Morphe 35O Eyeshadow Palette: Review | Lexie Rose May

Calling all Make-Up Enthusiasts!

After years trying different eyeshadow palettes, I think I've finally found THE ONE. Ok, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic - but you would be too if you tried this eyeshadow palette.

I first heard about the Morphe 35O online, whilst doing some research on eyeshadow palettes worth investing into. I came across tons of recommended ones; ranging from high-end to highstreet brands, big palettes to quads, bold colours to neutrals. So, when I stumbled upon this, it seemed a bit surreal. I mean, the factors seemed too good to be true: 

- It's a 35-pan palette 

- Wide variety of beautiful warm shades

- Recommended by professional make-up artists

- Sleek and slim packaging 

- AMAZING price tag (retails for £21.75)

So, just imagine my face when I went to add it to my cart and bam: SOLD OUT. Sold out on the Morphe website as well as all other websites that stock Morphe. Meaning, I added myself to a wait list of all these websites and hoped for the best. And... a couple of weeks ago, this beauty was back in stock! and obviously, I bought it!

Since being able to call this palette mine, I have made so much use out of it! I use it for everyday makeup (there are loads of neutral, matte shades), to full-out glam (the pigment of the glitter shades is amazing)!

The palette is made up of mostly warm shades, which I personally LOVE, especially for the summer months. The quality of the eyeshadows is amazing too - very pigmented, creamy and blendable. I do sometimes get some fall-out, meaning I'd need to rearrange my under eye makeup before heading out of the house.. but I've found that knocking the makeup brush slightly to remove excess can fix this problem completely.

Overall - I'm obsessed with this palette, and have not stopped using it. If you love warm shades, do yourself a favour and invest in this palette. You will not regret it. Promise! And for those of you who prefer the cooler shades, Morphe have tons of different palettes with different colour schemes, so I'm sure you'll find one that tickles your fancy :)

What is your favourite eyeshadow palette?

Lexie Rose May X

My 5 Favourite Apps Right Now

Good evening ♡,

I hope your Monday was great (well, as great as a Monday could get). This week was a busy week for me. Why, you may ask? Well, I GRADUATED from law school!! :) :) and it was also my boyfriends birthday so I had a very busy week.. CELEBRATING!

But, Monday struck. And it's back to reality. I can't exactly complain, because I had a delightful week, but scrolling through photos just makes me wish it didn't have to end. On the plus side, every week that goes by is a week closer to Christmas... so I really can't complain.

Lately, I've been using all sorts of different apps to try and make me feel as in control as possible. I've decided to jot down my five favourite apps right now, and what makes them so special.

1) Instagram

This is an obvious one. I'm pretty sure it's nearly everybody's favourite app. But I really do love Instagram, mainly because I am obsessed with taking photos, editing them & just making my feed as pretty as possible. And with an exciting week like the one I just had, there's nothing better than editing your favourite photos and posting them to Instagram, for your friends to see and mostly, for such memories to be stored :)

(Follow me on @lexiefarrugia)

2) UNUM

Speaking about Instagram, UNUM is a gem I recently stumbled upon when scrolling through the app store. This app works with Instagram, and allows you to edit photos and see what they would look like on your Instagram feed before posting them. It also allows you the possibility of posting the picture automatically at a particular time (if for e.g. you wouldn't be able to manually post it yourself). This app has made me feel extremely in control of my Instagram feed, and has helped me develop a consistent theme on my Instagram.

3) Boomerang

This is a really fun app, which also works with Instagram (and has recently launched on Snapchat Story too). I really enjoyed making use out of this in the past week with friends. This app creates a very short video clips which loop back and forth to create a very fun and cool effect. It's perfect for capturing great moments in mini videos that will make you smile whenever you watch them back.

4) Pinterest

I love love love Pinterest as it's the perfect app for your daily dose of inspiration. I turn to Pinterest whenever I need any sort of inspiration; whether this is for makeup, hairstyles, gift ideas or room decor. This app is also super easy to use, as you simply type key words and it automatically generates all images that would be useful to what you're searching for. Having an account also means that you could post your own photos, and possibly be someone else inspiration.

5) Calm

And last, but not least, an app which has helped me to relax and breathe during all those times when anxiety got the best of me (and for those of you who suffer from anxiety, you'd know that these busier weeks are when it hits you the hardest). Calm is an app which provides meditation techniques for "stress reduction". Although I don't use this app every day like I should, I turn to it on those days when I really feel like I need some help relaxing... and it works wonders. Just imagine how effective it would be if I were to use it daily.

These are definitely my favourite apps right now. These apps are all free on the app store (although you can pay for upgrades for Calm) and I've really been enjoying lately.

What are your favourite apps? Let me know in the comments below.

Love,

Lexie Rose May X

Best Beauty Advent Calendars 2016 | Lexie Rose May

Hellooo :)

Today is my first Christmas post for 2016 and I am just so excited!! As I sit cosily on my sofa, sipping a lovely cup of tea, surrounded by loads of halloween and autumnal decorations, I can't help but think that this simply means that Christmas is round the corner!!! And for all of you who don't know this, I love love love Christmas.

Thinking ahead for the festive season, I spent a few days doing research about the best beauty advent calendars available this year! Disclaimer: this does not mean that we have to give up our chocolate advent calendars. We can do both, right??

There are many calendars available on the market, some makeup based, some skincare based, some perfume based and many many others. Below are my favourite beauty advent calendars available this year (price: high - low):

1. Jo Malone (£260)

For anyone who loves Jo Malone as much as I do, this is the perfect pre-christmas treat to put a smile on your face every day. The design is in the form of a small townhouse, with little drawers containing the daily treats.  It consists of mini perfumes, mini candles, body oils and scented creams.

2. Diptyque (£250)

This advent calendar is an absolute dream - especially for the candle junkies. Although this calendar is a little bit more pricey than others, the treats you get inside make it worth it (especially if you love your candles and fragrances). I mean, who wouldn't want a collection of mini Diptyque candles?! (answer: nobody)

3. Liberty London (£165)

This luxurious calendar is not only stunning to look at, but is filled with treats from brands including Nars, Bobbi Brown and Le Labo. If you're a beauty addict and want to splurge a little bit before Christmas, this calendar is magnificent.

4. Charlotte Tilbury (£150)

Charlette Tilbury's makeup products are out of this world, so to have a beauty advent calendar containing mini versions of all her best-selling products seems too good to be true. The Charlotte Tilbury's World of Legendary Parties Advent Calendar is the perfect calendar for any beauty junkies out there. This has got to be my personal favourite for 2016 - both for its contents and just because of how cute the calendar is!

5. Kiehls (£95)

Skincare addicts - this calendar is for you. Packed with mini versions of some of Khiels amazing skincare products, this is the perfect calendar to be able to sample new products that you've never tried before, or just have mini versions of products you already love.

6. Selfridges (£95)

Selfridges have teamed up with L'Oreal Luxe to create the perfect advent calendar for 2016. Filled with little goodies of all our favourite brands, including Lancome, Khiels, Urban Decay and even YSL, this is the perfect calendar for beauty and skin care junkies combined.

7. Nyx (£60)

The Nyx Professional Makeup Advent Calendar is absolutely gorgeous. Imagine waking up every day in December to a makeup item from this super brand. From their eyeliners to their liquid lipsticks, Nyx is an up and coming brand that is taking us beauty addicts away by storm with their awesome quality and super prices!

8. ASOS - The Beauty Advent Calendar (£50)

I was super thrilled to see Asos' beauty advent calendar - and to top it all off, the box is absolutely beautiful (classic marble, you know), so you can definitely make use of it after the goodies are all gone. This 24-day advent calendar is packed with skincare, beauty and hair products from several brands including Philosophy and Dermalogica! The price tag is also super when you consider that the items inside add up to around £150!

9. Lush (£49.95)

Apart from having really cute packaging, this 12 day advent calendar is packed with natural, homemade products including shower gels and bath treats. I love Lush products, and have such fun experimenting different products and smells - so if you're anything like me, this is a great calendar for you!

10. L'Occitane (£42)

This was my choice of advent calendar for 2015, and it was superb! Every window reveals a mini version of some of l'Occitane's best products, including hand creams, face creams shampoo/conditioners and shower gels. If you're a l'Occitanne fan, then definitely pick this calendar up this year!

11. Benefit (£34.50)

Benefit's 2016 calendar, called 'Girl O'Clock Rock' is the perfect beauty calendar crammed with 12 mini versions of bestsellers from the brand! This includes their Hula bronzer, POREfessional primer & they're real! mascara. A definite must-have for any fans of this brand, and for the non-fans, this calendar will surely convert you!

12. Feel Unique (£30)

This beauty calendar is packed with several beauty treats, ranging from lip balms, to body oils/scrubs, to a Rimmel lipstick and highlighter. I love this calendar because it contains a little bit of everything - so for the 24 exciting days leading up to Christmas, you can expect to be trying out loads of different products from a variety of brands, some which you probably would have never got the chance to try before. This calendar contains items which together are worth around £100, so for £30 this is the biggest steal this year!

13. Ghost Fragrance (£30)

The Ghost Fragrance Advent Calendar is the ideal calendar for any girl who loves her perfumes. Although this is a fragrance calendar, it also offers some lip and nail products which is a great combination. The miniature versions of ghost's bestselling fragrances are both adorable and so handy, both for carrying around in your bag and for being able to sample different scents! The only downside - it's a 12 day calendar, so you need to be patient every other day (but if you also have a chocolate calendar on the side, that shouldn't be too much of a problem :) )

14. Tanya Burr Cosmetics (£25)

Tanya Burr's 12 days of Christmas Calendar has to be one of my favourite's this year, both for its super cute (and pastel) aesthetic as well as for the awesome products you get inside! I've tried several of Tanya Burr's products, including her lashes, lip glosses and nail polishes and can honestly say that they are of great quality! The price tag on this calendar is great - so be sure to get your hands on it before it sells out!

15. House of Fraser (£25)

This beauty advent calendar is filled with little treats from House of Fraser's own makeup brand 'Colour Couture'. Apart from having an extremely great price tag, this calendar contains a wide variety of makeup products, including lipsticks, eyeliners, lip glosses, nail polishes and more. Oh, and its super cute too!!

So, which one are you picking up this year?

I hope this post has made you as excited for Christmas as I am!

Love,

Lexie Rose May X