic about it, from choosing the recipe all the way through to watching other people enjoy your creations. 

Cloud Cakes

how flipping cute?!

It's basically your bog standard cupcake with strawberry jam swirled on the top (underneath the frosting is a cute marbled effect) and then a meringue type frosting, that tastes exactly like Fluff!  

I've tried searching for the book but I don't think M&S stock it any more so here's the recipe...

Ingredients- 

Strawberry Swirl Buttercake

90g butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar

2 eggs 

1 cup (150g) self- raising flour

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons strawberry jam 

Fluffy Frosting

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

1/3 (80ml) water

2 egg whites

1) preheat oven to 180 degrees. line 12-hole standard muffin tray with paper cases.

2) beat butter, vanilla extract, sugar, eggs, flour and milk in small bowl with electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium, beat until mixture is changed to paler colour.

3) divide mixture among cases; smooth surface. divide jam over tops of cakes; using a skewer swirl jam into cakes.

4) bake for about 20 minutes. Move cakes to wire rack to cool.

5) make fluffy frosting and spread it on cakes.

(Fluffy frosting)

Combine sugar and the water in small saucepan; stir over head, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring about 5 minutes or until syrup reaches 116 degrees on a sugar thermometer. Syrup should be thick but not coloured. Remove from heat, allow  bubbles to subside. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. while mixer is operating, add hot syrup in thin stream; beat on high speed about 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and cool.

Happy Baking

liv | deliciously-floral

No.7 Beautiful Skin Make-up Remover

In my opinion the best feeling in the whole world is putting make-up on. The second best feeling is removing it all at the end of the day, which is why finding the perfect remover to take it all off with is so important.
People are always going on about how delicate the skin around the eye is, yet its so often neglected and put through vigorous scrubbing to ensure that every last lash is free of mascara. 
I for one am guilty for doing this, until recently.

No7 beautiful skin eye make-up remover £8.50, Boots. Get it here



Just shake the bottle then pour a small amount on to a cotton wool pad and hold over the eye for about 10-20 seconds (depending on the amount of make-up & whether its waterproof or not), then gently wipe away and voila all traces of eye make up gone! Also its the only eye make-up remover I've found that doesn't irritate my eyes and make them swell up, which is always a good thing.

I'm not entirely certain of the science behind it but it's a very oily formula, so I'm assuming it works in the similar way to a micellar water. The only difference is that it leaves a very oily residue behind and so isn't intended for use on the rest of the face. However this isn't a problem for me as its soon washed away by my cleansing balm afterwards.

PROS
-Removes eye make- up almost instantly
-Perfect for those with very sensitive skin/eyes ( it's hypo-allergenic) 

CONS
-Packaging- I wish it was easier to control how much you're pouring out, I always end up with more than I need and going through it so quickly.

I definitely recommend taking a cheeky trip to boots and trying it for yourself. 
Plus boots are often handing out vouchers for No7 skincare, bonus!



Liv xo
Deliciously-floral

Get To Know Me | Beauty Tag

Welcome to deliciously-floral, where i will be posting all things beauty, fashion and food! Seeing as this is my first ever blog post, I decided to do the 'Get To Know Me' tag where i answer beauty related questions about myself. I haven't actually been tagged by anyone personally, but who cares?!
enjoy!

Get To Know Me!
1)  Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
 Curly, unfortunately. It's actually a nightmare, I would do anything for perfectly sleek straight hair

2) Do you dye it yourself or go to the salon?
I've never dyed my hair but if I did I would definitely go to the salon, knowing my luck I would end up completely ruining my hair if I did it myself

3) Do you wear the same style everyday or do you change it?
I try to change it as much as possible, although I still have some trusty styles I go back to in case of emergency

4) Do you do your own madi/pedi or go to a salon?
I do my own, somehow I always end up chipping it 30 seconds after painting it so I'd rather not think I have just wasted money and time chipping it after someone else has done it

5) How often do you change your nail polish?
About twice a week, I work Wednesdays and Sundays and I'm not allowed to have my nails painted so i tend to paint it in between those shifts, if I can be bothered. Currently obsessed with pastel shades like essie's Fiji.

6) Do you polish your toes just as much in winter or just in summer?
I've got a habit of neglecting my feet in winter, I'm too lazy 

7) How long does it take you to do your make-up?
Depends. Bad skin day - about 30 mins. Good skin day- about 15mins. It also depends on the look I'm doing, for example a more complex look means more time in front of the mirror. But its my favorite thing to do so I don't mind having to get ready that bit earlier

8) What do you do first, face or eyes?
My face, starting with my Smashbox primer, then my M.A.C face and body foundation. I then move on to the eyes and then come back to the face later on.

9) Do you collect make-up or do you just buy what you need and when you need it?
i think its probably the first but when I go to buy it I tell myself I need it so I don't feel as guilty, woops

10) How often do you wear false eyelashes?
Not very often at all, my eyes are super sensitive so if I wear eyelashes for a long period of time the glue makes my eyes react and swell up, not pretty. 

11) Do you do a full face of make-up everyday?
At the moment yes, I'm going through a phase. When my skins not as bad I prefer to embrace a more natural look, but at the moment I'm having to do everything possible as a distraction.

12) Do you wear make-up when you're home alone or with your family?
Nope, I tend to just wack out the sudocreme and allow my skin to breathe. It's probably the only time I don't feel self conscious.

13) Would you leave the house without make-up on?
Only in an emergency and I had no time to conceal and throw on some mascara.

14) How many high-end products do you own?
A few. Some people like buying expensive clothes, shoes, handbags etc, I like make-up. But I try not to go too crazy, probably once a month I treat myself or if its my birthday or Christmas.

15) Do you plan your OOTD every night or when you're getting dressed?
When I'm getting dressed, it's usually a huge stress and so many clothes end up being thrown on the floor and there's tears and tantrums (just kidding) before throwing on a top and jeans. I then spend the day hoping my make-up makes up for lack of exciting clothing choices. 

16) How often do you change your handbag?
Not very often. I'm currently loving my primark dupe of the Zara office city bag, it goes with everything which means I hardly ever have to change it. 

17) What time do you wake up and go to sleep?
During the school term I set my alarm for 6:18am and force myself to wake up, but then I just sit in bed for about 10-20 mins to fully wake up. I aim to go to sleep before 11pm other wise i'll be a moody zombie for all my lessons.
but if it's the holidays I usually don't sleep until 1-2am and  get up at 11am-12pm

18) Left-handed or right-handed?
Right-handed 

19) How tall are you?
I have absolutely no idea, I stopped caring about my height when I was tall enough to go on the roller coasters at Alton towers, woo!

20) Do you speak any foreign languages?
I learnt German at school and did French for a year but I'm not fluent in anything which sucks.

21) How many pets do you have?
None. As soon as I have my own place I'm definitely going to pursue my dream of being a crazy cat lady, i'm halfway there i just need some cats.

22) Do you keep a list of products you see on other blogs?
yes, especially if they appeal to my skin type/tone etc and are within my budget. Definitely comes in handy when people are asking you what you want for birthdays/Christmas because somehow I always forget.

23) How did you come up with your blog name?
I love food and flowers plus every other name I came up with was taken, bummer.

24) Favorite colour?
It changes with the seasons, in winter i'm all about the dark berry shades and black but as soon as it hits spring i'm obsessed with pastels. 

25) Do you swear?
yes, a lot. I need a swear box.

26) What are you doing with the rest of your day?
Going to make myself some lunch then head back to school to go to dance, then after school do some more dance then come home and sleep.

phew i'm glad that's over.
I hope this wasn't too long winded for you and I tag everyone, I'd love to hear more peoples responses to this tag.

have a lovely day,

Liv | deliciously-floral