Mini Make-up Revolution Haul

I was on the look-out for a couple of new eyeshadows to add to my collection as I've almost hit pan on a lot of my everyday shades, but I ended up leaving town with 44 eyeshadows and highlight! I can't help myself when it comes to buying MUR products, as they're so affordable but don't compromise on quality.

September Favourites

September has been incredibly stressful and most of my time has been focused on settling back into my college routine for my final year of sixth-form college and my A2 exams, so blogging has unfortunately not really been a priority for me. I have however managed to find a few products I have been going back to time and time again over the course of the month, so naturally I just had to share them with you guys!

Nude Collection by Kate - Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks (with swatches)

The original "by Kate" lasting finish collection from Rimmel are my all-time favourite drugstore lipsticks, which is a bold statement coming from a beauty blogger and a self-confessed lipstick hoarder! I already owned every shade I could get my hands on, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Rimmel were releasing a whole new collection of 5 perfect nudes, plus a lip balm! I must admit that I rushed to my nearest Boots store as soon as these beauties hit the shelves, and started off with picking up 3 of the new products.

MUA Make-up Haul

I popped into my local Superdrug to have a quick look at the MUA counter as I've never used any of their products, and I left with all of this! The brand is extremely reasonably priced and has been recommended to me by friends and fellow bloggers, so I'm really excited to try out all of these products!

Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder - Iridescent Gold (£3)

The first thing which caught my eye was this gorgeous highlighting powder. Recently, I have been experimenting with contouring as I've never really done it before. I have discovered that I absolutely love using highlighters, they really make me look radiant and bring the light to the right areas of my face! I swatched the tester of this product in the shop and it looked so breathtaking against my skin that I couldn't leave it on the shelf; it is the perfect shade and shimmery but not glittery. I can see highlighters becoming a little obsession for me in the future!

 Lipstick - Shade 16, Shade 14 & Shade 11 (£1 each)

I have a liiittle obsession with lipstick, to say the very least (I even love photographing them). I couldn't try out a new brand without picking up a few of their lipsticks! I swatched all of the colours as I couldn't pick between the huge range, but I settled for these three. The formula is really creamy & moisturising and the colours are bold, but the staying power is not fantastic. 16 is a coral pink/peach shade which I think will be perfect to transition into spring, 14 is a classic nude which I decided to pick up as I don't really experiment with nude lips, and 11 is my favourite as it's sort of a "your lips but better" shade and it really compliments my skintone, plus it seems to last the longest on my lips.

 Lip Liner - Red Drama & Caramel Nougat (£1 each)

Lip liner has never been something I thought I needed, as my lips are naturally very large, plump and well defined. I read online recently however that lip liners increase the staying power of your lipstick so I decided to give them a go. I picked up a pink/nude colour and a red which I hope will cover all of the lipsticks I own. I think it's really clever that the lids have a built-in sharpener, as I can never find one suitable for eyeliners and it'll be perfect for on-the-go!

 Eyebrow Pencil - Blonde (£1)

I have recently started paying more attention to my eyebrows, although they are already quite thick so I tend to just brush them into place. I plucked them quite far apart when I was a little younger and have decided to grow them back in, so I picked up an eyebrow pencil to fill in-between the growing hairs so my brows still look neat and groomed. I haven't been too keen on brow products in the past as I find they are too red-toned for my brows, but this pencil was the perfect tone for me as it's more of a light grey/brown colour.

Undress Your Skin Under Eye Concealer - Luminous (£3)

I have always used the same concealer product both for under my eyes and on blemishes, but there was an offer to get this free if you spent over £6 on MUA products, and I wasn't going to leave a freebie behind. I'm looking forward to trying this out as I get nowhere near enough sleep most nights due to late nights on the internet and early mornings for college!

I'm absolutely loving all of the MUA products and will definitely be going back for another look next time I'm in Superdrug! It surprised me how cheap all of the items were, as so many people rave about them and they seem to be such high-quality. I guess it just goes to show that you don't have to spend a ridiculous amount on beauty products, you just have to find the right ones!

100/150 FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY!

A few days ago, I hit 100 followers! Then yesterday I hit 150!!! This was pretty overwhelming as I have had my blog for less than a month, but it's so lovely to know that people are interested in what I write about as I enjoy running this blog so much, from taking photographs to researching products to interacting with other bloggers and readers! I wanted to do a giveaway that really incorporates all elements of what my blog is about, so I have picked 3 items I think represent Joie de Jodie. I didn't manage to decide on a suitable skincare item but I was part of a bloggers chat yesterday which made me feel really inspired to write more skincare posts as it's something a lot of people want to read about and I am really passionate about the topic due to my past with acne. So, if you stick around (which I really hope you do), expect to see more of that among my beauty/fashion/lifestyle ramblings!

1. W7 "In The Buff" Eyeshadow Palette (£9.99)
I am definitely an advocate of the natural make-up look for everyday wear and like most beauty bloggers, I lust over the Urban Decay Naked Palettes. In my opinion, this palette is an incredible dupe for the Naked 2 Palette, at less than a third of the price. The colours are almost exactly the same, they're even in the same order, and the pigmentation is also good. The palette also comes with a pretty high quality brush. I think this palette represents this blog for a few reasons; my love of natural nude eyeshadow and my ability to spot a bargain! Although I do spend money on high-end make up it doesn't mean you can't get fantastic quality for a fraction of the price; you just have to look in the right places! I will be reviewing this palette soon along with some other Naked dupes so keep your eye open for that post!

2. Monki Miracle Purse (£8)
Another topic I am very interested in is minimalist living. It's very important to me to have things organised, clean and neat. I hope to write more about this on my blog in the future. I have a LOT of store loyalty cards and other bits and pieces to carry around in my own wallet, so I have one similar to this Monki one where you can divide everything up and keep it organised and easy to access. I love the sleek matte black, too!

 

3. Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Perfection Lipstick - 01 (£5.49)
I think it's important to have a few statement items in your collection, whether it be fragrance, make-up or an item of clothing. For me, a classic red lip does the trick, complimenting my otherwise pale features, blue eyes and blonde hair, and adding a pop of colour to my otherwise monochrome outfits. This formula is one of my favourites, as it is very moisturising and lasts for hours. Red lips could represent me and my blog for a number of reasons; they are in my header and all of my branding but also for me they represent boldness and confidence. I find just the act of applying a coat of lipstick and "pulling yourself together" can sometimes make me feel far better if I'm a bit down, and it also brings emphasis to your lovely happy smile!


THE GIVEAWAY
The giveaway will last from 25/01/15 to 22/02/15 so you have just under a month to enter. The widget is below for you to find out what to do - the more tasks you complete the more chance you have of winning as it will add more entries for you! The giveaway will also be open internationally as I am aware I have readers from a few different countries other than the UK. Good luck and I hope you like the prizes, thank you for following and supporting me!

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