Lifestyle | January Favourites

Good Morning Everyone! It's the first of many... my monthly favourites! I don't know about anyone else but January seemed like a very long month, I guess it's post Christmas and New Year blues.  

Watch the below video to find out what products i've been loving over the past month and please leave a comment to tell me yours!

If you enjoyed watching, please give me a thumbs up and subscribe! See you Soon x

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Giveaway | Win a Smashbox Gift Box containing 5 Lipglosses

Hello Beauties! It has been a while since I ran a giveaway so I thought it was about time I did another one. This time I will be giving one lucky winner a Smashbox giftset called 'Smashbox On The Rocks' which contains 5 lipglosses. The shades vary from pale to deep red and as soon as I saw it I thought it would be perfect to give to one of my readers... I also bought one for myself as I loved the assortment of shades so much. They include: Azalea - A hot pink that is perfect for Summer Legendary - A bright red shade Pout - A pretty pale shade which has a very subtle hint of pink Gilt - Limited Edition shimmery gold shade Jewel - Limited Edition shimmery nude brown 

For your chance to win this Smashbox Giftbox please enter using the Rafflecopter below. There are a couple of mandatory options but most of them are optional for additional entries.. the more you enter the bigger your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Important Information

- The giveaway will run from 14th March 2015 - 18th April 2015 and is open internationally.

- The winner will be emailed and/or announced in a blog post. The winner will have 28 days to claim their prize.  If I do not hear from them within this time frame a new winner will be picked. If the winner has not entered all of the entries they have claimed to, all of their entries will be discounted and a new winner will be picked.

- If you are under the age of 18 please seek parental permission before entering.

- I will not be held liable for any allergic reactions you may have to the products.

- The prize will be posted 2nd Class standard delivery to the UK/untracked internationally. I will not be liable for any loss or damage but will make sure the prize is packaged well.  If you want to pay the additional fee for recorded delivery you are welcome to do so.

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Beky Lou

Pink Panther: Dulcie's Beauty Blog,  A Scottish Lass, Topdraw Fashion, 

Pink Pearl:, Scottish Stef's Nails, Michael 84, Just Ems

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Monthly Round Up | Favourite October Posts

October may have been a quieter month for me blogging wise but that doesn't mean I didn't have some favourite posts! It's been a strange one because I've found it impossible to blog during the week after work and every weekend I've had to arrange major parts of my wedding next year otherwise we would of had trouble booking what we wanted. Now that those parts are done I am confident I will get most of my weekends back and am happy to say I can get back into my daily blogging routine. I've actually really missed it and it's been lovely to spend the entire day today getting back into the swing of things and blogging all day long.. I've loved it!

Expect to see lots of new posts during the month of November (daily again) but in the meantime how about re-visiting some of my favourite ones from last month?

Hi Impact Brow Palette Review

Last month I discovered a new brand and brow palette which is gorgeous. The palette contains five shades that are very pigmented, blend well and are long lasting so they are perfect for people who want to add a little definition without any fuss.

If you're looking for a product that travels well then this is the one for you too because the palette is compact and the shades can double up as eyeshadows.

Why I Love Blogging

Next was a post full of reasons why I love blogging. Kimberley's Beauty Blog is coming up to it's second birthday so this got me thinking about how it has impacted my life and pretty much taken over. What started out as a simple hobby has grown into something bigger than that as I have made some good friends, discovered some amazing products and have attended some wonderful events.

Blogging is a very big part of my life now.

Reading on a Kindle

I never thought I'd be interested in owning a Kindle but that all changed this year when my friends suggested I bought one for my holiday. This post talks about this in more detail.

Roger and Gallet Body and Hair Oil Review

Another brand I discovered this month was Roger and Gallet as I have been using their beautiful body and hair oil. This oil is much lighter than others I have tried such as Moroccan Oil and smells divine. I would definitely recommend it as an extra special beauty treat.

Smashbox Santigold Eyeshadow Palette Review

A gorgeous eyeshadow palette by Smashbox featured on my blog last month from the limited edition Santigold range. The shades are varied but pretty and I particularly like the taupe which is very wearable.

My Favourite Brands Part 1

I loved writing up the post about my favourite brands as it really got me thinking about what I love and why. Before I started blogging I didn't think about this as much because I tended not to be as adventurous with trying new things but now I love it and have found some wonderful 'holy grail' products.

This post is the first of a mini series where I share my favourite brands for certain products and it was very enjoyable to write.

Lush Christmas Product Launch

Of course a Lush post was going to make it into my favourite's as I can't get enough of their products. Last month I went to the Christmas product launch which is amazing as always. Lush events are one of my favourites as the PR people are so friendly, the atmosphere is always fun and the products amazing.

Boujois Makeup Haul

Last but not least was my Boujois makeup haul which included lots of sun kissed products perfect for bronzing my skin. I hadn't done a haul post for a while so it was good to be able to share lots of products with my readers in one go, especially those that were very pretty to photograph!

What was your favourite post on Kimberley's Beauty Blog this month?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Panther: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog,  A Scottish Lass, Topdraw Fashion,, Lisahh-Jayne, Tania Michele, Miss Daniele, 

Pink Pearl:, Scottish Stef's Nail

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

Review | Smashbox Santigolden Eyeshadow Palette

This incredible limited edition *eyeshadow palette, created by artist Santigold was available exclusively at Smashbox this year. The collection was inspired by pyramids and snakes which is demonstrated by the fun an innovative packaging and is a product I have used a lot since first seeing it at the Smashbox event in May (read my post here). The packaging actually reminds me a little of YSL because of the gorgeous bright gold and intricate details but it obviously isn't quite so classic as their packaging.

Hidden inside the casing  is a stunning palette which holds five unique shades that will appeal to people who like to add a splash of colour to their eye lids. As I'm more of a neutrals girl it was a little daunting at first but it has encouraged me to be more creative with my eye makeup and I have really enjoyed using it!

My favourite shade in this palette is the brown taupe which I apply all over my lid and also the shimmery cream which makes a gorgeous highlighter. The pale green and slightly deeper shimmery green also look very pretty together and work well with my blue eyes although I tend to wear those less often. The bright blue is a gorgeous colour and although I don't wear this myself I think it would look really beautiful on someone who has brown eyes as it would really define them.

The quality of these eyeshadows is brilliant. The texture is soft and creamy so they are easily to work with and blendable meaning they are enjoyable to use. The compact is also an idea size to travel with.

This gorgeous palette that was released as part of the 2014 Santigold collection is still available in stores for the bargain price of £25.00.

What do you thinik of this eyeshadow palette?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Panther: Beky Lou, MissLJBeauty, Dulcie's Beauty Blog,  A Scottish Lass, Topdraw Fashion,, Lisahh-Jayne

Pink Pearl:, Scottish Stef's Nail

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

Wish List | Beauty Wish List

Benefit Hoola Bronzer | Link | £23.50

Initially, when I was looking for a high end bronzer it was a hard decision between Nars Laguna and Benefit Hoola. At the time I chose Nars because I had never tried any of their products before and I was intrigued to find out what they were like but now I have used 3-4 pans I fancy a change and would love to try Benefit Hoola. I will definitely go back to Laguna at some point as it is a beautiful product and my 'holy grail' bronzer but I think it may be time for a change.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation | Link | £31.00

I've been wanting to try Nars Sheer Glow for ages but I've been a little put off because I love Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua so much. Although I do use other foundations from time to time it's the one I always go back to because nothing else seems to compare.

Nars Sheer Glow has had brilliant reviews and I think it will work well with my combination skin. It also gives the skin a gorgeous glow hence the name rather than a matte finish which is exactly what I look for in a foundation. Before buying the full size I definitely want to try a sample first though because I only like very light foundations and I'm not too sure what the consistency of this one is.

Too Faced Chocolate Eyeshadow Palette | Link | £45.00

I've never tried any products by Too Faced before but every time I see a blog post on one or go to one of the counters I'm struck by how beautiful they are. Their blushes look gorgeous and I've been tempted many times by them but most recently I have been lusting after the Chocolate eyeshadow palette which contains some really pretty neutral shades.

Smash Box Full Exposure Eyeshadow Palette | Link | £38.00

I love Smash Box products.  They are brilliant value for money, easily available and I'm yet to find one I haven't liked. I've had my eye on the Full Exposure Eyeshadow Palette since it was released because it looks like the perfect collection shades for me. I'm definitely a neutrals girls and by the look of this palette I would wear every one of these shades.. it looks so pretty!

Nanshy Face Brush Set | Link | £34.95

Despite being a beauty blogger my brush collection isn't particularly large and I'm finding that I really need some more so I can rotate them rather than having to find time to deep clean them quite so often.

I have the Nanshy eye brush set which I love and I would love to add the face brush set to my collection too. They are exactly what I am looking for! My all time favourite foundation brush is the Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki and it looks like Nanshy sell a very similar one which I really want to try.

Elemis Pro Radiance Cream Cleanser | Link | £29.00

I have never actually tried any products by Elemis before (shock horror) but I keep hearing so many good things about them I would love to give them a try. I'm not too sure what products in particular but maybe this Radiance Cream Cleanser as it sounds lovely.

Origins GingZing Moisturiser | Link | £23.00

I'm nearing the end of my REN moisturiser and I'm not sure whether to re-purchase it or try something I little different. It is working very well with my skin type so the liklihood of me changing isn't very big as I don't like to mix up my skin care routine very often but I'm very tempted to try the Origins GinZing moisturiser.

I've heard so many good things about this moisturiser and I love the Drink It Up Face Mask so I'm intrigued by it.

What do you think of my beauty wish list? Have you tried any of these products? 

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Panther: Beky Lou,, MissLJBeauty, Polkadella, Lulabelloves, Lily Ann Loves, Topdraw Fashion, Athina's Boutique, Beauty Queen UK, Beauty King UK

Pink Pearl:, Scottish Stef's Nail, Two Little Owls Blog  Lazy Days Beauty, The Cleanser Beauty Blog, Samelia's World, Rianna Phillips

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

Event | Smashbox New Arrivals

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a Smashbox event at the wonderful Estee Lauder Headquarters in London and I wanted to share what I got up to with My friends Rachel from Beauty Queen UK and Ellie from Ellie's Ramblings.
Being a fan of Smashbox and already having a number of their products in my make-up collection so I was really excited to find out what the new releases were and give them a try. Smashbox is available in Boots and it the only beauty brand to be born out of a real photo studio which means that not only think about creating beautiful products but also ones that look great behind the camera.
When we walked  into the headquarters we were greeted by a lovely receptionist before being guided into one of the rooms where it had been transformed into Smash Box Heaven. There was a nail station, make-up station and of course a number of stands filled with lots of products for us to try. These included:
Waterproof Full Exposure Mascara - This is Smashbox's best selling mascara but now transformed into a long lasting (up to 10 hours) waterproof formula. It is said to increase curl by 107%, volume by 96& and be sweat and humidity resistant. This mascara is already available in stores (Launched in April) and is priced at £18.
Camera Ready BB Cream for Eyes - This BB cream has a waxy texture and unlike so many others on the market contains SPF 15. It primes, conceals, hydrates and illuminates as well as reduces the appearance of puffiness and fine lines and wrinkles. The BB Eye Cream was launched in March and and is available in five shades (fair, light, light/medium, medium and dark) and is priced at £19.00
Camera Ready CC Cream - This CC Cream has a beautifully light texture and is available in give shades (fair, light, light/medium, medium and dark).  It contains SPF 30 and provides a little more coverage than a BB cream but not as much as a foundation. Developed to help you achieve a flawless, luminious and camera-ready complexion this is definitely a product I'm looking forward to try! The Dark Spot Correcting CC Cream was launched in April and is priced at £29.00
24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer - This primer is said to keep your eyeshadow in place for a full 24 hours and instantly make your shadow look more vibrant. If their face primer is anything to go by (it's one of the most popular in the beauty industry and my review can be found here) then this eye primer will definitely be a winner to. This product is being launched on 28th May and will be priced at £18.00
Lip glosses - I don't know what name the lipglosses will be released under in July but what I do know is they are stunning. A large range of shades are available and their texture is completely different to anything I have tried before as they are more gel like. They give the lips a beautiful shine and are definitely worth a look in the Summer when they will be available online and in stores.
Nail Polish Art Stripes - Two styles of these will be launched, namely, Serpent Charmer and Eye of the Beholder. My favourite is the gold and black combination because they look stunning next to each other and the design is pretty and wearable.
The Santigolden Age by Santigold - An incredible limited edition collection by the artist Santigold will be available exclusively for Smashbox this year. The collection was inspired by pyramids and snakes and the packaging of every piece is stunning. It definitely has a YSL feel to it with the gorgeous bright gold and intricate details.  
Included in the collection are the Eye Shadow Collage which includes two palettes named Earth As We Know It (apple green, soft sparkling cream, dark matte blue, dark sparkly forest green, raisin with rosegold pearl) and Apocalypse Now (shimmery teal, sparkling pewter, matte black, shimmery oyster and bright golden orange).  These are priced at £25.00 each.
Also, Be Legendary Lip Gloss which are available in shades All Gold E'rything (sheer copper sparkle) and Hot Lava (orange red). These are priced at £15.00 each. Next are the Double Ended Limitless Eye Liners which are available in bright blue/soft gold and bright yellow/mint green combinations. These are priced at £15.00 each.  Lastly, is the Be Legendary Lipstick Ring which is a collectible snake-pyramid ring adorned with Swarovski crystals and a limited edition shade of Be Legendary lipstick hidden inside. This is priced at £39.00.
It was really great to get to try all of these products and find out more about them.  There are some really exciting products here, my favourites being the eyeshadow palettes and lip glosses. They were definitely the stand out pieces for me. 
I will be writing in depth views about each of the products and also be doing a You Tube video on them so you can have a closer look. Watch this space!
Smashbox have a really brilliant website where you can take a look at all the current products and the new releases soon.
Do you like Smashbox products?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Panther: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, MissLJBeauty, Satchels and Pearls, Adventures of an Anglophile, Polkadella, Beauty Queen UK 

Pink Pearl:, Scottish Stef's Nail, Topdraw Fashion, Confessions of a Secret Shopper, Pink Confetti, Two Little Owls Blog 

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

FOTD | Spring Every Day Make-Up

Hello Everyone! Just a quick post today and one was was inspired but a selfie I took this morning before filming a You Tube video. Yes, you read that correctly.. it's been 11 months since I last filmed but I've decided to take it up again seeing's as I've now got a camera with a flip screen and believe me it makes things a whole lot easier! For anyone who is interested, the video will be up within the next hour (it's uploading now) and will be appearing on my channel here. My first video's are extremely cringe worthy and really hard to film because I didn't have the right equipment or lighting but I'm pretty pleased with how today's one turned out :)

Anyway, onto today's blog post, a simple Spring every day make-up look. The picture quality isn't the best because I took it on my phone I'm afraid but hopefully it shows the make-up well enough for this short post :) The look I was going for was simple, girly, fresh and natural which I think I achieved. The products I used were:

Primer - Smashbox Photo Finish Original | Review | Link

Foundation - Rimmel Match Perfection in Ivory | Review | Link

Concealer - Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | Review | Link

Powder - MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Natural shade Medium Plus | Review | Link

Bronzer - Nars Laguna | Review | Link

Blusher - MAC Tenderling | Link

Eye primer - Urban Decay Priming Potion | Review | Link

Eyeshadow - MAC Naked Lunch and Satin Taupe | Link

Mascara - Maybelline the Falsies | Review | Link

Eyeliner - L'Oreal Black Super Liquid Liner | Link

What do you think of this make-up look?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Amanda Loves, Looks and Lifestyle, What Shell Says

Pink Pearl: MissLJBeauty, Satchels and Pearls, Scottish Stef's Nail, One Stop Savvy 

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Review

Hello Everyone!

How are you all? Today's review is on the well known primer in the beauty industry and that is the Photo Finish foundation primer by Smashbox.

I got this primer in the Smashbox Try Me Kit I blogged about earlier in the week and this was the product I was itching to try the most.

This foundation primer is a transparent gel and has a smooth silky consistency.  The formulation is oil free so it doesn't make your skin greasy and applies well on my combination skin. This primer doesn't seem to have a smell and it is easy to quickly smooth it over your face to prep it for the application of your foundation. It really does glide over your skin and is a lovely product to work with.

I always apply primers with my finger tips because you use so little it isn't really worth using a brush.  Also, you're not looking at buffing or blending it into your skin so it is fine to use your hands.  I don't have to use loads of this product to get the coverage I want but because it is something I will definitely use everyday and I will be covering my whole face it is a makeup product you use up quicker than others. Therefore, do I think this primer is worth the hype and the expensive price tag of £25.00?

My answer is YES! I find that this primer makes my skin smoother so my foundation applies better and it makes my makeup stay on for longer (I always use setting spray too, though). I would definitely buy this primer in the larger size and I would be happy to use it every day.

You can buy the Smashbox Photo Finish primer from Boots for £25.00 but if it order it from the Smashbox website (for the same price) you may get an extra free sample thrown in :)

Have you tried this primer?

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Smashbox Try Me Kit First Impressions

 

I was surfing the Smashbox website and noticed they were offering a Try Me Kit of their best selling products and I just couldn't resist!

This kit contains sample sizes of products which are usually priced at £3.50 each. I think this is a brilliant way of introducing products to people as it gives you a chance to try the products (most of which are pretty pricey!) before committing. It has allowed me to try Smashbox products I didn't really even consider before.

The products that come in the kit are below. I haven't used all of them in depth yet so I am just going to tell you my first impressions in this post. I will do full reviews on each product over the next few weeks when I have given them a good try.

Products

• Photo Finish Foundation Primer (clear) - I'm expecting good things from this product as there is a lot of hype around this primer and some even claim it is the best on the market.

• Photo Finish Lid Primer (warm beige) - This isn't a product I would have normally bought because I love my Urban Decay priming potion but now I have it I am looking forward to trying it to see how it compares.

• Full Exposure Mascara (Black) - I haven't tried this yet but I have had a sneak peak at the brush and so far i'm liking what I see! The brush is big, I like the shape and it isn't plastic.. so far it ticks all the boxes but the proof is in the application.

• Lip Enhancing Gloss in Illume (iridescent pale nude) - For some reason I was expecting this to be a plain gloss rather than glitter so I was surprised when I saw it was shimmery. It looks like a pretty, every day shade but i'm yet to try it.

• Limitless Eye Liner (Onyx - Black) - Again, I haven't tried this yet but it looks like a gorgeous, pigmented, creamy eye pencil. I can't wait to see what it's like!

I ordered my Try Me Kit from the Smashbox website and when it arrived I was surprised at how well it had been packaged. Not only did they come in a black box which matches the Smashbox brand perfectly, but also wrapped in tissue paper.. I was very impressed! By ordering directly from the Smashbox website I was also lucky enough to be offered a free sample of my choice - I went for the BB cream.

The Smashbox Try Me Kit is available for £19.00 on the Smashbox website or Boots.

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of the Try Me Kit?

 

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