HOW TO BATTLE THE WINTER BLUES

I definitely identify as more of a winter person than a summer person, I would pick the cold over the hot any day of the week, but the one thing I cannot stand about winter is the severe and chronic lack of daylight in my life during these cold months. I love scarves, a brisk breeze, I live for jumpers but waking up to a dark day and coming home to a darker night is awful. I notice a genuine dip in my mood and energy to the point where I just want to curl up and hibernate in my bed only venturing out for food and hot baths. Of course, this is not possible. Like with most things you have to just get on with it, so here are some of the things that help me when I am feeling particularly blue during this time of year. I hope you find something that helps you, let me know in the comments below if you struggle with the shorter days as well and share your tips and tricks. 

Annual Leave If you work and find this time of year to be a hardship, be smart about how you use your annual leave. I like to save at least a week so I can use it in November or January where I am starting to feel really sluggish. A week away from work allows me time to recharge. I love to go to different places, so I could use it for an impromptu trip or just for some rest and relaxation. 

Maximise your daylight I try to go out during my lunch breaks for a walk, this gives me an extra half hour of daylight and like I said I actually quite enjoy cold weather if it is manageable. I also try to keep my curtains or blinds open during the day as much as possible. 

Spoil yourself As mentioned, there are plenty of things I love about winter, including but not limited to winter clothing staples. I like to buy a new coat and scarf as well as new boots every winter. I adore candles, hot baths and being swamped in soft fluffy blankets while I read or write. To keep the blues away do more of what you enjoy within reason. I love to do face masks and I especially love the instant warming clay masks, they feel so good this time of year. 

Let there be light This isn't something I have done, but most people's favourite thing about winter is Christmas. In my house, we only have Christmas decorations in the living room and I think next year I will try and decorate my own room so I can feel more of the festive cheer. Pick up a small Christmas tree, I am sure TK Maxx have loads - which will be reduced come Boxing Day rejoice! - and some LED lights. You can wind the lights on your shelves, curtain rails, desks or your mirror. If LED lights aren't your thing, candles are always a magical way to brighten up your room and you get to choose the smell. I picked up some festive candles from Primark recently and I will be burning vanilla and apple spice tonight to get myself in the Christmas Eve mood. 

Alarm clock There are some really great alarm clocks out there that wake you up by simulating sunlight. I think this is a really cool concept especially if you struggle to wake up in the mornings like myself. I am one of those people that have ten alarms on every morning. I haven't tried one myself, but I know Lumie is a well-known brand that does such alarm clocks which you can find on Amazon. 

Be productive Inevitably, in the winter time when you're not out and about at holiday parties you spend a lot more time in doors. It is a good idea to be a bit more productive and set aside time to get round to emails, completing job applications, writing letters or organising the home. All the things you wanted to do in 2019 but hadn't got around to, well now is the time. It will give you a sense of accomplishment and a boost to your self-esteem to have achieved something. Winter is a great time to set your affairs in order so you enter the new year with a clear mind, home and inbox. 

Charity This time of year is a great time for giving - is there ever a bad time? - especially around Christmas there are usually so many charity drives that you can get involved with. I know filling shoe boxes with gifts is a regular Christmas charity occurrence, this year my work donated a bunch of items for new parents and other charity organisations give warm clothing and blankets out to the homeless. Similar to the last recommendation, giving to those less fortunate or in need of certain things can keep you busy and occupied and also provides you with a sense of achievement and accomplishment and keeps your mind occupied. Christmas can be a difficult time for many, so keeping your mind occupied can be a serious struggle during the holidays.  

Read Not everyone enjoys reading, but I really do, there are so many classics on my list still for me to read. I just finished reading Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav and I am currently reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway which I have been wanting to read for ages. I actually received a hardback copy of the book a few years ago. For those of us that do not like reading there are always audiobooks or podcasts. There are many podcasts I enjoy and listen to regularly, Case File is my absolute favourite but All in the Mind is a great thought provoking podcast about lived experience of mental illness. 

Photo via @heyclaire on Instagram, I read the book on my iPhone. Highly recommend.

Learn For me personally, I love to learn and I have an innate fear of forgetting everything I have learned so I have made a conscious effort to dig out my old textbooks and read a chapter when I am feeling bored. This helps me learn and gives me ideas of different topics to research but also sparks memories of when I learned the same topics in a lecture or seminar. I really like the site Future Learn as well, it is a great free site where you can sign up to courses you like the look of and even interact and discuss with other users. They cover so many topics. 

I hope you found this post helpful, I definitely need to take my own advice and I have been trying to do more of the things I enjoy and love over the past few weeks. It can be difficult at times, Christmas can be such a crazy time of year that it feels like you never get a moment to breathe so I try to carve out as much time as possible for myself just to relax and do things I like. Hope you all have a great Christmas, leave a comment sharing what you do to beat the winter blues or if indeed you don't feel blue at all let me know down below. Thank you for reading. Take care. 

Do you get down in the Winter time? 

Love ❤

Kiran

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*This post is not sponsored. Images are credited to their rightful owner, images not credited are either stock images or taken by myself. 

LUSH DREAMTIME BATH OIL REVIEW

As someone who is virtually dependent on baths it is disappointing how little I have actually tried from Lush, the go-to utopia for bath lovers around the globe. Personally, I have been less than impressed by some of thier bath bombsthat I have tried, but I hadn't even heard of their bath melts/oils as they are commonly known. 

I tried the Dreamtime Bath Oil (£3.95) today for my ritualistic Sunday bath and it was delightful. It contains a total of 24 ingredients and as far as I know Lush has quite a good reputation for using fairtrade and natural ingredients. Dreamtime consists of a variety of my favourite oils which explains why I love the scent of this bath oil so much. Oils in Dreamtime are lavender oil, ginger oil, sandalwood oil and chamomile blue oil, it also contains fairtrade cocoa butter which provides the moisturising properties this bath oil is known for. My favourite scents are lavender and ginger so this oil is actually perfectly suited to my tastes. 

I had no idea what ingredients or properties Dreamtime boasts at the time of actually having my bath, but I left my bath feeling calm and relaxed and I noticed immediately that my skin felt so buttery smooth and well-moisturised, it still does hours after. I love how cute and small the bath oil is, plus it's purple: my favourite colour. The bath oil breaks apart in the water and turns the bath the same shade of deep purple which is tremendously satisfying. 

The only con is that the bath oil is quite small, almost £4 for one bath is not really good value so I wonder if I can halve it or even cut it into quarters to get 2 or 4 baths out of it. If you have tried that or have alternatives that achieve the same results as this bath oil i.e. great smell and moisturising, please share some of your favourite bath products in the comments below. I would love to try the Laura Mercier bath products because they are considered to be the epitome of luxury and everyone who has tried them loves them, but I cannot justify spending that much on bath products. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you are all in the festive spirit. I feel like it has taken me much longer than usual to get into the Christmas mood this year but I am trying my hardest to embrace it, mulled wine and Ariana Grande's Christmas album helps. Hope you had a great weekend. Take care. 

What are your favourite bath products? 

Love ❤

Kiran

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JACLYN HILL COSMETICS HOLIDAY COLLECTION CATCH THE LIGHT ALL SWATCHES & DETAILS

Jaclyn Hill has announced her second launch of 2019 for her eponymous brand Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics. After lipstick-gate many have speculated when she would return at the helm to release a new product and lo and behold it has happened. The Catch The Light Holiday Collection contains three different highlight formulas as well as three corresponding brushes. There are two four pan palettes, one for light-medium skin and one for medium-deep. In addition, there are two different powder formulas: a luminous setting/glow powder and a beaming loose highlight powder. For all the information including prices, swatches and release dates as well as all of my opinions keep on reading. Scroll down to the end of the post to see Jaclyn's announcement video. 

The two Accent Light Highlighter Palettes, as mentiones each comprise of four shades. Jaclyn explains that the formulas in these palettes were custom-made in  Italy and are each unique. This doesn't impress me as a lot of brands have labs in Italy including Wet n Wild which is one of the cheaper drugstore brands. The highlight formula is described as a buttery smooth baked formula that feels like a second layer of skin. 

The Flash Palette ($49) is tailored to light-medium skin tones with four shades: Gleam (icy gold highlight), Iced (true champagne highlight), Sparks (pale champagne highlight with a more yellow undertone) and Mesmerise (rose gold highlight). I find it surprising that Iced is darker  than Sparks, the name would suggest that Iced would be a lot fairer. You can see these shades swatched below.

L-R: Gleam, Iced, Sparks and Mesmerise

The Flare Palette is targeted towards a medium-deep skin tone. This palette has the exact same packaging as the Flash palette, both contain mirrors. I do think the packaging is pretty and very Jaclyn but also unecessarily large, I don't like that there is extra room for the Jaclyn lettering on the side of the palette, what is the point of that?

The fours shades in the Flare Palette are: Glow Up (rosy bronze highlight), Made You Look (golden bronze highlight), Exposure  (neutral tan bronze highlight) and Turned On (berry copper highlight). You can see these shades swatched below.

L-R: Glow Up, Made You Look, Exposure and Turned On

I think having palettes suited for different skin tones is a great idea and inclusive, but for me separating it into three palettes would have been a better move as you're missing the medium category here. There are so many different skin tones that fall in between that won't be able to use all of the colours in each palette which is a shame, a medium palette with a champagne highlight, a pinky highlight and some warmer rose gold and pale coppery tones would have been really beautiful and would have tempted me at least. 

The next formula on the agenda is the Mood Light Luminous Powder ($32), this comes in 5 shades. One of the main ingredients in this powder is mica which is a well-known smoothing ingredient. This appears to be more of a setting powder, similar to Laura Mercier Glow Setting Powder, Jaclyn herself uses it mixed with her setting powder. Jaclyn described the formula as moisturising, light and "feathery" with a blurring effect which works for mature skin types as well. 

L-R: Do Me, Brighten Up, Brilliant, Carats and Feelin It

The shades in this formula are (swatched above): Do Me (fair powder suitable for light skin tones), Brighten Up (neutral with a pink undertone which will brighten the skin), Brilliant (peachy undertone more suitable for medium skin tones), Carats (yellow undertone almost like a banana powder suitable for medium skin tones) and Feelin' It (caramel undertone for deeper skin tones). You can use this powder on bare skin or on a full face of makeup.

Last but not least, there is the Beaming Light Loose Highlighter ($24) which comes in a teeny tiny little pot and also has 5 different shades. Jaclyn describes this as the quintissential blinding highlight that she is famous for, designed for targeted and precise application. The formula is described as powder to cream. 

L-R: Extra, Bomb, Amped, High Volt and Mega Watt.

The shades are (swatched above): Extra (icy white gold highlight), Bomb (beige gold highlight), Amped (pinky rose-gold highlight), High Volt (rosy orange highlight suitable for tan-deep skin tones) and Mega Watt (copper bronze highlight). I like how cute these pots are I cannot deny, but loose highlights are so messy it stresses me out just thinking about it. 

L-R: Mood Light Powder Brush,  Accent Highlighter Brush and Beaming Light Brush

With each of these formulas there are three brushes that are respectively suited to each formula. There is the Mood Light Powder Brush (£24), the Accent Light Highlighter Brush ($20) and the Beaming Light Highlighter Brush ($20). These are made from synthetic hair using the newest technology. The handles are a silver clear glitter ombre with a silver fennel, again very Jaclyn. Jaclyn mentioned that she is extending her return policy from 30 days to 45 days so people can return it after the holidays. Bundles are also available from the Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics site. These will be available from her website on November 26th (RELEASE Date).  

  

Thank you so much for reading, I would love to know what you think of this launch so please share your thoughts in the comment section below I would love to read what you think, are you happy to hear that Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics have released another launch? Does anything take your fancy? I personally don't wear much highlight, I still have the Becca x Jaclyn Face Palette which I haven't even made a dent in but I do see the appeal for other people. 

I won't be buying anything, like I mentioned, the only thing that I would consider is the Accent Highlighter Palette if it came in a palette for medium skin tones which it doesn't. I hope you all had a wonderful week, I really hope to be posting more again in the near future, sorry for being so MIA. Wishing you all a great weekend. Take care. 

Will you be picking anything up from the Catch The Light Holiday Collection? 

Love ❤

Kiran

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*All images are from the Jaclyn Hill launch video, screenshotted and edited by myself. 

FIRST LOOK | HUDA BEAUTY MERCURY RETROGADE EYESHADOW PALETTE SWATCHES

It is starting to get annoying that every time a new product comes to my attention i.e. the Huda Beauty Nude Medium Obsessions Palettes, the brand has almost always just announced another brand new product. In this case, it is the Mercury Retrogade Palette. This palette contains 18 eyeshadows. There are three eyeshadow brushes and a makeup bag available to purchase separately in this collection. Inspired by the crystal aurora buarealis, hich is a stunning light show in the sky that can be seen in the northern hemisphere. I saw the aurora buarealis when I visited Reykjavik in Iceland two years ago, an amazing experience. This palette was actually made during mercury retrogade and is actually being released during mercury retrogade too. Mercury Retrogade palette will be available on 24th October. 

For those who don't know: Mercury Retrogade is basically a period of bad luck for astronomy lovers. When Mercury is in retrogade nothing seems to go to plan and people are trigger shy of making any important moves. Mercury is in retrogade about four times a year, as it is the planet closest to the sun its orbit is a lot faster than Earth, it takes Mercury about 88 days to travel around the sun to the Earth's 365. For this reason, every time Mercury passes the Earth in its orbit while Earth is leisurely making its way around this is when Mercury is in retrogade. Honestly, I don't pay much attention to this, but people like to talk about it. 

The colour story of this palette has absolutely nothing to do with Mercury at all, it is actually centred around the teal, purple and pinks seen in the northern lights. Altogether creating an aesthetically pleasing wintry holiday-appropriate palette that will  appeal to many people. For this reason, I wish it was called something other than Mercury Retrogade, it could have been called Aurora Buarealis and it would have made a lot more sense. However, I do love the eye look on the exterior of the palette, it looks very striking. Initially, I would think that these colours would be too pale or cool to work on warm skin tones but Huda showcases them on her own eyes on the artwork of the packaging and it looks incredible. 

There are a total of 4 different textures in this eyeshadow palette: the classic mattes, creamy shimmers, glitter balm and glitter toppers. You can see the swatches above. I haven't decided if I want to buy this palette yet, I think it is certainly pretty and well-timed with the cold months fast approaching, I am just not convinced I will get much wear out of these shades. So the jury is still out for me, but I would love to hear what you guys think? Would you get it? Do you like it? Thank you so much for reading, and please share your thoughts in the comments below. Take care. 

What do you think of Huda Beauty Mercury Retrogade Palette? 

Love ❤

Kiran

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FIRST LOOK | ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS CARLI BYBEL EYESHADOW PALETTE SWATCHES & DETAILS

Anastasia Beverly Hills are releasing a palette every time someone sneezes by the looks of it, I could have sworn that Jackie Aina's palette was only available in UK stores at the start of September and now they have not one but a Norvina Vol 1, 2 & 3 Palette and now Carli Bybel has just announced her eyeshadow palette in collaboration with Anastasia Beverly Hills (full video here or scroll to the end of the post). As you can see the palette is very girly and true to Carli's aesthetic, I do watch Carli Bybel's videos and have been a long time subscriber. She is actually one of the very first channels I have subscribed to so I am excited that she has had this huge opportunity. 

The palette looks like it is covered in gems, Carli wanted it to look aesthetically pleasing so it could be displayed. Although, the exterior looks 3D it is actually smooth to the touch which is great. Let's get straight into the swatches. For the top row, left to right we have: Boli (champagne pink shimmer named after cat); Bybel (mauve purple matte); Mandala (bluish purple metallic shimmer named after sister); Libra (metallic taupe named after her star sign); Jode (rich teal metallic shimmer which reminds me of a mermaid's tale named after her mother); The OA (duochrome purple blue shade that mimics a galactic night sky named after her favourite shade); and last for the top row is Boie (matte ash brown, another cat). My top row favourites are Bybel, Libra, Jode and Boie. 

Bottom row swatches, left to right are: Bear (bone coloured matte named after one of her cats); Moo (metallic light gold named after her best friend Nicole); Chai (light orange brown matte named after another cat, this one is my favourite cat); Cindy (peachy coral matte named after another cat); Stev (deep dark red matte named after her father); Aura (red pink metallic shimmer with gold flecks named after her aura which is pink): and last but not least My Angels (greenish gold metallic named after her subscribers. My bottom row favourites are Moo, Chai and Aura. 

The Carli Bybel palette is available on 7th October on the Anastasia Beverly Hills website and on the 10th October in stores and in other US retailers. This retails for $46 and £46. I believe UK retailers will get the palette a bit later but hopefully not too late. I understand the palette was leaked a little earlier than intended but this palette has been in the works for a while. I do think overall it is a pretty palette and I am intrigued to see what looks Carli creates with this palette, it does seem like a palette of her favourite shades which is exactly what she was going for.  

I think out of all of the many other ABH palettes that are available this reminds me the most of the Norvina palette. I have no designs to buy it and would rather wait to see it in person before I spend my coin, I am still undecided about the Jackie Aina palette so it has definitely been information overload when it comes to ABH eyeshadow palettes over the last month. I am left reeling. Am I the only person who feels like this? Is this not a ridiculous amount of eyeshadow palettes to launch in the matter of weeks, I don't doubt that they have the consumer base so fair play to them. I would love to know your thoughts on this palette in the comments below, will you buy it? Do you think it is a good business move to release this many palettes in a short span of time? Thank you so much for reading, I hope you have had a great week and wish you an even better weekend. Take care.

What do you think of ABH Carli Bybel Palette? 

Love ❤

Kiran

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*Affiliate links are used in this post

B PERFECT X JAH MAKEUP ARTIST CLIENTELE PALETTE PRICE SWATCHES & RELEASE DATE

I returned from Japan this last Sunday and want to spend the next two weeks just discussing some new launches while I gather my bearings and try to become a more efficient blogger now that I am getting back into it. The first launch I want to discuss even took me by surprise as I didn't see it coming at all. B Perfect Cosmetics is a brand I personally lover, their Carnival and Carnival XL Pro Palette wow me every time I use them, I still think they are the only colourful palettes you really need unless you are looking for specific rich shades, in that case head to Juvia's Place as their shadows are pigmented with a capital p. So colour me surprised when I see on @makeupwithjah's Instagram page swatches of her new palette with B Perfect called the Makeup Artist Clientele Palette, which is so clever I can't think why this wasn't thought of before. Jah has one of my favourite IG accounts, she is one of the few accounts I will type in the search engine and visit, the work she does is so flawless it is sickening and if you don't follow her you must. 

The Clientele Palette contains 30 shades in total, 18 mattes, 11 foiled shimmers and 1 pressed pigment. It launches this Friday 27th September at 10am UK time. It retails for £35 which I think is a reasonable price personally, I did expect it to be more especially in the current beauty climate where it is the norm to increase prices because let's be honest people are willing to pay it. I am looking at you Urban Decay and Anastasia Beverly Hills. Within this collection, there are also pigments and lashes available that will be released at the same time. Sadly, I am too mesmerised by this palette to consider the other products at this moment in time. 

I haven't felt like this about a palette for a while, aside for possibly the ABH x Jackie Aina palette and I think it is because both Jackie and Jah are creators I truly admire and take inspiration from regularly. Jah is incredibly talented and brilliant and I am always taken aback by the looks she creates. I don't know a whole lot about this palette so I will add more information as it comes and honestly I think I will try and get my hands on it when it comes to Beauty Bay because the colour story really speaks to me. It is not an overly bright or even particularly colourful palette but the tones are so rich I know they will really pop on brown eyes and on a wide array of complexions which makes me really excited. You can see the swatches down below and what strikes me the most is that this is clearly a well thought out cohesive palette, you know from the get go you could create a dizzying amount of looks just from this one palette each one different to the next which is how I felt about the first Morphe x Jaclyn Hill palette which is still a much loved and very used palette in my collection to this day. I definitely feel The Clientele Palette will make it as a staple in many people's collections.

I will add a swatch breakdown for all the shades when I get a chance, as I currently need to get my ready for work. At the moment, the shades that stand out to me are Blush (and I really hope I can use this as a blush because it is the perfect shade), Warrior (it is such a unique dirty green) and honestly all the foiled shades because they look like they pair well with all the mattes. I am really excited for this palette. Thank you for reading, I hope to get back to posting a lot more for you guys. I have a backlog the size of my bank statement so buckle up kids. Please leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts on The Clientele Palette. All photos used in this post were taken from @makeupwithjah or @bperfectcosmetics on Instagram, both pages are linked and I encourage you to check out both. Hope you are having a great week so far, check back soon. Take care. 

What do you think of The Clientele Palette? 

Love ❤

Kiran

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*Affiliate links are used in this post

SKINCARE LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED

My skin is on a constant roller coaster of bad to worse to a few precious sacred moments of wow not bad back to awful again. I find skincare even more overwhelming than makeup sometimes as there are so many new products out there each claiming to be the next best thing that will solve all your skin woes in the time it takes to swipe a cotton round on your skin. I have continuously been disappointed and confused by my skincare routine and I want to share what I think my mistakes are.

Lesson 1: Your diet and lifestyle is as much a part of your skincare routine as your cleanser. 

I have the type of skin where if I look at chocolate I get three brand new breakouts. When you take care of your skin from the inside, eat your vegetables, get some sleep, drink water, exercise you will notice a difference in your skin, your confidence and your energy levels. I find it so hard to remember this and always feel like I can rectify my mistakes with a cup of green tea no matter the four slices of cake I had earlier but this is something I must pay more mind to as it is a lesson I have learned the hard way. 

Lesson 2: Less is more.

The more problematic my skin is the more things I want to chuck at it, which is not good. Especially with the products that I favour which tend to contain aggressive ingredients or fragrance, like tea tree oil and AHA toners. Streamlining your skincare routine is important because then you get to see what really works, in my opinion. 

Lesson 3: If it works it works.

It doesn't have to be fancy, if it works for you then it works. I am obsessed with aloe vera gel at the moment, I use it as a night time moisturiser and as a primer and it works wonders. I am in love with how it feels and how my makeup adheres to it, my skin feels so soft in the morning. In a similar vein, there are products I have tried in the past that haven't been highly recommended by skincare experts but have honestly worked so well for my skin and I think that is okay. If it isn't going to cause long-term or short-term damage then stick with it. For instance, Sudacrem and toothpaste work on my breakouts a treat but I know toothpaste especially is not recommended. Oops. 

Lesson 4: Don't be lazy. 

This lesson applies to diet and lifestyle as well, but in particular I am talking about giving your skincare time to actually work. Things like the 60 second cleanse and giving your moisturiser five minutes to sink in can honestly work wonders. Doing little facial massages, layering your toners or putting your eye cream in the fridge can make small but effective differences if given the chance. If you're going to spend some bucks on some good skincare at least let it have its moment. I also find this quite relaxing and therapeutic which is an added bonus. 

Lesson 5: Your skin means more than just your face. 

Again, I think the whole motto of this post is all about not being lazy, but I am guilty of neglecting parts of my skin. Exfoliating and moisturising regularly can make a huge difference, there are masks for the body and the feet as well as hands that work wonders. Applying SPF on any exposed skin is a good habit to get into straight away and these are just some examples of how I don't give my skin the TLC it deserves. 

Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it. I should be back this Sunday from Japan and hopefully have a foundation review up for you on Tuesday if I am not utterly exhausted. I would love to read some of your skincare lessons in the comments below if you would like to share. Hope you are having a great week whatever you are doing. See you in the next post. Take care.

What skincare lessons have you learned? 

Love ❤

Kiran

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I am sure there are many more lessons to be learnt.