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

My favourite authors and books

Hi guys!
I thought I would talk about my favourite books of the moment that make me feel good and happy and I have found myself reaching for them more and more recently and choosing them over new books.

Sophie kinsella has to be my favourite author. She is witty and her books are amazing! I relate to a lot of her characters and find that whatever mood I am in I always enjoy these books greatly.

Confessions of a shopaholic series
For those of you who don't know, this series of books is by Sophie kinsella and was actually turned into a film.
I love these as they are funny, especially the emails she gets in response to her requests and suggestions (which you don't actually see but can guess from the replies)! She is in a world of her own but always sees the good in the world which j love! The reasons she has in her own mind about having to buy things relates well to me, although I have never been in debt because of it. We see Rebecca meet a man, get married, pay off her debt, find out she has a sister, move to new York and have a baby! And a lot more but I won't spoil it for you!! This series is a work of genius and never fails to put me in a good mood! The new installment is coming out soon and I can't wait!

Wedding night
This is Sophie kinsellas most recent book and is hilarious! It follows two sisters, one who has just ended a long term relationship and rushes into a marriage with someone she hasn't seen in years, and the other sister tries to stop the wedding, and failing that tries to stop them from doing what normal married people do on the wedding night so it can be annulled! It is a really great book and I have read it about 4 times now since I got it!!

Twenties girl
this book is good, but a bit different from the other Sophie kinsella books. A woman goes to her great aunt's funeral who she doesn't know,  and sees the aunt's ghost. The ghost is stuck in the past and thinks she's still young! She wants nothing more than to go dancing with handsome men like they did in the twenties, and find her missing necklace which she thinks someone stole. It is a gripping read, and I don't mean that in the same way that people say it about horror books or anything like that,  just you want to know what happens next and what the aunt will do next. The ending is so heart warming!

Got your number
This is probably my favourite after the shopaholic books.
Poppy loses her engagement ring, which was a family heirloom, and to make matters worse she then loses her phone! She finds another phone in a bin which a PA threw away when she got offered a better job. Poppy gives this number to everyone so that she can still find out if anyone has found her ring, but Sam (the person who had the PA) rings the number and wants the phone back. They agree to share the phone so poppy can be in contact with everyone but she has to forward all of his messages and emails to him. They end up having a friendship and poppy helps when the company goes into crisis using the knowledge she got from reading all of his emails! Right up until the end there is a will she marry her fiance or leave him, and the ending is a bit of a shock although you kind of expect it at first then think you're wrong. This is such a heart warming story and makes me want to believe in love!

The undomestic goddess
Samantha has a high powered job, where she is expected to work really long hours and not have a social life so that she can become partner at the company.  She misses family functions and is basically stressed out, but she is one of the best. she is messy though and finds a contract on her desk that should have been filed, and because it hadn't someone lost a lot of money and her job is at stake. She freaks out and basically just jumps on a train and accidentally becomes a maid! This is hilarious as she has never cleaned up after herself never mind anyone else! But she struggles through and finds that she loves it but she wants to clear her name. We follow her as she learns how to cook and clean, and how she tries to prove to everyone else that she didn't lose the money. The question throughout is did she do it or was she setup? And what will happen if she is offered partner at the company? There is friendship and romance and everything I look for in a book!

Can you keep a secret?
This would probably be me! Emma is on a flight that has really bad turbulence and she thinks they're all going to die so she blurts out every lie she's told to the stranger sitting next to her as she doesn't think she will ever see him again. As it turns out she sees him sooner and more regularly than she expects, but will he remember all of her secrets and more importantly will he tell anyone?
You can't help but feel sorry for Emma here, she reveals all her secrets to someone and then has to face them every day knowing that he knows everything about her! He knows her code words for things like sneaking out of work to get coffee with her friend and that she tried to kill her colleagues plant and some much more embarrassing than that. I found it quite funny and you think it is going to be predictable but then something happens which I wasn't expecting! Definitely worth a read.

There are a few more but this post was getting too long!
Have you read any of these books and what did you think of them?

X

First impressions Friday

Hi guys!
As well as sample sunday, I am also going to be starting a first impressions friday for those products that I buy rather than get a sample of.  I will be doing a first impressions post the first time I try the product and then doing a full updated review after I have used the product for a few weeks.

The first product I am going to do a first impressions post on is the herbal essences nearly naked dry shampoo.
I loved the batiste dry shampoo for dark hair, but I found that it made my scalp very itchy! Constantly itching my head all day is not a look I want to be going for so I thought I would give this one a try.  It claims to be invisible, which I was actually quite excited about!
I used it for the first time on saturday, and the first thing that I noticed was how difficult it is to spray.  I am probably just being very weak, but it took both hands to get the button to press down, this made it very difficult to spray it where I wanted it.  I ended up just spraying the front of my hair rather than the back too as I couldn't reach there with both hands, and even after a few sprays I couldn't spray it with just one hand.  I am hoping this is going to ease up a little bit or I am not going to use this very often.
The second thing that I noticed was the smell.  Oh my word it smells gorgeous! It's perfumey but in a good way, everytime the wind (or air con) blew my hair I was getting a waft of the smell and it was so lovely!! I actually am very impressed with it for that reason.
The product itself did actually come out invisible, so there were no telltale white marks in my hair, and no telltale brown marks on my face!!It seemed to work really quickly and my hair looked less greasy immediately.

Overall, I do love this product but I wish that it was easier to spray!!
Will update soon
x

#samplesunday dior star foundation

hi guys!
Someone came up with a pretty good idea about doing mini reviews on samples ( I can't remember who it was but I do remember that she is doing it on instagram) and I thought it was a really good idea and so have decided to do my own Sample Sunday.  This won't be a weekly thing as I don't have that many samples left, but I will only post about them on a Sunday.  It is going to be a mini review of the product and kind of a first impressions post as with samples you only usually get a couple of uses out of them.

My first Samples Sunday is going to be on the Dior Star foundation.

In the cosmo magazine (or glamour I can't remember which one but it was one of them) they gave a little card entitling you to a free 7 day sample of the Dior Star foundation and a colour match.  I got very excited about this, if you follow me on twitter you will know that I tweeted quite a bit about this, and I convinced LJ to come with me to our nearest Boots store that stock Dior.  I was that excited I actually went after a night shift so I was pretty knackered but thought it was going to be worth it.
The device they use to colour match suggested a colour that the two girls on the counter disagreed with, they tested it on about 7 different parts of my face and got the same result every time but decided to go against that and choose the colour they thought was a better match.  I was a bit dubious about this as what is the point in having a device that matches the colour if they aren't going to listen to it?
Anyway, I thought I would try the sample out yesterday as I was at an interview on Friday and wanted to wear a foundation that I knew I liked, so Saturday it was.

Firstly, the sample was smaller than I was expecting seen as it said it was a 7 day sample.  It came with a leaflet stating that the best way to wear the Star foundation was to use the Star primer and the Dior backstage blender, which I think is meant to be like the beauty blender.  I don't have either of these so I did just apply it over my Smashbox primer and with my real Techniques brush.
The first thing I noticed was the colour, it was way too dark for me, but I thought if I blended it a little it might look okay.  No.  I looked orange!! In the end I applied my usual foundation over the top as i didn't have time to take it all off and start again.  It is a slightly more liquid texture than the no7 foundation, but is thicker than the chanel foundation that I have.  The coverage seemed to be medium, but will probably be buildable.  It seemed to blend quite nicely with the real techniques brush, but it was a very dewy finish that I got.  I like matte finishes as I have oily skin, so I wasn't too impressed with the finish.  It would probably be okay with a setting powder but obviously I applied foundation over the top so I didn't have the chance to use a powder with it.  I would say from the five minutes that I was wearing it alone, it would probably be more suited to people with dryer skin.
I will point out though that wearing both foundations together made my skin look stunning!! If a little too dewy for my liking.
I will try this product again in a colour more suited to my skin tone as I think it could be nice for the summer weather or when I go on holiday.

x

Shower routine before interview

Hi guys!
As you know I love the soap & glory breakfast scrub and have used it every day for the past month or so, but I have a very important interview tomorrow and so I wanted to make sure that I smelled amazing! I thought I would do a quick.post as to what products I used for my pre interview shower.

I started by using the garnier ultimate blends shampoo and conditioner with argan oils and camellia oil as they are amazing and leave my hair silky and smooth! They also smell pretty nice too!

I leave the conditioner in my hair while I wash my face and body. I used the scrub of your life and clean on me, both by soap & glory as I love the smell and I think it smells more fresh than the breakfast scrub, and more like a good interview smell!
I used sanctuary hot cloth cleanser on my face as I want to use it all up before I start the liz earle one properly. I used a pink flannel from primark to wash it off as the cloth that came with it is being washed.
For the first time in ages I used a body butter after the shower and I used soap & glory the righteous butter as it smells like the clean on me shower gel and smells so gorgeous!

I tried to keep the scents all the same so that none were competing with each other and there wouldn't be any weird combination of smells!

do you do anything different to your shower routine when you have a big day?

X

No7 pedicure set

Hi guys!
Just before the start of the summer I realised that my feet were embarrassing. I had dried skin all over them, on the soles, on the heels and even along the side! Nothing was working, I applied foot cream (soap & glory heel genius) and the skin wasn't getting any better. Until LJ bought me a pedicure set.
It's amazing! It is hand held and battery operated, and has four different heads. One is a pumice stone, two are used for filing and one is a buffer. After just two uses of this (while my skin was soft after being in the shower) my feet were amazing.  The difference was both shocking and impressive! I use it once a week now and my feet are the best they have ever been! (Although I do also use soap and glory breakfast scrub on them while in the shower which probably also helped).
I can't recommend this product enough and I know that without it my feet would have been too embarrassing to be on show! I have been able to wear sandals and flip flops this summer thanks to no7!

Have you tried this product or something similar?
X

Get ready with me updated

Hi guys!
I thought it would be a good idea to do an updated get ready with me routine.  I am only going to be talking about what I use on my face but obviously I brush my teeth and wash my underarms etc.

Every two days I use the clinique exfoliator for oily skin, I don't use this every day as I think it would be too harsh but any less than that and I'm not too sure of the benefits.
After this, or on the days that I don't use the exfoliator this is the first step, I use the first step of the clinique 3 step system. On the days that I don't exfoliate I use the champneys brush along with the soap, and then rinse off with a damp flannel, I don't use the brush on the days that I use the exfoliator as I think it would be too much for my sensitive skin.
I use the clarifying lotion, and then the moisturiser that are both part of the clinique three step system. 

This is all I do but my skin is so smooth and nice recently that I don't want to change anything. 
After about 5 minutes I apply my makeup primer and leave that while I straighten my hair.

This is my morning routine currently and is a lot less products than I have used in the past.
I have noticed that I have been using everything clinique recently which is weird for me as I tend to use different brands but I am loving my routine atm.

Do you use any of these products?
X

Get unready with me..not a shower night

Hi guys!
My morning and evening routines have recently changed so this is the most up to date routine!

Firstly, I use clinique take the day off balm to take my makeup off. I use a small amount and rub it lightly all over my face and eyes (I tend to get panda eyes at this part), then I use a damp flannel to wipe it off. I am actually very impressed with how much makeup this removes as even the hot cloth cleanser doesn't remove all of my mascara like this does.
I then use the clinique three step system. Unlike on a morning, I use a flannel to rinse this off rather than the champneys brush as I don't like to overuse it. I pat my face dry and then use the second step of the three step system which is the clarifying lotion.
I then use the moisturising gel. If I have the no7 advanced protect and prevent serum I will apply this before the moisturiser but I ran out of this a few days ago and haven't got round to purchasing a new one yet.

This is all I do on a night time now. It may still seem like a lot but it's actually not very many products and I am happy with it. My skin has never been so good and I have actually been confident enough to be in the house without wearing makeup lately.

What do you do for a night time routine?
X

Products I regret buying

Hi guys!
I thought I would do a post all about the products that I wouldn't purchase again, as I have done my monthly favourites for august so I wanted to show the products that I haven't loved.

B.right by benefit
I really wanted to love the skincare range by benefit but I bought the sample sized versions and I'm so happy that I didn't buy the full sized ones. The thing that most stood out for me was the smell, they all smelled the same but for some reason I hated it so I didn't look forward to using them. The packaging was flimsy too, as the caps of the bottles kept breaking, which isn't very good for a more high end product. The facial wash and polish left my face clean but no more than other cheaper products and I didn't really like the moisturiser as it felt like my face was overly greasy and as i already have oily skin this wasn't good for me.

Benefit erase paste
This is another benefit product that i regret buying. I had high hopes for this product as the advertisement i saw made it seem like a miracle product and the reviews I read were all good. But I have very dark circles under my eyes sometimes as i don't get very much sleep, and although this product is very thick it didn't cover the circles as much as I would have hoped and it settled in the creases after a few hours.  I kept trying this and even used eye primer under it and makeup setting spray above it, but nothing helped. There are many cheaper concealers on the market that work better.

Soap & glory it's about prime
I wanted to try an eye primer as my eyeshadows usually don't last all day, and I was into soap & glory at the time so I bought this one in white. I bought white as I haven't managed to do a smokey eye that doesn't make me look like I have a black eye yet, so didn't think there was a point in buying the grey one. Unfortunately, this primer doesn't make my eyeshadow last any longer and also accumulates into the crease of my eye itself and so is a bit of a waste of money.  I have tried using more and less, and nothing helps. It was at this time that I got benefit stay don't stray eye primer which works amazingly so I couldn't help but compare the two and this one just didn't match up.

No7 beautifully matte primer
I had used this primer years ago and lived it but then didn't buy it again until about a year ago. When I bought it the second time i just wasn't impressed at all. It didn't keep my skin matte like promised and it was a bit hard to apply. It seems to dry on impact with the skin, or is just really thick that I found it nearly impossible to spread. I ended up using a flat foundation brush to apply it which worked better than using my fingers, and honestly it left my skin matte immediately but wasn't long lasting especially if I applied makeup over the top. I didn't even use the whole tube of this before I bought another primer. I haven't thrown this out yet but I doubt I would repurchase it.

Thea skincare
I didn't purchase this, I was sent it to try but after only two uses I couldn't use these anymore. As some of you may know I have a thing about smells. If my skincare smells bad I can't stand using it and these products smelled so bad! Like an earthy smell, not something I want to smell on a morning!! The wash didn't leave me feeling clean, the exfoliator didn't leave me feeling smooth and the smell of the moisturiser lingered for far too long. I would not purchase these products myself but I am in no way saying these won't work for some people. I understand the appeal of the brand as they only use natural products, but I just can't stand them.

Revlon colorstay ultimate suede
I got this in the colour socialite, and while I love the colour I don't like the product. As soon as I apply this my lips feel really dry and I have to apply a balm over the top or my lips become quite painful. The colour doesn't last very long and I do have to top up regularly throughout the day which disappointed me as I thought it was meant to be a colorstay product. My lips are quite soft and smooth usually as I do have a lip treatment on every night but I have found that when I apply this product, as well as looking dry it looks as though it sinks into the lines in my lips (which I didn't know I had). I wouldn't buy this again and I was very disappointed after the good reviews I had read. This product also made my lips feels a bit sticky for about 10 minutes after application which was unexpected and not very nice.

Revlon colorstay moisture stain
I got this in the colour London posh as it was the colour that I thought was the most wearable out of the ones available in my local boots. This was in a two for a tenner deal with the colorstay ultimate suede. I had read loads of reviews about this product, and everyone was raving about it! It seemed as if every blogger had tried this product and loved it so I was super excited to give it a go. Unfortunately I hated it from the very first application! To me, this product is stocky which everyone had said it wasn't.  It is probably just me but it did make my lips very sticky, and this is something I don't like in a lip product. I like my lips to be smooth and soft not sticky so I didn't like it straight away but thought I would keep giving it a go incase it was just me but it didn't get any better. This product also didn't seem to leave a stain on my lips at all which was one of the reasons that I initially wanted it so that I wouldn't have to keep topping up throughout the day. I was very unhappy with this and will not be purchasing again.

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

August favourites 2014

Hi guys!
Well it's that time again, time for my monthly favourites!! Can't believe it's September already!

Skincare

Clinique take the day off balm
this is a new product that I bought last month to take my makeup off on a night and I fell in love with it! It comes in a pretty purple tub with a silver lid and is a solid white balm that melts a little when you touch it. Only a small amount is needed and I love it as it takes all of my makeup including the benefit they're real mascara!

B.liv by cellnique wash, serum and mask
I have done a post and a video on this range and I love them all! I won't go into detail here as I did a full review but I love the smell of them and they make my skin smell and look amazing!

Makeup

Smash box primer for oily skin
I also bought this last month, but I like it more than the one I was using previously. It helps to keep my makeup matte for a little bit longer, and makes my skin feel so smooth! Only a pea sized amount is needed.

Nail varnish

Rose hip by Barry m
This is a new purchase and it is such a beautiful colour! It is part of the gelly shine range and is a very very pale pink colour. I actually thought that it was going to be more of a natural colour but it pleasantly surprised me.

General things
TV shows and movies and books

House
I know that this is finished now and has been for a while but I have started watching it from the beginning again and I am addicted! I have seen them all before but I still find myself getting sucked into each case and the underlying story lines!

Wedding night by Sophie kinsella
I have read this before when it first came out but decided that I wanted to read it again as although I have a kindle, every now and again I like to read a real book that I can touch! This story is funny and I couldn't put it down! It is about a woman who goes through a breakup and gets married to someone she had a fling with 15 years previously, her sister and his friend think it's a bad idea and try to stop it from happening. I won't say anything else as I don't want to spoil it but it is so good!

The inbetweeners 2
I loved the first film, and this one is probably just as funny! Even LJ thought it was funny and he claims not to even like the inbetweeners! This one is set in Australia and is such a good film you can't help but laugh out loud!

Candles

Baby powder Yankee candle
I love the smell of baby powder and I love Yankee candles so when I saw this I became obsessed! There was an offer on so we got the biggest candle there was for the price of the small one. It has approximately 90 hours of burning time and although I used it non stop while I was in the house for about 5 days only a small amount from the top has been used. The thing that I love most about Yankee candles is that the whole of the candle melts while burning, not just the middle of it.

@prettyinpeach04