The Body Shop Haul

Hi Guys! Recently I've been absolutely loving the Body Shop's stuff, so I thought I'd do a haul for you all! Some of these products were gifted to me on my birthday, and the others I've bought on trips to town.

The Honey mania Body Butter (£13) This is my first of the Body Shop's famous body butters. The scent is amazing, It's described by the body shop as a 'Rich, Floral Scent' which I would agree with completely, It's not so much a strong honey smell as you might expect, but I imagine it's more of a combination of wildflower honey with floral notes. It has a lovely thick buttery consistency and left my skin completely hydrated for 24 hours.

 I absolutely loved the Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser SPF30 (£13) moisturiser during my holiday in Spain. It gave my skin a lovely and radiant glow, and left it feeling lovely and soft and smooth. This was ideal for application during the morning, and due to it's SPF factor of 30, it kept my skin well protected- not to mention the fragrance! It's so lovely and zesty, and smells like oranges which really helpt my skin to wake up after late nights.

I've used the Vitamin C skin reviver (£13) a handful of times so far and haven't gotten round to give it a thorough testing. It has a sort of gel consistency with light reflecting particles running through it, which when applied to the skin helps to perk up your complexion and add a bit of glow. This, like the moisturiser has a gorgeous citrus scent, and I imagine would look great under a matte or semi matte foundation to add a bit of glow.

The All In One Instablur (£14) acts as a face perfecting primer in order to disguise imperfections. It has a silicone gel consistency that smoothes onto skin to reduce the appearance of pores and extend the life of makeup. I would say it's probably a great dupe of Benefit's the porefessional, but much more purse friendly! 

I'd heard so much hype surrounding the All in One BB cream (£12), and seeing as I was yet to purchase one, I decided to purchase in shade 02 It comes out the tube as a white cream, and has pigment filled capsules which burst on contact with the skin, releasing the tint, to suit your skintone. I'm hoping that as I get paler  in the winter this will still be the right shade match. It has a very light coverage which is perfect for no makeup makeup, but definitely benefits with a primer for lasting power. 

I'd heard so many bloggers raving about the Honey bronze Bronzing powder (£13), and how great it is for contouring. I went for the shade 02, which is the 2nd out of four shades. So far so good and I've been loving this either for contour or just to bronze up my cheeks a little. And oh wowzers the packaging is divine! The product is encased in a sleek brown compact with honey comb embossed into the pan, it's just such a beautiful product that I love to use.

 

You can only pick one- beauty tag

Hi guys, it seems like ages since I last posted on here :( what with exams and everything school's had to come first, but now I'm all finished, I'm hoping to get back to blogging on a more regular basis :) I thought I'd do the 'You can only pick one' tag that I saw on the blog Autumn Leaves, as it sounded like a bit of fun!

Low End Brand: If i had to pick one, I think I'd go for Bourjois, I've been really enjoying their CC cream lately and it looks like they have a variety of other great products that I'm yet to try.

High End Brand: Without a doubt, MAC. I love everything from their foundations to their eyeshadows, and their lipsticks are just amazing, they're so pigmented and lovely on the lips. The packaging is just beautiful too. I don't mind spending a bit more on the product if I know it will deliver.

 Primer: I haven't really forayed much into the world of primers, but at the moment I've been using and loving Benefit's The Porefessional. It just smooths over your skin disguising any pores and helps your makeup to sit nicely throughout the day.

Foundation/BB cream/Tinted moisturiser: At the moment I would definitely say bare Minerals.I've only got a sample size at the moment, but it's great, the coverage is really buildable so can be worn light or built up for a more full coverage look, whilst always looking natural on the skin.

Concealer: Its a blogger favourite for good reason, and at the moment I've been using the lasting perfection concealer by Collection. It has a good coverage and a nice consistency.

Bronzer: At the moment I actually only have one bronzer in my posession, and that is the bronzer in the sleek face form kit. It's matte so works well for contouring, and also works nicely just to add a bit of warmth to the complexion. 

Blush: I don't wear blush that much this time of year, as my cheeks tend to lean on the rosy side anyway, but when I do I love Natural Collection's blush in Peach Melba. It adds a nice little flush to your cheeks.

Powder: At the moment I'm only using the Stay Matte powder by Rimmel, and whilst it helps to keep away shine for a few hours, after about two or three hours I find myself needing to top up. I think I might try one of Mac's setting powders soon and see how they match up to the Rimmel offering.

Setting spray: N/A (Haven't tried one!)

Eyebrow product: My Brow's are quite bold already so I don't always fill them in, but when I do, the Tesco Along came betty brow kit is great. It has two brow powders in light and dark shades, coupled with a fixing wax and setting powder. 

Eyeshadow/palette: I've been really enjoying using the Urban Decay Naked basics palette recently. Its made mostly of matte shades and has some really beautiful natural shades aswell as a matte brown and black which could also be used for an eyebrow shad or as eye liner, so it's really versatile.

Eyeliner: At the moment I've been using a brown eyeliner pencil by Estee Lauder,as I don't really wear winged liner all that often.

Mascara: This for me is so difficult! I have so many mascaras and i love them all for different reasons. I think I'd probably go for Benefit They're Real! as it just makes your eyelashes so long and fluttery whilst giving them loads of definititon. 

Lipstick/Lipgloss/lip balm: I think I would probably go with Lush's Honey Trap lip balm as I get dry chapped lips all the time, so i need something that's really nourishing. It gives a nice sheen to your lips and keeps them moisturised at the same time.

Nail Polish: I don't have just one colour that I really love, but  i think i would probably go for one of the Barry m gelly formulas as they look so stunning on your nails.

Beauty Tool: Hands down the Real techniques Buffing brush, I use it everytime that I apply my makeup and it just blends out foundation and concealer really easily.

Hope you guys enjoyed that and I'm hoping to carry on blogging more frequently now my exams are finished!

Spring cleaning your skincare

Hey guys! recently I've been feeling that my current skincare routine just wasn't working on my sensitive skin, so I decided to switch things up a bit in favour of a simpler routine. At the moment I'm down to just two products (yes, two!) and I feel like they've really helped my skin to become a lot clearer and generally more happy in itself.

Amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash-  £4.95 Waitrose, or Amie website

I've really been loving using this facial wash recently, i feel like it really cleanses my skin but doesn't leave it feeling taut or dry afterwards. If anything, its quite creamy and moisturising. It smells heavenly, a sort of fruity/floral scent, I actually got complimented that my face smelled nice aha! I also like that unlike some other products Amie only uses really natural ingredients and is cruelty free. I feel like this  (as the name suggests) has really been helping to keep my skin clear.


La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo + - £15.50 Boots

Effaclar duo + is basically a light gel moisturiser that promises to unblock clogged pores and keep your skin nice and clear, as well as healing any scars left behind from spots. I think its really great to use as a moisturiser during the day, it manages to stop me getting oily in my t-zone, and keep my skin moisturised all day, and when I use it under makeup I don't always need to powder ( I have combination skin). I feel like I get less blemishes than before I used this, and its helped previous light scarring from spots start to fade.


So, I've really been loving treating my sensitive skin to just two products, I'll definitely try more from the amie range, I was really impressed with the face wash, their range is so affordable, I can't wait to try their other products. I definitely feel like Effaclar Duo has been helping my skin stay clear and helping to heal any scarring aswell.

What are your favourite skincare products?

February Favourites

Sorry this is a bit of a late one, but I thought I'd do it anyway :) there's a couple of bits 'n bobs I've really used alot during February, or have just tried and already know I love.

1. Happy Hippy shower gel - Lush £3.50 (100g)

I absolutely love this shower gel, its a real waker upper. It's a lovely zesty zingy shower gel that's really refreshing and always helps me to wake up in the mornings, it's lovely and citrusy and really uplifting- a must for those days when you groggily drag yourself out of bed ten minutes earlier to have a shower!

2. Moroccan Argan Oil - Raw Skincare £6.99 (30ml)

I've been loving this Hair oil from Raw skincare recently, I apply it to the lengths and ends of my hair before I blow dry to keep my hair silky soft, and give it a nice sheen.I feel like it gives more condition to my hair, and makes my locks lovely and glossy. I also love Raw Skincare's ethos, and the fact that all their products are really natural. I have purchased some of their 'Little Muddies' face masks and a lip balm before, all of which I've enjoyed. this 30ml bottle actually lasts a really long time, you only need a tiny amount for each application. I've had mine since January and use it every time I wash my hair, and I've only used a tiny amount.

3. Natural Collection Corrector stick - Boots £1.99

Recently I'd been looking for a product that would help to colour correct any redness in my complexion and at £1.99, this absolutely does the trick! I apply it after primer, and blend it over any blemishes before applying concealer or foundation. It does a great job of taking away redness and helping my concealer and foundation to work more easily. A must have, especially at the bargain little price tag!

4. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm- Boots  £3.69

I've been using this lip balm alot lately, I love the way it applies and gives a slight tingle to the lips. The fact that its in a tube makes it convenient for out and about. I also really like that the formula's neither too glossy nor too thick. It smells lovely and minty and keeps my lips hydrated.

5. Bare minerals foundation sample

I asked recently at the BareMinerals counter if they had a sample of their best-selling foundation that I could try, and it simply is beautiful. It blends effortlessly into the skin and provides buildable coverage whiulst still looking like skin, rather than being masklike. The sample size I asked for actually looks like it will last awhile, but once it runs out I'll definitely re-purchase!

6. Company magazine- Tesco £2.60

Magazine wise, recently I've been loving reading Company Magazine. I find it more interesting than magazines like Hello or Ok! because its not too based on the rule family, and equally there aren't any gossipy style articles, I enjoy how its mostly fashion and beauty based. The march issue had some really good tips on SS14 makeup and how to echo the trends in a more wearable way, which I really liked. I've recently bought the April edition with Zoella on the cover.


What have you been loving during February?

Beauty Wishlist #1

Hi guys, I thought I'd start a new series called Beauty wishlist. I'll probably just post these whwen there's a couple of products that have come to mind recently, or that I've seen other bloggers talk about. So, without further ado...

1. Origins Drink up Intensive Mask

Recently I've tried a sample of this from origins, and its absolutely lovely, you apply it as if it were a moisturiser overnight, and then let it soak in to wake up with soft plump skin in the morning. Did I mention this smells of peach and mango?! (insert heart eyed emojis here) 

2. Eos lip balm in Sweet Mint

I swear every beauty blogger and their cat has tried this, but i still haven't. Ive tried Balmi lip balms which are very similar, but I'd really like to try an EOS to see what all the fuss is about.

3. The POREfessional agent zero shine

I've recently bought the porefessional primer, which so far i think is great, and I'd really like to tyr its sister product, agent zero shine. Its essentially a setting powder that claims to minimise the look of pores and shine. At the moment I'm using rimmel stay matte but that doesn't really cut the mustard as i find i get a little shiny around my nose after a few hours.

4. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Again, something I'm yet to try. Literally everyone raves about this eyeshadow palette with its beautiful rose tinted tones. I really need to get my hands on this one- I've never actually tried any of the other naked palettes either!

5. Revlon Colourburst Balms Matte and Lacquer

I've heard so much about these little babies in the last few weeks, my bloglovin' feed has been full of them. I've swatched some of the shades in boots, and in the lacquer finish 'Demure' stands out to me and in the Matte finish 'Elusive', although i'm probably steering slightly more towards the lacquers.

6. NARS sheer glow foundation

I've seen Tanya Burr talk about this foundation a fair bit, and the thought of perfect skin with a healthy glow to it sounds perfect for spring and summer this year!

7.Bourjois CC cream

I've heard alot of bloggers get into the CC cream hype this month, and its the bourjois one that stands out to me most. The pigments in the formula aim to correct discolouration from dark circles to scarring, whilst promising a light natural formulation at the same time,  which sounds perfect.

8. Ilamasqua sculpting duo

I've been looking for a good contouring shade recently, that isn't too orange toned or too muddy, and this duo contains a contouring shade that leans to the more ashy side of things, and a gorgeous champagne highlighting shade. I think kits like these are great for traveling as well.

So, that's my first Beauty wishlist, I hope you guys enjoyed it and maybe its given you guys some ideas of what to buy next. Comment below about what you've been wanting lately :) 

Mini Haul

Hi guys! This is sort of a round up of a few beauty bits that I've bought lately, some of these are more first impressions, and others I've already started using :)

The first purchase I made was this pretty POREfect set by Benefit. I've seen the pore fessional primer being raved about for the longest time and i'm so happy I've got my hands on it. If you're unfamiliar with it (where have you been?) the porefessional is a light primer that claims to minimize the appearance of pores and help your makeup to stay on longer. I've only used this a few times so far, and so far so good, I won't go into depth now as I'll probably end up reviewing it soon. I'm looking forward to trying the 'that gal' brightening primer and  using the 'it's potent!' eye cream more- both promise radiance boosting effects which gets a thumbs up from me!

Next I bought Rimmel 'Match Perfection' foundation. I went into boots looking for this foundation as I've heard how much Tanya Burr had raved about it and was eager to give it a go. Luckily for me, Boots were having a promotion where you got a free 'Fix and Perfect' primer with any Rmmel foundation. So far I've only just started using this foundation, and I'd say it was medium coverage that's buildable, or could be sheered out depending on preference.

 I went to lush, and also picked up a few goodies. I love lush and their products, and was intrigued by their all-natural mascara 'Eyes Right'. Compared to normal mascaras, its said to only contain one preservative (whereas most other mascaras have around 5) and contains wheatgerm oil to condition and strengthen your lashes, as well as helping your lashes to grow. Again, I've only used this a handful of times but it is hands down the easiest mascara to remove. I also picked up 'American Cream' a lovely and creamy conditioner and 'Happy Hippy' which has to be the most zingiest refreshing shower gel ever, its really uplifting and awakening as part of my morning shower. I also grabbed 'The Kiss' lipgloss which is one of their limited edition  lipbalm-come-gloss  as part of their valentines day range, its a lovely sheer pink colour, which adds a pretty sheen to your lips.

 Mac lipsticks! I really wanted to try a few more mac lipsticks, seeing as how so many people love them, and I purchased Peach Blossom (left) and Crosswires (right). I really wanted to buy Peach Blossom as its such a pretty shade, and is probably my ideal everyday lip. I can't really wear nude lipsticks or very light lipsticks like Creme Cup from Mac as I have quite dark lips, and nudey/pinky shades just don't stay on, so something like Peach Blossom is perfect for me. I also bought crosswires, which is a gorgeous orange toned pink shade. This is a really nice way to wear a brighter lip without going OTT with colour. Orange lips are on trend for SS14, and whilst I wouldn't go completely for a full orange lip, a lipstick with an orange undertone is a nice subtle way to echo the trend.

 Boots do one of their own ranges, natural collection which was the first makeup brand I ever tried, and all their products have really reasonable price points. I chose their clear mascara and corrector stick. The clear mascara I won't be using as a mascara at all- rather as a clear brow gel. I saw no point in splashing out on a specially branded clear brow set when a natural collection clear mascara for £1.99 could do the same job. Another bargain buy from natural collection was this green corrector stick, which is essentially a camouflaging concealer to disguise redness. you can blend this over any blemishes or redness you have under your concealer, and it helps to colour correct and make your concealer last longer and work more effectively.




I hope you enjoyed this post- let me know if it inspires any purchases, or if you'd like to see a review on any of these products x

Liquid lines

Liquid liner. Where do I start? I've never found winged liner particularly easy to do, but recently I thought I'd have a go, and I actually really like it. I knew that if it did suit me, I certainly wouldn't be busting out a full on cat-eye, (meow) but instead a thin line across my lash line slightly winged out in the outer corner. For any of you winged-liner-newbies, I watched Michelle Phan's video, which was really helpful, it talks through a few easy ways to use liquid liner. 

I used the 'dot to dot' method and drew a few dashes along my lash line, then joined them together and neatened up the line, and I used the Rimmel Scandaleyes precision liquid eyeliner, an eyeliner pen with a really fine tip, which is great if like me you like a thin line, rather than something more bold.  I still haven't quite gotten used to winging it out properly but for the moment I really like a simple line like this, its perfect for daytime with some neutral eye-shadows thrown in and a slick of mascara to complete the look. Have you been experimenting with liquid liner?

Bloglovin'

Hi everyone!
This is just a quick post, i've been loving using bloglovin' lately and would love it if you guys could follow me on there! comment your blog belwo and i'll follow you too!


Link to my blog on bloglovin: Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Mac paint pot in 'Painterly'

Lately I've been loving the Mac pro long wear paint pot in 'Painterly'  . It's essentially a cream eyeshadow which can be used on its own or as a base under other colours, and gives eye shadow a smooth base to stick to.

Either way I think its a great product- on its own it evens out the tone of your eyelids and subtly mattifies, whilst under shadows it  gives a greater colour payoff  on your lids, and colours last for longer.

  It's a lovely smooth creamy formula, and is an eyeshadow staple for me, I never apply eyeshadow without it anymore. I think it just helps to make the colours more vibrant, and seem more pigmented. I've heard its quite similar to the Maybelline Colour tattoos, but I haven't tried them before so I'm afraid I can't testify to that. However I have browsed at the shade selection of the Maybelline versions, and there is definitely a larger range with Mac.

The nice thing about this shade is that is pretty much universal- whether I want to rock a matte or shimmer shade, I know I can team this with whatever colour combination I like. Now I've tried this shade , I'd really like to experiment with a few of their other shades- 'Bare Study' and 'Soft Ochre' look like they're next on my list ...

Benefit 'They're Real!' mascara

Hey everyone, long time no post!! i've been meaning to post more recently but what with christmas and the New Year, it just hasn't happened! So to get back into blogging I thought I'd review Benefit's most well known mascara, 'They're Real!' .It's claimed to be the Uk's number 1 best selling mascara and I can certainly see why, for many reasons I absolutely love this mascara <3 p="">

The wand to the mascara is plastic, which some people hate, but I personally love. It really helps to separate your lashes and stop clumping, and I think its generally easier to apply the product without it smudging everywhere. Unlike other mascaras, I really like that that the wand has bristles all around its surface, even at the ends so you can coat all of your lashes easily, lifting them at the sides for a fluttery effect.

The mascara definitely lives up to its claim of making your lashes look more volumised and like falsies. I apply a couple of coats to give my lashes maximum volume and lift, but If you're lucky enough to have really long camel lashes (hehe) then you'd probably only need one coat.This mascara is definitely one of my faves and when it runs out I know I'll repurchase, it just made my lashes look so much more voluminous, longer and thicker!  

What I got for Christmas 2013!

Hey everyone, how have you all been? I've been away over Christmas so that's why I haven't been posting much lately. We were away for christmas, so when we got back I was excited to see what Santa had Brought :P

Oh and another thing I just wanted to say that this is in no way shape or form me bragging at all, I feel so lucky and blessed for all the gifts I've recieved, and I love seeing what other people have recieved so I thought I'd post about what I've been given :D

Lush :D

I got given quite a few goodies from lush this year :D. If  you know me well you'll know that I absolutely love Lush and their products, I love their natural ethos and how beautifully scented their products are ( to the extent that you can smell the shop form the other end of the street!) I got given two of my bath bombs from a secret santa amongst my friends, I recieved shoot for the stars and also cinders.

 I also got three other bath bombs from my parents, golden wonder, luxury lush pud and snowman.I'm really excited to use each of these and maybe you'll see a post about them soon :-p

Makeup

I asked one of my sisters for the Real Techniques core collection, and I'm really excited she's got me them!! I've seen the hype about these everywhere- instagram, blogs, youtube- so I can't wait to use them. If you havent heard of them before, they're designed by make up artist Samantha Chapman, and her and her sister run a youtube channel called 'Pixiwoo' where they do makeup tutorials. 

Eeeeek!! First mac foundation alert! My other sister got me the mac studio fix fluid for christmas as she took me to have my makeup done before Holly Ball- our schools version of prom that's in the winter. I have it in the shade NC15, its fairly high coverage, but i think its buildable, again, I'll probably do a review on this little baby once I've used it!

 

I suppose this comes under the heading of perfume, but oh well! One of my sisters also bought me the 'Indian night jasmine' fragrance mist from the body shop, it smells so lovely, but I'm really bad at describing smells :P 

Food :D

I got a jar of marshmallow fluff, and hershey kisses in a candy cane :) really intrigued as to what the fluff tastes like- i've heard lots about it! and hershey kisses are just yum.

Guylian- What can i say other than yum! I've always had these, I remember them from being younger because of their cute little shapes :D

I also recieved a few other little essentials like makeup remover, cotton pads etc which is good as those are the sorts of things I normally run out of! I got money from some of my friends and family so I'm excited to go shopping soon!! 

What were your favourite christmas presents? Tell me in the comments below!! I'm also on bloglovin if you want to follow me on there :) comment your blog below and I'll follow you back :D