Tuesday 31 July 2012

MORE: Skin Art Temporary Tattoo Kits

As promised, here are some more tattoos from the Skin Art Temporary Tattoo kits. There aren't many but that's because I've been working with my dad and I don't want to waste them. But when I'm back to university (especially during freshers) you'll be seeing a lot more of them.
The bird on the left is on the foot and that is from the Love is Enough kit. And on the right, the word Imagine is on the wrist and that's from the I'm a Dreamer kit.You can see my original, full review of these temporary tattoos here.
Have you tried these tattoos yet? Will you be doing?
xxx
*PR Sample

Monday 30 July 2012

OOTD: Holiday Edition

As promised, whilst I was on holiday I took pictures of the outfits that I wore daily. I must say now, in the pictures with the bird top I'm not wearing a bright pink bra, it's my swimming costume as this was my 'I'm going swimming out' so yes, I just wanted to clear that up haha!  Also, we went away in England and luckily for us, the few days that we had away we ended up with niceish weather. Not scorching hot but a lot better than what we've been getting recently so it allowed me to get my legs out.
Bird Top - Primark £8.00
Knitted Cardigan - knitted by my grandmother
Black Skirt - New Look £12.99
Brown Belt - Primark £2.00
Navy Blazer - New Look £24.99
Love Birds Dress - Primark £13.00
White T Shirt - Primark £4.00
Yellow T Shirt - Vero Moda @ Republic £7.00
Yellow/Navy Heart Dress - Primark £10.00
Leggings - Primark £3.00
I really love all of these outfits, especially the ones with the New Look skirt and it's definitely become my favourite item of clothing! It goes with pretty much any tshirt and is extremely flattering, pretty and easy to wear. I must also mention that the blazer doesn't have an exact link on the New Look website because I've had it for such a long time! I think I bought it when I was 15 and I saved up my lunch money to buy it and it's been a staple in my wardrobe ever since haha. To think it's lasted me 4 years is incredible and that definitely shows how well made New Look blazers are. So yes, these are my outfits that I wore on my holiday.
What outfit is your favourite?
xxx

Saturday 28 July 2012

BRITNEY SERIES: 'In The Zone' Inspired Make Up Look

I was looking through my Britney inspired make up looks when it occurred to me that I've never recreated my favourite Britney make up ever. This is from a photoshoot from 2003 that was for her In The Zone album and I can remember being 10 years old and looking through the album booklet, staring at how beautiful she is. The eye make up is golden, the skin is glowing and the lips are nude. It's also very wearable.
Skin
On my skin I used Benefit's Porefessional as a base and Keromask Camouflage Cream* as my foundation as I needed my skin to look as flawless as possible. I then concealed using Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection as it's a great full coverage concealer. I went on to powder the skin with 17's Pressed Powder as it adds a bit more coverage and it's semi-matte. After this, I used my Liz Earle Natural Glow Bronzer* as a blush and Sleek's Contour Kit highlighter to highlight the inner corners of my eyes and also my cheekbones.
Eyes
I primed my eyes using Urban Decay's Primer Potion and I then went on to use the Naked palette. I covered the entire eyelid in Virgin as a base and then sweeped Half Baked over my eye lid and also underneath my eye. I then used the colour Smog all over my crease and all underneath my eye in the middle. I then finished off with Darkhorse in the outer crease and also the outer corner underneath my eye. After this, I thinly lined my eye using 17's Liquid Liner on top and No7's Metallic Eye Pencil in Blackout on my waterline. To finish off, I used No7's Exceptional Definition mascara on my lashes and the HD Brow palette* on my eye brows.
Lips
For my lips I used a Natural Collection lip liner in Almond and added gloss which was Urban Decay's Lip Junkie in Naked.
L-R Liz Earle Natural Glow Bronzer, Sleek Contour Kit highlight, Virgin, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, 17's Liquid Liner, No7 Metallic Eye Pencil in Blackout, HD Brow Palette, Natural Collection lip liner in Almond, Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Naked.
So that is the finished look and swatches. I ended up really like it. My skin was very full on which if I was going to wear this look during the day time, I'd have toned down quite a bit - I probably wouldn't have used the Keromask foundation but instead switched for my Skin79 BB Cream as it still provides great coverage. I loved the eyes and I can see myself wearing them a lot and also surprisingly, I loved the lips. The colours didn't wash me out and created a beautiful nude lip colour. What do you think of this look?
xxx
*PR Sample

Tuesday 24 July 2012

iPANEMA Flip Flops

As you may or may not know, recently I went on holiday. And although I went on holiday in England and the sun wasn't shining, there was one pair of shoes that I just couldn't take off of my feet. These were the iPaname Persia Flip Flops in the colour brown.
 As well as wearing this on holiday, I've worn them pretty much every day since as well and now that she sun's out, these find their way onto my feet constantly. I'm a big flip flop/sandal lover but normally, I only go to Primark. So I'm not used to spending a lot of money on flip flops as I've always thought, 'what's the point?' But since having these in my hands, I've taken that thought back. 
 Not only do these flip flops look beautiful - their Persian look is unmissable and they shine beautifully in the sunshine but for flip flops, they're really practical too. They're extremely comfortable and although I'm prone to blisters since wearing these, I haven't had one at all. They feel soft, they're made really well and no matter how hard you try, you won't slip in these - I've worn them out in the rain to drive in.
So as a quick round up - these are the most comfortable flip flops I've ever worn. They're made extremely well. You won't slip in them. They're beautiful and I can see them lasting a really long time.
iPANAME do many different flip flops which you can find here. After trying these out and falling in love with them completely, it's safe to say that I will be trying out other pairs of their range.
You can buy the iPANAME Persia Flip Flop here for £15.95.
Do you own iPANEMA flip flops?
You can also get FREE next day delivery when you order two or more pairs here and also FREE next day delivery and 30% off of the cheapest pair when you buy one female and one male pair here.
xxx

Monday 23 July 2012

GIVEAWAY: £50 Experience Days UK Gift Voucher

I have a wonderful opportunity for you guys! ExperienceDaysUK have given me one £50 voucher to giveaway to one of you.
You can redeem the voucher against any of the gift experiences on their website. There's a great range of experience days to choose from hot air ballooning to photoshoots, from ice climbing to chocolate making! So be sure to go to their website and check out the options that they have available. 
All you have to do is make sure you're a follower of my blog and leave me your email address/Twitter username in a comment below so I can get in contact with you along with what gift experience you'd choose if you won - it's that simple. 
So go ahead and get entering!
xxx
*The voucher was provided for me free of charge to give to you guys as a way of saying thank you!



CURRENT: Skin Care Routine

Recently I've overhauled my skin care routine. It's been a long time coming but finally, I'd realised that my skin wasn't it's 16 year old spotty self any more but instead, a 19 year old dull thing that need attention quickly. I looked mainly at Clarins as I'd heard good things about their Daily Energizer range and when I saw  their sample kit, I had to pick it up. So without further ado, here's my current skin care routine.
Balance Me Extra Care Wonder Eye Cream - £20.00
Yes, I got this with Glamour magazine. Was I expecting much from it? Not really. Did it exceed my expectations? Hell yes! This really is a wonder cream and it works miracles on my puffy eyes in a morning. It's lightweight, refreshing, sinks into the skin lovely and is very natural. The only thing I don't like about this is the price. It's worth it, definitely worth it. But I'm sad, poor student. So I need to stock up on these with Glamour magazine.
Pan Oxyl 10 AquaGel - £3.83
Yes this has been in my skin care routine forever and yes, I doubt it'll ever be replaced. I don't want to go into this product too much as I've done a very in-depth review about the product here and this post lists all my concerns/warnings with the product. But overall, it's a skin saviour and I can't live without it.
Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist - £21.50*
This is perfection in a spray bottle. Citrus is my all time favourite scent so the fact that this smells of citrus is a definite plus. It's great at refreshing the skin in a morning, throughout the day and also at nighttime. It's not very travel friendly as the bottle is glass (very pretty though) but the fact that this product is amazing gets me over that. I don't have oily skin (which this is mainly aimed at) but mine is combination and it does a great job at balancing the skin out and leaving it looking beautiful and soft. This has become my addiction. Also, if you buy this product from Feel Unique you can enter the code 'savemysummer' in the promotional code box at the checkout and you will save 5% off of any product and also be entitled for free delivery! This code is valid until the 23rd of July 2012.
No7 Anti-Dark Spot Facial Sun Protection SPF15 - £12.00
I've done a full review of this product here as I thought that it deserved its own post. But briefly I'll just say that this is incredible. It's more than a sun protection cream, it's a lovely base for make up and a great skin care product that I definitely think is having a positive impact on my scarring/dark spots.
Clarins Daily Energizer Kit - £15.00
I cannot stress how much I love this kit. I'm so glad that I bought it and I will be purchasing the full sized versions of everything in the kit. I'm going to be doing a separate posts on Clarins skin care but briefly I'll mention these products. This kit comes with a Daily Energizers Face Wash, Toner, Moisturiser and the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm which I've done a full post on here. The skin care products work very well together in keeping the skin looking bright, clean and really healthy and since using them I haven't had one breakout and my pores have become noticeably smaller. Like I said, I will be doing a full post on these skin care products so keep an eye out for that very soon! Let's just say this, I think I'm going to be using my Boots Advantage Card Points on these products and if I buy you with my points then you know that you're special!
No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes - £7.00
I wouldn't buy these without the £5 No7 vouchers. It's not that I don't think they're worth £7 it's just that it seems pointless spending £7 on something that you can get for £2. These are in my opinion, the best skin care wipes out there. They're very soft and leave the skin feeling moisturised but not overly oily and not fully stripped. They also remove make up nearly as well as a facial wash and I definitely feel comfortable using one of these instead of a face wash after a night out or when I'm feeling lazy. 
No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream Normal / Oily - £13.50
Someone at work last week bought this night cream and I ended up having a 5 minute conversation with them on how perfect it is. I've mentioned it many times before and I'll continue mentioning it. It does a great job at moisturising the skin and leaving it nice and soft after a nights sleep. The best thing about this is how refreshing and cooling it is. Instead of a cream it's more of a gel so after a hard day of wearing a full face of make up this is wonderful at refreshing the skin. It's been my favourite for a good few months now and I honestly don't think I'll find a night cream as good as this!
What are your favourite skin care products? Have you tried any of the above?
xxx

Sunday 22 July 2012

VIDEOS: John Frieda Full Repair

As you may or may not know, I've recently fallen in love with the John Frieda Full Repair range and thanks to this, I was contacted by digital agency. They introduced me to a series of four videos which show step-by-step guides which are hosted by John Frieda celebrity hair styles Jake Davis and Giles Robinson. The content highlights their fabulous Full Repair range which protects the hair from heat damage without weighing it down which is perfect if you're looking to achieve a light, natural look for summer. 
The thing I love the most about these videos is how easy they are to follow. I'm not great at styling my hair and especially at getting that perfect blow dry but these have given me the confidence to try it. Especially the full body blow dry and top knot. I love the way that the videos also get the girls who are having their hair styled involved as it shows that anyone can achieve these looks!
Have you tried the John Frieda Full Repair range? What do you think of these videos?
xxx

Friday 20 July 2012

OFFERS: Clarins & Macmillan

For a few years now Boots have been working closely with Macmillan to help raise money for cancer support. Because of this, Boots (in Lincoln, I'm not sure about nationwide) are currently promoting the charity a lot and trying to raise as much money as possible. One of the incentives that they're currently running is one whereby if you donate £1 to Macmillan you will receive a Clarins Mini Treats bag.
As soon as I saw this I knew I had to donate and inside my bag were the Clarins Multi-Active Night Comfort Cream £42.00 and the Clarins Multi-Active Day Cream for Early Wrinkle Correction £39.00. Each bag is different and you get the choice between a bag of treats or a beach/holiday bag which is really nice too! I've currently gotten into Clarins skincare a lot and I'm very excited to try these products out. Once I've given them a go I'm going to do a big Clarins skincare post so keep an eye out for that! And also, check your local Boots to see if they're running this incentive too. It's a great way to donate to charity and also give your skin a little treat too!
xxx

Thursday 19 July 2012

OFFER: 3 issues of Cosmopolitan for just £3!

It's not secret that I love magazines. I love reading them and one day, I'd love to write for one. One of my favourites and one that I subscribe to is Cosmopolitan. I love it so much that in my first year of university I did a presentation on the magazine.
If you look in both my wardrobe and university and my wardrobe at home, you'll find over 100 issues of the magazine as for some reason, I feel the need to save them. And sometimes, I even get out past issues and read them - strange I know. If you haven't heard about Cosmopolitan for whatever reason then I'll let you know that it's the a fashion/beauty/lifestyle/travel/sex magazine. It's basically the perfect magazine for women. And whether you're new to the magazine or someone that buys it regularly on the shelf I highly recommend you take advantage of this offer - especially because you can buy 3 issues here for cheaper than what it'd be to buy just the one. You can currently get 3 issues of Cosmpolitan for just £3 a month! This saves you a massive 71% on what others pay at the news stands. You can buy this great offer here.
xxx

Wednesday 18 July 2012

REVIEW: No7 Anti-Dark Spot Facial Sun Protection

My number one beauty tip would be to always, always.. regardless of the weather, wear sun protection on your face. The sun is the biggest factor when it comes to your skin ageing so sun protection is vital if you want to keep your skin looking young. With my No7 £5 vouchers I thought I'd dabble in their sun protection and it's a good job I did!
This sun screen helps to reduce the signs of sun damage and it contains a patented antioxidant complex and sunfilters that help protect the skin from damaging free radicals. It also has a skin brightening complex which helps to improve the appearance of skin tone and colour whilst also helping to prevent dark spots and hyper-pigmentation which is caused by the sun. Like all Boots own brand sun protection this has a five star UVA protection and No7 also do the same sun protection in factor 30 and 50+. Unlike most sun protections this is very light and absorbs instantly and easily into the skin. It isn't oily, it doesn't break me out and it immediately leaves me skin feeling moisturised. The best thing about this sun screen is that it instantly adds radiance and smooths over my skin. It acts as a great primer and I feel comfortable wearing this out alone. It doesn't add colour and it doesn't provide coverage but it does blur and disguise the appearance of blemishes mildly. I'm absolutely addicted to this and I think that this has become my go-to sun protection for my face. I only picked up the factor 15 because it was all that Boots had in stock at the time and I needed it for my holiday. But next time I buy one (when the next No7 vouchers come out) I'll be picking up a factor 50+ on as my skin is prone to burning.
You can buy this sun cream here for £12.00.
Have you tried this sun protection before? What's your favourite facial sun screen?
xxx

Tuesday 17 July 2012

FAVOURITE: Bright Lip Combination (17 and No7)

I've currently been loving wearing bright colours and my lips and I thought I'd show your my favourite combination. Although it's bright, it's very easy to wear especially with a nude lip. But if you're going out then there's no doubt that you can pair this with an intense smoky eye and it'd still look beautiful.
This combination is 17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Flirtini £4.59 and No7 Poppy King Lipgloss in Glamour £11.00. You can see a swatch of the 17 lipstick here and the No7 lipgloss here. The lipstick is really beautiful, moisturising and easy to apply. Although it's moisturising it does last pretty well on the lips, better than most drugstore lipsticks. As for the lipgloss, I love the formula. I normally hate the consistency of lipglosses but this one isn't sticky at all and it glides beautifully over the lips.
What's your favourite lip combination?
xxx

Monday 16 July 2012

Refreshing/Spray Toners

I would really like to apologise for this picture first of all. No matter how hard I tried, these products just didn't want to be photographed at all. And unfortunately, this is the best picture out of a really bad bunch. I thought to myself; 'should I do this post? Is it worth it?' And in the end I decided that I'd rather have a post and a bad picture than no post at all. So here it is! 
If you're from England then you will probably know that the weather hasn't been that great recently. It's been rainy, it's been horrible but it's still been pretty humid so I've been enjoying using refreshing toners lately. I think these toners are great for waking your skin up in a morning and also refreshing them at night time after a hard day of wearing a full face of make up.
Angela Langford Freshen Up - Rose, Geranium & Orange Blossom Toner* - £10.35
I'm a huge fan of Angela Langford as I believe she has great customer care which I think is very important. This toner is wonderful and it gives the skin an instant wake up call. The scent immediately makes you feel more alert and awake whilst the product itself brightens up the skin. Recommend for: those who have dull skin and want waking up.
Avene Eau Thermal Avene Water Spray* - £6.50
For me, this is the best spray for setting your make up. The aerosol can is really lovely and finely sprays the water evenly over your skin. Essentially, this is just very good water but the thing for me that makes me love it so much and say that it's worth the price is that the packaging keeps the water really cool so it's great for a summers day and also, as I mentioned before the aerosol can really does spray amazingly well and it doesn't coat your skin in a thick layer of water. Recommend for: setting your make up/hot, summer days.
Proactiv Revitalising Toner* - £39.99 (for a set of all three products)
The thing that I love the most about this toner is that it works very well (with the other two products in the kit) at combating acne and spots but it doesn't dry the skin out at the same time. As the name suggest, it's a revitalising toner that awakens the skin, tightens pores and removes any traces of dirt/make up that you have on your skin. Recommend for: those with blemish prone skin.
Care Witch Hazel* - £3.56
A very cheap product! This may not look all that glamourous but the beauty is within the product. This cleanser/toner is great at removing make up and although I originally thought that this would be drying, it wasn't. Witch Hazel is also known for it's relief of cuts, sprains, bruises and minor scalds so it's very handy to have around the house. Recommend for: those who want a multi-tasking product.
Skin Therapy Toner* - £0.98
This is so cheap! I was very shocked when I received the press release with this product as it's very rare that you'd find a toner for this price. Don't let the price fool you though, it's very lovely. I'd love to decant this into a spray bottle as I think it'd be great to refresh make up with. But I've been using it just a nighttime toner as it's wonderful at removing traces of make up. It's also suitable for sensitive skin and relieves tight skin and softens it up. Very lovely and a bargain for the price! Recommend for: those on a tight budget/those with sensitive skin.
Rhodes to Heaven Juniperberry Cleanser and Tonic* - £17.00
I really love this product. It's a great cleanser and removes make up exceptionally well - as much as most facial washes. I adore the smell of this product.. It's not one that I can describe but it's pretty strong yet natural smelling. It's quick and easy to use and calms, soothes, cools, balances and tones the skin all at once! This also is available in a travel friendly 50ml spray bottle which is refillable so you can top it up with your bigger bottle. Recommend for: those who don't have a lot of time.
Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist* - £21.50
This is my favourite out of them all. Citrus scents are my favourite scents so I knew almost immediately that I was going to fall in love with this. It smells beautiful and it really refreshes the skin and make up. It's perfect in the morning, it's perfect throughout the day and it's perfect at nighttime too. The only problem I have with this toner is the packaging. It's beautiful, glass and very classy but it's not very good for travelling. Especially because I'd love to pop this in my bag to refresh my skin throughout the day but I can't. So I'd love for Jurlique to do a travel version of this toner. Recommend for: those with oily skin.
What's your favourite refreshing/spray toner?
xxx
*PR Sample

Sunday 15 July 2012

REVIEW: John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo/Conditioner

When I went on holiday I decided to take the travel sized versions of the John Frieda Full Repair shampoo and conditioner and whilst I was there, I loved it so much that I decided that I needed to buy the full sized versions. Fate must have been on my side on the last day of the holiday as I walked into Boots and there on the clearance section I saw the shampoo and conditioner on off for just £3.00 each instead of the usual £5.89. It was an offer that I couldn't resist so I picked them up. I'm kinda regretting not picking up some of the other products in the range as there were a few on the clearance stand too but oh well.
I've really grown to love this range after just a few days. If you know me or you read my blog posts often enough then you'll know that when it comes to hair care, I mix and match a lot and I can never seem to stick to the same shampoo and conditioner. I used to think it was because I liked trying new products out or because it was what my hair wanted but after using this range I've realised that it was because I just had never found the right products to be using. I know it's only been a few days but I really cannot see myself changing my shampoo and conditioner again (unless it's for reviewing purposes). This range together is wonderful. It smells nice, it lathers well, it prevents build up, it's great for every day use, it repairs the damage that's been done to the hair. It does pretty much everything I want a shampoo and a conditioner to use. The shampoo and conditioner aren't heavy so they don't weigh your hair down and surprisingly enough I've found that I don't even need to use mousse in my hair to add extra volume as this does it well enough alone.
You can view the full range here. And I'd also like to add that currently in Boots the entire John Frieda collection is on offer for 3 for £10.
Have you tried these products before? What other products would you recommend from the range?
xxx

Saturday 14 July 2012

WANTS: MAC Palette

I've never been interested in one of the bigger MAC palettes because I think the price is ridiculous and I'm in love with my Urban Decay palettes. But I do think it's shocking that as a beauty blogger I've never even touched a MAC eyeshadow when they're raved about so much. I'm not really interested in single eyeshadows but I do love palettes. So I took a 'trip' to MAC's website to investigate some more.
These are the shades that I picked. I've loved Cranberry ever since I saw Tanya use it on Fleur in New York. I think it's a great way to experiment with colour without being too 'out there.' I want Omega for my brows once again thanks to Tanya and I'd love to try Satin Taupe because I've heard so much about it. When it came to choosing a highlight colour I had no idea but I liked to sound of Mylar. Obviously if I was going to buy a MAC palette I'd careful swatch pretty much every shade in store and make sure that they were the right ones. But once I'd added four shades and the palette to my basket the total price was a hefty £46.50 which when you compare it to the Urban Decay naked palette is just ridiculous. The eyeshadows retail for £10 each and the palette retails for £6.50 and I really don't think I'd ever be able to justify spending that much on four eyeshadows when 12 for Urban Decay plus a primer potion/lipgloss/brush comes in at under £40.00. Although I really want a MAC palette I think it's something that I'd have to kindly ask for as a Christmas present. I think as a present, it's justified. But as a poor student, no way!
What do you think about MAC palettes?
xxx

Monday 9 July 2012

UPDATE: Holiday, University

Hey guys! I must apologise for being a bad blogger. I guess I should also say that I did pass my first year at university which I was very happy about as I was so nervous about finding out my results! I thought that once university had ended I'd be able to blog more but I just haven't had the time and it's been pretty hectic recently.  But hopefully after my holiday, I'll be blogging normally and regularly again. I say hopefully but don't quote me on it!
I am going on holiday today for 5 days and I originally wanted to schedule a few posts to keep you all busy whilst I'm away but unfortunately, I haven't gotten chance to so I'm really sorry about that! But hopefully everything that I wanted to write about and schedule will have a post after my holiday. Plus, if you want to stay in touch/keep up with what I'm doing on holiday then you can always follow me on Twitter as I'm an addict. But yes, I hope you all have a wonderful week and once again, so sorry about being a bad blogger!
xxx
If you're interested in advertising your blog/business on my blog then please click here for more information.

Sunday 8 July 2012

HAUL: No7, Primark, Republic, New Look

First of all, I'm sorry for the bad pictures. I'm back at home and I'm still trying to find a good background to take pictures with but so far, my bedding/window will have to do!
As I mentioned I really needed a swimsuit for my holiday and in the end, I found this one in Primark. It doesn't look nice on a coat hanger but it has medium support control inside it which really pulls my stomach in. I absolutely love it and I can't wait to wear it. This was £13.00 which I didn't think was too bad. The yellow t-shirt is from Vero Moda at Republic and it was in the sale down from £14.00 to just £7.00. I really like the colour and the material is so soft. I bought it in a size large so it'd be oversized as well. I then went to New Look to find some of the dresses that I originally wanted but I didn't see any of them and I was gutted. I then saw the black skirt and remember that Tanya Burr had worn it in a lot of her L.A vlogs so I picked it up. They don't have the normal version on the website, just the tall one but you can find it here for £12.99. It's a really lovely skirt as it skims over my stomach and pulls my waist in.
 So yes, recently I took a trip to No7 to pick up a few more bits with my vouchers and this time, I picked up a lipgloss and an eyeliner (links and names below). The eyeliner is very soft, extremely pigmented, long wearing and has a bit of shimmer running through it which really helps to open the eyes up and as much as I hate this phrase, make them pop. It's such a beautiful eyeliner to work with and I'm shocked that I haven't explored No7's eyeliners before. As for the lipgloss, I love it. I'm not a lipgloss girl at all as I have long hair and my hair tend to gets stuck in my lipgloss. But this one isn't sticky, isn't heavy and is such a beautiful colour that I can't stop wearing it. The only I don't like is the smell. It reminds me of the way that medieval castles smell - not that I have anything against medieval castles but it's just not a smell that I favour. 
Top to bottom -
I'll also mention that when I swatched the eyeliner it stayed on my hand all night without smudging - impressive! What have you been buying with your No7 vouchers? Have you ever tried any of these products? What about any of the clothing items above?
xxx
If you're interested in advertising your blog/business on my blog then please click here for more information.

UPDATES: Would You Like To Advertise on BamboozleBeauty?

I've been seeing a lot of bloggers advertising small businesses and blogs on their blogs recently and I think it's a great way for those business and blogs to gain some exposure and also a way to help keep my blog running. I've never really wanted to use the standard Google Advertising as I'd prefer to advertise blogs like myself and other businesses.
I'm not entirely sure if this is something that I'm going to do yet but I wanted to write a post to see if any of you would be interested in advertising on my blog. The adverts would run on a 28 day basis and I would alternate the adverts regularly so that everyone would get a fair chance of being on the top spot. Your advert would be featured underneath my HelloCotton widget and all adverts would need to be 165px by 165px maximum. I'm hoping to run a maximum of 10 advertisers a month and on the first day of every month I will make a blog post introducing all the advertisers so that my readers can get a feel for your blog instantly.
Obviously we've just started July so the first time I'd run the 28 days if it happened would be from August 1st until August 28th.
August 2012 price - £3 for 28 days
My blog is a UK Beauty Blog and I generally post about skin care, hair care, body care and make up. But sometimes I'll feature lifestyle and fashion posts. Your blog or business doesn't need to be about these areas to be advertised though. My stats are available upon request and for any further enquiries please contact me on -
x.x_Jemma_x.x@hotmail.co.uk
(Please do ignore my tacky 'I-was-14' email address)
xxx

Thursday 5 July 2012

WANTS: Dresses

Something strange has happened to me recently; I've been wanting to spend my money on clothes. This never normally happens and whenever I normally get money, I immediately want to go out and buy beauty products. But for once, I find myself lusting after beautiful dresses from New Look. I've always loved New Look. I think their clothes are on trend, cheap and great quality.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
As you can tell from the list above I love 'fit and flare' dresses that basically fit your chest, pull you in at the waist and then flare out on the bottom half. I think this style really suits my figure and helps to skim over my stomach which is the part of my body that I don't like. It doesn't help that Britney looked beautiful in her fit and flare dress either. So yes, I have definitely been loving stalking the New Look website recently, especially the dress section. I think I've always been a dress girl. They're so easy to wear as you don't have to worry about mixing and matching your top and bottom half plus they work out pretty cheap in compared to having to buy two separate pieces for an outfit. What are your favourites from the dresses above?
xxx

WANTS: Swimwear

When I was looking at things that I had bought for my holiday I realised that I had bought everything except for possibly the most important - swimwear. I'm only going away in England so I'm obviously not bothered about tanning and I'm pretty insecure so I want a swimsuit and not a bikini. I went on various different websites looking for swimwear and from my experience I've realised two things; one, there are barely any swimsuits out there and two, since when did swimwear become so expensive?!
These are my three favourites and all three are from New Look which I believe have the best range of swimwear out there. Unless Primark has a good selection. I love that the red swimsuit has the piece of string around it so it can pull you in at the waist. I also love how it's the basic swimsuit shape which suits everyone. The black one is great because it uses body sculpting inside it and if I had £50 to spare, no doubt I'd be buying this one. And finally, the third one is just so cute! The first two are very expensive and although I love them, I couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a swimsuit. But I thought I'd show them you anyway as they're so pretty. So I'll probably end up getting the third swimsuit.
What stores would you recommend for swimwear?
xxx

Wednesday 4 July 2012

REVIEW: Skin Art Temporary Tattoo Kits

I was recently sent three sets of the new Skin Art Temporary Tattoos which I was so excited about. I've always wanted a tattoo but I can't because my family don't really agree with them and I'm very scared of the pain. But I think they're lovely ways to express yourself. So temporary tattoos are perfect as a pain-free and commitment way to have a tattoo.
 I was sent the sets in 'I'm a Dreamer,' 'In Your Own Words' and 'Love is Enough.' All three kits retail for £7.99 and you receive 3 sheets of temporary tattoos. Skin Art also do a Glitter Tattoo Kit which retails for £11.99.
 Here are what the sheets look like. This is from the I'm a Dreamer kit and as you can see it includes feathers, dandelions and stars. Very whimsical and classy. All you have to do is cut out the tattoo that you'd like, remove the plastic backing and place the design down on the skin. You then dampen the tattoo with water and hold firmly for around 60 seconds. After this, carefully peel the paper off and there you'll see your tattoo!
Here you can see all of the designs that are included in the kits. From left to right is the Love is Enough kit, I'm a Dreamer kit and In Your Own Words kit.
This is the tattoo design that I went for. I used the 'believe' from the 'In Your Words' kit and the bird from the 'Love is Enough' kit. I'm actually a little bit annoyed because I really love this tattoo and I actually want to get it done for real haha! But I'd had this tattoo on my wrist for 3 days before it started to show any sign of wear. And the only reason that it ended up wearing off is because I had to cover it up with my watch for work which unfortunately rubbed off. The tattoos state that they can last up to 5 days depending on where it is applied and what your skin type is. I found these really easy to apply and this whole tattoo took me just 2 minutes to apply which is amazing. And the best thing? Completely pain free ;). Over time, I'll be posting more temporary tattoo designs that I wear. I might make it a monthly feature or something as I've really fell in love with these temporary tattoos and when they run out I'll definitely be picking more up!
What do you think about these? Have you seen them before? Will you be buying some?
xxx
*PR Sample


Tuesday 3 July 2012

REVIEW: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

The other day I bought a Clarin's set and you can see this here. I originally wanted the set for the Daily Energizer products but included was a Beauty Flash Balm. I've heard good things about this but I've also heard quite a few bad things about this where people claim that is doing nothing even though it's been their best seller for 20 years so I've never really bothered about it. Until now.
I didn't have high expectations for this because like I said, I've read many blog posts claiming that it's pretty useless and a waste of money. This claims to 'give you an instantly brighter complexion, firming, toning and erasing any traces of dull, lifeless skin and fine lights. It promotes a radiant complexion and long lasting, incredibly luminous make up.' I used this after moisturising and before foundation last Sunday before I went to work and I loved how it immediately erased my pores and made me look more awake. I also loved the way it felt on my skin but I thought 'hmm, is it worth £28?' It wasn't until I returned home from work and looked in the mirror that I realised how perfect this product is. My make up looked as flawless as it did the moment that I applied it 8 hours later. I don't know how it did it, but it did. Primers are great at keeping make up in place but I don't find that they keep make up look fresh and bright but this product does. Normally when I return home from work my skin looks tired and a bit of a mess but it literally looked amazing and I was in such shock. The only problem is, I can't get enough of this product and once this tube has ran out I know I'm going to have to buy another one which is definitely not good for my bank balance. I think the hype surrounding this product is definitely worth it and I can't believe that it has bad reviews. But I will say that my skin type is combination and dull. So maybe if your skin type is similar to mine then you should definitely give this a try!
You can buy this balm here for £28.00.
Have you tried this product before? What are your thoughts on it?
xxx

Monday 2 July 2012

BLEMISHED SKIN: Top Tips from me and Proactiv!

I'm a big lover of Proactiv and I've mentioned their products a few times on my blog which you can see here.  Recently, I was emailed some of Proactivs top tips for blemished skin and they're really good so I thought I'd post them along with 3 of my top tips! I hope this helps you out if you have blemished skin and if you have any tips then go ahead and post them in the comments :)
Proactiv's top tips for blemished skin -
1. Even if you have oily skin, you must remember to moisturise. This is because when skin becomes dry and begins to lose its delicate balance, it will compensate by producing even more oil - moisturising will keep your skin nourished and healthy - not oily.
2. Fake it, don't bake it. Sun exposure can be bad for your blemishes as tanning stimulates both peeling and oil production simultaneously - and that is a recipe for clogged pores.
3. Don't overuse moisturiser. Apply lotions sparingly - all you need is a ten pence size amount to light cover the entire surface of the skin where needed. Too much will just clog your pores.
My top tips for blemished skin -
1. Don't panic! I can remember panicking a lot when I used to suffer badly with breakouts and that's probably the last thing you should do as stress is one of the main causes of spots. If you're a teenager the chances are that your blemishes are just hormones and within a few years, maybe even more they'll clear up on their own naturally.
2. Get into a good skin care regime. I cannot stress enough how important a decent skin care routine is. You must always cleanse twice a day to ensure that any dirt and make up is washed away which will prevent breakouts and also moisturise twice a day. These are just the basics. You can also add toners, serums, face masks, exfoliators etc.
3. Make up is your friend. I've heard so many people tell me that make up is bad for your skin and it will just break you out even more but in my experience I can tell you that it's only bad for your skin if you sleep in it. If you cleanse it away, I don't see the harm. If you're insecure, invest in a decent coverage foundation that's light on the skin and your insecurities will soon fly away!
So there are mine and Proactivs top tips for blemished skin! I hope you found them somewhat helpful and like I said earlier, if you have any tips then make sure to let me know by leaving a comment!
xxx


Sunday 1 July 2012

REVIEW & COMPARISON PICTURES: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Foundation

Although this foundation isn't released in Boots yet if you stick your Advantage Card into one of the extras machines then you'll be able to print off a voucher that lets you take home a 7-day free sample of this foundation. So of course, I went and did it!
The lady on the counter was lovely and normally, I have bad experiences with those behind the counters as they tend to judge me because I'm young and think that I'm not going to buy anything. But anyway, here are some coverage photos -
As you can probably see the photos are the left are those without foundation and on the right are the photos with foundation on. I'd say the coverage of this foundation is light/medium but it can be built up in areas where you need a bit more coverage without caking on the skin. It's also great at blurring out imperfections. You can see that my scars don't appear as prominent where the light hits the foundation. The coverage was on thing that I was originally worried about as I did have many blemishes on my skin but surprisingly, I'm in love with this. The finish and feel of the foundation is like nothing I've ever felt before. It's very lightweight in texture and literally feels like there is nothing on your skin. Also, the finish is very flawless and luminous. It makes me skin look so glowy and healthy which is something that I'm after right now. If the foundation doesn't cover my scars then I can easily cover those up with a little bit of concealer. But I'm in love with this foundation. I also wore it for work today and it lasted all day with a primer and powder so I can't fault it there. So my final thoughts are that this isn't as full coverage as I'd normally go but I'm so in love with the finish and texture of it that I can't resist it or get enough of it and when it's released, I'll be buying it.
Have you tried this foundation? What are your thoughts on it?
xxx