Literature: girl online by zoella

Hi guys!

When I heard Zoella (zoe sugg) had written a book I was very excited to see what it was like!
I will start by talking about the cover, and I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but it was very super cute and very zoella!
The story itself is actually very good, it is very much a chick lit type of story which I love, and it was one of those books where I didn't want to put it down but at the same time I didn't want to read it too fast as I didn't want it to end!
The story is based on a girl who starts writing a blog which becomes quite popular. At the same time, we learn about the girls life and her friends. Some embarrassing things happen to her, and honestly similar things have probably happened to us all at some point so the character is very relatable! But, she ends up being able to go to new York to get away from it all, and there's some love and some drama! I don't want to go into too much detail as I don't want to ruin the story! There was also a meaningful message in the story about what you write online, which I thought was good as it makes you think about your own life and what you write on the Internet. Basically if what you are going to say about someone on the Internet isn't nice and won't make someone happy then why write it? I think this is a very important message and I am sure that both alfie and Zoella have mentioned this on their vlogs in real life so the fact that she managed to work it into her novel was impressive!
I found that it was very predictable in places, especially the ending, but in a good way!
I honestly loved this story so much and I really hope zoella will write a second book soon!!

Well done and congratulations to zoella on her first novel! She should be very proud of herself!

X

Lush butter bear

Hi guys!
As I have mentioned before (either in a tweet or blog post) I am loving baths at the minute but haven't had anything to put into the baths so when I went to leeds with my sister I went to lush!
I will be honest here and say I went a bit mad and bought a few things! I got the butter bear, Christmas hedgehog, penguin, Christmas pudding (which is actually a present for my mam) and another one which I can't remember (there was also the green one which I got for hubby as he loves it!!).
So far I have only used the butter bear one. It is in the shape of a bear and is so cute! It smells a bit like vanilla and it is more of a melt than a bomb so there were no bubbles but the bath left my skin feeling so soft.
I put it into the bath while the water was still running and it fizzed a bit while dissolving, the bear is white so the water didn't really change colour at all it just looked a bit more shiny than usual.
I think it was about £3.49 which is quite cheap and it was worth the money I just wish there had been just a few bubbles!

Have you tried this product? What did you think?

X

trying to blog on my new laptop

hi guys!!

Hubby bought me a very early Christmas present and got me a new laptop as I am doing more portfolio work for my job and my old laptop doesn't work.
I have been blogging using my phone since I started this blog and I haven't been able to put photos where I wanted them to be, they all just appear at the end of the post so I am hoping that now I have my laptop I will be able to start blogging properly!!
I can also now add links to posts!!

I will blog very soon with photos and everything :-)

xxx

Estee Lauder double wear foundation

I have been using this foundation for the past three weeks, mainly because I have a tan and when the lady in the shop matched me before I went on holiday I think she gave me the wrong shade as it suits me more when I have a tan than before. I had heard some really good reviews of this foundation and a lot of people called it their 'holy grail' foundation.

The packaging is very cute, and it looks like a high end product. It comes in a glass bottle which feels like it wouldn't break, with a gold top. Unfortunately it doesn't have a pump which is something I don't like about it.
The foundation itself is a lot more liquidy than I thought it would be. A lot of people had compared this foundation to the revlon colorstay foundation which is a lot thicker so I was a bit surprised. I'm not sure I like the consistency of it as most of the foundations I use are on the thicker side.
I apply this foundation with a sponge applicator, I did try using my real techniques brush and then my fingers but it didn't apply very well with either. I only use a small amount of foundation as using the sponge makes a little go a long way, plus because I am tanned I don't need the super full coverage that I usually go for.
I do apply a small amount of powder over the top of this to make it last that little bit longer.
I find that this foundation gives quite a matte finish, which is what I like, and so far does seem to last all day. Although this could be because my skin is very tanned still so I can't really tell that I'm wearing foundation much. I did get very sweaty the other day (tmi) and this foundation still managed to look flawless!
I am very impressed so far with this foundation, and have found that when I apply it with a sponge (I am going to have to buy a beauty blender!) It doesn't begin to look cakey later on in the day like some foundations do.

Overall I will continue to use this foundation for a while I think, but once I lose my tan I might do an update as I'm not sure if it will still work as well for me. It is quite expensive (I think it was over £30) and there are foundations that are just as good out there, including the revlon colorstay foundation, but if you're looking for a good quality foundation that lasts all day and you're prepared to spend a bit extra, then this will be great for you!

X

My first time tag

Hi guys!
This is an old tag but I wanted to do it anyway :-)

1) what was your first word?

My first proper word (not counting saying mamamamama) was actually dinner. Apparently I used to sit in my high chair banging my little fork shouting dinner all day!

2) what was your first teddy?

My first teddy was a green/blue bear that my gran gave me when I was born. She was convinced I was going to be a boy!

3) who was your first friend?

Other than my sister my first friend was a girl called tiffany but sadly when we were 3 years old she got ran over and died outside of where we lived.

4) who was your first school crush?

When I was in reception at school I had a bit of a crush on a boy named Marc. We all used to play catchy kiss in the playground and he always used to try to catch me!

5) who was your first kiss?

This depends on what counts as a kiss, when i was 2 years old i kissed a boy called matthew and we were 'boyfriend and girlfriend' for a couple of years. If a peck counts then marc when I was in primary school playing catchy kiss! If it doesn't count then a boy named Dan.

6) who was your first celeb crush?

I actually don't know, maybe nick carter from the backstreet boys or his brother Aaron carter!

7) who was your first boyfriend?

Again this depends on what counts, I had a 'boyfriend' when I was 2 which was Matthew, but I can't remember this but my mam keeps telling me about it.  then marc in primary school which was basically us playing catchy kiss and that's it but my first proper boyfriend was when I was 10 and was a boy named Perry who was a year older than me and kissed another girl when he went to secondary school and I was still in primary school! (although when I first started going out with my now hubby, Perry messaged me on Facebook asking me to go out with him again...after about 7 years of not seeing him! I said no obviously).

8) what was your first job?

Working in a bakery, it was actually not a bad job and I left it to become a lifeguard then worked there again in my final year of uni. I first got a job when I was 16, it was just a weekend job, but my parents wanted me and my sister to earn our own money as soon as we left school so we would learn the value of money. My first full time graduate job is the one I'm in now which is a biomedical scientist.

9) what was your first car?

A brand new volkswagon golf, limestone grey in colour and was the sports version :-)

10) what was your first blog post?

I have deleted it now as it was embarrassing, I think I just introduced myself and said what I was going to blog about.

That's it for the tag, hope you guys have enjoyed it! I tag everyone who wants to do it

X

Fcuk body wash and lotion

Hi guys!
As most of you will know I have a slight obsession with soap & glory, I will probably have owned everything by them at some point. And I will continue to love them...but currently they have been replaced in my usual shower routine by fcuk.  I never thought this day would come.
My sister bought me some fcuk things for my birthday, and I have become addicted to the smell! It has vanilla and Oriental tones and I am in love with it!
The body lotion is clear in colour when you pump it into your hand, but looks a bit like a clear cream colour in the bottle. I use three pumps for the whole of my body, and it is so soft to rub all over your body (not a good description but if you use it you will know what I mean) and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth and soft.
The lotion is white and I use more of this than the lotion. I use about three pumps on each leg, 2 on my arms and two for everywhere else.  It takes a few minutes to sink into the skin but smells gorgeous and leaves skin feeling hydrated and soft.
I use these every time I go in the shower, but the bottles are lasting a very long time. I'm not sure how much these cost but at the minute I am sure I would think any price is reasonable!
I will probably go back to using soap & glory every day and use these for special occasions or for pamper days as that's what usually happens but for now I am so in love with them!
Have you tried these?
X

My evening routine updated. ..not a shower night

Hi guys!
So I don't think it has been too long since my last evening routine but it has changed slightly. 

I start by removing my makeup using the clinique take the day off balm (which I have done a review of and have mentioned in a favourites post). This is amazing, and I love using it! I get some of the balm onto my fingers and massage onto my dry face. It feels a bit weird at first but I actually end up liking the feeling! Once I have massaged the balm all over my face including my eyes, I rinse it off using a flannel and warm water.

I then use the soap in the clinique 3 step system and use the clinique purifying cleansing brush as described in my morning routine post. I tend to only use it for 30 seconds on a night time.

I use the clarifying lotion from the 3 step system, which I apply to a clean cotton pad and gently rub over my face. I will be honest and say that if you have sun burn and use this, it can sting slightly which I don't like.

I then apply the clinique serum, which actually soothes the skin if the clarifying lotion has made it sore. I quite like using this, as it is quite a nice texture.

I then apply the clinique eye cream, and the moisturiser from the 3 step system. Once this has had time to sink in, I apply another moisturiser, at the minute I am using the clinique moisture surge. I know this sounds like a lot of moisturiser and I'm sure some people will tell me that it is stupid or bad for my skin but currently I am finding that the dramatically different moisturiser just isn't keeping my skin as hydrated as I would like and I don't like having dry skin. By using the moisture surge, I find that my skin is sufficiently hydrated and is left feeling soft and smooth when I wake up.

I apply the body shop lip butter just before I go to bed as I like to keep my lips hydrated too and this is very moisturising and helps to stop my lips from cracking after a long day working with the air conditioning at work. 

This is working for me at the minute and I love the way my skin is feeling right now.
I realise that nearly everything I use now is from clinique but that wasn't planned!
Do you guys use any of these products?

X

My morning routine updated...again

Hi guys!
So it has only been a couple of months since my last morning routine but a little has changed since then and I like to keep you all updated :-)

I am still doing the clinique 3 step system, so I start by wetting my face with warm water and massaging the soap for oily combination skin all over my face. I then use the clinique purifying cleansing brush  for 30 seconds to a minute (7-15 seconds on each cheek, 5-10 seconds on chin, 5-10 seconds on nose and 5-10 seconds on forehead). I then rinse my face using warm water and a flannel (I have 3 pink ones from primark and 2 from liz earle).

Once a week i use the clinique exfoliator, but once a month I only exfoliate once a week using the 7 day scrub from clinique. I was exfoliating twice a week before I got the clinique face brush, but it is more successful at keeping my face smooth and getting rid of dry skin than the brush I was using previously and I feel like if I exfoliate more than once a week it becomes too  much for my skin and it starts to become sore.

I then get a clean cotton pad and apply the second step of the three step system which is the clarifying lotion, and I gently rub it onto my face from the middle of my face outwards.

I wait a few seconds and then apply the clinique serum (one pump), I will be doing a review on this when I have used it for long enough.  After about 5 minutes I apply the clinique eye cream to my under eyes (I have been very good with keeping up with this lately!) And then I apply the dramatically different moisturiser which is step 3 in the system. 

After a little while I then start to apply my makeup.
Not much has changed since my previous post but I hope you enjoyed this post! I have been following this routine for a few weeks now and I feel like it is working better than me, especially as my face was sun burnt a little while I was on holiday.

X

October favourites

Hi guys!
So these products are from both before I went on holiday and while on holiday :-)

Makeup

Body shop lip butter in coconut
This is so creamy and smells gorgeous! It keeps my lips moisturised and I started using it before I went away as the weather started to get colder and my lips became dryer. But, while I was on holiday I put it in the fridge in the hotel room and it was so much more amazing as it cooled as well as moisturised my lips. For £4 this is a pretty good product to have!

Collection lasting perfection concealer in ivory
I feel like I discovered this a lot later than everyone else (by a few years) but I love it! It is so cheap and covers my under eye circles better than any other concealer I have ever used! It can also act as a highlighter too which I love.

Soap & glory super colour fabu lipstick in the missing pink
I feel like I have mentioned this before but I love it so much! It is a gorgeous colour and it smells of vanilla which I love. It is a nude pink colour, which basically looks like my lips but better. It lasts a good amount of time although I do have to reapply it a few times throughout the day.
Maybelline colour tattoos
I have three colours of these- on and on bronze, eternal gold and pink gold. I loved these while on holiday as they held up in the heat and didn't budge all night!

No7 lipstick in
I used the no7 lipstick match service to match a lipstick to my skin tone and this is the one I chose.  At first I was a bit sceptical as it is not a colour I would usually go for but I ended up using it nearly every night on holiday as it looked really nice while I was pale and still looked fab when I started to tan. It wasn't sticky at all which some lipsticks are and the colour seemed to last a while.

Hair and skin care

Garnier shampoo the sleek restorer with coconut oil and cocoa butter.
I may have mentioned this before but I love it so much! It smells gorgeous and it cleans my hair really well, I used it while on holiday and it managed to wash out the chlorine and salt from the pool and sea without any effort at all. This might sound like a really simple thing for a shampoo but I have had shampoos in the past that haven't done that! It also leaves my hair feeling soft, smooth and looking healthy.

Fcuk body spray
I looove the smell of this so much! It has vanilla and Oriental tones which I am addicted to and as soon as I got it I couldn't stop spraying myself with it!

Clinique moisture surge
This was a travel size sample but I took it on holiday with me and I used it when my face started to get dry because of the sun. The usual moisturiser I use just wasn't keeping my facial skin hydrating enough but this was perfect and I kept it in the fridge so it was cooling when I applied it.

Clinique purifying cleansing brush
I have raved about this so much! I love it so much, and my skin has felt and looked amazing since I started using it. The one thing I was scared about was when I started to burn my face I thought it would hurt to use it but it didn't! I was pleasantly surprised that it managed to get rid of all of the dead skin on my face and make it smoother without hurting my sun burn.

Random things

Microwavable me to you bear
This I love at certain times of the month as it is cute, cuddly and helps to take the pain away. When I am in pain and not feeling myself I love cuddles and if the hubby is at work I love to cuddle this!

Dettol
I know this is a bit of a weird product to be in my favourites but I had a bit of an infection type thing in my belly button (oversharing?) And the antibiotics the doctor gave me didn't help and my mam suggested Dettol that I used to use when I was a child. Literally within 2 days everything was perfectly healthy and I think it is just a good thing to have in the home. It can be used for cuts, piercings, cleaning stuff, it is basically multi purpose!

Fcuk washbag
I love how cute this is, and it is practical too! I took it on holiday with me, and it held so much! And I now use it at home in the bathroom too to keep the bathroom tidy.

Yankee candle in salted caramel
My mam actually bought me this and I love it so much! The hubby hates it, and kept telling me not to burn it but I got a bit addicted to it. It was a sweet smell but also had some undertones to it which made it gorgeous.

Films and TV shows

Frozen
I know I sound like a child but I absolutely love this film! It was so cute and i fell in love with the snowman! (Not literally obviously)!

Mount Pleasant
I was super happy when I realised that the new series of this was starting! It is set somewhere near Manchester I think, but is so funny! It's about a man and a woman  and their life and neighbours and it is both drama sometimes and humour at other times but it is how I grew up in a neighbourhood a bit like that!

People

Zoella (zoe suggs)
I haven't been watching her long but she is such a sweet person! She has amazing YouTube videos and I love her daily vlogs too. She has recently released her own line of bathstuff etc in super drug and has over 6 million YouTube followers! From what I can see she hasn't changed with fame and that is what I love about her!!

What are your monthly favourites?

X

My response to the independent article about zoella

Hi guys!
I have recently read the article written about zoella (zoe suggs) by the independent and I was outraged by it!
Firstly, the reporter criticises the way Zoella looks before going onto say that girls shouldn't worry about what they look like- well obviously if they are going to have their looks slated by the likes of that reporter then they are going to worry! That reporter sounds like a jealous bully immediately!
Secondly, I love Zoella and I know by watching her daily vlogs that she has makeup free days and embraces them and so in no way does she show or tell girls that they have to wear makeup to be pretty. I watch her videos because I like to know which new products are good, and which aren't worth the money, I like to know how to create certain makeup looks. It's not about wearing makeup to look pretty, and I have never felt that by watching zoella that she is saying I have to wear makeup! Why can't girls want to wear makeup just because it's fun to do?
I bet that reporter wears makeup herself! Does that mean she is giving the impression that girls have to wear makeup just because she is? No. But by her logic she is!
Makeup is fun, and yeah it might make people feel better when wearing it but that doesn't mean that people don't feel good without it.
Surely zoella is showing that makeup is fun and fashion is fun, and honestly the message I takeaway from her success is that you should do what you enjoy doing and sometimes you can get your dream job! She enjoys makeup and has become successful based on that, and why shouldn't she?
Enjoy life and enjoy what you're doing!that is genuinely the message I get and it makes me happy that she has been as successful as she has.
She also helps people who has anxiety like her, and let's them know they aren't alone like some of them might have previously thought they were. Surely that is a very good thing as it could help girls become happier within themselves!
I would be happy for any daughter of mine to look up to her as a role model.

That's my thoughts and I am sorry if they aren't very coherent but I am a bit angry while writing this that the reporter would try to demean zoella for no reason.

X

Products I regret taking on holiday

Hi guys!
So these are the products I took on holiday with me and either didn't use or hated. As you all know, it is very important to only take what you need on holiday as there is a weight limit to the suitcases! So I thought I would do this post so that other people don't waste the precious kgs on items that won't be used.

Clinique sun protection face cream
I hated this! It was greasy and sticky and didn't protect my face from the sun at all which was a massive lot down!next time I will just do what I normally do and use the same lotion I apply to my body on my face!

Most makeup
I didn't use foundation at all as it didn't sit right on my face when it got burned or when I had sun cream on. It looked awful!
I also didn't apply makeup at all after the first week other than mascara and sometimes eye shadow as the colour of my tan had changed so much. I didn't need three different colours of lipsticks, I really only used my lip butter. I didn't use my brow pencil, as without wearing foundation i didn't need to do anything with my brows! Blusher and bronzer as again my natural colour was on show, and all the brushes that go with these items were also not needed!
Next time I am only going to take the bare minimum, for example mascara and lip butter and that's it.

Nivea in shower after sun
This was okay, but I prefer the normal after sun that you don't rinse off. This didn't moisturise for very long on me and didn't work at all on hubby. The garnier after sun us better and weighs a little less.

Nivea suntan lotion
I am sure that this suntan lotion is probably fine for other people but I have always used garnier and the hubby got nivea for this holiday and I didn't think it gave the same amount of protection as garnier even though it was the same factor. I felt like I got burnt more while using this lotion. It was also very thick and I didn't like the feel of it. The garnier that I usually use comes in smaller bottles too which means that it takes up less room in the case which is always good.

Makeup setting spray
I didn't use this as I used it once and it just made my skin look greasy which was the opposite of what I wanted! It might have been the humidity but it didn't work for me at all while on holiday.

So they are the things that I won't be taking on holiday abroad again as they might not sound much but they did actually weigh quite a lot and we could have taken more things like extra bikinis lol.

X

Things I used every day on holiday

Hi guys!
Before I went on holiday I did a video about what I was taking on holiday with regards to skincare and makeup. I didn't use everything so I thought I would do a post about what I used and then another post about what I regret taking with me.

Body butter
My hubby needed this more than me but as he forgot to bring the new suntan lotion and after sun we had bought we only had the ones I brought from the last holiday we were on. The after sun was one where you applied it in the shower and washed it off and I didn't think it worked as well so to combat the dry skin on my hubby's burnt shoulders I applied body butter for him. Not only does it smell lovely it kept his skin hydrated and so although it did nothing for his burns it did cool him down when first applied and stopped him from peeling.

Lip butter
My lips got very dry due to the heat and I was constantly in and out of the pool and they started to get quite painful. Applying lip butter every night and morning helped but I found that putting the lip butter in the freezer before using it helped loads more as it cooled my lips down so much and felt like heaven!

Clinique purifying cleansing brush
When my face got sunburnt, using a flannel was too painful for me but I didn't want to just use my hands as that wouldn't get rid of the dry skin and sweat etc so I kept using this brush.  At first I was very wary of using it as I thought it might be too painful but it didn't hurt at all! I was pleasantly surprised!

Clinique moisture surge moisturiser
I still used the three step system that I always use but on a night before bed I also applied the moisture surge moisturiser as my face felt very dry which is unusual for my usually oily skin. This helped to keep my skin hydrated and smooth without feeling heavy.

Benefit porefessional
I did bring quite a bit of makeup with me to wear on a night time but because of the humidity and my peeling face I couldn't use much without it looking terrifying but I found that just using the porefessional without foundation seemed to even out my skin (I was white around the eyes and burnt most other places) and made me look less like a weird panda.

Benefit they're real mascara
I only used this at night not during the day like I had planned but it was very much loved! It stayed on all night and didn't smudge in the heat which was fab! It also made my eyes look amazing and really opened them up. 

Maybelline colour tattoo
I brought all of my colour tattoo eye shadows with me (I have 3) and I used them all! I was so glad I brought these rather than proper eye shadows as they didn't budge all in the heat and humidity and had very good colour payoff.

Biodegradable suntan lotion
This is very important for going to the parks like xel ha and xplor as it means that the natural environment isn't getting ruined, and the animals aren't being poisoned. I never even thought about it until I got to Mexico but it was quite cheap to buy there.

Insect repellent
Again, has to be biodegradable so as not to damage the natural environment. This is very important when going to the jungle areas as mosquitoes love it there and if you don't wear it you will get bitten.

Hair conditioner
I went swimming every day either in the pool or in parks with dolphins and manatees,  so my hair took a bit of a beating. The shampoo and conditioner I used was the same as I use at home but I relied so much on my conditioner to keep my hair soft and healthy looking.

Plastic travel bottles
These were so useful as one bottle of shampoo and one of conditioner was enough for me and the hubby for the whole holiday, and they were a perfect size for travelling. It also meant I could use the same shampoo and conditioner as at home but without having to bring the huge bottle, and if you don't want to bring the bottles back home you can give them to the hotel to use for something else.

Perfume travel bottle
My mam bought me this for my birthday and it is a little pink tube that you put your own perfume in, I put pink honey by Marc Jacobs in mine and it actually holds quite a bit. I think it holds enough for 50 sprays which was enough for this holiday and meant I didn't have to take the actual bottle which could have broken.

Bobbles
I tie my hair back during the day every day when I'm on holiday, especially when I'm going swimming as I find when it is really hot it annoys me when my hair is hanging down my neck and back and making me feel even more hot. I find that it cools me down a lot. 

Ghd straighteners
These I didn't use every day as some nights it was too hot to wear my down but these were a godsend on the days that I did have my hair down as in the humidity in Mexico my hair doesn't play very nicely but using these kept it straight and unfrizzy all night.

These are the things that i genuinely couldn't live without on holiday (except for the usual shorts and bikinis). What do you guys use when on holiday?

X

Clinique face sun cream

Hi guys!
If you follow me on Twitter you will know that I have been in cancun Mexico for two weeks :-)
Just before I went away I thought I would buy proper sun protection for my face as I hate using the sun cream I use on my body on my face as it is really greasy. I thought a one targeted for the face would be better so I bought a clinique one as everyone knows how much I love clinique!
The packaging is simple, it is a yellow tube with white writing on it. And the product is a thick cream, which seems stickier than I was expecting. It doesn't seem to have much of a smell which is good.
When I first applied this I was disappointed with the consistency of it as it was a bit sticky and a bit hard to rub in, and it left my face looking and feeling incredibly greasy. After using it for a week I noticed I was getting spots when I haven't had any in a while so I was quite upset by this, especially as during the day I wasn't wearing any makeup and having spots was making me very self conscious.
I did attempt to apply makeup over it once but it looked terrible as the makeup just didn't sit well on top of it and looked very streaky and patchy which was awful! Even just powder didn't work well so I ended up not wearing any!
It also didn't protect my face very well, I got burnt on the first day of the holiday! I was applying it every morning before I went out and after a couple of hours and after being in the pool so it wasn't as if I got burnt because I wasn't applying it enough!
I did have high hopes for this and I was very disappointed,  especially as I paid more for this than I did for the suntan lotion for mine and the hubby's body!

Would not recommend this to anyone going to a hot country at all.

Have any of you guys tried a sun cream for your face?

X

Makeup collection- powders, blushers and bronzers

Hi guys!
This is the second part of my makeup collection!
*disclaimer: I am not bragging about anything that I have, I know my makeup collection will be small to some of you and large to some of you (my husband), I bought all of these products myself except for the sample sized ones which were free with another purchase in store. *

Face powders

Collection lasting perfection in fair
I have actually had this for years, but don't really use it much. It is a really good powder though and does keep me matte for ages but seems to darken as the day goes on.

Soap & glory one heck of a blot
This is the powder that I use every day. It keeps my skin matte for a little bit, not all day, but doesn't seem to darken much throughout the day and doesn't look cakey.

Maybelline fit me powder in natural beige
I haven't used this in months but don't want to throw it out. It is a bit too dark for me and seems to look a bit cakey when applied as it seems to cling to any oil or dry skin I have.

Blushers

Maybelline expertwear blush in rose
I love this colour for the winter when my skin is pale. It is such a gorgeous baby pink colour and applies really well.

Revlon highlighting palette in rose glow
This is the blusher I have been using every day. It is shimmery which I don't like much so I apply a powder over the top to counteract the shimmer. The colour is gorgeous, it's quite a bright pink but not too over the top.

Benefit benetint
I haven't used this but I think I got it in the beauty score box. It looks like a very dark red but I think it will look quite nice when applied. If I used it I think it would be in autumn.

Benefit posie tint
I tried to use this a couple of times but I can't figure out how to apply it properly. When applied with my fingers, it seems to rub my foundation off and when I tried to apply it with cotton wool ball as someone suggested it looks better but not quite right. It does last all day though.

Benefit Bella bamba
I got this in the benefit beauty score box and like it. It's quite a dark pink so I think it is good for when I have a tan as the paler pinks won't show up as good.

Bronzers

Benefit hoola
This is quite a dark bronzer but is matte so perfect for contouring. I think everyone has heard of this!

Soap & glory peach party
I'm not quite sure if this counts as a bronzer or a blusher as I have used it for both. It is a pretty peach shimmer colour, and looks gorgeous in the summer. 

That's everything for this post, I hope you have enjoyed it.
What powders, blushers and Bronzers do you use?

X

Makeup collection- primers, foundations and concealers

Hi guys!
I thought I would do posts about my makeup collection, which is still quite small currently but good enough for me! I am doing it over a few posts as it would be too long to do all in one.
*disclaimer: I am not bragging about anything that I have, I know my makeup collection will be small to some of you and large to some of you (my husband), I bought all of these products myself except for the sample sized ones which were free with another purchase in store. *

Primers
Benefit porefessional
This is a well known and very popular primer amongst bloggers, and although I did love it its not my go to primer currently. It comes in a super cute tube and aims to minimise the appearance of pores which it does.

No7 beautifully matte primer
This is quite hard to apply especially with fingers, mattifies the skin instantly but doesn't keep mine matte all day.

Smashbox photo finish primer
This was my most expensive primer, and is the one I am currently using everyday. It is lightweight and although it doesn't keep my skin matte all day it works well enough.

Benefit that gal primer
This was a sample I got in the benefit beauty score box, and I hate it! It is a pinky colour and doesn't mattify my skin and actually I thought it made my skin more oily and looked awful!

Concealer

Benefit erase paste
I used this a few times but although I got the lightest shade it looked orange on me and didn't cover my dark circles at all.

Collection lasting perfection concealer
I got this in ivory and I am in love with it! I use it to cover my dark circles under the eyes, and not only does it cover them, it brightens the whole eye area and stays in place all day with only a small amount of creasing.

Maybelline dreamlumi concealer
I got this as I used it years ago and loved it, but the ivory colour looked orange on my skin and didn't hide the dark circles.  I was gutted about this as I was expecting better based on previous experience.

Foundations

No7 beautifully matte foundation
This is the foundation I have been wearing every day for quite a while now and I do love it. I got it in the lightest shade which I think is called calico but I could be wrong. This shade matches me perfectly when I don't have a tan (and I haven't had a tan in years!) It looks flawless when first applied and only needs maybe one touch up a day which is fab. It doesn't keep my skin matte all day but doesn't look overly oily either

Chanel perfection lumiere
I like this foundation but I don't love it. It's actually a shade too dark for me so I am going to use it on holiday when I am beginning to tan. It is a medium coverage so is perfect for the summer months when the no7 foundation is a bit thick.

Estee Lauder double wear foundation
I have only just recently purchased this and although the lady in the shop 'matched' it to my skin it seems a little dark/orange to me but I will use it in the summer months. I have only used it once so far so don't want to say too much.

Creams and highlighters

Clinique moisture surge cc cream in light/medium
This was a sample in a Clinique bag I got for purchasing 2 items. I haven't used it yet but I did check the colour and it is really dark! I am hoping that it will blend out to be a lighter shade but I am taking it on holiday to use instead of foundation. 

No7 illuminating fluid
I got this in a gift for buying 2 products and only used it once. I guess if I was to use it I would use it in the summer and I would mix it with my foundation to make my skin look illuminating.  It is gold in colour and looks quite pretty but with my oily skin I am a bit worried it will make me look like a grease ball.

Benefit high beam
I got this in the beauty score box and haven't actually used it yet but it looks pretty.

Makeup setting spray

Urban decay de-slick makeup setting spray
I have used this every day since I bought it and I quite like it. As a setting spray it's not the best but it does cool my face down.

That's everything I have for my base, it doesn't seem much when written down!
What have you guys got in your makeup collection to use as a base?

X

Herbal essences clearly naked dry shampoo update

Hi guys!!
So I did a first impressions post on this product on the 26th September 2014, and since then have gone through 2 cans. I say gone through 2, there is still half a can of product in both cans that just won't spray out! This annoyed me so much as there is no other way to get the product out so there's half a can that I can't use! What a waste! It happened to the first can and I thought it was a one off, but when it happened to the second one too I was fuming! Especially as I was away from home for a few days so had to resort to using face powder on my hair!! I was not happy.
The product itself sprays on wet and until it dries you can't really tell if it is working or not, and I was used to the batiste one working immediately I kept spraying my hair thinking that this one wasn't working yet as my hair still looked oily. This ended up wasting product and leaving me with tell tale grey marks in my hair! When it dried it didn't work all that well on my fringe, I'm not entirely sure why as it worked on the rest of my roots.
I do still love the smell of it, and it didn't itch my scalp like the batiste one did, but I just didn't like it.
My first impression was completely wrong and I am a bit gutted about that!

I will never repurchase this and although it was only £1.50 I don't think it's worth the money.
Sorry herbal essences you will have to try harder.

X

Birthday haul

Hi guys!!
I have just done a video on this so all of the photos I screen shot from that (bad blogger I know but the lighting isn't good and no matter where I put the products the photos looked bad), this is all about the presents I got for my birthday so far.
I am in no way bragging about what I got, I love watching videos and reading posts about birthday presents as it gives me ideas on what to buy people so I thought I would show you all what I have got.
It's not actually my birthday until next week but I won't be seeing my family for it so I got everything early :-)

The GAP hoody I'm wearing was a present, and I love that it is too big for me (it was deliberate). I always wear LJ's hoody as it is massive on me and I am loving over sized hoodies for the colder weather. I just love how this feels and it is so soft!

I got the clinique purifying cleansing system, which I was so happy about because I really wanted it since it came out! It is the new clinique face brush which has 2 types of bristles, white for the cheeks and green for the t-zone. I have done a post about this so I won't go into too much detail but it is amazing! It is quite expensive but worth it!

I got my first ever pair of GHD's which I'm a bit too excited about! They are the v lagoon straighteners and they are a gorgeous blue and green colour! I don't even want to get them out of the box in case I get them dirty because they are so pretty! I am excited to take them in holiday with me though.

I got an fcuk wash bag that you can hang on the back of a door. It has 3 parts to it, there is a zip section at the top, the middle has space for 3 bottles and the bottom is more of a traditional wash bag. It is so lovely to look at and I really needed one as I don't have one! Inside it was body wash, lotion and spray which I won't be taking on holiday with me but I think they will look super cute in my bathroom and they smell so amazing! I literally sprayed my entire body with the body spray as soon as I smelt it! It has hints of vanilla, oriental and floral notes and is just gorgeous!

I got a ted baker makeup brush set, which comes in a super cute case! I love these as they are so soft and pretty, they have a baby pink handle with gold at the top and gold writing. There is a blush brush, stippling brush, eyeshadow brush, lip brush and nail detailer. I can't wait to try these out especially as I needed an eye shadow brush!

I got 2 bourjois nail varnishes, one pink and one peach. They are stunning colours and will be perfect for the summer!

I got a travel perfume spray bottle, you put your favourite perfume in it and carry it about instead of having to carry the actual perfume bottle everywhere.  I have put my pink honey by Marc Jacobs perfume in it, and I think it is such a good idea as I carry my perfume everywhere I go!

I got a boots gift card which I am excited to use!! I will show you guys what I get!

I got 3 yankee candles, I got a big spiced orange candle as it reminds me of Christmas, a Christmas treats candle which I am now obsessed with as it smells so good, and a salted caramel candle which is also amazing and I am currently burning now! I also got the candle holder that the salted caramel candle is currently burning in.

That's everything I have so far and I know how lucky I am to get such amazing presents!

Hope you enjoyed this post.

X

Pretterature: shopaholic to the stars by Sophie kinsella

Hi guys!
So I don't know if I'm going to stick with the name pretterature but if you hadn't guessed it's a mix of prettyinpeach and literature :-)

The first book in this series is the new shopaholic book by Sophie kinsella called shopaholic to the stars!
I love this series of books so I was super excited when it was announced that there was another installment and I pre ordered it on my kindle as soon as I found out!
The story continues from the last book mini shopaholic, after Luke has announced that they are going to LA for a little while while he works with a movie star. Becky wants to become a stylist to a movie star and this book follows her hilarious attempts to become one! There's also her friends suze and tarkie who come to visit her, and there's a return of one of beckys enemies!
There's a missing husband and dad, and a creepy cult man, basically everything that could make it a good book is there but unfortunately I didn't like it as much as the other ones and the ending was a bit disappointing. It ended on a cliff hanger which I understand makes people come back for the next book, but to me it just made the book feel a bit unfinished.  It wasn't as funny as the other ones, and I feel like we are.starting to miss the essence of Rebecca bloomwood.  The books work because she is so unpredictable and addicted to shopping but with such a good heart, but here it felt like we lost her a little bit and I was unimpressed by the book

I hope the next one is better.

X

Champneys facial cleansing system vs clinique sonic system purifying cleansing brush

Hi guys!
As you may know I was recently given the new clinique purifying cleansing brush as a birthday present (from LJ) and rather than just review it I thought I would compare it to the champneys face brush I was previously using.

I used the champneys face brush on and off for about 9 months (we got it in the Christmas sales last year) and I went through phases of loving it and hating it. It is a battery operated, waterproof, handheld facial cleansing brush which comes with two different types of brush head. There is the everyday brush and the exfoliate brush, which is recommended to be used two or three times a week although I found this brush too hard for my sensitive skin and after trying it a couple of times I didn't use it again. To get a good clean I felt like I had to apply quite a bit of pressure to the brush in order for it to work, and even then it didn't clean my face as well as I would have liked it to, and it didn't leave my skin feeling any softer or smoother than usual. I used it once a day as any more than that and I would get red spots on my face, which weren't a breakout as such as they weren't raised it was more like a reaction but it was painful. The everyday brush head was still a little too hard bristled for me, and although they felt soft.enough on my hand they did hurt a little on my face but as I had never used a face brush before I thought this was normal.

However, the clinique purifying cleansing brush is totally different! While it is similar in that it is waterproof and hand held, it is so much cuter and is rechargeable, which I think is better than having to replace batteries. I even love the little light that comes on to say it is charging or has low battery as it doesn't look like there is a light there, it's so cute!
The head that comes with this is white and green, the white section is for the cheeks and the green section is for the t-zone.  There is an instruction manual that  comes with it that states that no pressure should be applied while using this as it does its job without being forced too heavily on to the skin, and honestly I agree! At first I didn't think it was going to work as I applied no pressure I just lightly brushed it over my face, but after the first use my skin felt and looked cleaner, smoother and softer than ever before! Dare I say I actually looked radiant! The instructions also tell you how long to spend on each section of your face so as not to damage the skin, and the brush itself has a 30 second timer so it will turn itself off after 30 seconds. I love this feature but I think it would have been slightly better if it timed everything so buzzed when to change the section of face you're cleaning but the champneys brush didn't have any kind of timer at all so I can't complain! It is suggested that you start off with just using it for 30 seconds once a day and work your way up to 1 minute twice a day so that you don't overload your skin too quickly, I love that it gives tips and suggestions like this as the champneys brush didn't explain how to use it at all and although it may seem like common sense to some people, personally I didn't realise that if used too much it could actually damage the skin!

I have been using the clinique purifying cleansing brush for about a week now and while that is such a short time, and normally products should be tried for longer than that before a review is made, I love this so much so far that I wanted to share it! My makeup goes on so smoothly and what I noticed last night while I was on a night shift was that my makeup seems to last better for longer. Usually on a night shift for some reason my makeup tends to start to melt off or congeal really quickly because of the change in the temperature and the air con over night (it really dries my skin which then makes me make more oil on my face and confuses my makeup so much) but since using this brush I have had 3 night shifts and my makeup has actually lasted perfectly for the entire 13 hour shift! The only thing I Changed was the face brush I was using so I can only assume that that is the reason my skin is so much better. It even looks smoother while wearing makeup, and so much more brighter!

I can't tell you guys how much I love this brush so far! It is unreal and if any of you are considering getting the clinique brush then please do! It is worth the money and I love it!

X

Empties October 2014

Hi guys!
Today I am going to be talking about the products that I have used up since my last empties post or video.
Sorry there are no photos the hubby threw the products out!

Benefit bad gal lash mascara
This was a sample size product, and I loved it!! I loved this mascara, it featured in my September favourites post as it made my lashes look so black and gorgeous! I am hoping to repurchase this!

Garnier shampoo
I mentioned this in my previous empties post/video, and in a favourites video. This is the best shampoo that I have used in a very long time! It cleans my hair better than any other shampoo, even when I have loads of dry shampoo in it! And it leaves my hair feeling so soft and smooth, and it smells lush! I will probably repurchase this at some point but I did buy another shampoo in the range which is just as good!

Batiste dry shampoo for dark hair
I will admit that I did love this product at first but then it's flaws started to show. It was good for my dark hair as there was no tell tale whiteness in my hair, but if applied to my fringe it transferred the brown to my face! Embarrassing! It also made my hair itch which I didn't like! I'm not sure whether I will repurchase this or not as despite it being itchy it is still a better dry shampoo than the herbal essences one.

Thai lychee candle
I wasn't too impressed with this. It was a present off my mam, and it did smell gorgeous in the tin but unfortunately when it burned it didn't release much scent, and the wick had to be trimmed before each use or it would send sparks flying which was quite dangerous!

Clinique clarifying lotion level 3
This is something that I think I will use forever. It is part of the three step system and lasted me 9 months! I have already repurchased this as I couldn't live without it.

Herbal essences clearly naked dry shampoo
I was very disappointed with this! It sprays on very wet and then dries, and despite its name it doesn't make my hair look less greasy and it also leaves white marks! It didn't itch though which was good, but I would rather have an itchy head and have a dry shampoo that works! Not worth the money even though it was only £1.50.

No7 makeup brush cleaner
I loved this! I'm actually gutted it's ran out and I will definitely purchase it again! I think it's about £7-8 and has lasted me for a good few months.  Before I had this I never really cleaned my brushes, I tried cleaning them with baby shampoo once or twice but that just ruined the brush so I stopped. I never realised how much having clean brushes affected how the makeup was applied before I tried using this, and honestly I am amazed! The brushes stay so soft and apply makeup flawlessly, I would recommend everyone to clean their brushes regularly and I would recommend this product!

X

The blogger tag

Hi guys!
I wasn't actually tagged to do this but it seemed like a fun tag to do!

1) what is your favourite beauty product?

Argh how to answer this! I love so many! Overall I would say foundation in general as I can't leave the house without it! But at the moment I am loving the maybelline colour tattoo eye shadows as they last for ages and are so gorgeous!

2) if you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

Norway as I want to see the northern lights, it has always been a dream of mine and although they can be seen in other places Norway seems the best option. I love the dome tents they have so you can see the northern lights while in your own heated tent although it is a bit expensive!

3) what is your all time favourite brand?

I don't really have one, I'm a bit of a brand whore (I mean that in the least offensive way possible) I don't really stay loyal to brands other than clinique for skin care but for makeup I chop and change all of the time.

4) do you collect anything, if so what?

No I don't collect anything.

5) early bird or night owl?

Honestly I'm a bit of both, I go to bed quite late as there's always something that I need to be doing, but I also get up really early every day (like going to bed at midnight and getting up at 4) which probably isn't that good for me!

6) tea or coffee?

Tea, I hate coffee! I love the smell but hate the taste. I prefer hot chocolate but that wasn't an option :-)

7) what is your favourite TV show?

I have a few! Overall friends or house would be my all time favourite! My current favourite changes all of the time but probably Melissa and joey!

8) if you could travel to any era what would it be?

This might sound weird but probably around the time that the industrial revolution came about. Watching the mill has made me want to live then as everyone seemed to look out for each other and although they didn't have any money and they had to work really long hours for no money as a child they seemed to make the best of it. I feel like nowadays people don't seem to care about each other, like the other day I saw an old woman fall and I was the only one who offered to help! Back in 'the olden days' everyone would have stopped to help so I would have liked to live then.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this! I Tag everyone :-)

X

How I apply my everyday makeup for work

Hi guys!
Today I want to tell you all how I apply my makeup for work, I'm in no way a makeup artist and there's a good chance I do everything wrong but it works for me.

After letting my moisturiser sink into my skin, I apply my primer with my fingers. Currently I am using the smashbox primer for oilier skins, and I find that applying it with my fingers helps it to sink in better as it is warmer than with a brush. I also apply eye primer now, which is the benefit stay don't stray eye primer in light/medium, and I apply this with my ring fingers.
I then apply my collection lasting perfection concealer under my eyes in a triangle shape, along the bridge of my nose, my chin and my forehead. I have only recently started to do this but I love the effect it has and it has helped my makeup to stay in place for longer.
I am using the no7 beautifully matte foundation in calico, which I pump onto the back of my hand and then use my ring finger to dot all over my face. I use the real techniques buffing brush to buff this in, and I find it leaves a flawless finish.
I apply my blush/highlighter, which is currently the revlon highlighting palette in ....... With a small brush that I got in a bronzing set. I actually do need to buy a proper blush brush!
I then apply powder with a gosh kabuki brush. The powder I use changes all of the time as I haven't yet found one that I love, but currently I am using the soap & glory one heck of a blot powder. I swirl the brush in the powder, tap off any excess and sweep over my whole face. I do this after I apply the blush as I don't like to be too shimmery and the powder helps to mattify the blush.
I apply my eyeshadow now, as I am only going to work I prefer to do a neutral eye. For this I apply a white or pale eye shadow to the lid with my finger (I did buy a brush but I hate it), and using another finger I apply a darker colour to the crease and the outer corner of my eye. I use the real techniques contour brush to blend the shadows together. I have been using two different sets of shadow recently, the rimmel palette and the soap & glory neutral palette. For both looks I use the real techniques concealer brush to apply the darkest colour of the rimmel shadow to the upper lash line as this finishes off the look perfectly.
I apply my mascara, which I am currently  changing as I don't like the one I was using.
And then I do my eyebrows using the rimmel eyebrow pencil in dark brown. I try to use small soft strokes to mimic the look of the hairs to make it look more natural.
I use the urban decay de-slick setting spray to set the makeup and once this has dried I apply my lip products. I don't apply my lip products before this as the taste of the setting spray is awful.
I am currently using the soap & glory fabu- lipstick in the missing link with the body shop coconut lip butter over the top as it softens the colour, I apply this with my fingers.

That's everything I do for a normal day at work.
What is your makeup routine?

X

Clinique exfoliator

Hi guys!
For a while now I have been wanting to try an exfoliator for my face, but as I have sensitive skin I was a bit worried that I wouldn't find one that wouldn't make my skin go crazy. And then I found out that clinique have an exfoliator designed specially for oily skin. For £18 (I think) it was quite expensive, but everyone knows that I have a very deep love for clinique so didn't mind paying it.
The packaging isn't as luxurious as other clinique products but follows the same colour scheme, as it is a green tube with silver writing.  The product itself is white/grey and only a small amount is needed. It is filled with grains which are the exfoliators, and honestly it does hurt my skin a little when I rub the product in but not too much that I will stop using it and I am a bit of a wuss!
After using this product, my skin feels super soft for days, so I only use it twice a week. So far I haven't had any adverse reactions to this, and I do highly recommend it! My makeup has been applying smoother,  but I have noticed that my skin is getting oilier during the day although I can't be sure that it is because of this product.

What exfoliators do you use?

X

Mini boots haul

Hi guys!
I had to go pick fifa 15 up on Friday so while I was there I thought I would treat myself to something from boots as a reward for being a nice person.

Firstly I got collection concealer, I have heard so many good things about this and just had to give it a go! I picked the palest colour as I want it for under my eyes and wanted one a little paler than my skin so it would highlighted too.

Soap & glory had a buy one get one half price offer on, so after a lot of deliberation I chose a lipstick in the colour barely there pink which smells of vanilla and looks amazing. And I also got the nude eye palette as I have been wanting some more nude eye shadows for a while now.

I don't have any eye shadow brushes so I bought a no7 one as there were no real techniques one. (I'm actually regretting this purchase now as I've used it and hate it).

I had another visit to boots on Sunday and bought three maybelline colour tattoo eye shadows in on and on bronze, rose pink and a gold one.

I am super excited to try all of these products (except for the no7 brush)!!

X

No7 beautifully matte primer vs smash box primer vs benefit porefessional

Hi guys!
Over the past few months I have tried 3 different primers, the no7 beautifully matte primer, benefit porefessional and smashbox oil free primer.

The no7 beautifully matte primer is my least favourite primer of the three. It is very hard to rub into the skin, I'm not really sure how to explain it, as soon as I apply it to my face it instantly dries my skin which then makes it extremely difficult to do anything with it. This is a good thing in a way as it does mattify my skin but I hate the way it feels. At one point I had to use a flat foundation brush to apply it as it was the only way that I could get it to cover my whole face but it actually ruined my foundation brush! Occasionally it will also leave white lines on my face where it won't rub in properly. It doesn't keep my skin matte all day either.

The benefit porefessional is the one that I love the feel and appearance of the most but it doesn't keep my face oil free at all. The packaging is my favourite of the three, as with all benefit products it is super cute! The product itself is like a nude colour and blends really well into the skin, and it does blur imperfections but I stopped using it everyday as it just didn't keep my skin matte and didn't stop my makeup from disappearing throughout the day. It also has the least amount of product in the tube by at least 8ml (it has 22ml, smashbox has 30ml and no7 has 40ml) so although it is slightly cheaper than the smashbox primer it is much less value for money.

The smashbox primer is the one that I use daily, mainly because I paid £25 for it and LJ would get a bit mad if I didn't use it! But also because it is nice to use. The packaging is pretty cute and allows you to see how much product is left in it which is very handy as the other two don't,  and it is a white, creamy product. When applied with fingers it smooths on much the same way as the porefessional does and leaves the skin feeling silky smooth. It doesn't minimise pores like porefessional does, but it does keep my skin slightly more matte for a bit longer. It is the most expensive of the three primers so although I do use it every day I am not sure if I would purchase it again as because it doesn't keep my skin matte all day I'm not sure it is worth the money.

Overall, I'm not sure which primer I like best.  If you don't have a problem with oily skin then porefessional is the one for you! It is the best at minimising pores and imperfections and seems to reduce areas of discolouration too. It would be nice to wear alone if you had blemish free skin too! For oilier skins like mine, the smashbox primer is fine for days when I'm not at work but when I'm at work the air con plays havoc with my skin and dries it out making it produce more oil to compensate. If this isn't a problem for you and you don't mind spending a bit extra, smashbox would be fine.
I'm not sure I will ever find a primer that will keep my usually-not-too-oily skin oil free when I'm at work, but until I do I will just have to keep looking.

Have you tried any of these primers? Or do you know of a primer that will keep my skin matte all day?

X

Liz earle cleanse and polish

Hi guys!
So I've been raving about this product on twitter and it was in my September favourites post so I thought I would do a proper review of it. 
As you may know I was using the sanctuary spa hot cloth cleanser for a few months until it ran out and I had heard some really good things about the liz earle cleanse and polish so I thought I would give it a try and I am so glad that I did!
The bottle is actually quite pretty, it is a gorgeous green colour and has a pump, which I love as it just feels more hygienic to me. The product itself is white and quite creamy, it's not as thick as the hot cloth cleanser was but one pump is enough for my whole face and my eyes.  I do actually find that I can use this to remove my eye makeup without it stinging my eyes which is amazing as I couldn't do that with the hot cloth cleanser.
The product has a slightly minty smell (well I think it does anyway) which is weird to me but I quite like if I'm honest.
At first look I thought the cloth was quite scratchy and I wasn't really looking forward to using it, but once I dampened the cloth it became so much softer. I genuinely love the feel of the cloth on my face now, it's soft enough that my skin likes it but not too soft that it's not exfoliating my skin slightly..

The cleanse and polish removes all of my makeup and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth for ages afterwards. I love the feel of it when I massage it into my skin, and I love the feel afterwards.

This product is a little bit more expensive than the sanctuary spa hot cloth cleanser but in my opinion it is worth it!

Have you tried this product?

X

September favourites 2014

Hi guys!
This may be a slightly longer post than usual!

Makeup

Chanel perfection lumiere foundation

I have been loving this foundation for the past couple of months, so thought it deserved a place in my favourites post. It has a gorgeous bottle with a pump (I hate when foundations come without pumps!), and is so easy to apply. I use the real technique buffing brush to apply it. It has a medium coverage which is a lighter coverage than I usually go for but it looks amazing and flawless, and is especially good for the warmer weather. It also smells gorgeous too!

Urban decay de-slick makeup setting spray

I have used this everyday since I purchased it and while it isn't as good as what I remember it to be, it is still pretty amazing! It doesn't keep my skin oil free all day but it does help, and although I still get a little oily, the makeup itself stays in place all day which is amazing.

Benefit they're real mascara

This is only a sample size but this is one of my favourite mascaras! It separates every lash and coats them individually.  It stays on all day and is acually quite difficult to remove which is great for when it is raining or when I'm tired as no one likes a panda eye!

Revlon highlighting palette in rose glow

As you can tell I love this! I have hit pan and it's a bit upsetting for me! I love the clour that this product gives, it is a very girly pink and gives a subtle shimmer. It is buildable but I like it to be more subtle than that.

Benefit stay don't stray eye primer

This is also a sample sized product. I have only tried a couple of eye primers but this one is the best. Only a small amount is needed and it keeps eye shadow in place all day (well for 8 hours while I'm on a normal shift anyway). It is nude colour so it doesn't affect the colour of the eye shadows being applied like some primers do, and I also sometimes use it under my eyes to cover the dark circles a little bit

Real techniques makeup brushes

I actually bought these brushes before I started blogging and before I really got into reading blogs just because I saw them in boots and needed some makeup brushes. After first use I fell in love with the three in the picture above. I don't like the flat foundation brush, I'm not really sure why but my makeup just doesn't apply right if I use this brush. The other brushes though are so soft and everything looks so flawless when I use these!

Nail care

Barry M gelly shine in blueberry

This isn't a very autumny colour but I love it anyway! It is such a gorgeous colour of blue and is super shiny. It doesn't chip easily and it lasts for about a week on my nails which is fab. I think it would look perfect with a tan!

Skincare

Clinique exfoliator

I use this twice a week and it leaves my skin so smooth! It is a little bit painful to rub into my skin but I think that is because I'm a wuss! It has grains in it that gets rid of all of the dead skin and dry skin on my face. This one is actually designed for oilier skins and although I haven't noticed a difference in the oiliness of my skin I have noticed that for days after use my skin stays so soft and makes it so much easier to put makeup on.

Liz earle cleanse and polish

I love this product so much! It is less thick than the cleanser I was using previous to this but it works even better! I use one pump of this and it works on my whole face and my eyes. It removes all of my makeup including waterproof mascara, and leaves my skin feeling super soft! The cloths that come with it are fab too, they soften when wet and look so pretty.

Food

Bacon and brie panini

Oh my word! There is a shop near to where I work that have started to do sandwiches and paninis and after trying this one I fell in love! The brie melts just the right amount and they add cranberry sauce to it, which I didn't think I'd like but is actually amazing. I would genuinely live on these if I could!

Options mellow dreamy white hot chocolate

I love this! It tastes of melted white chocolate which I love and I did drink this everyday for about a month and a half, and now I drink it when I want a little treat for myself as it is very decadent.

TV shows

Big rich Texas

I hadn't realised that this show was back on, but once I realised it was I became addicted again! I love the arguments and the drama! And it makes me really want to visit Texas! The women are so funny and they live so differently to the way I live! It's nice to see how the rich people live.

King of Queens

This is actually a relatively new discovery to me, I know that it has been around for ages and may possibly have ended now, but I didn't start watching it until a few months ago. I actually watch it while I'm getting ready on a morning as it is on channel 4 and I love it! It's so funny and the characters are quite relatable, I love the story lines and the underlying humour, it is a very amusing and interesting show which draws me in every time!

That's it for my favourites this month, sorry the post was so long and the photos were not the best quality, my camera wasn't working very well!
I hope you have enjoyed this, and please let me know what you have been enjoying this month and what your opinions are of these products.

X

@prettyinpeach04

First impressions Friday: body shop lip butter

Hi guys!
I have only used this product once so far (only bought it yesterday) but I have decided to start doing a first impressions series.
I have had quite dry lips recently because of the air con at work and I decided that vaseline just wasn't working for me. I was given (by a person not a company) 3 lip butters from the body shop as they were on 3 for 2 and as I love coconut I thought I would try that one first.
It is solid but I used my ring finger to apply it and as soon as I started to rub the product it started to melt onto my finger.
It spread onto my lips evenly and smoothly, and unusually for me it lasted for a couple of hours on my lips. It instantly moisturised my lips and wasn't sticky or too thick, it has just the right consistency.
I was disappointed with the taste as it didn't really taste of coconut but has a very strong coconut smell.

I look forward to keep using this product and will do a full review once I've used it regularly.

X

Trying out mascaras

Hi guys!
Mascaras are one of the things that I do change all of the time in my makeup routine.  I get drawn into adverts that offer extra volume and I will admit that I do buy the most hyped up mascaras. That Is why I love getting mascara samples as it means I get to try different mascaras without having to pay the price. I have recently used 3 sample sized mascaras so I thought I would do a little mini review on them

No7 exceptional definition mascara
This was actually my favourite mascara that I tried. A while ago I fell in love with the maybelline one by one mascara, I loved everything about it, especially the brush and the no7 mascara brush is the same. It isn't the same as normal mascara brushes, it has little rubber bristles which allow it to separate every lash and coat them individually. I love this look and I am actually considering buying the full version of this. It doesn't make my lashes look much thicker than they already are but it does make them look very defined and gorgeous.

Benefit bad gal lash
I liked this mascara but I wasn't in love with it. It was very black when I applied it which I love, but it didn't make my lashes have more volume and I did have to apply two coats of it before I was happy with the look. It did clump slightly and I had to separate the lashes myself but overall it wasn't a bad mascara

Benefit they're real mascara
This was my second favourite. It is waterproof (and is actually very difficult to remove even with makeup remover) and it managed to make my lashes extra voluminous while staying on through everything. I wore this mascara mostly when I was on a night shift as I knew that even when I rub my eyes it doesn't smudge or anything so was perfect for me! It gave a little bit of length but as my lashes are naturally long and curly anyway this isn't something I really go out of my way to look for in a mascara. I think I might purchase the full size of this too as it is very good for when it rains or I'm on nights.

Have you tried these mascaras? What did you think of them?
X

Relaxing bath

Hi guys!
I have been going through a very stressful time lately with the potential break up of my marriage, job interviews and threats on my life, so I have been finding myself having a nice relaxing bath more often than I normally would.
I am usually a shower girl, I don't like the thought of lying in water for too long as it makes me feel dirty and of course I can't wash my hair in a bath (I can't rinse it properly for some reason) but I think when you are really stressed out, a nice bath is the best thing for it.

I usually love products from lush but I didn't have any as I'm not used to having baths but I did have a few bottles of radox.  I used a different one each type but my favourite was the purple one which I think is meant to relax you. I love my baths very bubbly and I love the water to come up over my body, so I feel like I am floating. With the radox we also got some rubber ducks that light up when they come into contact with water and I am a big kid really so I put them in my bath too.
I don't have a bath pillow so I used a rolled up pillow behind my head so I could lie down without getting my hair wet :-)
As well as having bubble bath and rubber ducks, I love to have candles lit in the bathroom so I brought the thai lychee candle from the bedroom into the bathroom.
I don't drink wine so I had a nice cold drink of archers and lemonade in a glass that has the ice thing around it to keep it cold. And I brought my kindle and my portable dvd player into the bathroom with me so that I could watch some Disney films, a perfect way to help me to relax.

When I get out of the bath I wrap up in a big fluffy pink dressing gown and my fluffy slippers.

This actually relaxed me a lot more than I expected it to.
What is your bath time routine to relax?

X