Lately I've been trying sooo many make-up products, from cheaper dupes to their high end alternatives and I'm finally quite happy with how my make-up bags looking! I wanted to share with you a few of products that I use every day and prove that not all great make-up has to cost the earth!

 

 

First I'll start with foundation, I must have tried millions of different foundations throughout the years! From mouse to liquid to powder and I think I've finally found the perfect everyday foundation for my acne-prone skin - No7's Beautifully Matte. Priced at just £14.50, I think it's a steal, it's a full coverage foundation but it's super lightweight so it doesn't leave your face feeling heavy! 

Next, I have to talk to you about NARS radiant creamy concealer! Literally every fashion blogger on the planet raves about this concealer and so I had to try it and I'm so glad I did! I have tried the LA Girl Pro Concealer too which is meant to be a dupe for this and whilst I found it had really good coverage even the palest shade was a bit orange-y on my skin (pale girl problems). I get the NARS in shade Vanilla and it's the perfect shade for brightening under your eyes and it's super easy to blend out and doesn't sit heavy on your skin. At £23.00 it's not the cheapest on the market but it does last a while and for the coverage it's really worth it!

Right, onto lipsticks, they are my ultimate makeup guilty pleasure so I wanted to share a few of my favourites with you guys - I couldn't just pick one! My top favourite would have to be the Gerard Cosmetic Hydra Matte Liquid Lipstick and my favourite shade is Mile High which is a perfect every day nude-y pink! What I love about these lipsticks is the staying power they literally last all day! Whilst they are slightly drying (name me a matte lipstick that isn't) I normally pop some lip balm on before I apply it and that helps a lot! My second favourite lipstick would be the MAC Liptensity Lipsticks, they're satin finish so they're not drying but they still have incredible staying power and pigment - love, love, love! I actually bought mine in duty free last year but they're only about £16.00 anyway! I have the shade Driftwood and it's a slightly lilac under-toned nude.

Last but not least I wanted to mention the Gerard Cosmetics Slay All Day setting spray, I initially bought this because I'd heard so much about it and so I bought it in the smaller bottle for £10.00 to test out and I found it worked really well! It's a really lightweight spray so your face isn't left feeling really wet and it smells incredible (well, the cucumber one I get does!) plus it keeps my makeup in place all day long!

 

 

Having just returned from a lovely little trip to Budapest I was super excited to show you guys some pictures and maybe give you some pointers in case you're thinking of visiting yourself!

 

The first thing to note about Budapest is that it's crazy cheap! We managed to get flights for just £17 each way (!!) and our hotel cost just a fraction of what you'd usually pay in a city!!

 

 

The city itself is split into two halves ('Buda' and 'Pest') by the Danube river. We stayed in Pest which is the busier side of the city, here you'll find all the bigger shopping areas and the majority of the restaurants, it's full of businesses big and small pretty much everything you'd expect from a big city. 'Buda' which lies on the opposite side of the river is full of the beautiful landmarks and historical buildings including the Statue of Liberty (Budapest style) and Buda Castle which both have the most incredible views over the city! We actually climbed up the whole of Buda Castle before realising there was a lift, so if you don't fancy walking up there is an alternative! We also walked up to the Statue of Liberty as we didn't see any other way of getting up there, it's quite a steep climb but the view is so amazing it was soo worth it!!

 

 

Anyway, before I start sounding like Michael Palin lets get onto the good stuff! As a major shopaholic I always promise my boyfriend that I'm not going to shop on holiday but I just can't hold back - especially when the shops look soo pretty! I was really impressed with the shopping in Budapest, I visited the West End City Centre which is the big shopping centre but personally I thought that the shops were better on the streets around Deák Ferenc Tér station where I found the biggest H&M I have ever seen along side Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, MAC and loads more (heaven!).

 

One of my favourite places we visited was Szimpla Kert, I'd heard so much about Budapest's ruin bars and according to Google this was the best one (and they did loaded friend so I was pretty much sold). It did not disappoint, from the outside it looked a little creepy but inside it was full of quirky furniture and decor - so many Instagram opportunities! The coolest part was in the beer garden at the back there was an old car covered in stickers and converted into a seating area, perfect for kicking back with a cocktail! The price of a pint there literally about £1, so you can easily spend a few hours chilling out and it'll cost you next to nothing!

 

The one place everyone always goes when they visit Budapest is the thermal baths/spas so as a dedicated tourist we went to! It cost the equivalent of £13.00 each for us to go in but it allows you as much time as you like within the baths themselves. We paid the higher price to get a 'cabin' (basically a changing room) as we didn't fancy stripping off in front of a room full of strangers but if that floats your boat then you can get in cheaper! Personally I wasn't super impressed, the building is beautiful but to me it was a bit little bit gross, the outdoor pools were really warm and relaxing but when we went to find the indoor pools we were greeted with an eggy smell and the water looked a bit murky (vom) so unless you're super excited about it I'd say it's not a must see and there are far better landmarks! (Maybe I'm just a bit of a germaphobe...)

 

 

I think I could keep going on forever about this trip but I don't want to bore you all but shout out to my boyfriend for the best surprise Christmas present ever!! What would you guys suggest for our next trip?