CHRISTMAS: Real Techniques

Real Techniques is without a doubt my favourite make up brush brand. I've followed the Pixiwoo girls on YouTube for as long as I can remember. And as soon as I heard that they were releasing their own make up brushes, I knew that I had to have them. I immediately ran out and picked up the Stippling Brush and for a long time now, I've had my eye on their Core Collection*.

 This set retails for just £21.99 which isn't a lot at all as you're getting 4 brushes. This works out at around £5.50 per brush. The stand that the brushes comes with is so beautiful and it now houses my Stippling Brush, my Liz Earle Brow and Lash brush and my tweezers too. I also stayed at a friends house the other day and I was able to fasten the stand up and create a little bag which makes travelling with the brushes so easy. In this collection you get the Buffing Brush. This brush really is the gem of the Real Techniques brushes. It applies liquid foundation so perfectly and it makes application fool proof. You also get the Detailer Brush which I use for applying lipstick as it's really tiny and it allows you to get a perfect finish. The Pointed Foundation Brush is what I use to buff my concealer in with as I think it's a little bit small for foundation but the perfect size for concealer. And finally, you get a Contour Brush which for me, is a lifesaver. I'm someone who has always found applying contour to my cheeks hard but this brush makes it so unbelievably easy. All the brushes come with ultra-plush taklon bristles which leave you with high-definition results.

L-R Powder Brush, Setting Brush, Shading Brush, Stippling Brush. 

Currently in Boots, all make up and make up accessories are on offer for buy one get the 2nd half price! I'd highly, highly recommend these brushes for people who are starting out in make up or even those who are professionals. They give you great results at a great price. And one of the best things about these brushes? The fact that you can watch the Pixiwoo girls bring them to life in front of your eyes on YouTube!
xxx
*PR Sample

REVIEW: H20 Plus Oasis Range

I was invited to a H20 Plus Oasis event the other month but unfortunately, I couldn't attend. I was however sent a few products from the range to try out and I've fallen in love with them. Before being invited to the event, this wasn't a brand that I'd heard of before but now I see myself constantly adding products to a "virtual basket" as the whole brand is something that I'm extremely interested in. For more information on the brand itself, please see the end of the post but for now, I'm going to review two products that I've been trying out.

Oasis Mist* £14.00 -

I love facial mists! I have them all around my flat, in my bag, in my car. Everywhere. And this one is lovely. It's an energising mist that is once again oil-free so it's suitable for all skin types. It's enriched with natural viatmins and minerals that instantly wake your skin up and gives you a natural glow. It also soothes the skin, refreshes the skin, provides instant hydration and antioxidant protection. It smells really nice, fresh and clean and it settles nicely onto the skin. If you accidently cake yourself in make up then this is wonderful for applying over the top to give yourself a more natural, soft look. It's also great to use as a toner or throughout the day to refresh your make up and skin. I have a mini sample size but a full sized bottle is 150ml.

Oasis Hydrating Treatment* £27.50 

This was the brands debut product and it's now a worldwide best-seller and one is sold every two minutes worldwide. This product is a wonder product for me. This is an oil-free moisture gel that delivers deep hydrating while also minimising the appearance of fine lines. The consistency of this is like nothing I've tried before it's pretty much like a soft, cooling jelly that smells really clean and fresh. I apply this underneath my moisturiser and it keeps my skin hydrated and glowing throughout the day. I have combination skin and I tend to get a lot of dryness around my spots on my chin which means that my foundation/concealer/powder clings to this area. However, whenever I use this, this doesn't happen and my skin looks soft and smooth throughout the day. I really recommend this for everyone as I can imagine how wonderful it'd be for those with really dry skin too. It's a life saver and you only need a tiny amount so the huge 50ml pot will last a really long time.

First launched in Chicago in 1989, this brand is based around a unique marine concept and all of the products are formulated using sea-sourced nutrients, marine botanicals and plant extracts and these provide oil-free hydration to all skin types. The brand aims to heal, protect and renew and also add life and vitality to the skin by reveal fresh, younger-looking skin. The skincare range consists of six key collections and each range is colour coded so that choosing the perfect formulation is simple and stress free.

OASIS - Oil-free hydration

AQUALIBRIUM - targeted marine specialists

SEA CLEAR - mattifying oil-control

MARINE CALM - soothing comfort and recovery for sensitive skin

AQUAFIRM+ - advanced marine firming

SEA RESULTS - age prevention and repair

You can see the entire range here which is available online and in Marks and Spencer stores.

xxx

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Don't forget to enter my giveaway.

WANTS: Basic T-Shirts

For some strange reason, all I've been wearing recently is jeans. I've never really been a fan of jeans as I don't think that they're uncomfortable. Plus, I like wearing t-shirts that aren't skin tight and for reason, I've always thought that they're the t-shirts you have to wear with jeans. But now I've gotten over this very strange and stupid theory, I can't stop wearing them! So I've picked out a few basic t-shirts that I love and I quite frankly, need!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
What do you think about these t-shirts? I think they all look really casual and they'd look great paired with jeans. The thing about jeans is, especially skinny jeans, that you can afford to get away with oversized t-shirts (just like leggings) as the jeans are pretty much stuck to your body. So although oversized t-shirts pretty much hide away your figure, the skinny jeans show off your figure too. I definitely need to pick up some of these t-shirts. My favourites are without a doubt numbers 2, 3, 7 and 9.
xxx

My experience with bad skin

I've just finished watching the Dying For Clear Skin programme that was BBC Three. When I saw the documentary being advertised, I knew it was something that I had to watch. However, I didn't know how much it would affect me. So much so that I felt the need to write a blog post about "bad skin." I don't know where this post is going or how it's going to span out. It's probably just going to be a random thought blog but it's something that I need to type somewhere.

It's no secret that I've suffered with bad skin for a really long time now. I can't remember the exact day or even year when I started getting spots but I do remember how they affected me. For years I struggled leaving the house. I didn't want to go to school when I had a spot flare up as I didn't want people to see me. Throughout primary school, I had always been very confident and even in my first year of secondary school, I'd go up and talk to random people and be very outgoing and "out-there." But when I started to suffer with acne, that all changed. I started to quite frankly, hate myself and the way that I looked. It got so bad that sometimes, I'd hate getting out of bed and even facing my family. Not people I didn't know. Not my friends at school. But my own family. It affected me in many different ways and even to this day, I know it has had an impact on me that I believe will stay with me forever. While I don't get spots as often as I used to... in fact, I don't get them that often at all, I do still have really bad scarring that I was told by a Harley Street dermatologist will never go. Still to this day, I find it hard to give eye contact to not only new people that I'm meeting but people that I've known pretty much all of my life. It is something that I don't enjoy doing and it's because I believe that if I'm not looking at them, they're not looking at my bad skin. So not only have I been left with a physical scar, I've been left with a mental scar as well. When I was younger and my acne was really bad, me and mum used to go to the doctors all the time and I'd always pretty much beg them to do something but they never actually did. They'd always dismiss me because for some reason, they don't seem to think it's a real problem. Maybe that's not the same for every doctor but it was for my doctors. And it's a shame because there are so many psychological effects that acne has as well as the physical ones.

 I don't think it's something that is taken as seriously as it should be and I know a lot of people were bullied because of their skin and this is something that isn't acceptable. I really hope that this programme has opened up not only the general public's eyes but doctors eyes as well. I hope that people realise that it's not just a "phase" that will disappear once you're out of your teenage years. For a lot of people, it's something that stays with them for the rest of their life. Whilst acne isn't technically a disease, it should be treated like one.

This was my skin in April, this was my skin in June, this was my skin in July and this was my skin last week. I did try to find a picture of my skin when it was really, really bad a few years ago but I pretty much stayed away from cameras and therefore I actually couldn't find one. But as you can see, it's getting better and although I do still get the random flare up, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. Suffering with bad skin is awful and if you're like me, it will probably have some affect on the rest of your life but you shouldn't feel down about it. It does get better. I can promise you that.

xxx

CHRISTMAS: Dirty Works

I don't know about you but I'm feel super Christmassy today! Dirty Works is a brand that has featured on my blog on numerous occasions. The reason I love this brand so much is because the packaging is super cute, the products are great quality and they smell amazing and finally, it's so cheap!

The first giftset that I have to show you is The Best of Dirty Works* which was originally on sale for £8.00 however, you can now get it for just £5.33! The hatbox that the set comes in is very sturdy and as it looks very cute, it can be used for storage after you've finished with the products. Inside, you get a body wash, a body scrub, a body lotion and a sponge. All for just £5.33. It looks so much more expensive than it actually is and the products are all great quality. The smell reminds me of the classic Soap & Glory smell and the packaging reminds me of that as well. In fact, when my sister saw this giftset she said "oh you love Soap & Glory don't you?!" I think this is a great giftset for pretty much any female out there.

My other picks out of the Dirty Works giftsets would be the Get Gorgeous Pamper Bag which was originally on sale for £12.00 but now, you can get it for just £7.99! This comes with a beautiful carry bag, a body scrub, a body butter and a sponge. The Scentsational Fragranced Spritzers which were originally on sale for £6.00 but now you can get them for just £3.99! This set comes with 3x 10ml fragrance sprays that are perfect for keeping in your bag. And finally, the Heavenly Hands Manicure Bag which was originally £5.00 but now it's just £3.33. This set comes with a multi-sided Buffer and Cuticle Pusher plus a hand cream. All great for keeping your nails in tip-top condition!

You can find more of the Dirty Works giftsets and the rest of the range here.

Don't forget to enter my giveaways!

xxx

*PR Sample

GIVEAWAYS: Groupon, Skin Health Spa and Great British Pub Quiz

Today, I have three very exciting giveaways for you guys! The first is from the Skin Health Spa which is a leading aesthetic clinic that is available in six luxury locations! For Christmas, the Skin Health Spa has come up with a great range of Christmas packages which includes the Premium Spray Tan card and the Bonanza Treatment card. I will be giving away a Deluxe Microderm card* which gets you 3x Microdermabrasion Treatments which retails for £99. You can find out if Microdermabrasion is for you here and also find out more about the Skin Health Spa and where their clinics are based here. 

Terms & Conditions -

You must be at least 18 years old to have the treatment.

Each visit has to be at least 14 days apart.

The card expires in 6 months but when I post it to you, I'll let you know the exact date.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The second giveaway is one from Groupon. I'm a huge, huge fan of Groupon and it's a website that is already widely used by my family. If you haven't heard of Groupon yet, it's basically a website that has lots of daily deals which means that you can save money on a variety of different things. These "things" could be anything from holidays, to facials, to restaurant meals, to go-karting. To anything. Basically, the deals are everything and anything. Groupon has different deals in 64 cities and also 1 "special" deal that is available everywhere. It's literally a lifesaver of a website. I will be giving away a £10 Groupon voucher* that you can redeem against anything on the website.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Finally, I have a very exciting giveaway that will pretty much make your Christmas a very fun one with the family. Me and my friends have played this game and we really love it. It'll save us a lot of money throughout the year as we won't end up having to go to actual pub quizzes as we can just stay in and play. I have the new Great British Pub Quiz 2012* game to giveaway to you! You can play this game single player or in two/three/four teams and there are seven different categories to choose from; science and the natural world, the arts, history, film and TV, geography, sports and pop music!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck! You have exactly one week to enter and I'll announce the giveaway on Monday the 3rd of December.
xxx
*Vouchers/game were provided to me for free via PR Companies 

REVIEW: Nail Art Nail Tattoo

One thing that I've been loving wearing on my nails recently is the Nail Art Nail Tattoos. 

  This set contains 60 individual stickers and the designs are very cutesy and really do complete your finished look. They're extremely easy to use - all you do is take a sticker off, apply it to your nails and finish off with a little bit of clear nail polish. I then add clear nail polish every day to prolong the life of the nail tattoo. If I didn't get so bored with my nail colours then these would easily last me a long time but after about 5 days, I get bored of my nail colour so I do change it. But the nail tattoo still remains and is strong throughout those 5 days. I particularly love the bird designs and whenever I paint my nails, I apply a bird tattoo to my thumb and it really brings the whole look together and makes it look a little bit more done and like you've made an effort.

These retail for £5.99 and you buy them here. If you like the look of these then you should also check out their Temporary Tattoo kits which I reviewed here. What do you think about these?

xxx

*PR Sample

CHRISTMAS: No7

No7 is one of my favourite brands and ever since I started working at Boots, it's a brand that I've started appreciating a lot more. A lot of effort goes into the brand and the recent overhaul in packaging means that it's a brand that now looks and feel more expensive than ever. But still with the same price tag.

First up is their Weekend Bag*. This bag retails for £45 which is an absolute bargain for the products that you get inside the bag. First of all, the bag is lovely. I think it's great quality and although it does look a little bit plastic looking, you can fit a lot inside of it and it looks very stylish and classy - which fits in with the brand perfectly. Inside the bag you receive a No7 Cleansing Body Polish, No7 Blissful Body Wash, No7 Sumptuous Bath Soak, a body polisher and my favourite, the No7 Cocooning Body Balm. All of these products are full size and they have the classic No7 scent. If you haven't smelled any No7 products before then I'll let you know that they smell very clean but luxurious. All of the products are great quality and they do a lovely job of pampering your skin. As I said earlier, my favourite is the Cocooning Body Balm as it works like a balm but feels light like a moisturiser. It's literally perfection!

No7 also have a great, new Christmas make up collection out and I managed to get my hands on a few of the pieces.

The Deco Darling Eye Palette* is truly one of the most beautiful palettes I've ever seen. It has completely replaced my Urban Decay Naked palettes these past few days. The shadows themselves are very well pigmented and easy to blend. They also last a long time on the lids but I'd recommend using a primer if you have really oily eyelids. The packaging is without a doubt stunning and the palette comes with a big mirror on the inside so it's perfect for travelling.

L-R Deco Darling Powder Highlight and 4 shadows from the Eye Palette
As you can see, the colours are gorgeous. I find that I can create two looks with this palette. The two brown/gold colours are perfect for the day time and I use the more gold colour all over my lid and the more brown colour in the crease. This creates the most beautiful nude smokey eye that is also lovely and shimmery so it really wakes the eye area up. I can also create a nice, deep grey toned smokey eye for nighttime using the grey and matte black shadows. This palette is so versatile and if you pick one thing up from this collection, I'd recommend this as I can't rave about it enough. It's truly flawless.

The Deco Darling Loose Powder Highlighter* once again has packaging that is very beautiful and also very practical. The loose powder doesn't leak everywhere as it has a safety sheet over the top so the powder stays contained. I usually find loose powders messy but I find this very easy to work with. The highlighter is golden toned which really wakes and brightens the skin during the cold, winter months. Just looking at this highlighter makes me happy and it gives the skin a warm and beautiful glow. The glitter isn't chunky but instead nice and shimmery but it doesn't settle into pores.

The nail polishes are also gems! I love the formula of No7 nail polishes already. I find them very easy to work with and in one stroke, the polish is completely opaque. I don't find that they chip easily either and I can normally get 3 days completely chip free. Daisy Darling* is the pink glitter chunks that is over the nude nail polish and in the bottle, it looks stunning. It converts that way on the nails but as it's glittery, it does take a few coats to build the glitter up. The polish isn't chunky at all and it doesn't feel nasty on the nails. I've had a lot of compliments since I've been wearing this on my nails. Speakeasy* is also very beautiful. I didn't think I'd like it very much as it just seems boring in the bottle but on the nails it converts to a lovely deep grey that has the most beautiful shimmer running through it and when the shimmer hits the lights, my oh my. Gorgeous!
Overall, I really cannot recommend No7 enough for Christmas. Their giftsets are very good and contain amazing products and their Limited Edition Christmas range is absolutely stunning. These products are definitely some of the best I've tried this Christmas! Do you like the look of any of these?
You can view more of No7's giftsets here and more of the Limited Edition Christmas range here.
xxx
*PR Sample

Autumn With Revlon & Giveaway!

If your memory is good enough to remember the summer that has just, unfortunately left us then you'll probably remember Revlon's "Sweet Boutique" on Facebook. Well, it was that much of a success that Revlon are doing the exact same thing, starting today just in time for Christmas!

 L-R Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie, Nail Enamel in Vixen and Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie.

As it's autumn, berry shades are back in trend. I'm a big autumn fan. I love the colours, I love how pretty it looks outside. I don't love the weather though but I guess we can ignore that. So before I tell you how you can enter the Sweet Boutique competitions, I'm going to show you some of Revlon's offerings this autumn.

 L-R Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie* and Berry Smoothie*.

I've mentioned these Lip Butters before and I really like them. They glide over the lips and leave them looking soft and smooth as well as shining with beautiful colour. They are pigmented but not as pigmented as most lipsticks and they fade nice and evenly leaving behind a stain.

L-R Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie and Berry Smoothie.

Raspberry Pie is very intense! It's the most beautiful pink/berry shade I've ever seen and I can see myself wearing this out with a simple eyeliner look a lot. As for Berry Smoothie, isn't it the most perfect nude shade you've ever seen? I wear this pretty much everywhere. It's always with me and I have one in my make up collection drawers and one in my bag with me. I can't be without it.

The Revlon Nail Enamel in Vixen* is the most beautiful deep berry shade that for me, resembles Mulled Wine which makes it perfect for Christmas! Sorry about the chipping - this is after a few days wear and I really should've been a good blogger and repainted them but I wanted to get this post up in time for the Sweet Boutique start date. The nail polish applies very nicely and it's extremely easy to work with.

From today, Revlon will be giving away 100 Lip Butters every single day until the 4th December on their Facebook page. It's definitely a giveaway that's worth entering! Will you be entering?

xxx

*PR Sample 

CHRISTMAS: Liz Earle Christmas Advent Calender

This is quite possibly the most exciting thing I've ever seen in my life. It's no secret that Liz Earle is my favourite skin care brand. I've tried out (and loved) pretty much every single product that Liz Earle has to offer. The brand is natural, beautiful and my skin absolutely loves it. So when I found out that there was a Liz Earle Christmas Advent Calender* I actually let out a little scream. I was the most excited I've been since getting tickets to see Justin Bieber in concert earlier this year.

Look at all of that beautiful-ness in all of its glory - exciting, right? This advent calender allows you to enjoy a treat every day in the run up to Christmas. I don't know about you guys but winter really does ruin my skin so I'm pretty excited about being able to pamper myself with a new product every single day! Behind each of the 24 doors there's a mini skin care, body care, hair care or fragrance treat! I'm really glad that Liz Earle have included everything (other than make up) as it brings variety and if you're new to the brand, you can try out the best of their products! I do wish that they had included a make up product as their make up is lovely but I guess it'd be hard finding a shade that  appealed to the masses.

I haven't opened my advent calender yet. Which for me, is an achievement. It's currently sitting on my kitchen worktop saying "open me, enjoy me" and taunting me every single second of every single day. But I'm not going to cave in. So unfortunately, I can't tell you what's inside as I've been trying to avoid everything that tells me. But I do know that The Sunday Girl wrote a blog post showing what's inside the advent calender which you can see here if you're curious. Instead of opening and showing you all what's inside now, I've decided that every day once I've opened a door I will post a blog post linking back to a previous review (if I've reviewed it), an updated mini review, pictures and of course, how I've used it to pamper myself that day.

This advent calender doesn't come cheap though, as you've probably guessed. It retails for a whopping £100 but I've come up with a list of ways you can justify the spend...

• It does work out a lot cheaper than buying all of the mini products together. Each of them retails for around £5 each which means that it's worth over £200.
• It's a great way to try out new skin care products that'll benefit you and make you look all beautiful and sexy on Christmas day.
• You deserve it! And it is Christmas after all.

Also, make sure that you keep an eye out on Liz Earle's Pinterest page as each day throughout December Pinterest users will get the chance to receive a full size product which you will find behind each door in the advent calender. Entering is easy; all you need to do is repin Liz Earle's festive pins each day! And if you're on Facebook, you can use Liz Earle's Christmas Wish List creator!

You can find out more about the product and buy it for £100 here.

What do you think about this Advent Calender? Or beauty advent calenders in general?

xxx

*PR Sample



What I Use On... My Legs

When it comes to nights out, I always try and make sure that my legs look good and I thought it'd be interesting to show you which products I use on them as I think I've found some true gems!

Dove Summer Glow + Soft Shimmer* £4.99 - I use this to top up my fake tan throughout the week. I probably use it two-three times and it's the only gradual tanner that doesn't leave the skin looking streaky. It also has a pleasant smell that doesn't smell like nasty biscuits. It's great on the legs because it adds subtle shimmer.

Jergens Original Beauty Lotion* £3.49 - This is the only body lotion I'll ever use. It's definitely my go-to one as it's my favourite ever smell, cheap and it does the job. It sinks in nice and quickly and doesn't leave a nasty film on the skin. The moisture also lasts a while as I only need to use it once a day.

L'Oreal Perfect Slim £6.95 - I use this a couple of times a week to tighten up and tone my thighs and arms. It's a nice gel formula that's quite cooling. I'm not sure if it works but it feels nice so I continue to use it.

Dr Ceuticals Leg Tone & Shimmer* £8.49 - This is another toning moisturiser and I use this whenever I go on a night out as it adds a lovely amount of shimmer to the skin which really highlights the legs.

Xen-Tan Mousse Intense* £23.99 - My perfect fake tan! When this runs out, I need to get the lotion version as I prefer lotions to mousses but this is amazing. It leaves the skin a natural olive colour and although it has a green guide colour, it doesn't stain bedsheets. It's also very easy to use, doesn't leave streaks and lasts for around a week while fading evenly. Perfection!

Ministry of Waxing Ice Cream* £21 - Even though this is supposed to be used after waxing, I use it after shaving if I ever accidently cut my legs. It cools the skin and stops little nicks from irritating it.

diego dalla palma Spray on Tights* £22.61 - I hate tights with a passion! But I love how they leave the skin looking perfect. So I've found a middle ground. This Calze Spray is pretty much a foundation to the legs and if I have a bruise on my legs, I'll spray this before going out and it lasts all night and covers it up perfectly.

Caudalie Divine Oil* £25.00 - As well as using moisturiser, I also enjoy using oil. This is a spray bottle so it's easy to apply and it leaves my skin looking glowing, healthy and feeling soft and smooth.

Soap and Glory The Breakfast Scrub* £9.50 - My favourite body scrub! This smells beautiful and does a great job as keeping my skin smooth. Whenever people ask me why my legs are so soft, I say it's because of this beauty! 

What products do you use on your legs? Have you tried any of the above?

xxx

*PR Sample

REVIEW: Liz Earle Signature Foundation

Foundations are my obsession. I'm always shopping around for that perfect foundation because I just hate my skin. I must've tried over 50 foundations in the four years that I've been wearing it and the latest edition to my collection is Liz Earle's Signature Foundation* - £21.

 Liz Earle have spent years perfecting this foundation and they believe that it delivers "a flawless yet beautifully natural-looking complexion with a lightweight, blendable and buildable formula that is suitable for all skin types and always comfortable on your skin." If you buy this foundation and you don't love it, you can return it back to Liz Earle for free by post or instore. No questions asked. "Our mission is to make shopping online for the perfect foundation as fuss-free and enjoyable as possible for our customers." The foundation comes in 9 shades and Liz Earle even have a shade selector to help you find your perfect shade.

 Packaging is very important for me when it comes to foundation and this one doesn't disappoint. It is a glass bottle which isn't great for travelling with but if it's something that you're worried about, you can always decant it into another container. It comes with a pump which means that there's little wastage and it's easy to dispense the product. And it fits in with the rest of the Liz Earle make up line. The packaging is simple, beautiful and effective. 

 I've tried out their Sheer Skin Tint before and while I like it because of the finish and the formula, I can't love it because I need coverage on my skin and the Sheer Skin Tint provided more than your typical tinted moisturiser but not enough for me. So I was pretty excited when I heard about this release. As I expected, the formula is beautiful and you can tell a lot of work has gone into this foundation. It blends like a dream and glides over the skin filling in pores and covering up your imperfections. But it doesn't feel that way then it's on the skin. It's virtually undetectable and it doesn't feel heavy and my skin doesn't feel or look caked in make up. It also doesn't cling to any dry patches and it doesn't make my skin look like an oil slick.

As you can see from the picture above, it provides medium coverage but I believe it can be built up and I'd be happy to wear this foundation alone without concealer if I was in a rush. But on nights out, I do use this with concealer because I like my skin to be completely covered and some of my scars do still peek through. My overall opinion on this foundation? I love it. I think it's suitable for everyone because of how good the coverage and formula is. It's not hard to work with and while it covers things up, it doesn't do it in a nasty way. I find myself reaching for this foundation for day and nighttime and it will last me all night and a full work day which is pretty damn good on my combination skin.

Have you tried this foundation before? What's your favourite foundation?

xxx

*PR Sample

CHRISTMAS: Wilkinsons

Another Christmas post for you today! And this time it's from a store that I love because the quality of the products don't reflect on the price. You can get some amazing bargains from Wilkinsons and the quality is on par with the more expensive brands. You can follow my Christmas 2012 series with this label. 

Rebel False Eyelash Set* (£2.00) - This set is such a bargain! £2.00 for two pairs of eyelashes is so cheap. I've tried the lashes out and they're not the best lashes that I've tried but they're certainly not bad. Also, the glue is clear which is great as you don't have to wait for the glue to dry clear. One of the lashes is quite natural while the other one is very dramatic so there are two different looks to try out.

Rebel Lip Gloss Duo* (£1.50) - When I first saw this set I immediately thought that this would make a lovely little gift for a young girl who was first getting into make up. But after I'd tried the lipglosses, I actually ended up loving them myself. The colour payoff isn't great and they don't last that long on the lips but they aren't ticky in the slightest. They're actually one of the most moisturising lipglosses that I've ever used - competing with higher end brands. I actually keep one of these in my bags now because they're great for slicking on the lips and not having to worry about your hair getting stuck in your lipgloss.

Little Birds Bath Crystals* (£1.50) - Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try these out yet as at university, I don't have a bath. But this packaging is so cute and once again I think that this would make a lovely stocking filler for pretty much any female. Young girls will love them but then so will your grannies!

Wilkinsons do some lovely Christmas gift sets for him, her and even pets. You can check out their entire range here. I'm also going to go to Wilkinsons for Christmas decorations for my flat as everything is so cheap! You can see their decoration and tree range here and here. Here are some more of my favourites -

Top to bottom, left to right - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

What do you think of Wilkinson's Christmas range?

xxx

*PR Sample

CHRISTMAS: Jardins D'EDEN

For my Christmas post today, I have a brand for you that's never been mentioned on my blog before. But I can see this as the first of many posts... I absolutely love candles. For me, there's nothing like walking into a room and it smelling beautiful and bursting with fragrance. I've always used candles. I started off with the Glade candles (standard) and then ventured off into Yankee Candles and now, I'm trying out more expensive brands which I must say, are worth the more expensive price tag. 

I present to you one of my new favourites. A candle that I pretty much haven't stopped burning since I received it... The Jardins D'EDEN's Christmas Candle (£30)* which is made with 100% natural wax and pure essential oils. The scent is a blend of sweet orange, cinnamon and clove pure essential oil. These candles provide aromatherapy benefits when you breathe in the scented air so it's recommend that you burn them for 2-4 hours at a time.

This is the first time that I've "experimented" with this brand but the candle has definitely made me want to try more. Jardins D'EDEN have a range of different gift sets available that I believe are perfect for you loved ones at Christmas if they like to indulge. The Detox Gift Box comes with the Detox Bath Fizzy and the Detox Body Scrub. The Essentials Gift Box comes with three different soap bars; Cinnamon and Orange, Manuka Honey and Oat and Tea Tree and Eucalyptus. And finally, the Unwind Gift Box comes with the Manuka Honey and Oat, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus and Rose and Geranium soap bars as well as the Unwind Bath Truffles. You can also see more of their gift sets here and the entire brand range here. Have you tried this brand before?

xxx

*PR Sample

Rise up, Lotus rise this is the beginning...

Another eye of the day for you all! I created this look a few nights ago when I was bored in my flat. I love purple eyeshadow as it really contrasts with my green eyes but I don't tend to use it often as it is quite a scary colour. 

I used the No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow Trio in the colour Forest Fruits which I reviewed and swatched here. I used the lightest colour on the inner part of my eye, the darker colour on the outside and in the crease and the black to define my lash line. I was pretty please with how this look turned out seeing the photos, I wish I'd have winged it out a little bit more as when the eye is closed, the outer corner looks a little bit messy. But you live and you learn, right?! My eyelashes also don't look very nice but that's probably because I used a mascara that's pretty much dried up now - I should really throw it out.

But anyway, I've been loving experimenting with eyeshadow more recently so you can expect a few more looks, maybe! What do you think of this look? What's your favourite colour to use on your eyes?

xxx

REVIEW: Nail Rock Nail Wraps

I've tried out nail wraps in the past and while I loved the designs, I didn't particularly get on with them very well. I'm not the best when it comes to nail art - I'm just getting to grips with actually painting nail polish onto my nails! Nail Rock are the first brand that I ever came across when it comes to nail wraps. I can remember seeing them in Boots and falling in love with the pretty designs and thinking, "maybe for once I'll be able to have decent nails." So when I was given the chance to try these out, I literally just couldn't say no.

These nail wraps come with everything that you need to apply them; the nail wraps themselves, a nail file and buffer, acetone wipes and a cuticle pusher. I was glad when I saw the wipes in this kit because like I said, I've used nail wraps in the past and they didn't stick very well and I'm guessing it's because there was nasty residue left on my nails from nail polish remover or something like that. 

As you see from the image above, I applied them pretty badly. For me, I can't come to grips with the whole filing off the end. I do struggle with that bit and it shows in the above picture. The thumb does look pretty good though. But despite my shoddy attempt, I found these nail wraps to stick well and last well. I have since tried them and I keep trying them and I am getting better. Maybe just maybe, in a few years time I'll be a pro at nail wraps. I hope I am because they're just so much easier to use and look after than nail polish. These were also very easy to remove and they didn't damage my nails at all. You can buy Nail Rock nail wraps here where there are lots of different and pretty designs and styles! The ones featured in this post were the Nail Rock White Dots on Black Nail Wraps which retail for £6.65.

Have you tried nail wraps before? Do you have any tips?

xxx



CHRISTMAS: Boots New Christmas Range

Christmas is without a doubt my favourite time of the year. I love how excited everyone gets, I love giving and receiving presents, I love spending time with my family, I love winter clothing. I just love everything about Christmas - except maybe the weather. So over Christmas, Boots are doing a few fun things. And there are some pretty cool new products on their website that are a little bit different to what they usually sell.

These are Boots' new "Christmas Range!" Above, you can see the Self Esteem Replacement After Christmas Kit,  A Lump of Coal, Santa's Chimney Grease, Mum's Gift Wrapped Washing Up Liquid, Santa's Naughty & Nice List, Brussel Sprot Gas Masks - Pack of 4, Elf Bite Lotion, Bah Humbug Hamper, The Suprised Look Face and a Glass of Milk and a Cookie! As you've probably guessed, you unfortunately cannot buy these (which is a shame as the Self Esteem Replacement After Christmas Kit seems fun) but I think it's grea that Boots are getting into the Christmas spirit and putting little joke items like this around the site.

Boots also have a new Christmas advert out which I've embedded for you below. I think this is super cute and it's definitely getting me even more excited for the most beautiful time of the year!

I know I don't normally post on Sundays but I couldn't resist when I saw these cute items and the advert. Now I'm off to light my Christmas candles and listen to Justin Bieber's Mistletoe!

xxx

Where would I be if you didn't believe?

A few nights ago I was bored. And I thought to myself, "what can I do to entertain myself?" And out of the corner of my eye I spotted my make up drawers screaming "open me, use me." I think they've been feeling a bit neglected recently as I haven't really been experimenting a lot with make up due to lack of time (pesky assignments)! So I decided to experiment with a look that I've never tried or attempted before...

I used the lilac on the lid and the dark purple in the crease from the No7 Eyeshadow Trio in Forest Fruits to create a nice glittery effect. I then went over the dark purple in the crease with Urban Decay's Blackout to make it more intense and the colour I wanted. But I still wanted the glitter to be seen so I went over Blackout a little bit more with the dark purple in Forest Fruits to further highlight this. Eyeliner wise, I used my trusty Collection 2000's Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner in Black and for mascara I used lots of them mixed together to create thick and full lashes. 

I must apologise for the blurring out of my eyebrows in these pictures. They really needed doing but I didn't think I was going to like the look enough to feature it on my blog so I didn't bother - oops! Also, sorry about the dodgy false eyelash application in the last picture. I'm not great with false eyelashes and I kinda rushed the application. But the picture showed off the make up so well that I just had to use it. I wasn't expecting to like this look. But I've actually fallen in love with it. I don't know if it's something that I'll be able to recreate but I will sure as hell try too! I was a little sad when i had to wash it away as I wanted to keep it on my eyes forever. It's very intense so it'll need to be paired with flawless skin and neutral lips but for a night out, I think this is perfect!

What do you think?

xxx

GIVEAWAY: Proactiv Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered my Proactiv giveaway! But now, I'm proud to announce the winner of the giveaway...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Congratulations! I've emailed you and also the guys who will be sending your prize out and they will send you an email soon!
Sorry if you didn't win but keep an eye out for my giveaways soon. Especially because it's nearly Christmas...
xxx

NEW PRODUCT: Blistex Cold Sore Cream

It's no secret that I love Blistex. Their product range is absolutely incredible and my favourite lip health products come from them. I've wrote a lot about the brand before and you can see all my reviews/times I've mentioned Blistex here. Blistex have recently launched a revolutionary Cold Sore Cream. Fortunately, I don't suffer with cold sores but I wanted to feature the cream on my blog anyway because I know what a pain they can be.

Docosanol is the unique active ingredient in the Blistex Cold Sore Cream and it's already the number 1 selling cold sore treatment in the US and for the first time, Blistex have brought it to the UK! It works differently to every other cold sore treatment on the market as it helps to block the spread of the virus when applied so you can carry on with life as normal.
"Published scientific journal reports (4) have shown that docosanol starts working earlier in the cold sore cycle than other active ingredients by forming a barrier around the cell whihc stops the virus from entering in the first place. Current treatments on the market contain anti-virals such as aciclovir and penciclovir, which only start to work once the cold sore has entered the healthy cells."
4 - Haremburg et al. Acta Derm Venereol 2010; 90: 122-130; Sacks et al. J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;45 (2): 222-230; Habbema et al. Acta Derm Venereol 1996; 479-481.

So busy lifestyles make it hard to sufferers to avoid the triggers of a cold sore such as stress, tiredness, ill health and poor diet. But the new cream offers a powerful new way to fight back against the virus while also moisturising and protecting the lips all year round.
The new Cold Sore Cream is available now and it retails for £6.99. You can find out more here and buy it from Tesco, Superdrug, Sainsbury's, Asda, Boots and Morrisons over the counter.
xxx