Review: Maybelline Color Elixir by Color Sensational

I spotted the Maybelline Color Elixirs by Color Sensational in Duane Reade the other day and anything that might be similar to the YSL Glossy Stains I am definitely down for giving a go and these did not disappoint. I have two shades: 055 Glistening Amber and 040 Vision in Violet. Read on for swatches and the full review (please note my chicken skin on the swatch image!)

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Silky Foundations - FEATURING Chanel, Armani & L'Oreal

 
Not one to go for matte bases, I either like to go for a dewy foundation or a satin, luminous foundation depending on the condition of my skin on the day. Some of my favourite dewy foundations include Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturizing Treatment Foundation, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat and L'Oreal True Match Lumi. These foundations are perfect when my skin is more on the dry side, but when my skin is producing a little more oil I tend to go for what I am going to refer to as 'silky foundations'...

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The Book Lover Survey

One of my favourite bloggers is Jennie and she recently did this little questionnaire about books. I don't actually know where it originally came from, whether she made up the questions or not but I thought I would join in on the fun. (This is just to show the world that I do like things aside from makeup, clothes and alcohol!)

Do you remembered how you developed a love for reading?
I hated reading as a teen but I remember when I was much younger I used to wait for my younger sister to fall asleep and then I would go into my mom's room and read Beatrix Potter. I also used to love the Noddy books which I read in French (Noddy is called Oui-Oui in France!)

Where do you usually read?

I read the most in the summer so I will read by the pool in our garden. I also like to read in bed or when I'm travelling - especially if I'm travelling by plane. 

Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
I prefer to read one book at a time but because I did English Literature at university I am actually pretty used to reading several. But I do get confused!

 What is your favourite genre?
I tend to like Victorian literature, particularly gothic tales but I also like Modernist texts too.

Is there a genre you will not read?
I would probably never read a comic book or graphic novel - not out of snootiness but because it just doesn't really appeal to me.

Do you have a favourite book?
I don't have a favourite book but I have several. Some books that I love are: Frankenstein, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Far From the Madding Crowd, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, A Room With a View, The Time Machine, Sense and Sensibility, On The Road, Life of Pi... I mean the list could go on...

What is your least favourite book?

I would say some books I didn't enjoy are: Wide Sargasso Sea, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close... to be honest if I read a book and I hate it then I usually won't finish it or I will just forget about it straight away.

What is the longest book you have ever read?
This is easy. It was Ulysses by James Joyce. If you've read it then you will understand what a difficult read that is.

What was the last book you bought?
The last book I bought was A Departure by Tom Ward - he's actually someone who went to my uni. If you're looking for a new read I would definitely recommend picking this one up from Amazon. I actually read this in one sitting on my flight from London to New York when I moved here a couple months ago. I don't think I even went for a toilet break (if you know me, you will know that is a big deal - okay TMI). 

Do you prefer library books or buying books?
I definitely prefer to buy books because I'm obsessed with the idea of having a library. I have sneaky suspicion that my older sister (click here to go over to her blog by the way!) will be reading this like: 'Uhh Annie, since when are you obsessed with having your own library?'. I just would love to have a room in my apartment (I want to live in an Apartment always) with all my books beautifully displayed and have a nice comfy chair is there with candles... I digress. I prefer to buy books.

What are you currently reading?

I am so ashamed to say nothing. I need to get back on the whole reading thing but after three years of having to read and having all the time in the world to read I'm kind of enjoying a bit of time off. Also I never feel like reading after work - anyone else just like to kick back and watch The Voice USA? *hi Adam*

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It's Looking Promising: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

I think I have found my new favorite face powder. I have said it before and I will say it again: I do not like a matte finish. This is why I am thinking the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light might be the perfect powder for me. There are definitely other powders that I have been impressed by but in terms of creating a really natural, glowy (without being shimmery) finish.

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Blogging Besties

I have so many blog posts in my head, waiting to be written but I just thought I would do a little post about some bloggers that I love - but also in real life. So by that I don't mean people I talk to on twitter or whatever, these are actual people from my life that I knew before blogging or aside from blogging. Does that make sense? This may seem a little random but I thought it might be vaguely interesting?

To Wander & To Roam
First off, this is my older sister's blog and she actually only just started it super recently. Whereas I'm the superficial one who loves blushes, lipsticks and face masks... Ella's thing is culture. Don't get me wrong, I love travelling and culture too but this is Ella's passion. She writes anything from restaurant reviews to city reviews, her posts are eloquently written and I might be biased but I think her posts are really insightful! So make sure you click on over to her blog if food, travel and culture is your thing :)

Styleaffix
The girl behind Styleaffix is one my old (we graduated wahoo!) university friends - she was on my course and we were also both editors at The Courier aka our student newspaper. I've mentioned Elissa's blog before because it genuinely is one of my favourite blogs to read because she writes all about beauty products with a bit of fashion thrown in there for good measure. She's super honest in her product reviews and I just think she's got a really good blog going on!

BabyFace
Oh my god this girl. I also went to university with Amy (she's a wee bit younger than me though) and she is just the coolest girl ever. She is just the sweetest person and I feel like her blog really reflects that. But mainly she has impeccable taste in fashion/beauty and she's a beaut (I mean, all of these girls are actually!) so I urge you to check her out if you haven't already.

Daisy Dreams
I swear Daisy started her blog fairly recently and I feel like it has already grown so much since when she started. Daisy is super passionate about her blog and I feel like she is really committed to creating regular, insightful content. She's really involved in the beauty blogging community and I love visiting her blog to find out about new beauty products to try.

Sophie Coletta
GIRL CRUSH ALERT. Unfortunately there are no cringey selfies on her website like there are on mine so you won't get to see that. I also went to university with Sophie and she was also on The Courier editorial team. I don't even want to write anything about Sophie's website really because I feel like she's too cool for this post. But basically she likes music, she posts interviews, she's fit. I just love her.

I feel like I have definitely missed out other people and their websites, but if I have I will do another post like this! I recommend you check out all these blogs because I love them so I'm sure you will too.

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The Next In Line: Beauty Edition

     
I got into makeup before I got into skincare but now I couldn't live without my eye creams, oils and serums. I've got one product here that's a body product but the rest is facial skincare. Make sure to let me know if you have tried any of these and what I should expect!

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New In: NARS 'One Night Stand' Palette

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The Next In Line: Makeup Edition

I currently have a drawer full of beauty products that I haven't yet opened because I have no space for them in my beauty regime. I probably have some more unopened products lying around but this is what I could find. I think the majority of these were given to me (but not as PR samples for me to review on this blog), which is why some of these I haven't even heard of before. I'm really excited to eventually try all of these. This one is going to be the makeup edition, there will be a skincare/haircare/whatever post coming up with unopened items too!    

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