Best Fashion Bloggers
-
Beauty: My Current Beauty Wishlist
TheBalm Nude Dude Palette - £21.90
Cargo Cosmetics Vintage Escape Eyeshadow Palette - £23.90
Nars Andy Warhol Cosmetic Set - £17.40
Benefit Groovy Kind a Love Set - £27.90
TheBalm TheManizer Sisters Palette - £18.90
Nars Blush and Powder 2 in 1 Palette - £19.90
Marc Jacobs Mini Fragrance Gift Set - £39.79
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Eye Palette - £26.90
If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll have noticed I'm really interested in all things beauty. I love how just a simple make-up look can change your mood and boost your confidence.
Ever since having the Nude Tude palette in my life I've been lusting after the Nude Dude palette from TheBalm. The colours in this palette are gorgeous and it's an absolute steal at £21.90! You can check out my review of the Nude Tude palette here.
Cargo is another brand I've been loving lately. I haven't seen such bright eyeshadows so pigmented in a long time. I already own the 'Let's Meet In Paris' eye palette which is gorgeous (you can check the review here) and this vintage escape palette is much more neutral which is perfect for an everyday look.
Another favourite item in this wishlist is TheBalm 'The Manizer Sisters' Palette. If you're looking to try out the Mary Lou Manizer but on a bit more of a budget (and if you love blusher and bronzer too) this palette is for you.
What do you think of this beauty wishlist? All my picks are available from Beauty Spin.
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Feeling Myself
SHOP THE POST:
This lil' sassy number is actually a really old set of photos I think we took back in October but somehow slipped into the obscurity that is my computer packed full of fbskfbsdjfds.jpg files. This skirt was one of my favourite items in a while and I wore it a lot during the festive period.
Like me On Facebook - Follow me on Twitter - Follow on Bloglovin'
Photo by Jon D Barker, Edited by me. -
Beauty: Look Incredible January Beauty Box Review
There's a new beauty box on the block and it's one I'm so excited about and to see how the brand progresses this year and that's the Look Incredible beauty box. You may have seen my post about last months Look Incredible box here which so many of you seemed to love. The Tarte 'Lights Camera Flashes' is my favourite mascara at the moment and you may have also seen it in my "Top 15 Beauty Products of 2015" blog post.
This months edition of the Look Incredible Beauty Box* arrived in the post today and it's another amazing box. What I really like about the Look Incredible beauty boxes is that everything that's included is a make-up products as I seem to have an everlasting supply of skincare products from my other beauty box subscriptions which I'm forever trying out.
So onto this months beauty box...
1. BareMinerals Redness Remedy (RRP £27)
BareMinerals is a brand I've fallen a little bit in love with lately. I find their products to be of incredibly high quality and they work so well on my skin. I absolutely love the BareMinerals complexion rescue which is a tinted gel cream. The redness remedy which is a product which helps reduce facial redness. This product is powered by their proprietary ActiveSoil Complex, which helps minimise the appearance of imperfections and promotes visibly brighter skin and it comes with a make-up brush too.
2. BareMinerals Flawless Lash Mascara (RRP £17)
The second BareMinerals product in this months box is the flawless lash mascara. Having recently becoming a big fan of BareMinerals skincare I'm looking forward to trying this. The brush of this mascara is quite thin which makes this mascara perfect for adding definition to your lashes.
3. Essie 'Steeling The Scene' Nail Polish (RRP £8.50)
Essie nail polishes are some of the best nail polishes out there but I always find them quite pricey. I've picked up a few colours before in the Boots 3 for 2 offers but haven't bought any in a while. I'm wearing this nail colour on my nails and I think it works so well against my skin tone. With christmas being over now this is the perfect polish to create nail looks with without being so full on!
4. YSL Lip Twins (RRP £24.99)
I have never tried any YSL make-up products before so seeing this in this months box I was quite excited! I love the shades available in this due but one disappointment for me was that this wasn't a full-size lipstick but this a great way to try out a product before buying the full size version!
5. Laura Geller Baked Impressions Blush (RRP £10)
I've tried a Laura Geller lipstick before which I really liked and I was so excited when I saw this blusher in this months box. After swatching this it's actually quite a matte blusher which I actually really like. I never normally go for blushes but I'm actually really excited to try this with make-up looks.
This months beauty box has products worth an amazing £87.49 and at only £18.99 a month to try some very well known brands I think this beauty box is an absolute bargain.
I really like this months beauty box, it's definitely a good pick me up for the start of the year without breaking the bank. I'm really looking forward to see what the Look Incredible beauty boxes have in store for this year, being really new on the beauty market I think the presentation of the beauty boxes could look better but you can't fault the quality of the beauty products inside.
You can pick up your beauty box at Look Incredible here.
What do you think of this months Look Incredible beauty box?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: The Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette
Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette in Soul - £30
Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette in Soul - £30
One thing I love receiving is vouchers. You know when you have a bad day and you just want to treat yourself but not want to spend loads of money? This is when vouchers are my life. I don't know what I'd do without them! I picked up this palette on a recent trip to Marks and Spencer. I went in for pyjamas and came out with pyjamas but I also picked up this beauty with my left over money from my vouchers.
After picking up the said pyjamas from Marks and Spencer I noticed the beauty hall next to the lingerie and nightwear section and I couldn't help but wander round it. I've never actually wandering around the beauty section before and then my eyes saw this palette and I'd fallen in love.
Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette in Soul - £30
Stila is a brand I've never tried anything from before but boy do I want to try out more Stila products after trying this palette out. Compared to the likes of TheBalm and Urban Decay this palette is reasonably priced at only £30. There was another palette I wasn't sure whether to get instead and that was the 'Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette' in Spirit can we just take a minute to appreciate how beautiful both these palettes are?! I mean what blogger/human being doesn't love rose gold packaging...
Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette in Soul - £30
Not going to lie this palette is now a real contender for me when it comes to deciding which make-up palette to use in the morning. I always without even thinking reach for one of my Naked Palettes but I'm a little bit obsessed with the colours in this palette. This palette has a mixture of matte and shimmer shades and they are all incredibly pigmented. If I had to pick my top 3 shades from this palette they would be Kitten, Vitality and Affection.
I've had a little look online to see whether this palette was available cheaper elsewhere and you can pick up this beauty a little bit cheaper here...
Look Fantastic (£30 but get 20% off with the code FIRSTORDER) which makes it £24.
Stila Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette in Soul - £30
I'm mind blown by how good this palette is and I can see this being a firm favourite in my make-up routine for 2016. I can't wait to add a couple more Stila palettes to my collection in the future. I think what makes me more excited about this palette is that I can't recall actually reading much about Stila cosmetics so I think this palette is a real gem of a find.
Have you tried Stila products before? Which would you recommend trying out?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Lifestyle: Getting Fitter for 2016 - Sponsored Video
I know everyone says they want to get fitter for 2016 but this is actually something i'm going to stick to this year. I know that I'm not a fat girl as I'm a UK 10/12 and that's a very normal size for someone my age/height etc. I just want to adjust my diet a bit for 2016 (this means to cut down on those chocolate binges when it's the time of the month!)
Being a student in my final year of my degree I find that with my assignments and this blog to write too that it's hard to commit to a gym membership. I tried the gym for a month back in October while I was at university but it was so time consuming and I found myself feeling constantly exhausted. I walk a mile to university everyday and up and down some steep hills and so that's a bit of exercise but for 2016 I want to incorporate some workouts into my daily routine which doesn't mean spending 2 hours in the gym.
So if you're like me and you want to get a little slimmer during 2016 read on... best selling author Joe Wicks from The Body Coach. It's definitely time to ditch those crazy diets and actually go for something much simpler to loose weight. Joe will teach you how to fuel your body and make the most of workouts so they only take 15 minutes. You can learn about HIIT and how you can work out less and still feel better results. It's time to take up Joe's 15 minutes workouts and try out some of the recipes from his new book and join over 50,000 others who have changed their lifestyle thanks to The Body Coach.
You can pick up your free 5-part fitness guide, exclusively in The Sun.
You can check out Joe's site here and you can follow Joe's dedicated site on The Sun and you can like The Sun and share your comments on Facebook and follow The Sun on Twitter.
*This post has been sponsored by The Sun but all thoughts and opinions are my own*
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Fashion: This Weeks High-Street Picks #65
Faux suede biker jacket - House of Fraser
Denim jacket - Topshop
Burgundy checked culottes - Pretty Little Thing
Wine halter neck culotte jumpsuit - Pretty Little Thing
Navy check scarf - Miss Selfridge
Stripe shirt - Boohoo
Floral print top - Boohoo
Here's my first fashion wish list of 2016! How is it 2016? I literally just can't get over how fast time is going... I've been lusting after so many items in the sales lately but I can't purchase with being a poor student! So I thought I'd share what I'm loving in a wishlist...
I'm having a real moment with jackets at the moment. I didn't realise how many coats I own before I came back from university for christmas. I spotted this jacket on House of Fraser and isn't it stunning?! It's only £30 in the sale too which is a total win.
Culottes were one of my favourite trends of 2015 and I'm so happy that when I logged onto Pretty Little Thing I found these beautiful babies which had a real 'winter' feel to them. I think they'd look amazing on a night out with a white blouse and black chelsea boots.
If you know me well you know I'm very rarely seen without wearing a scarf. I seem to get about a couple more new scarves every year and end up wearing them to death. I saw this one on the Miss Selfridge site I fell a little bit in love... how beautiful are these colours?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Beauty: Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette Review
Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette - Feel Unique
Urban Decay products are like heaven. Maybe a little bit better then heaven... well make-up heaven anyway. Whenever a new Urban Decay eyeshadow palette is released it's immediately on my wishlist and I need to have it in my life. One of the first make-up eyeshadow palettes I bought was the original naked palette (which is available here) and it's still one of my favourite make-up palettes to date.
My boyfriend did so well this christmas as one of my presents I opened was the Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette. This means showing him my wish lists on my blog definitely paid off and the constant 'can I please have this for christmas' as I knew it'd be a gift I'd absolutely love and would get so much use of.
Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette - Feel Unique
I have pretty much all of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes now and I've developed a real love for the brand. You can check out my Urban Decay X Gwen Stefani palette review and Falling for Urban Decay (which shows new editions to my make-up collection from the brand). The Naked Smokey palette is actually really different from the Naked 1,2 and 3 palettes.
The Naked Smokey palette has a range of shimmer, matte and glitter finishes. When I first saw the palette online I thought it would be my go-to evening palette for eye looks (when I finally owned it) but since owning it, there are actually some great light shades to create day-time make-up looks.
Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette - Feel Unique
As usual these eyeshadows are incredibly pigmented and have little fall out when you use them. These shadows are long wearing and they last even longer on me when I use an eyeshadow primer.
Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette - Feel Unique
My favourite shades from this palette are Dirtysweet, Radar, Armor, Combust and Thirteen. I think these will be my most used shades from the palette but I'll be using the darker shades for when I'm off on nights out to create that perfect smokey eye.
What do you think of the Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Beauty: Real Techniques Sculpting Set Review
Real Techniques Sculpting Set (available from eBay here)
If you've read my blog for a while you'll know I'm a huge fan of the Real Techniques brushes. I discovered the brushes before I discovered Pixiwoo! Over the past couple of years since I've become more and more interested in beauty I seem to have built up a collection of Real Techniques brushes and they just keep bringing out new collections and they're getting better and better. I have the core collection set (read the review here), duo fibre brush set (read the review here) and I've done a post about my top 5 real techniques brushes here.
Real Techniques Sculpting Set (available from eBay here)
So you know it's time to add some more brushes to the collection and let me introduce you to the sculpting set. Not only is the contour/highlighting trend massive right now. If you're looking for the perfect brushes to complete your contoured/highlighted make-up look, look no further. This set comes in at about £19.99 but I picked this set up on eBay for about £10 (similar seller here). I find eBay is a great place to pick up real techniques brushes and they're always listed by UK sellers at a good fraction of the high-street price. So eBay is a great place to look if you're looking to save some £'s on your make-up brush purchases!
Real Techniques Sculpting Brush
First up we have the sculpting brush, the main use of this brush is to help sculpt your cheeks and temples (perfect for contouring) or just adding a little bit more definition to your face. What I also like using this brush for is buffing in foundation. I really like that with Real Techniques brushes they're multi use so it's great that this can be used for foundation too.
Real Techniques Fan Brush
Next is the fan brush which is exclusive to this set. I think this brush is absolute genius. Have you ever had one of those moments where you make-up application is going really well and you ruin it with too much blusher or highlighter? well this brush is an absolute lifesaver! you can lightly dust highlighter or blusher or even powder with this brush and it's so easy and light to use.
Real Techniques Setting Brush
Lastly, it's another one of my favourite brushes by Real Techniques. It doesn't do any wrong having two of them right? As this is such a great multi-tasking brush. It's so great at setting powder (when you don't want to wear too much powder), for blending in concealer or even highlighter.
Overall I'd 100% recommend this brush set to anyone who loves bronzing/contouring and highlighting. I love how these brushes are so easy to use and they're so affordable. I've already got such good use out of these brushes and I know I will for years to come!
What do you think of the Real Techniques sculpting set?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: 100 Beauty Blogging Prompts
I think this year will be the year that hopefully I'll be seen as a beauty blogger and not just a fashion blogger. Don't get me wrong I love fashion blogging but I found myself buying clothes just so I could 'blog about them'. I would rather blog about a range of things and one of my other passions is beauty. Over the past few years I've fallen in love with make-up and I now have an obsession with beauty boxes too. So I thought I'd put together a post sharing with you 50 beauty blogging prompts (you know just in case you have a bit of bloggers block!)
The Best of Beauty
1. Top 5 Lipsticks
2. Top 5 Foundations
3. Top 5 Primers
4. Top 5 Nail Polishes
5. Top 5 Eyeliners
6. Top 5 Mascaras
7. Top 5 Highlighters
8. Top 5 Eyeshadow Palettes
9. Top 5 Drugstore Products
10.Top 5 Beauty must haves
High-end Beauty
1. Top high end beauty products
2. Top high end eyeshadow palettes
3. Top high end lipsticks
4. Top 5 MAC Lipsticks
5. Top high end foundations
Haircare
1. Your favourite haircare products
2. Your haircare routine
3. The haircare tools you use
4. Best haircare conditioning treatments
5. Favourite haircare brand
What you're carrying in your...
1. Travel make-up bag
2. Everyday make-up bag
3. Holiday make-up bag
4. Weekend away make-up bag
5. Your friends make-up bag (interview a friend to see their make-up essentials)
Share some blogger love
1. Top beauty blogs to read
2. Favourite beauty Instagram accounts
3. Favourite Twitter accounts
4. Favourite Youtube channels to watch
5. Blogs you must follow
What you're lusting after...
1. Weekly wishlist
2. Monthly wishlist
3. Pay-day wishlist
4. Birthday wishlist
5. Christmas wishlist
Tutorials
1. Top 5 make-up tutorials on youtube
2. Your everyday make-up routine
3. Your birthday make-up look
4. Your christmas/NYE make-up look
5. Your daily skincare routine
6. Your pamper routine
7. Smokey eye make-up tutorial
8. Eyebrow tutorial
9. Glam evening make-up tutorial
10. Date night make-up look
Lipsticks
1. Favourite red lipsticks
2. Favourite nude lipsticks
3. Favourite lipsticks of all time
4. MAC lipstick collection
5. Drugstore lipstick collection
Beauty reading
1. Top beauty books to go out and purchase
2. Top beauty blogs to read
3. Beauty blogs to watch for 2016
4. Favourite beauty magazines
5. Favourite beauty websites
Monthly themed features
1. Monthly favourites
2. Make-up rediscoveries
3. Beauty haul
4. Shopping your stash
5. Products not worth the hype
Fragrances
1. Your fragrance collection
2. Your fragrance wishlist
3. Your current candle collection
4. Your top 5 fragrances
5. Your favourite fragrance
Beauty advice
1. Benefits of using coconut oil
2. Beauty advice you'd tell your younger self
3. Top beauty tips
4. Top skincare tips
5. How to save money shopping for beauty products
6. Favourite beauty loyalty cards (e.g Boots, Superdrug, Debenhams)
7. Advice for your teenage self
8. Beginners make-up essentials
9. Top beauty products (worth the splurge)
10. Favourite affordable beauty products
Brand love
1. Favourite MAC make-up products
2. Favourite Rimmel make-up products
3. Favourite theBalm make-up products
4. Favourite Urban Decay products
5. Favourite Max Factor products
(or any make-up brand you're loving in general)
Season themed
1. Top 5 winter lipsticks
2. Top winter products for dry skin
3. Favourite winter nail polishes
4. Winter make-up routine
5. Party ready make-up picks
Other/General
1. Favourite make-up brushes
2. Top make-up brushes for beginners
3. Where to buy cheaper make-up products
4. Favourite beauty websites (include offers & discount codes)
5. Products not worth the hype
6. Products you will be repurchasing
7. Favourite beauty products of all time
8. Favourite beauty box
9. Beauty box reviews
10. Seasonal make-up favourites
11. Disappointing make-up products
12. Current beauty releases
13. Best of the new in beauty products
14. Free beauty products (from magazines)
15. The make-up products you can't leave the house without.
This has taken me over an hour to write but I've had a good look in my blogging notebook and these are just a few of the ideas I've come up with. Don't get me wrong we all have those days where we run out of inspiration. I'm going to be referring to this post myself for when I'm next stuck for ideas!
I would love to know if you've found these beauty blogging prompts useful!
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: Ebay Beauty Bargains #1
Real Techniques Eyeliner Limited Edition Set - RRP £19.99 (available here for £11.50)
Real Techniques Sculpting Set - RRP £20.99 (available here for £10.95)
TheBalm Manizer Sisters Palette - RRP £24 (available here for £14.99)
Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette - RRP £38 (available here for £19.99)
Lorac Pro Eyeshadow Palette - RRP £30.05 (available here for £19.99)
Smashbox Full Exposure Palette - RRP £38 (available here for £16.99)
Fancy saving a few pennies on the things you've wanted for ages? Well I've searched and searched on Ebay to find you some of the latest beauty bargains. I've checked they're all from sellers with at least 99% positive ratings so you can't go wrong really can you?!
One thing i've done quite a few times is pick up a Real Techniques set from eBay. I find the actual prices in Boots and Superdrug so expensive and I can always find them from a bulk seller on eBay for much cheaper (another place checking is on Amazon here) as they normally reduce the prices of the Real Techniques brushes sets all the time.
I've recently become a little bit obsessed with make-up brand 'TheBalm' and I've noticed the manizer sisters palette in the sales on sites like Feel Unique and Debenhams. At an RRP of £24 it's not actually too expensive but you can pick it up on Ebay here for £14.99.
The Urban Decay naked smokey palette is a new edition to my life and it's actually love. I am so obsessed with this palette. It's quite expensive at £38 so I've had a look on eBay and you can pick it up for as little as £19.99 so it's definitely worth a look.
The Lorac Pro palette is a make-up palette I've heard beauty guru's on youtube constantly talk about. It's an American brand available on a site called Nordstrom but apparently the shipping charges cost a fortune. I've found this baby on eBay for only £19.99.
The Smashbox full exposure palette is a make-up palette I've been so close to picking up in Boots SO many times. I definitely think the price tag of £38 is a bit too much though considering that the Urban Decay palettes are the same price, have a much higher reputation and are (in my opinion) a lot more recognised then Smashbox.
I have only tried a lip product from them which I really liked and after swatching this palette in Boots I know it's of good quality I just couldn't bring myself to buy it. It's only £16.99 via this eBay seller and I have to say that's a lot more tempting to purchase then £38!
What do you think of this eBay beauty finds post? Which beauty products in this wish list are you after?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: Glossybox Beauty Box January Review
Glossybox January Beauty Box*
One beauty box which always gets it just right is Glossybox. I am so drawn the the sleek packaging of the box and how classy it feels. All the products in the Glossybox are normally deluxe and full-size which really does make me think I'm getting great value for money. I really enjoy trying out all the new brands I've discovered through Glossybox too.
Glossybox January Beauty Box*
This months Glossybox had some real beauty treats inside and I was so excited to start playing around with these products.
Unami Dermo Defence Face Mask - (Full size £11.36) available at Comprar Cosmetics
This face mask claims to leave your skin feeling hydrated and regenerated and that's definitely what I need right now. I love a good face mask but I'm forever running out of them. I haven't found a face mask I've absolutely loved yet so I'm looking forward to giving this one a whirl!
Teeez Cosmetics Oasis Gem Lipstick - (Full size £11.93) available at Teeez Cosmetics
The first two products in this months box I've mentioned are worth over £22 which is more then the whole beauty box and the postage included. Which shows how good value this beauty box is. This is a lipstick colour I really like, I think this is more of a evening out lipstick but the colour pay off of this lipsitck is amazing. It's super moisturising and how adorable is this packaging?!
Madara Cellular Repair Serum - (Full size £38) available at Madara Cosmetics
This repair serum I've tried once and It made my skin feel super smooth. I use it on clean skin before my moisturiser and this works well on my skin. I can't wait to see the results after when I've used this product for a week or two!
Glossybox Eyeshadow in Glossy Mauve - (Full size £7.10)
I was so excited when I saw that in this months box Glossybox have launched their own make-up range (It was only a matter of time) and the pigmentation of this colour is amazing. Mauve is a colour that's super trendy right now and I can't wait to use this eyeshadow for some make-up looks.
Naobay Orange Juice Hand Cream - (Full size £14) available at Beauty Bay
I genuinely don't think I've ever smelt a hand cream so good. I'm a massive fan of orange juice and having a hand cream smelling of it is like a dream come true. This hand cream is now living in my handbag and it's so moisturising and leaves my hands smelling SO SO good!
You can sign up to Glossybox here from as little as £10 a month (+P&P). I've never been disappointed by any Glossybox and I've discovered so many amazing products through my subscription. I'd recommend Glossybox as a treat for yourself or if you've got beauty obsessed friends a one off monthly box would make a great present.
What do you think of this months Glossybox? Which product is your favourite?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: 5 Reasons Why I'm Obsessed With TheBalm
If you're an avid reader of my blog at the moment you'll have noticed my new obsession with the brand 'TheBalm'. I absolutely love their products and the packaging is absolutely amazing too. I received the 'Nude Tude' palette in a Cohorted beauty box which I adored (you can read the post here) and it's been a staple in my make-up routine ever since.
In December I picked up the Mary Lou Manizer highlighter (which is definitely worth the hype) and I use this everyday in my make-up routine and I've recently had a few new editions to my make-up collection by TheBalm so I thought I'd do a little mini haul and share with you all 5 reasons I'm a little bit obsessed with the brand.
1. The Packaging - Have you ever seen packaging so pretty? If make-up packaging is something that sways you into buying a product then this brand is an absolute dream for you. I love how each product comes in good sturdy packaging and it's really quirky packaging.
2. The Highlighter - Do I need to say anything else about this highlighter? It's an absolute dream. It seems to be quite expensive at £17.50 but it's completely worth it if you enjoy using highlighter in your everyday routine.
3. The Eyeshadow Palettes - I recently got the TheBalm Nude Dude Palette* and it's just as beautiful as the TheBalm Nude Tude Palette. If you're someone who really loves brown/nude eyeshadows then you'll absolutely love this palette. There's a mixture of mattes and shimmers in this eyeshadow palette and this is great to take your make-up look from day time to night time.
4. The Bronzer - After being a massive fan of the Mary Lou Manizer highlighter I knew I needed the Betty Lou Manizer* in my life. I'm a massive fan of bronzer to give my face more shape but as much as I love my soap and glory solar powder. I was just dying to try this. It's great as it has a shimmer to it and appear more natural on my cheeks once it's applied.
5. The Blusher - I couldn't pick up the Mary Lou Manizer, Betty Lou Manizer and not the Cindy Lou Manizer*. I've never been the biggest fan of using blushers but I'm really liking the colour of this one. The blusher is more neutral in colour with a hint of pink in which I think works so well with my skin tone.
What do you think of TheBalm? Have you tried any of these products?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Beauty: Birchbox x Pinterest January Review
Birchbox x Pinterest January Beauty Box Review*
Birchbox are probably the most creative beauty box out there at the moment. I always get so excited to see the packaging of the boxes as it's always so good and this months box didn't disappoint. It's a collaboration with one of the best social networking sites, Pinterest. It's probably one of their most exciting collaborations to date as who doesn't love Pinterest? (especially if you're a beauty blogger!)
Birchbox x Pinterest January Beauty Box Review*
The idea behind this months collaboration is to inspire you to have the best year ever. I'm forever searching on Pinterest for beauty inspiration, style inspiration, for recipes or sometimes just to look at cute picture of dogs! Each month you'll receive 5 luxe samples to try out and this months products are an absolute treat. If you're one of those people who aimlessly wanders around beauty shops wanting to try something new, signing up to Birchbox is 100% for you.
Caudalie Fleur De Vigne Shower Gel (Full size £9)
Caudalie is a skincare brand I've grown to love through beauty boxes. It's a brand which works really well with my skin and I've never tried a shower product from them before. This shower gel is formulated for even the most sensitive skin and is enriched with aloe vera.
Absolution L'Eau Soir et Matin (Full size £27)
I'm a really big fan of cleansing waters and I'm really excited to try this cleansing water out. This cleansing water is packed with kind-to-skin ingredients including hazelnut oil and aloe vera and it removes all make-up leaving your skin feeling soft and hydrated.
Parlor Moisturising and Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner (RRP £16 each)
If there's one thing I end up spending a fortune on it's shampoo and conditioner. With suffering from hair loss (you can read my post about it here) It's been a real aim of mine to find the perfect shampoo and conditioner to use to help my hair growth. Both the shampoo and conditioner promises to strengthen, repair and leaving hair feeling weightless. I'm really excited to give this a go but i'm a little disappointed that the conditioner only came in a one use sachet.
Birchbox Compact Mirror (£4)
Who doesn't love a cute little handbag accessory? I'm forever re-applying my lipstick and so this will make a great edition to my make-up bag and how cute is the hashtag?!
Benefit They're Real Tinted Primer (Full Size £18.50)
If you've read some of my latest beauty posts (well over the past few months) you'll have noticed I'm a little obsessed with the Urban Decay Subversion Primer Mascara. It really helps add length to my lashes and oh my god is it worth the price. I've never really got along with the They're real mascara and so I'm looking forward to see how this Benefit primer matches up to my Urban Decay one!
Eyeko Fat Liquid Liner in Black (RRP £12)
I've already got one of these Eyeko liners in my make-up collection thanks to October's Birchbox and I have to say it's a great eyeliner. I love using eyeliner on days where I don't want to use eyeshadow but I still want to make my eyes stand out.
What do you think of this months Birchbox?
You can sign up to Birchbox here. It costs just £10 a month + £2.95 postage.
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Lifestyle: University Options and Advice
Credit
It's been a long time since I published my last university tips/advice post and so I thought It was time to round all my posts up (just in case this helps some of you!)
There was a recent survey by my voucher codes which tugged on a few heart strings of mine as I was that person in the same situation only a couple of years ago. My voucher codes found that almost a third of first-year students have either already dropped out or they're thinking about dropping out in the summer.
About a year and a half ago I wrote this post 'Is University right for me? Decisions and options' as I myself had dropped out of university after my 1st year and I wanted to share my experience with you all. A brief overview is that I had just turned 18 when I decided to go to university in Birmingham to study Fashion Retail Management (it's now called Fashion Business and Promotion) and I was 100% sure this was the right decision but once I'd spent a few months there, I decided it wasn't for me. I loved living there, I had a great social life and great friends around me but I just wasn't enjoying my degree.
I'm sure some of you will know that after your first term of university you all come home meet up with friends and they were all loving there courses and I just wasn't feeling it with mine, I always thought did I make the right decision? With my school year being the first to pay the £9,000 degree fees I knew I needed to take some time away from education as I wasn't enjoying my course.
This article which I read on the Independent just reminded me of how I was feeling two short years ago, and so I thought I'd write a couple of tips and bits of advice just in case any of you reading this post aren't enjoying your degree.
1. Does your degree make you happy? - I've had friends drop out of university, reapply, swap courses all sorts. I think it's important to think are you enjoying your course? Do you see a future with your degree? Do you feel like you're getting good value for what you're paying in tuition fees?
2. Really think about it (before you make a decision) - Do you have a back up plan? Do you have a job to go to back home? If you're thinking about leaving I'd start applying to jobs and so when you find a job you can start earning money as soon as you leave.
3. Does your ideal career need a degree? - There's a lot of jobs which you don't need a degree for, you can do courses at college, you can learn on the job or you can get an apprenticeship. Personally I think I'm one of those people who prefers working as I like knowing I'm doing something useful with my time.
4. Take some time out - It's okay to take a year out to figure out what you want to do, who knows what they want to do when they're 18? I'm 21 now and I know I want to work in marketing once I graduate but I have no idea what area of marketing.
5. Do you want to do another course? - I ended up going to join the 2nd year of the degree which was my second choice and I enjoy my course. It's difficult and a challenge but It makes me work a lot harder then I would have done in my last degree. In my 2nd year I had so many hours of contact time which made me feel like I was getting great value for the tuition fees I will have to pay. When looking at other universities look at the degree specifications, contact hours and reputation of the university.
You can read my other posts about university here, here, here and here.
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: Top 5 High-end Eyeshadow Palettes
Who doesn't love a high-end eyeshadow palette? I don't know what it is but there's that guarantee that the packaging will be beautiful, the eyeshadow pigmentation will be amazing and the fact that you're going to love the palette so much you're going to get so much use out of it. If you're obsessed with beauty products like me you'll get super excited a new palette is being realised and it feels like the best day ever when you've found a palette you love all the colours in.
Don't get me wrong, some of these eyeshadow palettes may not seem worth the price tag so I thought I'd save you from this hassle and do a round up of my top 5 'high-end' palettes which I reach for on a daily basis...
Stila Eyes Are The Window Eye Palette in Soul - Look Fantastic
First up it's the newest edition to my beauty collection and it's one I'm really obsessed with right now. You can check out the full review blog post I did on this palette here. After a couple of weeks of owning this palette I can't believe how good the colours/pigmentation etc actually is. I absolutely adore the Urban Decay palettes but I love this palette is it's great for taking your make-up from during the day to an evening look.
Stila Eyes Are The Window Eye Palette in Soul - Look Fantastic
The swatches are (L-R Kitten, Thought, Affection and Vitality) for a simple day-time look I love using Kitten as the main shade over my lids and Thought in the outer corners. Vitality is an absolutely gorgeous shade which suits my skin tone so well. I think out of the whole palette Kitten is my favourite colour. It's perfect for when you want to create any eye look and I love using this shade to make a golden/brown eyeshadow look.
Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Palette - Selfridges
Possibly one of the biggest make-up collaborations towards the end of 2015 was the Gwen Stefani x Urban Decay collection. The first release from this line was the Gwen Stefani Palette. With 15 shades picked by Gwen herself, I knew this palette could do no wrong. Gwen is known for her really out there make-up looks so I was quite surprised when I found a lot of the colours are neutrals, with a few shimmers. I get so much use out of most of the colours in this palette (minus the pink and the blue colours). I've written a whole post on this palette which you can check out here.
Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Palette - Selfridges
(L-R Bathwater, Steady, Zone, Punk)
Over the past few months you can see I've made a bit of dent into some of the colours in this palette. My most used colours out of the whole palette are Bathwater and Zone but my next two favourites would be Steady and Punk. This palette I'd say is one which every girl would love to use. It offers a wide range of colours and could easily take your make-up look from day to night.
Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette - Beauty Bay*
Zoeva is a brand which bloggers have raved about for so long. I think it's a brand to watch on the UK beauty market as every product I've tried from Zoeva I've absolutely loved. I've got the travel brush set from Beauty Bay and I'm currently lusting after this brush set as the Zoeva brushes are such good quality and I think they make my make-up look flawless. One of my must-haves for this year is the pick up this brush set! But onto this beauty of an eyeshadow palette...
Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette - Beauty Bay*
(L-R Sweeter End, Pure Ganache, Freshly Toasted, Subtle Blend)
It's a palette which has been mentioned in so many beauty bloggers '2015 favourites' posts (including mine which you can check out here) and it's a great purchase for only £15.50. You can check out my Zoeva post here. I really like the colour range in this palette is it's a mixture of mattes, shimmers but also a few pink toned shades. My favourite colours to use in this palette are definitely Freshly Toasted and Subtle Blend but Sweet End and Pure Ganache are some well loved colours as well.
Naked Smokey Palette - Feel Unique
The Naked Smokey Palette was a recent edition to my make-up collection thanks to my wonderful boyfriend at christmas. I've been wanting this palette for so long and so I was over the moon to receive this palette as one of my presents on christmas day. I recently reviewed this palette (in this blog post) which shows how much I love this palette. What I love about the naked smokey palette in comparison to the other naked palettes is the colour range and the fact the packaging is so much more durable. I could pop this in my bag and not worry about the packaging being damaged or worst as I discovered not too long ago with my Naked 1 Palette that the mirror smashed!
Naked Smokey Palette - Feel Unique
(L-R High, Dirty Sweet, Slanted, Password)
The palette is definitely more of an 'evening' make-up palette is it's perfect for if you want to create a smokey eye look. I actually used this palette on new years eve (and a youtube tutorial) to create the perfect smokey eye and I got a few compliments! (including my boyfriend saying 'your make-up looks really nice tonight) so that's a winner for me! High and Dirty Sweet are great colours to wear during the day-time and Slanted and Password as the perfect colours to create a smokey eye with.
The Balm Nude Tude Palette - Feel Unique
The palette made me go a little obsessed with the brand 'TheBalm' it's a brand I hadn't heard of until a few months ago and it's now one of my favourite brands. I absolutely LOVE the Mary Lou Manizer (If you don't have it and you love highlighting you NEED it)
The Balm Nude Tude Palette - Feel Unique
(L-R Sassy, Stand offish, Sultry, Sophisticated)
At only £30 this palette is really reasonably priced if you want a good quality palette which the eyeshadows would last really well. Mine came with the eyelid primer and boy is the primer amazing. I use it most times when I wear eyeshadow it really does make my eyeshadow last and not crease. I love using Sassy, Stand Offish, Sultry and Sophisticated from this palette. As you can see from the photo above the colour Sultry is very well loved!
What do you think of these make-up palettes? Have you tried any of these palettes?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Lifestyle: Blogs To Watch For 2016
One thing I don't think there's enough of anymore is bloggers sharing the love for other bloggers. I always love discovering new blogs and I check the blog lovin' app just as much as I check Instagram or Twitter and I'm forever reading new blog posts.
Some of my favourite posts to read are when bloggers share their favourite blogs and you end up discovering some new favourites to read. So I thought I'd start off 2016 by sharing with you all some of my favourite fashion/lifestyle/beauty blogs to read at the moment (and they're not the ones you see constantly on these sorts of posts!)
1. Thumbelina Lillie - Megan's blog has been a real favourite of mine for a couple of years now. Her beauty posts are always on point, she has a gorgeous sense of style and she loves writing about lifestyle issues and also she shares the stresses of blogging whilst being in your third year of university. She's been a total babe to chat to and this year will be our year that we finally get to hang out! THIS IS HAPPENING MEGAN I KNOW YOU ARE READING THIS.
2. Blog Beth - Beth's blog is a blog I discovered from working with her while I was an intern in the summer. Since I left where I was interning to go back to university, I've followed her blog ever since. She posts a mixture of fashion, beauty and lifestyle posts and I always find some good recommendations on her blog and she's a total babe on twitter too.
3. Rachel Nicole - This girl is an absolute gem. We met while I was at university in Birmingham (even though I dropped out after a year) we still stayed in touch. While we were at uni we always went on Nandos girly dates to chat about life and blogging. Rachel's blog is full of loads of fashion and beauty and travel posts. I think she's really found her niche when it comes to blogging and if you love a bargain and a good recommendation Rachel's blog is for you.
4. Which Beauty Box - Okay so beauty addicts maybe you shouldn't click on this link (you'll be constantly checking her blog after) but I absolutely love Jaina's beauty box reviews. If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know I love a beauty box and so reading a blog dedicated to beauty boxes is a dream! I've discovered loads of new beauty boxes through Jaina and I love reading her thoughts on beauty boxes every month.
5. Copper Garden - Jess is a total babe. I've stalked her blog for years and have loved her posts. I was 100% sure I've met her before but we met again recently at an event in Manchester. She's so genuine and lovely to talk to and Jess I know you'll be reading this I'm not addicted to watching your vlogs and your channel when I'm painting my nails haha! I think Jess is also a multi-tasking machine because she works in retail, goes to university and is also in her final year, she makes videos on youtube and has a vlogging channel. Is there anything she can't do?! You can subscribe to Jess' youtube channel here.
I hope you've discovered some new blogs reading this post! Let me know what blogs you're loving at the moment or leave a comment below with your blog link for me to check out!
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: The Brand You Need To Know - Live Love London
One thing I think the high-street is lacking at the moment is a variety of drugstore brands. As much as I love brands like Soap and Glory, Collection, Rimmel there's only so many times you can swatch those lipsticks on your hand and guess which foundation shade you are. My favourite high-end brand is definitely MAC but I'm a student, I'm not rich and can afford every Mac product I want. It's a lot easier (and cheaper) to pick up some more affordable bits to experiment with and so let me introduce you to Live Love London. They're a new make-up brand which is being stocked in BHS and it's definitely a brand to watch.
One of my first thoughts about the brand is I really liked the packaging. I really liked how some of the eyeshadows have 'Live Love' engraved on them. It's a great personal touch and it just makes the palette so much prettier to look at...
Sheer Pink Lipgloss* - £2
I'm more of a lipstick girl then a lip gloss but I was still going to try this one out. I think this isn't of high quality as the the lipsticks in the range but it will work on top of lipsticks if I don't want my lips to look matte.
Sheer Lipgloss and Red/Pink Lipsticks* - £2 each
Out of the three lip products my favourite is definitely the red lipstick. The pigmentation of the lipstick is great and I love how the tone of the red is slightly orange which I love and who doesn't love and orange/red lipstick shade?!
Love Blush in Desire* - £3
One make-up product I really want to get into wearing more is blusher. I really liked the colour of this blusher as it wasn't too pink and it appears to be quite neutral.
Love Your Look Smoulder 3 Palette* - £5
On to my favourite sort of make-up products, eyeshadow palettes. I am always on the hunt for the perfect eyeshadow palette and so I had high hopes for the eyeshadow palette from Live Love London. The colours of the eyeshadow palette are so nice and this would be a great palette for a natural make-up look.
As you can see the eyeshadows are quite pigmented. Yes they're not as amazing as your high-end eyeshadow palettes but they're still pretty amazing. I love how this palette has a mixture of matte and shimmer shades which is great when creating eyeshadow looks. I think for a night out the best way to use these eyeshadows are to spray your eyeshadow brush with a setting spray before using them so they have more colour and pigmentation to them. The shimmer colours will look more shimmery too.
This highlighting and bronzer palette is my favourite product from the range. How amazing are these colours?! I love using highlight at the moment to make my skin appear more dewy and who doesn't love a highlight on their cheeks? I was really impressed with the variety of colours as the blushes could act like a highlight shade too.
Bronze and Light Palette* - £9
The colour and pigmentation of this palette is AMAZING (as you can see) and the colours are super shimmery. I like using the bronzer shades on top of my current bronzer (which is quite matte) to add a bit more of a glow. I love using the white colour as a light highlight but the main colour I use for a highlight are the two shades next to the white (on the swatches photo above). If you have a BHS store near you I'd be running to pick up this palette right now!
Love your eye palette in Love Sexy* - £9
Lastly we have the love your eye palette in 'Love Sexy' which I'd say is my favourite eyeshadow palette of the two. I was really impressed with the shimmery gold and peach shades and these are the sort of shades I'll use everyday in my make-up routine. What I really like about this palette is that it comes with a massive mirror and it's got super sleek packaging which means it's great for storing in your handbag on the go.
Overall I'm actually super impressed with Live Love London. The prices are really affordable and the quality of the products is so so good considering how affordable this brand is. My favourite products are definitely the eyeshadow palettes and the highlighting and bronzing palette. I'm going to be heading into my local BHS store to check out the rest of the range!
What do you think of Live Love London? Will you be checking out your local BHS to pick up some of these products? Which product is your favourite?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: The Current Beauty Wishlist #1
Morphe Brushes 35 Colour Matte Palette - Beauty Bay
Make-up Brush Set - 100% Pure
Zoeva Nude Spectrum Palette - Beauty Bay
Zoeva Vegan Prime Brush Set - Beauty Bay
Topshop Matte Lip Bullet in Duvet Day - Topshop
Topshop Highlighter in Horizon - Feel Unique
Topshop Highlighter in Glow - Feel Unique
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray - Feel Unique
Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Perfume - Beauty Spin
I've heard so much about Morphe Brushes online and I am so tempted to try out this palette as it's only £15. I've heard nothing but good reviews from the brand and how gorgeous are all these colours and you get 35 colours! I'm really wanting to expand my brush collection as some of my Real Techniques brushes are falling apart after years of use. I've had my eye on this brush set from 100% Pure as they are 100% vegan and cruelty free and how adorable is the bunny print make-up bag that comes with it?!
Zoeva has a few new exciting launches this month including this Zoeva Nude Spectrum Palette. What I love about Zoeva eyeshadows (even though I only have the cocoa blend palette) is they are incredible pigmented and the colours are absolutely gorgeous. I think this palette is ideal for all of you neutral eyeshadow lovers!
Topshop have really upped their game when it comes to beauty products. I've tried out a few products in the past which I've loved but I'm so eager to try out the highlighters including this one which is also available on Feel Unique. This Works is a brand I've wanted to try for so long, I picked up a sample size of the deep sleep pillow spray in a Boots gift set and I absolutely love it.
I've really struggled to try and sleep lately as I've been feeling super stressed with my university work (dissertation problems!) and this pillow spray has actually really helped me. I'm going to run out soon (as it's only a sample size) and so It's time to purchase the bigger version!
What are you lusting after on the beauty market right now? Have you got anything on my wish list?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: January Beauty Haul ft Freedom Cosmetics, Beauty Blender and Stila
At the moment there's nothing more exciting for me then a make-up delivery or having a wander round Boots and Superdrug or a look online at Feel Unique or Beauty Bay. There's been a few recent editions to my beauty collection and I just couldn't wait to share these with you all!
Beauty Blender - eBay
I've spent months and months lusting after the beauty blender. I'm a massive fan of the real techniques complexion sponge which comes in under £5 (when you buy it online off Amazon, Ebay, Feel Unique etc) you can't do much wrong. Real Techniques make the best brushes and the sponge is amazing too but there was always a part of me which still wanted the beauty blender. Oh my goodness the beauty blender does not disappoint.
Beauty Blender - eBay
At £16 online on sites like Beauty Bay and Cult Beauty it is quite an expensive product so therefore I'd recommend heading to eBay and picking one up. Mine cost about £5 which is an absolute steal compared to the price it retails at. I couldn't find the exact link to it online (I think the listing ended) but I've found one similar here.
Freedom Pro Blush Palette in Bronze and Baked - Superdrug
If there's one thing I'm obsessed with at the moment it's highlighter. This palette really caught my eye due to the wide range of shades especially as it included a couple of bronzer shades too. My favourite shades are the top white shade on the left and the shade in the middle on the right hand side. I've not actually tried out the bronzer shades yet but I'm sure they won't disappoint and this palette is an absolute steal at £6.
Freedom Pro Glow Roar - Superdrug
Is it bad that I picked up this purely because of the leopard print pattern? How amazing is this?! This is a highlighter and it's only £3.50 which is a real bargain. I love experimenting with make-up and this highlighter is quite peachy which goes well with my skin tone!
Freedom Pro Contour Palette in Medium 01 - Superdrug
Ever since my Maybelline contour palette smashed, I've been looking for a replacement. I really like this contour palette and the contour shade goes so so well with my skin tone. I think it adds great definition to my cheekbones.
Stila Eyes Are The Window palette in Spirit* - Look Fantastic
First of all OH MY GOD have you ever seen anything so beautiful in your life before?! I absolutely adore this palette from Stila and I felt so lucky to be sent this. I absolutely love my Eyes Are The Window palette in Soul (you can check out my blog post here) and this palette in Spirit has so many amazing colours in it. There's more colourful shades in this palette compared to the Soul palette which I love as I really want to experiment a bit more with what eyeshadow colours I use for my make-up looks.
Stila Eyes Are The Window palette in Spirit* - Look Fantastic
There will be a full review in an upcoming post about this palette as it's that amazing it needs it's own post (yes I am in love with an eyeshadow palette) at only £30 this palette is an absolute steal. I think this palette is great for those of you who love a nude palette but also those who like to wear shimmery shades. My favourite shades in this palette are golightly, barefoot, oasis and slate. I'm so excited to start creating loads of make-up looks with this palette.
Stila HD Beauty Balm* - (available at Feel Unique)
I've read a few reviews on this beauty balm and I was really excited when this arrived in the post. I'm trying to be a lot more natural with my choice of foundation as for the past few years I've loved using high-coverage matte foundations. Ever since the Bare Minerals complexion rescue came into my life I haven't looked book. I'm yet to try a Stila foundation but I'm now obsessed with this beauty balm.
Stila HD Beauty Balm* - (available at Feel Unique)
This beauty balm helps reduce the size of pores, helps controls blemishes and provides a really nice silky finish. I love using this after moisturising and applying before my foundation to make sure my make-up applies seamlessly.
Stila HD Beauty Balm* - (available at Feel Unique)
The beauty balm looks a lot like a tinted moisturiser once it's applied but it feels great on my skin. I love the finish this beauty balm gives and I definitely think this is going to be a firm favourite in my everyday make-up routine.
What's your favourite item from this beauty haul? What are you lusting after at the moment?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Beauty: Rimmel Beauty Haul
Rimmel is a brand I've always loved, It's easily accessible, affordable and good quality. There's not been many products over the years which I haven't liked from the brand. I've fallen back in love with Rimmel lately as I keep discovering loads of gorgeous bits (which I didn't have already in my make-up stash!)
Scandaleyes Liquid Eyeshadow - Beautyspin*
This is a product I'm really surprised by. I've never actually tried a liquid eyeshadow from Rimmel but I love the colour of this. The only downside is this eyeshadow dries really quickly so if you want to apply it, apply it quickly. This is a total steal though at only £3.50 at Beautyspin.
Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner - Beautyspin*
Swatches (L-R Spice, Cappuccino, Tiramasu, Liquid Eyeshadow)
Who ever knew Rimmel lip liners were so good? I am so impressed with the quality of these lipliners and they're only a fraction of the price of the MAC lipliners. Spice goes really well with Mehr lipstick from MAC and I love using Cappuccino with my Velvet Teddy lipstick. As you can see the liquid eyeshadow is super pigmented and I love how well it goes with my skin tone.
60 Seconds Nail Polish in 'Chic in Chelsea' - Boots
This nail polish really caught my eye. I'm loving darker nude lip colours at the moment and I'm really liking dark nail polishes. This nail polish works so well with my skin tone and I love how it's deep brown and a matte polish.
Lasting Finish Primer - Boots
I've never actually found a primer I've loved as much as this one and It's normally on offer in Boots too! It helps my foundation last really well and leaves my skin feeling super moisturised once I've applied it. This is a product I constantly repurchase and have done the past couple of years!
Volume and Curl Mascara - Beautyspin*
This is another bargain I picked up from Beautyspin. This mascara was under £4! I think this is the latest mascara release from Rimmel and so far I actually really like this one. I've tried it out a couple of times and it leaves my lashes curled and they have more volume. It seems a lot more expensive then it is and this definitely does what it says on the packet.
What do you think of Rimmel beauty products? Are there any products I need to try?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: Cohorted January Beauty Box Review
Is there anything better in the morning then a beauty box delivery? Definitely not. Cohorted is a beauty box which is known for being full of high-end beauty products and it's a must have for any beauty lover. I was so excited when this arrived on my doorstep!
Cohorted January Beauty Box*
What I really like about Cohorted's beauty boxes is they allow me to try out beauty brands I'd never normally be able to try out. I've had a couple of these boxes in the past and I've always loved the contents of the boxes! You can check out my previous Cohorted reviews here, here and here.
Too Faced Soul Mates Blush Bronzer in Carrie and Big (RRP £28)
I was actually pleasantly surprised to see another blush/bronzer product from Too Faced in this months box as there was a different shade in last months edition. However, this is a gorgeous shade. After trying out the 'Ross and Rachel' shade I think it's more of a product to wear (if you have a tan) to add a bit of a glow as I found it quite a shimmery product. I prefer this shade as It's lighter then the Ross and Rachel shade and the blusher is more suited to my skin tone.
Lancome Le Corrector Pro Palette (RRP £29)
I've never tried out any Lancome products before and seeing this palette inside this months box was really exciting. I've read so many reviews about Lancome products online and I've never read a bad thing about them. This is a multitask product as it has a corrector, brighten and set which is to help brighten the eye area and minimise signs of fatigue. This palette definitely entered my life at the right time as I've been struggling with covering my under eye circles at the moment!
Cargo Cosmetics Lip Gloss Quad (RRP £15)
This was the second bright lip product in this months box and I think I would have preferred this if it was in the Nude option (which some of you would have received) as I don't tend to wear these sort of pink tones. However, I think this would be great for someone who loves a light nude lipstick and wants to wear some lipglosss on top. I'm a massive fan of Cargo cosmetics (if you get to try their eye palettes they're amazing!) and so I'm going to be giving this lip gloss quad a try!
Too Faced Lip Injection Colour Bomb in Bigger Berry (RRP £19)
Too Faced is a brand that is absolutely everywhere right now and I am dying to try out the chocolate bar palette. How great would that be if Cohorted had the chocolate bar palette in a beauty box?! Absolute dream! This is a gorgeous colour and I think it's going to get so much use during the evening as I really like a dark purple lipstick during the evening.
Overall this box is a total steal for the quality of the products you are receiving and the variety. It's allowed me to try out so many brands I wouldn't normally be able to at the fraction of the price. My favourite product in this months box is the Lancome corrector palette as I am struggling with those under eye circles at the moment!
This box is worth a massive £96.50 and with a price of only £35 and free postage you can sign up to the Cohorted beauty box here.
What do you think of this months Cohorted beauty box? Have you tried out any of these products?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Lifestyle: 50 Ideas For Blogging On A Budget
One thing I've learnt through blogging is to expect the best ideas when you least expect them. I love carrying around a little notebook to be able to jot down any ideas I have for blog posts. Being a student I don't have an endless budget to buy every new product. I'm always looking for new ways to blog on a budget and this post I hope will help all of you who truly love blogging and are struggling to on a budget!
So here we go...
General Post Ideas
1. Fashion Wishlist
2. Beauty Wishlist
3. Homeware Wishlist
4. (Store focused) wishlist e.g Topshop, Boohoo etc.
5. Sales Wishlist
Beauty Inspired Post Ideas
6. Shopping your make-up stash
7. Top 5 holy grail make-up products
8. Beauty products you'll always repurchase
9. Beauty product empties
10. Make-up of the day
11. Products I regret buying
12. What's in my make-up bag
13. Monthly make-up favourites
14. eBay Beauty Bargains
15. Skincare routine
16. Make-up dupes of high-end products
17. Top 5 Make-up brushes
18. Top 5 Make-up products
19. Top 5 products under £5
20. Top 5 products under £10
21. Haircare Favourites
22. Make-up Collection
23. Blogger enabled purchases
24. Products worth the hype
25. £20 Make-up face
Fashion Inspired Posts
26. Most worn fashion items
27. 3 ways to wear black jeans
28. 3 ways to wear a striped top
29. Outfits of the week
30. Outfit of the day
31. Date night outfit
32. Casual day wear outfit
Lifestyle Inspired Posts
33. 5 ways to step out your comfort zone
34. Ways to destress
35. What you wish you'd told your teenage self
36. Books you need to read
37. Breakfast ideas
38. Budgeting tips - for students, in general
39. Ways of dealing with (anxiety, panic attacks, depression)
40. Things you've learnt from blogging
More beauty inspired posts...
41. £1 beauty haul (think poundland make-up, MUA, Essence)
42. Ways of saving money on make-up (Boots card, points cards etc)
43. Budget make-up brands to try
44. Pampering on a budget
45. Affordable alternatives to more expensive products
46. Inside someone else's make-up bag (e.g best friend, sister, flatmate etc)
47. Favourite affordable lipsticks
48. Affordable drugstore beauty haul
49. Favourite beauty bloggers
50. Make-up organisation tips and ideas
I hope that when you're next feeling strapped for cash, you remember that to blog you don't need to have a lot of disposable income. I don't and I'm a student. It's about working with what you have and trying something new. I hope this posts helps some of you for when you're next stuck for ideas!
Do you have any post ideas you would like to see on my blog? Have these ideas helped you?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Fashion: Ways To Wear A Trench Coat
If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll have probably noticed my outfit posts have disappeared this past month or two. I think after 6 years of blogging (yes 6 years!) It's time to change things up a bit. I've been feeling so uninspired with fashion lately and what I've been wearing. I've been living in jumpers and jeans as I've just been preferring comfort over style lately.
I've been feeling really inspired by all things beauty and so you'll have noticed there are loads more beauty posts on my blog! For christmas, my parents bought me a tripod and I have brought it with me to my university house and I'm determined to get back into fashion outfit posts (when I feel inspired that is!) so you'll definitely be seeing my fashion posts in the up-coming months on my blog.
Camel Coloured Scarf - Topshop
Camel Coloured Trench Coat - New Look
Striped Top - Topshop
Ripped Jeans - Topshop
Black Boots - New Look*
So onto the outfit post... I've been really into wearing camel coloured bits of clothing as they brighten up a really simple outfit. I picked up this top at the weekend and I'm a little bit in love. I love a striped top but this one really did catch my eye (they do it in black and white striped too) and I think it looks great with my ripped jamie jeans and black boots.
Camel Coloured Scarf - Topshop
Camel Coloured Trench Coat - New Look
Striped Top - Topshop
Ripped Jeans - Topshop
Black Boots - New Look*
This is a typical outfit I'd wear to university everyday as it's comfy and it keeps me warm! I think when I'm less stressed/more relaxed I experiment with fashion a lot more and I'm looking forward to getting to that point once my dissertation is done (less than 2 weeks to go!)
These boots are a new edition to my wardrobe and they are so comfy. I was lucky enough to be sent these over from New Look as part of their 'My Boots and Me' campaign. My old boots were similar to these but these boots have more detailing on them which I absolutely adore. I have a bit of weakness for black boots that's for sure!
What fashion items are you loving wearing at the moment? What do you think of this outfit?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Beauty: New In Beauty Products Under £10
Who doesn't love a bargain of a beauty product? It's been an expensive month and it's time to treat yourself. It's always good to treat yourself right? Boots is always a guilty pleasure of mine. I always seem to go in for one product and come out with about 5 things! So I thought I'd show you all some new affordable beauty products in my make-up stash which came to my doorstep thanks to the #BootsBeautyBox and they're all under £10.
When it comes to affordable beauty, Boots is the place to head to. These products cover eyes, face and nails and so why not take 5 minutes when you're next in Boots to check these beauty products out?
1. Collection #YourStyleYourMood Palette - £5.99
I hadn't tried any of the new releases from Collection lately. I've seen so many bloggers rave about these palettes and call them dupes for the Urban Decay Naked palettes. This palette is super affordable and how a gorgeous range of colours ranging from shimmer eyeshadows to matte eyeshadows. This palette is great for creating a simple day-time look but the dark shades can help you take your day-time look to night-time and it's super small to fit in your make-up bag.
Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit - £6.49
It's about time there was some more contour kits on the high-street. Who actually has a spare £50 for the Charlotte Tilbury film star bronze and glow? I tend to use a bit of bronzer to add definition to my cheeks when I want a more natural look otherwise I'd use a contour kit from either Sleek or Freedom make-up. I'm so happy I now own this Barry M contour kit as the colours work really well with my skin tone. I love how this contour kit comes with instructions to make sure you've got your contouring game on point!
Eyelure Frozen Beauty Party Lashes - £6.95
I've never actually seen lashes with glitter in from Eyelure. I'm a massive fan of the 101 lashes and love using them for a subtle but more dramatic eye look for a night out. I think when I'm next on a night out these lashes will be used to add some sparkle to my outfit! I don't think these are the sort of lashes you would apply mascara over, but if you're after something that little bit different these lashes are for you.
L'oreal Paris Super Liner Perfect Slim - £6.99
I've been staring to become more of a fan of eyeliner. I used to think eyeliner didn't really suit me but I've been trying a Max Factor one out lately which I love. I've tried the Benefit Push up Liner before which didn't agree with me and was clumpy and dried out so quickly but I've used this once so far and it didn't budge during the day!
Nail Apothecary Gel Effect Top Coat - £6.95
I'm a massive fan of the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat which works so well and really does what is says on the tin. I've loved this top coat so much it's nearly finished now so I'm super looking forward to trying out this Nail Apothecary top coat.
Sleek Make-up Precious Metals Highlighting Palette - £9.99
Last but not least it's this gorgeous highlighting palette from Sleek. This palette has received so many good reviews from beauty bloggers and youtubers and they're not wrong. I received this palette a while ago and I love it. This palette is absolutely stunning. The packaging is amazing and looks so much more expensive then it is. This palette features a cream formula highlighter, 2 baked powders and a powder shimmer my favourite powder to use is Subsolar.
What do you think of these beauty products from Boots?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Lifestyle: Blogging Photo Prop Ideas
When I first began blogging many years ago, I didn't think that it would ever turn into something I loved 6 years later. I used to take photos on for my blog using a sony cybershot phone to show you the items of clothing and what I've been loving. Now I hunt homeware stores, stationery stores and charity shops for blogging props to make my blog photos look unique. I've had a few comments lately asking where are the props I use from so I thought I'd share this with you all.
Marble Contact Paper - I can't remember whose blog post I read about marble contact paper but I love how using this as a blog background makes my photos look more sleek and professional. I picked mine up from Amazon here. If you're a marble lover like me, you may want to pick up this contact paper too as it's darker and it will add a different effect to your photos. I'm trying to find a white wood background background and I have my eye on this contact paper.
Books - I find books make a great prop for the background of blog photos. I find that the typical 'coffee table' books work best when it comes to shooting photos, especially for beauty products. I love using 'It by Alexa Chung' and another favourite of mine to use is 'It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be' by Paul Arden.
Magazines - These are a typical thing everyone has in their rooms and they make such good blogging backgrounds for photos. I love using Elle, Vogue and Marie Claire magazines and it helps if the magazine has a pretty cover for that month!
Make-up Products - Make-up works really well in the background of blogging photos. I love using eyelash curlers (you can pick up some cheap ones here). You can use lipsticks, make-up brushes, nail polishes and it helps build up a photo.
Stationery - What would a quirky blog photo be without stationery? I find that notebooks with pretty backgrounds, journals, pens, tissue paper and patterned paper all make great backgrounds and prompts for blog posts. I love searching around paperchase, TK Maxx and Whsmith for my stationery needs. I recently picked up a diary and a couple of small notepads in TK Maxx which I absolutely adore. I've found some online similar that I think would work well in blog photos here and here.
What do you use for blog photo props?
Also an added note to this post I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who has commented on my blog lately. I am writing and scheduled my posts super late at night as I do my dissertation all day at the moment! I appreciate every single comment and I'm hoping to have some time to reply to them soon! but thank you so much! x
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: The Only Concealer You'll Ever Need To Purchase
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer - Debenhams (also available on Feel Unique, House of Fraser and Selfridges)
I'm one of those people which will see something hyped up online for months and months and when the price tag is to high I will definitely think twice before picking it up. I'm a big fan of Urban Decay products (you can see some previous posts here, here and here) but I was skeptical into picking this concealer up as it's definitely a more expensive one on the make-up market.
I remember picking up the MAC pro-longwear concealer as a birthday treat as I really wanted to try this out, but sadly I picked this up just after I went on holiday so my skin was a different shade. So soon after my tan faded it was far too dark for me to carry on using! Though my friend did point out it would be a great contour shade as it's too dark for my concealer (which I still need to try!)
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer - Debenhams (also available on Feel Unique, House of Fraser and Selfridges)
But onto the concealer... I've been a really big fan of so many affordable concealers but lately I've felt really unhappy with my under eye area. I found that the concealer I was using wasn't working well for me, I wanted something to make me look more awake (especially with the late nights writing my dissertation) and I wanted a concealer which made my eyes look a lot brighter and my skin to look more dewy.
I had no idea what shade I was, so on a recent trip shopping with one of my closest friends I thought about popping by the Urban Decay store in Debenhams. The woman matched me up to the shade 'light warm' and I thought that It would be too light for me, but once she applied it to my face I noticed a huge difference to my make-up. My skin looked more dewy, my under eye area was brighter and I can confirm that after wearing it all day it didn't crease once! (total dream)
I'm a little bit in love with this concealer and I am so glad it's helped sort out my under eye area when I'm applying my make-up!
What do you think of Urban Decay? Have you tried out this concealer?
Also, I recently was asked to be part of Beauty Bay's Beauty Map which was a real insight into our make-up and beauty habits! You can check out the map here and find out what the make-up shopping habits of your county are!
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Fashion: This Weeks High-Street Picks #66
Blue Shirt Dress - Pretty Little Thing
Khaki Waterfall Coat - Pretty Little Thing
Grey Duster Coat - Missguided
Striped Bodysuit - New Look
Red 3/4 Striped Top - New Look
Firetrap Cable Knit Hat - M and M Direct
Firetrap Queen Black Boots - M and M Direct
Grey Suedette Block Heel Boots - New Look
I'm starting to feel more inspired with fashion at the moment. I'm really enjoying simple 'classic' pieces and that means stocking up on those casual coats and striped items. I have this coat in a grey colour but I've been eyeing this coat as it's khaki green. Khaki is a colour I really love wearing and I feel like it goes well against my skin tone. This coat is an absolute steal as it's only £20 too!
Stripes will always be my favourite sort of tops to wear. You can never have too many striped tops right? You can check out my last outfit post (featuring a striped top) here. I think when it comes to bagging yourself a great and affordable striped top there's no where else to look then New Look. I've had a few striped tops from New Look and they've lasted me so well. I really want to get my hands on this one.
One place i've never really looked for when it comes to fashion is mandmdirect. I didn't know that they stock brands including Firetrap, Nike, Ugg, Converse to name a few. I am really into wearing my bobble hats to keep me warm at the moment and this one caught my eye.
What do you think of this weeks high-street picks? What are you loving on the high-street right now?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Lifestyle: 5 Ways I Like To Destress
I'm in my third year at university and I can honestly say that despite the little contact hours that it is extremely time consuming and stressful. I spend my days in the library and I'm currently working on my dissertation and it's proving to be a challenge! Just less than 2 weeks to go...
When I was contacted by Ocean Loans to show you all the ways I love to relax and destress I jumped at the chance as I've been feeling so stressed lately. So here are the 5 ways I like to destress when things just get that little bit too much.
Tropical Wonderland by Millie Marotta, Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book by Johanna Basford
1. Colouring - This is definitely one of my favourite things to do. I'm completely on board with the colouring books trend and I'm embracing it. I love how they can be using to relax your mind, destress and just help you take a little bit of time out to relax. Over the past 6 months or so I seem to have built up a bit of a collection of colouring books but I absolutely love them. I love how pretty the pages look after you've finished colouring too and who doesn't love colouring?!
Mug - Emma Bridgewater
2. Cup of Herbal Tea - I genuinely don't know how I would have coped over the past couple of years without peppermint tea. Since my doctor told me I was suffering with anxiety and panic attacks in 2014 I stopped having caffeine as It had a really bad affect on me and constantly made me anxious and I feel so much better for it. When I get stressed, feel anxious or just need something to help me chill out, I just stick the kettle on and take 10 minutes to relax and drink my peppermint tea. I'm really loving pukka three mint tea at the moment. I picked this up in Tesco (you can get it on Amazon though here too!)
3. Picking up some new make-up bits - Okay so this point doesn't help my bank balance but it's totally okay to do this on the odd occasion right? When I'm feeling stressed something that helps me stay calm (and feel better about myself) is taking a bit of time in the morning to doing my make-up. I've recently picked up the Maybelline Blushed Nudes Palette and Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze. Sometimes I just spend a half hour experimenting with different make-up looks to take my mind off things.
4. Going out for food with friends - This is one of my favourite things to do with my boyfriend when we both just want to take some time out and enjoy each others company. I love a good lunch date/coffee date/dinner date and it's something I love doing at university too to take some time out of living in the library and just have a good girly chat with my best friend from uni (you may have seen my katsu curry I had at the weekend from our latest girly lunch!)
5. Reading - Whether it's a magazine, cook book, or even an autobiography, I'm trying to read a lot more. I'm currently reading 'The life changing magic of tidying' by Marie Kondo and 'Reasons to stay alive' by Matt Haig. I spend hours and hours every week reading blogs on my phone through Blog Lovin (if you don't follow me on blog lovin you can follow me here) It's sometimes really nice to just sit down, not look at a screen and read. I'm trying to read more books this year and I'm going to enjoy them with a cup of peppermint tea in hand!
What ways do you like to destress? Do you have any book recommendations? Are you a big fan of colouring books too?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: Lord and Berry Beauty Haul
Lord and Berry is a brand I've always loved using. I've tried out a few of the eye pencils, the lipsticks but I haven't tried out many other products from the brand. I was so excited when I saw online they had so many gorgeous products. I think Lord and Berry is such an underrated brand which isn't talked about enough in the blogosphere!
Moon Luminizer Stick - £13
This highlighter reminds me of the Becca Champagne Pop highlighter. I think it's incredibly similar (from looking at swatches online) and the colour of this highlighter is stunning. It may be in stick form rather than powder but I think this works better for precise application. It's really creamy and easy to blend. I love using this on a go to make my face have that bit of an extra glow. It's very affordable in comparison to the more high-end highlighting products too.
20100 Matte Lipstick Pencil in Allure - £10
As much as I love trying out lipsticks, I've recently become a little bit obsessed with lipstick pencils. I was so surprised with this lipstick pencil. I love applying this on the go and it leaves my lips feeling really moisturised. This shade is very similar to Mac's lipstick in Cherish but it's slightly darker when Cherish and Allure are swatched together!
Seta Eyeshadow in Jacqueline - £14
I'm a massive fan of a dark brown eyeshadow. I find they work so well with my skintone and they're the coloured eyeshadows I reach for everyday when creating my make-up looks. What's so great about this eyeshadow is that it's incredibly pigmented and very creamy. I love using this in the crease for my eyeshadow!
Ultimate Lipliner in Rusty - £9
I am absolutely OBSESSED with this lip liner. Don't get me wrong I love a MAC lip liner (and some drugstore ones) but the quality of this liner has amazed me. Sometimes I'll just wear this on my lips on it's own and it will last all day. I love the colour on my lips and how it comes across as a dark brown shade.
(Swatches from L-R Highligher in Moon, Allure Lipstick Pencil, Ultimate Lipliner in Rusty, Eyeshadow in Jacqueline)
I am beyond impressed with these products from Lord and Berry and the quality is amazing. I couldn't pick a favourite as I really love everything as the products are great for creating my typical everyday make-up looks. If there's one product (or maybe 2) I would recommend you picking up ASAP it's the highlighter and the lip liner as they are so dreamy!
What do you think of Lord and Berry? Which product is your favourite?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
This post contains PR samples* -
Beauty: Look Fantastic #LFLOVES February Beauty Box
So many of you will know by now that I'm a massive fun of Look Fantastic beauty boxes. Who doesn't love beauty treats delivered to your door every month? This months box is definitely my favourite LF box so far and I'm really excited to write this post to tell you all about it!
First of all, this months box comes with a free Elle magazine. Yes a free Elle magazine! I love reading Elle and I think this a great added bonus to the beauty box this month. I am also a little obsessed with this packaging! Since I started getting the Look Fantastic beauty box the packaging has changed a lot which I've loved. They have 3 patterned boxes in the run up to christmas but this months packaging is so nice. I'm going to use it to store my make-up bits in.
Monu Relaxing Bali Massage and Body Oil
Monu is a skin care brand that I absolutely adore. I really love using the illuminating primer and the firming moisturiser so I'm really looking forward to trying out this facial oil as I've never tried a Monu skincare product I haven't loved.
Bliss Pink Grapefruit and Aloe Body Butter
One of my favourite fragrances when it comes to shower gels and body creams is grapefruit. This body butter contains coconut oil which will help to leave your skin feeling nice an soft. I've used this a few times and oh my days it smells absolutely amazing!
Denman Mini Keyring Brush
I'm sure I am not the only one who carries around a massive bag and spends ages for looking for things inside it. I can never find my mini hairbrush in my bag and this keyring will 100% sort out my hairbrush finding problems! I think this hairbrush is so handy and will be used so much.
Lord and Berry Matte Lipstick Pencil
You'll have seen a colour very similar to this one in yesterday's post (which you can check out here) and I absolutely love this shade. I think it's a gorgeous nude and it's a nude which will suit so many skin tones. I think what's so great about the size of this is that its great for travelling with, or chucking in your clutch bag for a night out!
KMS Color Vitality Conditioner
I've never tried out any products from KMS before but I've heard a lot about them. This colour vitality conditioner claims to prevent colour fade and to restore radiance to your hair.
Hi Impact Brows Eyes and Brow Perfector Palette
I've heard so much about Hi Impact brows so I was really excited when I saw this palette was in this months box. This palette is a bit of a multi use product as you can use these shades for eyeshadows as well as brow colours. This palette retails at £18.99 which means this months box is well worth the value in just this one product! The shades in this palette cover all shades from if you have blonde hair to dark brown hair.
You can sign up to the Look Fantastic beauty box from as little as £11.25 a month including delivery here.
What do you think about this months box? Which product is your favourite?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: The Products That Cured My Sleeping Problems
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray - Feel Unique, This Works Deep Sleep Night Oil - Feel Unique
Over the past year I've had really bad sleep problems. Don't get me wrong I LOVE SLEEP who doesn't love sleep? But actually falling asleep at night I find so difficult. I hate that feeling when I wake up in the morning have felt like I haven't had a good sleep, I feel groggy and horrible and this is down to me being super stressed and having too much on my mind at night.
I've been to the doctors about my sleeping problems when it got really bad, and luckily for me my sleep improved slightly after that. I tried all the remedies (well suggested remedies) under the sun to help me sleep. Having a cup of tea before bed, no caffeine in the evenings, not eating junk food all sorts but nothing really seemed to work for me. I then decided to go through my beauty stash and I found a sample of the This Weeks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (available in the sale here) and I used that sample up within a couple of weeks.
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray - Feel Unique, This Works Deep Sleep Night Oil - Feel Unique
When I remembered (cause sometimes it's easy to forget) to use this pillow spray and my sleep was really improved after using this spray and the oil. I rang my boyfriend to tell him how much better I was sleeping and he didn't believe this stuff works but I'm definitely going to try this spray out on him! haha!
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray - Feel Unique
This Works Deep Sleep Night Oil - Feel Unique
Recently, on one of my trips wandering around town I went around TK Maxx and managed to find a full size version of the deep sleep pillow spray and the massage oil for only £20. I thought I'd be crazy not to pick this up. It's just under 2 weeks until my dissertation is due and I would be lying if I said I wasn't stressed. I haven't been sleeping well and this spray has picked me right up. Don't get me wrong this spray isn't going to solve all your sleeping problems but it certainly sorts it out a bit!
I've noticed a difference in how I feel when I wake up after using this spray and the oil and I'm going to carry on using them both, especially when I'm feeling super stressed. I never thought a product like this would work, but I'm seriously impressed and this pillow spray and night oil definitely came into my life at the right time!
Have you tried any products from This Works? Have you tried out this pillow spray?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Beauty: Collection Primed and Ready Primer Collection
I'm a magpie when it comes to new drugstore products. When I saw on Collection's twitter that they've launched a new range of primer products I was beyond excited to try them. I went into Boots (Boots points I'll love you forever) and picked up the reviving and anti-fatigue illuminating primer in warm apricot and the illuminating and reviving eye primer.
Collection Illuminating and Reviving Eye Primer - £3.99
One thing the British high-street is lacking is eye primer. I haven't found an eye primer which is available on the high-street until I picked this one up! I've been currently using one which came with my TheBalm Nude Tude Palette which I've loved but it's sadly running out. This eye primer came just in time!
This eye primer applies quite clear on my lids but has a slight shimmer to it. It's lightweight and it dries instantly once applied (well enough time for you to blend but then it dries). This primer also helps blur any fine lines. The shimmer to this primer is really subtle and will be great to create both day-time and night-time looks. I've worn this primer all day twice and it left my make-up crease and smudge free when I arrived home 8 hours later. What else is really good about this product is that you don't have to use a lot of it for each application.
Collection Illuminating Reviving and Anti-Fatigue Primer - £3.99
I wanted to try out the mattifying pore minimiser primer but that was out of stock in my local Boots so I went from the reviving and anti-fatigue primer. There's two shades available but I went for the warm apricot shade. I think this shade works better for my skin tone and I wanted this shade as it reminds me of Benefit's Sun Beam. After using this a couple of times I'm actually really impressed with this primer, it leaves my skin feeling illuminated and moisturised which I really like.
(L-R Reviving Anti Fatigue Primer, Eye Primer)
It worried me a bit to how shimmery the product is, but once you apply foundation over it it leaves you with a dewy glow. What I also discovered is you can use this primer as a liquid highlighter too.
The Collection Primed and Ready Primer collection is available from Boots from £3.99 here.
Are you excited to try out these primers?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: The New-In Make-up Haul ft Urban Decay, Kiko and MAC
Okay so this isn't 'new' as such I just found the photos on my laptop and remembered this was for a post I never got round to scheduling. But I hope you enjoy this post none the less. There's been a few beauty editions to my make-up stash at the moment which I'm loving and since shooting this post some of these products have become firm favourites in my daily make-up routine!
MAC Lipstick in Persistence - £15.50
I think this lipstick has overtaken my all-time favourite MAC lipstick, Velvet Teddy. I absolutely love how Persistence is a much darker nude (with a hint of red) and this is such a long-wearing lipstick too.
Kiko Cream Eyeshadow in Mat Taupe - (around £3.50)
When it comes to Kiko cosmetics, you really can't beat the price. I thought I'd give this cream eyeshadow a try as it was only £3.50. I think what drew me to this cream eyeshadow is the colour. When it's applied it's a light brown against my skin tone and because it's a cream eyeshadow is lasts all day which is a win win situation when I'm feeling super lazy with my make-up!
MAC Pro-longwear Absolutely It Lipliner - Selfridges
I absolutely LOVE wearing this lip liner with Persistence. I see this as a great combination as they're both dark brown tones. I think this is a really underrated MAC lipliner!
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in light warm - Urban Decay
Okay so this concealer is literally my favourite thing. It's so good I even wrote a post here about how much I love it. It leaves my under eye area looking bright and my skin looking dewy. I wear this concealer everyday and it doesn't crease. What more could you want from a concealer?
Kiko Water Eyeshadow in Champagne - £4.40
Lastly, it's this gorgeous water eyeshadow in champagne from Kiko. I was so drawn to the colour of this eyeshadow but I have to say I was really disappointed with the colour pay-off. This eyeshadow you are supposed to be able to use wet and dry and I've used it dry and not liked it. I'm going to try using it wet for my next night out/evening out so I'll report back on this one!
What do you think of this beauty haul? Which product is your favourite?
Have you tried any of these products out?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Beauty: Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Collection #UDXGWEN
Urban Decay is a brand I absolutely adore. I've become more obsessed with the brand in the past 6 months or so and there's never been an Urban Decay product I've tried and been disappointed with. The first release from the Gwen Stefani collection was the eyeshadow palette in November and now the rest of the collection is available! You can now pick up the lipsticks, lip liners, brow box and there's also a blush palette which is available.
Limited Edition Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette - £40*
This palette was the first release from the Gwen Stefani collection and it's stunning. After having this palette a couple of months my favourite shades to use are Bathwater, Anaheim, Pink and Zone. I find these shadows look amazing against my skin tone. There's 15 shadows in this palette and only 3 of them I'd say are the typical Gwen Stefani colours. I've still not used Harajuku or Danger but I'm really tempted to experiment with them! You can check out my full review of the eyeshadow palette here.
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette - £35*
I've been reading reviews on this palette for about a week now and I just knew I had to have it in my make-up collection. I think this is probably the top product from this collaboration (aside from the eyeshadow palette) as it's absolutely gorgeous. It's got a similar packaging to the eyeshadow palette as it's just white and gold instead of black, white and gold.
There are 6 colours in this palette, when I first looked at this palette I thought the shades were gorgeous. I really like the shades 'Angel' 'Lo-Fi' and 'Hush', I think they would be great shades at adding shimmer to your face and 'Lo-Fi' would be a great contouring shade. I think the 'cherry' shade is too bright for me but I'll definitely be trying out the same 'easy'. After watching these shades on my skin, I would say this is a palette more suitable to the paler skin tones but I think if you're someone who loves a light coverage of make-up this palette would work well for you too.
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lipstick in Ex Girlfriend - £16*
When I first saw the lipsticks in the collection I was most excited about Ex Girlfriend. Gwen is known for her crazy/out going personality and make-up choices and this shade is quite toned down for her. This is just one of the six shades from the collection, I also really liked Rock Steady as it was a purple/burgundy lipstick. When it's watched Ex Girlfriend it's actually quite a sheer lipstick, I think this would be great for days when you don't want to wear too much make-up but you want to go for a more casual look.
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lip liner in Ex Girlfriend - £14
(L-R Ex Girlfriend Lipstick, Ex Girlfriend Lipliner)
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lip liner in Ex Girlfriend - £14
This lip liner was my favourite out of the lipstick/lip liner combination. It reminds me a lot of Spice lipliner from MAC but has a bit more of a brown tone to it. I think the way to team this lip liner/lip stick combination together is to use the lip liner all over your lips and then to use the lipstick as more of a gloss as it's quite sheer.
Overall, I am loving this collection. I think the packaging is amazing and I definitely need some more of the lip liners/lip sticks in my life! If I had to tell you one thing you NEED to invest in I'd still stick with the eyeshadow palette as that palette really is something for everyone. It's great for everyday wear and for night-time looks too.
What do you think of the collection? Have you picked up any products from this range?
Also, there will be a full review next week on the rest of the lipsticks/ lipliners in the range as i've kindly received them through the post after already buying a couple of pieces!
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Fashion: Boohoo Valentines Wishlist and #boohoobae competition
Cutaway Neckline Dress - £20
Rouched Sleeve Midi Skirt Co-ord Set - £20
Embroided Mesh Bralet - £12
Applique Mesh Bralet - £12
Cross Back Jumpsuit - £20
Cut Out Wrap Dress - £20
First of all I'm sorry this post is up so late! I've been given a new brief in university today (despite only handing in my dissertation on friday) so I've been so caught up in the researching ahead of another university filled day tomorrow!
I thought for today's post I would share with you all some of the items from the valentines section I'm loving on Boohoo and let you all know about their current competition where you can win return flights to paris, 4* accommodation, £100 boohoo voucher for your own outfit and £300 spending money! Sound like a total dream? I think so. All you have to do is upload a photo on social media of you and your bae with the hashtag #myboohoobae!
#myboohoobae
You can also earn extra entries by following me on my social channels too!
x
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: My Favourite Urban Decay Products
Urban Decay is one of my favourite make-up brands. I've loved the Urban Decay naked palettes for a few years now and they're a complete staple in my make-up routine. Since trying out some new products from the brand I've been completely obsessed with all things Urban Decay (you can check out my post here).
After trialling out a variety of Urban Decay products there genuinely isn't a product I don't like. What I love about Urban Decay is the quality of the products is outstanding and the packaging of every product they make is really good.
Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Limited Edition Palette
This palette was definitely a huge launch for Urban Decay. I think this has been the blogger 'must have' palette for the past few months. Since having this palette in my life i've absolutely loved it. The shades are really wearable and this palette is great for a day-time look but also changing a day-time look to a night-time one. You can check out my full review here.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Light Warm
This concealer is an absolute dream. I was unsure whether to pick this concealer up for the past 3/4 months but I caved it just under a month ago. I've used this concealer everyday since, I love how bright it leaves my under eye area and how it doesn't crease after wearing all day. I even wrote a post about how much I love this concealer here.
Urban Decay Stark Naked Lipstick, Urban Decay Bittersweet Lipstick
Lip products from Urban Decay I've not actually tried to recently and boy they are good! I was so surprised at how highly pigmented the lipsticks are and the colour pay off. My favourite is 100% Stark Naked as it's such a gorgeous coloured nude lipstick. The next Urban Decay lipstick on my wish list is this one.
Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette
This was a present I received for christmas from my boyfriend and I absolutely love it. I think this palette really stands out in compared to the Urban Decay Naked 1,2 and 3. I think this palette is great as it works so well to create a smokey eye look. You can take a look at the full review of this palette here.
Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette in Streak
I have this palette in a different shade and I have to say that if I had to rank my favourite palettes that Naked flushed palette would be last. I've recently added this flushed palette in streak into my life and I absolutely love it. The bronzer shade is so much more suited to my skin tone and the highlighter works so well with my skin tone too.
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Minor Sin
I've heard so many things about the primer potion and this product certainly didn't disappoint. I am really into wearing eyeshadow at the moment and this helps my eyeshadow stay in place all day and stay crease free.
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
This setting spray is an absolute dream. Don't get me wrong I was very unsure about this for a long time as I thought surely a powder works better then a setting spray? But I'm so glad I caved in to the hype. This spray is amazing! It helps my make-up stay in place all day without looking caked on. You can check out my full review of the spray here.
Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
The Naked 2 palette is definitely my favourite out of the Naked 1,2 and 3. I find the shades in this palette are more suited to my skin tone and I love how there is a mixture of shimmer and matte shades.
Urban Decay B6 Vitamin Complexion Prep Spray
I have to admit, I wasn't 100% sure on this product when I first tried it out. I didn't really see an effect on my skin. I stopped using this for a couple of months and picked this up again a couple of weeks ago. I love using this after moisturising my face but I also love using this after using my setting spray and it leaves
Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer
This product I am probably the most surprised about. I never thought a lash primer would actually work but I couldn't imagine my life without this one now. I love the effect it gives on my lashes and a few people have asked me if i'm wearing false lashes when I've been wearing this.
Have you tried out any of these Urban Decay products? Which product is your favourite?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Beauty: Birchbox 'Shine Bright Like A Diamond' February Box Review
I think as time goes on beauty boxes just get more and more exciting for me. February has begun with a pretty stressful start for me as I was in the final few days of completing my dissertation (which is now finished) so I have a little bit of a blogging backlog but hopefully I'll catch up soon! My life is just one massive to do list right now! This months Birchbox coming through the post has cheered me right up (as who doesn't love a package full of beauty products!)
First of all I'm obsessed with the packaging for this months box. I think it's very aesthetically pleasing. One thing I do love about Birchbox is that each month no box is the same, I seem to have a collection of multi-coloured (and patterned) boxes in my room!
LOC One and Done Shadow Stick (RRP £8)
This month sees the launch of Birchbox's in house beauty line Love of Color (LOC). Each product in the range is made to fit in your handbag and be perfect for doing your make-up on the go. I've actually already used this product this month and it's so cream (and easy to blend) which I love. It's a gorgeous colour which works well with my skin tone and it's so shimmery too.
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster (RRP £47)
What I love about Birchbox is I am able to try out the high-end skincare products I'd never splurge on. I am getting more into skincare and I definitely think it's something you need to invest in (especially as you get older!) I've heard good things about Ole Henriksen so I'm looking forward to trying this.
Ayres Body Butter in Patagonia (RRP £19.50)
One thing I really love at the moment is body butters. I'm hating the weather right now as it dries my skin out but body butters and moisturisers have been my saviour! This body butter is made of a plant based formula with shea butter, Vitamin E leaving your skin feeing soft and hydrated. Also this body butter smells AMAZING!
L.Erickson Grab and Go Ponytail Holder (RRP £11.50 for a set of 15)
What I'm really liking at the moment is the amount of new hair ties which are around which leave your hair kink free, snag free etc. There's one bobble in this box and it's perfect for keeping your hair out the way and it's metal free.
The Balm Frat Boy Blush/Shadow (RRP £15.50)
TheBalm are one of my favourite make-up brands, you may have seen my post about how much I love TheBalm here. I've heard so many good things about the Frat Boy blush and I was so excited to see a sample of this in this months box. The only downside is that the sample is SO small like how are you supposed to apply blusher with this? (I'm going to have a go anyway) what this sample would be so good for would be when you're off on holiday and travelling with hand luggage and have limited space.
Spectrum Collections Tapered Powder Brush (RRP £7.99)
I was BEYOND excited when I saw that this months box had one of the newest Spectrum brushes inside. I've got a set of brushes from Spectrum (you can check the post here) and I love them. They are such good quality and also they are super pretty to look at (and Instagram) haha! I have been using this for my powder but also as a bronzer brush. Also you need to check out the full collection here (it's only £35!) It's so pretty!
If I had to compare the my most recent few Birchbox's this is definitely my favourite. I'm loving the LOC cream eyeshadow pencil and the Spectrum brush and the body butter smells beyond amazing!
You can sign up to Birchbox here for only £10 a month + £2.95 P&P.
What do you think of this months Birchbox? Which product is your favourite? Have you tried any of these products?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: Rosie For Autograph Collection Review
We all fall into the internet hype every once in a while and the appeal of the Rosie for Autograph range had me well and truly fixated. I couldn't wait to get my hands on a couple of bits from the range. I'd just finished my dissertation it was time to treat myself... haha!
Rosie is a complete goddess when it comes to having her make-up on point. I think she looks so good (and natural) all the time which has worked out well for this collection with Marks and Spencer as every product is very wearable. I am a huge fan of her lingerie range for Marks and Spencer as the products are so gorgeous and have a glamorous edge.
Rosie For Autograph 'I Feel Like A Million Dollars' Eyeshadow Quad - £18
I've been reading so many posts about this range online and it didn't disappoint. First thing I picked up was the eyeshadow quad in 'I Feel Like A Million Dollars' and oh my days is it beautiful. First of all the packaging caught my attention right away, it reminded me a lot of the Charlotte Tilbury make-up packaging! The colours in this palette are stunning as they are all shimmer based eyeshadows which is the sort of eyeshadow I reach for everyday.
This palette ranges from a cream ivory shade to a dark chocolate brown which means this palette is great for day-time and night-time looks. The pigmentation of this palette I'm really impressed by and it makes the £18 price tag worth the purchase. The palette is also available in 3 other shades here.
(L-R Silky Rose Lipstick Swatch, Sparkle and Magic Eye Pencil Swatch)
Rosie for Autograph Cream Eyeshadow Stick in Sparkle and Magic - £12.50
Cream eyeshadows are definitely all the rage right now. This I think should have been priced at a lower price point as then prospective buyers would be more tempted to pick this cream eyeshadow stick up in other colours. But nonetheless this colour is gorgeous. I love using this shade as an inner corner highlight on my eyes or just an all over eyeshadow if I'm super busy and on the go!
Rosie for Autograph Lipstick in Lady Rose - £14
After swatching a fair few lipsticks from the range on my hand I decided on the shade Lady Rose. I felt like this shade worked the best on my skin and the lipstick was very moisturising. I love the packaging of this lipstick and how moisturising it appears.
I would love to try out more products from the range as theres so many gorgeous products. Some of my favourites are the highlighter powder, bronzer and the eyeshadow quads.
At the moment if you pick up any two items online from the Rosie for Autograph range you receive a free gift! You can check out the range here.
What do you think of the Rosie for Autograph range? Which product is your favourite?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: Lip Plumping, Lash Thickening trying out Instant Effects
One thing I really enjoy about blogging is being able to discover new brands, write about them and give a real honest review of the products. I love reading blogs as they give you a much more in-depth review of a product you were lusting after and the reviews on blogs also have introduced me to so many products I now adore. When an email dropped in my inbox about Instant Effects I was so excited. With the make-up trends at the moment, it's all about fuller lips, thick lashes and getting rid of those dark circles!
Instant effects was created from over 25 years experience of working with household make-up brands and creator, Richard Mears saw a gap in the market for skincare products that actually work. Along came Instant Lip, Instant Eye Lift and Instant Lash.
Instant Effects Lip Plumper - £24.99*
This was probably the product I was the most excited to use. Who doesn't want full looking lips? I've noticed a lot of bloggers in the blogosphere having lip treatments/lip fillers and it's been a massive 'trend' for a while now. The Instant Effect lip plumper claims to be able to give you fuller and more voluminous lips within 2 minutes, reduces lines, giving your lips a smoother appearance that can last up to 4 days and the product does not give you any sting or aggravation.
I can confirm that after trying this out a few times my lips look fuller and I saw the effects within a few minutes! I think this is a really good product, especially if you're longing for fuller, more plump lips. A downside to the product is that it applies like a gloss so if you're not a lipgloss lover this product might not be for you. Overall I'm really impressed with this and who doesn't want fuller lips without having the treatments?
Instant Effects Eye Lift - £24.99*
After giving the Lip Plumper a try, I was looking forward to trying out this product. I've not been happy with the appearance of my under eyes/dark circles at the moment. I think this is due to being super stressed and tired due to having so much university work. After giving this a go, I am impressed with how firm it makes my under eyes feel and my dark circles appear reduced. The Instant eye lift claims to reduce the depth of wrinkles (not that I have any), diminish the dark circles and puffy eyes and leaves your skin feeling firm, all within 15 minutes.
Instant Effects Instant Lash - £24.99*
I'm a really big fan of the Urban Decay lash primer and I use it everyday when I'm applying my make-up. The Urban Decay lash primer does a really good job as lengthening my lashes but it doesn't add as much volume as I'd want for my lashes. The Instant Lash claims to increase lash volume, lash growth and your lashes will appear thicker within 2 minutes! My lashes appear to have more volume which I really like. I'm going to carry on trying this and i'll report back!
Overall, I'm really impressed with the products by Instant Effects. If I had to rate them in which is my favourite, I'd 100% say the lip plumper. I feel like this product worked the best on my skin. I really liked the eye lift as my skin felt firmer, but my least favourite product would be the Instant lash, I didn't see the effects as much but still it's a good product.
The Instant Effects range is going to be available soon at Fortnum and Mason stores and Selfridges from £24.99 and you can buy the range online here.
What do you think of Instant effects? Will you be trying any of these products out?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: Ebay Beauty Bargains #2
Pink Beauty Blender - RRP £16 on eBay for £5.99
Real Techniques Core Collection Brush Set - RRP £20.99 on eBay for £7.99
Essie Professional Routine Kit - £5.00
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge - RRP £5.99 on eBay for £4.25
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - RRP £23 on eBay for £8.99
Mini Beauty Blenders - RRP £13.50 on eBay for £4.99
Real Techniques Sculpting Set - RRP £19.00 on eBay for £9.00
Everyone loves a bargain right? I could spend hours shopping online and when it comes to finding a beauty bargain eBay is a gold mine. I thought I'd put together some of my favourite beauty bargains on eBay at the moment.
Beauty Blenders are the number 1 beauty product right now and at a £16 price tag for a sponge, the Beauty Blender is a little out of reach. I picked up my Beauty Blender from eBay for about £6 and you can pick the pink one up from eBay here and the mini beauty blenders for £5 here.
One of my favourite beauty finds on eBay are the Real Techniques sets. I think the retail price on the high-street is really expensive and you can pick up their best selling set for just £7.99 here and my second favourite set they do (the sculpting set) here. If you missed my review on the sculpting set you can check out the post here.
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Fashion: Boux Avenue Valentines Wishlist & 20% off!
Annette Plunge Bra - £28
Alicia Pleated Plunge Bra - £24 (comes with free knickers)
Bettie Floral Plunge Bra - £24 (comes with free knickers)
Lucie Lace Triangle Bra - £18
Sylvia Satin and Lace Balconette Bra - £30
Tori Lace Plunge Bra - £25
Chloe Lace Plunge Bra - £24
Amber Oriental Rose Balconette Bra - £30
Valentines day may be tomorrow but it's never too late to treat yourself right? Boux Avenue is my favourite store when it comes to shopping for lingerie. 90% of my underwear is from Boux Avenue and you really can't fault the quality of the brand. I think this is a great brand for those of you (who are like me) have bigger boobs as the sizes go all the way up to a double F!
There's so many gorgeous sets online at the moment and these are just a few of my favourites and some of them come with free matching knickers too!
Boux Avenue are offering Fashion-Train readers 20% off with the code 'BECCA20' which is valid until April 3rd.
So it's definitely time to treat yourself ;)
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Lifestyle: 5 Things I've Learnt About Blogging
It's been 6 years since I wrote my first ever blog post. It feels like a life-time ago since I was that 15 year old girl obsessed with fashion magazines and all things fashion related. Since that time social media platforms Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat have come about, the most popular bloggers have book deals, make-up ranges, stationery ranges the list goes on....
I don't count myself as a 'big blogger' and I don't think I ever will. I thought seems as I'm a bit of a granny in blogging land now that I'd share 5 things I've learnt in my 6 years of blogging!
1. It's okay to be different - When I first started my blog I wasn't anywhere near as confident as I feel now. I used to be scared to wear what I liked as I was constantly more bothered about what other people thought of me. One of the things blogging has taught me is that not everyone is going to love your outfit, it's about your opinion and how you rock it!
2. To always stay true to yourself - There's a lot of bloggers I've met over the years which have changed completely (in my opinion) due to the fame and success they have received. Some bloggers are all about how many followers they can get on Instagram, some as more interested in the freebies whereas there's still a small amount of bloggers that are interested in blogging as they truly love it.
3. Relationships with brands/companies aren't the number 1 priority - Back in the day (all those years ago) I felt that when brands first got in contact with me that if I loved the brand, I'd work with them and really try and nurture the relationship as I deemed it as important to my blog and the success of it. With new companies launching everyday, brands having different specifications about how they want to work with bloggers etc these relationships don't last as long. I appreciate every single opportunity which comes my way thanks to my blog and whether that's a long relationship with a brand of a short one, only time will tell and that it doesn't always matter as long as you work with brands you love and enjoy.
4. Don't compare yourself with other bloggers - I'll have to admit sometimes I compare myself to bloggers who have had huge success and I'll wonder why haven't I had that? It's only normal. Over time I've realised you have to be happy of their success and support them as that's what blogging is about. I've always stayed true to myself and have been as genuine as I can when it comes to blog and sometimes I feel that some bloggers are being someone they are not just to grab that '15 minute fame.'
5. Blog about what YOU want to blog about - It's your little space on the internet after all! I've learnt over the years that I'm going to blog about what I want to, when I want to. I post content I'd want to read myself, content that relates to my personal experiences and about the make-up products/items of clothing I'm loving.
What have you learnt from blogging?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Beauty: My Everyday Make-up Routine
Don't get me wrong I'm not a make-up artist. I don't claim to be 'amazing' at make-up, I'm just a normal girl who is interested in make-up and creating new looks. I wanted to get more posts of me wearing make-up on my blog but I find it so hard taking photos of my face! (I have no idea why but I do) but I thought i'd give it a go as today I'm going to tell you all about my daily make-up routine!
Base - Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer - I love using this as a base for my make up and it helps my foundation last all day. I really like using the Urban Decay B6 Vitamin Complexion Spray after using my primer as it helps prep my face and leaves it with a dewy glow after my foundation.
I am really into using the Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue* and this product is absolutely amazing. I've never really tried any Bare Minerals products before and this and it's become a firm favourite in my make-up bag it really helps bring hydration back into my currently dry skin.
Eyes - Next it's my eye make-up and I'm obsessed with using the Urban Decay Primer Potion to prime my eyes and Stila Eyes Are The Window Palette in Soul as it's just the perfect palette for creating a brown eye look. I then go on to the use the Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer and then top my eye make-up up with the Maybelline Push Up Drama Mascara.
Brows - My current brow routine is using my Billion Dollar Brows Pencil to line the bottom of my eyebrows and then filling them in using my NYX Tinted brow mascara. Sometimes I use powders but normally I'm trying to be as quick as possible with my make-up routine so a tinted brow mascara is easiest!
Lips - I'm a girl who LOVES her nude lipstick. I don't seem to go a day without using a nude lipstick and I save the darker lipsticks/red lipsticks for a night out. I've used the Lord and Berry Lipliner in Rusty* and with MAC Lipstick in Persistence on top which I think works really well for my skin tone.
Finish - To finish my make-up I use the Urban Decay Setting Spray and spritz my face a couple of times. I love using the Urban Decay B6 Vitamin Complexion Spray after to leave my face with a dewy glow.
Have you tried any of these products? What make-up products are you loving using at the moment?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Shop The Post -
Lifestyle: For When You're Stuck For Blogging Ideas
I'm all for finding new ways to enjoy blogging, trying out new things and one thing I don't like is when I have some free time and want to blog, I just have no ideas. I've noticed that over the past few months you've all really loved these sorts of posts on my blog and so I'd thought I'd put together a mini round up!
50 Ideas For Blogging On A Budget
This post I put together to summarise the ways I like to enjoy blogging on a budget. Blogging can be an expensive hobby at times as you feel the need to spend the money you have constantly trying new products. I am guilty of this myself! I'm trying to stick to a plan, really plan out my blog posts (as best as I can) and try to make sure my money stretches when it comes to creating blog content.
100 Beauty Blogging Prompts
Over the past year (or so) I've become really into beauty blogging. I have a love for beauty and being a mixed raced girl it's sometimes hard to find the right products for my hair/skin tone on the high-street. Through getting more into beauty blogging I've discovered so many new products I absolutely adore and I never seem to be stuck for ideas when it comes to writing my beauty posts! I've put this post together so you'll never be stuck for beauty blog post ideas.
Blogging Photo Prop Ideas
Sometimes when you're stuck for blogging ideas or inspiration it could mean you just need to change things up a bit. I've discovered that since I've really tried to experiment with my photography, I've rediscovered my love for creating content. I think this post is great for those of you who want to change up your blogging style but you don't want to break the bank!
25 Beauty Blog Post Ideas
I think this post was my most popular post in a while as It got a lot of 'saves' on blog lovin. I feel like I go through phases of being stuck for ideas and having loads of ideas so I find that looking back at posts like this really help me to keep my content fresh and being inspired.
What do you do when you're stuck for blogging ideas? Are there any posts you would like to see on my blog?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook -
Fashion: Boux Avenue Treats & 20% Off Code!
If you've followed my blog for a while you'll have noticed I'm a massive fan of Boux Avenue. Ever since discovering Boux Avenue about 2 years ago I've been a bit of a addict. I don't tend to pick up any other underwear and they also have my size in which is a total win. I think as I'm an E cup it's a lot harder to find my size in the typical high-street stores (e.g Primark, New Look) and so I have to stretch my pennies out and treat myself to a Boux Avenue number.
Bettie Floral Plunge Bra & Knickers *
I've found that even after nearly a year of wearing the bras stay the same shape and they are such good quality. This time round I've picked up this gorgeous floral set and Boux Avenue had an offer that if you bought the bra you got free matching knickers which is a win win for me!
Bettie Floral Plunge Bra & Knickers *
I think this set is gorgeous and looks a lot more expensive then it is. One thing I've loved when I've gone into Boux Avenue in-store I've had the best customer service, the staff are so happy to help you. To help you chose a perfect bra and also the service they use to measure you is so discreet and without that service I wouldn't have been wearing the right size bra. My love for Boux Avenue bras is like my love for Topshop jeans. Once I know my size I don't hesitate when I need to purchase something that it wouldn't fit me, I can't fault Boux products.
Bess Check Pyjama Pants*
Another love of mine from Boux Avenue (aside from the amazing underwear) is the pyjamas. I absolutely love them and have about three different sets from Boux Avenue which I adore. They are such good quality and so so comfortable and who doesn't love some checked pyjamas? I'm a little bit obsessed with them!
The lovely people over at Boux Avenue have given me my own discount to share with you all and for 20% off online you can use the code 'BECCA20' until the beginning of April!
You can check out the gorgeous collection of bras/nightwear online here.
What do you think of Boux Avenue? Have you tried out any Boux Avenue products?
Twitter//Instagram//Facebook
Post your comments