July Favourites

It's been a while since I've written a July Favourites post. I suppose until recently, I hadn't been loving anything in particular. This month however, I've truly fallen in love with a few products so I thought I'd share them with you. Also, can you believe it's July?! It's almost Christmas...

Dior Addict Eau Sensuelle EDT - £52 for 50ml

I received this fragrance as a gift when I left Boots. Mine is actually 100ml which is luckily huge as I've been spraying this constantly. It smells absolutely beautiful and because I'm bad at describing scents, I'd recommend giving this a whiff next time you're in Boots. But beware, you'll probably end up purchasing it. It's quite light, fresh and girly and absolutely stunning. I'm addicted.

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Celestial - £5.99

I know, I know. Rewind to when these were first released and I couldn't express my hatred for the things enough. I tried selling it, but it just wouldn't sell so instead of throwing it away, I decided to give it another go. The problem wasn't with the formula, it was with the colour. It just didn't seem to suit me. But for some strange reason, I now think it does. It's a beautiful pink shade that's brighter than a nude, but still quite muted.

Alberto Balsam Coconut and Lychee Conditioner - £1.00

I've expressed my love for Alberto Balsam before and I think I'll continue doing so for a long time to come. They're the most affordable hair care brand out there and their products rival brands much more expensive. This conditioner is perfect for summer because it smells like coconuts, and that scent lingers in the hair throughout the day. It also helps get rid of knots and smooths the hair down.

La Roche-Posay Rosaliac CC Daily Unifying Complete Correction Cream SPF 30* - currently £15.60

I wanted a lighter base to wear on holiday and this is the one that I used. It provides medium coverage that feels lightweight on the skin. That was impressive enough. But what impressed me even more was its lasting power. Make up doesn't tend to last well on my skin but this was still intact ten hours after I'd been sweating in Rome all day. Not bad at all. 

Klorane Almond Milk Shampoo* - currently £4.80

I love Klorane's dry shampoo. It's without a doubt the best dry shampoo there is. So when I received this product, I couldn't wait to try it out. The shampoo uses Spanish almond milk which coats the hair fibre to add volume without weighing it down and also smooths and softens it. It's unreal how weightless my hair feels after using this shampoo. I don't have to bother with any volumising styling sprays as this does all of the work itself. It leaves my hair feeling incredibly soft too. I can see me repurchasing this for a long time.

Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Hoola - full size £14.50

I got a mini of this in a Benefit kit that I purchased on holiday. In all honesty, this was the product I wasn't too bothered about in the kit, but since trying it out I'm addicted. It doesn't provide a lot of colour - if any - but it does feel incredibly soft on the lips. It's almost like a balm in texture and it doesn't leave behind a horrible sticky-feeling. It looks beautiful on its own, or over a lipstick to add a hint of shine and moisture.

Weleda Citrus Refreshing Body Oil* - £13.95

It's strange thinking about how much I love oils these days. This one from Weleda is incredible and I knew it'd be a firm favourite the first time I used it. I love citrus scents, and this one proves it further. This body oil lives up to its refreshing name and leaves the skin smooth and supple with a scent that enlivens the body. It also sinks into the skin nice and quickly and leaves the skin soft for hours on ends.

Benefit They're Real! Remover* - £14.50

I was very shocked by this product when I first used it and it's made removing eye make up a complete doddle this month. For an eye make up remover it's expensive but it dissolves make up on contact. It's really easy and quick to use and doesn't sting my eyes.

What products have you been loving throughout July?

*PR Sample

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MAKE UP | Benefit's They're Real range

Despite having these products for a good few weeks, it's taken me a while to gather my thoughts and opinions and write a blog post. I'm guessing by now you all know about Benefit's They're Real range? It started out with the mascara, which has been hugely successful in its own right. And because of this, Benefit decided to expand the range and launched a revolutionary eyeliner and an eye make up remover.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara* - £19.50

First up, the cult favourite. I never invested in this mascara because my eyelashes are pretty good on their own. It's lucky for me because it means that I never have to spend a fortune on my lashes as drugstore mascaras work just fine. Lots of people rave about this gem and it's easy to see why. The pigment is outstanding and the jet black mascara truly lengthens, curls, volumises, lifts and separates the lashes. It makes my lashes look out of this world, but for me, £19.50 is a lot of money to spend on a mascara. Will I splash out once mine runs out? I'm not sure. I'll see how much I need it when it happens.

Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner* - £18.50

Ooh this didn't half take me a while to get used to. It's the first gel liner in a pen to hit the market and has an innovative soft tip which is supposed to truly hug the lashline. In the photo above, I'm wearing this eyeliner and as you can see, it's barely visible. That's how close it allows you to get to the lashline meaning that thicker lashes and a natural eye look is now possible. Once set, this liner doesn't budge on the lashes but I will warn you that you have to work quickly as it dries almost instantly after application and can sometimes flake. I've definitely become a huge fan of this liner, it's easy to use and creates an array of different looks.

Benefit They're Real! Remover* - £14.50

This was the product that I didn't think I'd care about. £14.50 on an eye make up remover? No thank you! And before I used it, I wasn't convinced. You see, my Lush Ultrabland removes my They're Real liner and mascara perfectly well, so I didn't see a use for this. Until I used it the other day. It's incredible and makes removing eye make up gentle, a pleasure and simple. With Ultrabland, I'd have to rub for a few minutes however with this, eye make up is removed in an instant. It simply melts away. It's a light milky formula that immediately lifts any make up from around the eyes without leaving behind residue. Pricey, but I'm addicted.

Have you tried any products from the They're Real range before?
*PR Sample
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What's inside my summer everyday essentials bag?

Ooh isn't the weather lovely today? I've been into town for no reason at all and I had to come back after a couple of hours because I couldn't handle the heat; I'm definitely not a sun-fan at all. But regardless, I can't complain. With the sun showing its face, I've mixed up my everyday essentials bag and in case you're wondering, the bag is an old one from Primark. I'm keeping my eyes pealed for one of the smaller London bags from Primark but I can't spot it anywhere. I have the medium sized one but it's too big for everyday use sadly. Anyway, the keyring is from Clinique and it's one of the first items I ever received as a PR sample. It came with their 3 Step System and it's now four years old. It also doubles up as a small mirror.

Pebble Grey LED Cosmetic Mirror* - £24.99 (currently on offer for £19.99)

I'm not going to go into too much detail about this mirror as I do have a full blog post (+ giveaway!) coming up very soon. But basically, I don't know how I've gone my entire life without one in my handbag. It lights up when opened using LED lights and is just perfect in everyway. It's nice and compact and fits into my everyday bag perfectly.

Orla Kiely Bergamot Hand Cream* - £10.00

The hand cream pictured above is actually a teeny 10ml bottle which sadly, I can't find a link for. The full sized bottle is 50ml which is still a nice size for your handbag. I've been loving using this hand cream. Not only is the bottle beautiful looking, but the scent is gorgeous and the cream itself sinks into the hands almost instantly, leaving behind minimal residue.

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush - £11.99

This isn't my favourite Real Techniques brush but it's good for keeping in my bag with me for day-to-day touch ups as it nicely blends concealer into the skin. Like the name suggests, it's a retractable kabuki brush and the bristles get covered up by the lid, which is great for stopping bacteria. 

Cuticura Antibacterial Hand Gel in Lemon Sherbet* - £1.00

I always have to carry an antibacterial hand gel around with me. After all, you never quite know what situation you're going to end up getting yourself into. I LOVE these sweet ones from Cuticura as unlike most hand gels, they don't have a nasty chemical smell. Instead they smell absolutely gorgeous and don't dry the hands out.

Piz Buin In Sun Lipstick SPF 30 - £6.00 (currently on offer for £3.00)

The sun's out in the UK, hooray! For me, SPF is my must-have beauty item throughout the year. I have fair skin and I'm without a doubt scared of the sun, so I'm constantly protecting myself. This lip protection isn't that moisturising and it's quite thick and hard to use, but it does smell/taste nice and it's great knowing that my lips are protected throughout the day.

Soltan Baby Hypoallergenic Suncare Cream SPF50+ 50ml - £4.00 (currently on offer for £2.00)

Like above, I always carry SPF around with me. I apply it in the morning and keep a smaller one with my for on the go touch ups. This one is an absolute bargain and it smells nice and provides SPF50+ protection. I also love using Soltan products because they have a 5 star UVA protection rating.

KIKO Kiss Balm in Strawberry* - £5.90

I absolutely adore this lip balm. It adds a hint of colour, sheen and moisture to the lips and also protects them from the sun with an SPF of 15. It tastes delicious and there are seven different flavour/colour combinations to choose from - I need to own them all! Someone take me to the London store?

Benefit The POREfessional: Agent Zero Shine* - £23.50

I have a love/hate relationship with this powder. On the one hand, it's wonderful at eliminating pores and my scarring, but on the other hand, it's ridiculously expensive as you only get a teeny 7g of product for your money. I carry it around in my handbag because of how compact and easy to use it is. It comes with a mini kabuki brush and you pour the powder into the lid, simple! 

John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer* - £10.99

Now my hair is shorter, I don't find myself using this as much. But it's still a handy product to keep in my bag (and I love it because it smells delicious). This Touch-Up Tamer looks like a mascara and applies like a mascara. You simple comb the wand through any flyaways and it instantly sticks them down without weighing your hair down or leaving behind any residue.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

And of course, the god of all concealers is kept in my handbag. This is without a doubt my favourite concealer as it provides long lasting, full coverage that never looks cakey on the skin. I've gone through tubes of this stuff and it's something I'll definitely continue to repurchase.

What products do you carry around with you on a day-to-day basis?
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What's in my make up bag?

Oh I must say, it's good to be a "full time blogger" now. Obviously this isn't a viable career as I certainly don't make enough money from blogging to live off, but it's nice to be able to blog whenever I want. I love having nothing to do and I'm definitely making the most while it lasts. Although this post is called, "what's in my make up bag," I actually don't have a make up bag. I suppose these are just my everyday make up products. And although I mix it up often, these are the items that I reach for most often; my favourites, if you like.

Pur Minerals Correcting Primer in Purple* - £22.50

I truly love this primer and I find myself reaching for it daily. It feels lightweight on the skin and make up adheres to it like it's glue, nothing that's applied on top of this is budging throughout the day, no matter what. The purple hue counteracts scarring and although it's not incredibly noticeable, I definitely think it helps up the coverage of my foundation, so no complaints with that one. 

Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation - £15.50 (currently on offer for £11.62)

I've raved about this many times before and I'll contain to do so as long as I live. As far as foundations go, this is perfection and it doesn't receive enough love. It's full coverage at its finest but is exceptionally lightweight and unnoticeable on the skin. Easy to blend, this foundation glides over the skin and stays put throughout the day. You can see my full review here with before and after photos.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

I've tried many different concealers over the years but I always come back to this one. It's fail safe and always serves me well. The coverage is nice and probably the fullest on the high street and it never ends up looking cakey. I also find that I need a fair amount of concealer and go through tubes of the stuff quickly, so the price of this concealer is perfect for me. Why spend £20 when this one's under a fiver?!

Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil - £10.00

This is a new discovery of mine and at the moment, I'm on the lookout for a new brow product. For ages I've been using my Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, but now the shades "Naked 2" and "Faint" are running extremely low. I don't like the Brow Tint half of this but the Pencil is lovely. It's more like a wax and fills in the brows nice and naturally.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette* - £45.00

I don't know how I've lived so long without this palette. It's an absolute godsend. It has every shade you'd ever need to create the most perfect neutral smoky eye, and it smells like chocolate. As with all of Too Faced's shadows, the pigmentation, blendability and staying power are second to none. You can find my full review here.

NYX The Curve* - £14.00

This eyeliner completely changed my life. No matter how hard I tried, eyeliner was something I couldn't perfect for many years. Then this beauty came along. The handle makes the liner incredibly easy to hold and the nib glides along eyelids meaning you don't need to stretch and tug them. You can find my full review here and since then, I've gone through five tubes of the stuff.

Green People Volumising Mascara* - £14.75

I'm someone who has never remained loyal to mascara. I naturally have long eyelashes so overtime I've found that pretty much all mascaras do the same thing. But the moment I tried Green People's Volumising Mascara, I knew I was a convert. This brush combs through the lashes, coating each one and making them luscious and thick. You can see my full review here.

Benefit The POREfessional: Agent Zero Shine* - £23.50

I have the biggest love/hate relationship with this powder. You see, you only get 7g's worth of product for a whopping £23.50 - I have no idea how Benefit can charge that amount, it's almost crazy. But aside from this, the finishing powder is lovely. And I absolutely love it. It doesn't just fill in pores, it fills in my scars and leaves my skin looking airbrushed. Such a dilemma. I don't know whether I'll repurchase when I've used it all.

KIKO Sun Lovers Blush in Copacabana Coral* - £14.90

The moment I saw this blush I fell in love and since then, I haven't used any other product on my cheek. The packaging is beautiful, the blush is stunning and it takes me from dead to alive in approximately one minute. You can see my full review and swatch of this product here. Although it's limited edition, I hope KIKO never stop selling it. I'd be heartbroken.

LUSH Lipstick in Strong - £14.50

And finally, we have something for the lips. I do change my lipstick everyday but I've been loving LUSH's Strong lipstick. It's a beautiful orange/red shade that's incredibly vibrant. However, when a small amount is applied, it's muted down enough for me to wear in the day. The formula sadly, is a little bit off and if I don't properly prep my lips they can end up looking dry. But it's worth it for the stunning colour.

What are your favourite everyday make up items? Have you tried any of the above?
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MAKE UP | Benefit World Famous Neutrals Most Glamorous Nudes Ever

Today I was featured on the UNiDAYS blog talking about the Benefit World Famous Neutrals Kit. It's something that I've been wearing every day on my eyes since buying it last week. I won't go into too much detail about it here, but if you want to find out my thoughts on this kit then you go visit the post here.

What's your favourite Benefit product?

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Collective Haul

Recently, I've been a woman on a mission. Since Christmas I've been spending and spending and spending. Which is pretty bad. But with a new year comes new collections and I just can't stop myself. Plus I've been on work experience for the past two weeks. 6:30am everyday?! I surely deserve a few treats. Like I said, this is a collective haul so I've purchased everything over the past month or so. I normally don't buy much for myself. Usually I get my money and it goes on car insurance, phone bill, braces and then food. So I most definitely have enjoyed buying myself some wonderful products.

Hair:

Most purchases were haircare items mainly because I've recently had it cut. Since getting my skin under control, I've been loving looking after my hair. The L'Oreal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Shampoo - £3.99 is all over the blogosphere at the minute and after reading some incredible reviews, I couldn't not buy it. I haven't tried it yet but I'm extremely excited to, so I'll report back. My Moroccanoil ran out the other month which left me heartbroken. I couldn't bring myself to part with the hefty £31.85 price tag so instead, I bought the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil UV Filter for All Hair Types - £9.99 which I've been loving. It does the exact same job as the Moroccanoil and comes in a prettier bottle. What's not to love?!

I bought the Bumble and bumble Surf Travel Set which was on offer for £4.50 (an absolute bargain considering it retails for £18). It comes with a mini shampoo, conditioner and Surf Spray - and when I say mini, I mean mini. I adore the Surf range and I'm going on a cruise in July so this will be perfect for it. Apparently, we're not allowed to take straighteners so I thought this little set will help leave my hair looking lovely and windswept. It's currently packed away in the bottom of my drawers - so tempting to use it. The Remington Keratin Therapy Round Brush - £9.99 was something I bought the day after I had my hair cut. It does a good job at getting volume into the hair but it does feels cheap to hold.

I also went a little bit crazy with Charles Worthington products. The Volume & Bounce Shampoo, Volume & Bounce Conditioner, Volume & Bounce Texturising Powder and Backcomb Brush came in a Christmas set that was reduced in the sale. It was down from £16 to £8 which is a wonderful price as the products alone would set you back £18 individually. I was going to buy the shampoo and conditioner on their own until I spotted this set - bargain. I then purchased the Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray - £6.99 using a voucher from the set. It's raved about a lot but I just can't seem to love it. It's okay but it's nothing mind blowing.

Skin and body:

I made a few repurchases because a few of my favourite skin care items had ran out. I've found a wonderful skin care routine that I'm now sticking too because it's working perfectly - no trying other products (except face masks etc) unless I really think they're going to benefit my skin. The Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil - £10.99 is something that I've raved about many times before on my blog. I absolutely love it, it removes all of my make up and brightens my complexion. It's also very good value for money. I then repurchased my favourite cleanser which is the Clearasil Ultra Blemish + Marks Wash and Mask - £5.79. I won't go into too much detail because I am planning on doing a full skin care routine soon. I also bought the Dove Original Beauty Cream Bar - £0.70 and Boots Frosted Travel Soap Box - £1.69 because although I love my shower gels, I do believe there's nothing better than a good old bar of soap for the more "intimate areas." 

Make up:

I've tried a few Benefit products in the past but at this current moment, I don't own anything by the brand. I bought the Benefit World Famous Neutrals Most Glamorous Nudes Ever Kit - £23.50 earlier today and I'm so excited by it. I'm going to be doing a review on UNiDAYS so I won't say too much but it's so pretty! I also repurchased one of my favourite foundations, ever (the other being VICHY's Dermablend) Estee Lauder's Double Wear - £27.50. I realised that I haven't done a proper review of this foundation on Bamboozle Beauty before so I will be getting round to it soon. I bought the Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation - £8.99 after reading some wonderful reviews on it. I haven't had the chance to try this yet but I will say the colour range was very strange.

Phew, I thought that was never going to end! What have you been buying recently?

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WANT: Benefit Wishlist

Benefit Wishlist by bamboozlebeauty 

Benefit is a brand that I absolutely love however, I've only ever tried a few things from it. I think it's their packaging that lures me in. I've used - and loved - their Boi-ing concealer however I'm just not feeling it any more and sadly at the moment, it's unloved. I love their Porefessional primer. It's probably my favourite primer ever and I'm also a sucker for their little kits which sadly, I've never owned. The products above are ones that I'm lusting after. I've always been obsessed with their boxed powders and hopefully one day, I'll have one to call my own. Hoola sounds like the most perfect contour colour in the world and Coralista and Bella Bamba scream "sexy." As for their Fine One One, well it's been gracing the blogosphere for some time now and it's hard to not be amazed by what seems like a beautiful, wonder product. As for their Erase Paste, I'm just addicted to concealers and want more of them. I'm also running low on my Urban Decay Primer Potion so I'd love to be able to see how Stay Don't Stray compares. And finally, Brow-Zings, I'm obsessed with doing my eyebrows at the moment and it'd be nice to compare this kit to some of my favourites to see how they match up. So yes, if I happen to win the lottery, I'll be heading down to Benefit very quickly. What are your favourite Benefit products?

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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

How To... Get Glowing/Healthy Looking Skin

I've been loving glowing, healthy looking skin at the moment and I've come across the perfect products to create this so I thought I'd share it with you. 

Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light - £6.50

I only use the highlighter out of this kit as at the moment I prefer the Liz Earle bronzer. The highlighter is a beautiful light rose gold colour that really highlights the cheekbones. You only need a tiny amount of this though because it's very strong.

Liz Earle Natural Glow Bronzer* - £19.50

I reviewed this product in full here and I've been using it not only as a contour colour but also as a blush sometimes as it's really versatile. It adds a gorgeous glow to the skin and makes skin look glowing, healthy and naturally bronzed.

17 Hide & Chic Concealer - £4.99

I use this underneath my eyes and it does a fabulous job at concealing under eye bags and just generally brightening the eye area up and making you look more awake. It's also great on blemishes and it really blurs imperfections.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Make Up Foundation - £6.99

 My favourite foundation at the moment. I did a full review of this here and I've worn it every day since buying it. As the name suggests it makes you look awake, lasts all day with a primer and covers very well.

Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer - £21.50

This primer is amazing. It helps make up lasts all day long whilst adding a natural and beautiful glow to the skin. If I haven't had much sleep then I can rely on this primer to really perk my skin up.

17 Pressed Powder - £3.99

And finally, I've switched my mattifying powder for a 'normal' powder to let my skin shine through. This one is great because it keeps oil at bay but it doesn't leave your skin looking dead matte.

And of course I've included a few swatches for you.
L-R Liz Earle Natural Glow Bronzer, Sleek Contour Kit Highlight in Light

And this is my skin with all of these products mentioned above. I wore this make up for work last Sunday and it lasted on my skin all day and really made me look glowing and healthy. I also had a bad breakout last week on the right hand side of my face but as you can see, the Wake Me Up foundation really covered the breakout pretty well.
What products do you use to get glowing skin?
xxx
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COLLECTION: Primers

No7 Shine Free Primer - £11.00

I bought this with my £5 voucher as I was in need of a primer and minus the £5 of staff discount it was a very good price. This doesn't have the nicest consistency and it's pretty hard to 'spread' around the skin but it does the job. It keeps skin matte free all day and helps make up last a lot longer. I wouldn't pay £11 for it but with the voucher it's definitely worth it.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - £14.50

Sorry about the little Clinique pot but the Primer Potion's old packaging was awful and I managed to decant so much product from it that this little tub has lasted me a further 6 months (and I've barely used it) so make sure you decant the product. This is the ultimate eye primer. Not only does it ensure that your eye make up stays in place all day long it also makes the colours look more vibrant and 'alive.' I've had this for over 2 years now and I can see it lasting me another year at least so definitely worth it.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer - £6.99

I was in need of a primer and Rimmel had just brought theirs out so I thought 'why not?' It's an okay primer. It ensures that make up lasts a lot longer than it normally would but I don't believe it does anything else for the skin. Especially not the 5 results that it claims it does. It is though however a lovely consistency and applies like a dream.

Sheer Cover Base Perfector* - prices start from £29.99

The only bad thing about this primer is that you have to buy it as a set with some other Sheer Cover product.(Don't get me wrong, the set is lovely and works very well). But it's not good if you just want the primer. The primer is lovely. It's of cream consistency and glides on the skin covering up imperfections and pores whilst ensuring skin is matte and make up lasts throughout the day.

17 Photo Flawless Primer - £4.99

Once again I bought this because it was cheap and from what I remember it was the first drug store primer. Maybe I'm dreaming that one... But yes, it's a decent primer. It reminds me of GOSH's primer with it's consistency as it's gel and glides over the skin beautifully. It fills in pores but I don't believe it prolongs the life of make up that much. If I don't have a busy day then I'll use this but if I need my make up to last very well then I'd go for something stronger.

Murine Bright & Moist Eyes Eye Drops* - £4.49

I guess this isn't a primer but I use these every day before applying my make up as they make my eyes look a lot brighter. I wouldn't be without them and I now see them as a valuable part of my make up routine.

Benefit Porefessional Primer - £23.50

I received this with Glamour magazine and I really love it. It glides over the skin, makes make up last all day and covers pores perfectly. I really cannot rave about this enough. It is as perfect as a primer get. Oh and you only need a tiny amount as well so it will last a long time if you cannot justify the price.

I have a primer addiction at the moment; what are your favourite primers?

xxx

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FAVOURITE... Miniature Products

I love miniature products. So much so that when my sister went on holiday earlier this year I bought her a few sample sized products to take with her - even though some of the full sized products were cheaper. They're so cute and sometimes a great way to decide whether or a not a product is perfect for you. Here's some of my favourites...

 Charles Worthington Takeaways Sun-Shine UV Protection Styling Spray - £1.99
I absolutely love this and whenever the sun is shining I'll throw it into my handbag to keep my hair nice and protected from the sun throughout the say.

Xen-Tan Dark Lotion* - £28.99
Oh my god I need the full size version of this. It's the most perfect fake tan out there. It's moisturising, last's up to 7 days, smells gorgeous (almond is my favourite scent) and doesn't streak. It really is perfect.

Lancome Bi-Facil - £20.00
I received this as a GWP and it's served me well. It's definitely one of the best eye make up removers out there as it melts make up instead of spreading it around the skin.

Weleda Birch Cellulite Oil* - £19.95
It's summer soon and I need Kim Kardashian's bikini body. Ok, maybe I'm being a bit ambitious there. But I need a niceish one. So I'm trying this out. So far I really like it. It smells lovely and absorbs quickly. Word of advice though - don't use it after applying fake tan like I stupidly did.

Good Things Miracle Mattifier Lotion* - £7.99
I have the full sized version of this and I love it. You can see my full review of this here. 

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist* - £16.50
This mist is wonderful for balancing the skin and keeping it hydrated throughout the day. I've also blogged about this a few times and you read the posts here.

Benefit POREfessional Primer - £23.50
Of course, I received this free with this months Glamour magazine and I absolutely love it. I'm definitely contemplating whether to not to buy the full sized version. It slides over pores and completely fills them in.

Etat Pur Oil-Free Quenching Fluid* - £7.80
I blogged about receiving these free samples a while ago and I'll definitely be doing a full review of them and the brand as a whole. But I really love both this moisturiser and the other moisturiser (down below). They're great value for money and work really well with my skin.

Orla Kiely Eau De Parfum* - £55.00
I'm really bad when it comes to perfume and normally I just wear Britney ones. I love Britney of course and when it comes to perfume there's just too many out there for me to choose from. This one though is lovely and I think I might have to purchase it in full. It's a very nice fresh scent that's great for summer.

Etat Pur Light Moisturizing Emulsion* - £7.80
I blogged about receiving these free samples a while ago and I'll definitely be doing a full review of them and the brand as a whole. But I really love both this moisturiser and the other moisturiser (down below). They're great value for money and work really well with my skin.

Glam Glow Mud* - £49.99
I will definitely do a full review of this product. It's a mask and a scrub in one and once you've used it once you will instantly see a difference in your skin. A tiny bit goes a long way and it's marketed at all skin types - from very dry to acne prone. I used this as a mask for 15 minutes then scrubbed my skin and washed it away and immediately my skin looked clearer and my face looked glowing. It's so expensive but I know that when I get my student loan I'll be buying this. Now, I just have to wait until September..
What are your favourite miniature products? Do you like buying the sample sizes first?

xxx

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Outfit & Face of the Night: No Longer Freshers

Last night was pretty much the end of my first university year. Yesterday, me and my friends went out for a meal and then went out to a nightclub to celebrate the end of our first year. We also ended up having a sleepover at one of my friends flat and finally when we woke up this morning (or should I say afternoon) we took a trip to Morrison's cafe. Some of us are still here and we'll definitely be coming back to university for a few days at a time but last night was what I'd say was our last night as freshers. It's going to be strange not being around my friends at university any more as we've pretty much spent every hour of every day with each other. It's been a wonderful year.. definitely the best of my life and I can't wait until September!

This is the outfit that I wore. Both the play-suit and the shoes were both from New Look. And surprisingly, the shoes are very comfortable and I rarely ever took them off. If you know me, then you'll know that when it comes to heels, I walk to the club in them and take them off pretty much instantly so this is a big achievement for me! I really love the play-suit but it is pretty revealing and I had a few people on 'boob watch' all night. We even used body tape but that was useless and lasted for around an hour.

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of my make up before I went out but these are the pictures that probably show it off best. I went for a more natural look with my eyes and I used Urban Decay's Sidecar and Darkhorse from the Naked Palette on my eyes as well as my favourite eyeliner from 17 and my favourite mascara from 17 also. On my eyebrows I used my trusty HD Brow Palette* and my Collection 2000 clear mascara to keep them in place all night. You can find out how I did my base make up here - the only difference is that I used the wonderful Benefit Porefessional Primer before all of my foundations/concealers/bb creams/powders etc. To contour my face I used the Liz Earle Natural Glow Bronzer* and to brighten my face up I used my favourite blush which is Nars Deepthroat. My fake tan is also Xen-Tan* and my nails (which you can't see but I will be doing a blog post on) are from imPress nails.*

A few of us who went out.

Overall it's been a wonderful year and I wouldn't change any of it. I've met the greatest people and I know we're all going to be good/best friends for the rest of our lives. If I could say one thing to anyone; if you have the chance to go to university, go. You won't regret it. And the debt? Doesn't matter one bit. It's all worth it.

xxx

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