June Favourites

So maybe a little overdue but I got up to so much in June I wanted to write about it.  This has possibly been my favourite month so far in 2014 with the English weather warming up, weekdays do not just consist of 9 to 5, dinner and bed.  In the summer it is socially acceptable to meet up with friends and have a cheeky cider wherever we see fit.

4th June is my anniversary with my boyfriend, even though we had to work out how long we had actually been together, it seems like we have been together much longer than 3 years.  We went out for dinner to The Swan where we (me) drunk lovely cocktails and stuffed ourselves with duck and pork belly.

June was also a big month for concerts and music for me. Me and one of my gorgeous friends stood in awe and watched Justin Timberlake do his thing for 2 and a half hours and he was pure perfection.  If I told you I didn't fall in love I would be lying. He moved the front half of the stage to the back of the O2 so that even the people at the back could see his amazing dance moves. He also stood on the bar and did a shot of Tequila!  I also went to Capital's Summertime Ball where I saw everything from Jessie J Slut dropping to Miley Cyrus, being well Miley Cyrus. The photo shows Enrique running and jumping down the stairs.

Me and my boyfriend took a relaxing summer break to Lanzarote for a week. An island that neither of us had been to before so we explored the volcanoes and took a camel ride.  I'm sure the owner called him Jimmy.  We spent the week chilling by the pool, playing table tennis, eating and drinking cocktails.  Only in Spain do they serve tapas at midday with an alcoholic shot.  You may have seen my duty free purchases that I bought while I was away.

To round the month off my boyfriend turned 23, which like every year since I have known him he dragged out for a good week and a bit.  First we went for dinner at Byron Burger, Joe being the burger lover that he is wanted to celebrate his birthday with the Ronaldo burger.  The next day we went for dinner with his family to CAU, a restaurant I hadn't eaten in before and it most definitely did not disappoint. Being a lover of all things cow print I really appreciated the black and white colour theme. At the weekend we celebrated with our friends and it was nice seeing some of my boyfriend's oldest friends turn out.

Some of you may have noticed it is Sale time on the UK highstreet and I have been loving these floral tailored trousers that I snapped up from Topshop a few weeks ago.  I have had so many compliments and hopefully I will have an outfit post with them in shortly.  I haven't tried out too many new products this month, mainly the new purchases from holiday.  MAC face and body foundation is my new favourite summer foundation, it is light weight so perfect for when it is hot and also creates a nice base to apply cream products.  My new nail favourite is the Bourjois Instant Nail Dry Drops.  I have finally got on the Nuxe lip balm hype and I totally see why it is a cult favourite among the beauty world, though I can find it slightly sickly.  Lady Million perfume, what a bargain I got on this little beauty and I have worn it every day since I got back from Lanzarote. Garnier Intensive 7 day moisturiser is a definite must after being in the sun and wanting to put some moisture back into the skin.  Stopped me peeling after 2 days and is so light on the skin yet lasts ages.

Beauty Uses of Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is not an everyday essential for a lot of people, especially not in their beauty routines. I have been using coconut oil for a while now for all different things and I wanted to share my top tips.  It is becoming more readily available in the UK with Superdrug launching their own version but mine is from Amazon. Let me know if you have any other beauty tips for coconut oil.

Makeup Revolution Haul

Makeup Revolution is a new brand that bloggers have been loving so as always I wanted to get involved and find out for myself what all the hype was about.  I placed an order online so thought I would show you want I bought and my reactions as I unboxed everything. 

I hope you like the video and let me know what your favourite products are form Makeup Revolution.

The Sunday Pamper - Emjoi Micro Pedi Rapid Hard Skin Remover

I know feet can be quite an awkward subject to talk about as they aren't the most glamorous body part. Every year I take the time to prep my feet and get them ready for the upcoming summer.  Ain't nobody got time for crusty heels on holiday. The Micro Pedi Rapid Hard Skin Remover is a battery operated gadget that removes hard and dead skin from the soles of your feet.  It contains a rough roller that spins round to file the areas that need attention. As you can see the rollers can be removed for cleaning the device and in order to replace the rollers once the roughness has gone.  There are three strengths of rollers that are available depending on how much TLC your feet needs Coarse, Extra Coarse and Super Coarse, The device comes with the Extra Coarse Roller.  

I use the Micro Pedi a couple of times a week maximum, be sure not to over buff the skin.  Usually I will give my feet a pamper before bed on a Sunday removing any nasty skin with the Micro Pedi then apply a thick moisturising cream or oil, pop on a pair of socks and go to sleep.  In the morning I wake up with soft, smooth skin.  Even though I saw results after the first use, this is not a miracle worker so I didn't expect to get perfect feet overnight. 

I have used various foot products to get them looking as normal as possible and this little device has by far been the best thing for them.  Though there is only one setting, the different strengths of rollers makes this product good for all types of feet. If you struggle with getting soft half-normal looking feet I would recommend the Emjoi Micro-Pedi, especially as there are always deals floating about on the Boots website.

L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim

I love the perfect cat eye flick.  How it comes easy to some people I will never know.  Having hooded eyes I have accepted the fact it will never look glamorous on me.  However, the L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim Liquid Eyeliner has got me that one step closer. By having a precis felt tip, I can apply eyeliner much easier than other liquid, gel and pencil eyeliners before.  This is definitely an intense black, which at first used to easily transfer to the hood of my eye. I now wait a few moments to make sure it is completely dry before carrying on with the rest of my makeup. Once it has dried I find this liner will last all day, even on my oily eyelids. The rubber handle also allows for grip and extra precision.  

This has put my confidence back into eyeliners and that one day with some practice I will perfect liner application.

The Reverse Hair Wash Technique

I heard about this new inventive way of washing my hair, even the basics need shaking up every now and again. The concept was easy, you wet the hair and apply the condition first, then rinse out and apply the shampoo. This is suppose to combat that horrible, and heavy residue that some conditions leave on the hair after using. I was sceptical about this as I personally use condition to leave my hair feeling soft and shiny, which I don't find many shampoos can achieve.

So I had been using this technique for a good fee weeks and honestly is probably one of the worst ideas I have ever made concerning my hair. It instantly felt dry and dehydrated. It started to become more like wire than soft sleek hair. And the main thing for me was how much more difficult it was to brush my hair. Having a lot of thick hair it's a chore to brush my hair anyway but after mucking about with order of shampoo and conditioner it was the worst it has ever been. I have to admit it may have felt slightly lighter and therefore slightly bouncer but not enough for all the cons it brought with it.

The icing on the cake for me was when I actually forgot to do this as I was staying at a friends house and was rushing to get ready. I reverted back to the original (and best) way of washing my hair. I got out the shower, towel dried my hair quickly and left the majority if it to air dry for my natural curls to form. A got two compliments from friends saying that my hair looked nice, and I hadn't even put any product in it. I am now convinced that by conditioning last my hair will look healthier and generally nicer than by using the reverse technique.

The Sunday Pamper - Purse Friendly Mud Masks

As summer is approaching fast I have been trying to get my skin and body looking its best and so have been having a mini pamper evening every Sunday. After all it is a day of rest. I thought this would be a handy little series for us to share what products we have been using and any hints and tricks to get us in the summer spirit. 

I'm going to kick start it off by talking about The Superdrug Mud Therapy Face Masks that I briefly mentioned in my March favourites, they have been slightly repackaged and slightly renamed as the Dead Sea Mud Mask and Strawberry Mud Mask, but both are still the same product inside. I find both draw out any impurities in the skin and leave it feeling so soft and fresh. The exfoliating one does have the added benefit of removing and dead skin cells from the face meaning my foundation blends better and has been lasting just that little but longer during the day.

I have been popping the Deep Cleansing mask on for when I'm chilling watching some YouTube video and really let it sink in and go to work on all those nasties building up in my pores, but have been using the exfoliating mask for when I am having a long soak In the bath as this is a really good two in one product. For £2.59 or 2 for £3.50, these are such a bargain and for those of you that just want to keep skincare simple and fuss free I think these are perfect. 

What mud masks do you use for a pamper evening?

Huge US Real Techniques Haul

Before my spending ban came into play I made a cheeky little order to My Pretty Face Place an American website selling Real Techniques products. I found the site on Cosmetic Crave's blog where I also found a discount code, which by the looks of it she has quite regularly. I had been after the Blush Brush from Real Techniques so after when I saw there was an extra 15% off using using the code, I could not resist. 

All products that I received are genuine and are cheap due to the pricing in the US being cheaper than here in the UK. You lucky devils America. I picked all this up for under £60 including delivery. That is such a bargain when each of the sets are £20 each.

L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick by Color Riche - Rose Symphony

When Boots were doing their 3 for 2 offer, I found this the perfect opportunity to try out those extra bits and bobs that you don't need but I want anyway. I was after a couple of products for a night out back in February and decided to dip into the new L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick range from L'Oreal. At this point I hadn't heard anything about this collection, recent posts have made up for it. 

I picked up 203 Rose Symphony which is a beautiful fushia shade. I did pick up the orange shade first but decided I have far too many orange shades of lipsticks. I wore this the night I bought it and it didn't disappoint. With an opaque glossy finish I have rediscovered my hidden love for the glossy lip. L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks create a nice stain on the lips so even as the colour does fade, it is undetectable to others. I did find I had to top this up every couple of hours or so which during the day is not ideal but the I am still a big fan of the formula. A massive move on from the Glam Shine Stain Splash things that had no colour payoff at all.

I love L'Oreal packaging and find this to be similar to YSL lip stains packaging, in terms of the square shape and the strip of shade colour down the side of the bullet. The shade number and name is printed on the top with the shade also shown on the bottom so these are easily recognisable in anyone's collection. Applied with a doe foot applicator which I find to be pretty precis even in those awkward places around the lips.

At £8.99 I think that is a fair price and with 9 shades in the range I'm sure there will be one to suit everyone. For an opaque finish in one swipe and a moisturising feel on the lips these are one of my favourite lip lacquers from the drugstore.

SS14 Trend: Is Orange the New Red?

I always bang on about how I love orange clothes and makeup so I thought I would do a round up all my favourite orange products. Orange lips featured heavily on the catwalk and is a big trend for summer this year. Yay for more shades if orange being introduced!
My orange obsession started from my love of peach blush as I thought it was more flattering in me than pink shades, as I got more confident with my makeup it has transformed into orange cheeks and lips. Not together I want to point out. I think anyone can pull off a bright pop of colour with very little effort, I think for some people it's having the confidence to come out of their comfort area which I hope this trend will help inspire a lot if people to do.

Fashionista Blush - London

Sleek Blush by Three (Lace) - Chantilly

Nars Blush - Gilda

MUA Blush - Lolly

Mememe Blush - Coral

MAC Lipstick - Vegas Volt

YSL Lipstick - 14

Revlon Lip Crayon - Rendezvous

Revlon Lipgloss - Coral Reef

Rimmel Lipstick - In Love with Ginger

L'Oreal Lipstick - Dating Coral

I also love my Sephora Blush in Orange Pop which I seem to have misplaced for the moment but can see photos in the review I did recently here.

What's your favourite orange makeup product?

March Favourites

Another month has come and gone, I don't like how fast time is going recently.  I have been loving a whole host of new products in March including makeup, skincare and hair products.  So if you are interested in what I have been using on a regular basis then please check out the video below and remember to leave a comment.

What have you been loving recently?

The Body Shop White Musk Smoky Rose Collection

I stumbled upon this collection but accident really. I used to be an avid white musk wearer back in my younger years and the sweet musky scent always remind me of a school trip to France in particular. So I was browsing around the body mists, as I have heard a whole hog of bloggers include The Body Shop scents in their favourites recently, when I was taken in by the rose scented version. Normally I am not a fan of rose but the musky undertones really gives this scent a grown up feel. So before I knew it I had bought the body spray in the sale and of I popped. A week or so later I was in The Body Shop again looking for the Honey Bronzer, when I saw there was a Christmas set of the perfume and body wash reduced in the sale. 

Needless to say I have the collection and to be honest I probably don't need the body spray and perfume but the glass packaging looks and feels so much more expensive. At 30ml the perfume is perfect to throw in your bag and go.  I also love the look of the glass body mist on my desk at work. I find that the body mist is just that, it sprays the rights amount in a lovely mist so it is never too over powering.The body wash I have only used once but the thick texture allows it to lather quickly and I was happy.

I have just noticed that there is also the lotion to go with this set but as I am trying not to buy any more body lotions I will have to save that for another day.  Have you tried the White Musk Smoky Rose Collection from The Body Shop? 

Sephora Blush Orange Pop

For Valentines day my lovely boyfriend treated me to a romantic weekend in Paris. I did a post here showing some of my favourite pictures including when I met mickey mouse at Disneyland. If you have already seen that you may have notice the mini haul photo I threw I'm there for good measure. Yes what beauty obsess can go to Paris and not visit the Sephora flagship store on Champs Elysees? It would have been a crime not to. I was on my best behavior (and the Nars palette that wanted was sold out) so I only bought one thing this beautiful Sephora own brand blush in Orange Pop.

This is the second in my collection as I loved Rose Glow so much and wear it all the time.  

Orange Pop is a matte bright pop of colour shade that will be amazing with a tan (sadly for me that is not the case right now) its one of those shade that you can pop on with a big fluffy brush and be good to go as it will add an instant vibrancy to your complexion without making you look like a clown.

This these are a bit pricey at just under £10 but I think they are worth it for the pigmentation and longevity. A little definitely goes a long way so they will last you a very long time and there are a variety of shades and finishes.

Now Sephora is shipping to the UK so the Sephora Blushes are now available online.

100 Day Spending Ban

On 31st January 2013 I challenged myself to go 100 days without spending unnecessary money.  If I remember correctly it was really hard, but I didn't do too badly, the odd Primark haul and Boots 3 for 2 were my weaknesses. Today I am challenging myself the same thing, 100 days with the following rules:

1. No makeup, haircare, skincare, or bath products

2. No clothes, shoes, jewellry, bags or accessories

3. No home or storage items 

4. No impulse buying of anything

5. Presents may be bought for others

6. Can go out for drinks and dinner with friends and family

7. Must save at least £1000 during the course of this challenge

8. If I do wish to buy something I must write it on a list and give 5 points as to why I need it in my life

This all may seem a little extreme but I do waste a lot of money and I want to put the money that I save towards a car or summer holiday.  

Weight Loss Wednesday #bloggerswlw

I have completely fallen off the diet and fitness wagon.  So I thought I would share some quotes I found to help inspire myself and any of you that need a bit of a pick me up.

I really liked this one when I saw it as this can be for anything in anyone's life.  Whether the changes you make are to do with health, giving up a habit or even just trying to be a better person, not many things happen overnight.  I've always thought it's about the small things in life, the things that most of the time we overlook and take for granted.  Whatever goals or achievements you are aiming for, you should not ignore the small things as they really do make all the difference.

This one is focused more towards those of you like me that would prefer an extra half an hour in bed in the mornings rather than going for a run or just generally too busy for gyms.  Hopefully, there is at least one point that will help motivate us to bust a move from now on.

Rimmel Moisture Renew - Relaunch

 

You might have seen the newly repackaged slightly reformulated moisture renew lipsticks from Rimmel spoken about recently. With a smoother longer lasting finish these have shot to the top of my drugstore lipstick favourites. I have a few shades of the old range but I really didn't get on with them at all.  I picked up two of the newer shades Glam Plum Fulham and In Love With Ginger which are supposedly dupes for the much loved Mac Rebel and Morange. Personally I haven't tried the Mac ones as they aren't anything that appeals too me as there are so many good drugstore dupes. The other shade I picked up is Nude Delight which was always a bit of a cult favourite but as I found the old formula a bit drying and dull, the shade always looked horrible on me.  Not anymore though, I love all three shades.

I find these glide smoothly over the lips and make them look hydrated and not at all dull.  For a moisturising lipstick I think these last really well especially the deeper shades and they fade nice and evenly too.

If you are more if a matte kinda gal I will have a post up soon on another high street favourite which is a matte version of one of these shades so watch out for that. These are available from Boots which at the moment have 3 for 2 so I will definitely be browsing the Rimmel stands for more shades.

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer

So let's make a bold statement... I think I've found a better drugstore concealer than the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. Yes, I just did that.

Seventeen have released some right crackers recently so I thought I would share my views on the Phwoarr Paint concealer. I am not a fan of the name to be honest but I can deal with that. As the word paint suggests this is a heavy duty concealer, Seventeen have aimed this at combating those pesky undereye bags but I actually use this for covering blemishes and creating my perfect base. 

I have been meaning to talk about this in a post since I stumbled upon it all the way back in September.  I love the creamy texture and how it blends beautifully into the skin.  I find that it covers anything I need it to quickly but it can be built up for those extra annoying spots.  I find this concealer to last well as part of the perfect base, though I do set it with powder.  With a compact little mirror I think this is the perfect concealer to pop in your handbag and know you are good to go.

As I mentioned before, I would not recommend using this under the eyes, as I think the consistency is slightly too thick which can be drying and not last as long.  I find with any thick concealers they tend to crease in the fine lines under my eyes, but I generally think this is so much better to be used on blemishes rather than to hide bags under the eyes.  My main issue I have with this concealer is the colour range, or may I say the lack of.  As far as I am aware there are only two shades, Fair which is the one I have and medium which is slightly darker. 

For £5.49 I think this is right little steal and with Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer being discontinued I think Seventeen have eased the pain some what.  Boots is currently doing 3 for 2 on Beauty, Hair and Skincare so I would hurry down there.

Valentine's Weekend in Paris

Over the past week I have been suffering from major holiday blues.  For Valentine's day my boyfriend took me for a long weekend to Disneyland Paris.  It was amazing, we spend three days at Disneyland and the Studios where we went on the rides and met lots of different characters.  I some how convinced my boyfriend to queue for an hour to meet Mickey Mouse and half way through he asked me what ride we were waiting for.  He was baffled that it was just for a photo, but it made my day having a dance and I kissed Mickey on the nose.  (Don't tell Minnie)  We watched the parade and the floats are amazing with characters from all the films out dancing and singing along.  

On Valentines day we took the train into Paris and even though it was raining and miserable it didn't ruin our day.  We first went to Notre Dame, still in the Disney theme clearly. Then engraved our padlock and locked it onto the lovelock bridge. We walked around paris all day seeing all the different sights and it just so happened that we strolled into the Sephora on the Champs Elysee.  I do have to apologies that I got so excited the only photo I managed to take was of the ginormous bottles of perfume they had displayed.  Being Valentines day we couldn't not go up the Eiffel Tower, two and a half hours later in the queue and we made it up there.  Paris is such a gorgeous place and I personally love cities at night so I absolutely loved it.

It only took us a few hours on the Eurostar to get to the Disney Station so I think Paris is brilliant place to spend a well needed weekend away with friends or loved ones.