Concealer and Contour Palette, £4.75 - BornPretty*

I have to admit that when it comes to make up I am no professional, my everyday makeup tends to consist of a thin layer of foundation, a bit of concealer, eyeliner, a coat of mascara and a tiny bit of blush.  As I like to keep it so simple I have been trying to find ways that I can make my skin look more flawless but still keep it looking natural.  So I thought I'd give this palette from BornPretty a try, for £4.75 it is an absolute bargain and also comes with a 7 piece brush kit.

The brush kit is pretty simple and not something I'll probably use much but its a great little added bonus.  It contains a brow brush and comb and eyeshadow sponge applicator, both pretty self explanatory.  Next there is a small angled brush, which I have actually found perfect for applying gel eyeliner, and then a small lip brush.  Then there is a small flat brush, which would be perfect for applying concealer to spots and around the nose but the bristles are really stiff making it a little harder to apply, I'm hoping to be able to find some way to soften them.  The next brush is a larger fat brush and the bristles on this one are much softer and I used this brush to mark out my contouring, then the larger fluffier brush to blend my contouring out.

Now, onto the palette itself, it is made up of a highlighter, green, purple and yellow colour correctors and 11 skin tone shades ranging from light to dark making it suitable for practically any skin tone.  They all have a creamy texture, something which is brand new to me as I have only ever used liquids or powders and I have to admit I am a complete cream convert.  I found these really easy to apply and blend, and as a sufferer of dry skin I was intrigued how it would deal with them.  I am pleased to report that there was not a dry patch in sight!

I have never really used colour correcting concealers before and just always saw it as an unnecessary hassle.  Boy, was I wrong!!  The green and yellow colour correctors were certainly put to the test as I have been suffering from a cold for the last week, which shows no signs of budging, and with a nose as red as rudolph and circles as dark as a panda under my eyes they had a lot of work to do.  As the green concealer cancels out red I put this all around my nose and on any blemishes I had.  It does seem a bit weird having green patches on my face but once they were covered, as you'll see from the picture below, there wasn't a hint of red in sight.  Absolute magic!  I then used the yellow concealer to tackle my dark eyes by patting it below my eyes and putting a thin layer on my eyelids.  I then covered my face with a thin layer of foundation and there wasn't a hint of red or dark circle in sight.  I then used the middle darker shade on the right hand side to contour, it did scare me a little how dark it was when I first applied it but if felt super creamy and blended out really beautifully, leaving me with a nice natural contour.  I then did my eye makeup and blusher patting a bit of the highlighter to the tops of my cheeks and brow bone.

All in all I am really impressed with this palette and the green and yellow concealers are my new best friends.  If you'd like to give this palette a try head over to BornPretty and use the code "SAK31" for an extra 10% off.

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion, £5.45 - Boots

For as long as I can remember I have always struggled with dry skin, which is why I'm always on the hunt for the perfect moisturiser to combat this problem.  A problem I find a lot harder to tackle in the winter.  We all know the cold winter weather can be harsh on our skin and all those extra layers keeping us warm gives our skin less chance to breathe.  I also find that I drink a lot less water in the winter which also won't help in my mission to keep my skin hydrated and combat the dryness.  So I thought I'd give a new moisturiser a try to keep my skin hydrated over the winter.  

Aveeno is a brand that I've always been aware of but never tried before and whilst I was browsing Boots for a new moisturiser to try, this one caught my eye, mainly the promise that it will moisturise dry skin for 24 hours and I was intrigued by the use colloidal oatmeal.  I've heard that if you add oatmeal to your bath it really helps to soothe and hydrate your skin, now I've never really fancied giving that a try but the addition of it to a moisturiser is something that really appealed to me.  Now I know this isn't really a completely natural formulation but I like the idea of natural ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal, which is a finely milled oatmeal that has been proven to restore the skin's natural barrier and prevent water loss.

The Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion has a nice thick texture but is not too creamy.  I'm not really keen on the thick creamy moisturisers that you have to rub and rub into your skin.  This one soaks into your skin really nicely and leaves it feeling nice and hydrated without leaving it feeling too greasy.  I also like that this moisturiser is fragrance free as I'm not really into fragranced cosmetics or skincare, although this does have a slight oat-y smell to it which doesn't bother me too much as I don't find it overpowering and it doesn't linger for too long.  Although I think this is a great moisturiser and that it really does a great job of moisturising my skin, I don't think it quite meets it's promise of keeping skin moisturised for 24 hours.  It may do on people that don't have quite as dry skin as me, but I do start to feel my skin drying again towards the end of the day.  I think this is a pretty big promise to make though and I still prefer it to a lot of other moisturisers that I have tried previously.  The final thing that this moisturiser promises to do is significantly improve the condition of dry skin in 2 weeks.  I have been using this moisturiser for longer than that now and I have definitely seen an improvement in the condition of my skin and have a lot less dry patches than before.  How significant this improvement has been, the jury is still out.  It is, however, a great moisturiser that I would definitely repurchase.

What is your favourite winter moisturiser?

Today I thought I'd share with you one of my favourite winter comfort foods.  I have so many different outfit posts that I have wanted to do in the last week and a half but the British winter is really not a blogger's best friend, it has either been raining, too dull or gale force winds.  I really need to find somewhere good to shoot inside but the lighting is just terrible in my house.  I promise to find a solution and get some more outfit posts up soon though, as I have a few new winter bits that I want to share with you all.

Back to today's post though, this butternut squash and sweet potato soup is one of my favourite winter recipes.  There's just something so comforting about a nice big bowl of soup when it's wet and cold outside.  The other thing I really love about this particular soup is how thick it is, if my soup is too watery I don't really feel like I've eaten but this soup is so filling and another added bonus is that it's super healthy.

Ingredients

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced

1 Sweet Potato, peeled and diced

1 Onion, diced

900ml vegetable stock

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan, then add the onions and cook over a low heat until softened.

2. Add the butternut squash and sweet potato and heat for a couple of minutes.

3. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 minutes.

4. Blend all the ingredients using a hand blender.

As you can see it is a super simple recipe and takes hardly any effort at all.  I have just shared the basic recipe with you but there are lots of different things that you can add for more flavour to suit your tastes.  Sometimes I like to add some mixed herbs to it or some garlic.  Different spices also work great in this soup, such as ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

What are your favourite winter recipes?

1. Grey Leather-Look and Faux Suede Jacket, £100 - River Island
2. Dark Green Premium Belted Trench Coat, £100 - River Island
3. Suede Sheepskin Coat, £180 - Oasis
4. Khaki Wool-Blend Faux Fur Winter Coat, £95 - River Island
5. The Military Coat, £130 - Oasis
6. Houndstooth Cape, £89.99 - Zara
7. Wool Blend Faux Fur Hybrid Coat, £89 - Topshop
8. Faux Fur Collar Neat Cape, £89 - Topshop

If you're anything like me, as soon as the winter weather hits all you want to do is stay indoors by the fire tucked up under nice woolly blanket with a big mug of hot chocolate.  The thought of going outside where it's wet and cold fills me with dismay but the one thing that does make it more bearable is the thought of getting to wear your new winter coat.  As much as I hate winter I always get a little bit excited as my favourite things to shop for have always been coats and boots, two major winter wardrobe staples.  Ever since the clocks went back and the days have gotten darker and colder I have found myself browsing the coat section more and more.  So for my Friday Favourites today I have a selection of my favourites from the high street right now.  From my selection above I think it's pretty obvious that I'm digging a fur collar and I'm loving the dark wintery colours, especially that dark forest green.  Capes are also a huge trend this winter, and I'm loving the two that I've selected here, but I always wonder how I would keep my arms warm?!

Which is your favourite?  Are there any coats that you've got you're eye on for this winter?!

Seventeen Define & Conquer Contour Kit, £5.99 - Boots

This little contour kit by Seventeen is the perfect kit for beginners, it is a bargain for £5.99 and really simple to use, it even comes with a little step-by-step guide to point you in the right direction.  It comes in two different shades, fair and medium, I opted for fair as I have fairly pale skin and when it comes to contouring my biggest fear is being left with great big dark streaks down my cheeks.

I feel like this kit feels a lot more expensive than it is.  The palette itself is a nice size and really sturdy and it has a decent sized mirror in the lid making it perfect for travelling with.  The powders themselves are really nicely pigmented and have a lovely soft and silky feel to them.  I find them really nice to apply and they blend out so easily leaving you with a perfectly subtle contour.  No big brown streaks here!  Both powders are matte so I find this kit ideal for everyday make-up as it leaves you with a very natural finish.  I have to admit I do like a bit of shimmer in my highlighter normally, especially if I'm going out, so in an ideal world the highlighter in the kit would have a bit of a sparkle to it, but I am actually liking the finish of this highlighter for my daytime make-up.

If you are looking for an affordable and easy to use contour kit then this is the one for you.  Whether you are a beginner or expert when it comes to contouring I don't think you can go wrong with this kit.

Have you tried the Seventeen Define & Conquer Contour Kit?  What are your favourite products to use for contouring?