My Current Beauty Favourites

Hello

Today I'm trying out something new! I have for you my current beauty favourites. I haven't done a 'favourites' post before so I hope you enjoy!

Another Illamasqua edit.

I will include a reliable link for every product so that should you like the sound of it, you can try it too. 

Let's start with the biggest of them all and by far my favourite-ist (nope, that's not a word. I made it up). Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash. I. Love. This. Smell. Sometimes I just take of the lid and sniff, it's an addiction almost like drugs. Not drugs though - I don't and never will condone the use of drugs nor do I use any substances not prescribed by my doctor for medicinal purposes. Anyway, getting back on track I really like everything about this product, from packaging (cute and quirky as ever) through scent and price, to how it works. It leaves me feeling clean and fresh. 

Moving out of the shower, I have two moisturisers I've been loving over the past couple of months; first a fantastic facial moisturiser. I have shopped my stash and rediscovered my Clinique dramatically different moisturising gel. It's hard to find since the release of the dramatically different +, but I do love it so all the same. It is super hydrating and a good primer for under foundation. I used it on my poor burnt face during our British heat wave and it worked a treat. Yipee. 

Also I have got into the routine of doing a full body moisturise after I get out of the shower. I tried a couple of products but my favourite is definitely the Soap & Glory Butter Yourself five fruits super rich smoothing body cream. This also smells divine and I find it to be such a good body butter for my skin. Me likes a lot. 

The final moisturising product in my favourites is my beloved vibrant cherry lib butter from Marks & Spencer. I've had this for a while and mainly carried it to school but since leaving school in May I have just rediscovered it. I'm almost out but for now it's my top lip product!

Next up I have been enjoying my real techniques makeup brushes (thank you for these perfect tools Sam Chapman!), the crease brush and buffing brush in particular. If you haven't tried these already then do so right now right here. Go on! You know you want to. 

You may have figured out by now that I am a makeup junkie. I may not have the money to splash out on big brands or buy a lotta products but over the years my collection has more than doubled in size. Let me tell you about some of the things from my collections I have been loving recently so much that they have made it to my favourites...

To start us of it will come as no surprise to you to find my BourjoisHealthy Mix Serum gel foundation in here because in my review I raved about it enough! To read more click here. I have been loving Bourjois on the cheeks as well this month in the form of the cream to powder formula blush shade 02. This is a lovely peachy orange colour which I think is just so pretty.

I have been wearing a nude lip pretty much every day recently and my top two products are my MUA lipstick in shade 16 (nectar) paired with my Collection 2000 love your lips lip gloss in shade 2 (delight). I really like how this looks on my lips and it goes perfectly with the Bourjois blush. 

I feel like this has been a very long post today but only two products remaining, both of which are for the eyes! My mascara which I have been using non stop for its non-clump and super curl qualities is actually a cheapy little thing from a brand called Evie Mae in brown.. It came as part of a vanity kit (which you can pick up from eBay here) from a fundraiser catalog a few years ago when I thought nothing of it. Now, though, I am really regretting not using it more earlier on. 

I have also done a little 'shop my stash' and rediscovered my No7 define & shimmer eye palette which contains four silky looking autumn colours all of which are beautiful on the eye.

 I particularly love the chocolate brown either in the crease or all over the lid. The best part about this product is that I got it free when I bought a No7 mascara. This is no longer available from Boots but you can find it on eBay. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and it wasn't just me rambling on about some makeup I like. I really recommend each product mentioned today and I hope you will try some out for yourself and enjoy the just as much. 

If you have a blog or YouTube channel and have uploaded your monthly/current favourites then leave me the link in the comments so I can take a look. 

Until next time
xx

Smashbox It's Your Prime Review

Hello

Today I am talking about a lovely mini set of face primers from Smashbox. This is a brand I only recently began to buy from but so far, I have no complaints. The set retails for £14.00 from Boots which is a fantastic deal for three primers from Smashbox. 

As with any minis the packaging is adorable yet still manages to look professional and very high end. The lid primer has a doe foot applicator which comes in very useful for blending. The under eye and face primers come in small tubes from which you squeeze out the product. 

My favourite of the three is without a doubt the face primer, not only because I love the packaging and the gel like consistency but because I really like the product itself. I apply a small amount with my fingers all over my face and its completely invisible and you don't feel it there. It keeps my makeup in place all day long and isn't oily at all. I recommend this to any one!

Second, the under eye primer is also fantastic. It does what is says on the tube - which is hydrate. This primer is super refreshing and hydrating for the under eye area and I occasionally apply this when I'm wearing so makeup just for the hydrating benefit. The consistency is a little thicker and similar to a creamy mousse. Easy to apply. 

Finally the lid primer is very much like the Urban Decay Primer Potion. I love UD primer potion and I love this. It is the same colour and texture but you don't need as much and it blends a lot better so that it becomes invisible. The product keeps your eye make up in place for hours so that you don't end up with down fall or smudges. 

Well done Smashbox for figuring out the formula for the best primers!

This was just a really quick review but you can only go into so much detail when discussing a primer. I hope this helped and maybe you will give the set a go, if you only like the sound of one of the trio you can individually purchase the primers from Smashbox directly or Boots. Let me know how you get on.

Until next time
xx

Good Summer Skin!

Hello

Prepare yourself for some crazy editing now; I've been testing out some of Illamasqua's - yes, the beauty brand - overlays and borders. They have collaborated with Pixlr to create some pretty cool stuff. Check it out and let me know what you think of my edits. 

In my boudoir (ooh fancy!), my bed is position on the wall opposite my wardrobe which in turn means I am opposite a full length mirror. As I sit here writing this post I am glancing at the mirror and feeling proud of my skin. In the past month I have been trying so hard to do right by my skin and to restore its good health. I feel I have successfully accomplished this, even if I'm not at the end of my mission just yet. 

When I was younger I had really good skin but then, as with every other teenager I know, my hormones took over and for a good couple of years I've gone through breakouts, blackheads, dry skin, oily skin, dehydrated skin, redness, scarring and rashes. Eurghhh. Whatta nightmare! I am happy to say I am finally over that and I am on the road to soft and smooth. In this post I want to share a couple of tips and tricks that have worked for me. Basically the products I have been using to achieve good skin. 

SO, I'll be honest. I did go a couple of weeks completely makeup free to let my skin breathe and to keep my pores as clean and unclogged as possible. I know that some of you don't wear makeup at all and some of you wont want to step outside without all your war paint on - yes, you know who you are best friend of mine. Sometimes you just have to let your skin have some time to restore itself and to do this you have to be brave and steer clear of the foundation, concealer (maybe a little concealer is ok), bronzer, blush, contour, highlight, powder etc etc. 

Yep, you see, when you make a list you notice just how much you are piling on to your skin of a daily basis. Too much. 

If you really want some coverage I recommend using a good BB cream with all in one benefits - e.g. conceals, moisturises and more. There are so many to choose from, some better than others, I use (purely for lack of money to spend on the high end ones) Rimmel 9 in 1 which you can buy here. 

Next make sure you wash your face every single day. I know this is something everyone knows about but I know, because I am one of them, that some people are too lazy and just don't make the effort. Do you take your makeup of with wipes? DON'T! You are making a big mistake. Stick to makeup remover or a good cleanser. 

I have recently discovered the Olay essentials daily facial cloths for sensitive skin. All you have to do is hold them under the tap for a couple of second, rub together to lather and wipe them over your face. Rinse with either a cloth or your hands and you're good to go. A lazy girls way of refreshing yourself or taking of your makeup. Perfect for me!

Exfoliate. You might be a bit scared to exfoliate, think it'll break you out? Yeah maybe it will, but it's good to bring out all the dirt from under your skin and the breakout wont be major and it will disappear as long as you continue to care for your skin. Don't be afraid to exfoliate. I have been using the Soap & Glory The Greatest Scrub of All which is fantastic - and often sold out so grab it when you can. I use it three times a week in the shower, you only need a tiny amount for your whole face and it cleans up your skin. 

Before I picked up that scrub from S&G I was using the Cyclax nature pure apricot facial scrub (from my local chemist) every other day and it really helped my skin. I still use it in the shower on the days when I don't use my exfoliator. I love this product so much. I will definitely be needing to repurchase this soon. 

Cleanse twice a day. I know it's hard if you get up late and you're in a rush, or you're going to bed late and can't be bothered with a full routine but do it is important to make the effort to cleanse twice a day. Morning and night. I have been using my No7 Soft & Soothed Gentle cleanser as soon as I get out of bed in the morning and to remove my makeup at night, or for the days when I wear no makeup I do it purely to cleanse my pores.

I find that if I keep my cleanser out on show, on a dressing table for example, rather than in my cupboard then I am more likely to use it. 

After I cleanse I have two different routines for morning and evening...

Morning

I use Boots Botanics rosewater toning spritz to freshen up my skin, followed by my No7 Essential Moisture Day Fluid OR my preferredClinique dramatically different moistuising gel - highly recommend.

Evening

I use my No7 Soft & Smooth Gentle Toner followed by my Olay double-action night cream which claims to nourish and regenerate. I find both of these products very hydrating which is important when looking after your skin. 

That's pretty much everything I've been doing/using recently to produce smooth, clear skin and I'm really happy. All products mentioned are cheap and cheerful and have proved to work for me. I wish you good luck in achieving great skin and for those who never have this problem, I envy you greatly!

Until next time
xx 

Lip Glosses I'm Loving

Hello

In the Summer months it is important to take care of your luscious lips but it's always good to add a bit of glamour too. Let's take a look at a couple of my favourite lip glosses from the Spring/Summer months so far.

 Now, in case you didn't know, I am in no means a big fan of lip gloss. I don't like to wear it and I think it's sticky and occasionally just too glossy so you know these products must be really something if even I like them!

One I have been enjoying a lot recently, and in fact the one I wore to my prom in June was just a free gift out of my friend's magazine. This is the Model co SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss in Strip Tease. It is a gorgeous pale peachy pink colour with added shimmer. Thee mirror on the tube is quirky and cute and super handy for applying on the go!

Not the best of times to realise the quality of this picture is terrible.. Oops!

Another favourite is one which I have loved since the day I bought it; this is the Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in shade 080 'Cherries in the glow'. I like to pair this with my Wet'n'Wild lip stick on a daily basis, it's your natural lip but better. I also really love the high end packaging of this lip gloss. 

Now this one is a little embarrassing. It's the Sweet Sundae lip gloss which I collected from a Zoey 101 magazine quite some years ago... The packaging is just SO cute and the lip gloss is beautiful. The smell is refreshing and reminds me of something from my child hood which I just can't put my finger on. This will always be an old favourite of mine since I've had it for 8 years. 

So far all of the lip glosses I have spoken of have a doe foot applicator however the next couple are a little different.

Finally the last two I've been wearing a lot of this summer are from the Collection 2000 Love Your Lips range and with an SPF of 20 they are perfect for the summer months!

The two shades I have been enjoying are Shade 3 - Passion which is a bright pink and Shade 5 - Darling which is a much more subtle shade. I want to call it a rose colour. 

Both of these glosses come in lovely little tubes which are great for throwing in your jacket pocket or hand bag, the little brushes are good for a smooth application and rose hip & mango contents is a fab fruity extra!

You can pick up these glosses between 39p and £1.99 from Amazon - amazingly cheap!

So to conclude, I'm a pinky-red kinda gal and I just like to add a hint of shine to my lips every now and then. 

I'd love to know what lip products you have been loving this season, make sue to leave a comment or get in touch. 

Until next time
xx

Bourjois Health Mix Serum Gel Foundation Review

Hello

For months and months I have been wanting to try out this foundation and finally I have bought it and today am reviewing it for you. I'm so excited! This is the Bourjois Health Mix Serum Gel Foundation. 

This product retails at £10.99 from Superdrug but you can find it at a cheaper price of £8.99 in various other shops and websites. 

I've been seeing people rave about this foundation on YouTube a lot throughout the year and that, as well as the packaging (it just draws me in) made me buy it. I'm so glad I did. 

Since it's one of my favourite things about this foundation lets start with the packaging; simple really. There is nothing cute or fancy about it. It's just standard Bourjois Healthy Mix colours and design. I just love the tall, slim bottle, the fruity theme and the red cap. It just attracts me - but that's just me. Maybe I'm going a little crazy... 

Something else which I love about this foundation is the smell. I love the fresh, fruity scent - it's summery and awakening. I think you will like it. 

The thing you all want to know about though is the actual foundation. So it's a lovely gel consistency which I find fantastic for blending into the skin. On the bottle it says only a light coverage but I find it to be medium to full on my face as you can build it without looking cakey. It's great if you're after a natural looking complexion but at the same time you want to hide those nasty lines and blemishes. 

There is not a wide range of shades for those with darker skin tone and it has a very yellow undertone so for those with pink undertone skin I wouldn't recommend this to you.

I'm the lightest shade (51 - Light Vanilla) and I find the foundation works best by applying with a pointed foundation brush or the real techniques buffing brush and then blending with a stippling brush. 

Consistency of the foundation is relatively thick but also slightly runny. I find a little bit goes a long way.

The product claims to last 16 hours providing a 'radiance-boosting, even  revived complexion' but I would say that is loses it's touch after about 10-12 hours. 

Containing vitamin rich fruits such as lychee, goji berries and pomegranate this really is a good formula for the skin.  

I've heard lots of people say how they think that due to it's reviving, anti-fatigue formula this foundation is more suited to mature skin. Given, an older woman could use this foundation and get along with it but as a teenager I really love this foundation on my skin too and I know a lot of my friends who enjoy using it also. I'd say it's for normal/combination to oily skin (the matte finish helps if you're a little oily around the T zone) but it is perfect for dry skin too as it blends right over dry areas giving a lovely dewy, radiant look.

My over all rating is 9 out of 10 because although at the moment this is my holy grail product I wouldn't say it is 100% perfection. What product is?

So there we go! I hope I didn't bore you too much with this review and as I always say if your own opinion differs to mine I cannot be held responsible as everyone is unique within their own mind. My opinions are honest. 

Until next time

xx

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub Review

Hello 

Happy mid-week! I hope that whether, like me, you have been enjoying the sun or have been stuck at work or school that you have had a good week. 

Today I have a review for you that I have been wanting to do for a short while now. As you know from my haul, I picked up the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush body scrub from Boots last month. It cost £8.00 which I believe to be a reasonable price if not a little on the pricey side since I also bought the body wash recently, containing more product, for a cheaper £6.50. 

First I'm sorry for this picture. I feel like it's a bit dark but it is the only one I took before using it - I was absolutely dying to try it out!

Let's begin with packaging, you shouldn't just a book by it's cover as they say, but with Soap & Glory products I know that both the packaging (witty and cute) and the contents will be fab. So the scrub comes in a plastic tub with a pink screw on lid. It's a perfect size for in the shower and the design is simple. I like it. 

Next, and this is my favourite part, scent. The smell is strong and over powering. For me, the most powerful scent in there is lime but it is very sweet (hint is in the name; sugar crush) and so if you aren't a fan of strong, sweet citrus scents then this definitely is not for you. Me, however, I can't get enough of it. I don't encourage drugs but I think I'm addicted. 

Moving on the texture it feels like a lumpy cookie dough. I've heard this reference a lot about S&G scrubs and now I know just how true it is. It honestly feels like you're rubbing cookie dough all over your legs - not something I'd ever be pushed to trying, I don't think. It does, however, leave your skin lovely and soft and flake free. My body has never been dry but in using this scrub I know it never will be either. Yippee.

Another side note, you can really feel the bits of brown sugar in there and those little bits don't half get everywhere!

Overall I really do like this product (even if it was an accidental purchase) and I lurvee the scent. You can definitely look out for another review on the body wash from this range very soon. 

Disclaimer: I know I'm a bit late with this review because the product has been around for while and S&G have already brought out a new scrub but why not jump on the band wagon? I love this product and there are never enough reviews around. 

Until next time

xx

What's Inside My Everyday Makeup Bag?

Hello

That's right. Today I'm going to be showing you the products I use on a daily basis so without further ado, let's begin. 

My makeup bag is a cute little floral case from the Heathote & Ivory vintage collection. I chose it myself and gave it to my brother to buy for me for Christmas last year. It came with a perfectly sized mirror which I carry inside at all times and I just love it. If I am to be absolutely honest this is the only makeup bag I have used properly and stuck to. I've been using it for 7 months now, wow!! 

I'm thinking the best way to do this is just to give you a list of products with a link for if you'd like to find out more or try them out yourself. So here we go, starting with base... 

Heathcote & Ivory Vintage Collection Mimosa and Pomegranite Lip balm. 

Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix Foundation in 'Vanilla'. This was actually an accidental purchase because I wanted to try the Healthy Mix Gel Serum but I picked up the wrong thing. Oops. 

Garnier Anti-Dark Circles Roll On in 'Fair'. Luckily my skin is okay at the moment so I haven't needed any other concealer however I would use either the Clinique Air Brush Concealer or the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 'Peach Glow'.

Sleek Face Contour Kit in 'Light'. This contains a contour and a highlighter as you can see in the swatch below. 

No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in 'Honey' - need I say anything about this after my recent posts mentioning it?

Revlon LashFantasy Total Definition Mascara - I use the primer only. 

W7 Lashed Up Mascara, I love the packaging of this and it also came with the 'Draw the Line' eye liner.

Finally, for the lips I use either;

Calvin Klein Luxury Creme lipstick in the colour 'Mesmerize' (below right).

Wet'n'Wild Silk Finish lipstick - shade unknown (below left).

All of the brushes I keep in my makeup bag are from THIS EcoTools brush set. I like them a lot. 

There we go, everything I slap on my face every morning. What's in your make up bag? Leave me your blog link in the comments so I can check it out. 

Until next time

xx