Blogtober day 14: A/W14 lipstick favourite

So we all know lipstick is very important. And if you didn't know that, or you don't own any, where have you been hiding!? But seriously. I could spend every penny I own on lipsticks, high end or drug store brands. A lipstick will always been found in my bag or my pocket, and it will most probably be a red/pink colour. 

I've been trying to find a favourite in my collection that represents October, autumn and the weather, and I found this little beauty.

This is Rimmel London Kate, in the colour 107. I can assure you, this will be my favourite lipstick until winter is over!! 

It lasts a long time, is highly pigmented, glides on, looks matte and feels moisturising. There are around £6 I believe, but this one was a gift last Christmas. 

Until next time lovelies x

Benefit review: They're Real Liner

This little beauty recently made it's way into my makeup bag, and I seriously will never take it out!

Being a huge fan of Benefit, the little deals like this make having new makeup that little bit more exciting. The last time I purchased the They're real mascara I got a free travel size, and then this time I was given the little box, it had a free liner and remover in it, The real steal all for £19.50, definitely a bargain for Benefit cosmetics!

I personally am not the biggest fan of eye liner. In fact you could say I really loath the pesky little products. But then I tried this Benefit they're real push-up liner and my whole perspective of eye liner changed! I know, I know, sounds a little dramatic, but i'm being 98% serious! This is only because I still prefer the natural look without liner, but if I was to ever wear a liner on a more important day, or a night out, this is the one I shall be reaching for.

It has the same design and packaging as the They're real mascara , the sleek black little box and the recommendations from previous customers on the side. The side of the box states that 91% of people said it was long lasting. I agree that it is long lasting, but it does smudge when you touch it, takes a really really long time to dry (then again maybe this is because i'm not used to wearing liners). 86% said it hugged the lash line. It definitely hugged the lash line! it was ridiculously easy to apply, and thats coming from someone who never wears these kinds of products. I would highly recommend this product to any first timers who want to try a liner, or even any body who is looking to try a new eye liner or make-up look! 

The applicator is really soft and flexible, making it easy to draw right above the lash line. The liner is gel, so glides on very softly and the shape of the pen makes it as easy to draw as is it to write your own name. 

The liner alone is £18.50 and available now in store and online.

Until next time lovelies x

Bumble and Bumble: The Surf Set

So 90% of the bloggers I follow have used or experienced a Bumble and Bumble haircare product, and I thought it was about time to join in. A few weeks ago I purchased the mini travel Bumble and Bumble: The Surf Set from Boots. This was quite pricey at £18, but all Bumble and Bumble products are sadly so expensive, and the miniatures are the best way to try out products after all!

The travel set includes three miniature samples, these include surf foam wash shampoo, surf creme rinse conditioner and surf spray. 

The shampoo, you are meant to dab into wet hair, not rub into the scalp or hair. I did this part wrong (always read the label) but nevertheless, it worked wonders! The conditioner was meant to be left in for a full 2/3 minutes, and again I didn't read the label and washed it out after a minute or so. 

I dried my hair and then sprayed a little bit of the surf spray. Not expecting any of the products to do anything for my long and thin hair, i got ready for the day and headed to the train station. I went on trains, tackled rain storms and even on the second day my hair was feeling a little different. This difference was that it actually had volume, and volume that stayed and worked!! 

These three little pricey products are amazing, and definitely worth all the hype that they have been receiving! They have also lasted quite a long time, I have very long hair and need to used a lot of shampoo and conditioner for it, but these have managed to last a good 2/3 weeks, and the surf spray is still going strong. 

Even though summer is coming to an end and surf style hair is not one for winter, I will definitely be purchasing the full size of the surf spray to keep up the volume in my hair. I highly recommend this if you struggle to find products that work in your hair, and even if it is expensive, this brand is certainly one to look out for.

Until next time lovelies x

July Favourites: Benefit, flowers and Simple skincare

Hello, lovelies! 

Once again it is favourites time, and this month includes beauty and non-beauty, little mix up there! Also, I forgot to take a main picture for the heading of this blog, so you have to scroll down to see what my favourites are, instead of cheating and seeing them all in a little banner (sneaky).

Starting this post off with a lovely bunch of flowers. Last weekend I went to visit my friend, Kim in Leeds. When we went for lunch there was a lady with a beautiful bunch of sunflowers, and naturally myself and Kim really wanted flowers! So after lunch we walked down to Sainsburys and found these little precious pink rose buds for only £3.50 and they also came in other colours such as yellow roses and orange. I put these straight into a vase which is actually my mothers, but they small beautiful and also bring a bit more colour to my room. So flowers have definitely been a favourite of mine this month, bringing colour to every dull day.

Now down to business with the beauty stuff! 

First up, Erase Paste from Benefit, and I cannot speak more highly about this amazing brightening concealer! This little friend of mine has helped me through stress skin, travel skin, dull skin, dry skin, you name it ! I recommend this concealer to all of my friends, and I do not think there is a concealer to date as good as this. I have also had this since September last year and no matter how much I use, and I would say I use this quite a lot, it still looks hardly used, because you need only a little bit every time. You are meant to warm your fingers and rub it with them, but I use a concealer brush from Real Techniques. Last comment on this, as well as the fact that if you don't own this you should really get up and go buy some RIGHT NOW, but I have had comments that my skin looks flawless whilst wearing this.

Next beauty product comes along with a lot of summer loving and sunshine. If you live in England you will understand how lovely and warm it has been these past few weeks, if you do not live in England, i'm pretty jealous you get sunshine a lot more than we do! basically, my skins looks 0.09% more tanned than it usually would, so i'm making the most of this tiny little tan and using lovely pale and nude coloured lips to match the tiny tan. Obviously if you have a good tan this will look even better. But this little blend of Peach Blossom from MAC and A-Lister from Benefit have done me well over the last month. I cannot get over how amazing and natural this little combination creates. 

Skincare this month I have kept to a minimum, just because it's been a lot warmer, and less makeup needed to be used, I wanted to stick to products I knew worked well on my skin to avoid breakouts. However, a few new products I tried didn't fail me, and when it came to rating them out of ten this next product definitely gets a strong 9.5. These Johnson's face care gentle eye make-up removal pads work a dream. You take a pad out, place it over your eye, with very gentle pressure, and sweep away the mascara and any other makeup in seconds! I know there has been quite expensive eye make-up removers released last month such as Benefits They're Real eye make-up remover, but I was looking for a very good drug store alternative because I do not think I can handle splashing the cash on even more Benefit skincare, it's a little pricey. However, these removal pads are only £3.25 and definitely did not break my bank account. 

This skincare product I over used last month and still has a really good amount of liquid left in the bottle. This is Simple kind to skin Moisture Boost Hydrating Mist. Again this did not break the bank, it was only £5.99. This little hydrating mist is for when it's really hot and muggy and your makeup starts to slip or your face is just really hot, you give your face a few sprays of this and there you have it. A cool, sweat free, moisturised and hydrated face in a few sprays! The spray also includes lotus flower to work on tired and dull skin so it can be used over or under, or even without makeup.

Then back to non-beauty favourites, I have visited Kim quite a few times last month and every time we go out for lunch. Although my favourite place has to be a new cafe that has just opened in Headingley, Leeds called Munch and it's run by two lovely ladies. We've tried out a lot of cute and quirky cafe's but this one is at the top of our list. So on Sunday morning we woke up and decided to go out for breakfast (little did we know it was something like national friendship day). We scanned the breakfast menu and both chose very quickly, the prices were very affordable, considering the cafe is in a student village anyway. The food was amazing and I think we will definitely be spending a lot of mornings there dining with breakfast. 

Lastly, I'm still jogging, and i've still kept up all the healthy eating and exercise (round of applause) even though it has been quite hard whilst attending children's birthday parties, travelling and going out for lunches/picnics. However, I've made a few little friends along a new jogging route I found, it's a very quiet jogging route because it's behind some factories so there is only ever the odd car the drives down the path I jog on. There is a training field for horses and there are two adults and two ponies. i see these most mornings and evenings when I go for a jog, and have definitely become my new little friends.

I hope you had an amazing July, until next time lovelies x

May Favourite

I realise its the middle of June, and too late to do a May favourites, but keeping on top of the favourites game means blogging them very month right?

First item on my May favourite list is a book, and a very popular book at that! The Fault in our Stars is an extremely popular book for teens and young adults, based on a girl (Hazel-Grace) who is suffering a terminal illness, also known as Cancer. This novel is actually a breath-taking and emotional roller coaster for all readers, a love story, a life problem, a travelling experience and teenage life all crushed between a paperback cover. On a serious note though, if you have not read this, you ARE missing out, and you need to go to your local waterstones, WHSMITHS or book store and purchase it quickly! Side Note: I purchased mine for £2.99 from Sainsburys)

I started reading this last summer but never really got into it, then picked it up again a few weeks ago and became instantly hooked (also the little matter that i prefer to read books before watching the movies). Big high-five for John Green here!

Next up, the little pink trio of beauty products. And yes, a Benefit product is included (surprise, surprise). The Rimmel London Match Perfection blush is an old make up item that I came across when clearing through my dressing table, I was never a big fan of this, and the thin plastic case would always crack and I was scared of the product smashing and crumbling when I travelled. However, I've given it a second chance and it was the best choice I've made in a while. It includes three different shades of pink, and blended together give a little shimmer, and pink pop to the apples of your cheeks, definitely a 'must try' if you've never had this before.

Secondly, Barry M Gelly High Shine Nail Paint in the colour Rose Hip. I've never been one for Barry M until I tried this product, still not a fan of the normal nail polishes in this collection, but i'm a sucker for the Gelly High Shines! It literally stays on for so long, at least a good 7 days, no chips, no cracks, no smudges.

Lastly, Benefit colour Collection ultra-plush lip gloss in the shade A-Lister (Bubblegum Pink), this is just a perfect colour for the spring/summer little glowing bronzed tan everyone been catching from the little tiny bit of English weather this past few weeks.

And then the strange one, I suffer from migraines quite badly, and have for such a long time, but recently the doctors gave me a new medication to try and reduce these migraines. This is Propanolol, and seriously works wonders! All you migraine sufferers out there, try this little working wonder!

Until next time x

The BEST body exfoliator in the world!

I'm not one for going out and randomly buying a product, but this one I do not regret! 

I wondered in to Boots baring in mind that I needed to buy a body exfoliator because my skin was getting really dry! The first brand that popped into mind was then Soap and Glory, so over to the Soap and glory section we went and I ended up walking away with this little beauty. 

My skin is fairly dry, I suffer from eczema and when I don't look after my skin and moisturise daily I get break outs! Therefore I avoid using products my skin is not used to at all costs! But desperate times call for desperate measures right? 

Myself and two of my friends spent a good 15 minutes just smelling all of the products before we even decided on which exfoliator to choose! Guys, if you've never smelt a soap and glory product before, you're really missing out!! I then read the labels (obviously to make sure I was getting the product!) and decided on this smoothie star exfoliator with pieces of oats and sugar. It also has a scent of maple syrup, which makes it smell of breakfast porridge. AMAZING!! 

I have used this for two weeks before deciding to blog about it, didn't want to give anyone a false impression of the product! It does no harm to my skin, it's a natural body scrub and leaves skin feeling so fresh and soft, definitely summer ready. 

I haven't used this in every shower because I didn't want it to rub away all my natural skin oils and all that jazz. But literally the small scoop will cover my whole body. This products was £8 and there was an offer of 3 for 2, but I bailed on the offer because I haven't really tried many products from this brand and wanted to be safe with my skin! 

Let me know if there are any skin products from soap and glory, or other popular beans you have tried? I would still like to try and experiment with a few others :) 

x

Make up bag lipsticks

These lipsticks are the ones that I keep in my make up bag, they are essential pink colours I use for every occasion and travel around with! 

First up are my two, and only, MAC cosmetic lipsticks! 

Firstly, is the very popular Ruby Woo. Every girl I know that owns a MAC lipstick owns Ruby Woo, so naturally this was the first ever MAC lipstick I purchased. It's very dry because it's matte, so lips MUST be moisturised before applying. The lipstick is very pigmented and completely worth £15. 

Then comes the second MAC lipstick, Peach Blossom. 

This lipstick I wanted for a while, and decided I should definitely invest in it when I saw Lily Pebbles from www.lilypebbles.co.uk did a blog on it. When I took it home and tried it on my lips (I did do a swap on my hand in store before buying) I noticed it was a very pale pink and not at all like the colour it looks in the stick! It's a very natural, lip colour shade, and when I wear it it just blends in to my lips and it's not noticeable that I'm wearing lipstick. However, it does look amazing on girls with naturally holiday tanned skin, this also being £15

The third lipstick is a Paul and Joe lipstick.

 I'm not 100% what this shade is called, or if it's still available! It's from the SS13 limited edition carousel cosmetic line. This has a carousel horse engraved in the side of the lipstick, the pigmentation in  this is outstanding, and you can choose your own style of case. The lipstick cases vary from cats, to butterflies and flowers, but I obviously chose the cat! I know this was very pricey, the lipstick refill was around £16-£18 and the case was £5-£8.

Next up is a Topshop lipstick that stands out in my collection because it's the only one not pink/red! 

This is very strongly coloured, and I only apply it apply lightly!! It is a dark brown colour, but this surprisingly pulls of as an autumnal colour, and a mid summer colour (depending on the attire). 

Next in line is my all time favourite and most used lipstick, a natural collection from boots. 

The only thing I remember about this lipstick is it is very old! My Nanna purchased this for me years and years ago when I was around 7/8 years old to use for my dance shows. Dance show make up then, and still now consists of wearing bright red lipstick to make your face pop on camera. I have no idea how much this was, but now I'm a lot older and in love with red lipsticks, it's my most favourite lip product! It moisturises lips, it's VERY long lasting (I mean it stays on for at least 9/10 hours, battles through eating and drinking) and sadly is no longer available. 

This next lipstick was bought in an attempt to find another natural collection lipstick as good as the one above! 

Sadly, this is not very long lasting, or as pigmented as the wild red one. However, it's a lovely bright pink colour which I barely use, but just like to keep incase I need it. 

Everyone has a Rimmel London Kate lipstick! I have 4, but I kept my recently most loved one at home because it's snapped (comment below of you knows how to fix this!? :( ).

Both of this have a lot of colour, but are not long lasting, however, they smell amazing so that makes up for it all!! I use both of these quite a lot and they just seem to go wth everything, any weather, any make up style and definitely a must have in your make up bag! 

What are your favourite lipsticks? x