July favourites 2014

hi guys!!! This post is super exciting for me as it is my JULY FAVOURITES 2014!!!!

Skincare

the reason I am so excited is that the first product I love this month is the Soap & glory breakfast scrub.  Yes I know, I have been going on about this since I got it but I just love it so much!!! If you don't already know, the breakfast scrub smells of maple, yes, maple! It is so yummy! I have used this every time I have been in the shower since I bought it and my skin has never felt so soft! If you love the smell of maple then this product is for you, especially as it is only £8!

My next skincare favourite is the triple protect and perfect serum for 25+ years by no7.  This claims to make your skin clearer and more radiant in 2 weeks, and it has! It is £23 in Boots but no7 always have offers on so you can usually get it cheaper. I apply it under my moisturiser after cleansing and it leaves the skin feeling soft and looking like your skin but better.

Makeup

This month I have been loving the Clinique chubby stick in Woppin watermelon (free in Glamour magazine).  I did a youtube video mentioning this, and I said that it goes on so smoothly and is so moisturising.  The colour is just the right shade of pink for the summer as I don't usually go for bright colours but this brightens up my makeup without making me look silly.

I also love Cha Cha Balm by Benefit.  it has a peachy/coral tint to it which is perfect for summer makeup and it is moisturising too.  it is a balm so there is only a slight colour to it compared to the cha cha tint which leaves a really bright colour (a bit too much for me).  benefit say you can use the balm by itself or over your favourite lip tints, but as I am only just experimenting with a bit of colour I like to play it safe and use this by itself for now.

Hair

This Is actually a bit of a cheat as I only got it last week but I love it so much! It is the batiste dry shampoo for dark hair, it sprays powder that is brown in colour so that there are no tell tale white stuff in my hair. I only wash my hair once every two days and on the second day my hair does look a bit oily especially in the summer so I thought I would give it a try and I am so glad I did! If you have dark hair and want to try dry shampoo this is perfect!

favourite thing

My favourite thing this month is a candle made by yankee candles and is called baby powder.  I love this smell so much!! One of my favourite smells in the world is baby powder so when I saw this I wanted it so badly, it makes me smile everytime I use it.  The smell of the candle is quite strong but when yyou light it it doesn't really give off too much of a smell, which is nice as it isn't overpowering like other candles can be.

Humans/youtubers

My favourite people this month are the same as last month pretty much, but I have added becky from talkbeckytalk and jim chapman as i love watching their videos and they seem like such lovely people.  I would love to be their friend ( #cringe)

X

Why not make a milkshake?

Hi guys!
I was going to get my breakfast this morning and I really wanted a banana but I hate them when they are too soft and they start to bruise a little.
So I thought I would share with you what I do instead of throwing them out :-)

When they are really soft there are 2 things I do, one is healthy ish and one isn't at all.

The first thing is I make a milkshake. Add the banana or bananas to a blender and add 250ml of the milk of your choice and blend until smooth. It tastes gorgeous and you can add stuff to it, I have used yoghurt,  other fruits and even ice cream at one point! It is so easy to do and ensures nothing gets wasted and if you make the milkshake when the banana is firmer it doesn't work as well.

The second thing is microwaving it with chocolate. Sounds awful I know, but when I was younger my aunt used to have bbqs all of the time and one of the things they did was to put squares of chocolate into a banana still in the skin (cut out small pieces of banana and put the chocolate in) wrap it in tin foil and put it on the bbq.  I used to love it but I don't have my own bbq yet so me and my sister used to chop the banana up, count the pieces and put the same amount of chocolate in then microwave for 40 seconds, check to make sure the chocolate has melted and eat with a spoon :-) it is so amazing!

So there's the two things I do with over ripe bananas :-)
Do you have any tips or tricks that you do instead of throwing food out?

X

Batiste dry shampoo first impressions

Hi guys!! Hope you are all having a fab day!!
This post is a first impressions post of the Batiste dry shampoo for dark hair. I have only used this once but I was so impressed I wanted to share the love with you all! I will do an updated post once I have used it for a while longer too :-)

Firstly, I am a bit of a dry shampoo virgin! Although I do only wash my hair every two days, I have never used dry shampoo.  I have found that in the winter this doesn't matter as much but in the summer my hair gets a bit oily at the roots on the second day and looks a bit disgusting! I am so jealous of everyone else who doesn't have this problem (if you do then please let me know as right now I am the only one!) there is a girl at work that wahes her hair maybe once a fortnight and hers never looks greasy yet mine does after two days!! #unfair
That same girl uses dry shampoo all of the time though, and so do a few other people that I work with so I thought I would give it a go especially as it has been really hot lately (I would wash my hair every day but L gets a bit narky about it).  I have dark hair, and I have noticed that dry shampoo tends to be white, and I have seen people who use dry shampoo walking about with white powdery patches in their hair and I really didn't want that so when I saw the Batiste dry shampoo for dark hair I just had to have it!! It was £3 in boots for a normal sized can (I'm guessing it's the normal size as it was the only size there) which was cheaper than I was expecting!!
I used it this morning as I am at work today and it was so hot last night so my hair was looking a bit worse for wear. OMG I fell in love!! Straight away my hair looked clean!! And there was no telltale whiteness!! I did have to wash my hands a couple of times though as I got brown powder on them but I didn't mind!
It even made my hair look a bit bouncier which I am not sure if it is meant to but I love it!!!!! This product is my new favourite thing in the whole world!! 4 hours later and my hair still looks fab!!

Thankyou Batiste!!!

X

Magnitone lucid love

Hi guys!! 💖
How are you all today? Let me know ☺

I have spoken about the champneys brush before but I do go through phases of loving it and hating it! I have started using it again and have fallen in love with it again but I have seen a one I want more!! The magnitone lucid! ! It looks so amazing and even comes in a pink/red colour which is a huuuge bonus with me!!
The thing that I like the most about it (judging my posts other people have written) is that it has two settings and it has a timer! I can't count how many times I have lost count while trying to use the brush I have and end up with aggravated skin! So having a timer would be so good for me! The two settings I think would be fab as I could use it for a deep cleanse maybe once or twice a week which would make my skin look and feel more amazing!
I can't wait until my spending ban is over so that I can buy one!! Plus I think it looks perfect for travelling which is a massive thing for me as at the moment I don't take the brush with me and I travel a little like going home and going to visit friends and stuff! So this would be perfect ☺
Have you tried this product? What did you think about it?

X
Prettyinpeach04

Review- benefit hello flawless oxygen foundation

Hi Guys! Hope you are all having a fab day!!
This post is going to be about the benefit hello flawless oxygen foundation.  I only got a sample of this which did only last three applications so my opinion is based on this.
I was in the palest colour they had, which is pretty usual for me!! The packaging of the actual product is pretty cute, it is a see through plastic bottle so you can see how much product you still have left, and it has a pump which is great as you can control. how much product you are getting.
This foundation doesn't have a noticeable smell (or at least I didn't notice one!) I applied it using my fingers as it was runny compared to the foundations I am used to wearing and I wasn't sure how it would cope with a brush and I didn't want to waste any of the sample.  it was applied over the porefesisonal (also by benefit) and seemed really light comapred to the revlon and n07 ones.
It did blend easily but it was a light coverage which I am not used to, so I was a bit unsure as to whether or not I liked it as I couldnt really tell where I had applied it- as if I was just rubbing the product off my face.  But the second time I applied this I used a bit more and it seemed to work better.  For the first hour or so this foundation looked amazing on my skin, not too matte and not too dewy.  i do tend to go for more matte foundations as I do have oily skin and I feel like dewy fou ndaitons will just make my face look like a sweaty mess, but this didn't.  it actually looked really natural and my face looked brighter than usual.
I wore this for a night shift and when I got to work my colleagues commented on how good my skin looked which they have never done before, and even went as far as to say that I looked too good for a night shift!!
However, after a few hours in the air conditioned lab I couldn't even tell I had applied foundation, and  not in a good way.  It was if the whole product was just drank in by my skin!! I did try it again once more and used the last of the sample but the same thing happened, the product just didn't last long at all.
This may be because I have oily skin so this foundation may work brilliantly for people with normal or dry skin, but it just did not work for me at all.
I was actually a bit gutted as I had such high hopes for this foundation, but I am glad that I managed to get a sample rather than buy the bottle for £26 and hate it.

Have you tried this product? What did you think?

X

B.right face emulsion and moisture prep

Hi guys!
So I've already done a review on the foaming wash and polish but I am going to review all of the products in the mini box I bought.

This post is about the moisture prep and the face emulsion.
The packaging for these two products are identical, I think that the bottles are super cute and I love having them in my bathroom. Unfortunately the cap of the emulsion broke, I am not even sure how it happened. I didn't drop it and I kept it in the little bag with the other products but when I picked it up a couple of days ago the cap had broken.

The moisture prep I love. I am not really sure how it works, it claims to basically make your skin more receptive to moisturiser. I don't know if it works but I do like the feel of it so I have been using it every day. It doesn't have an overbearing smell like the wash does either ☺
To use this I get a cotton pad and hold it over the top while tipping the bottle so only a very small amount is used as a little does seem to be enough. I haven't noticed much of a difference in my skin other than it feels softer straight using this. 
I am unsure whether I will purchase the full size of this as I don't know how much it costs and I am not convinced that it works. But I do still have most of the bottle left so I have plenty of time to decide!

The facial emulsion I use on a night time before my clinique moisturiser. It is really runny so be careful when trying to get the product out as it comes out really fast and again you only need a little bit! This does take a few minutes to sink in but when it does my skin feels amazing! it can probably be used alone but I use it under my moisturiser as I have a fear that if I stop I will start to get spots again! This has spf 15 in it which is really good so if u can pour it into different packaging I will probably take this on holiday with me! It says that it is to help with dehydrated skin as you don't always know your skin needs hydrating. It is oil free which is perfect for me! It is said to capture and maintain water on the surface of the skin.  I don't know if it does as I don't know how I would be able to tell but I do love using this just for how it makes my skin feel so I probably will purchase the full size of this.

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think of them?

X
Prettyinpeach04

Belly bars and infection

Hi guys so this may be a bit of a disgusting post but I think it might help some people if they ever experience it.
I got my belly button pierced when I was 17 (so 7 years ago) and it has been fine, apart from fainting after I had it done (I'm scared of needles) I haven't had any problems at all.
I bought loads of belly bars and would change them relatively regularly and sterilise them after use.
And then I moved. Stupidly I put them all in one tub together and during the move I have managed to misplace the tub and so now I only have the belly bar I have in now which I have been wearing for the past 6 months or so. I noticed the other day that it was getting sore and when I looked it was pussing a little bit and has been ever since. I have sterilised my belly bar and put it back in, I have used salt water, savlon and savlon spray but nothing has helped much.
I have started taking the bar out while I'm in the shower and trying to wash the hole out as best as I can and that seems to be helping but the major thing that I am doing is going to buy some more belly bars.
I kinda didn't want to when I first realised I lost them as I thought I would find them and didn't want to waste money we don't have, plus I thought after 7 years I wouldn't be able to get an infection anymore! How wrong was I!
it has cleared up an awful lot now but I did panic as I do think this happened because I didn't change the belly bar or even take it out to wash it for a while so if anyone is in the same situation as me and can't change the bar for a while please make sure you clean the area regularly and also make sure you do take the bar out to sterilise it!!

If this has happened to anyone else please comment below and let me know what helped you :-)

Oh and whatever you do don't let it close while infected as you could get blood poisoning

X

My problems with my skin

Hi guys,
Well I thought I'd do something a little different for this post and tell you all about my skin type, and how makeup hates it!
I have combination oily skin, I always thought I was just oily until a woman at a lancome counter years ago told me I had a few patches of dry skin around the bottom of my nose, an oily t zone and oily to normal cheeks. I would have to be awkward wouldn't I! This is when I started to moisturise as I had always thought that if I moisturised it would just make my skin more oily but that isn't true.
Over the years I have used foundations that have lasted all day, I used to work in a water park that was basically like a greenhouse and I even found a foundation that didn't slide off my face in 30 degree heat! I can't remember which one it was now but when I left my life guarding job the foundation stopped working for me for some reason.  I am not sure if my skin just changes or if there's another reason but I did then find revlon colorstay foundation for normal/oily skin which also lasted all day for about three years. Then it also started to slide off my face, but it doesn't just slide off it seems to... I don't know how to explain it, it cracks. ..you know when you have a face mask on and when it dries you pull faces and it cracks around the mouth, well that's what my foundation goes like. So I decided it was time for a change for the summer as the more oily my face gets the more my makeup slides or cracks, especially if I wear powder!
I started using the no7 foundation beautifully matte which I fell in love with but it has also started going the same way as other foundations although yesterday I did find that if I didn't apply powder then it didn't look as bad.
So that's the issues I'm facing currently so if anyone has any suggestions as to what I can do or what makeup I can use to stop this from happening please let me know :-)

X
@prettyinpeach04

Benefit facial wash and facial polish

Hi guys!!
Well it has been a little while since I last posted a review, there are many reasons for this and for why I haven't been posting regularly but hopefully I will start again soon!!

This post is about the benefit facial wash and facial polish which I got as part of my mini boots haul.  I haven't been using these for very long but sometimes I do form an opinion on products really quickly and that is what has happened here, the other benefit products I got I haven't got an opinion yet but I will review them at a later date.

Firstly, the facial wash.  The packaging that this comes in is super cute, and is probably one of the reasons that I wanted it if I am honest.  That and I was starting to read beauty blogs more and people were saying great things about benefit and I wanted to get in on some of that benefit action!!
The product is white and looks a bit shimmery to me but that could have just been the lighting in the bathroom, and a very small amount goes a very long way! I was using a pea sized amount and it was foaming up loads and covered my whole face which is good as it is quite expensive for a face wash but is good value for money if it lasts a long time!! Now onto the smell, I hate it!! After using the instant comeback serum I thought I wouldn't mind the smell but for some reason the smell of this actually makes me feel physically sick.  I don't know what it is about the smell, maybe because I use it first thing on a morning?  I am a bit weird when it comes to the smell of products, I can't use the hair removal cream by Veet because it makes me feel sick so maybe it is just me. But this is probably the only reason that I will not repurchase this product.
This foaming facial wash claims to be a one step cleanser, meaning it removes makeup etc. I will be honest and admit that I don't use it to remove my makeup as I use it on a morning before my clinique soap (I am a bit paranoid that if I stop using the clinique soap that I will start breaking out) but there has been a few occasions when my makeup has been left on overnight (I know, I know I am a bad beauty blogger but sometimes when I have been awake since 3am and don't finish work until 9pm I just go home and fall asleep) and this wash has removed all traces of it.
All in all I think this is a really good product and worth the money but I will not be purchasing the full size because of the smell. Sorry benefit!!

Now onto the facial polish. It has the same cute packaging as the wash, which I love as it makes my bathroom look so cute! I will be honest and admit that I haven't really noticed a smell with this, I'm sure it has the same smell as the wash but it must not be as strong as I haven't noticed it.
The polish is meant to be used once or twice a week and gently exfoliates skin and refines pores. It is white and feels like it has little beads in it (obviously it has something as it exfoliates) and usually these products aggravate my skin but this does seem to be quite gentle. I'm not sure whether I will purchase the full size of this but again a little goes a long way so to me you do get value for money with this product.

Have you tried these products? What did you think of them?

X
@prettyinpeach04

Products I want to try

Hi lovelies,
So I'm still on my spending ban 😢 only a month and a half to go 😀 !! But I have already seen the products that I want to buy as soon as I get my £50 that I will be allowed to spend on makeup.
The main thing I want to buy is the chanel vitalumiere aqua foundation as I have seen some good reviews (and fleurdeforce says it's good). I have never tried any chanel foundations before so I'm super excited to try it but if anyone knows if chanel give a sample to try before I buy it please let me know as it is a bit expensive and I'm not sure I will even like it! I was considering getting the benefit hello flawless oxygen foundation but I got a sample of it and honestly I was not impressed at all. I will be doing a review properly but I thought I would explain why I was considering the chanel foundation.

Clinique all about eyes concealer, I have got the erase paste by benefit one but it seems to collect in the lines under my eyes. I got the palest shade and even that makes my eyes look orangey and doesn't really cover the dark circles.

All of the lip balms by benefit, I already have cha cha balm and it is my favourite lip product this year!! I think the others are called posie balm and lolli balm and they look so cute. I genuinely need these all in my life!!

The easiest nudes ever by benefit. I have tried benefit eyeshadow once and loved it.

That's all the products i want for now.

Have you tried any of these? What did you think?

X
@prettyinpeach04

My mini boots haul

Hi lovelies,
I have also done a video on this :-)

L temporarily lifted my spending ban at the weekend while we were in Sunderland and we were in boots so I had to buy something :-)
We also bought my mam a burts bees hand cream, cuticle cream and lip balm and a vanilla body set but I didn't take any photos before I gave them to her 😯

Firstly I bought the no7 protect and perfect serum, I am not too worried about wrinkles yet but it promises to clear skin too. It was £23.95 I think but we had a voucher to get a fiver off! I haven't really read any reviews about this but I wanted a serum and this is as good as any. I started using it this morning and the only thing I noticed was how much thicker it was than the benefit instant comeback serum (which I want when I have money to spend).

I got the benefit mini box which was £14.50 but we used the points on our boots card to buy it (I persuaded L by saying technically we weren't spending money 😛). I can't wait to try these properly!! I already have a skincare routine in place so I'm in the process of working out where these can fit into it. I have wanted to try these for a while but didn't want to buy the full sized products in case I didn't like them as they are quite expensive. 

Lastly I bought my favourite thing of the whole trip, the soap & glory breakfast scrub. I mentioned on twitter and Instagram how amazing this is. It smells of maple and I am in love with it!! I didn't even want a Scrub, I still have most of the scrub of your life mini that I got at Christmas but I had to have this! I have used it every time I have been in the shower since then as it smells so delicious!! I am hoping they bring out more products with this smell as I will buy them all!!

Have you tried any of these products?

X
Prettyinpeach04

My new obsession with soap and glory breakfast scrub

Hi lovelies,
I have neglected this blog a little this week but I have been very busy with work and the house, and then we had to go to Sunderland to see my family which is where I am now. I will try to be better organised in future.

This post.is not a review at all as I have only used this product once but I had to tell everyone about it because it smells.so good!
I was in boots with L looking for presents for my mam and he came across the soap & glory breakfast scrub.  He sniffed it and thought it was awful so made me sniff it and oh my word I fell in love!! It smells of maple and it smells.good enough to eat.
Those of you who regularly read my blog will know that I love the original smell and buy pretty much anything that smells of it but I love the maple smell better. It is amazing and so sweet and I can not describe how much I love it!!
I am hoping that they will bring out the  body butter to match this smell soon as I couldn't see it while in the store but I know that if it exists I want it and I want it  now!

If you love the smell of maple and you like body scrubs go check this one out!!

X
Prettyinpeach04

Beauty tag

1▪ What would be the first product you'd grab if your house was on fire?

I would probably grab my foundation as it is the one thing that I wear everyday

2▪ which beauty blogger would you want to do your makeover?

Either @missglamorazzi as she is beautiful and her makeup is always flawless, or Blair fowler @juicystar07 as she has similar skin type to me and knows what makeup works for oily skin. She is always so beautiful and immaculate too.

3▪ which celeb do people think you look like?

I have been told that I look like Rachel Stevens by my fella and his mate but I don't think I do. I have also been told that I look like a woman off a show called firefly but I have never watched it so I am unsure how true this is.

4▪ what beauty product do you save for date night?

Eyeliner. It completes the look and it looks as if I have made an extra effort to look good. As I am married I don't go on 'dates' as such very often but when we do I do go the extra mile.

5▪ which of your guy friends take longer than you to get ready?

My husbands cousin takes about half an hour longer than me to get ready. I usually take between half an hour to an hour to get ready depending on if I am just going to work or if I'm going to town. But he takes so much longer, when we went on holiday he took about an hour and a half not including shower time!!

6▪ if you could create your own makeup product what would it be?

A primer that actually keeps my skin oil free all day and ensured that foundation stays on the face perfectly all day.

7▪ what's your best beauty tip?

Moisturise. I have oily skin and for years I thought that if I moisturised then it would make my skin oilier, but in fact it actually doesn't. Moisturising is a necessity to keep your skin hydrated and young looking and healthy, by not moisturising I was essentially making my skin produce more oil as if it thinks that it is not hydrated it will produce oil. The moisturiser that I swear by is the clinique dramatically different gel.

8▪ what beauty products do you love to splurge on?

Foundation is the main thing that I splurge on. It is what I wear all day every day and I need to know that the foundation I am using is long lasting and good for my skin. Face wash and cleansing products too as you can never take too much care with your face.

9▪ which beauty bloggers would you bring on a shopping spree?

Missglamorazzi as she always has the best hauls and always looks amazing, and fleur de force for the same reason.

10▪ what is your signature scent?

Up until last week I would have said honey by Marc Jacobs but now it is pink honey by Marc Jacobs as it is just as gorgeous but is more summery.

11▪ I am on an endless quest for the perfect...

Foundation.  Yes I am obsessed with foundation but it is the base to the rest of the makeup and if it isn't right then none of it will be.

12▪ how many beauty products does it take to get you ready?

Including moisturiser and serum it takes me 9 or 10 products, but a lot of this is preparing my skin for makeup rather than makeup itself.

13▪ what lipstick/ lipgloss is in your purse right now?

At the minute I am on a night shift so i actually have two in my bag. I have my lip crayon by no7 and cha cha balm by benefit which is the best lip product I've ever tried.

14▪ who is your celebrity beauty icon?

Nicole scherzinger, she is so gorgeous all of the time and I will admit to having a little bit of a girl crush on her.

15▪ name the beauty brand you'd most love to be a spokesperson for?

Benefit as I am in love with their products at the minute and I am loving their new line of b.right products.

16▪ what's your current nail polish?

Barry m silk nail varnish in the lilac colour.

17▪ what is your fave mascara?

No7 exceptional definition mascara, it is so amazing and separates each lash.

18▪ what is your signature scent?

I have two one for the summer and one for the winter. My summer scent is pink honey by Marc Jacobs and my winter scent is honey by Marc Jacobs. They are both gorgeous and remind me of my husband as honey was my wedding present off him.

19▪ I try never to be seen without wearing. ...

Foundation.

20▪ what's one product you would always recommend?

Porfessional by benefit.

Thanks for reading, I tag anyone who wants to do it

X
@prettyinpeach04

Benefit instant comeback serum

I haven't been using this for long but I wanted to do a first impressions post on it. I got a sample of this from the benefit counter in house of fraser and have been using it twice a day since then.
The first thing I noticed was that it smells so gorgeous. To me it smells florally and makes me think of summer which I love especially when I have just worked a really long shift at work and am feeling tired and cranky.
It is a pinky colour (I'm not sure if it appears this colour in the actual bottle but it does in my sample) which is cute, and it is such a lovely texture. It feels really light when I apply it all over my face and not greasy at all.
Since I have been using it I have noticed a difference in my skin already, it seems brighter and there are less blemishes (I had a mini break out just before) but this could be coincidental.
I am planning to keep using it until the sample runs out (as only a small amount of sample is needed I think my sample will last at least another week maybe more) and then I will do another post stating my final thoughts on this product and whether or not I will purchase the full sized product when my spending ban is over.

Have you tried this product? What were your thoughts?

X
@prettyinpeach04

What to wear to a christening...

Hi lovelies,
I need your help!!
I am going to a christening this weekend and have no idea what to wear for it! I usually wear my go to dress which is gorgeous and peach and floral but I wore it to a wedding that all of my husbands family were at so I can't wear it again.
I normally just decide on the day and go with the flow but there are people that are going to be there that I HAVE to look my best in front of as they don't like me and I want to prove that I am good enough for my hubby (you would think that as we are already married they would accept me but no).
The people involved have tried to split L and I up so many times and I really just want to look amazing.
If anyone has any suggestions as to what to wear please let me know :-)

X
@prettyinpeach04