Baby soft lips.

After waiting and waiting for these to launch in the UK, a few weeks ago I got my hands on the cherry baby lips, which is the one with the red tint, my favourite!  I love the light red sheen it gives, nice and subtle but still enough to not make your lips look bare.  I have been trying mine since I bought it, and after a little use, I can confirm I totally get the hype, it's so good!  I really want to try to the minty version, and at £2.99, they're a bargain!

New mini haul favourites.

Hi!  Recently, I've been very busy buying loads of new beauty products (that I don't even need, help!), but as I just love make-up, skincare etc, I find it hard to resist trying new things, even if I don't even need anything new at the moment.  I find myself going to my local drugstore and coming back with several bits of make-up, hair products etc, I love it so much! Here are a few things I've picked up recently that I've been enjoying :)

MUA "Pro- Base" eye primer.

Never underestimate the importance of an eyeshadow primer! Until now, I never understood the fuss, probably because I'd never tried one, but now I am completely sold and is now a beauty staple. This particular little number is made by "MUA" which is available at my local drugstore Superdrug, and I actually find I am a huge fan of this range, I never really thought about it much before, but I've come to the conclusion that they have great quality products that actually work, and at a very low cost, win win!

HOW TO USE:   After applying my face make-up, I apply this to my eyelids before any shadow, liner, mascara etc, it looks like a concealer consistency, but it feels lighter and blends seamlessly into my eyelids.  I then apply the eyeshadow of my choice, which is usually a neutral shade, and then apply my eyeliner and mascara as normal.  Even though it may sound like it's defeating the purpose of being an eyeshadow primer, I also find that if you don't want to wear any eyeshadow, apply this, then your eyeliner and mascara, and this just wakes your eyes up drastically, sounds odd, trust me it works! This cost a bargain price of £2.50.

Maybelline Colour Show, in shade "Mauve"

A nude nail, another love of mine!  Yet again, this beauty product I have found is high quality, yet it at a low cost! This cost £2.99, leaves a brilliant, glossy finish and leaves your nails like you've had a gel manicure! (Okay, maybe not if you're me, and finds it difficult to paint my nails neatly, and not like a five year old!).  Nude is a perfect colour as it looks great as a daytime, off duty look, yet can be worn in the night, and in both Winter and Summer, it's the perfect shade!

Herbal Essence "Bee Strong" hair collection.

Oh my god, this is my newest love!   This is a god sent product, and I absolutely love it!   As I colour my hair red, I've always be skeptical to use anything other than a colour shampoo and conditioner, although after someone recommended this to me, I was curious, and luckily a sampler sachet of the shampoo and conditioner came in a magazine, so I used it and was then convinced I needed to own it. 

I purchased the shampoo, conditioner and deep conditioning mask (the one in the tub), and I use these every other wash, using a colour the other time, just to keep my colour strong!   I don't own the leave in conditioner, which is the spray bottle, but that will definitely be my next purchase and I'll be blogging about it, but back to the other stuff I have tried! The smell is UHHH-MAZ-ING, it smells of honey and apricots, making it really rich and luxurious, leaving your hair incredibly soft but bouncy, shiny and just generally well conditioned.  I use the mask about once a week, and don't use the conditioner on the day I use it, as a deep conditioning mask provides loads of moisture, and over conditioned hair turns into limp, lifeless hair, not good!    I would recommend this to all hair types, even coloured,  but perhaps follow my tip of using it every other wash, using a colour the other times!  Bee Strong is amazing, and I can't wait to try the leave in conditioner. 

Rimmel "Apocalips" lip laquer in "Celestial".

If you've read one of my previous blogs, you'll know I've been experimenting with different lipsticks shades instead of sticking to my trusty red, and this is one of my favourite pinky colours for the day.  It's a lacquer, so a rather thick consistency that needs to be applied whilst using a mirror, and it's the perfect shade. I've always been hesitant to try different lipstick shades other than red, as I actually HATE that foundation lip/shiny pink lip look, ugh! But I find that a nice subtle pink can really make a difference to your daytime look, rather than just bare lips!   This cost £5.99 from my local drugstore, and I also have this is my trusty red, in the shade "Big Bang" and I find it is a great product, looks lovely, and is decent value.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection foundation, in "Light".

I impulsively/randomly bought this product, after recently purchasing the concealer from the same Lasting Perfection range and loving it, and also after hearing pretty good things about this little number. I heard it was excellent value for money, gave great coverage and was a product that many relied on, so I took the plunge and bought it to try myself.  Being incredibly pale, the light shade suited me perfectly, and matched perfectly with the concealer, and gave me a great coverage all day. It's oil free, which is brilliant, as I do tend to get rather oily skin, so added oil wouldn't be ideal, and the best part is, it feels so luxurious and expensive, almost as a good as my MAC foundation, which cost triple the price!  

Burt's Bees, Miracle Salve.

I bought this little beauty for an absolute bargain at the drugstore Boots, for the price of £2!!!  The pot is actually a decent size, as from the picture it looks like it would be small, but I was so glad I snapped this bargain up, especially as the full price is now £10!   This is an all over body salve, used to treat most things, chapped lips, dry elbows, dry skin on face, hands, anywhere! It also can be used as a hair serum for flyaway hair, just simply rub some in between your palms to heat it, and then smooth on your hair as desired, it's brilliant! I like Burt's Bees products anyway, so when I saw this bargain, I had to snap it up!

I hope you've enjoyed my favourites from my mini hauls, and there'll be more to come! :D

(I do not own any of these pictures).  

Hi to whoever may be reading :) Lately, my skin has been playing up, and the oiliness that I have on certain areas of my face seem to have gotten worse, but I guess that's just all part of being a young adult! Luckily, I have been relying one of my favourites, which is "Suocrem", which is actually a baby nappy cream, but works excellently as a spot treatment.  I'm not new to using Sudocrem, in fact I've used it for some time, but I hadn't blogged about it before, and it's definitely something that is reliable when you need it. 

You might think it sounds awfully strange to use something that's catered for a baby to use as a nappy cream, but on the pot it actually lists a number of things that it can be used to treat, such as acne.  The texture is very dense, and thick, but it contains antiseptic, so it's specified to treat inflamed and irritated areas, such as breakout and inflamed skin.   I use it whenever my skin feels particularly horrible, after I've cleansed, removed make-up, toned, wash bla bla bla, the usual routine, and then I tie all my hair off my face, and apply it like a mask, leaving on until it's pretty much disappeared.  

I know a lot of people like to use it before bed, but as it's a thick texture, I wouldn't face waking up with Sudocrem all in my hair, so I use it perhaps mid evening, after a bath so it's got chance to sink in and make you feel pampered.    I would only use this as a mask maximum twice a week, and any other times I felt I had a small problem area that didn't need to an entire mask, I just dab it on the affected area. 

It softens dry skin, reduces redness and also helps the healing of spots, it's a miracle product, costs no more than £3, and last FOREVER!

Best beauty buy :)

(I do not own this picture).

Audrey's classic look never goes out of style, she's such an all time classic icon.

Trying something different.

At some point in our lives, we all have tended to stick to the same thing, or been afraid to try something different, and in some cases just sticking to what we know works. This is perfectly fine, as if you've found out what works for you and what doesn't, it's great that you've found a look you can perfect and suits you, but recently I've found myself keen to experiment with beauty a bit, and shake up the routine I tend to be stuck in.

One of my statement looks is definitely red lipstick, I am a slave to it, it's my go to colour, the thing I wear to perk my entire look up, AHHHHHH it's just my life. But recently I've been keen to tone it down a little for the daytime, and keep red for a more statement look, so I've been experimenting with pinks, berry colours and purples. Granted, purple is probably even more of a statement than red lipstick, and pure purple is probably almost definitely suited to evening wear, but pinky purple lipstick can be the perfect alternative to red lips.  

The three lipsticks ranges I've found I like in these shades are

Collection 2000.
Kate Moss for Rimmel.
Rimmel "apocalips" lip laquer.

Collection 2000 "Cream Puff" is also a great alternative if you don't want too "done". They're a subtle lip colour which looks really natural, is really moisturising and has a lovely matte look.

Also, another form of beauty experimentation I've been trying is brighter nail varnishes. I've always been attracted to vampier nail colours, such as black, berry, and red, but this summer I've been really attracted to pastel colours such as blueberry, mint green, and nudes.   I have never been a fan of anything neon, neon clothing is something I steer well away from, but I've actually found that a neon nail varnish can make the world of difference. If your outfit is plain, and neutral, the best way to brighten up an outfit is by the little touches, like your nails, without it being too much, for example a bright yellow nail, can look fabulous with a black dress, sounds horrible, looks surprisingly lovely! Nail varnishes are the best way to incorporate something different into your look, without it being too much.

I've been loving Maybelline's Colour Show gel nail varnishes, they're only £2.99, and they're long lasting and give a gorgeous gel look, like you've had a gel manicure!   You can get shades from neon to dark to nude to clear, experimenting has never been so easy!

So I hope this has inspired you to try something different, even the littlest things can make your routine far more exciting!  

(I do not own any of these pictures). 

Pamper yourself.

One of my favourite things to do, is have a pamper night, and frankly every night is acceptable. If you've had a particularly long day, or you've been busy lately and just want to relax, then a pamper night is definitely one of the best things to do.  As I buy a LOT of beauty products, more often than not just buying things I don't need, and then struggling to find a place to store them, I find it's the best way to use your products and to see what works for you and what doesn't, so run yourself a bath, and lie back and relax!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED :

• A bath bomb (Preferably from LUSH, they're AMAZING).
• Candles.
• Bubble bath.
• Body wash.
• Body Scrub.
• A face mask.
• A good book/magazine (optional)
• A glass of wine maybe?!
• Probably the most important one = A Bath!

This is my favourite bath bomb, it's called "Dragon's egg" and it's from LUSH cosmetics, it has a citrus scent, like orange and grapefruit, with a little lavender to relax. It's such a cool bath bomb, when you use it, watch the surprise in the middle!

I am a HUGEEEEE fan of Yankee Candles, in fact, I just love candles in general, and think they definitely add that little touch to feeling more relaxed and pampered. I have so many different scents, so take a look at their website and there are LOADS, if you like fruity, fresh, floral etc, they have a great range.  You can also use scented tea lights, you can get some great ones from Primark. 

Some of my favourite body products!

Two great face masks, "No Clogs Allowed" by Soap & Glory, and "BB Seaweed" by LUSH cosmetics.

Plus that cheeky glass of wine!

Happy Pampering! :D

Pretty dresses.

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved pretty dresses. I think they instantly make you feel better, more feminine and glam, even in the day time and it's a casual dress. Dresses are all i've been wearing lately in this lovely weather, and I find they're great value for money as you can bring them out every summer and wear with bare legs, and team them with thick tights and a coat in the Winter. I love all kinds of dresses, but nothing too revealing, or tacky!  My favourite style tends to be a tea dress, which is short capped sleeves, and usually a tulip style for the skirt, which really flatters my figure, and makes me feel the most comfortable! I also find no matter how much I wear a dress, I never feel bored or fed up with it.

As I LOVE LOVE LOVE polka dots, hearts, bows, basically anything kitsch, and I'm a huge fan of all things pin-up, I love taking inspiration from 50's style clothing, and anything that reminds me of Katy Perry.

I think all these dresses look great with accessories such as bags, sunglasses, jewellery, tights, boots, anything! And no dress is complete without a slick of red lipstick, the ultimate finishing touch!

I'm also a lover of 60's style glam shift dresses, which are more suitable for the evening, although with the right accessories, hair and make-up, I'm sure you can work them for the day, for example, adding ankle socks and brogues really make the outfit more quirky for the day, and just add heels for the night!

I usually buy my dresses from Topshop, Motel, Urban Outfitters etc, and I'm always looking out for new, interesting ones!

(I do not own these pictures).