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Sunday 30 June 2013

Review: Nivea In-shower Body Moisturiser

I heard about the Nivea In-shower Body Moisturiser and thought that it was a fabulous idea! Im terrible at using body lotions or body butters because I hate how sticky and awkward skin feels afterwards - and plus, it's just another chore to add to my already long enough, daily routine. So being able to still moisturise the body, but in the shower seemed like the perfect solution as it's fast, simple and so much less annoying.
 
 
 
I was definitely not disappointed with this product! After using my usual shower products, I applied the silky moisurising cream to my arms and legs and let the water assist in absorbing the product into the skin. It is so simple to use , especially if you're always on the go. It's an amazing alternitive to body lotions as skin feels soft to the touch, but definitely not sticky or awkward. There is no doubt that I will be repurchasing.
 
I purchased the 'normal skin' version of this, but there are also 'dry skin' variations. The 250ml version retails at around £2.50-£3 whereas the 400ml version retails at around £4-£4.50. What a bargain for such an essential!


Friday 28 June 2013

How to look Instagramed - in real life!

Everyone always looks a million times better on Instagram and I've always wanted to look 'Instagramed' in real life, and you'd be surprised at how easy it actually is - so let me share the secret with you!
 
{PSSST! IT'S A SECRET}
1. It seems so obvious but using a good quality concealer - not just underneath your eyes but also on the inner corners of your eyes, will brighten up your whole face and give you an overall smoother and brighter complexion. I dab a few dots underneath my eyes as well as onto the inner corners, which I then blend with a concealer brush. I deliberately use a shade lighter than required.

2. I use a 2in1 Foundation & Primer by applying a small amount of this firstly to my cheeks, which should be blended outwards in slow, circular motions and then to my nose, chin and forehead. Again, applying in the same way and blending towards my ears using a flat foundation brush - which results in a flawless finish.
 
If you don't use a 2in1 Foundation & Primer, it's a great idea to mix the seperate primer and foundation together on your hand before applying, to create your own 2in1 product.
3. I then slowly brush my favourite bronzer upwards in a straight line from the corners of my mouth to the edge of my cheek bone using a blusher brush, which defined my cheek bones beautifully, whilst also adding shadow to my face making it seem much more natural and defined. I then applied a pink blusher (the brighter - the better) to the apples of my cheeks using a different blusher brush to before. I blended it slightly into the bronzer where possible.
4. I swept a white eyeshadow across my brow bone using an eyeshadow brush, to act as a highlighter. I keep going on about how much bright eyes contribute to this look - but they really do the trick when wanting to look 'Instagramed!'
5. Finally, I applied a very thin line of black eyeliner along the top of my eye, as close to the eyelashes as possible, followed by a couple of coats of my favourite mascara to define the eyes, but it still looks pretty natural.
 
 
THE FINISHED LOOK :)

Please note: None of the above images have been edited or filtered.


Thursday 27 June 2013

UPDATED: Summer Holiday Clothes Haul

Good morning girlies! :) So today I am going to show you an updated version of my summer holiday buys, which I'm super excited to share with you. I've been doing lots of shopping as usual. Would you believe that Im only going away for one week?
 
 
Brown sandals - New Look
Navy chino shorts - Next
Stripe vest - Peacocks
Orange dipped hem dress - New Look
Bag - New Look
Khaki floral patchwork jacket - New Look
Anchor bikini set - Peacocks
Red dress - Topshop
Floral dress - [A local boutique]


Wednesday 26 June 2013

Follow me via Bloglovin' - (GFC is going!)

Good evening girlies! :) I've just been reading some of your latest blog posts and it has been brought to my attention that Google Friend Connect will be discontinued next Monday. I knew it was happening but didn't really know that it was so soon! Personally, I think it's a shame as GFC is a fabulous way to connect with the blogs I love.
 
SO FOLLOW ME VIA BLOGLOVIN' if you aren't already :') I'd hate to lose you all! And drop me a comment so I know to follow you back, if I'm not already - though I do try my best.
 
 
Thank you in advance! Much love xx

Friday 21 June 2013

NOTD: Maybelline Colour Show & Technic

 
Maybelline Colour Show - 'Electric Yellow'
Technic - 'Carnival'
 
So today is officially the first day of summer and what better way to celebrate than to have (what i call) SUNSHINE NAILS! I've seen lots of girlies sporting the yellow nails look recently and I have been dying to try this out too so I purchased the Maybelline Colour Show nail polish in Electric Yellow.
 
I painted three coats of Electric Yellow on to my nails. With lighter nail polishes, it's best to always apply three coats so you can get the full benefit of the shade, without it looking faint or weak. On both of my ring fingers, I used Technic's 'Carnival' shade which is fun and glittery, but I chose to still keep it subtle by only applying it to one nail on each hand.

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Review: Elegant Touch 'Rapid Dry For Nails'

This was an unexpected purchase which I stumbled across in a supermarket. No more waiting around for nails to dry... and if you're like me, you'll get impatient and smudge them in the process. I'm so happy I've found this!
 

I was super excited when I first found this because I always have my nails painted but I hate how long I have to sit around and wait for them to dry. It seemed like the answer to all of our problems! I'll be honest, I had my doubts; I thought that maybe it wouldn't work as fast as it's promised - but thankfully, I've been proved very wrong.
 
To use, paint your nails as normal and then spray the product over the nails from a distance of around 15cm. It is relatively scentless but I prefer to do this outside.
 
It really works! The packaging lives up to its promise that nails will be dry in 60 seconds, which is fantastic. Also, nails feel smooth, glossy and shiny afterwards - it doesn't leave behind any nasty surprises. It's fabulous to be able to quickly paint your nails in the morning and spray this on, so you can still get on with your day. Elegant Touch is a brand which I have never heard of but I would now be very keen to try out more of their products. This costs just £3.99 - which is a bargain considering what it does! And you'd get so many uses out of this. I would seriously recommend this to everyone.


Friday 14 June 2013

Products I use everyday

This is something that I have been intending to do for a long time because it sums up all of the products that I love, and perhaps don't give enough credit to. Also, I didn't realise how many things I actually view as 'essentials' before posting this... wow!
 
 
 
MAKE-UP:
Soap & Glory - Great Kisser Lip Balm in 'Juicy Peach'
Collection - Fast Stroke Eyeliner
Colletion - Lasting Perfection Concealer in 'Fair'
Soap & Glory - Show Good Face 2in1 Foundation & Primer in 'A Good Light'
Jelly Pong Pong - Fairy Lashes Mascara
Soap & Glory - Thick & Fast High Definition Mascara
Soap & Glory - Solar Powder Bronzer
 
Eco Tools - Foundation Brush
Forever 21 - Eyebrow Brush
Seventeen - Powder Brush
 
 
FACE & BODY:
Nivea - Facial Cleansing Wipes
Boots Natural Collection - 'Passionfruit' Body Lotion
Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant
Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream
Soap & Glory - Hand Food
Monu - Gentle Cleanser
Soap & Glory - 'Catch A Wrinkle In Time' Moisturiser & Anti-wrinkle Cream
 
 
HAIR:
TRESemmé - Heat Defence Spray
Silvikrin - Maximum Hold Hairspray
TRESemmmé - 24 Hour Body Blow Dry Lotion
Richard Ward - Hair Couture Volumising Spray
 
 
FRAGRANCE:
Marc Jacobs - Dot 100ml
Boots Natural Collection - Passionfruit Body Spray
Q - Body Spray

 
SHOWERING:
Alberto Balsam - 'Juicy Green Apple' Shampoo
Alberto Balsam - 'Mandarin & Papaya' Conditioner
Original Source - Lemon & Tea Tree Shower
Soap & Glory - Face Soap Clarity
 


Wednesday 12 June 2013

OOTD: Collars & hearts

 
Shirt - Topshop
Jeans - New Look
Dolly shoes - Asos
Bag - Asos
Gold chunky bracelet - Republic
Silver charm bracelet - Pandora
Nail polish - Peacocks
 
 
 
 
 
 
I bought this lovely, button-up collared shirt from Topshop just yesterday. Im going through a huge collar phase at the moment and the heart design on it is so cute! I believe that you could dress it up for a night out or wear it casually like I am here. I've combined it with my favourite pair of navy skinny jeans, which are from New Look. I'm tall and it's difficult to to find a pair of skinny jeans that are the right length and I really like how New Look stock their jeans in 4 different lengths and arrange them in this way in their stores. However, I have noticed that they don't stock the longer length in many styles.
 
I'm wearing a pair of black dolly shoes with a silver heart and stud design on the front; they go with pretty much anything and are super comfy. As for jewelry, I have my Pandora bracelet, which I always wear and a gold chunky bracelet which matches the gold on the handle and buckle of my black bag, which is from Asos. The nail polish I am wearing is from Peacocks and it's very rare that I will buy make-up from high street stores but it was one of those 'in the queue and there's loads of things to tempt you' moments - yeah, we've all had them! It's a shimmery blue shade with a hint of glitter and I'm actually really impressed with its quality.


Sunday 9 June 2013

Glossybox UK June: Opening & Review

Hey there, well I was a little bit annoyed to be woken up by the Glossybox deliver man banging repeatedly on the door at 7am on a Saturday morning! (How rude) But yep, it was worth the wake up call and I have even tried all the products out so that I can also give you a quick review too. Who ever thought that it would actually be sunny and hot in Britain for more than a day? Which brings me on to the theme for this months box which is summer looks.

 
When I first opened the box, I thought I had received six items but there are actually two bottles of one of the items, which both have slightly different functions. It was a good box this month, not absolutely amazing - but it was ok.
 
 
Q - Body spray
 
I am a sucker for a great smelling body spray! This body spray is my favourite item from this month's box as it smells girly and floral yet sophisticated. We received the full sized version of this product, which is 100ml and it retails at just £2.29 - which is definitely a bargain for such a fantastic quality summer essential. It's small enough to fit into your bag and the scent sticks around for a long time, which is great for those hot summer days.
 
 
Paul Mitchell Curls - Full Circle Leave-In Treatment & Ultimate Wave
 
We have basically recieved a '2 for 1' product; 2 items from the same brand but different products, which is great to compare and decide which one you like the best. Loose summer curls are definitely in this season so it's lovely to be able to keep up with current trends in this months box. I have only tried the Ultimate Wave cream, but am really keen to try the Leave-In Treatment too. The Ultimate Wave Cream has a really nice scent and assisted in defining curls - however it didn't last for as long as i'd hoped.
 
 
Monu - Hydrating Moisturiser SPF 15
 
I was pretty excited when I saw this as I've always has good experience with Monu as a brand; their products are always excellent quality and they take extra care to look after your skin - I don't understand why they still aren't that well heard of. Anyway, I have tried this moisturiser and it lived up to my expectations. Its soft and creamy consistency sank into my skin, leaving it hydrated and glowing. It's very pricey though at £29.95 for the full sized product, however Glossybox subscribers do receieve 10% off their next Monu purchase with the discount code.
 
 
Nuxe - Huile Prodigieuse Or
 
I know, I know... its name doesn't really give you any clues of what it is! I genuinely believed that this was a nail polish at first due to the bottle size and shape. This is a multi-purpose spray (though the spray on mine has become stuck in the lid) which can be used to moisturise the face, illuminate selected areas of the body or even as a strenghtening hair mask. 3 products in 1 = very convenient! I have used it as a facial moisturiser today and to be honest, my face feels too oily so I'm not sure whether I'll be using it again.
 
 
Figs & Rouge - Coco Rose
 
Subscribers will have either recieved the Coco Rose or Cherry Blossom flavour lip balm. It smells and tastes amazing. I am a huge lip balm snob though (but what can you expect when I'm addicted to Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Lip Protectant as a daily lip balm?) and though it does hydrate the lips really well, I've found it to be very gloopy and messy - so nope, I've not been converted. But hey, it's another full-sized product.
 
 
I always love to hear what everybody else has receieved - let me know!


Tuesday 4 June 2013

Rimmel Kate 'Lasting Finish' Lipstick (01) REVIEW

Hey girlies! Today I am going to review my favourite lipstick of the moment, which is so fabulous that it has also made it into my May favourites.
 


Rimmel has brought out a new make-up collection 'by Kate' which is created by Kate Moss and features matte lipstick, nail polishes and lasting finish lipstick. I purchased the lasting finish lipstick in shade 01; I believe that the shades don't have names, just numbers which is unusual. There are 7 shades in the lasting finish lipstick range - so take your pick, there's bound to be one that suits you. The shade is a bold, dark red - such a classic look and if you have seen the advert on TV, it is the exact same lipstick that Kate is wearing!
 
 
This lipstick caught my eye immediately and I'm lucky enough to be able to pull off red lipsticks due to my skin tone and brown hair. It is super easy to apply and definitely lives up to its name - 'lasting finish' and promises to last for up to 8 hours, and I definitely agree that it does this. Its conistency is even and delivers a bold statement red. Even when wearing this on a night out, it didn't smudge or fade and I didn't even see an imprint of the product on glasses - which sounds weird but I've always found that with lipsticks, you often have to reapply if you've been drinking or eating. This product is a bargain costing just £5.49 from Boots, but it really does feel like you're wearing a high-end product. Fantastic quality and I am considering buying other products from the collection!
 


Sunday 2 June 2013

May Favourites [features lots of S&G]

Hello lovelies! The weather is beautiful here in sunny Britain - it feels as though we are going to have a proper summer for once, which seems to be such a rare occurence. I have been super busy lately but things should be slowing down a little now so I will hopefully be able to post more often. Again, I apologise for being distant - I've been working a lot recently but I am pretty much back to normal now so am hoping to get back on track with my blogging.
 
ANYWAY there are several products that I have been loving this month and I am super excited to share them with you as I believe that a few of them haven't received as much recognition as they deserve.

 
Headline Colours - 'Poolside Party' Nail Polish
 
I received this nail polish in the May Glossybox and I absolutely love this! It is such an amazing quality and doesn't chip straight away and delivers a gorgeous, bright blue colour from just one coat. I received a number of compliments while wearing this and even though I don't often go for light-coloured nails, I believed that this was too stunning to not wear. Headline Colours are a fairly new brand but I could definitely see them going really far.
 
 
Soap & Glory - 'Hand Food' Hand Cream
 
So you'll notice that I have particularly been loving Soap & Glory products this month - I went a little crazy at Boots, as always. I'm usually really bad when it comes to using hand cream as most of them leave your hands feeling awkward and greasy. However, 'hand food' sinks into your hands really nicely and leaves them feeling soft and smelling beautiful. Id heard so many wonderful things about this product so I finally decided to try it out and yep, I agree with everyone else.
 
 
Soap & Glory - 'Solar Powder' Bronzer
 
I've always been a little scared of bronzers to be honest but I have finally found one which has become a massive essential to me. Solar Powder is light and easy to use and adds a bit of colour to your face, without looking orange. I apply this by brushing a small amount across my cheeks using a powder brush - and a little really does go a long way!
 
 
Soap & Glory - 'Face Soap Clarity' Face Wash
 
I know, I know... I have a serious S&G addiction! I was on the look out for a gentle, exfoliating daily face wash and I found exactly that with Face Soap Clarity. It's super easy to use: you squeeze a small amount on to your fingers, rub it in to create a foamy substance and rub in to your face for a squeeky clean and clear complexion. I've had so many problems with products like this making me break out in spots but I've not had a single blemish at all since using this - which is exactly how it should be. I now use this religiously every day - perfection in a bottle, wow!
 
 
Jelly Pong Pong - 'Fairy Lashes' Mascara
 
This is the second Glossybox product which has made it into my May Favourites; it was an amazing box this month! Jelly Pong Pong is such a little-heard-of brand but Fairy Lashes has got to now be my favourite mascara. Just a few strokes and my lashes are longer, thicker and remain this way all day. In fact, it's ridiculously hard to take off at night! This mascara is waterproof which is a bonus for the summer months and I will definitely be taking this on holiday with me as I know I won't have to worry about it leaking everywhere.
 
 
Rimmel - Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in shade 01
 
I couldn't work out the full name of this shade but it is shade '01.' I was desperate for a simple, bold red lipstick and spotted this shade in Rimmel's new 'Kate' collection. The shade is a classic dark red and looks lovely with a simple smokey eyed look. I recently wore this on a night out and it behaved all night; it didn't smudge or fade and lasted for hours, which is fantastic considering it costs just £5.49 from Boots. I will probably buy more products from this range.
 
Are there any more great products that I need to know about?