summer wish list

Clockwise from top left: Essie Nail Polish in Turquoise and Caicos, Daisy Floral Bomber Jacket from Topshop, Origins A Perfect World World BB Tinted Moisturiser, Black Strappy Wedges from River Island, Denise Tunic from Monki, Everard Skirt from Aubin and Wills, Enamel Etched Triangle Earrings from Urban Outfitters, Estee Lauder Pure Colour Gloss Stick in Orange Poppy

Hurry up summer! I can't stop dreaming of being able to wear shorts and skirts without the need for thick tights and to be able to venture outside without having to debate whether to bring my umbrella or not. However, on the other hand, I don't know if I'm quite ready to have to keep my legs stubble free 24/7 and to keep my toe nails prim and painted (mmm cold and rain is good for laziness)... So to try and get in the mood for summer (how is it nearly June?!) I've put together a little wish list of more summer appropriate bits and bobs.

• Now I 100% don't need any more nail varnish but this doesn't stop me wanting this incredible turquoise polish from Essie. It doesn't look like much in the bottle but definitely Google some swatches as it's so beautiful on. I'd happily wear this on my fingers and toes all summer.
• This daisy print jacket would look perfect with some high waisted denim shorts and little sandals for a stroll in the park. It's also really handy to have a little summer jacket like this around as, well... the English summer weather can be unpredictable to say the least.
• I'm really enjoying using my No7 BB Cream again at the moment and it's the only one I've tried so I'm keen to give some other ones a go. I loves Origins skincare and I like to think that this would not only make my skin look brilliant while it was on, but make my skin healthier in the long run. I've heard some great reviews of this too!
• These wedges from River Island would be great to wear out at night in the summer. I'm not going to pretend that I'll stop wearing black in the warmer months as that would just not be true - these wedges would look great with black leggings and a black tunic!
• I actually think this Monki blouse would look great with the River Island wedges. This would also be fab over denim shorts or again with leggings if it's a little chillier.
• This skirt makes me want to go on holiday so much! The idea of wearing a little white cami tucked in to this and then walking down a beach barefoot is my idea of heaven right now. The print is beautiful.
• I can't really put my finger on what I love about these earrings from Urban Outfitters but I just think they're a really interesting shape. In the summer I scrape my hair up in to a bun a lot and I think dangly earrings can look great when your hair's up.
• If you read my post a few days ago (which you can look at here) then you'll know that I'm obsessed with lip products at the moment. I really want one of these sheer gloss sticks from Estee Lauder but I don't know if I'd be able to decide which colour - they all look so pretty!

What's on your summer wish list?

xx

face of the day: natalie from made in chelsea

Haha can I point out that I don't have a wrinkly forehead or one eyebrow higher than the other...  I just seem to have  to raise one eyebrow when I smile for a picture and this is usually hidden by my fringe - nice!

When I was watching Made in Chelsea on Monday night (oh the drama!) I was thinking to myself how lovely some of the girls' make up looked. Millie, Louise and Natalie especially always manage to look so natural and pretty and, like me, they're a lover of all things neutral when it comes to eye make up. In particular, I really liked Natalie's make up on Monday night's programme. Natural glowy skin with very slightly defined upper lashes - beautiful! Obviously this is just an inspired look so I'm never going to look quite as flawless or have locks that bouncy and flowing (sigh) but I'd thought I'd give it a shot.

As I said all the girls in Made in Chelsea have such glowing and healthy looking skin so after applying the Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer I used a combination of the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 51 and the No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Normal/Dry Skin in Fair. Now normally I would perhaps just use the No7 BB Cream but over the past few days my skin has gone crazy (I think due to the stress of exams and eating naughty things) so I just wanted a little extra coverage but still with the finish of a BB cream. Also as I wanted a little more coverage I used a traditional flat foundation brush which I very rarely do. Usually I always use a buffing brush or stippling brush for my foundation but I find a traditional foundation brush really allows you to lay more product on to the skin and hide any unwanted areas more effectively.

To conceal my gazillion spots and in particular the really nice volcano right in the centre of my forehead I used my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair. Then for under my eyes and around my nose I chose the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory. I find that this is great for the under eye area as it really brightens any darkness. Finally to finish off my foundation and concealer I took a very small brush and only powdered the areas that need to stay in place such as around my nose, under my eyes and any spots. For this I used the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent.

Step two in getting the perfect Made in Chelsea skin definitely requires some bronzer. When don't you see the girls with a healthy looking tan? As I haven't jetted off to Dubai any time recently (or ever for that matter) I made do with using some Soleil Tan de Chanel. Natalie doesn't have much contouring so I simply used a stippling brush to apply the bronzer all over my cheeks and up to my temples rather than creating any more of a defined structure. To carry on the bronzey cheek theme I used a little bit of tangerine coloured blusher. The one I actually used is a very old one I found in my blusher collection by L'Oreal Paris but after a little look on the internet I don't actually think it's available any more and all the information has rubbed off the back... Anything tangerine or peachy coloured will do on the cheeks but don't use too much as Natalie doesn't seem to be wearing much blusher at all (I had to restrain myself as if you've read my blog before you may have realised that I can be quite heavy handed on the cheeks!) To be honest you could probably leave out any blusher but this is something I'd definitely struggle to do haha.

I kept my brows very simple and natural looking by using my trusty Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Soft Blonde to just fill in any gaps and extend them a bit. I didn't really change my natural brow shape as I didn't want them to look unnatural or drawn on. I then slicked a little ELF Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara on to keep any unruly hairs in place.

On to the eyes! This was actually what I liked most about her make up. It doesn't look like much but that's the genius of it - it's so simple it's perfect haha! I also love how round Natalie's eyes are and I really think she knows how to work with her eye shape, she makes them look even wider and prettier. First I swept a little of the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Ivory all across my lids just to even the colour of them out. I then put some of Urban Decay's Naked Eyeshadow in to the outer part of my crease and blended thoroughly as I only wanted the tiniest amount of definition here. Along my upper lash line I then used an Avon Colour Trend Kajal Stick in Brown. To make my eyes appear rounder I only took the eye liner about two thirds of the way along my lash line and made sure that it was thickest in the middle of the line as this can make your eyes appear wider. I chose brown instead of black as I didn't want a harsh black line and I also used my ring finger to smudge the liner in to my lashes a little. I then used some of the UNE Skin-Glow Pencil in G01 along my lower water line to open my eyes as much as possible! After curling my lashes I chose to use the Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black. I only applied this to my upper lashes as Natalie doesn't seem to have any on her lower ones.

Finally to finish the look off, on my lips I first applied a little lip balm then took some of the MUA Lipstick in Shade 16 on my finger and rubbed it across my lips so the colour was nice and sheer.

Are you a fan of the girls' make up on Made in Chelsea? I'm not obsessed with the programme but I'm definitely obsessed with their make up!

xx

recent happenings #5

revision fun / new favourite drink! / perhaps more make up than necessary for an exam / exam timetable wah / friday night wagamamas (firecracker prawns) / blue skys at islington green / tastiest fruit salad ever!

Hello! I'm so sorry that I haven't posted for a couple of days but revision is taking over my life! I had two exams last week which went okay - three to go :( As you can see, nothing's really happened this week but how wild can it get when you're in the library 24/7? I treated myself to a Wagamamas on Friday after my exam which was as yummy as usual and then went to work on Saturday... exciting stuff! 

If you have exams at the moment then good luck! Anyway, back to the library...

xx

face of the day: back to the liner

As I've mentioned before, and you've probably noticed from my recent posts, I haven't been wearing liquid eye liner much lately. I used to think my face looked odd without it but I'm beginning to feel that I look so much fresher and less over done in the day time when I'm liner-free. However, last week I put some on and loved how it looked! Paired with a neutral coloured lip and eyeshadow I didn't feel like I was wearing too much make up at all.

On my face I used Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer which I'm really starting to like, I think I'll do a review on it soon! I then used Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla and put a little Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory under my eyes. I set my foundation on my nose and chin with Natural Collection Loose Powder in Neutral Translucent - I'd forgotten how good this was! I finished my skin off with some MAC Breath of Plum Blush and ELF Blush Highlighter in Gotta Glow.

I tidied my brows up with my Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Soft Blonde (I can't stop using this at the moment!) and set any naughty hairs in place with my trusty ELF Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara.

On to the eyes! As I said, I only wanted a really neutral eyeshadow with minimal shimmer so I chose my Revlon Colourstay Eyeshadow Palette in Addictive as it's perfect for that. The four colours are so great for everyday use. All over my lid I used the top right eyeshadow, which is a very slightly shimmery light grey. I then defined my crease with the bottom right shadow which is a mid-toned matte brown. For the all important liquid eye liner I used the Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Black. This is such a great high street gel eye liner which is really pigmented and doesn't budge all day but the little brush that it comes with is so horrid and scratchy! I also added a bit of the Avon Colour Trend Kajal Stick in Black to tightline my upper waterline and make my lashes and eye liner look nice and dark. Similarly, on my lower waterline I used ELF's Eye Widener Pencil in Pearl White to open my eyes up a bit. I finished my eye make up off with the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara in Black. I recently got this free as part of an offer Rimmel have on at the moment but I'm still undecided as to whether I like it or not... It hasn't blown me away!

To finish it all off I kept my lips nice and simple and used a Jack Wills Gloss Lipstick in Rosewood which is a lovely browny rose colour.

So there we go! Do you love the look of liquid eye liner? Do you wear it everyday?

xx

five empties!

Hello!

I really love reading people's posts about products they've used up and their opinions on them, so I thought I'd jump on the band wagon and have a go myself. After all, using up all the products I have gathering dust is a fab idea! I very rarely actually finish beauty products as I always get bored and buy new things to try, so I have lots of half-used bits and bobs sitting around and waiting to be used up. Here are the last five things which I've finished.

Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish

My boyfriend bought me this exfoliator as part of a set from Benefit for my birthday last year. It was such a brilliant present and I loved both this Facial Polish and the moisturiser that came with it. The exfoliator is a thick white cream with very exfoliating particles in it which feel almost like sand. Due to the roughness of these bits, it is quite a powerful exfoliator but used sparingly once a week it made my skin feel so smooth and glowy and kept blemishes at bay. I also just looked up the Facial Polish on the Benefit website and it claims that it reduces the size of your pores too. Recently I have noticed that my pores are looking quite large so I'm now thinking that perhaps this exfoliator was tightening them. If you're after a really efficient facial polish to brighten up dull skin and make it silky smooth then I'd definitely try this. I think that I will pick it up again at some point, especially as now I'm intrigued to see whether it makes my pores smaller!

The Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish is £17.50 and can be bought at Benefit counters or online here.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Wild

I suffer a lot more with my hair being dry than greasy so I don't use dry shampoo that much. However, sometimes I do spray a little in to my hair if it's looking a bit flat in an attempt to liven it up a bit. I have no real qualms with Batiste but I do know what people mean when they say it can make your hair feel even more dirty. I also hate the whiteness that it can give as on my bright auburn hair as it can look very noticeable! As for the scent of this particular version, 'Wild' - I'm really not keen on the smell at all. It's not that I mind the actual scent particularly, it's more that it hangs around in your hair all day. I've already repurchased another can as for £2.99 you can't really complain and as I don't use dry shampoo very often it's good enough for me!

Batiste Dry Shampoo is available from most high street chemists etc/drug stores, but I picked my latest can up in Sainsburys!

17 Falsifeye Mascara

This product might be cheating a little as I didn't use this mascara up, it just dried out. However, I have bought Falsifeye a few times before so I can give you my thoughts on it. It's a great high street mascara that does give you volume to your lashes, although it can clump quite easily and definitely doesn't give you a truly false effect. Saying that, I do love the large brush as it's brilliant for grabbing all your lashes and making sure that it's applied evenly. As I said, there's nothing really wrong with this mascara - it's perfectly fine. However, I'm just not blown away by it and although it does the job there are definitely better mascaras on the high street.

17 Falsifeye Mascara is currently on offer for £4.00 at Boots.

Charlie Body Spray in Spirit

I almost feel a little embarrassed to admit I buy these cheapy body sprays, but there you go, it's out there: I do! I just find that they're great for slinging in your bag to freshen up a little at work or to take with you on a night out when you don't want to risk losing your perfume. They're also readily available in supermarkets so are so easy to grab when you're doing the food shopping. However, despite singing their praises the scent 'Spirit' isn't actually my favourite as it's a bit sweet and sickly. My favourite is actually 'Black' but I don't have any at the moment sob! I'll definitely continue to buy them as for £1.70 I think they're such good value and there is a wide range of scents available.

Charlie body sprays are £1.70 from Boots.

Soap and Glory Clean on Me Shower Gel

The bottle is so big that it was hard to photograph!

Oh my! I can't actually believe that I've finished this. It was honestly getting to the point where I thought this shower gel would never end! It's not that I'm not a huge fan of this product as I love the scent (typical Soap and Glory) so much and how moisturising it feels on my skin, it's just that I'd bought another yummy smelling shower gel a few months ago and couldn't wait to get stuck in haha (perhaps a little sad). 500ml of this has lasted me four months which I think makes it such fab value for money. I love that it's a pump bottle too as it just makes the shower gel so much easier to dispense. I will definitely buy this again at some point, but I'll perhaps take a little break as I know that starting another bottle is such a commitment!

Soap and Glory Clean on Me Shower Gel is £5.50 from Boots.

I'm going to try and work my way through lots of my half used products and try not to buy so many bits and bobs that I don't really need! Not sure how long this idea will last...

xx

face of the day: glow!

As my day yesterday simply consisted of getting my shoes reheeled, buying some new Biros and revision (wild), I wanted really neutral and natural looking make up - nothing over the top or too heavy. For me, this means getting my skin looking as glowing and flawless as possible because I think radiant cheeks and just mascara on the eyes is such a great combination.

After moisturising I applied some of the Rimmel Fix and Protect Pro Primer on and around my nose and on my chin. I don't know what's happened but recently my pores around my nose have been looking HUGE and so I picked this up yesterday in a bid to shrink those horrid craters in my face a little bit. So far so good but I'll test it out a bit more thoroughly before giving a full review. In the bid for glowing skin I also applied some L'Oreal Lumi Magique Base Concentre de Lumiere (the French name sounds so much more glamorous haha) to my cheeks and then after letting it sink it added another layer to my temples and cheekbones. While this definitely does not perfect your skin or give any coverage, the healthy glow that it gives when worn under foundation is just fab!

On to the foundation! Last Monday I picked up a sample of the Nars Sheer Glow from Selfridges and I am absolutely loving it. I only have about one application left in my little sample pot eek! I'm definitely going to go and repurchase it as I love the way it makes my skin look and feel. It makes my skin looking totally even and flawless but not flat and overly matte - I hate it when foundation takes away any natural glow. When I first applied this foundation I thought it looked really obvious, but after a couple of minutes and it's settled on to my skin it looks almost undetectable. I can't wait to get the full size! I also used a little of the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair under my eyes and anywhere where I needed any extra coverage (always the chin!), as well as using my UNE Skin Glow Pencil in G01 to take away any redness from my lower water line.

Next I applied some Soleil Tan de Chanel to the hollows of my cheeks and to the sides of my forehead with a stippling brush. Being quite pale I love the dimension this adds to my face and the sunkissed look it gives. I know that people say it can look orange and I do agree, which is why you have to be very careful to apply a little at a time to get the colour you're after. For blush I chose a 17 Blusher in First Kiss. Again this is a really glowy product and the pretty pink colour is so girly and gives a great flush to the cheeks. I think this blush and the Chanel bronzer are a fab team! I've also read that some people have said that First Kiss gives a similar effect to Nars Orgasm but obviously at a fraction of the price. After finishing my cheeks I put on a very small amount of Collection 2000 Pressed Powder in Candlelight just to my nose and chin to set my foundation. I never apply powder to anywhere else on my face as I want to keep my skin looking glowing.

I then pencilled in my eyebrows with Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Soft Blonde which is my go-to eyebrow pencil at the moment. I included it in my recent Current Favourites post so if you want to know more of my thoughts on it then click here! On my eyes I simply curled my lashes and then used the Clinique High Impact Mascara. I just have a little sample size of this from a magazine and while there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the product, I don't think I'd purchase it again as it far from blew me away and there are definitely cheaper mascaras that perform better. To highlight the inner corners of my eye and brow bone I then used an MUA Eyeshadow in Shade 1. I thought this was such a pretty highlight colour that I actually also dabbed a little on to my cheekbones.

Lastly I kept my lips very simple and used a Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in Shade 3. Although I do like the colour of this lipstick it's perhaps a little light for me as I have quite naturally pigmented lips so I warmed it up a little with an MUA Love Hearts Lip Balm in Sugar Lips which is a really pretty pink and smells incredible!

So that was my make up for the day! I'd love to know any products you use to make your skin look dewy and glowy!

xx

current favourites

I didn't want to call this my April Favourites as that sort of implies that I'll do this every month, which I can't promise I necessarily will. However, regardless of the title, here are some things which I've really enjoyed using over the past month or so.

• For a true neutral lover (and lover of shimmer!) the Naked Palette is a must. It has the perfect range of shades to take you from a pretty subtle day time look to a full on smoky eye. It's quite pricey at £36 but for the quality and the number of eyeshadows you get (12), I think it's worth every penny.
• I've already done a full review of Lancome Hypnose Drama (which you can read here), but let me just reiterate - this is the best mascara I've ever used. It's just a shame that I didn't fall for a high street one!
• While I do love my Rimmel Brow Pencil for more defined brows, when I'm after more natural looking eyebrows for everyday (which are also quicker to do) then Clinique Instant Lift for Brows is a must for me. It has a screw up brow pencil on one end and a brow bone highlight on the other. However, my brow pencil end has run out and this time I've just purchased Clinique's Superfine Liner for Brows as I wasn't so bothered about the highlight side as it seemed a little too gold toned. It's a bit more expensive than a high street brow pencil at £12 but it's the perfect colour for my very fair eyebrows!
• Again, I've done a full review on the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze which you can read here. This is just such a fab multi-use product - I love to use it on its own, as a base for eyeshadow and as a liner - just brilliant!
• Three nail polish colours which I've really enjoyed wearing recently are Models Own 'Blooboo', Barry M 'Peach Melba' and Maybelline Express Finish in 'Turquoise Lagoon'. They're all just such fun colours for spring. Have a look at them on my nails here, here and here!

• I've definitely rekindled my love for Soap and Glory's Pulp Friction Body Scrub. Not only does this stuff smell brilliant (I have to restrain myself from eating it), but it leaves my skin silky smooth! You can pick this up from Boots for £8, which I thing is a fab price considering how long it's lasting me.
• This may seem a bit of an odd choice, but I've really enjoyed using the Dr. Bronner's Magic Lavender Hand Sanitizing Spray which I got in my February Glossybox. Living in London and working in a job where I have to handle money, my hands continuously feel dirty and I find myself using a lot of hand sanitizer. I not only love the smell of this as it's less chemically smelling than others I've tried but I love that it's in a spray bottle. I also find that it doesn't leave my hands feeling as dry as others have done. I'll definitely pick up another one of these when it runs out.
• Ever since I smelled Valentina by Valentino in last month's Glossybox, I've wanted a bottle. My boyfriend treated me to some for my birthday and I can't stop using it! I'm awful at describing scents, but it's floral and girly but not too sweet. Definitely give it a smell if you get a chance as it's such a beautiful perfume.

• These jeans were really difficult to photograph so I don't think I've done them much justice, but I absolutely love them. I can't get enough of Zara at the moment and I think these leather look jeans have to be my favourite recent purchase. I can't find them online any more but they're basically identical to these. They're great to wear both in the day and for a night out and make basic outfits look so much more interesting.
• This necklace from River Island has been practically glued to my neck all month! I know everyone has these cuff style necklaces at the moment but for me this is the perfect thickness. I just love how plain it is and it looks fab especially with basic tees. It cost me £7 and it's also available in silver (umm, may have to get that...)
• Last but by no means least is my Babyliss Big Hair. This makes my hair look salon fresh and feel so healthy and bouncy - Kate Middleton would be jealous! I love how it gives my naturally very flat hair a bit of life and volume. It's perhaps a bit pricey at £45 ish (here on Amazon) but it does make the fiddly task of blow drying your hair so much easier.

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

xx

frontcover to go palette

It was very hard to take a picture of as it's so shiny!

Left to right: Pale Gold, Black Spark, Powder Puff, Wisteria

I picked this little convertible palette up from the Carnaby Street Boots yesterday as both the eyeshadows and the palette were on a crazy deal... how could I say no?! The palette itself was reduced by 75% to £1.25 and then each eyeshadow was reduced by 75% too making them £1.00. Therefore four eyeshadows and a palette cost me only £5.25 - fab!

There wasn't a huge selection left of  the eyeshadows as they're obviously just trying to sell them off now but thankfully there were lots left of the more neutral colours which I was very happy about. Also as you may have guessed by now I prefer to wear more shimmery eyeshadows, which was perfect for me as there didn't seem to be much of a selection of mattes. Here are the ones which I chose -

I picked (from left to right): Pale Gold, Black Spark, Powder Puff and Wisteria

These are all such beautiful colours and the eyeshadows themselves are so pigmented. I really can see myself getting a lot of use out of them. Pale Gold and Powder Puff are the kind of colours I wear most days on my eyes with a little lick of mascara and I can see the shimmery navy of Black Spark being fab to liven up a smoky eye for a night out. However, Wisteria is the eyeshadow which I'm most excited about. In some lights it looks silver and in others more purple toned. I can't think of another eyeshadow I have which is quite like it so I can't wait to use it!

After looking on the Frontcover website here, I'm a bit disappointed that there wasn't a few more shades available so that I could maybe have filled two palettes. Burnt Toast, Twinkling Grape, Moonstruck and Cloud Dance look especially pretty!

I just had a look on the Boots website and they do have the palettes and some eyeshadows left on there but not a huge selection. Also have a look in your local shop as for the price and the quality of the products, I really do recommend snapping them up if you get a chance!

Have you tried any Frontcover items?

xx

recent happenings #3

final essay of the year in! / cheeky Yo! Sushi by myself... / a very wet Selfridges / a naughty but beautiful treat from Selfridges - my first YSL lipstick! / soggy Canary Wharf / coffee and cake / a grey Olympic stadium / love my new top! (another Zara purchase...) / can't wait to start reading this! / a tasty dinner for my boyfriend's 21st birthday / my little purchase came from Dolly Bow Bow but the ring was too small so I need to exchange it :( / lovely candles to help me revise / I love this polish, it's so simple - LA Girl in Darling (ignore my very messy nails, I painted them on the Tube!)

As you can see I've actually ventured out a little more this week which has been brilliant! I've still got lots of revision to do so trying to divide my time between that and enjoying myself a bit as much as I can. Also, note the grey and wet theme of these photos - I'm getting sick of living in a very rainy London! 

xx

an every day make up look #2

First of all, I have to say thank you so much to all of you because I've reached 100 followers! This makes me feel so happy, as it's fab to know that people actually read my silly ramblings and it just makes it all feel a bit more worth while! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anyway, to today's post!

You know when you do your make up and then feel really happy with it all day? Well that was me on Thursday. I don't know what it exactly was about my make up, because as you can see it was very plain and neutral, but it just made me feel really feminine and pretty. (Most of you will probably be wondering what all the fuss is about haha.) In fact, I liked Thursday's make up so much that even though I wasn't going anywhere, I recreated the same look again on Friday just so I could take a picture. I'm definitely losing it.

Anyway, we'll forget about my insanity. Here's what I used:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - 51

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (under my eyes) - Ivory

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer (on any blemishes) - Fair

NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder (on my t-zone) - Translucent

Clinique Instant Lift for Brows - Soft Blonde

17 Blusher - Damson Wine

E.L.F. Shimmering Facial Whip (on my non-existent cheekbones) - Lilac Petal

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Sin (all over my eye lid), Hustle (in my crease and outer corner)

No 7 Smoky Rose Quad - Shimmery cream colour in bottom left (to highlight my inner corner and brow bone)

Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo - On and On Bronze (to line my upper lash line and smudged a little under my eye)

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mascara - Black 

Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Tint - Nothing but Nude

I absolutely love liquid eye liner, and up until about a year ago I would wear it with a little flick every day without fail. However, I also love shimmery neutral eyeshadows and I began to feel that the two together looked a bit over the top for the day time. Especially for the spring, I'm now really enjoying simply wearing pretty shimmery neutral shadows, which has also given me a bit more freedom to wear a darker or brighter coloured lip - win win!

What kind of make up are you enjoying wearing at the moment? And if any of you want reviews of any of these products then let me know!

xx

fotd: tuesday 17th april

Yes, that is my dressing gown!

Hello hello!

Here's a little peek at today's make up! I'm just doing some uni work then going to work this afternoon so I've kept my face relatively simple.

My skin was looking really dull and tired this morning (which I was sob), so I used Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation (in 100 Ivory) to make me look a bit more awake and healthier. I've been enjoying using this foundation for a little while now as it honestly does what it says on the tin and makes you look a lot brighter and more alert! I then buffed some L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Base Concentre de Lumiere across my cheekbones and temples to make my skin look even more healthy. (This product is a white pearly liquid that can be used under foundation as a radiance adding primer or as a highlighter.)

I next filled in my brows with a Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil (002 Hazel) and today decided to make them quite exaggerated and arched. Some days I try and make them look more natural but today I decided to make them quite defined! I then started on my eyes. As part of the fabulous Boots 3 for 2 offer I recently purchased a Revlon Colourstay Eyeshadow Palette in Addictive. This is a great little quad to create a natural daytime eye. I used the pale shimmery beige (top right) all over the eye and then defined my crease with the matte brown (bottom right). I then took the shimmery white from my No7 Smoky Rose Quad and used this as a highlight for my inner corner.

I did actually think about leaving my eyes there and adding some mascara but I fancied a thin line of liquid eyeliner so I used the Maybelline New York Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner in Black to trace along my upper lash line and ended with a small flick! To finish off my eyes, after curling my lashes I used Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara in Black - this stuff is brilliant! If you saw my wishlist the other day, then you might remember this product from there... well, I gave in and bought the full size! This is such a fab mascara so I think I may have to give it a review of its own!

To conceal my horrid baggy eyes I used Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (Ivory) and also dabbed it on a few blemishes. I then powdered just my t-zone (I never powder my whole face) with Rimmel's Stay Matte Pressed Powder (001 Translucent). For blush I kept it simple with my Natural Collection blush in Sugar Plum.

When I'm wearing liquid eyeliner in the day I'm always conscious of my make up looking a bit too 'done' and over the top, so I had a look in my box of lipsticks for something nice and subtle. I chose a L'Oreal Caresse Lipstick in Lovely Rose which is a really feminine baby pink shade.

Phew! I really enjoy doing my make up in the morning so I hope you didn't mind me rambling on! If there are any products here which you would especially like a review of then just say and I'll do it ASAP :)

Hope you're all fab - horrid weather, lots of shifts at work then revision and essays for uni are making me feel so rubbish.

xx

birthday pennies

Clockwise from top left: Real Techniques Core Collection, Topshop Triangle Necklace, Adidas Gazelle Trainers, Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara, Black iPhone 4, Zara Messenger Bag in Grey, Zara Ribbed T-Shirt in Marl Grey, MAC Eye Shadow in Satin Taupe, New Look Pleated Jersey Maxi Skirt in Grey, Monki Charlet Blouse

As it's just been my birthday, I have a little bit of money to treat myself to a few bits. I've already picked up a couple of things, which I'll more than likely show you soon, but here are a some more items which I'm very tempted by!

• Everyone has been talking about the Real Techniques brushes for a while now and I think I may have to treat myself to the Core Collection to see what all the fuss is about!
• This Topshop necklace is so pretty. I picked by a really plain gold cuff necklace from River Island the other day as I thought it would look fab with plainer outfits, and I think this would too!
• Don't ask me why, but I'm obsessed with the idea of getting these trainers at the moment. When I go to the library late at night, I tend to wear my running shoes which isn't a good look to say the least... I think these would look really cool on lazy days with skinny jeans or leggings - the colour is amazing.
• I have a sample of the Lancome mascara from my Glossy Box and I can't stop using it. It's so good, it really lengthens and defines your eyelashes. I think part of why it is so fab is the curved shape of the brush which really grabs all your lashes.
• I have such an old and rubbish phone, after losing a nice phone in a club a few years ago. My boyfriend has an iPhone and I love all the fun apps and things you can get - I want one! I do love the idea of a white phone but I can just see that mine would get so horrid and dirty haha.
• Like everyone else at the moment, I am loving everything Zara. This bag is so beautiful, but when I saw the price of it online, I thought it might look really cheap. I then saw it in the shop and it doesn't at all! I do love the black version, but I think I'd most likely go for the grey as I don't have a bag that colour and it's probably a bit more spring appropriate.
• Another Zara item! I tried this oversized top on the other day and loved it. I then didn't buy it (I bought this dress/tunic instead - I've been wearing it with leggings!), and I'm not quite sure why... I think there were just too many things I liked and I felt a bit overwhelmed. However, I can't stop thinking about it so I think I'll have to pop back and pick it up!
• I already have way too many eye shadows, but this is just such a beautiful colour and I can see myself getting lots of use out of it. I love anything taupe and shimmery so this is perfect!
• I love the idea of maxi skirts, but I'm quite short and therefore think they may look a bit odd on me. However, I've seen lots of smaller people wearing them recently and looking fab. This one for New Look is nice and plain and I think it would go with so many things. I also think it could be carried through to winter with tights and heeled boots!
• Lastly is this gorgeous Monki blouse. I picked up this dress in the same print, and my boyfriend told me it was silly to get the same patterned blouse. I just love the shape of it though and I think it would look lovely with high waisted jeans so I think I may pop back and get it (sorry Ollie!) And it's in the sale...

What are you lusting after at the moment? Tempt me!

xx

beauty secrets

Hello!


I love love love watching beauty videos on YouTube and recently quite a few people have been doing a tag called Ten Little Secrets. This was created by Sammi from Beauty Crush (who also has a blog, which I'll link here) and I thought the questions were really interesting and so I'd give it a go. However, I thought that ten questions would make this a very long post so I shortened it to five. I haven't seen anyone else do this on a blog yet so if you do it too then please comment with a link so I can read it!


What is one product that makes you feel like a million dollars?

For me, defining my eyelashes makes me feel a lot better about myself. For example, when I'm on a night out wearing big thick false eyelashes, I always feel fab! They make me feel so feminine and I think they don't have to look tacky, even if they are big, if you keep the rest of your make up quite simple. Likewise, if I'm popping out for a run in the morning or to the shop and I don't have any make up on, I won't worry about foundation or anything else but a little flick of mascara can make me feel so much better and I think I look a lot more wide awake.

Two of my favourites at the moment are Rimmel Glam Eyes and Lancome Hypnose Drama  - can't wait to get the full size!

What is your skincare secret? 

I cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day and make sure I take all my make up off before bed. I take the majority off with a make up wipe or eye make up remover and then cleanse again. I always use a muslin cloth with whatever cleanser I'm using too as I love their gentle exfoliating properties and I also think that they make the whole job of washing your face a lot easier and less messy!

Other tips are drinking lots of water, not wearing face make up as often as possible to let your skin breath and brightening face masks.

Some of my favourite skin care products at the moment

What is your hair care secret?

Condition condition condition! I do have quite dry hair so I use them all over, but even if you have greasy hair, you can use a moisturising balm or mask just on your ends and leave on for a little while. I find that these masks and balms make so much difference to the condition of the your hair.

Still loving Umberto Giannini Indulgent Beauty Moisture Mask

Do you have any diet and work out tips?

I love food and I don't really deny myself everything so I think the best way to approach your diet is everything in moderation. If you gorge on chips and mayo (mayonnaise = <3) one day, just don't the next. Easy peasy. I also try and stay away from fizzy drinks as diet or not they are awful for you and can so easily pile weight on. They're totally empty calories!

In terms of exercise, I didn't work out heavily for a long time due to health problems, but in the last year it's something I've begun to enjoy a lot more. My advice would be just to try and find something you enjoy doing. For me, the gym is too intimidating and I find things like swimming a bit dull. I then tried running last summer and I love it! If you're unfit it can be quite hard at first, so try the Couch to 5K podcasts from the NHS as they are ridiculously helpful! Here's a link - so fab!

My running shoes!

Which perfume is your secret weapon?


I tend to chop and change between perfumes, I don't tend to buy the same one over and over again as I like to try different scents. However, at the moment I'm loving Calvin Klein Euphoria. I'm not particularly good at describing scents but I'd say it was quite a heavy perfume with some musky undertones, yet fresh and fruity at the same time. Um, yeah... Anyway, Boots, who can perhaps do a bit better than me, describe Euphoria as an addictive oriental fragrance that contrasts exotic fruit, seductive florals and a rich creamy signature. Apparently, it's inspired by a new found freedom, about living one's dream... (On second thoughts, perhaps my description was better!)

Calvin Klein Euphoria

However, for my birthday, my lovely boyfriend bought me Valentina by Valentino which is such a beautiful perfume and I think will quickly become my new favourite!

As I said at the beginning, if you answer these questions then please tell me as I'd love to have a little read, and I'd also love to know if you have any brilliant skincare, diet, exercise or hair care tips!

xx