FIRST LOOK | ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS NEW PRISM PALETTE SWATCHES RELEASE DATE & OVERVIEW

Anastasia Beverly Hills New Prism Palette Swatches and First Look

Genuinely can't seem to keep up these days, but with the transition into Autumn it only makes sense for brands to release new products and the new Prism Palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills has the internet buzzing after the Subculture controversy. Prism is different to Modern Renaissance and Subculture and has a fun mix of bold and brilliant colours making it a vibrant holiday palette. I love the black velvet packaging and the triangular prism motif. I think it looks really cool and edgy. A standout from the simpler packaging of their other palettes. For swatches and more details, please keep reading. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills New Prism Palette Swatches and First Look

Like the other palettes mentioned, Prism has 14 shadows altogether and comes with the same dual-sided eyeshadow brush that was featured in the other 2 permanent palettes. Of the 14 shades, there are 7 ultra mattes, 4 duo chrome pigments and 3 metallic pigments. Anastasia Beverly Hills and Norvina (her daughter Claudia) have kept this under wraps which is great as I know the Subculture Palette was leaked much to Claudia's devastation. There are so many colours in this palette that speak to me like "Lure", "Dimension" and "Throne" but I can understand this palette wouldn't be for everyone. I do like the shades I don't know if I would be able to create many looks from this palette alone myself I would probably need some guidance and a few other more neutral shadows to create more wearable comfortable looks for me. Onto the swatches. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills New Prism Palette Swatches and First Look: Top Row (photo from Cosmopolitan - edit by me)

Top Row: Lucid (metallic) shimmery shell pink; Eden (matte) sweet peach reminds me of a warmer slightly deeper version of the Eden in the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk palette; Unity (matte) muted sandy brown; Sphinx (duo chrome) rich copper gold; Osiris (duo chrome) royal purple with silver shift; Sphere (matte) vivid pale yellow and Obsidian (matte) black. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills New Prism Palette Swatches and First Look: Bottom Row  (photo from Cosmopolitan - edit by me)

Bottom Row: Dimension (duo chrome) silver with bluish shift; Parallel (matte) purple toned deep brown; Pyramid (metallic) true yellow gold; Throne (duo chrome) Christmas green with silver or yellow shift; Saturn (matte) burning orange almost red; Eternal (metallic) true old gold and Lure (matte) dusky purple. 

Overall, I find almost all of these colours interesting and quite unique. I think the mixture of finished and the gorgeous sparkly shades make it perfect for the holidays. I am keen to see the looks people create and see if this palette possesses the same fallout and trouble as the Subculture Palette. I am hoping not. The palette will be available on the Anastasia Beverly Hills Website on October 2nd for $42 or £41. I am not sure if this palette is limited edition or not, but will keep you updated if it is. I will also add any information on other retailers like Beauty Bay or Cult Beauty when I can. I would love to hear your thoughts on this upcoming palette so please comment below. Take care.

What are your thoughts on the Prism Palette?

Love ❤

Kiran

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WINTER SKIN | 4 ESSENTIAL MOISTURISING SKIN PRODUCTS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE

Here are 4 great skincare products that are essential in my daily skincare routine. I think everyone would really benefit from incorporating these products in their routine especially with winter coming up as they are great for dry to combination skin. They are generally refreshing for the skin as well as being hydrating. For a while I skipped one or two of these steps but now try to adhere to them as much as possible as it really seems to make a difference to the overall feel and comfort of my skin. Read on to see why these particular drugstore priced products are my choices. I would love to hear what your tried and true products are as well so leave a comment. 

L'Oreal Hydra Genius Gel Aloe Water (£10) So I did a review of this previously (see this post here) and wasn't such a big fan but now that I have found different ways to use it I am actually in love with it. Using it consistently has encouraged me to find ways for it to thrive in my routine so there is some bias there. What I love about it is it is, for me, hydrating enough to be used in place of an eye cream (when necessary I know this will horrify most people so apologies). I always forget to both buy and include an eye cream in my routine, something that needs rectifying soon as I am fast approaching 25, I concentrate an extra amount of this around the eye area. In addition, it is very cooling on the skin and soothing as well as a result of the aloe water. I like using it after I have shaved my face, expect a post on that soon, also after a hot shower. It works well as a general moisturiser before makeup. I just make sure to give it at least five minutes to absorb and penetrate into the skin and take care to use a mattifying primer to act as a barrier between my skincare and makeup. I currently have an angry and bumpy breakout situation on my chin and this really keeps it calm and doesn't exacerbate the situation. 

L'Oreal Fine Flowers Toner Rose and Jasmine (£6) I use quite potent products in my skincare routine and I like to exfoliate and use scrubs regularly, therefore this toner is the perfect antidote to all these aggressive products. It is so gentle so I use the toner in the morning, it keeps my skin feeling clean and refreshed, ready for makeup, plus it smells gorgeous but not too strong. 

Garnier Ultimate Blends Body Lotion Oat Milk and White Almond Cream (£6) Not a step I practice often enough but finding this lotion has increased my enjoyment in this tedious step. After I shower I make sure to slap a bit on most of my body, it absorbs fairly quickly. Not only does it moisturise and hydrate my skin but I think it gives a really subtle glow as well and the scent is divine. Soft and pleasant, not too intense first thing in the morning and just lovely throughout the day. 

Garnier Intensive Hydrating Hand Cream with Aloe Vera (£3) Another step that deserves more attention, I try to remember to apply hand cream at least once a day as with the constant washing of my hands and the change in weather means my hands can feel quite dry at times. In addition, as I mentioned, I do use a lot of exfoliating products with quite active ingredients, like charcoal, in my skincare routine so my hands come into contact with a lot of drying products. Applying this instantly stops my hands from feeling dry and the moisturising effect lasts a long time. It is quite heavy as it is intended for those with quite dry hands but I find I like that as it really feels like it is working.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post. Skincare and bodycare are all quite personal, but all of these products across the board are great products for the transition to winter. Thank you for 1000 Bloglovin' followers, it means a bloody lot and I really want to do a special giveaway in honour of it. Let me know your suggestions! I am thinking maybe the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette or Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette, or maybe even a highlight from Fenty Beauty, would you prefer Trophy Wife or a duo? Please share your thoughts on potential giveaway items as well, I value your input. Hope you are having a great week so far, share your skincare favourites in the comments below and what your daily routines are as well. Take care. 

What are your favourite products for the transition from Autumn to Winter?

Love ❤

Kiran

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FIRST LOOK | EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LAURA LEE'S CAT'S PAJAMAS NEW EYESHADOW PALETTE PHOTOS SWATCHES AND INITIAL IMPRESSION

If you're a makeup lover and YouTube addict chances are you have heard that Laura Lee is releasing her very own eyeshadow palette this October. This is part of her own brand Laura Lee Los Angeles and she recently uploaded a video explaining all about her first makeup release. Previously she has collaborated with Violet Voss to create an eyeshadow palette so she felt this was the right decision to release an eyeshadow palette as her first makeup product. 

Details: The eyeshadow palette is called The Cat's Pajamas Palette and contains 10 eyeshadow pans and will retail for $40 which works out as $4 per eyeshadow which is actually pretty high compared to other palettes, for instance the Huda Beauty Palettes work out as $3.6 per pan, but you do get more product per eyeshadow as her pans look a lot bigger. Jefree Star did a video reviewing the palette and he revealed that each pan is 0.23g. That is pathetic. In comparison, Jeffree Star's palettes have 2.52g per pan. It will be sold only on the Laura Lee Los Angeles website. The launch date is Friday 13th October at 10am PST. In the UK, that will be 6pm.

Background: The Cat's Pajamas Palette is very much a reflection of herself and Laura's YouTube journey. She used comments from her videos as an inspiration for shade names which I think is a really cool, original way to incorporate her fans and followers in this launch. 

Packaging:  She didn't go into too much detail on why she chose what she did but she worked hard to get the exterior to be glittery. You can see it is a silver glittery palette that if you pop a flash on will sparkle manically, it also has an outside sleeve and flowers incorporated in the design both on the sleeve and on the inside of the palette. The packaging doesn't seem to make much sense or be that cohesive. The name, the glittery exterior and the flowers inside don't tie together at all. There is also nothing to do with cats on there either which with the name being what it is would have been cute and maybe added some uniqueness to the palette. I know The Cat's Pajamas is a common term but it would have made a better theme, in my opinion. The pans are quite big which is great when using large brushes. 

Shadows: There are 10 eyeshadows in this palette. 4 of them are shimmers, 5 are matte and there is one shade that is considered a semi-matte shade. 

Formula: It was important to Laura to create a palette that was super easy to blend and use, therefore ideal for beginners and the every day person. She wanted a blendable formula but didn't want to scrimp on pigmentation either. She promises this palette delivers both. There is some fallout but not a heck of a lot. You can see in the tutorial that she does swirl her brush in Okie Dokie and there is nowhere near the same amount of mess that ensued in the Subculture Palette. 

Top Row Swatches: Okie Dokie is a matte cream bone shade, ideal for setting primers and blending out; Scatter Brain is a soft golden shimmer, gorgeous for brides and prom looks; Bomb Diggity is a matte mustard yellow brown, the perfect transition for all skin tones; Cray Cray is a warm caramel matte toasty autumn brown and Ridonkulous is a bronze brown shimmer. 

Bottom Row Swatches: Quirky is a purple shimmer that is flattering on all eye colours; Kooky is a matte reddish brown but mostly brown; In One Ear is a cranberry shimmer which is very pigmented and when layered becomes a deeper red; Out The Other is similar to Quirky which is why they are swatched next to each other in the photo, this is a semi-matte with a little shimmer or glimmer, it is a purple with a very strong brown base; Oddball is a matte black and Laura uses this shade in her hair to cover her roots as well. 

Opinion: Genuinely, I really do like Laura Lee but this palette is not something that appeals to me personally. The shades are colours I already own and for $40 especially with shipping to the UK on top of that it is just not worth it for me. I do think it is a nice palette and I believe a lot of thought went into it and she worked hard on it. I like the colour scheme and that she incorporated so much of herself and subscribers in the palette. A lot of the shades don't look pigmented enough for me, especially the mattes, i.e. Kooky, Bomb Diggity and Oddball, but they might translate better on the eyes with a brush. 

Thank you for reading, you wouldn't leave how hard it was to get this post up for you guys. I worked really hard on editing and trying to find an aesthetically pleasing way to show you all the swatches Sorry I have been MIA, I have just moved and am starting to settle into my new place and regain some of my blogging mojo. There is so much I want to do and share on this platform. Thank you for all your support, kindness and comments. They never go unnoticed. Please let me know your thoughts on this palette, will you get it? Do you like the colours? Do you already own palettes that are similar? Are you completely done with products from YouTubers? Share your opinion in the comments. I hope you all are having a great weekend, come back soon. Take care. 

Love ❤

Kiran

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BTS MAKEUP | EASY BREEZY SUPER QUICK 5 PRODUCT ONLY FACE IDEAL FOR SCHOOL COLLEGE UNI OR WORK

There is very little I hate more than having to take photos. I received an email from my university reminding me to upload a photo for my Student ID, something I had forgotten about. On Saturday, I drove down to London to unload all my stuff ready for tomorrow (Thursday) where I will be getting the train and starting my new life. Anyone else feel like Serena van der Woodsen in the opening scene of the pilot Gossip Girl episode when they get on a train? No, just me. Okay. So I have none of my own makeup and I still need to look somewhat decent for said photo. This is what it turned out to be and I only used five products. It took no time at all and I don't hate it. I think it would be great for anyone back at school as it is quite minimalist and so quick to do.

First, I moisturised using ASDA The Skin System Radiance SPF15 Day Moisturiser (£2). It is just what I had on hand at the time, but I actually do really like it. It dries down and makes the skin glowy and soft without being heavy or greasy. If you would like a full review on this I would be happy to write it, just comment below. For foundation I used Makeup Forever Ultra HD Foundation in Y405 (£27). I love this foundation because it has a super thin but buildable formula and photographs flawlessly. My skin looks great even though it really isn't due to all the chocolate I have been devouring like a lunatic and lack of sleep. To apply the foundation I used the Real Techniques Multi-Task Face Brush (Blush Brush similar - £10). I applied a thin layer all over and then added extra coverage on the cheeks. 

For bronzing I used the Sleek Makeup Luminous Pressed Powder in 04 (£7) with a fat angled no-name contour brush. This bronzer has a slight sheen and I went in pretty heavy on the cheekbones for definition. I also applied it on the temples, jaw line, centre of the neck, sides of the nose and the perimeter of my face. It gives a nice warmth and pairs well with the Stila Cosmetics Baked Blush Duo in Pink Glow (OOS - £15). I applied that on the appleas of my cheeks with the same brush and blended it into the bronzer. I also dabbed a little on my chin, forehead and tip of the nose for a cohesive rosy glow. I really like the way that looks. 

For once, I skipped eyeshadow completely and instead applied a healthy layer of the Soap & Glory Thick and Fast Mascara (£10.50). A mascara that deserves all the love in the world because the brush gives the most gorgeous, long, pretty, fanned out lashes. Separating mascaras are my favourite. I applied a single generous layer but you can definitely apply multiple for really thick-looking lashes. It was so easy to apply, I can spend 20 minutes applying mascara but this took 2.

Last but not least, I applied By Terry Baum de Rose (£39) on the lips which gives a light gloss and smooths out any imperfections. As I did apply powders on top of creams, I finish with just using my Multi-Task brush to buff out all the products for a seamless blend. My brows are untouched, if I had a comb or spooly I would have brushed them through. You can always run your mascara through if you are desperate but I didn't as the mascara is very black. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post. I highly recommend all the products I used for this look, they are all very natural and give a very pretty, effortless look to the skin. Ideal for work, school or university. Take care. 

What are your go-to makeup products when you are in a time crunch?

Love ❤

Kiran

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FIRST LOOK | HUDA BEAUTY DESERT DUSK PALETTE PHOTOS SWATCHES & THOUGHTS

Huda Beauty Rose Gold Desert Dusk Palette First Look + Swatches

September 18th is finally here which means the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette is available to purchase from Cult Beauty. I know I can't wait to try it for myself. Similar to the Rose Gold Textured Palette, this latest release seems to have sparked a mix of opinions. You either love it or hate it. It retails for £56 here in the UK and will be available on Cult Beauty, Selfridges and Harrods. 

Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette First Look + Swatches

The palette boasts 18 shades including eight mattes, six pressed pearls, three duochrome toppers and one pure glitter. Desert Sand (matte) a warm light peach; Musk (matte) a light medium brown; Eden (matte) lovely soft peachy orange; Amber (matte) rich reddish brown; Blood Moon (pressed pearl) warm reddish copper; Oud (matte) plum-coloured brown; Celestial (duochrome topper) golden peach with pink shift; Nefertiri (pressed pearl) warm medium gold; Twilight (duochrome topper) lavender pink; Amethyst (matte) vivid magenta purple; Royal (pressed pearl) medium puple with some brown; Retrogade (duochrome topper) brown copper with greenish blue shift; Cashmere (pressed pearl) golden taupe ; Angelic (pressed pearl) sweet cool pink with warm golden shimmer; Cosmo (glitter) darkish red; Turkish Delight (pressed pearl) rich cranberry, the colour of Christmas tinsel; Saffron (matte) medium dark red, reminds me of the colour of sindoor which is the red dot married women wear in Hindu culture and Blazing (matte) warm bright orange. 

Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette First Look + Swatches photo by @swayzemorgan

The colour scheme of Desert Dusk definitely appeals to me. I have watched numerous videos already and am not fully sold on the palette. The shade that stands out to me the most is Amethyst and I have found many beauty gurus find that shade in particular to be a bit of a letdown. I am sure I will eventually cave and get the palette maybe. I would love to hear your thoughts, have you already ordered it? Did you like the first Huda Beauty Eyeshadow Palette? Have you been eagerly awaiting this one? What shades are most appealing to you? Thank you so much for reading, I am without my laptop for the next few days so my posts will not be as great as they could be, please bear with me. Hope you have a great week. Don't forget to follow me on social media.  Take care.

What do you think of Huda Beauty Desert Dusk?

Love ❤

Kiran

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MAKEUP REVOLUTION LIQUID HIGHLIGHTERS | SWATCHES AND COMPARISONS TO ICONIC LONDON AND COVER FX CSTOM ENHANCER DROPS

The Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighters (£6) look lustrous and extremely similar to the highly popular Iconic London Drops (£33) and Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops (£34). Everyone knows the secret to a beaming highlight is layering and liquid highlights are the easiest way to achieve that outer space glow. It looks like we can finally get that high end reflective glow for an affordable price.

Description: Extra dimension highly concentrated highlighters to enhance and give a luminous finish to your skin. Liquid drops that can be added to your skin care or body lotion to create all over natural glow from within, used to prime skin before foundation, or mixed into foundation, for a radiant and youthful glow, or added to the high points of the face after foundation for an intense luminous finish. Control your desired effect by adding more drops to increase glow. Suitable for all skin types and available in 7 shades suitable for all skin tones."

Ingredients: Isododecane, Mica, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylyl Dimethicone Ethoxy Glucoside, Polybutene, Hydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene Copolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylparaben, BHT May Contain [+/- CI 77891, CI 77491]

Other: Vegan, Cruelty Free and Gluten Free

Liquid Bronze Gold: A metallic bronze gold highlighter. I think this would look gorgeous underneath foundation in the summer when you have a slight tan because it has such a beautiful warmth to it. Of course, it would be flattering on anyone with medium dark to deep skin but for paler skin types could be used almost as a bronzer under foundation to mute the crazy metallic finish. 

Liquid Champagne: This metallic highlight is the exact shade of champagne bubbles, could you imagine this underneath a healthy dose of Becca Cosmetics Champagne Pop. It would be a highlight to die for. The great thing about champagne as it pretty much suits everybody, if you have very cool undertones in your skin you might prefer a highlight with a pink hue. 

Liquid Luminous Gold: I truly think this is even prettier than Liquid Champagne and champagnes are my go-to colour for highlight but this is slightly rosy without being too pink and would look stunning on anyone with an olive skin tone.

Liquid Lustre Gold: This metallic liquid highlighter is even warmer with an almost apricot peachy glow to it. I think you could even use this where you put blush. Again, another stunning shade for people with medium to dark skin. I bet these look insane on the eyes as well.

Liquid Rose Gold: Rose gold will never stop making people salivate and this is a true rose gold that reminds me of the actual colour of the Naked 3 palette and looks like the liquid metal version of the shadow Trick, which is my favourite out of that palette. 

Liquid Starlight: A pinkish celestial highlight to satisfy your inner moonchild, particularly flattering on those with fair and pale skin because of the coolness of the colour but don't be intimidated. A stunning ethereal glow like this looks insane on any skin colour, whether medium, dark, deep or fair.

Unicorn Elixir: Last but not least is this gorgeous purple-pinkish blue holographic hybrid that looks like a rainbow, a unicorn and thousands of sprinkles had a child with Tinkerbell. It looks iridescent and doesn't have as much of a base colour as the other colours but you bet your ass I want it.

The lovely Coco Chic Blog did a video comparing the Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighters with the Iconic London Illuminator Drops and the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops. The video isn't very long and you can watch it below. As you can see, they are pretty much identical. She compared Makeup Revolution's Liquid Starlight (£6) to Iconic London's Illuminator in Shine (£33) and Cover FX's Custom Enhancer Drops in Blossom (£34). 

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed these swatches and these answered some of your questions. As you know I am not a big wearer of highlight so have held off on buying these as I don't wear highlight much and I am on a spending ban. I am curious to hear what you think of Makeup Revolution, it is clear they do a lot of "dupe" or copycat products. What are your thoughts on that? Do you support the brand? Do you wish their packaging was more unique? Please share in the comments, I am keen to hear every side. Photos were taken from the Makeup Revolution Instagram. I hope you are having an amazing week so far. Sorry for being a little MIA. Take care. 

What do you think of these Liquid Highlighters and Makeup Revolution?

Love ❤

Kiran

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*Photos courtesy of Makeup Revolution

HOW TO STYLE | COSY KNITWEAR FOR AUTUMN

Most of you know I live in jumpers all year round, nothing makes me feel cosier or more comforted than a beautiful soft knit and finally it is seasonally appropriate to wear them. My go-to jumpers are typically oversized so I can wear them with skinny jeans, leggings or tailored trousers. I love to layer them over collared shirts for a preppy Spencer Hastings Pretty Little Liars look and recently I have been enjoying tucking them into exceptionally cute skirts as well. With going back to university in a few short weeks I am in the process of taking a long, hard look at my wardrobe to see how many ready-made outfits I have on hand. If you’re anything like me sometimes the only thing that will get you out of bed in the morning is the promise of being able to wear a killer outfit and the lure of masala tea. For some great knits and several ideas on how they can be worn, please keep reading.

This Cotton Blend Polo Neck Jumper from Esprit comes in 10 different shades and six different sizes. I would buy a large and a small, one to wear as an oversized and one to wear tucked in for a more business casual look. The powder blue, camel, dark grey and of course black are the colours that stand out to me. This piece can be worn in so many different ways and most importantly is made out of a material that won’t bobble. 

Such a staple jumper could be paired with any kind of trousers or jeans. My favourite way to wear polo neck jumpers is with cropped trousers, like this Light Grey Cropped Trousers with Belt Details and a gorgeous heeled ankle boot, but these super cool Sporty glencheck trousers with stretch have a bit more give with a relaxed fit and still look amazing. 

If you’re more of a skirt girl, there are some stunning skirts available right now like this beautiful Grey Check Floral Embroidered Skirt from New Look which would pair extremely well with any white, cream or neutral beige-toned sweater. Or even just a pretty blouse. An A-Line skirt is a flattering shape on literally everyone, you cannot go wrong.

I would most likely pair it with a black loose thin sweater myself but I also love to mix different shades of the same colour together so think it would look great with this pale grey Slouchy Split Side Sweater. I also like to mix textures as well so a jumper made of a soft looking material like the one below would contrast well with a check, plaid or leather skirt.

  

Last but not least, honestly the most important part of your autumn ensemble is your coat. Especially in England, a good coat is invaluable. The features I look for in a coat is for it to be of decent length so it protects my clothes underneath, a good colour that will complement nearly everything but not black because I already wear so much black that could be overwhelming and finally it has to have pockets. I think it should be illegal to make a coat without pockets. This lightweight light beige blended wool coat is ideal, the wool makes it warm but it’s not too heavy which is exactly what you need in the run-up to winter. Plus, the collar is knit, how cute.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post and it gave you some ideas on how to style your own knitwear. I always go a little crazy this time of year and spend a lot of money on multiple jumpers when in reality you only need a handful because they are so versatile. Save your pennies. I hope you are having a lovely start to the week. Please leave a comment. Take care. 

What is your favourite clothing to wear in Autumn?

Love ❤

Kiran

MY FAVOURITE PRIMERS FOR OILY SKIN

Finding a good primer that actually works for oily skin is such a challenge and for that reason I had kind of given up on it all together. I stuck to pore-filling primers like Benefit's Porefessional, Dr Brandt's Pores No More, NYX Pore Filler and Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser as every oil control primer I tried let me down completely. See my review of NYX Shine Killer* for a demonstration of that. Luckily so many bloggers and friends have recommended a multitude of primers to me that they swear by and I have accumulated a list of the absolute BEST primers for oily skin for all budgets. Of course, you know I am on a spending ban so I didn't buy them all but I gave every single primer mentioned in this post a full day's test. First let's get to the primers I own that have impressed me beyond belief.

Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector* (£28) This primer is a product a lot of oily skinned girls and boys swear by. It has mixed reviews but this is a fantastic mattifying primer if used correctly. The trick is to use a tiny pea-size amount of product, let it warm up on your fingers and then pat it into the skin. If you rub it in instead of patting it into the skin the primer can ball up on itself and if you use too much can make the skin even oilier. Once patted in the skin is smooth and instantly matte. The primer acts as a barrier preventing the sebum from seeping into the makeup. I love using this just on its own and set with powder for a matte face all day but find it works fantastically with all foundations. Highly highly recommend. 

NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer* (£13) So many bloggers have told me that this is their holy grail primer and now I see why. Touted as a dupe for the incredible Hourglass Mineral Veil which is a favourite of many, Nikkia Joy swears by Mineral Veil for oily skin, the NYX Angel Veil is a fraction of the price. It does leave a slight white cast on application but that soon disappears. I have no idea how this works but it just does, my makeup lasts so much longer and my oil comes through much later in the day. A great primer for most skin types I would say.

Jouer Anti-Blemish Matte Primer* (£29) Last but not least and a total surprise for me is the Jouer Anti-Blemish Matte Primer. I hadn't tried anything from Jouer Cosmetics until Cult Beauty kindly sent this to me. This primer possesses a brilliant list of ingredients including salicylic acid and witch hazel to help with breakouts. It both treats my spots while keeping my makeup on for a longer duration. I find it does make my skin matte as well. Definitely a primer I will repurchase especially as I have a multitude of breakouts going on at the moment.

Of course, there are plenty of other great primers available for oily skin. These are just the ones that have impressed me the most. Hourglass Mineral Veil is a general favourite, Makeup Forever Step 1 Equaliser Mattifying Primer is fantastic for keeping oil at bay and I also really like Rimmel Stay Matte Primer. The whole Rimmel Stay Matte line is a dream for oily skin in my opinion.

Out of Jouer, NYX and Becca. the Becca Ever Matte is the best for really oily skin, Jouer Anti-Blemish is perfect for acne prone oily skin and NYX Angel Veil seems to be one of those mystical primers that seems to work for a lot of different skin types. I am so happy with these three and now instead of skipping the priming step I look forward to applying one of these beauties because I know it takes my makeup to the next level. I am wearing my makeup from 7am on a weekday until I wash it off at night so I really get to test out the wear and impact of makeup because I am such a late sleeper. Typically testing each product out over seventeen or eighteen hours. With all of them I would say less is definitely more, you don't need a lot for it to work. 

Thank you so much for reading, these primers were sent to me by Cult Beauty but I was in no way obligated to review or include them in the post. I would love to hear about your favourite primers because I always want to hear about products that you love and swear by. Getting older makes me realise how much I need to keep track of my spending and I have no patience for subpar products anymore. I don't feel the need to rush out and get the latest collab after blowing a tonne of money on the Morphe x Jaclyn palette. I only want products that will elevate my makeup. Thank you for your comments, I hope you had a lovely week and I wish you an even better weekend. Take care.

What is your holy grail primer?

Love ❤

Kiran

*This is an affiliate link and/or the product was gifted in PR

MY INSTAGRAM WAS DISABLED AND I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG

Those of you who follow me on various social media platforms know that my Instagram has recently been undergoing some turmoil. First, it appeared to be hacked and now it has been disabled for no reason at all. Over 5 years I managed to garner a following of 135,000 followers. It was completely unexpected but something I took very seriously. Instagram has been a huge part of my life for such a long time now and to find it completely heartbreaking that all my hard work has been washed away in a second. I don't understand why this has happened and it scares me.

What is the point of Instagram, what is the point of using a platform and building a following if it can all be deleted without any warning. No emails, no explanation, no nothing. It is horrible to feel that powerless and to think this could happen to people's businesses. For a lot of people in this new world of social media this could be their livelihood. That is horrifying. 

I am ashamed to admit I actually cried about this. The loss of control and the fact that all my photos, photos of holidays and weddings. Really meaningful events in my life have all been erased and I have no way of getting them back. That really does upset me so much. I thought writing this would make me feel better but it is actually just making me feel worse. I wish there was a way I could get it back. 

All my research has helped none. I have tried everything. I don't get the option to appeal when I click on my log in, reporting it as hacked hasn't fixed it all. I thought I would just rebuild and it would be better, a chance for a fresh start but now I just think what is the point? They could just delete that one too. So seriously, what is the point? 

I think since Facebook took over it has been on the decline and everyone is awaiting the next cool thing. Facebook is also a contentious subject for me as someone hacked into my account and stole about almost three grand from me. The reporting procedure for that was a complete unorganised mess as well and you can imagine the distress and pain that caused me. I just feel like I am utterly done. I have spent so much time on these apps and platforms all for nothing. Thank you for all your kind messages, my Instagram handle is, or used to be, alittlekiran. I am so devestated and disappointed by this. I can only hope it doesn't happen to any of you. Thank you for reading. 

Do you think Instagram is dying?

Love ❤

Kiran