Tag Archives: beauty

Colourpop Chasing Rainbows Palette – Swatches and Thoughts

What’s that? Another Colourpop palette added to my collection? I’m not even gonna pretend this was an accident..

I asked my mum for Chasing Rainbows for Christmas, perfectly timed with a 48 hour free international shipping offer, and although that meant I had to wait until New Years to get it, I’ve never found Colourpop products to not be worth the wait.

So this is the fourth Colourpop palette that I have reviewed on here, and if you look back over all the previous ones, you would quite easily come to the conclusion that I have a thing for bright eyeshadows, and that is 100% true, which is why this particular palette jumped out at me – well, that and the super cute packaging..

As the name of the palette also suggests, the range of colours covers a good amount of the colour spectrum, with some staple browns and golds to round it out, and as the swatches below show, the pigmentation is of a classic amazing Colourpop standard.

Left to right: Realness, Feeling It, So Meta, Blurred Lines, Wiggles

Left to right: Not Playing, Keep Cool, Manifest It, Wish List, Woke

Top to bottom: Lucid, Bring It, On One, Eclipse, Prism

I really like the versatility of Colourpop palettes; it makes life so much easier when I’m travelling if I can take just one palette but am able to produce a whole bunch of different looks from it, and this is no exception. Special mention goes to the shade Lucid, which on first look didn’t look like my cup of tea, but when I swatched it I discovered its blue-ish duo-tone effect which is really beautiful.

I feel like I’m often spouting the same spiel when it comes to Colourpop, but the fact is in my eyes there’s not a whole lot they can do wrong.

PS I’m super interested in trying out their No Filter Foundation, so if anyone has ever tried it or reviewed it, please let me know in the comments below!

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The cariPRO Ultrasonic Toothbrush from Smile Brilliant | AD

The following post contains some affiliate links and features a gifted product. All views are my own.

Let’s face it, we all feel better when we look good, right? Well, the truth is I can be a little lax in that area, and it does affect my mental health, so one of my personal New Years resolutions for 2019 was that I wanted to spend a bit more time taking care of myself and my appearance.

At first, I thought that this would be taking a bit more time to do my makeup, or being stricter with my skincare routine, and it never even really dawned on me that I could also benefit from focusing more on my oral hygiene, until I was contacted by Smile Brilliant to try out their new electric toothbrush, the cariPRO Ultrasonic.

I don’t think I’ve ever really used an electric toothbrush before, except maybe a kiddy one as a child, so I was excited to see if brushing with a little bit of power would actually make the difference that you always see dental adverts claiming. I’ve never really had any concerns about my teeth; I’ve never had a filling, braces or really needed any sort of treatment, so I’ve always thought I was doing just fine with a manual toothbrush, but how do I feel now?

My first impressions of the cariPRO toothbrush were surprising. I expected it to be quite heavy in the hand and bulky compared to the manual toothbrushes that I’m used to, but it was surprisingly lightweight and a lot slimmer than other electric toothbrushes I’ve seen before, and its soft touch grip means it holds really nicely. The brush head is quite a bit smaller than on a manual toothbrush but this makes it easier to focus on each tooth individually to get a great clean all over.

The cariPRO has five different brushing modes – Clean, Whiten, Massage, Gum Care and Sensitive – with each one having a different vibrating effect, and it also has a built-in 2 minute timer, and every 30 seconds there’s a small pause to indicate when you should be moving on to the next section of your mouth, which is super handy if, like me, you never really stop to think about how long you’ve been brushing for. The toothbrush also comes with extra brush heads, a wireless charging dock and a 2 year warranty – oh, and did I mention its totally waterproof?!

But are my teeth cleaner?

Well, they definitely feel it, but not only does using the toothbrush make my mouth feel better, it also actually makes me want to clean my teeth. I now like taking the time to brush thoroughly, alternate between the different brush modes and ensure that I am getting a full 2 minute brush in, whereas before I used to see cleaning my teeth as a bit of a chore.

Are you interested?

Well it might just be your lucky day because I’ve teamed up with Smile Brilliant to give you the chance to win your very own cariPRO Ultrasonic Electric Toothbrush by simply clicking here! And if you don’t win or you can’t wait to try it out for yourself, you can save 20% off your purchase using discount code ‘lottiedoes20‘ at the checkout, so everyone’s a winner really!

Be sure to head over to the Smile Brilliant website to see all the other excellent products they have on offer, and check out the FAQ page if you want to know anything else!

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electric toothbrush
//www.smilebrilliant.com/widget-caripro-article/lottiedoes/773/228

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What I Got For Christmas 2018

I don’t know if its too late to write this post and for people to still be interested, but if you fancy a little nosey at my Christmas gifts, then this is the post for you!

Part of the reason that this post is coming a little late is because for the first time ever, I spent Christmas away from my family, so I only exchanged gifts with some people yesterday when I was in Bournemouth for New Years, so now I finally have a full collection of wonderful gifts, and here they are:

For starters, who doesn’t LOVE the Lush Christmas products? My year revolves around when I’ll be able to get my hands on some Snow Fairy again, and because Matthew knows this, he bought be the BIGGEST bottle of Snow Fairy shower gel I’ve ever seen (its bigger than my head), as well as the new Snow Fairy body spray so I can smell like a Lush store all year round. I also got a couple of other bits from both Matthew and my mum, including the Rudolph jelly face mask which I can’t wait to try out! And what’s that in the corner you ask?

That would be my ADORABLE new activewear from Chrissa Sparkles! I’ve had my eye on these sprinkles leggings for about a year now, and back in November they announced that they would be discontinued, so I begged Matthew to buy them for me before they left, and I’ve had the torture of knowing that they were in the house but I couldn’t have them until Christmas Day. I’m so ready to look like a cupcake threw up on me at the gym.

Of course there was a healthy helping of Disney goodies, including a Disneyland Paris spirit jersey from my parents, the beautiful Sorcerer Mickey Pandora charm from Matthew and the Mickey Mouse Museum book from my nan which is full of amazing Disney artwork from through the years.

The little Potter nerd in me LOVES these beautiful books of the Fantastic Beasts film screenplays, and this little rat is, in fact, a Scabbers lip balm – I mean who knew that existed, but I’m here for it!

Finally, something else that I can’t wait to play with is the Chasing Rainbows palette from Colourpop, because look how pretty it is!! Discovering Colourpop was basically just the greatest thing to happen to my makeup drawer and I already know that this will be as amazing as everything else I own from them.

All these gifts, plus some other little bits like DVDs and chocolate have made me one super happy chappy! What was your favourite Christmas present?

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Colourpop x Disney Designer: My Buys and Swatches

I think this has possibly been the best collaboration to come out of 2018, if not the best beauty collaboration I’ve ever seen. Two of my favourite brands, Disney and Colourpop coming together to release a whole collection of beautiful makeup? Yes please.

I was poised and ready the minute the collection dropped, and even being there as the clock struck midnight (metaphorically, it was actually 6pm but hey it would’ve been midnight somewhere), I still missed out on a couple of items that I wanted – the two highlighters from the collection, which sold out instantly – but I was still so happy to know that I was getting my hands on what I knew would be amazing products. Better still, Colourpop have now updated their site to include tax when shipping to the UK, so no more hideous customs charges, yippee! I was also pleasantly surprised at how quickly I got my dispatch email and how soon these beauties got to me, and the struggle of waiting until I had photographed them before I could have a play was real guys.

So out of the collection, I bought the It’s A Princess Thing pressed powder shadow palette, three of the Supershock shadows, shades Heigh-Ho, So This Is Love and Be Our Guest, and the Ariel Creme Lux Lipstick, and I did a little squee when I unboxed every single one of them.

For starters, the packaging is GORGEOUS. The collection features around just six of the Disney princesses, Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine and Tiana, and they all feature on the front of the eyeshadow palette, plus their autographs are plastered over most of the packaging. I love the gold and black and the low-key extravagance of it all.

Now I have a couple of Colourpop palettes and Supershock shadows already, so the product I was most intrigued by was the Creme Lux Lipstick, as I’ve not tried a Colourpop lippie before. I chose Ariel as it looked like a shade that I would get plenty of use out of, being more of a nude shade, and what I love about the Colourpop website is that they don’t just show the product and a swatch on an arm, they actually show the shade on lips, and on a range of different skin tones, so you can actually gauge if it’ll suit before you buy.

Again, I loved the packaging, and while the tube is plastic, it actually feels expensive. As for the product itself, I was SO happy with it. The shade is PERFECT, its soft and smells amazing, and even though I put it onto my already fairly dry lips, even up close it didn’t look dry and I didn’t find it drying over time.

The Supershock shadows also did not disappoint. They came in the same style pot that the regular Supershock shadows do, but in black with a gold castle on the lid. I’ve written a proper review on Supershock shadows before, so I won’t go into the nitty gritties, but they’re beautifully buttery shadows, and the pigmentation blows my mind.. I was actually only going to buy one, but when the highlighters sold out, I needed to top up my order to get free delivery, so I grabbed two more, and I’m really glad that I did.

Top to Bottom: Be Our Guest, So This Is Love, Heigh-Ho

Of course the centrepiece of the collection was the It’s A Princess Thing palette. It looked stunning in the photos that I saw prior to the release, and it was even more stunning in person. This is my third Colourpop shadow palette, so I expected good things, but it wasn’t until I swatched the colours out that I realised just how incredible this palette is.

The pigmentation is so unbelievable; photos don’t do justice. The shimmery shadows practically turn into foils on the skin, I’ve never seen powder eyeshadow look so flawless. All of these swatches are one swipe with a finger and the colours are so vivid. The only shade that didn’t do too much for me is Chip, which is the lightest matte shade, but I think that’s only because its not as bold as the others, and I reckon I’ll actually use it quite a lot nonetheless.

Top to Bottom: Chip, Juju, Grumpy, Triton, Abu

Top to Bottom: Prince Charming, Ray, Fair Godmother, One Kiss?, Thingamabob

Top to Bottom: Enchanted Rose, Poison Apple, Magic Carpet, Beast, Midnight Curfew

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve got anything bad to say about this palette; I may go as far as saying that I think the quality is better than that of other Colourpop palettes that I own and love. As well as these swatches going on so well with a finger, the shadows apply beautifully with brushes, they blend perfectly and have good staying power even unprimed.

This collection, like a Disney princess, is flawless.

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W7 Blazin’ Palette Review

So a few weeks ago I mentioned that I’d bought a couple of W7 palettes from TKMaxx, and shared the first one which I thought to be a potential dupe for a Too Faced palette. Today I’m reviewing the second palette, which I think could also be a possible dupe, but this time for Urban Decay’s Naked Heat eyeshadow palette, but as I don’t own that I can’t really do a side by side comparison!

So this is the W7 Blazin’ palette. The RRP is £9.95, but I picked it up from TKMaxx for £4.99, and looking around you can get it from a lot of places for under £5.

As with most of the W7 palettes, it comes in a tin form, and its quite a sizeable one, but I think it looks the part and the outside definitely gives a good indication of what’s to come on the inside. There’s also a double-ended brush included, but one end is a foamy applicator which I personally don’t like so won’t use, but the other end is fine!

The inside, however, is when it really starts to look like its Urban Decay counterpart, and looking at photos of Naked Heat the shades do seem to match up pretty well, but as I said I can’t do an exact comparison! I started off by swatching the shades, and the below swatches are one layer using just my finger.

First off, I really liked the feel of the formula – it was soft and buttery to touch, but when using a brush later on it did have a little bit of crumble to it but I personally like my shadows to be a bit powdery as it means they get picked up well by all brushes. I thought the pigmentation was really good for something that cost less than £5, with the middle shades coming off best I thought – my forearms are super super pale so I always struggle to get whiter shades to show up when I swatch them, but as you can see in the second swatch photo they did hold out ok, and when using them on my eyes I’ve had no problems. I felt like the darker colours could have been a little darker, but it really doesn’t bother me as those are the ones that I know I won’t use so much.

I have had a lot of fun playing around with this palette! There are a lot of looks that you can create, which surprised me considering there’s not much range in terms of colour, and I was also uncertain as I’ve not been much of a reddish shadow kinda girl before, but going into autumn I think this is definitely a palette I will use a lot. The colours build and blend like a dream and there’s a good mix of matte and shimmery shades so you’ve got all bases covered! W7 is also a cruelty free brand, so for £5 I have absolutely no complaints about this palette, and now I don’t need to fork out £30 for the Urban Decay Naked Heat one!

If you do have Naked Heat, let me know how you think these photos/swatches compare, I’d love to know!

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Is This £5 Palette A Too Faced Dupe?

You know, there is nothing worse than being on a spending ban when you really want to play with new makeup, and that’s made even worse when you really want to blog about it.

So while I don’t really have a payday anymore, I did decide to allow myself a little bit of a spend at the end of August, and having seen so many people post about amazing finds on the TKMaxx website, and being in constant search of the bargains, I decided that was where I’d look first. I was actually super impressed to find some great products from some of my favourite high-end brands, but believe it or not, I was actually drawn to some of the cheapest palettes I found, and I decided to forgo the big brands and opted instead for a brand that’s made me a little curious for a while now: W7. I bought three palettes in total, which came to £15, and while I will share them all eventually, today’s post is about just the one of them..

So this is the W7 Cheeky Trio palette, and when I saw it online I did have a little question in my mind as to whether this would turn out to be a potential dupe for what is already one of my favourite face palettes, which is the Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow palette. And well, take a look for yourself..

Sure, there’s an obvious size difference in the two palettes, but first impressions wise, the shades looked pretty damn close to me so I figured I was onto a winner! The packaging is a fairly simple tin, but it does the job and it doesn’t scream of an obvious dupe attempt.

But how does it actually shape up compared to its Too Faced counterpart?

Well formula-wise, W7 doesn’t make any sort of claim on the peach front, so it doesn’t deliver the glorious smell that my TF palette still gives off after over a year of use, and its not quite so smooth and buttery to touch, but its certainly not a crumble-fest either. The pigment is pretty decent, but do the shades match up?

Highlighter – Top – W7, Bottom – Too Faced

Despite looking VERY similar in the pans, as soon as I swatched out the highlighter I could tell they weren’t an exact match. Its kinda hard to tell in photos, but the W7 is a much more silvery-gold, whereas Too Faced does have peachier undertones which gives it a little more depth.

Blush – Top – W7, Bottom – Too Faced

The W7 blush is also much pinker than its Too Faced friend, but the colour is pretty and it builds nicely. It also doesn’t have the slight shimmer than Sweet Peach does, but I don’t think blusher has to be shimmery so I’m cool with it.

Bronzer – Top – W7, Bottom – Too Faced

Again, the bronzers looked super similar in the palettes, but the swatches for these two probably have the most difference out of all of them. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the Too Faced bronzer as it doesn’t really suit my skin tone, so I prefer the W7, although it could maybe be considered more of a highlighter than a bronzer as its kinda light..

So is this a good dupe? Well, its under £10 (and under £5 in a lot of places), and its also cruelty free, so it ticks a lot of boxes for me straight off the bat, which is why I bought it in the first place. Given that I already owned and loved Sweet Peach Glow before this, I was maybe a little swayed by that peach scent I love so much. However, as palettes go, I think that the Cheeky Trio is a fab face set, and the slight differences in the shades mean that at least I’ve got an excuse to use them both!

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Cruelty Free Summer Makeup – All Under £10

There’s nothing worse than having your makeup routine completely perfected, only for summer to come around and through humidity, heat and hay-fever your way, and it changes everything.

Not only does summer mess with my skin, but I’m now on a makeup buying ban for a little while, and I’m also no longer buying makeup that isn’t cruelty free, and while you’d think that these bans would limit my options for the summer, I’ve managed to find myself a summer kit that’s not only completely cruelty free, but actually every item is also under £10!

Primer – The Ordinary High Spreadability Fluid Primer – £5.50

This is my all year round primer, but it really holds its own even against the struggles of summer!

Foundation – The Ordinary Serum Foundation – £6

I love both of the foundations from The Ordinary, but tend to use Coverage more in the colder months and switch to Serum from Spring onwards as its a lighter formula but the coverage is still very good!

Blush/bronzer/highlighter – Makeup Revolution – (my set now discontinued)

I’ve had this little palette for a while now, but as the shades are a little darker than what I would normally wear, I save it for summer when I’ve tanned a little bit and can get away with glowing a little more.

Highlighter – Makeup Revolution Baked Matte Lights Highlighter – £3

I love this highlighter as its a great base for building on. I normally start with a good layer of this matte highlight and then go over it with a shinier highlight.

Eyeshadow primer – NYX Proof It! – £6

I swear by this primer, and if you read my blog a lot you’ll have seen this mentioned over and over because it is really that good!

Eyeshadows – Colourpop Supershock Shadows – $5

The only downside of these eyeshadows is having to pay international shipping and customs (I actually bought mine in the US) but I think they’re fab! They blend so nicely and hold up well under summer conditions.

Brows – NYX Tame and Frame Brow Pomade – £6

Ever since I reviewed this recently I’ve been using this pomade. Its such great value for money and such a good product.

Mascara – Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara – £8.50 (for travel sized)

I only bought this in a travel size because I do love my current mascara and I just wanted to try it out, but its a fab little cruelty free mascara.

Setting spray – Urban Decay All Nighter – £10 (for travel sized)

Say hello to your new favourite setting spray and say goodbye to your makeup running. Despite being a travel sized bottle, its still pretty large and will last you through summer no problem!

Here’s to a summer of long lasting makeup!

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NYX Tame and Frame VS Benefit Ka-Brow!

Even when I’ve run out of time/can’t be bothered to do my makeup for the day, my eyebrows are normally a must. I don’t have bad eyebrows, in fact I think I’m pretty lucky that I don’t really have to do much to them at all, but I just feel so much better with everything nicely filled in and looking a whole lot more together.

For the last couple of years, my go-to product has been Benefit’s Ka-Brow (shade 01, if anyone’s interested) and its never really let me down, but I’m trying to make an effort to switch out my remaining non-cruelty-free products for more animal friendly alternatives, and also trying to cut down what I spend on some makeup, and a friend of mine suggested I tried the NYX Tame and Frame pomade, so I’ve been comparing the two.

The reason I’ve always used Ka-Brow is because its really convenient. It has a brush built right into the packaging, meaning that I can throw it in my bag, or take it in my hand luggage when I travel, and never have to worry about whether or not I’ve remembered a brush. I’ve also always used it because its never failed me. The formula is more cream than gel, so its not at all sticky feeling and applies smoothly and its buildable – my one annoyance is that sometimes if I apply it too heavy at first, it doesn’t blend out particularly well, and often by the time I’m coming to the bottom of the product, it starts to dry out and get a little bitty.

I knew that my NYX shade would be Blonde as I have a NYX pencil in that shade, so I didn’t have to worry too much about knowing which one would match for me, although its possibly slightly lighter than its Benefit counterpart, not that it bothers me. As with many other NYX products, the packaging it pretty simple but its nice and does the job – I particularly like the fact that its a frosted glass effect rather than being clear. The formula is more gel-like than Ka-Brow, but is also soft and creamy and not at all sticky. It glides on like a dream and builds up nicely, blending better than Ka-Brow – because its a bit lighter in shade I do have to build it up a little more, but its not like its hard work!

Obviously there’s no brush built into this little jar, but the product holds all day with no problem at all, so its not like I need to be reapplying throughout the day, and its the same with Ka-Brow – all day brows, no fuss. The big difference between the two, however, is of course the price tag: for a Benefit product you’ll be paying Benefit prices of £18-20, compared to NYX’s £6 a pot. For that price, plus the bonus of being cruelty free, Tame and Frame is getting my vote on this one!

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My Beach Makeup and What Stayed Put

Its the classic dilemma for girls. Summer poses a whole new problem when it comes to makeup, because gone are the days of winter drying out everyone’s skin like there’s no tomorrow, and instead its the challenge of finding products that won’t melt off your face during the warmer summer days, but can also stand up to a bit of water, whether that’s from swimming in the sea on a beach day, or just the Great British summer showers (read: heavy rain that shows up right when we think its finally getting good).

This year, I was faced with this issue a little earlier as going to Hawaii in April meant I had a little less time to perfect my product choices, but it also meant that I could test run some products before the little summer that hits the UK – which seems to be happening right now – actually kicked in. Some of what I took with me were items that are regulars from my makeup stash, and others I took on recommendation from the Twittersphere, and they all went through a somewhat rigorous test in the 27C heat of Hawaii. But would they all make the cut for future wear?

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

I bought this on recommendation from a number of people – I actually bought the travel sized one, y’know in case it wasn’t any good and I didn’t get stuck with a big bottle that I’d spent a lot of money on, but actually the travel sized one is still pretty sizeable which made it seem like pretty good value for money! This product is an absolute trooper. I sprayed it over products that I know aren’t waterproof and knew would probably wash off within minutes and amazingly they held up so well, leaving me bronzed and highlighted even after a whole day on the beach.

NYX Proof It! Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer

I took this with me because I know how well it works. This is the eyeshadow primer that I use every day and I actually believe it to be a miracle product – it turns any eyeshadow waterproof and I’ve even tried running swatches under a tap before and saw absolutely no shadow movement with this badboy, plus at £6 a tube its a steal.

Makeup Forever Aqua XL Waterproof Eyeliner

Call me crazy, but blue eyeliner is my jam, and I’ve always been a Barry M girl but have never been able to find a suitable replacement for my now discontinued favourite shade of pencil, but I stumbled across this one in Sephora last year, and when it claimed to be waterproof as well it was like killing two birds with one stone. The pencil itself is surprisingly soft, so very little pressure is needed on application, and it also blends well which can be fab, but I worried seeing how soft it was that it wouldn’t survive in the water, but was thankfully proven very wrong – in fact, when I swatched it in Sephora before buying, it was several days before that blue line faded from the back of my hand even with daily showering and handwashing.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara

So this was another recommendation, and having never tried the cult favourite in its non-waterproof form either, I thought now was a great chance to see what all the fuss was about. Again, I bought this in the travel size tube to save a bit of money until I decided whether or not I liked it. The mascara itself surprised me as I’ve religiously stuck to Eyeko Black Magic for a number of years now and had never found another mascara that gave my lashes the same natural but wow look that Black Magic does for me, but despite being a very different shaped brush, I really liked how this product made my lashes look, so I was buzzed to test it out in the water. Unfortunately, that’s were it fell flat on its face. I felt like just looking at water had it running, and although I wasn’t crying black or anything like that, on more than one occasion I left the poolside looking a bit panda-ish. I’d probably buy the mascara again in its normal formula, but I felt a little let down by this one..

Benefit Gimme Brow

Gimme Brow is not my every day eyebrow product, but I do use it from time to time, and as I feared a little that my usual dipbrow wouldn’t hold up, I took this out with me as well. Now my Gimme Brow was pre product recall, so I don’t know how it differs from the new formula that was re-released recently, and I don’t think either claim any sort of waterproof capabilities, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well this did. I still used my regular dipbrow, but then went over it with this, and I still had decent looking eyebrows at the end of each day, even after being in the sea and the pool, and what more could I ask for?

Other shoutouts go to my current favourite foundation, The Ordinary Serum Foundation, for being SPF 15 so keeping my face a little more protected, and Benefit’s Dandelion Shy Beam and Sun Beam liquid highlighters for giving me a subtle shimmer and glow which held up well thanks to the UD setting spray!

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How I Manage My Combination Skin

My skin is super weird. I mean, I’m quite lucky to have relatively few problems compared to some, but my face seems to take it to the extremes when it comes to having combination skin. Some days, I’m so dry and flaky I practically have scales, other days I’m more oily than a 3am kebab, and sometimes I flit between one and the other in a matter of hours, its fab.

That said, however, the more I’ve learned over the years about my skin and what works and doesn’t work, and the more products I’ve tried and tested, the more I’ve been able to manage the different phases I go through, which is great. It does, however, mean having pretty much two of every product, but I’ve got those nailed now.

Dry skin days

Most days tend to start as dry skin days, and so my mornings start with Nip+Fab’s Glycolic Cleansing Fix, which was an impulse purchase at the time but now I cannot imagine my life without it. For starters, it smells amazing, which is odd because they never mention the scent on the packaging but its SO GOOD, but even if it smelt like nothing at all, the product still speaks for itself. The formula seems a little strange, but you get used to it – its quite runny but also gel like, and it also foams up with a bit of a scrub, so I either squeeze a little bit onto wet hands and rub it onto my face, or I take it into the shower with my Magnitone, squeeze it onto the brush head and go to town. It leaves my skin feeling so refreshed but also smooth and moisturised and ready for the day.

My toner of choice most of the time is the wonderful Pixi Glow Tonic, and when my skin is dry this is no exception. I was a bit late to the Glow Tonic party, and worried when I finally got to try it that it would turn out to be over-hyped, but it does wonders for my skin and I noticed a change almost instantly after starting to use it regularly.

Of course it goes without saying that when my skin is dry, I need a good moisturiser and I’ve yet to find anything that works so well for my skin as Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturiser. I love that even the tiniest little dollop goes such a long way, which is handy because this stuff doesn’t come cheap, so the longer I can make a bottle last, the better, but despite the price tag I can’t flaw the product at all – it smells nice, it makes my skin super soft without being at all greasy and it absorbs quickly.

Oily moments

What’s weird about having oily skin now is that I didn’t really have oily skin that much as a teenager, but you know what they say about karma.. When my face is feeling oily, all I feel like doing is washing it, and even though I’m not a teenager, this is where I use Nip+Fab’s Teen Skin Poreblaster Wash, which is designed for exactly this situation. It comes in both a day and night version, I have both but tend to use the day one the more just down to preference. Sadly it doesn’t smell as glorious as the Glycolic Cleansing Fix, but its certainly not awful and it foams up well and leaves my skin feeling lovely and fresh.

My other cleanser for oily days is Lush’s Angels on Bare Skin, which is a solid sorta paste that I grab a chunk of, mix it up in my hand with some warm water to an easier to use consistency and rub it straight onto dry skin. Because its got some exfoliant ingredients it does a great job of picking up and washing away and dirt and grease, plus it smells great.

When it comes to a toner, I also go to Lush and my favourite toner from their collection, which is Breath of Fresh Air. Because it contains sea salt, it dries up oil with a simple spritz and wipe, and its got a calming fragrance to it which is part of the reason I love using it before bed because it puts me in a good mood for sleep!

It might be a pain going between two different skincare routines, but when the products are so great, its not so bad..

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A Little Lush Easter Haul

I feel like its been a while since I’ve done a Lush haul post, because believe it or not, despite buying a good number of products from the Christmas collection, I never actually blogged about them, even though I think it was the best Lush Christmas to date! But enough about Christmas (psst! 287 days..).

I don’t know if I’ve ever actually bought anything from a Lush Easter collection before – I normally grab a few Valentines Day bits, but seem to miss Easter entirely, so when I went into the Trafford Centre store over the weekend and saw the multicoloured goodness of this year’s offerings, I knew I had to get a couple of things to try, and having had a good Etsy payout earlier in the week, I felt the spend was justified.

So I picked up four things for myself on this occasion, but I think they’re all so stinkin’ cute and I cannot wait to try them out!

My first buy felt like a bit of a two for one deal, and this adorable little chick actually splits into two separate halfs. I noticed in store that they had these Free Rangers in a few different colours, and I don’t know if there’s actually any difference between them, but I liked this little orange chappy so he was the one who came home!

My next choice was the Cream Egg bubbleroon because just LOOK AT IT!! Its like Lush went inside my head and picked out the best colour scheme and turned it into a cute little sandwich of a bubble bar and it smells AMAZING. I imagine I’ll stock up on a few of these before the collection leaves stores because its so pretty and I think I’ll be sad to use this up!

Which Came First? This bathbomb is actually pretty huge, and a dreamy pastel design.

This final buy was a total impulse purchase – I’d gone to pick up my usual shampoo bar (Seanik), but as soon as I saw this little fluffy tail and ears on a yellow shampoo bar all sensible-ness went out the window and whether or not this bar turns out to be any good for my hair or not I don’t really care – its so cute!

I can’t wait to give all these goodies a try in the coming weeks! Have you used any of these before?

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A Lazy Girl’s Guide to Skincare

Skincare is a bit like Marmite, you generally either love it or hate it, and can do both simultaneously. Its also kinda like eating your 5 a day, in that you know you should be doing it but sometimes you just really can’t be bothered. You feel me?

I am both a lover and hater of skincare. Some days I enjoy nothing more than taking the time to properly remove my makeup, then cleanse, tone, moisturise and get my face feeling like a babies bum, and there are other days when I just crawl into bed with a makeup wipe and scrub off whatever I can before going to sleep. Some weeks I’ll be the good person every day, sometimes I can go days on just makeup wipes and trying to get the rest of the dried up mascara off my eyelashes in the shower the next morning. Its not always a pretty sight.

I have, however, picked up a few hacks along the way, so that even when I’m short on time – or short on bother – I don’t have to live with the consequences of a face that makes me want to peel my own skin off. Enter my lazy skincare guide..

Wash your face mask off in the shower

With the exception of sheet masks, obviously, I find there’s nothing more annoying than having to wash off a face mask after its done its business. I tend to use clay masks and Lush’s fresh face masks, which are generally super thick and I can spend ages with my face over a sink winding myself back up having just unwound courtesy of said mask. So I’ve started using face masks before showering, so that I can just hop into the shower when I’m finished and wash it all off in one fell swoop! This is also handy if you’re in a rush, as well as if you’re just lazy like me.

In fact, do everything in the shower

If I’m in a hurry in the morning, especially if I’ve been to the gym and am dealing with the aftermath of a sweat-fest on my face, I grab my cleanser and my Magnitone and do my face in the shower as well as the rest of my body. Like with face masks, being under a constant supply of running water makes everything super easy to wash away and also means there’s no mess to clear up round the sink!

Put everything within arms reach of your bed

I have a little basket on my bedside table that’s complete with micellar water, cotton pads, toner, facial moisturiser and body moisturiser – as well as the dreaded face wipes – so even if I do get straight into bed after coming home from work, there’s no excuse for why I can’t at least have a little bit of a skincare routine.

Guzzle water

If nothing else, drinking lots of water is never going to be bad for your skin. When it comes to dry lips, I actually reach for my water bottle before I reach for my lip balm, which is saying something cos I do love my lip balm. Dry lips especially are a sign of dehydration, so I at least make sure I’ve had at least 250ml of water before going for the balm.

Bare all

I know that going barefaced isn’t everyone’s scene, but its really important to let your skin breath. I do at least 2 days a week without any makeup, normally the weekends but often when I’m at work too and I feel so much better for it, plus it saves me time in the morning and I don’t have anything to take off in the evening! However I do know that a lot of people can’t face leaving the house without any makeup on for a lot of different reasons, but if that’s the case then just trying to go a few hours every evening before bed is also a way of getting a bit more free-skin time!

Do you have any skincare hacks that you use to save a bit of time?

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Things I Didn’t Buy In Sephora

This post is a little belated, given that my Florida trip was back in November, and I almost wasn’t going to write it, but that was until I saw the lovely Roxie’s anti-haul post based on a similar concept, so I decided to bite the bullet and publish it.

Every time I go to America I think about the Sephora trip, whether its because I’ve already planned a million things I want to buy, or I’m dreading the credit card bill that will inevitably come following the trip, and the last trip was no different. On this trip, I hadn’t really thought too much about products I wanted to buy, but that’s because its Sephora – there will always be things that I want.

That said, however, there were quite a few products that I rushed towards, but that didn’t end up in my basket in the end for various reasons, and here’s a few of those..

Too Faced Peaches and Cream collection

When Too Faced announced that they were releasing a full range of products following on from the Sweet Peach eye palette, glow kit (which I own) and a handful of blushes and lip glosses that they had before, my heart skipped a beat. I adore the glow palette, I’m a sucker for anything peach scented and Too Faced packaging is always the cutest, so that was the first stop when I entered the store. That said, however, I was a little disappointed. The packaging of some of the items felt a bit cheap, and I didn’t anything smelt as good as the original products, so for what they would have cost me, I just felt like my money could have been spent better elsewhere..

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sugar Glow Kit

This was the first ABH glow kit that I actually wanted, but as it had been out of stock when I was there in February, I opted for the Nicole Guerriero kit instead, which I was actually really happy about at the time because I love that palette. But this was in stock again, so I picked it up, looked at it, tilted my head and put it back. The fact was, the shades were just very similar to the ones in the kit I already had. Sure, none were exactly the same and I loved them all, but I just figured that I already had a pretty great set that still has plenty of use left in it, so I decided to stick with it.

Fenty Beauty

Firstly I was a little taken aback by how tucked away in the store the Fenty collection was, but nonetheless I did have a quick glance. The problem for me, however, was that the range had only been out for about 2 months, and I hadn’t seen that many reviews on the products to know where to even start. Its probably something that I’ll go back to, but it just wasn’t on the cards this time.

The minis

I normally love choosing from the huge range of minis in Sephora, but the fact is I was already quite stocked up from two previous trips that year! I ummed and ahhed over one or two things, but eventually left with no tiny products at all.

I guess that by being good on this trip, it means I can be a little naughtier next time though, right?

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Supershock with Colourpop

When it comes to the Colourpop hype, I think the products I’ve seen raved about the most is their Supershock eyeshadows, cue me adding them to my recent order.. I also came across the Supershock highlighter collection while in Sephora, and I think I’m in beauty blogger’s paradise.

As with most of Colourpop’s range, the packaging is fairly simple, which I have absolutely no gripes with as it just highlights the beauty of the product itself. The shadows are pressed with a gorgeous scale-like pattern, which I really hoped would hold out a little bit through use but as you can see below, I had no such like.

Top to bottom: Going Rogue, Flipper, One by One, Itty Bitty

While you can buy the eyeshadows individually, I chose a set of four called Phase Me Out, which saved me $2. The shades are a mix of finishes, with Itty Bitty being a matte/satin finish, Flipper is metallic and Going Rogue and One by One are described as pearlized, which is just a tad less sparkly than metallic. All of the shades compliment each other perfectly, and I chose them because I thought they were all right up my street in terms of what I would wear every day.

The formula is really creamy and super blendable, and in terms of pigment, just look at the swatches! The creaminess also means that there’s practically no fall-out and the shadows stay in place really well, even on unprimed skin, however the one thing that I did find slightly annoying was that because the formula is so creamy, I had to apply a lot of pressure to the product to actually get a good amount on the brush. This was fine for blending, because I prefer to start light and build if needed, it just meant that when trying to cover a larger area I kept having to go back for more.

Left to right: Wisp, Spoon, Over the Moon

The Supershock highlighters are all sold individually on the Colourpop website, but I picked up this set of three in Sephora – although the set was the same price as buying three individually! The packaging matches the eyeshadows, and the formula is just as soft to touch!

Over the Moon looks white from a distance, but as you can see from the swatch, its packed with purple-ish sparkle, giving it a unique duo-chrome finish which is also frost-like, perfect for Christmas! Spoon – which I think is a stupid name for a highlighter if you ask me – has a golden finish, although also has flecks of silver in it, and Wisp is similar, but has more of a champagne/bronze tone.

Again, I found that with the product being very buttery, it takes a bit of pressure to get anything on the brush, but the product is so vibrant that you really don’t need that much anyway!

The eyeshadows are $5 (£3.70ish) each or $18 for a set of 4, and the highlighters are $8 (£6), and yes if you order from the UK you’ll probably get stung with customs but I still think they’re so reasonably priced that its worth taking that hit – it’ll probably work out cheaper than some brands!

I’m well and truly on the Colourpop wagon, and I’m not at all ashamed!

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Colourpop Yes Please Palette

I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally have my hands on this palette. It was love at first sight.

Its yellow, it contains yellow, do I need to say any more? And yes, its probably one of the most hyped palettes of the last few months, and now I know why.

The majority of the shades are matte, although there are a few metallics in there too, and they all compliment each other so well – I swear you could put any two shades from this palette together and be onto a winner.

As per Colourpop standard, the formulas are soft and blend like a dream, and I cannot flaw the pigmentation of any of the shades. I love the fact that the browns aren’t too dark, but they are buildable if you do want to created a deeper shade, and that actually goes for all of the shades, although I think they all go on well with a single application.

What I love about this palette is that I would never normally buy a palette of these shades; I was drawn in by the packaging and one or two of the colours, but now I’ve actually had a chance to use it I love all of them. Its actually turned me into a warm-tone kinda gal and going into winter I am very excited for this.

Have you jumped on the Colourpop bandwagon yet?

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Colourpop x My Little Pony Palette

Have you ever seen a product and while not being able to come up with an exact reason as to why, just knew you needed it? Yep, that was me with this palette.

I don’t even remember being that into My Little Pony as a kid (this is the point where, when my mother reads this post, she’ll text me to tell me if this isn’t true), but my infatuation with Colourpop has only just begun and you may be pleased to know that there are more swatch and review posts coming over the next few weeks, and I have been having the most fun playing with these products!

Obviously I don’t have to tell you how cute the packaging is, that goes without saying really. I’ve heard a few people complain about a lack of mirrors in the eyeshadow palettes but personally that’s not an issue for me – I’ve cracked so many mirrors by accidentally leaning or stepping on palettes before that I’ve probably earned enough bad luck to last a lifetime, plus I’m not one to do my eye makeup with such a little mirror anyway!

The palette consists of primarily metallic shadows, with a few soft mattes thrown in for good measure. They’re best applied using a soft brush as I found when I tried a stiffer brush the shadows went a bit crumbly, but also didn’t apply as evenly.

I was pleasantly surprised at the lighter shades in the palette and how well they stood out, as I often find pale shades either don’t show up at all or just disappear as soon as a darker shade is blended, but the four lightest shades – Butterscotch, Bluebell, Flutterbye and Snazzle – all really impressed me.

In fact, all of the shades impressed me with their pigmentation and staying ability, with my one let down actually being one of the darkest shades in the palette, the deep teal shade, Princess Sparkle, which looks great in the palette but for me just didn’t fit in with the rest of the shades, and also came out a little too grey for me, rather than the metallic turquoise I had hoped for.

But hey, 1 bad shade in 12 ain’t bad, right? And for $16 I’m not complaining one bit! I’m a big fan of the pinky/peachy shades, and I think I’ll be using those along with the more berry-toned shades a lot over the coming months!

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The Benefit Boi-ing Erase Case

I think we can all agree that when it comes to packaging, Benefit never fail to impress, and every time they release new products, I just want to snap as many photos of it as I can because it’ll just be so damn Instagrammable. The problem with that, however, is that it can get very expensive buying full sized products, and when a whole new range is released, you do always run the risk of there being some products that just don’t do it for you.

Well that was me with the new Boi-ing concealer range. I’ve never seemed to have any luck with concealers in the past, so when I was in Sephora a few weeks back and saw this adorable case of minis for only a little bit more than one full sized product, this felt like the ideal way to try and test each one properly!

The Erase Case was $26 (about £19), and contains each of Benefit’s newest concealers: Industrial Strength, Brightening, Hydrating and Airbrush in baby form, as well as this cute pencil case – which I’ve found is perfect for carrying brushes in when you travel! So what did I think of the products?

Hydrating Concealer

So this is the only sheer coverage concealer in the case, but personally I’m not sure it did anything for me and my dark circles other than a bit of moisturising.. I also like to keep things fairly matte when it comes to my skin, so the sheer finish just doesn’t really suit my look, but if you prefer a dewy finish and don’t have that much to conceal, this may be the one for you!

Industrial Strength Concealer

This was definitely more my cup of tea. High coverage, matte finish and super soft formula meant this was easy to work with and actually did a decent job of covering my dark circles but not looking too cakey and blending into the rest of my makeup nicely.

Airbrush Concealer

I found Airbrush very similar to Industrial Strength in terms of formula and shade, and despite being sold as a medium coverage concealer, I thought it covered just as well as its full coverage counterpart. I think this one is my favourite out of the bunch, smoothing over uneven patches with ease and its light formula means it doesn’t sink into creases like so many other concealers I’ve tried can.

Brightening Concealer

This was an odd one for me. On first opening the pot, I was adamant that I was not going to like this one. For starters, it was a much darker shade than the other concealers in the case, but also the formula was a lot stickier and I feared it would be too heavy for me. However, when I did actually give the product a proper try, I was pleasantly surprised. This is also a full coverage, but also has colour-correcting properties to help hide dark circles and blemishes, but it has a slightly sheer finish to it.

I bought the kit in shade 01 light, but as I mentioned earlier there are some differences between each of the products, which I thought was slightly odd, but they did all still work for me so I can’t complain too much about that!

Given that each product retails for about £17.50 at full size, and this kit is little more than that for all four, albeit minis, I think this is great value for money, and at least now I know which ones I’d buy again!

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The Face Masks I’ve Been Loving Lately

Face masks are something that I’ve only recently really gotten into this year, but I’ve quickly become that girl that has a mask on most weeks, much to the amusement of my boyfriend..

For me, a face mask is not only a way for me to take care of my skin, but its also a little form of self-care and pampering, and let’s face it, they’re so easy! You can just slap one on, and then go about your regular business, whether its jumping in the bath, painting your nails or binge-watching some Netflix – although you may be limited in your facial expressions while you’re doing those things..

Here are a few of my top picks right now:

Lush’s Brazened Honey Fresh Face Mask

This is the first of Lush’s fresh face mask that I’ve bought (although I traded in my black pots for it, so technically it was free!), but one of the amazing members of staff at my local Lush store did a little consultation with me and helped me choose a few masks that suited my skin type, then tried them out on my hand so I could decide which one to take away with me, and this is the one that really took my fancy!

As with all Lush fresh face masks, you have to store it in the fridge, which means when it comes to using it, it feels so nice and cool on my skin. A little goes a long way too, so I got quite a few uses out of the small-looking tub! It smells fresh and the formula doubles as an exfoliant which washes away any dead skin and impurities, but its also really moisturising and has worked wonders for my skin!

L’Oreal’s Pure Clay Glow/Purity/Detox Masks

I mentioned these masks in my August samples post, but I am still loving them months later. I tend to mix and match the masks, using each mask on the area of my face that its properties help the most, which for me is Glow on my forehead, Detox under my eyes and across my cheeks, and Purity on my nose and chin, but as my skin can vary from dry to oily, I do quite a few different variations depending on how I’m feeling that day.

I particularly like how while the clay dries hard on my skin, I don’t find them at all drying as I had initially feared, and they’re also not at all claggy, despite being quite thick in their consistency.

Sephora Sheet Masks

I have yet to come across a Sephora mask I haven’t liked yet, but my favourites out of the ones I’ve used to far are the Green Tea and Pearl masks. For me, the great thing about these sheet masks as opposed to a traditional mask is that they don’t dry out at all while they’re on your face, and even once you’re done with the mask itself, it leaves product on your skin that can be rubbed in for extra nourishment.

What are your favourite face masks? I’d love to try something new if you’ve got any recommendations!

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Colourpop Amber Crystal Collection Review

So I’ve been wanting to jump on the Colourpop bandwagon for a while now, but with so many people talking about getting stung with the customs charges we all know and hate come with international shipping, I’ve held back. Well that was until I walked into Sephora in Disney Springs and discovered that they’re now stocking some Colourpop items.

As they were only stocking a very small selection, they didn’t have any of the palettes I’ve been eyeing up, so I decided to place an online order for those (to be delivered to the hotel), and pick up a few products I hadn’t seen before, and one of those was the Amber Crystal Collection bundle.

The bundle was $20 (about £16), which I thought was a pretty good price considering it contains 3 products: a setting spray, a liquid highlighter and a lip balm. The packaging seems a little simple from a distance, but when you take a proper look at it its really pretty and suits the products, and it doesn’t feel at all cheap like some packaging can.

One look at the lip balm and you might be thinking ‘um, that looks more like a lipstick to me?’, but don’t be fooled. Yes, it is tinted but only very subtly – so subtle, in fact that I couldn’t take a swatch photo – and gives more shine than it does colour. Its very light and glides on like a treat and the perfect product for a natural look, plus it smells amazing!

The next product in the box is the liquid highlighter, which again I would describe as being very subtle. It gives a peachy-gold, and believe it or not, amber-like shimmer, and while when you shake the bottle the formula seems very runny, it doesn’t come out that way at all. Again, while I did swatch this first, I couldn’t get a good photo as the shade is subtle and mainly gives off shimmer, offering a natural glow and living up to amber’s nickname of ‘liquid sunshine’!

The final product in the bundle is something that is very new to me, a setting spray – believe it or not, this is the first setting spray I have owned, so I can’t really compare it to any others but it does a good job at keeping my face together!

For $20, I personally don’t think you can go wrong with this little kit. Sure, its not packed with pigment like the majority of Colourpop’s products but if you’re not super into colour and prefer a more natural look, this is the perfect bundle for you.

I’ve got more Colourpop reviews coming up in the next few weeks so be sure to keep an eye out!

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New Liquid Highlighers on the Block – Worth the Hype?

You all know by now that I’m a sucker when it comes to a good highlighter, and despite having a collection of them that I love, I’ll never be able to stop buying the next one that catches my eye.

Two of the newest products to have hit the high-street are the Barry M Liquid Chrome highlighter drops, and the Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighter range, and because I couldn’t decide between the two, I decided to put both to the test! In the interest of fairness, I bought the most similar shades – Moon Potion from Barry M, and Unicorn Elixir from MUR, and here’s how they got on..

From the swatches, you can kinda see that the Barry M formula is a touch smoother, and has a brighter, more pearly finish than its Makeup Revolution rival, which has a more glittery finish. Both shades are a bright white with cooler blue and purple undertones, although Barry M has a total of 5 shades in the collection and Makeup Revolution have 7, so if these don’t take your fancy then there’s bound to be one that does! I personally wouldn’t use these shades on a regular basis as they’re actually a bit too cool for me, but they would be perfect for festivals or a night out,

Despite both being a lot more pigmented than other liquid highlighters that I use, I was a little disappointed when it actually came to using both of these products. While they look great in swatches, for which I used my finger to spread the product, I actually found both quite difficult to blend using brushes, although I think again the Barry M formula came out slightly on top. I wish that the bottles had built in brushes, like others on the market, but instead they had a sort of dropper system which didn’t make application any easier!

The products are actually only 99p apart in price, with BM Liquid Chrome selling at £6.99 and MUR Liquid Highlighter priced at £6, but as you might be able to tell, I personally would lean towards the Barry M ones in future, just because I thought the formula was nicer, and I preferred the packaging too. Shockingly, however, I don’t think I’d be in any rush to buy either of these again, just because they didn’t overly wow me, and I have plenty of highlighters that do already in my stash.

Have you tried either of these before? I’d love to hear what you thought, especially if you’ve tried different shades!

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10 Autumn/Winter Essentials Under £10

The weather has truly turned, so there’s now no denying that we are properly into the season of brown leaves and grey skies. Its time to hang up the summer dresses, put away the bikinis and accept that its starting to get dark before 6pm and you’ll need to bring your emergency umbrella everywhere with you.

Suddenly half of your wardrobe becomes obsolete, your skin starts going crazy and your starting to think about how much all the Christmas presents (yes I said it) you’ll need to buy in the coming months will cost you, so splashing out on all new stuff for yourself seems impossible, but I’ve got you covered with a few things that will help you survive the time without breaking the bank..

Colourblock jumper, £10, Primark

Pastel, woolly and cosy, check! Who said you have to stick to mustard and berry shades this autumn?

Full of Grace serum bar, £8.25, Lush

A lovely Lushie in my local store showed me this skincare wonder, which leaves skin feeling soft and smooth for days! Use as a standalone product, or apply it before using a face-mask to help the goodness soak in!

Proof It! Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer, £6, NYX

There’s nothing worse than spending a few minutes walking through drizzle to discover that its destroyed your whole face. I have genuinely tested this under running water and saw no budge so yeah this badboy works!

Chelsea boots, £8, Primark

New boots can cost the earth, but these are crazy comfy and available in a bunch of different colours too!

Charity Pot 45g, £3.75, Lush

Cold weather can be so drying for your skin, and not only does this little pot fit nicely into a handbag or desk drawer, it also does wonderful things for some amazing causes. Psst! If you collect 5 black pots you can exchange them for a free fresh face mask!

Pink Peg Trousers with Bow, £22 £9, ASOS

I am obsessed with these trousers. I bought them on a whim and didn’t think they’d be my style but for £9 thought ‘why not?’, but I actually want to wear them all the time!

Smart Nail Lacquer in Melon, £2.50, KIKO

Because melon sounds so much nicer than mustard, and this nail paint is cruelty free and a total bargain!

Campfire Singalong 8oz candle jar, £7.50, Maple and Whisky

Fill your home with the smell of bonfires and toasted marshmallows, but I warn you, this candle will make you hungry!

Meteor Storm eyeshadow palette, £9.99, Barry M

I’ve had my eye on this palette for a little while now and I think when payday comes round this will have to be mine. Its got copper, its got berry tones and its full of shimmer!

A travel mug

Did you know that a lot of coffee places do discounts if you bring in your own travel mug? There are tonnes of cute ones out there these days too!

What are your essentials for this time of year?

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The Ordinary Haul and Review

The Ordinary, a brand by Deciem, has been taking the beauty world by storm, and having seen some big bloggers talking about these products, I decided it was time to see what the hype was about.

Being the most talked about products, I picked up both the Coverage and Serum foundations, as well as the fluid primer. I would normally never order foundation online without having tested the shades for myself first, but thanks to the very clear shade guide on the website, I pinned it down to two potential shades – 1.1 and 1.2 – and decided to order each foundation in both shades, given that its only £5.90 a bottle. Yes, you heard me.

As well as having the shades based on a number scale, I also loved the fact that each shade was then split into three tones: neutral, yellow and pink. My skin tends to be on the pinkier side, so I got the Serum formula in pink and the Coverage in neutral, and both actually work very well for me.

Coverage Foundation

Right from the offset, Coverage became my favourite of the two foundations. The formula is much thicker, which I personally prefer, and as the name suggests, the coverage is higher than the Serum formula but despite both of these facts the product feels really light on the skin.

Serum Foundation

Like Coverage, Serum has a very lightweight formula and feels like you’re not wearing anything. As I tend to always stick to thicker formulas, I was a little out of my comfort zone with this one, and because of how quickly it blends into the skin, I was finding myself going over it a few times because I wasn’t always sure if I’d fully covered that area, plus the coverage is fairly light. I was also a little out of my comfort zone as Serum leaves more of a dewy finish, and I like to keep things matte.

Fluid Primer

As someone who isn’t really a fan of primers, this was a game changer. I’m not sure I can sing this product’s praises high enough. If I’m being honest, I added it to my basket so that I had something other than foundation, and so I could tip the basket total to get free delivery, but I am so thankful that I did. The formula is bizarre; its feels kinda gel-like at first but it spreads like a dream and dries within seconds, and once dry its practically weightless.

Part of the reason I’m not much of a primer person, and I’m nervous trying new foundation is that I rarely find anything that can contend with my skin, which can switch from dry as a desert to oily as a 2am kebab within a matter of seconds, and I normally end up regretting wearing foundation by lunchtime, but I did not have a single complaint with this. I tested both foundations both with and without, and both applied so much nicer and lasted the day without any issues when I used the primer.

But seriously guys, I bought 4 foundations and a primer for less than £30, which is what I would normally spend on my regular NARS foundation, plus they’re cruelty free!

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My Birthday Haul

Well that’s another birthday done with for the year! The day itself was fairly chilled – I had the day off work and just spent it hanging out at home, baking cakes and then had the family over for a Chinese takeaway for dinner. Nothing special, but just the way I like it.

But you didn’t come here to hear about my day, you wanted to see what I got, right?

The first presents I got to unwrap in the morning were from Matthew. He was pretty smug about what he’d got me, and even wanted me to open them early because he wanted to see my reaction, but I patiently waited until my actual birthday.

I was not disappointed. I opened what felt like the heaviest box of goodies all the way from Sephora – seven sheet masks, a cream highlighter palette and this whopper of an eyeshadow palette from the Sephora Pro collection. I’ve already searched every shade and fallen in love with it and I can’t wait to play with it some more!

Also tucked in my box of goodies, although not from Sephora, was a bottle of Pixi Glow Tonic, which is a product I’ve been dying to get my hands on for a long time now, so I’m excited to see if that lives up to all the hype.


How amazing are my parents?! I had absolutely no idea that I would be unwrapping this beautiful little bag from the Disney x Coach collection, but I’m so in love with it and I’m so grateful that they managed to find one as I thought the collection was no longer available. I did also get a cutting mat and rotary cutting tool from them but it doesn’t look as cute in photos!

The rest of my family just stuck to the usual tradition of money, and I’m planning on putting some of that towards a Lush shop, and the rest towards my upcoming Florida trip at the end of the month.

A huge thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday on here and on social media, it means so much to me!

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How I Highlight

I know I say this every time I write a beauty post, but I really do not consider myself to be anywhere near expert level when it comes to makeup. I’ve never claimed to be a beauty blogger, I’m merely a girl with a stash of makeup and a love of putting it on my face.

I can’t contour or create the perfect winged eyeliner, but one thing I do pride myself in is my ability to highlight. Highlighter is probably my biggest weakness when it comes to beauty product, and I’m not ashamed to say if I could only wear one product for the rest of my life it would be highlighter.

A few people have asked me recently how I achieve my glow, so I thought I’d write a post on my routine and what products go into my shininess! For me, its all about layers and building..

  • Once I’ve done my foundation, the next product I reach for is Benefit’s Dandelion Shy Beam, which is a soft pinky liquid highlighter. Using the built in brush, I make a stripe of product across my cheekbones, and then blend using my Spectrum B01 brush. This creates the perfect base for building upon, while remaining quite subtle!
  • Next, I use Makeup Revolution Baked Highligher in Matte Lights, but rather than using a normal sized brush, I use the biggest brush in my collection, which is the Lottie London kabuki brush, and go to town up my cheekbones with it. Being a matte highlighter, this is also fairly subtle but generally brightens the whole area without bringing all the sparkle of a normal highlighter.
  • For good fortune, I top this with a light layer of Benefit’s newest highlighter, Dandelion Sparkle, and I just use the brush that comes with it. This again is a very soft pink highlighter but starts to bring the shine!
  • To top things off, I tend to reach for my ABH x Nicole Guerriero glow kit, along with my Spectrum A10 fan brush. My go-to shades are Daydream or Kitty Kat, but if I want to be seen from space then its Forever Lit.

I just love being shiny!

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Affordable Acrylic Storage with Songmics* – GIVEAWAY!

I recently announced that Matthew has just moved in with me at my parent’s house, and that over the next few months we’ll be starting to look at buying a house and moving out, and with all this in mind, I’m not only having to think about keeping my stuff neat and tidy to make space for him, but also about how I’ll want our house to look, whenever it is that we get one.

I’m not gonna lie to you, I have a lot of makeup. Sure, its probably less than some, but its in no way a small collection, and up until recently, it lives for the majority of the time on my bedroom floor in front of my wardrobe mirror, and anything that’s not been on the floor has been in a box file on a shelf. Not stylish, and not practical at all, so when I was recently contacted by the lovely guys from Songmics and asked if I’d like to receive some acrylic makeup storage, I couldn’t say no! Songmics are a German brand that specialise in practical and stylish home storage and organisation, and their products are available in the UK and worldwide via Amazon.

I’ve eyed up various acrylic storage solutions before, such as Muji and even Ikea, but have always been put off by the price tag, but the two tier organiser that Songmics sent me is only £15.99, and if you’re an Amazon Prime member, hello free next day delivery! But let’s talk about the product..

My first impressions were that it was a lot sturdier than I had thought, which was great as I was worried that it might be thin and cheap feeling – definitely not the case! My second worry was that I didn’t think that one organiser was going to fit much of my makeup in, and while it doesn’t fit everything, I did manage to fit a LOT more than I thought I would – in fact, I managed to fit all of my day to day essentials and then some!

This organiser is actually comprised of two sections, with the top lifting off of the drawers, and the components are all designed to be stackable, so I can buy an extra set of drawers which I can fit into the mix, should I want to expand!

I’ve used the top section for all of my most used products – foundation, mascara, brow palette, favourite lipsticks etc – then organised the drawers into eyes and face, with the two smaller top drawers being my eyeliners and eyeshadows, then the larger bottom drawers are blushers/bronzers in one, and highlighers in the other.

If I’m being a little picky, I wish there was more room for palettes, as I’ve only been able to fit two in the slots at the back, but I’m definitely a convert to the acrylic storage club, and I’m already thinking about what else I can get to add to my setup to get the rest of my stuff in!

Want to win your own? The guys over at Songmics have got another two tier organiser with one of your names on it, just enter below and the winner will be announced on October 4th! (Widget isn’t supported on all browsers, so if you have any issues just click the link below!)

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KIKO Perfect Gel Duo Review

I’m gonna say something that will probably shock a good percentage of girls and beauty bloggers right now: I have never had my nails done professionally. This is partly down to being awkward and the fact that I find making conversation with a hairdresser difficult enough when I’m not face to face with them, but also partly due to the fact that I have good natural nails and am skilled with a nail varnish, so the idea of having to pay for someone else to do what I can do a pretty good job of myself isn’t one I’m too keen on.

So instead I spend my money on nail varnish in every shade under the sun.

The problem I do find though is that I’m clumsy, and have a tendency to smudge or chip at least one nail within the first two days of a fresh paint, so when I recently discovered my love of KIKO nail products, and then they ran a buy 3, get 3 free offer, I decided to try my luck with an ‘at home’ gel manicure.

First impressions

I chose the shade Milk Mint, and its exactly what I expected it to be based on the online image. I’d describe it as one shade lighter than a Tiffany’s box, and I love it. The packaging is cute, but I worried that the lid was going to be a little bulky to hold while painting, but lo and behold, the silver cap actually pops off to reveal a less pretty but more practical sized lid – yay!

Application

This is genuinely no different to any other nail paint. Slap on two coats of colour, give it 2 mins then one layer of top coat and you’re good to go after a few minutes of air-drying. Simples.

Wear and tear

Like I mentioned earlier, the first few days are always the riskiest ones for me, but I didn’t have a problem at all; not a smudge, not a chip. I then road-tested it to the max as I then spent my weekend doing DIY.. I’m gonna be honest, they’re not intact, but they held up very well considering I was moving bulky furniture, painting, filling, sanding and all sorts. The clear difference I would note is that with the gel topcoat, rather than chipping like most nail polish, it tends to peel off in larger portions – an incident with some masking tape took of half a nail in one go, oops!

Had it not been for the DIY, however, I am really impressed with the results! Some nails did remain intact, and in comparison to my regular KIKO smart nail lacquers, they definitely lasted longer and kept cleaner and neater.

What I loved most was the fact I didn’t have to do anything special – no UV lights, no special remover, just straight foward nail care that just lasts longer! Oh, and they’re on sale at £5 at the moment, who wouldn’t love that?

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Five Hyped Products I Never Use

The thing with bandwagons is that I’m all too eager to jump on them if something cute is involved, and the problem with that is that my bank balance doesn’t always like this.

There are always new products hitting the marketplace that we all think are the best thing since sliced bread, and we all rush to get our hands on them thinking that they’re gonna be total game-changers, and I’m definitely not immune to this, and here are a few that spring to mind..

Fuji Instax

I bought the Hello Kitty Instax camera from a friend a few years ago, but I’ve only ever had to change the film once – that’s how rarely I use it. Its not that I don’t like it, its just that I never think to take it out with me, and the refill film is kinda pricey so I don’t want to waste shots. I do wonder if I’d’ve used it more had it been a regular Instax Mini, rather than the Hello Kitty version, but even still I’m not sure..

Eyelash curler

I know people who practically live by the mantra of ‘mascara, curl, repeat’, but having owned an eyelash curler for a few years now, I think I’ve only ever used it once.

Primer

Beauty lovers everywhere are probably gonna go nuts over this one, but I never use primer before doing my makeup. I do own Benefit’s Porefessional primer, but I tend to use that as a standalone product on days that I can’t be bothered to wear foundation and just want to blur out my pores a bit, but as a base product, nope!

Happiness Planner

Don’t get me wrong, I do love my Happiness Planner – I love the way it looks and I do love filling it in, I just find that I never remember to do it! Its just not part of my regular routine, and as much as I’d love it to be, I just never think about it.

Rainbow highlighter

As a self-confessed highlighter addict, you’d think that I’d jump at the opportunity to use a pretty highlighter, but I just never do.. I have the Unicorn Heart highlighter from I Heart Makeup, but I guess its just not really my thing, or at least it doesn’t look how I thought it might and I was a little disappointed.

What products have you fallen for only to never use?

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Cruelty Free Beauty Brands That Won’t Break The Bank

When it comes to makeup, we’re all trying to find those products that we not only fall in love with, but can actually afford to buy without taking out a small mortgage or selling a kidney, and in today’s society its also becoming so important to support brands that are setting the best example for others and paving the way towards a cruelty free future for all.

If you’re getting into cruelty free, these are my absolute favourite brands, not just because I love their products, but also because they’re readily available on the high street and with the exception of a few palettes or gift sets, I bet you won’t spend more than £10 on any single item!

NYX Professional Makeup

NYX’s matte lipstick is without a doubt my favourite lipstick formula out of anything else I’ve tried, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen any reviews that aren’t absolutely glowing. The only item I’ve paid more than £10 was my beautiful bright eyeshadow, and for £16 I think that was still an absolute steal!

Barry M

Long gone are the days when Barry M was only known for nail varnish and dazzle dust, and now they are smashing the beauty game out of the park. I’ve always been a fan of their original products, but recent releases like lip kits and highlighting palettes have been taking the beauty blogosphere by storm and did you see my recent post about this Clinique dupe?

Makeup Revolution

This CF brand has been a real game changer, and while some slate them for it, Makeup Revolution has been bringing incredible dupes that are not only cruelty free but super affordable, as well as an amazing selection of palettes and other products. I can pretty much guarantee you won’t spend more than £10 on any single item, and you and your bank balance will be very happy!

Kiko Cosmetics

A more recent discovery of mine, Kiko has an incredible selection of products from beauty to skincare and accessories. My favourite products are their nail varnishes, which come in such an incredible selection of colours, making the nail painting addict in me very happy! The stores aren’t everywhere, but there’s free delivery on all orders over £25 online!

Spectrum Collections

You’ve stocked up on products, now get your hands on the best brushes in my opinion! I fell for the pretty designs but stayed for the great quality, and now all my brushes are Spectrum. They’re handmade, cruelty free and vegan friendly, and they’re now also available in Boots!

If you’ve got any recommendations for other cruelty free brands, please share in the comments below!

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August Samples and Testers

Who doesn’t love trying new things? Sure, I hate social occasions with people I don’t know or doing things that are so far out my comfort zone that I can’t see it anymore, but new beauty and skincare products are definitely my jam.

And because its expensive to buy new products, I try to get my fix by collecting as many sample and tester products as I can so that I can give them a bash before I fork out my cash on them. I’ve talked before about ways you can get samples to try products on the cheap, and because I use these methods religiously, I’ve collected a fair stash of products which I’ve yet to try, hence a new series! I’m gonna be diving into my stores each month (and probably adding to them at the same time) and reporting back on what’s been fab and what’s been not so fab..

So here are my August picks!

IsaDora Nude Fluid Foundation

I will never buy a full-sized foundation without trying it out properly first, mainly because I can never get the shade quite right but also because I really struggle to find formulas that I actually like. This was very middle ground for me – while I didn’t hate it, which happens a lot when I try new foundation, it also didn’t blow me away, although I actually got the shade pretty close! It applies quite well (I used a flat foundation brush to apply and then a softer brush to blend), but while it claims medium coverage I found it was fairly light. I like the lightweight feel, and I will continue to use my little sample bottle, but I don’t know if I’ll be splashing out for the real thing.

Kiehl’s Creme de Corps

Despite all the hype from so many bloggers, I’ve never actually used Kiehl’s products before, but samples are often available on Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix so I’ve got a few in my stash. I actually had two Creme de Corps samples in my collection, so I figured it was time to crack one open! First impressions, it really does meet the description of a ‘whipped’ body butter – the consistency was practically that of buttercream, and it smelt amazing too. It was nice, but for the price tag that the full sized product comes at, I think I’ll be sticking to my regular moisturiser.

Benefit Gimme Brow

Every time I see a Benefit product on Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix I snap them up because you get a proper little mini product rather than just a sample and its such good value for money! Most of my brow products are Benefit, so I was excited to try something new, but while it is a good product, its not revolutionised my approach to how I do my eyebrows, so I don’t think I’ll be buying the full-sized version. Every now and then I’ll reach for it, but other products have my vote more.

Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil

While Gimme Brow was a no from me, I did like Goof Proof. I’m a bit annoyed that I didn’t check the shade and accidentally got one that was a tiny bit too dark, but I did give it a go before donating it to my sister, and I was pretty happy with the results. I’ve had pencils like this before where you have to apply so much pressure for the product to actually show, but that definitely wasn’t the case with this, and had I not got the wrong shade, this would definitely be one I’d use a fair bit so I’ll be keeping an eye out for any offers!

L’Oreal Pure Clay Masks

I’ve seen a lot of hype for these masks over the last few months, so when I saw this little sample pack in Superdrug and it was down from £7.49 to £3.50 instore the other week, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to try the three masks for a bargain price. First up, I was impressed about how a little product goes a long way – I’ve used the products 3-4 times now, and I still have some left! Secondly, I’m super impressed with how my skin has been looking since I started using these! The red ‘glow’ mask has been my favourite and has really helped clear up the awkward dry patch of skin that I get on my forehead, and I’ve tried a lot of things for that before now! I’m not normally one for face masks but I think this will be a repeat purchase.

Have you tried anything new this month?

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Kiko Cosmetics Sale Haul

So last week I had a day alone in Manchester, so naturally I gravitated towards the Trafford Centre, and after a morning of working away in Starbucks, I treated myself to an afternoon of shopping. I hit pretty much every store that had a sale sign in the window, and one store that caught my eye particularly was Kiko Milano.

Despite being well aware that I own enough makeup as it is, I always love trying new brands, and when that brand is not only having a massive summer sale but is also cruelty free, there was no stopping me, but I did only spend £25!

The first thing that caught my eye stepping into the store was the display of gloriously bright nail varnishes. I’ve always loved having colourful nails, and while I have always sworn by Barry M when it comes to nail products, over recent years they’ve opted to diversify and their original collection of nail paints just aren’t available in as many colours as they used to be. As soon as I saw the wall of Kiko Smart Nail Lacquers I fell in love, but not wanting to go too overboard I just chose two, which are actually two shades very similar to my favourite Barry’s that aren’t available anymore, and they’re only £2 each, so win win!

Nearer to the checkout, they also had a few ‘mini’ nail varnishes at just £1 each so I decided to nab two of those as well!

Next up, I couldn’t help but fall in love with this STUNNING matte finishing powder – its so creamy and blendable, plus its fine and super light! I also grabbed this pretty blush for just £3.80, which is also super light feeling and the shade, Breathtaking Azalea, is perfect for spring/summer looks.

Lastly, while I’m not normally one for individual eyeshadows, I decided to pick up this little duo-shadow because the colour combination was super pretty and very me. Its not the most pigmented, but the two shades compliment each other wonderfully and its perfect for a subtle look, which is more my style anyway!

Have you tried any Kiko products before? I’d love to hear any recommendations!

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The £5 Clinique Highlighter Dupe

I never have and never will claim to be a real beauty blogger. When I do write about makeup, I write as a girl who just likes wearing it (and buying way too much of it), so while I might not have the expertise of most, I still like to give it a good go every now and then. The discovery of today’s dupe was purely accidental, and I actually owned and used the dupe before I came across the high-end equivalent.

I’m the first to admit that I have a problem when it comes to highlighters. I’d say they’re my weakness when it comes to makeup but I have many other weaknesses too so I’m not sure if it counts, but it was due to this weakness that I made this discovery. You see, when I wracked up enough points on my Sephora card back in February to claim some free gifts, when I was offered a free Clinique chubby stick highlighter, I snapped that badboy up without a second thought, but with so many highlighters in my collection, it was only recently that I actually thought I’d give it a go.

So there I am, sat in front of my mirror with that new product buzz going on, when I was struck with deja vu – have I used this before? I was questioning my sanity when I realised where I’d seen the same results before: from my Barry M Strobe Cream, shade Frosty Pink, which I’d bought months before for a mere £4.49. Now I know my chubby stick was a free gift, but it retails for £19.50 so that’s quite a difference..

Wanna see?

Left: Barry M, Right: Clinique

Top: Clinique, Bottom: Barry M

As you can see from the swatches, there’s hardly any difference in shade between the two. The Clinique does have a creamier formula, and possibly gives a little more shine than Barry’s, but I actually prefer the lightweight feel of the BM strobe cream, and its just as long-lasting.

If a £15 difference in price isn’t enough of a selling point, let’s not forget that Barry M is cruelty free and vegan friendly, and if Frosty Pink isn’t your jam, this is just one of four shades that its available in!

I know which one I use more often..

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Mid-Year Beauty Blog Sale!

Hey gang! I’m in serious need of a declutter, especially when it comes to my makeup collection, so I decided to do my first ever blog sale, yay!

All of these items are either unused, just swatched or hardly touched, they’re just items I find I’m not reaching for anymore (or ever have!), and I’m just looking for them to go to good homes where they will be appreciated.

Postage will be Royal Mail second class, £2 for one item or £3.50 for 2 or more. To buy, please comment with which items you’d like and your email address, or email lottie@lottiemartin.com. Payment is via Paypal only.

Love and Light hand cream – £2 – No Drought dry shampoo – £5

ALL SOLD

Makeup Revolution palettes (Left is Iconic 3, right is Essential Mattes 2) – £2 each – Freedom Makeup Future Brights palette – £1.50

ALL SOLD

Makeup Revolution Matte Effect foundation in Ivory, I Heart Makeup No Shine Please primer, Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base foundation in FB02 – £1.50 each

ALL SOLD

Left to right and swatches bottom to top – Mac x Ellie Goulding in Without Your Love, Mac Wash and Dry in Steam Heat, Mac Frost in Costa Chic, Mac Toledo in Barbecue

£10 each, or two for £18

Winky Lux lipstick in Corallo – £8

I bought this ‘Mac’ lipstick off eBay. It turned out to be a fake but its still a really nice shade (top swatch) – £6

Left to right/Bottom to top – Barry M lipstick – £2, Rimmel Kate Moss – £1, Barry M lip stain – £3 (this will be a brand new, still in packaging version, I accidentally bought the same shade twice!)

Mac x Ellie Goulding bronzer/blush duo – £9, Sephora Collection blush – £6

HD Pro banana finishing powder – £3, NYX baked blush – £4, Freedom Makeup blush – £1

I Heart Makeup Bronze and Glow/Light and Glow palettes – £3 each

Sleek Makeup colour correcting palette – £4, NYX concealer in fair – £3, Makeup Revolution The One concealer stick – £1

Sale will be based on a first come, first served basis. Payment is required within 48 hours to secure item or it will be offered to the next person.

Happy shopping!

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Get Sparkly For Summer

Who else is mega excited that the sun has finally started making an appearance?!

Sun means summer, and summer means beach days, festivals and pretty much every day is an excuse to be your best and sparkliest self – so get sparkly!

As a self-confessed highlighter addict, I make my love of all things sparkly pretty obvious, and here are a bunch of products that are perfect to get you shining away this summer:

Unicorn Heart highlighter from I Heart Makeup

I don’t reach for this highlighter nearly as much as I should do, but its multicoloured shine is perfect for music festivals and carnivals.

Barry M Dazzle Dust

I’ve loved Dazzle Dust since I was a teenager; its super pigmented and lasts really well, plus it feels so light! I have quite a few brighter shades, but at the moment I’m loving Aphrodite, which is a shell-pinky/nude which works amazing as a loose powder eyeshadow, but also when lightly dusted on your cheekbones as an extra shiny highlight.

Dandelion Twinkle from Benefit

I’m really a sucker for everything from Benefit’s Dandelion range, but I couldn’t help but pick up this new highlighter when I was last in Sephora and its so pretty!

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmer Bar from Lush

This just sorta fell into my basket when I was last in Lush.. Its a cocoa butter based bar which has the most beautiful vanilla scent, and is packed with environmentally friendly glitter! Its essentially a moisturiser which leaves you super sparkly, but you can also use it as a solid perfume and a highlighter. Rub it all over your arms and legs to sparkle away on a night out!

Illuminating Strobe Cream in Frosty Pink from Barry M

Not only is this a fab product for under £5, but this is also a highstreet dupe of Clinique’s Chubby Stick highligter which is £19.50!

Anastasia Beverly Hills x Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit

Remember when I bought this back in February and fell in love with it? Well I’m still in love with it and its going to be my best friend through the summer. Full review and swatches here!

What are your favourite summer beauty products?

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Lesson Learnt by a First Time Fake Tanner

That’s right. First timer..

I’ve always thought myself lucky in that I’ve always tanned fairly well naturally, but that generally involves spending a lot of time in sunshine, which is something that I haven’t really had much of recently, and with my trip to California looming, and my legs shining whiter than the moon, I decided that I was going to do something about it.

Being a first timer, I knew that a proper fake-tanner was never gonna be a good idea, so instead I opted for a gradual tanner instead, and took a recommendation to try Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze lotion, and here are a few things that I’ve learnt along the way..

Always read the label

So my first tanning faux pas came the morning after my first attempt. It said on the label to wash hands after use, and did I? Well my bright orange hands in the morning might give away that answer..

Get a feel for it

If its your first time using a particular product, trial it carefully. Either test it on a small area that can’t be seen, or do a super light layer to see its effects before you totally slather yourself in it.

If you’re uncertain, go gradual

There was no way I could have thrown myself in at the deep end with a regular fake tanner on a first attempt!

Even coverage matters

Even when using a gradual tanner, being sure to get a clean spread is still super important to avoid any weird lines or streaks.

Creases collect

Knees, armpits, ankles are a few of the biggest culprits, watch out for weird lines and darker patches!

Exfoliators and scrubs are your friends

Orange hands, weird patches, these products are like little erasers.

Results are slightly addictive

Once you find a product and a routine that works and you start seeing results, you might find it a little difficult to stop.

I’m really happy with the results I’ve been seeing, even after just a few weeks. It started out as just a way to fake it until I get to California and can build a little bit of a tan for myself, but I may just have to keep it up through the summer, especially as everyone knows you can’t trust the UK sun.. But also cos its cocoa butter based and it smells delicious.

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Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow Palette

I’m gonna say something controversial: the Sweet Peach eye palette did not excite me. Aside from the peach scent, I couldn’t find any reason to justify the money for shades that I probably wouldn’t wear very often.

Now when they released the Glow palette on the other hand, it hit all the spots for me, and when I finally got to see it in person I knew that I’d be taking it home with me. Not a drop of regret.

The palette consists of a highligher, a blusher and a bronzer, and that peach smell every time I open the lid is just too perfect. The packaging is, of course, adorable, from the tin to the peachy pattern on the product itself. And speaking of the product..

Top – highlighter, Middle – blush, Bottom – bronzer

Oh. So. Creamy. All three are so buttery and soft, and blend so nicely – honestly I feel like its a pleasure to apply them, not to mention how nice my face smells with them on. The shades are subtle but buildable, and all compliment each other so well! Considering its a ‘highlight’ palette, my favourite product is actually the blusher; peachy shades are my faves so this ticked every box for me, and I prefer this one to the stand-alone blush from the collection. I also love the fact that the bronzer isn’t too dark, because nothing annoys me more as a pale girl than bronzers that look like war paint, but it does come out a little orange if over-applied. As for the highligher, its pretty, subtle and perfect for a more natural look, but also the golden undertones make it versatile for an evening look too.

I’m not a big eyeshadow person, so I’m really glad that Too Faced released more face products to the Sweet Peach range, and considering the individual blushers are £25, and this retails at £34 and includes two more products, so its more cost effective, right?

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Anastasia Beverly Hills x Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit

If you caught my Sephora haul post a few weeks back, you’ll have seen that my favourite purchase was this beauty of a glow kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills. I knew I wanted one before I set off for my trip, having lusted over all of the glow kits for a long time, but holding off for a slightly better exchange rate!This is actually my first ABH purchase ever, so I was praying that they would live up to the hype, but after swatching the hell out of the sample palette, I knew I was gonna be happy as a clam.

So this is the Nicole Guerriero collab glow kit – a palette of six beautiful highlighters in gorgeous pinks, peaches, and copper/golden tones. It was, in fact, the only glow kit that Sephora had in stock, but it didn’t bother me because it seemed absolutely perfect. I fell in love with the packaging, the shades and the product instantly.

What sets these highlighters above any other powder highlighter I’ve ever tried before is how gloriously smooth and buttery they feel; it’s almost creamy to touch. The pigmentation is, as I’d expected, amazing, with all of these swatches done with a single stroke.

The shades are super diverse, with Forever Lit being the brightest and whitest highlight I’ve ever seen and 143 being ideal for a summer bronzed look. My absolute favourite is Daydream as I’m a real sucker for peach tones! Generally, I use my fan brush for application, but if I want a more strobed feel then I actually use my fingers to draw down my cheekbones and blend it out!

Needless to say, I 100% recommend this for anyone who’s thinking about it – I really can’t find fault, and as a self-confessed highlighter addict, I know I’m going to reaching for this so often that it justifies the price tag for me.

If you’ve got the palette I’d love to hear your thoughts on it, drop me a comment!

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My Sephora Haul!

I’m gonna be honest, I was more excited about visiting Sephora in Disney Springs than any other store. Sarah and I basically regressed to kids in a candy store, and not only did we spend more (and money!) in there than I’d care to admit, I stayed sparkly for days afterwards as a result of all the highlighter swatches that ended up on my hands and arms..

Brace yourselves.

This was my first time shopping in Sephora for myself, having only browsed or picked up items for friends who begged me, and as well as being super chuffed with everything I put into my basket, I was also thrilled to bits when I signed up for a loyalty card at the checkout, only to be rewarded with freebie products too!

I know that I can get Benefit products in the UK, but I’ve never seen Dandelion Dew back home, and its a gorgeous shade of pink cream pigment that acts as both a blush and highlighter (two of my beauty weaknesses in one!). I’ve also been eyeing up the powder for a while now, but couldn’t justify the cost of it, so to discover it in a mini version meant I just had to treat myself! I also picked up a mini NARS combo of the iconic Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer, and a blush from Sephora’s own brand range, in a gorgeous light pink shade: So Shy. The first of my freebie products was this matte lip crayon from Bite. The shade is dusty mauve called Pastille, and I know I have too many lipsticks but this was free so its acceptable, right?

A few more of Sephora’s own brand products also fell into my basket, courtesy of a load of good things that I’ve heard from several people, and also a little from necessity as I’d ran out of the makeup wipes I brought with me! I chose a face mask and an eye mask which I’m looking forward to trying, and pomegranate face wipes which smell amazing, and the little pouch bag was another freebie!

A bit of an impulse buy at $12, I bought the Tarte Wide Awake set, which contains their Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara, a little pot of the Maracuja C-Brightner eye treatment and a pair of undereye patches. As a glasses wearer, I’m a little self conscious of the dark patches that have become a permanent feature under my eyes, so I’m hoping that I might see some improvement with these goodies!

 

I’m all about highlighter – its my single biggest weakness when it comes to makeup. I also have a big weakness for anything that is peach flavoured or scented. Cue Too Faced and their Sweet Peach collection.. I’d read and watched a bunch of reviews of the highlight palette, and had ummed and ahhed, but seeing it in person convinced me, plus peachy shades do really suit my skin tone and the smell was AMAZING. Another freebie – seriously, I’m already so impressed with this loyalty card – was the Clinique chubby stick highligher, and the last and prettiest purchase was this STUNNING glow kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills. ABH glow kits were high on my look-out-for list, and the Nicole Guerriero kit was the only one they had in stock, which was fine by me because LOOK AT IT. Its perfect, and I’m almost too nervous to start using it but as I swatched every shade from the tester in store, I know they’re all beautiful!

Now excuse me while I go play with my new beauties..

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Little Lush Hacks!

You all know I’m a huge Lushie – I hardly keep it a secret.

My bathroom is overrun by black pots and bottles of my favourite goodies, as well as my little stash of bathbombs and bubble bars, and despite this, I’m still always wanting to buy more.

One of the best things for me about trying new Lush products, is having a play around with them and finding different or more unusual ways to use them in my daily routine, and I’ve got a few to share with you today!

Use Rub Rub Rub as a shampoo/conditioner

Crazy as it sounds, I swear by using this shower scrub in my hair. I probably do it at least once every two weeks, and while it seems totally weird to get that rough, salty concoction into your locks, it does such a good job of giving your hair a good deep clean. I use it either after shampooing, or as a stand-alone hair washing product!

Put shower jelly into a loofah

While I adore so many of the shower jellies, I can find them a nuisance to use without dropping them on the floor and losing half of it down the drain. Instead of slipping around, grab yourself a little chunk, stick it into a loofah and use the friction from that to work it up into a good froth of body washing goodness! Refresher is my fave to do this with!

Fairy Dust as sparkly dry shampoo

Lush’s own dry shampoo, No Drought, doesn’t do all that much for my hair, but I do keep my bottle of Fairy Dust dusting powder in my handbag for emergency dry shampooing needs. I find it does a better job of covering any greasy looking roots, and its got glitter in it, need I say more? I’m also super curious to try this with other dusting powders!

Spray your pillow with Breath of Fresh Air

My favourite toner also works great as a relaxing pillow spray. Its seaside scent makes me feel like I’m drifting off to sleep after a day on a beautiful beach!

Reuse little black pots for travel sized toiletries

While I’m collecting up my little black pots, and haven’t quite got enough for that free face mask, I use the smaller ones to decant my big bottle of shampoo into to put in my gym wash bag or take on holiday with me

Ever discovered your own Lush hacks? Drop me a comment as I’d love to give them a try!

PS. If you’re looking for a new tip or trick, ask the staff in your local store – they’re full of knowledge!

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Hand Luggage Only Toiletries

Hand Luggage Only Toiletries

Have you ever booked a flight with a budget airline, only to gasp at the additional cost of checked baggage? When it comes to a weekend break, it hardly seems worth the additional £30-40 when you could fit all your clothes into a holdall or backpack.

The inevitable problem with that though? Toiletries. There’s nothing worse than getting pulled aside at security because you forgot to place all those liquids into a clear plastic bag, or worse yet, packed something over 100ml and now you’ve gotta wave goodbye to your bottle of conditioner or deodorant.

Sure, you can overpay for those little miniatures from the supermarket, but you’ve still got to fit all those little bottle into that tiny 20x20cm plastic bag, so here are a few ideas for reducing your liquid content while still packing everything you need.

Toiletries

Shampoo bars – I swear by shampoo bars day in day out, but they really come into their own when you’re travelling because not only do they take up a fraction of the space, they also last so much longer and hello, no liquid!

Roll-on deodorant – ditch the aerosol and opt for a solid version of your deodorant to save on smelly situations. You could even pack some dusting powder for extra freshness!

Tooth-not-so-paste – while I know many people who would never ditch their regular toothpaste for anything, Lush do a wide range of non-paste options, such as Toothy Tabs or Tooth Powder, both of which leave your teeth feeling clean and fresh, but without the worry of your liquid allowance.

Solid soap – rather than carrying shower gels, pack a bar of soap and sud yourself up the old fashioned way!

Makeup

Lipstick over gloss – it might seem silly, but just switching from a lipgloss to lipstick means one less thing for the clear plastic bag

Utilising samples – I collect sample products like they’re going out of style, for the very purpose of saving space when I’m going away. Perfume samples, foundation, moisturiser, anything I get from magazines or Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix gets put into a little basket which I raid when the time comes for me to pack.

Wipes – as much as I hate using face wipes, if it saves me having to pack a bottle of micellar water and a bunch of cotton pads, then I’ll make that sacrifice for a few days.

For me personally, I’d rather make a few changes from my regular products in order to save myself worry when I get to the airport!

Do you have any tips for travelling hand luggage only? Share them in the comments below!

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January Favourites

January Favourites

Can someone tell me how a whole month of 2017 has already gone by?! You know the drill, here’s some of my January highlights:

The Happiest Fitness Co’s ZPD pre-order

I’d been sitting on this design for a while, and because I wanted the shirt for my upcoming Disney trip, I decided to get a sample made for myself.. The response was overwhelming, which pushed me to list the design for pre-order straight away. People supporting my small business make me so happy, and you can still get your hands on the first batch here!

Sony 55-210mm telescopic lens

I’ve harped on about my excitement for my new lens for a while now, but I finally got to really take it out for a spin on my Disneyland Paris trip a few weeks back and it totally lived up to the hype. I took some awesome photos, but also managed to lose my SD card with the majority of my photos on..

Nars Laguna bronzer

I recently got a sample of one of Nars most popular products with my Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix, and having now used it I can 100% see why its so religiously raved about. I’m not normally super into bronzer, but with the summer coming up, I think this will definitely be going onto my wishlist.

Lush Tooth Fairy Tooth Powder

I’m a real sucker for Lush’s weird and wonderful products, especially when it comes to toothpaste alternatives. Tooth Fairy is a strawberry flavoured dream alternative to that yucky minty aftertaste mixed with your morning juice. It seems super weird the first few times you use it, but its great for popping into my gym bag or hand luggage!

Amazing people of January

Shoutout to some of the beautiful people that have made this month even more special:

  • Mitchell – for making my DLP trip full of fun
  • Cara – for being a strong and sassypants beauty
  • Amy – literally so happy to have finally met this wonderful woman in person
  • Nancy – for talking a Cast Member into letting me into the Big Thunder Mountain Fastpass line

How’s your January been?

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Desert Island Makeup

Desert Island Beauty

I’ve seen a lot of people on Twitter recently asking things like ‘If you could only use one eye palette, what would it be?’, and it got me thinking about all of the beauty products that I would choose above the rest – desert island makeup, as it were.

Foundation

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Alaska – I have two different NARS foundations, but this one is by far my favourite because while my skin can go from dry to oily in the blink of an eye, this goes on without a hitch and stays all day.

Powder

Rimmel Clear Complexion Transparent – this powder is an absolute godsend for preventing shine and it lasts so well!

Blusher

Freedom Makeup Pro HD refill blush in 04 – I know this little pan looks fairly unimpressive as an item but I love this shade so much!

Highlighter

Makeup Revolution Radiant Lights in Exhale – this was one of the first highligher powders I ever bought, and its definitely my most used as its so versatile. Even if I don’t fancy doing a full face of makeup, I’ll always use highlighter!

Bronzer

Benefit Sun Beam – this is kind of a cheat as I use it as a highligher as well as a bronzer, but its gold so I think it counts more as a bronzer, right?

Mascara

Eyeko Black Magic – while I see many beauty bloggers debating Benefit vs Urban Decay etc, I have sworn by Black Magic for the last 2 years. For me, it just looks the most natural and I never have any problems with clumping or nasty lumps.

Eyeliner

Barry M Kohl Pencil in brown – controversially, I don’t actually own a black eyeliner pencil.. Brown just suits me a lot more and the Barry M pencils are soft and easy to apply and also to blend out.

Eyeshadow

theBalm Nude Dude palette – this is my answer to the original question, and I would happily only ever use this palette for the rest of my life if I had to. If I could only use one shade, it would be the gorgeous gold/purple Flirty!

Brow

Benefit Ka-Brow in Light 01 – Ka Brow was the first Benefit product I ever bought, and its a total winner for all-in-one brow product for me.

Lipstick

NYX Matte Lipstick in Euro Trash – when a lipstick this good only costs £6.50, it really makes me question why I’ve spent £15-20 on MAC ones in the past! Super smooth, non-drying and long lasting, and I just love the shade.

What are your desert island choices?

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Rainbow Beauty Haul

Rainbow Colourful Beauty

Honestly I think this is my favourite beauty post yet – I just loved every part from the products to the photos!

This little haul sprung from having to be a last minute Christmas shopper this year (well, last year, but y’know). I’m normally so well prepared when it comes to buying presents, but after one company let me down and didn’t dispatch my order for two weeks – meaning on Christmas Eve it was still yet to appear – I had to go into town on the hunt of replacement gifts. I ended up in Boots, and as I scoured the NYX display for potential presents, my eye was drawn to this mutlicoloured palette of dreams..

NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette Brights

I’ve been lusting over the Urban Decay Full Spectrum palette for a little while, but as I don’t tend to go bright all the time, I couldn’t really justify the £40+ price tag, and this seemed like the perfect substitute for just £16. It was the last one on the shelf, and I couldn’t walk away without it..

Nyx Ultimate Shadow Palette Brights swatches

Nyx Ultimate Shadow Palette Brights swatches

If I had one wish, it would be that the shadows were a little more pigmented. They look so gorgeously bright in their pans, so I felt like they should have been brighter on application, rather than needing a few layers to build up. They’re a perfect creamy consistency though – not too crumbly – and the mix of mattes with a few shimmery shades gives some variety too!

Sleek Colour Corrector Palette

My other purchase was the Sleek Colour Corrector Palette – I’m a total novice to colour correcting, so I figured this compact little kit for £7.99 was a good starter!

Spectrum Fresh Face set

Finally, I know I have plenty of Spectrum brushes already, but how beautiful is the Fresh FACE set? This was actually a Christmas present, and although I already have all these brushes in their classic pink/blue style, they are my four most used brushes, and these are actually shorter in length, making them perfectly travel-sized! They also come in a matching case, which is great because I’ve been wanting a smaller makeup bag for a while now.

I can’t wait to have more of a play with these pieces and add some more colour to my face!

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What I Got For Christmas!

Christmas has been and gone for another year, so we’re now just left with the goodies we’ve been lucky enough to receive from our loved ones to tide us over until the January sales..

What I Got For Christmas

Considering I really wasn’t expecting much this year, I feel well and truly spoilt with this pile of goodies! You might spot a few items from my wishlist this year, including Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick, the Meeko Vinyl Pop and my favourite mascara, Eyeko Black Magic.

Peony Happiness Planner

I also decided to ask for the Peony Planner from Happiness Planner (over the Kikki K planner I’d mentioned before), and its SO PRETTY! I’ve already started filling it out and can’t wait to keep it up next year.

As well as those bits, I got some new clothes for work and a few Lush goodies, but I was really excited to unwrap some items from the Cath Kidston x Disney collection. I’d attempted the online pre-sale with absolutely no luck, so it was a total surprise that my mum had managed to find the spotty apron and London notebook in Southampton, eek! Mum also surprised me with a New York exclusive Mickey tsum tsum; I’d asked her to bring me back the Statue of Liberty Minnie one when she was there in November, but I had no idea there were other exclusives available so YAY!

Spectrum Fresh Face set

Adding to my ever growing collection of Spectrum brushes, I got the Fresh Face set containing these four gorgeous brushes, not only in a new colour scheme but also in a slightly smaller, more travel friendly size, which came with a matching lilac makeup bag!

I’m so grateful for all the wonderful gifts my family have given me this year – I’m such a lucky girl!

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Christmas Makeup Staples

We all change up our beauty routines a little with seasonal change, but Christmas is definitely the biggest party time; time for gold and sparkles and festive glow!

This year especially, I’ve seen a big change in my makeup style, and with the Christmas season on its way, I’ve moved away from nude and peachy tones, and have started incorporated more rich, golden tones on my face, shimmery shades on my eyes and deeper reds on my lips, and a few products have stood out as I’ve been reaching for them more and more.

Christmas Makeup

Sun Beam

Controversially, I’m not a big fan of High Beam from Benefit, but Sun Beam is probably my most used liquid highligher at the moment. It leaves such a wonderful glow on my cheeks, without looking too bronze against my oh-so pale natural skin colour.

Golden Lights and Peach Lights

Makeup Revolution highlighters are my life; I probably have most of them! My most recent purchase was this palette, featuring Golden, Peach and Pink Lights, and while the latter is more of a summery shade, the first two are really shimmery and perfect for Christmas parties!

Matte Trimony Matt Kumar eyeshadow

I never used to be much of an eyeshadow person, but in recent months I’ve been loving it a lot more. I got this sample from theBalm in my Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix, and its an ideal Christmas shade: a deep red/burgundy, which blends really well with nude shades and looks great with a bit of shimmer over the top – I blend it with Fit from the Nude Dude palette!

OPI Glitzerland

I’ve had this nail varnish for a few years now, and only ever seem to bring it out at Christmas! Its sparkly, without being overly glittery, and also a fairly light shade so can match a lot of outfits.

Nyx Lip Primer in Deep Nude

This is an all year round staple for me, but especially for the party season, keeping my lipstick in place is so important! I love how easy this is to apply, and how it doesn’t feel too sticky or slimy, and it works!

Colourburst Matte Balm in Standout

I have 5 different shades of these lipsticks from Revlon, but Standout for me is a Christmas shade all over. Its a deep red, can last all night with minimal effort, and I like its pencil style design for easy application

What are your Christmas beauty faves?

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November Favourites

Happy end of November everyone! How’s it been for everyone?

Its been a little up and down for me, but let’s look at the ups, and the things I’ve been loving this month!

November Favourites

Sewing

I dusted off my sewing machine, after about a year of it being on the floor by my desk, so I could get started on costume making for next year’s races, and two costumes and a bunch of other creations later I’m loving it again! Its made me so happy to get creative again.

Iconic Matte Lipstick

I recently bought Makeup Revolution’s Iconic Matte lipstick in shade Inspiration, and its fast becoming my favourite nude lipstick – long lasting, not drying and the packaging is rose gold perfection!

Moana

My Moana hype is still going strong! From the release of the Alessia Cara version of How Far I’ll Go at the start of the month, to the tsum tsum release and seeing a preview of the film just over a week ago, its been so exciting and I can’t wait to see it again in the cinema this week!

Oh Boy! collection

I dropped a new collection on The Happiest Fitness Co to celebrate the birthday of Mickey Mouse, check it out here!

Blog Love

Here’s a few blog posts that I’ve enjoyed recently, give them a read:

Are you ready for Christmas to descend in December?

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The Lush Products I Will Buy Again and Again

Lush skincare and haircare

I’ve been talking a lot recently about seasonal Lush products, so I thought today I’d share with you the bog-standard (if you can even call them that!) items need near constant replenishment for me!

1 and 2. Jumping Juniper shampoo bar and American Cream conditioner

Jumping Juniper was actually one of the first Lush products I ever tried, and although I’ve tried a few other shampoo bars, this is the one that does it for me! Combined with American Cream, its a total game-changer. I used to think my hair was ‘difficult’ because I had to wash it every day to keep it looking nice, but these two have my hair looking great for 2-3 days at a time, and I don’t get that greasy full-of-product feeling that regular branded shampoo and conditioner give me.

3. Rub Rub Rub shower scrub

This is everything! Its a scrub, but it also foams up and its got great moisturising qualities, it smells amazing and works wonders! As well as using it on my body, once every 1-2 weeks I’ll also use it in my hair as an alternative to conditioner – might sound crazy but I love it!

4 and 5. 9 to 5 cleanser and Breath of Fresh Air toner

Lush pros might see this combo as a little basic, but if it works, right? 9 to 5 is just super soothing and makes my skin feel totally clean, and the scent of Breath of Fresh Air at the end of the day just makes me feel ready for a good night of beauty sleep

6. The Comforter shower gel

I love The Comforter everything, but as I’m more of a shower person than a bath person, the shower gel means I can enjoy the amazing smell every day. Its pink, its pretty and it smells like all things yummy!

7. Brightside bubble bar

This is one of the prettiest bubble bars in my eyes, and as I’m a fan or fruity over floral, this is a bar I’ll reach for again and again. I’m also a bubble bar over bath bomb person!

8. Avobath

I don’t know how Lush do it, but they’ve made a bath bomb that simultaneously wakes me up and calms me down in Avobath. The avocado oil gets my skin feel super soft and moisturised and its just a great all-rounder.

What are your go-to Lush products?

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Getting Serious with Skincare

I am super lazy when it comes to skincare. Really, I’m the worst, but I’m trying to change that.

Skincare Routine

I’ve always justified my laziness with things like ‘I have pretty good skin naturally’ and ‘I don’t need to worry because I hardly ever wear makeup’, but recently I’ve come to realise that just because my skin is normally pretty good, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t still look after it, and as wearing makeup is becoming more of a daily occurrence, I’ve been trying to get into a better routine with skincare.

Morning

I got a Magnitone Barefaced last Christmas, and while I loved it and used it daily for the first few months, the laziness crept back and I kept forgetting about it. No more! I’m now back using it for two minutes every morning (although I need some new brush heads!), followed by my Nivea day cream – for some reason the gap between my eyebrows always gets really dry after washing!

Makeup

Although I use it on occasion, I try to avoid covering my whole face with foundation. I use Nars All Day Luminous, which is really light, but I can rarely be bothered with it and that’s probably a good thing for my skin! I normally stick to cheeks, eyes and lips, just enough to give me a happy little glow. When it comes to makeup removal, I stick to micellar water.

Daytime

As cliche as it seems, the only thing I do during the day to keep my skin healthy is making sure I drink plenty of water!

Evening

Each night, after I’ve taken off my makeup, I turn to my favourite Lush combo: 9 to 5 cleanser, and Breath of Fresh Air toner. It clears any makeup that I may have missed, and leaves me skin feeling fresh, clear, and ready for a good night of beauty sleep!

This whole routine probably adds no more than 15 minutes to my day, if that, so its hardly causing any bother and a little self-care never hurt anyone!

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A Mega Lush Haul

So as some of you may have figured by now, I didn’t get the job I applied for at Lush. To console myself, I placed a huge order of products, that’ll show them.. Combined with a few bits I got for my birthday, plus the bath bomb I got from my interview, I’ve accumulated quite a haul of products!

Lush Haul

The fabulous timing of this order was that it meant I could choose goodies from both the Halloween and Christmas exclusive ranges, and although I only opted for two Halloween items, I think the Autumn Leaf is quite possibly my favourite bath bomb ever – its so pretty and dreamy!

Lush Hello Gorgeous

Boyfriend sent me the Hello Gorgeous gift box as a birthday present; a pretty little box of some of my favourite goodies: The Comforter bubble bar (I love all The Comforter products), Sex Bomb (which I’ve yet to try), Love and Light hand cream, and my new favourite product, Rub Rub Rub. I’ve been using it almost every day, as both a body scrub and also occasionally as shampoo and I’ve almost run out already, oops!

Lush Christmas products

Diving into the Christmas collection, I ordered the Snow Fairy gift box as it contains all the Snow Fairy products that I’ve been desperately waiting for all year, and topped that off with a bottle of Fairy Dust dusting powder and this cutie penguin bubble bar!

Lush skincare and haircare

Finally, a few every day Lush products to top off my haul! I had the opportunity to try the 9 to 5 cleanser and Breath of Fresh Air toner at my trial shift and was wowed so needed to get my hands on them, and we were allowed to take home a bath bomb each from the interview, so I picked Avobath! I’m a huge lover of shampoo bars, and having used and loved Jumping Juniper before, I played it safe with that one, and topped off my haircare purchases with a bottle of American Cream conditioner. I’ve also been intrigued by toothy tabs for a little while, so took the plunge with a bottle of Sparkle, which I can’t wait to try out!

What are your favourite Lush products?

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TheBalm Nude Dude Palette Review

When it comes to makeup, I’ve gone from being very much a rookie to slightly less rookie-like fairly quickly in recent months. I’ve always liked makeup, but my old job didn’t really give me any reason to wear it (in fact, I’d probably be taken less seriously if I did wear it), but even when I did go to the effort of sprucing up my face a little, it would generally just be a bit of mascara, brows and face as, as a glasses wearer, eyeshadow has always felt a little pointless.

This palette can only really be described as a gamechanger for me.

It all came about when I chose a sample in my Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix; I received an adorable tiny version of the palette containing just the shade Flirty, and I fell in love. It was creamy and easy to apply, and even now I have the whole palette its still my favourite shade of the bunch, bright enough to stand out as a colour, rather than just a neutral shade, but also subtle enough to be used for an everyday look.

So I bought the whole palette..

TheBalm Nude Dude review

TheBalm Nude Dude review

The packaging is, of course, part of the fun of this palette. Its the sequel to Nude ‘Tude, which I’ve not tried but from looking at the shades I definitely prefer this one – its a fab combination of nudes with a few pops of colour, matte and shimmery shades, and I find myself reaching for this on an almost daily basis.

Depending on the brush you use, the shadows can go a little powdery; I find that the brush included in the palette causes quite a lot of flaking on the palette, but my soft Spectrum brushes don’t produce much mess at all. Pigmentation wise, let’s look at the swatches shall we?

Top to bottom: Fearless, Fabulous, Faithful, Flawless, Firm, Fit, Fiesty, Flirty, Funny, Friendly, Fine, Fierce

While I’ve read some reviews that slate the lighter shades of this palette, I was fairly impressed by them as I often find lighter colours barely show up on my skin. I’m not one for darker shades on my eyes (glasses problems), but they apply smoothly and are nicely pigmented.

I prefer the shimmery shades to the matte – Flawless and Fiesty are a little blah for me – but all the shades blend really easily and there are some fab combinations; Fabulous, Faithful and Flirty is my absolute favourite and possibly the best makeup look I’ve created in my lifetime.

I know I’m a little late to the party with this palette, as its been available for some time now, but I have absolutely no regrets and I might go as far as saying its the best beauty purchase I’ve made this year.

Have you tried this palette? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Great Ways to Try New Beauty Products

Testing Beauty Products

Sometimes I wish brands would stop releasing so many great products. I mean, I own 40 lipsticks (a fact I’ve recently discovered) but that doesn’t make me any less likely to treat myself to a new one every now and then.

See, the problem with beauty products is that, sure, you can test them in store, but in the end you have to take the plunge and buy the product, and then pray that you like it as much as that little swatch on your hand. But what if you don’t? You’ve then gotta go through the hassle of Depop-ing that ‘swatched only’ product and deal with a bunch of people offering you £5 inc p+p for something you dropped £25 on.

So what should you be doing instead?

Minis

Minis are most commonly found in perfume form, but did you know that brands like Benefit also do scaled down sizes of their best selling products? Boots do selections at 3 for £25 or 4 for £15 here, and not only do they make it easy for you to try out great products for a fraction of the price, but they’re also perfect travel sized products!

Magazine samples

I can’t be the only one who chooses magazines based on the free gift, right? Sure, its less of a big deal with grown-up magazines, but I still get a little excited when I see a free nail varnish or beauty sample, and even if there isn’t a free gift as such, they’re often still full of hidden gems like perfume samples!

Feel Unique Pick’n’Mix

This is my favourite discovery this year. The Pick’n’Mix scheme is simple and brilliant: choose 5 products out of a huge selection of what’s available, and pay just £3.95 to cover postage. This £3.95 is then returned to you in the form of a voucher to spend against a future purchase, should you fall in love with what you tried. Not only does it give you a free way of trying products, but there’s such a wide range of products, you might try something you’d never think about before. You can only do this once a month, but already I’ve tried NARS, Trilogy, NudebyNature, Benefit, theBalm and much more!

Have you tried any great products recently?

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