August in Photos...Failed.

Each month I accumulate some half decent photos from the past months to create a small "photo diary" if you will. This month there has literally only been two photos taken of me that were none blog/make-up related. So here they are....guarentee there will be some better ones next month cos its my BIRTHDAY. Yes Im excited.

Me and Tabitha on Bank Holiday Sunday...shes a beaut. 

Me and Louis a little worse for wear after too much vodka, hence my face. Wish he didnt make me look SO pale, hes just been on holiday and thats my excuse.

Well that was rather a short post with nothing in it but I couldnt let myself miss a month out!

Better posts to come I promise!

xoxo

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray

If you watch any of my youtube videos, you will be sick to death of hearing me go on and on about this product. But for me, its the perfect summer hair product, so I thought I should give it its own proper review.

The Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray is basically a salty sea-water spray that gives that "just walked off the beach" hair. Beachy tousled hair is my absolute favourite, and I think its the style that suits my own nautal blonde hair the best. This spray allowed beachy locks without the beach, which lets face it, we cant all access every day unfortunately!

I believe you can use this spray on damp freshly- washed hair, which Ive never tried but Im sure it would give great results. Personally I spritz it all over as my last step when I style my hair. Its especially great when Ive used my Babyliss Curling Wand as it breaks up the curls and makes it look more natural.

It was an amazing product to take on holiday, and I wore my hair like in the picture below most nights. With most hair products I usually find it tricky to use just the right amount, I usually go overboard and ruin my hair. With this you can use a lot without it weighing your hair down, which is good if you get a little heavy-handed like I do!

I love the matte textre and look it gives to the hair, some say it dries their hair out but I dont think it does. I wish this look was appropriate all year round...somehow I cant see it going well with my sparkly Christmas dresses!

The only dwnside is the price is £20.50 for 125ml. It sounds pretty steep but this bottle will last me for years to come and £20 over a few years is practically pennies. Its totally worth it and Id repurchase again and again.

What do you think of the Surf Spray?

Origins Out of Trouble Mask

In the past the only facemasks I've really ever purchased came in sachets for £1 in Superdrug, and usually peeled off like a kind of second green skin after 15 minutes.

I thought they were fun, but didn't really do a lot.

Origins Out of Trouble face mask has changed my mind completely about face masks as a whole.

This most definitely does something.

I bought it in a moment of desperation when my skin was really acting up. The lady at the counter convinced me this would sort my spotty skin right out, and she was right.

The mask is applied on problem areas, or the whole face if you wish, for 10 minutes then washed away. I personally just use a small amount on spotty oily areas as I dont want to waste it where its not needed. 

Its a rather thick consistency as you can see below, and that small amount is usually about how much I use at  a time. I think this makes the 100ml tube costing £20.00 well worth it, considering I used to pay £1 per one-use sachet which did nothing for my skin. Ive used this about once a week for three months now and Im nowhere near finished!

As far as the experience and results this mask gives, Im very impressed. It feels luxuriously thick to apply, and once on my face Ive found it to tingle slightly for a few minutes. Nothing uncomfortable, but it certainly feels like its working. Once its washed away and my skin has dried theres instantly a noticeable difference.

My skin feels squeaky clean, and noticeably less oily. Spots seem to calm a little, and I think it really makes a difference to how angry and long lasting my blemishes are. I find that it doesnt dry my skin out at all, even when I do use it on my whole face. However my skin is fairly oily so this could differ with drier skin types.

Overall I would highly recommend this mask to anyone that wants to tone down the oiliness of their complexion, clear blocked pores, and keep spots at bay.

I cant wait to try the other Origins masks, Ive heard theyre all just as amazing

xoxo 

Top Picks from Feel Unique's Sale!

After browsing through the amazing sale Feel Unique currently have running I thought I'd show you some of my favourite bargains I came across. Ive divided it into two lists. One being products I would recommend, which are ones I already own and think the sale prices are an amazing deal! The other being my own lust list of quite a few things I already had my eye on, and the sale prices make them even more tempting!

So firstly, products I would recommend...

 Xen Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe. Was £29.70, now £26.73
This is my absolute favourite false tan, worth every penny!
Bare Minerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment. Was £45.00, now £33.75
This is so pricey, but when I use it my skin is always looks amazing the next morning.
Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme. Was £17.00 now £13.60
Such a bargain for my go-to highlighter!
Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning for Face. Was £17.50 now £14.88
I use this most days and a little goes a long way, I think its a great price anyway so the £3 off is a bonus.
Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector. Was £16.00 now £13.60
I am obsessed with the apricot colour, this sale is tempting me to purchase the pretty rose version.
Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum. Was £29.00 now £23.49
Im still using my Glossybox sample sparingly, as I love it and dont want it to end! This will be a must have when Im done. Its amazing.
Jemma Kidd Blushwear Creme Cheek Colour. Was £13.00, now £10.40
I use my blush in Paw Paw most days, so almost £3 off is a steal!
Jemma Kidd Light As Air Foundation. Was £25.00, now £20.00
My all time favourite foundation, and if I didnt already have a full one and a backup Id be buying one at £5 off!

Now the products I really wish I could just empty my bank account to purchase!

Bare Minerals Ready Touch Up Veil. Was £22.00, now £16.50

Im really interested in the Ready range from Bare Minerals, and this powder has been on my wishlist for a while now, so with such a discount its rather tempting.

L'Oreal Mythic Oil. Was £15.95, now £12.55

I really want to try a hair oil, and this price is really appealing to me over the more expensive options.

This Works Clean Skin 5-In-1 Water. Was £21.00, now £16.80

Fleur De Force says this is as good as Bioderma, so its worth a try!

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer. Was £14.40, now £11.03

This gets such good reviews, the smaller size of 75ml at this price is enticing me to try it out.

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation . Was £28.00, now £23.80

I really want to try this, and as far as high end foundations go, this is an awesome price!

Elemis Revitalising Skincare Anniversary Collection. Was £45.00, now £36.00

Ive been obsessing over this, as I love the Enzyme peel and really want to try the other products. The set is actually worth £81, so its a huge bargain!

Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 4.0. Was £29.00, now £21.75

Ive heard these eyeshadows are great quality, and the quad in The Truth looks like the perfect little neutral palette, great for travelling!

Someone stop me from spending every penny I have in this sale!

xoxo

Products I'm Hitting Pan On

Its not often I finish a make up product. Body care, hair care...I go through like no tomorrow. The occasional eyeliner or mascara gets used up, but its not so often I use a lot of a "pan" product. By which I mean those that are packaged inside a metal, well, pan. So its kind f a big deal to me when I "hit pan" on a product. I realise this is quite pathetic, but it excites me and I dont know why. So heres the products Im currently hitting pan on...

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 003 Peach Glow

This setting powder has served its purpose well. Its been great for setting my makeup with, but does create quite a matte finish as the name suggests. I prefer a more dewy look, but my skin can tend to look a little oily so only a small amount of this dusted over my face does the trick. Its very cheap too which is always a bonus. 

GOSH Creamy Compact Make-up in Beige 2
This is basically a cream foundation. I had a penchant for cream foundations when I was about 17...and Ive had this since then, which explains how gross and battered it looks! Its probably well past its expiry date but thats not something Im too fussed with. I actually love this, it creates an amazingly flawless base. Sadly I think its been discontinued as I cant find it anywhere, so I have been using this little bit sparingly. I think Ill always have a cream foundation in my collection though, theyre my favourites for nights out.  

Natural Collection Eyeshadow in Willow

This is the first eyeshadow Ive ever hit pan on, and its the cheapest one I own too! The only blush Ive ever finished was also Natural Collection, which speaks volumes that cheap doesnt always mean its rubbish. Anyway, I absolutely love this eyeshadow the perfect lightish taupey shade. Its also really nice quality, and only about £2...Bargain!

What products are you hitting pan on? I think it shows which products are really truly loved!

xoxo

Clarins Self Tanning After Sun

Its been almost two months since my last holiday (time flies), and with no real summer here Ive had little use for this product for a while now. But, the times I have used it I absolutely loved it, so there was no way I could let the summer pass by without discussing it.

The product in question is the Clarins After Sun Moisturiser with Self Tan. I bought this with the knowledge that I was going away on holiday with girl that tan easy, and I dont. This was intended to boost my tan to keep up with everyone elses, and boy did it perform!

This aftersun does the perfect job at enhancing your tan. The self tan in it isnt orange at all, and just adds nicely to any natural tan youve picked up. However, this does have more tan in it than I first anticipated. On the first application I just slapped it on like any other after sun....and woke up to streaks and orange hands the next day. By just applying it a little more carefully and washing your hands after, any of these accidents are avoided. It also sins in really quickly and evenly, so not much waiting around in the bathroom windmilling your arms around!

In terms of its purpose as an aftersun, its not the type I would slather on continuously on a night time to ease sunburn. I used a different one just for the purpose of cooling and soothing, this was more for the tanning purposes. Also I think its a little expensive at £18 for 150ml to just be chucking it on a load of sunburn constantly. Another factor in this is that I dont know if this would intensify the false tan in it and maybe look a bit strange?!

The product itself just comes out like a white lotion and sinks in like any after sun would, so its not too scary or "fake-tan-ish". Something else worth mentioning is it doesnt smell like false tan not one tiny bit, bonus! I love the extra glow and boost it gives to the tan Ive already got on holiday. For once in my life I felt like a bronzed goddess after using it (maybe minus the goddess part), so just for that its worth every penny to me!

I couldnt recommend this after sun enough, I dont think Id ever go on holiday without it now. I got mine from feelunique.com for £18 with free delivery!

xoxo

Saturday Morning Style Lusts

Maybe not the catchiest title ever but Im working on it. I was thinking about doing a weekly series, and the time in the week I always have plenty time to spare is a Saturday morning. I have a Saturday "wandering the shops" ritual with my mother, which always starts at noon...were wierd. 

So "Saturday Morning Style Lusts" is born, because on Saturday Mornings Im going to talk clothes. Fashion and style isnt something Im naturally good with, so maybe this will help. Itll be a mixture of trends Im loving, particular outfits Iv seen on celebrities that Im loving, and whole outfits Ive put together via clthing websites that I wish I owned. Essentially none of this is going to be my own clothes, as then it woudnt be a "lust". Trust me, my wardrobe is nothing to lust over.

So without further rambling, Ive been loving the black studded clutch bags that seem to be everywhere, so Ive decided to put together a day and a night look for it. I took this as a challenge as a friend of mine said "Its quite a lot to spend on a clutch you could only use at night". 

Night...

Gold Stud Suede Clutch - Topshop - £38.00

Macrame Bra Top - Miss Selfridge - £22.00

Red Dip Back Maxi Skirt - Topshop - £40.00

Steve Madden Black Xcess Cross Strap Wedges - New Look -  £64.99 

Triangle Pearl Studs - Miss Selfridge - £8.50
Triangle Open Ring - Topshop - £2.50 (Sale!)

Im very much a girl that lives in black, so I think I did well to sneak a little orangey-red into the mix. Id wear the skirt a little high wasited so as not too show too much tummy, and I think the dip hem works nicely to show off those gorgeous wedges! 

Day...

White Skull Print Vest - New Look - £9.99
Grey Marl Dip Maxi Skirt - Topshop - £20.00

Mini Stud PU Biker Jacket - Miss Selfridge - £57.00

Gold Stud Suede Clutch (As above)
3D Pyramid Ring - Topshop - £5.00
HIGH Beaded Gladiator Sandals - £30.00

Converse All Star Light Trainers - Schuh - £43.00

Id tuck the skull vest into the skirt, I think its quite cute for only a tenna! Ive been loving the jacket for ages now and feel I must have it very soon. The sandals were thrwn in to add a little colourful option, they had them in hot pink too which I think would look just as good. Most days I would probably opt for my trusty Converse Lights, so comfy and great for as the weather turns colder. 

Not so sure these posts are a great idea for my bank balance!

xoxo

Smudgy eyeliner and my new favourite jacket...

On my way out the door to go and see Ted last night (the funniest film of the year so far by MILES) I realised I hadnt taken any pictures of my new favourite clothing item. I quickly snapped one and a little FOTD for you as well...

Firstly for make-up Ive been switching it up a little bit recently in terms of my eyeliner. Im usually a clean black line of gel or liquid liner kinda girl, but Ive been going for the more smudgy pencil look these past few days. In the past Ive always made a bit of a mess of it, taking it way too far down under my yes and end up looking like a raccoon. I think I may have cracked it now!

As for the products I used my Mac Studio Fix Fluid as a base, with my Chanel cream bronzer to contour with a little of Benefits Bella Bamba to give a little flush to my cheeks.

You cant really tell here but I used MACs All That Glitters and Mythical (ltd ed.) on the lid with Avons Supershock liner in Blackberry smudged all around the eye. I find it to be a grgeous unique colour, like a really dark purpley reddy toned brown. Mascara was just about one coat of each different one I own at the minute, I like layering. 

On the lips is my usual nude combo of Rimmels Nude Delight with Nars lipgloss in Turkish Delight over the top. Lots of delights there!

Now, the outfit. 

Im known for wearing all black a lot of the time, I dont have much imagination and black just always looks right, and its easy. This Zara jacket is my new best friend to team with my all-black outfits to bring them to life. I know there is so much more you could do with it in terms of what to pair it with, but as I say Im pretty boring in the wardrobe department. I have Barbara from The Persian Babe to thank for my new love, she had it on in a video and I knew it had to be mine!

I got it in the sale for £20 (I think!), and I was rather chuffed as Id been eyeing it up for months at full price! I'm not entirely sure its still in stock but I'd recommend snatching it up if you find it. My boyfriend and my Dad hate it, my friends love it as do I...So its one of those things that everyone has a strong love/hate opinion on. Even though its quite a loud floral style print I think it could be a very versatile piece and could be worn with many different outfits to spice things up a bit.

Do you like it, or hate it?

xoxo

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Tutorial!

One of my lovely youtube subscribers asked if I would show how I apply the Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel. Im not one to disappoint and if I get a request I will most definitely do it (within reason, obviously haha).

As nervous as I was to upload it, there is now a video up on my youtube channel showing you guys how I apply it, and generally how Ive been wearing my face make-up recently, with this look...

Im aware its nothing special or spectacular. It may be the rambliest, longest, and most out of focus "tutorial" on youtube, but practice makes perfect!
Click here if you want to see me putting on make-up like every other girl in the country! All I can say is Im glad there was no liquid liner or mascara included in the video, that could have got really ugly.

Thanks for looking! Normal non youtube-plugging posts will be up soon! I just like to keep you in the loop 

xoxo

Top 5 Products For Soft Lips

Im pretty obsessed with lip balm, and keeping my lips smooth and soft. Chapped or even flaky lips can ruin the look of any lipstick and overall make-up look, and it can just be a little bit gross.

To keep my lips in tip-top condition I use a mixture of these products:

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub: When lips are quite flaky and need a good clean up, a lip balm is just going to smooth over it and not clear away any dead skin. This is where the scrub comes in. Its really simple, just rub a little of it on the lips and rub it in. It leaves my lips super smooth and ready for lipbalm...plus it tastes suggary and amazing. I know it would be much cheaper to make a homemade version of this, theres tutorials of how to make it everywhere, but I got this as a gift so I dont feel too guilty owning it. Before I had this I used to use my toothbrush lightly along my lips to give a similar effect.

Figs and Rouge Balm: Before I go to bed I like to slather on a load of thick balm, and this Figs and Rouge one has been my bedtime balm of choice recently. The plain old Nivea one is also really nice. My lips can dry out quite a bit overnight if I leave them bare, so this works well to stop that from happening. It makes it easier to keep them soft through the daytime as theyre already lovely when you wake up!

Burts Bees Lipbalm: This is the lipbalm I carry around in my handbag most of the time. It smells deliciously of mangos  and its just overall a really nice balm. The stick formula is really easy to apply on the go rather than a tub and its a nice little pick me up for through the day before reapplying any lipstick I may be wearing that day.

Carmex Cherry Lipbalm: This is my balm of choice for under lipsticks. I apply it before I put my makeup on in the morning and by the time I come to lipstick its sunk in sightly and leaves a nice smooth base. I find this the best as its quite thin but very nourishing so sits nicely under lipstick. 

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 03: I am obsessed with this product. Its got the appearance of a gorgeous gloss, with the effects of a lovely balm. Its a great ne for day to day when I dont fancy full lipstick, as it gives a sheer peachy tone but nothing too heavy. It also smells amazing and Im going to give it a full review as it really deserves a full rave about it haha!

xoxo

July Empties

As with my monthly favourites, my monthly empties have tended to appear on my youtube channel rather than my blog recently. I find it the easiest way to discuss quite a few products at once. The video is up now, here! 

Every month I wonder how Ill have enough empties to make a full video at the end of the month, but somehow my little box always ends up like this...

As you can see theres rather a lot. Ive decided to include sachets and samples as I still feel slightly smug when I make a small dint in my pile of samples. Is that wierd?

Of course I discuss each one in depth in the video. I find these empties videos really insightful as to the real true performance of a product when the person discussing it has used it up entirely. 

Hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoy the satisfaction of using these all up...Again, wierd?

xoxo

NOTD: Essies Neo Whimsical

Its been an eternity since my last NOTD post, I just totally forget to do them before my polish chips! This time I got straight to taking photos after painting my nails with Essie's Neo Whimsical.

I wasnt sure what to make of this polish in the bottle. Im usually a brights and glitters girl, so this lilacy-pinky-grey seemed way out of my usual comfort zone. However once I applied it to the nails it looked like this, and I love it!

Its much more of a pink on the nail than I was expecting, which I like. I love the creamy consistency and appearance of it, and generally just really enjoy the simplicity of it. 

It did take three coats to get to this opacity, but two could have been enough for people less OCD than me! 

I think itll look even nicer with a glitter topcoat over it, like I do to every other polish I put on my nails. But for now I think Ill enjoy it as it is!

xoxo