My Favourite Skin Combination!

Quite a lot of you have asked what foundation I use and how I use it after my post about Monday night. I must admit, when I saw the pictures I was shocked at how clear my skin looked. In all honesty, it has cleared up an awful lot recently but my foundation definitely helped! And although I still use the same foundation, I've added a little wonder product and I thought I'd show you what it is.

I'd just like to add that last night I actually fake tanned my skin with He-Shi* as my Estee Lauder Double Wear is becoming  a little bit too dark for my skin these days and the fake tan definitely helped my skin appear 'flawless.' So the foundation I used was of course, Estee Lauder's Double Wear. When I first used this foundation, I fell in love. It's full coverage and long wearing but it does take a while to get used to as the consistency is very thick and sometimes it can be a pain to work with. So I decided to add a moisturiser to the foundation and the moisturiser I chose was Pro Activ's Daily Oil Control* and this was because for some reason, my skin has been exceptionally oily recently. Mixing the two together created a perfect consistency of foundation and it was a dream to apply. The moisturiser also smells beautiful which cancelled out the chemical-like smell of the Double Wear. I also noticed that my skin didn't look oily throughout the night and I didn't even have to powder which is great and it's thanks to the moisturiser. I'm so happy that I found this combination as it just works a dream and keeps my skin looking beautiful and shine free all night long!

What is your perfect foundation combination?

xxx

*PR Sample

OTN's

So last night was Carnage at university and although my outfit isn't anything special, I thought I'd show you my face of the evening, my outfit and a picture of me and my friends!

Fake Tan - He-Shi*

Foundation - Estee Lauder's Double Wear

Concealer - Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection

Blush & Highlight - Avon's Colour and Contour in Rose Glow

Bronzer - Sleek's Contour Kit

Eye Shadows - Urban Decay's Verve, Pistol, Gunmetal and Sin

Eye Liner - 17's Liquid Liner

Mascara - Revlon's Double Twist

Lip Stick - MAC's Please Me

Hair - courtesy of my GHD's

The t-shirt is just a Carnage t-shirt and my skirt is just a plain black one from Debenhams.

xxx

Monday Summary - Week Five

On Monday I went to all of my lectures and then decided that I didn't just want to sit in at night. So me and friends ended up going out for a meal at Nando's which led us to a few cocktails at a bar. We're loving going for cocktails lately and especially because they're just so cheap!
For the rest of the week, I can't remember us really doing anything special or important. We just mainly sat around, drank tea and talk. But on Thursday night we went out to a nightclub and my friend has really badly blistered her feet, so we ended up just drinking, chatting and having fun really. To say it was a 'simple' night, it was really enjoyable and we didn't end up going to sleep until really late. That's because we went back to friends flat and were just talking and listening to music - so loudly that we actually got complained about!
Saturday night I went round to my sisters to eat chocolate and watch Take Me Out. Even though my sister is at the same university as me (and lives on the same accommodation campus), we don't spend that much time together as we both have different friend groups - even though we get on with each others. So it was lovely to just spend time with her laughing.
Finally, on Sunday I was at work again and I'm really starting to enjoy it and get into it. I'm now 'till girl' at Boots and it's great talking to customers about beauty products all day! I love seeing what people end up buying and also, all of the offers! I did however, end up refusing to buy anything (other than food) on my lunch break which was pretty good for me.
And tonight, we're going out for Carnage. So that should be fun! My friend is studying nutrition at university and after seeing my blog, she decided to start her own up so make sure you check it out if you're interested in all things healthy!
What have you been doing all week?
xxx

High Street Foundations

For me personally, foundation is the key to good make up. If you get the base right, the rest should just fall in place naturally. So this might sound 'stuck up' but typically, I stick to high end foundation. Not only because I feel better when wearing one but because it's just easier. You can go to a counter, get tasted for your shade, speak a woman who knows what she's talking about, try out samples and walk away feeling confident. But when it comes to high street (or drug store) foundations, you can't do that. You have to test the foundation yourself and there's certainly no way you can try out a sample - unless it's one of those tiny ones in a magazine that comes in the wrong shade! For these reasons mainly, I don't have a lot of high street foundations. In fact, I have just three.

I have Maybelline's Dream Satin Liquid which as mentioned here is a foundation that I have a love/hate relationship with. Some days, it looks incredible but other days, it looks a mess. Some days, the colour match is perfect but other days, it's orange. Another high street foundation I have is Lush's Colour Supplement. I actually received this as a free sample from Lush a while ago (I think it was with a coupon in a magazine). I'm not too sure about this foundation. I think the limited colour range means that it looks orange on and sometimes, it goes cakey. But it's sometimes decent enough to be used as a concealer so I keep it in my collection. And finally, I have Sleek's New Skin Revive*. Yet another one that surprisingly, I'm unsure about. I can't figure out the coverage. I think it's light/medium coverage but it isn't buildable and if you try to build it up, it goes cakey on the skin. But the good thing about this foundation is that it's easy to blend and work with and definitely refreshes the skin. 

So what is this post about? Because so far it seems as though I'm just complaining about these foundations. But I'm not. I was just wondering what your favourite high street foundation is and whether or not you prefer spending that bit extra on high end foundations? I'm looking for a new foundation to just wear every day for my lectures; one that has a good colour range and medium coverage. If you know the perfect high street foundation that fits that bill, let me know!

xxx

TAG: Seven Deadly Beauty Sins!

After watching Gemma's video I decided that this tag would be an interesting thing to do! I didn't fancy doing it on YouTube as I'm still a bit nervous about putting myself on there so I decided to do it in a blog post instead.

Gluttony - What are your most delicious beauty products?

Lip balms! I'm definitely obsessed with them and they're something that I can't stop buying. I love different scents, tastes and feels of them and I must have over 30 of them.

Greed - What is your most inexpensive beauty product? What is your most expensive?

My most inexpensive beauty product was my MUA eyeshadow in the colour Shade 11 - Pearl. As with the basic MUA line, this eye shadow was just £1 and it has wonderful pigmentation and it lasts throughout the day. You can see a swatch of this eyeshadow here. My most expensive beauty product was the Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette (I think) which was definitely worth the price! You can see my full review of this palette with swatches here.

Wrath - What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What has been the hardest to find?

Some days I love this foundation but other days I don't like it. In general it's a lovely foundation that provides medium/full coverage. The only problem is that it doesn't last very well (without a primer) and sometimes can look orange on the skin. But it doesn't stop me from using it as it can look flawless on the skin. Oh I don't know, I'm generally just confused about this foundation!

Sloth - What beauty product do you neglect due to laziness?

Definitely my He-Shi Fushion Multi Bronze*. I adore this bronzer; it's a really natural shade that gives me an instant glow and makes me look tanned but in general, I find bronzers hard to work with. So whenever I'm in a rush, I will skip over bronzer which is a shame because when they're applied properly, they end up completing make up. You can see a swatch of this bronzer here. 

Pride - What beauty product gives you more confidence?

Foundation and concealer! I don't have the best skin in the world; it's spot-prone, full of scars and can sometimes be blotchy. But foundation and concealer are my lifesavers. Especially Estee Lauder's Double Wear and Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection. These two together work wonderfully to create natural looking skin that just looks entirely flawless throughout the day.

Lust - What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

Looks wise? Zac Efron. He's just a god. But personality wise? Just someone who is easy going, can make me laugh and doesn't take themselves too seriously.

Envy - What item would you most like to receive as a gift?

The beautiful product that is Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Eclat. A wonderful product. A classic. THE product that is perfect for making you look like you've had the most perfect nights sleep you could imagine. I need this in my life. But I can't bring myself to spend £25 on it. So if you're willing to, please feel free! 

If you do this tag on either YouTube or your blog, please let me know as I really love reading/watching them! If you don't, let me know your 7 deadly sins in the comments!

xxx

All I Wanna Hear Is A Simple Song

A simple post for today...

xxx

FREE: Percy & Reed Hair Products

I know, I know.. it's exciting right? But you're going to have to wait a month until you get these free samples I'm afraid. I just thought I'd give you a quick 'heads up' about them though. In the April 2012 issue (on sale March 1st) of the UK's Glamour Magazine, Glamour are giving you the opportunity to collect 4 different Percy and Reed samples that are all together worth £43! 

These include the Finishing Polish, Moisturising Conditioner, Hydrating Mask and the Moisturising Shampoo.

I don't tend to get excited about free samples from magazines unless they're the Benefit free samples of course. But seeing this advert definitely got me excited. I'm in love and obsessed with hair care at the moment so I'll be excited to try these out. I'm mostly interested in the Finishing Polish and the Hydrating Mask!

Will you be picking up a copy (or 4) or April's Glamour magazine? Have you tried these products out before?

xxx

Valentine's Day Eye

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching us and while it's something I never personally look forward to, a lot of people go out on dates and have lovely evening's with their partners. And if you're doing that, of course you want to look your best! I've created a really simple eye make up that looks pretty, girly and it's quick and easy to do!

Main Eyeshadow - No7's Stay Perfect Eye Shadow in Antique Rose

You can see this eye shadow swatched here. It's a really pretty pink colour with a hint of gold shimmer running throughout it. It's easy to blend and lasts throughout the day without creasing.

Highlighting Eye Shadow - Urban Decay's Sin

Quite possibly the most beautiful highlight colour I've ever seen. It's a beautiful muted down champagne pink colour that has gorgeous silver shimmer running throughout it.

Concealer on Waterline - Benefit's Eye Bright

A wonderful concealer that really makes the eyes pop. It's great for using on the waterline as it makes you look like you've had to best nights sleep in the world!

Eye Liner on Tightline & Upper Lash Line - 17's Falsifeye Liner

At first I wasn't too keen on this eye liner because it's not very pigmented. But it's great for this look (and every day make up) as it isn't too strong and looks pretty and natural.

Mascara - Revlon's Double Twist Mascara

Big, fluttery lashes are perfect for Valentine's Day especially because the chances are, you'er going to be flirting quite a bit! This mascara is wonderful because it lengthens, curls, volumises and also separates the lashes.

I'd pair this eye with flawless skin, a pretty Barbie blus (such as MAC's Pink Swoon on the left) and a nude, pink lip (such as MAC's Lazy Day on the right).

If you try this look out, make sure you send me pictures! What are you doing this Valentine's day? Would you like to see more make up looks?

xxx

Helping Blemished Skin: Part Two - Getting Into Routine

Here is part one of my Helping Blemished Skin series. In case you've just stumbled across my blog, here is my introduction post so you can find out more about this series.

A skincare routine is essential for healthy looking skin and without one, it's very rare that your skin will be clear. There are three (sometimes two depending on your preferences) essential steps to a skin care routine with a few extra add ons depending on your skins needs. I'd just like to say now that I'm not a dermatologist and I've never been trained in skin care. What I know is from my own experiences and what I say may not necessarily work for your skin as every skin type is different. When I'm explaining some of these steps, it may seem like I'm talking to you like a child but I thought I might as well go right back to the basics! The products featured in the pictures are my favourite products and I'll be going into more detail about each one of them in the my skin care routine post.

Step 1 - Cleansing

Cleansing the skin is so important for everything, not just people with blemished skin. In the morning it refreshes your skin and removes all the dirt that has crept into your pores overnight and at night, it removes your days make up to prevent your pores from clogging up and causing breakouts. The face washes above are my favourite and when it comes down to telling you about my skin care routine, I'll go into more detail about these items. But as you can see, 2 out of the 5 items are foaming cleansers and these are said to be the best for blemished skin. I don't understand why and I believe that any form of face wash can work. The Cor soap is actually a soap and soaps aren't exactly highly recommended for the skin but this soap is a miracle worker and like a normal soap, it doesn't dry the skin out.

Step 2 - Toning

It's arguable whether or not toning is an important step in your skin care routine. I personally do tone and that's mainly because I like the feel of it. It leaves a tingling sensation on your skin and you removes any excess make up or dirt that your cleanser may have missed. Be careful when choosing a toner though as some contain a lot of alcohol that strips the skin and makes your skin a dry mess.

Step 3 - Moisturising

Possibly the most important step in every skin care routine. Moisturising provides an excellent base for make up and balances the skin out. What I've come to notice with blemished skin is that using a moisturiser aimed at blemished skin isn't necessarily that good as they tend to strip the skin of its natural moisture and once again, leave it a dry mess. If you do have blemished skin, I'd say go for a moisturiser aimed at combination skin as this will prevent your skin from shining whilst retaining its moisture. It'll also not block up the pores and therefore won't allow breakouts. Unless of course you have very oily skin then go for a mattifying moisturiser. My favourite moisturisers also includes a No7 night cream; I believe it's important to have a separate night moisturiser as your skin is completely different whilst sleeping.

Step 4 - Exfoliating

I generally exfoliate two times a week and I do this to remove the dead skin cells from my skin. It's important for people with blemished skin to exfoliate in order to unblock the pores and prevent further breakouts. Another reason I exfoliate is because I do have skin scarring which my blemishes have left.. exfoliating regularly will eventually get rid of these. They do tend to go after a few years but there's no harm in speeding up the process is there?!

Step 5 - Face Masks

I absolutely love using face masks! I use them around 2-3 times a week and depending on how my skin feels depends on the type of face mask I'll use. I either use a peel off face mask, a clay mask or a nourishing mask. A peel off ones is one that applies clear, dries and then you peel it off (the clue is in the name). After this, all the impurities have been drawn out of your skin and you're left with refined pores and clear skin. A clay mask is similar except from it's basically clay that you apply to your face, leave to set and then wash off. It helps to close the pores up and it leaves your skin feeling super soft. And finally, I'll use a nourishing mask whenever I have an active breakout and this is because my breakouts are painful most of the time and these help to nurture the breakout.

Step 6 - Speciality Products

By speciality products I mean spot treatments. These are important in your skin care routine but finding one that works for you is definitely a challenge. Spot treatments are wonderful as they're concentrated and really help to clear up active breakouts. You apply them straight to the spot once or twice a day and the spot is generally reduced within 5 hours and gone within 3 days.

What does your skin care routine consist of?

xxx

My Top 5 Blogging Tips

I get quite a few emails and tweets a week asking me for my top blogging tips so I thought I'd compile a list to help people. If you're a new blogger or considering taking up blogging, I hope that this list helps you out or gives you final push over the edge to start your blog. I can honestly say that this is one of the greatest things I've done so far; it gives me a lot of freedom and cures boredom. It's also allowed me to meet and interact with people who have the same interests as me! If you're already an established blogger then these tips might not help you but please feel free to comment below with your best tips!


1. Blog from the heart and for good reason - I know a lot of people say this but it is true; you can tell when someone is blogging just for the 'free samples.' There seems to be no passion behind the posts and for me personally, their blogs tend to not interest me. Make sure you're blogging for you and for fun
2. Photos are important! - I love looking at pictures whilst I'm reading blogs and if someone's blog features good pictures, then I'm more likely to click that follow button! A nice background with clear images is lovely. You don't even need an expensive camera - mine was £100 and I think it takes pretty good pictures.

I'm not sure why I decided to use this picture or even take it.. But I just like it!

3. Interaction is key - Interacting with your readers and other bloggers just makes the whole experience a lot more fun. For me, I love having my 'real friends' but it's also lovely to be able to come online and talk to people who love the same things as you. For example, in real life I can't exactly show my excitement for the Naked 2 palette because I'd just look plain weird but on Twitter and on my blog, I can get as excited as I want.

4. Don't worry too much and/or take blogging too seriously - It's not a job. It's a hobby. You don't have to write one post a day and if people start getting angry because you're not blogging 'regularly' then that is their problem and not yours.

5. Have fun! - The most important one of them all; have fun! Write about what you want to write about and do it your own way. Personality is so important and even if I'm following a blog purely for beauty, I love it when random posts pop up about their day to day lives or posts about things they love. It makes it fun!

What are your top blogging tips?

xxx

Haul (ish) - Photo Albums

Yesterday I took a trip into Boots to get a few pictures printed off so that I could form a photo album to remind me of all the fun times I'm having at university! For Christmas I got a camera off my dad and as it was from Boots, I got a lot of vouchers for free prints so I decided to get a few photos developed. The photo album I got was one that holds 200 6x4cm photos and it's really beautiful and girly.

As well as university photos, I printed off a few older pictures and ones of me and my family to remind me of home. I also printed some off from when I went to see Britney. But generally, I'm planning on filling up the album with university pictures! The album has space to write in it as well which is a lovely touch! It was £9 from Boots and you can view it online here.

Do you still have photo albums?

xxx

My Favourite Lip Glosses - Swatched

I don't tend to swatch lip glosses and that's mainly because they're pretty hard to swatch. They end up just looking like a mess but seeing as in my poll most of you want to see more swatches, here you have it! My favourite lip glosses, swatched! 

L-R

Soap & Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker in Candy Gloss

When I tried my first ever S&G Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss I can remember slating it. I absolutely hated the formula; it was sticky, tacky, tasted disgusting and the 'plumping' effect actually stung my lips. I think since then, the lip glosses have been reformulated as this lip gloss isn't like the first one I tried. It isn't as sticky and it doesn't taste too bad. I also love the colour, it's a very natural colour that's great for every day wear.

Barry M Lip Gloss in 11

I'm a big fan of Barry M lip glosses as the formula is lovely and they taste really good. This colour is a nice coral colour and sits beautifully on the lips.

Barry M Lip Gloss in LE3

Once again, a gorgeous colour that's a bit brighter and pinker than number 11 but still very wearable. I think the LE in LE3 stands for Limited Edition though so I don't think you can get this anymore.

Revlon Super Lustrous in Lilac Pastelle 

I'm not a big fan of the formula of this lip gloss. I find it hard to work with and I'll only wear it if I have quite a lot of time as getting it right takes effort. But the colour is so beautiful and unique that it's worth the effort. It's a beautiful, milky lilac colour that actually suits my skin tone wonderfully.

L-R

Avon's Color Trend Lip Gloss in Sheer Pink

This lip gloss actually comes with a lip stick in the same colour and when applied together, they look so nice! But even alone as a lip gloss this is beautiful. A really nice bright Barbie pink with purple shimmer running throughout it.

I Love.. Strawberries & Milkshake Shimmer & Shine Lip Gloss

This lip gloss tastes amazing - just like strawberries. I even have the lip balm. This adds a nice subtle glow to the lip with a beautiful milky pink tint.

Estee Lauder's High Shine Ultra Brilliance Lip Gloss in Pearl

I absolutely adore this lip gloss. It's a nice formula but it's a little bit sticky. However, as the colour is so beautiful I can get used to that. It's a very light pink but if you look closely it has gold and pink shimmer running throughout it and when it hits the light, it gives the most gorgeous effect I've ever seen from a lip gloss!

What are your favourite lip glosses?
xxx

Rhodes to Heaven - All In One Lip Plumper

If you read my blog often or know me then you'll know how obsessed I am with lip balms. I think I have over 30 of them and I still can't stop buying them. So when this little beauty found its way into my post box, I was extremely excited.

This lip treatment is a 3-in-one lip balm that plumps the lips up, adds gloss and also acts as a salve to protect and moisturise the lips. When I saw it was a lip plumper, I got very excited as my lips are quite thin and not very full so this seemed to be the product that I had been searching for. However, when it comes to lip plumpers, I always hold my breath as I've never actually found one that works. This lip balm is 100% natural and you find out more about it here.

But I was wrong to not trust this. This lip balm is wonderful. It's extremely moisturising and adds a lovely, subtle baby pink gloss onto the lips that can be used underneath lipstick, on its own or on top of lip stick. And as for the plumper, it does work. It doesn't give you super gorgeous, full Tanya Burr lips but it's probably the closest you can get without having surgery. I'm a big, big fan of this lip balm and I use it constantly, especially before leaving the flat or applying lipstick. It retails at £13.95 for a 10ml jar (shown above) and £8.95 for a 2.5ml pen. 

What's your favourite lipbalm? Have you ever used this? Or tried anything from Rhodes to Heaven?

xxx

*PR Sample but this doesn't have any impact on my review at all! All views are honest.

No7's Beautiful Skin Range [Normal/Oily]

After my lecture today I nipped into town to pick up the new No7 skin care range. The reason for this being that on Sunday at work, I had to be trained in this range and I learnt a lot about it which of course, made me instantly want it. And I thought I'm better off buying it now whilst I can still use my £5 off vouchers.

As you can probably tell, these products aren't very photogenic at all. I've literally been taking photos for the last hour, trying to figure out a way to make them look nice but they just weren't having any of it! Seeing as I've only just purchased them, I haven't tried them out yet but I'm hoping to feature them in my Skin Series if they're decent. So, I bought the Foaming Cleanser which is the first step in the routine. It's meant to cleanse make up and dirt away, tighten the pores and leave your skin feeling refreshed and looking shine free. I also bought the Day Cream which features SPF 15 and 5* UVA protection. This day cream hydrates and mattifies the skin. It doesn't block the pores and it's meant to balance oil production and prevent breakouts. It contains multivitamins, mineral blends and zinc. And finally, I picked up the Night Cream. I've been after a night moisturiser for a while now and this one sounds perfect. Once again it isn't meant to block the pores and it hydrates the skin whilst rebalancing oil production and prevents breakouts. It's designed to work in harmony with the skin and it should never strip or overload it. Once again, this cream features multivitamins, mineral blends and zinc.

A bit of background information now.. Basically, No7 have gone back to their roots and have released three brand new skin care regimes. These being one for Normal/Oily skin (which I have purchased apart from the cleansing water), Normal/Dry skin and Dry/Very Dry skin. Each routine features at least one cleanser, one day cream and one night cream plus a few other products to help combat skin problems. I'm personally very excited to try this range out and I just hope it serves me well!

Are you interested in this range? Have you purchased anything from it yet? Or are you considering it?

xxx

Monday Summary - Week Four

I've had to really think about what I've done this week.. So much in fact that I had to text my friends to find out what had been happening.

On Wednesday we went out in Lincoln once again. In case you haven't realised yet, Wednesday nights are student nights in Lincoln. So yeah, we went out and it was a paint party. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it but I thought I'd just pretend I was from this video. It didn't exactly work out that way and we ended up getting drenched in UV paint; our hair looked vile and all the prep work into our make up and outfits was ruined. But in the end, it was a good night.

On Thursday, me and two of my friends went out for some drinks around Lincoln. And by drinks, I mean cups of tea haha. Very adventurous. It was a very nice night where we just chilled out and spoke about anything and everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything! 

For Christmas, mine and my sister's dad and his girlfriend bought up 10 tickets to go paintballing. So we got up nice and early to trek over to Combat Zone in Lincoln. A few of the girls were hungover and quite possibly still drunk from the night before. We played paintball from 9am until 4pm and although it was scary and hurt, it was a lot of fun! We all really enjoyed ourselves and ended up being in agony for the rest of the day.

And yesterday I was at work. I finally feel like I'm a part of Boots now seeing as I'm permanent. I was once again on the tills which I absolutely love but it's definitely not good for my bank balance which you can see here.

I'd also like to draw your attention to something that I'm running on my blog for the next few weeks. It's a 'Blemished Skin' series and I wrote an introductory post yesterday about it. If you have any requests or suggestions regarding the series, please do let me know and I'll see what I can do!

xxx

Helping Blemished Skin - Part One

I've been writing, planning, deleting, editing etc this series for what seems like a lifetime and finally, I decided it was good enough to publish. It's on a subject that I feel strongly about and something that I believe I'm pretty informed in because it's something that I've suffered with my entire teenage life. And that's blemishes and spots. If you're reading this just out of pure interest or something to do then I hope you enjoy it and even if you take one thing away from it, I'll be happy. Also, if you have anything to add make sure you comment/tweet/Facebook me and I'll add it at the end and credit you. But if you're reading this hoping to clear your skin then I pray that this helps you because from my experience, there is nothing worse than having bad skin. It seems really far fetched and exaggerated but your confidence takes such a huge knock and you feel worthless and helpless. So I'm hoping that this helps you in some way or another and if it does, let me know!

This post is just the introduction and I'll be posting the rest over a series of a few weeks. I have planned/written some in advance but if you'd like me to cover any other areas, please let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Part 1 -  Introduction

Part 2 - Getting Into Routine

Part 3 - Finding What Works For You

Part 4 - Covering Up
Part 5 - My Skincare Routine & Favourites

The only problem I have with this series is that for quite a bit of it, I'll be having to use stock photos as some of the products are ones that I've either heard good things about, used and loved or used and hated so I won't necessarily have the product to take a picture of I'm afraid. I really don't like taking stock photos but I will try my hardest to avoid them!
Do you think you'll benefit from this series? Are you looking forward to it? Any suggestions?
xxx

Another Boots Haul!

I'm guessing every Sunday I'll be posting a haul from Boots. Working there and seeing the offers makes it almost irresistible to spend money in there but oh well, you make money to spend it! I didn't really buy a lot of interesting stuff, just a few essentials really.

Denman Shower Brush

I've been eyeing this up since the first day I worked at Boots and that was three months ago. Today, I finally decided to buy it because I'm fed up of my hair being a tangled mess whenever I get out of the shower - even after I've conditioned. It's really good for the hair and also gives your head a massage at the same time; a win, win situation.

Boots Tea Tree Peel Off Face Mask

I absolutely love face masks and will generally use them twice a week. I normally use clay masks but I've been craving for a peel off mask for a while now. I haven't used this one before but I have read some decent things about it and it was pretty cheap.

Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Make Up Remover Gel

After reading this review I've been lusting after this eye make up remover for a while. It sounds absolutely lovely and although I haven't used it yet, I know it's going to be amazing. I normally just use my cleanser on my eyes but when I read that this gel hydrates the eyes and leaves them feeling refreshed, I couldn't help but pick one up.

Nivea Double Effect Deodorant

I needed a deodorant and a lady came up to the counter with this one and it came through at half price so I just couldn't resist. It's 250ml and these ones generally tend to last me a long time.

What have you been buying recently? Have you tried any of these items?

xxx

Editing Pictures

When I heard the news that Picnik was closing down, I genuinely was gutted. Although I don't edit the pictures I use for my blog, I do crop them on Picnik as it's simple to use and doesn't tend to lose the quality. I did however find out that their premium features were going to be available free of charge, so I decided to have a little play around..

This picture is the original picture. I took it before going out one day and it's completely unedited. I'm not fond of this picture, but I thought it'd be pretty easy to edit.. and it was;

And this is the edited picture. I've changed my hair colour, changed my lip colour, changed my eye colour, accentuated my mascara, brightened my eyes, added blush, changed my hair colour, airbrushed my skin and gave myself a tan. And as you can see, the pictures are completely different. I look like a brunette Barbie doll in the second picture but I must admit, I love my eye colour and my tan!

I'd recommend having a play around with the 'touch up' features on Picnik. It's fun to completely change your looks and see what you can create. If you do, link me below. Also, what do you think about edited pictures? In general and on blogs?

xxx

Doritos, Pepsi Max and Good PRs!

Any one who knows me knows that I'm a big Pepsi lover and I'm very loyal to Pepsi. Unless I'm out and the place I'm at don't sell Pepsi, I'll settle for Coca-Cola but it's rare that ever happens. So when I was contacted by Pepsi Max and Doritos to be part of their Superhero team, I couldn't have been happier and of course, jumped at the chance!

They sent me their Jalapeno Fire Doritos and Pepsi Max with lime to try out and I must say, they're very delicious! The firey Doritos are very hot and usually, I don't each spicy foods but the Pepsi Max with lime soon cooled the flavour down and washed everything down nicely. Another thing that I received in the package was a beautiful drawing that's very personal. I love it because it shows that the PR company actually read my blog and take a notice in what I write and enjoy.

As you can probably tell, it's Britney Spears stood on a Pepsi world feeling very confused because she's holding a mascara wand instead of a microphone. A lot of thought and talent went into this drawing and I absolutely love it! So much that it's showcased in my university room.

Has anyone tried the Doritos and Pepsi Max combination? And what nice PR service have you received?

xxx

*PR Sample

2 Year Blogiversary!

Today my blog is two years old! I can't believe how much has happened in the past two years. As well as a thank you post, this will also be a reflective post so I hope you enjoy it! And make sure you use the comments to  let me know what you've achieved in the past two years - I'd love to know!

So here you can read my first ever blog post! It's nothing special and I just wrote a few things about me but for me, it's very cringy! Since starting my blog, I've achieved a lot that I'm very proud of.

I paid for me and my sister to go to London for her 19th birthday back in 2010. We went to Madame Tussauds, London Dungeons, Wembley, on the Eye and many more! It was a such a lovely experience and my first time in London sightseeing.

Me, my sister, my dad, my dad's girlfriend and her two sons went to Whitby in 2010 on holiday for a week. I really enjoyed it - it's such a beautiful place. And although the weather wasn't exactly tropical, it was a lovely week!

I passed my drivers test and got a car in 2010. It sounds cliche but driving has really changed my life. It's given me a lot of freedom and there's nothing I love more than being on the road with my music blaring out. Perry (the Picanto) is my baby and although he's not with me at the moment (I've left it at home), I miss him :(

I turned 18! I've loved being 18 and I'm really sad now I'm 19 to be honest haha!

Me and my sister went to see Katy Perry in 2011. We're both huge fans of Katy and it was a pretty hectic day because my sister had to travel back from university and then back to university so she could go out. But it was definitely worth it!

My hometeam Mansfield Town made it the FA Cup finals (I think) at Wembley and although I don't like football, of course I went along. We ended up sitting in an executive box and the entire experience was incredible and one that I'll possibly never get to have again!

I went to my first bloggers event with TRESemme, Miss Selfridge and BNTM. It was great to meet other bloggers and just chill out and talk about of course, make up and fashion!

Me and my dad's side of the family (same as Whitby) went to Cornwall in 2011 camping. I'm not a big camping fan at all and I'll never go again. But Cornwall is a beautiful place and as you can tell from the picture above, the views are stunning.

My sister paid for me and her to go to Butlins for 4 nights for my 18th birthday and it was amazing! Our mum and her boyfriend also came to see us for a few days (and buy us food lol). It was a great holiday and my sister is 21 this year so who knows where that will take us!

Our grandparents took us to Salou as a well done for everything and what would possibly be our last holiday with them. My well done was for passing my A Levels and getting into uni and Amy passed her first year of uni. It was boiling and we had a lot of fun!

I started uni. I haven't been here long but it feels like a lifetime. I'm enjoying every moment of it and the people I've met are definitely friends for life. I know I'm happiest here.

Do I really need to explain this?

I apologise for all of the pictures!
A big thank you to everyone who has supported me these last two years. I can't believe how much this blog has grown and also how much I've grown as a person. I love you all and cannot thank you enough.
xxx