Like a lot of people, I spend my fair share of time scrolling through gorgeous images on Instagram. Over the past few months, I happened to notice that a lot of bloggers I know were posting on their feeds about products they had been sent to review from Influenster.com. I'd never heard of the site before, but when I checked it out, I discovered that it's a product review site that anyone can sign up for. I decided I might as well create an account, and then promptly forgot all about it. Imagine my surprise when a couple of weeks later, I received an email from them to tell me I'd been selected to review Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara*. Not bad, eh?!

I've lusted after quite a few Marc Jacobs beauty bits for some time now, so I was thrilled to receive this. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous, simple but effective, and I'm a big fan of the hexagonal shape. I like the brush too - it has natural bristles and is thin and quite long, so it does an amazing job of grabbing and coating every lash.


According to Marc Jacobs, the formula is designed to give a false lash effect with just three strokes of the wand, or even less. The pigment is an intense black, and promises to deliver both length and "1800% more volume".

I can confess to being pretty fickle when it comes to mascara. Every time I write a monthly favourites post, I seem to have a new one to add to the list. And I have to say, Velvet Noir is no exception. The formula is a little wet on first application, but it doesn't bother me too much - it just means I need to be a bit careful when putting it on. The claim that you don't need many coats is definitely one I have found to be true - you get a pretty much instant impact with this. As for the results, to me this is a "best of both worlds" mascara. Usually, you have to choose between length and volume, but Velvet Noir delivers both very effectively.
 

Apparently, Marc Jacobs was inspired to create this mascara by memories of watching his mother getting ready to go out. She would shave fibres from a piece of black velvet and stick them to her lashes between layers of mascara in order to create a more dramatic look. As much as I admire the woman for her dedication, ain't nobody got time for that, so I'm very pleased that her son came up with a mascara that would deliver the goods on its own! I should also point out that it achieves this incredible volume without clumping - it just beautifully thickens each lash.





Velvet Noir isn't cheap, but if you're after a mascara that gives you a dramatic false lash effect and don't want to compromise on either volume or length, I think you will love it.

Have you tried this mascara?
Kate x

It's monthly favourites time again! January has been pretty productive for me this year. Last year and the year before I was moving house, and everything else had to go on hold, so it has been really nice to be able to get on with things from the start this time around. In terms of my blog, I've felt a renewed sense of enthusiasm after feeling a little bit lost at the end of last year. In part, this has been due to having the opportunity to work with No7 this month - a brand I've loved for years - but also, I think, because I took some time off over Christmas to recharge my batteries and really think about what I'm trying to achieve with my little corner of the internet. Taking a break is something I'm often scared to do, but it can be invaluable in terms of putting things into perspective and generating new ideas, so I'm going to make a mental note to myself to do this a little more often! All in all, it's been a positive start to 2017. 

As well as getting started on those new year goals, January is often a time when a lot of people cut back on spending. That certainly seems to have been true for me this year, as pretty much all my favourites are rediscoveries of forgotten treasures from the bottom of my makeup drawer. I have to say, as much as I love acquiring shiny new things, there is a particular sense of satisfaction to be gained from shopping the stash, especially when you are reminded of how much you love something that has somehow slipped out of sight and out of mind.

Here's what I've been loving this month.

1. Benefit Rollerlash Mascara - My appreciation for this mascara has been something of a slow burner. When I first bought it, I was fixated on the claims about how well it curls lashes, and expected to be able to throw away my eyelash curlers once and for all. This wasn't the case for me, and I think it made me disappointed in the product to start off with. However, once I had fished my eyelash curlers back out of the bin and tried Rollerlash in partnership with them, I realised that it's actually really nice, especially for length. I usually go for volumising mascaras, but lately I've preferred the more delicate, fluttery effects of this one. 

2. Miller Harris Vetiver Insolent Perfume* - I'm sure I've mentioned this fagrance hundreds of times on the blog by now, but if you're unfamiliar with it, you can check out my full review here. This is a sophisticated and heavy fragrance, not for the faint-hearted, but I absolutely love it. I've had a few evenings out this month, and with the weather being so cold, I have enjoyed wearing this warm, earthy fragrance more than ever.

3. Mac Eye Shadow in Tempting - I'd forgotten I had this, so it was a treat to rediscover it in the depths of my makeup drawer! For my day to day eye makeup, I tend to use just one shade over the lid and blended into the crease, and bronze colours like this are perfect. Tempting is a lustre finish with a really beautiful shimmer to it. I think I have worn this just about every single day throughout the month of January.

4. Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lip Cream in Nude Beach worn with L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss in Protest Queen - I am obsessed with this lip combination. The Too Faced Color Drenched Lip Creams are probably the most comfortable lipsticks I have ever worn. They feel like a lip balm to apply, but they have a beautiful, creamy, sheeny pigmentation to them too. The shade Nude Beach is a gorgeous pinky nude which I seem to have been drawn to a lot this month. I think it has something to do with wanting spring to start right after Christmas! Protest Queen is one of L'Oreal's cream finish lipglosses from the Mega Gloss line, and over the top of Nude Beach it is just perfect. It's almost identical in colour and just intensifies the creaminess and, er, sheeniness. I've put the two together in the swatch above.

5. H&M Turtleneck (similar) - I have lived in this for pretty much the whole month. An absolute bargain, this is a fitted black turtleneck jumper with just the tiniest little design detail in the ribbing on the front. Perfect with jeans and a big fur-lined jacket during the day, and tucked into a leather pencil skirt for the evening. We've had some freezing weather in the last couple of weeks so it has been lovely to be all covered up in this. I can't find this exact jumper on the H&M website, but the one I've linked to is nearly identical and also a great price.

And that rounds up my first monthly favourites of 2017! How has January been for you, and what have you been loving this month?

Kate x

*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.