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Saturday, 28 June 2014

MAKE UP | KIKO Unlimited Stylo Lipstick



L-R 04 and 06
I used to be someone who hated lipsticks. I'd buy them, and love the colours and pretty packaging, but never actually wear them. I used to find the formulas awful; they'd accentuate any dry patches, and I really just couldn't be bothered with reapplying them constantly. But recently, I've fallen in love with lipsticks. There are lots of hydrating, easy to wear lipsticks on the market and one brand that you all know I'm obsessed with is KIKO. The KIKO Unlimited Stylos* are fabulous. You can tell how glossy, pigmented and stunning they are from the swatches above. 

KIKO claim that these lipsticks last up to eight hours and although I don't quite agree with the eight hour claim, they're quite long lasting for such moisturising lipsticks. The texture is what I'm besotted with though; creamy and soft. They're a dream to apply and comfortable to wear. These lipsticks are available in 14 shades, ranging from natural nudes to full bodied shades. And at £6.90 each, they're an absolute bargain. I just need to get myself down to a KIKO store...

What are your favourite lipsticks? Have you tried these ones from KIKO?
*PR Sample
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Friday, 27 June 2014

Life after university...


My favourite blogs to read are the ones with a bit of personality behind them. I love getting to know the person who writes the blog, and although I mainly read blogs to find out about beauty products, a few personal lifestyle posts never did anyone any harm. So that's what this post is going to be. A bit more personal, a little bit sad but hopefully it'll be relieve me of stress. After all, a blog is an online diary and a way for me to get things off of my chest.

In case you didn't know, I recently finished my final year at university. For the past three years, I've been studying journalism and working hard, whilst maintaining my blog, having a part time job and having a social life. It hasn't been easy, but it's been an incredible journey and I've met some wonderful people on the way. I didn't want university to end, mainly because my friends are now all scattered across the country, but I never imagined that leaving university would be this hard.

This week alone, I've applied for 27 jobs. Since my last assignment was handed in, I've applied for hundreds. Yes, I've had quite a few interviews for some spectacular publications and yes, I'm still waiting to hear back from a few, meaning that I haven't actually received a no from them yet. But there is nothing harder than finding a job after university. You work your butt off for three years to be told that a degree isn't good enough. A degree simply puts you on a level playing field these days, whereas back in the day, it'd put you ahead of the competition.

Rejections are hard enough, but what's harder is sitting by my phone, constantly checking my emails and waiting for someone to give me a yes. All I want is a chance. And of course, some money. I had to stop my part time job at Boots because it wouldn't have been worth the journey every week. But now I have bills to pay, and no money whatsoever coming in. I'm 21 years old and I'm having to ask my parents for money. I shouldn't have to do that, and kills me. It's something I've always hated doing.

This past week has been exceptionally hard. I've been stressed, bored and waiting. There have been times when I've questioned my life; where it's going and if there's any point to it. Today, I received some good news which cheered me up enough to write this blog post. This post doesn't have much structure to it, or much meaning. It's just a way for me to get a few things off of my chest. If you're currently going through the same thing, then I hope you know that you're certainly not alone. Keep working at it, keep trying hard and something will come along in the end. Hopefully. I have my fingers crossed for both you and I.

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Thursday, 26 June 2014

NAILS | Models Own Hypergel Top Coat

As someone who's rarely used a top coat before, Models Own Hypergel top coat* was revolutionary for me. Models Own claim that this polish completely transforms and updates your entire polish collection as it instantly gives your manicure a plumped up, extra glossy gel-like finish. Using lotus flower oil, this polish expertly extends the wear and duration of the manicure and uses an innovative flat, wide maxi-brush to do all of this in one easy sweep. 

Since receiving this top coat, I haven't stopped using it. It's a wonderful way to extend your nail polish's life by a couple more days, leave a beautiful glossy finish (great for transforming those matte polish) and cutting down the polish's drying time. As someone who loves painting my nails and then continuing to proceed with my day, the quick drying time of this has been life changing. No more dancing around the house, waiting for my nails to dry and holding in my wee. TMI? Retailing for just £8, this top coat is one of the most affordable ones on the market, and although I haven't tried many other ones, I simply cannot fault this one. 

What's your favourite top coat?
*PR sample
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Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Blog Sale inc. MAC, Estee Lauder, NYX, Rimmel, Liz Earle, Fake Bake, Soap & Glory, ELF, Bourjois, Aveda and more

First of all, I must apologise about the quality of some of these images. I have no idea why the camera wasn't focusing properly - or maybe my shaky arm is to blame - but sadly, I can't retake them as I'm now back home. But regardless, here is a blog sale! I've been meaning to hold one for a while now as I have way too much stuff, and considering I'm moving out of university for the last time in a few days, I thought it was about time. I'm also going on holiday in a few weeks so a bit of extra money wouldn't go amiss. 

INFORMATION:
All items will be sold on a first come, first served basis
I accept PayPal only
Leave the items you would like in the comments along with your PayPal address
Postage is included in the price
If you buy more than one item, I will combine postage
All items will be sent out via Royal Mail Second Class postage
UK only

DISCLAIMER:
None of these items are PR samples. Some were won in competitions (non-blog related), given to me as gifts or paid for with my own money.

NYX Cosmetics Xtreme Lip Cream in Absolute Red, brand new - £3.00 (rrp £7.00)
Fake Bake lipgloss - not for sale
KIKO Overblown Volume Mascara, brand new - £3.00 (rrp £9.90)
Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Celestial, used once - £4.00 (rrp £6.49)
MAC Lipstick in Costa Chic, usage shown - £7.00 (rrp £15.00)
17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Hollywood, usage shown - £2.50 (rrp £4.79)
CARGO Cosmetics Essential Lip Colour in Bordeaux, brand new - £7.00 (rrp £13.00)
Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Candy, usage shown - £10.00 (rrp £20.00)
No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Starshell, usage shown - £2.50 (rrp £9.75)

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint in 02 Beige, used once - £8.00 (rrp £21.00)
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 103 True Ivory, 75% left - £5.00 (rrp £8.99)
Inika Certified Organic Liquid Foundation in Cream, brand new - £7.00 (rrp £25.55)
Liz Earle Signature Foundation in 02 Ivory, 75% left - £8.00 (rrp £21.00)
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 100 Ivory, used once - £5.00 (rrp £6.99)
Beauty UK CC Cream in 10 Natural, brand new - £3.00 (rrp £4.99)
UNE Skin-Matt Foundation in M02, 50% left - £2.00 (discontinued)

Fake Bake Flawless Tan, brand new - £12.00 (rrp £22.95)
Fake Bake Flawless Tan, used once - £10.00 (rrp £22.95)
Fake Bake Original Tan, brand new - £12.00 (rrp £26.95)
Fake Bake Original Tan, used once - £10.00 (rrp £26.95)
Fake Bake Tan Enhancing Lotion, brand new - £8.00 (rrp £11.70)
Fake Bake Tan Enhancing Lotion, used once - £7.00 (rrp £11.70)
Dove Summer Glow in Fair/Normal, used once - £4.00 (rrp £4.99)

TRESemme 24 Hour Body Amplifying Mousse, brand new - £4.00 (rrp £5.75)
Umberto Giannini Volume Mousse for Big Hair, used once - £4.00 (rrp £5.49)
TIGI Texturising Souffle, brand new - £8.00 (rrp £17.95)
KIKO Hair Shadow Temporary Colour in Blue, brand new - £4.00 (limited edition)

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter, brand new (tub is a bit off as fake tan leaked but the product is completely fine) - £6.50 (rrp £10.50)
Soap & Glory Hand Food, brand new - £3.00 (rrp £5.00)
Aveda Stress-Fix Soaking Salts, used once - £7.00 (rrp £30.00)
Oriflame My Red fragrance EDP, used once - £10.00 (rrp £30.95)

Yves Saint Rocher Eye Wrinkle Solution, used once - £6.00 (rrp £20.00)
Melvita Young Skin Sebum Balancing Fluid, brand new - £6.00 (discontinued)
Nelsons Pure & Clear Balancing Moisturiser, brand new - £7.00 (rrp £8.49)
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Radiance Balm, used twice - £4.00 (rrp £5.99)
Green People Gentle Cleanse & Make Up Remover 50ml, used once - £6.00 (rrp £10.95)
Homedics Tanda Zap Skin Acne Treatment Device, used a few times but in perfect working condition and comes with the original box - £12.00 (rrp £59.99)

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask, used twice - £5.00 (rrp £8.99)
No7 Beautiful Skin Purifying Exfoliator, used once - £4.00 (rrp £8.50)
Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser in Normal/Combination, 90% left - £10.00 (rrp £19.25)
Dr Nick Lowe Super Light Skin Tone Perfector Cream, 90% left - £8.00 (rrp £21.00)
Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask, used once - £8.00 (rrp £14.50)
Novexpert Exfoliating Mask and Scrub, used once - £6.00 (rrp £24.00)


Bare Minerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Fairly Light, used twice - £12.00 (rrp £25.00)
Bourjois Java Rice Universal Illuminating Powder, 80% left - £7.00 (rrp £9.99)
The Body Shop Eye Colour in 02 Radiant Graphite, used once - £2.00 (discontinued)
SEVENTEEN Phwoarr Paint in Fair, usage shown - £4.00 (rrp £5.49)
MeMeMe Correct & Perfect Concealer Kit in Nude, usage shown - £5.00 (rrp £6.99)
ELF Shimmer Palette, usage shown - £3.00 (rrp £3.95)

Eyelure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Blue Ka-Boom, brand new - £4.00 (rrp £6.45)
Eyelure Ready to Wear Pre-Glued Lashes in 030, brand new - £4.00 (rrp £5.06)
Superdrug LASH Volume Edition 21, brand new - £3.00 (rrp £4.19)
Elle Macpherson Instant Nail Wraps, brand new - £2.00 (rrp £9.99)
Elegant Touch Envy Wraps Bling in Kaleidoscope, brand new - £2.00 (rrp £5.00)

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Monday, 23 June 2014

LIFESTYLE | The Lincolnshire Show











Last week absolutely flew by, probably because I was pretty busy. I'm going to try and write more lifestyle type posts as personally, I love reading them myself and they're something nice to look back at. On Thursday, I visited The Lincolnshire Show. Despite living in Lincoln for the past three years, I'd never heard of the show before my invite. But after a look at the website, it seemed like it'd be a nice day out and as a town girl, interesting to learn more about the countryside. I visited the show with my friend who has lived in Lincolnshire his entire life, and we ended up staying at the show from 9am until 6pm - the full nine hours.

People who attended weren't short of things to do and there was plenty to see. We visited the bee tent a couple of times as we were both fascinated with how clever the little creatures actually are. The amount of things that bees provide us with is insane - not to mention how fabulous honey and beeswax is when it comes to beauty products. We saw the bees get on with their day-to-day lives, the queen, honey being extracted and even learnt that bees work themselves to death and on average, live around six weeks.

There were plenty of animals on show, of course, and I got to see rabbits, pigs, cows, sheep and even police dogs - which were my personal favourite. I'm a massive fan of animals, especially clever ones, and these dogs were extremely intelligent. We saw them detecting drugs, chasing after criminals all whilst watching the wonderful Red Arrows fly over our head - it really was a spectacle. Another showstopper to mention: the RAF Falcons. I'd never seen them before but the entire show stopped and starred as they parachuted out of the sky.

Surprisingly, I also enjoyed looking around the farming machinery and old vehicles. It was fascinating seeing what equipment is actually out there - I only thought there were tractors. And of course, the food court was exceptional. Pricey, but absolutely delicious. Overall, it was a lovely day and despite staying at the show for nine hours, it didn't seem that long at all. I'd highly recommend visiting the show with family and friends next year if you get the opportunity to.

Did you visit this year's show?
*both tickets were provided free of charge as press passes
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Friday, 20 June 2014

Body skin care routine with Baylis & Harding's Great Body range

Hands up, who's guilty of putting a lot more effort into their facial skin care routine than their body skin care routine? I'm most definitely a culprit. It's no secret that when it comes to looking after the skin that isn't on my face, I'm just not interested. For me, it's always been a lot of effort and I've always lived by; "well, no one sees it that much anyway." But I've decided to take a stance, and now I'm investing a lot more time into my body skin care routine.

Baylis & Harding was the turning point for me. They've invented a fabulous Great Body skin care routine with a total of five easy to follow steps. I've been using three of the five steps, and I also added a lovely little product by Nivea to the clan. It's safe to say, I won't look back and body, I'm sorry for neglecting you so much for the past 21 years.

The routine starts off with the Baylis & Harding Great Body Polish* which is pretty standard for a body scrub. The scrub itself uses Walnut Shell as an exfoliant as well as Shea Butter and Coconut Oil to moisturise and soften the skin. It's pleasant to use, easy to use - body scrubs in tubs are a pain - and smells clean and fresh. Next up is the Baylis & Harding Great Body Wash* which uses skin conditioning Pro-Vitamin B5 and Glycerin to hydrate the skin and leave it soft and supple. This body wash lathers up beautifully and envelopes the skin to leave it smelling great and feeling like silk. The bottle is also a whopping 500ml and comes with a pump... need I say more?

The penultimate step in my new routine is the Baylis & Harding Great Body Lotion* which also comes with a pump, what a godsend. The lotion uses Tego Smooth® which is a recently launched patented multifunctional 48hr moisturiser that aims to reduce skin roughness whilst protecting it from external influences. This body lotion truly is lovely. It adds to the already beautiful scent and sinks into the skin nice and quickly. I then finish my routine with the Nivea Q10 Plus Goodbye Cellulite Gel-Cream on my thighs and bum area. I haven't noticed a massive difference yet but I'll keep you updated. It is, however pleasant to use and really cools the skin.

Also in the Great Body range is the Great Body Mist and Great Body Firming Cream which I'm hoping to add to my routine. Overall, this range is incredible and as I mentioned at the start of this post, it's completely changed the way I view looking after my body. In terms of the texture of my skin, I've seen an improvement and my skin feels healthier too. The Great Body range is available to buy in Waitrose.

What are your favourite body beauty products?
*PR Sample
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Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Drugstore summer make up saviours for oily skin

Summer and oily skin. A combination that doesn't work well together. As soon as there's a tiny hint of summer in the UK, my face ends up melting midday. In the winter, my skins leans more towards the dry/combination side of the spectrum, but as soon as a bit of sun peeks out of the clouds, my skin turns into an oil slick. It becomes a shiny mess midday and make up doesn't last throughout the day. Overtime, I've found a combination of drugstore products to help combat the shine, and keep make up in place all day long. Almost no touch ups required.

I start off with the NYX Shine Killer* - £12.50 which is without a doubt one of my favourite primers. I do believe it's silicone-based (if it isn't, it feels that way) and although not everyone gets on with these kind of primers, they're personally my favourite. It smooths over the skin and leaves in mattified and prepped for foundation. For my cheeks I love using the Bourjois Cream Blush in Healthy Glow* - £7.99. A couple of years ago, I would never have used a cream blush but this cream to powder finish is incredible. It's a beautiful, natural colour that stays put on the skin throughout the day. I then finish off the entire look with the SEVENTEEN Stay Time Pressed Powder - £4.49, a recent release that's a godsend. This pressed powder sets make up and ensures it doesn't budge throughout the day. It also takes away any shine without leaving the skin looking completely dead-matte. Dare I say it's better than Rimmel's Stay Matte?

What are your summer make up saviours?
*PR Sample
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Monday, 16 June 2014

MAKE UP | Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde mascara



I will admit it... I'm a mascara whore. I do love the Green People Volumising Mascara a lot but it isn't readily available in stores. My replacement? The Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde mascara.* I've been wearing this mascara every single day and I've fallen head over heels in love with it. First of all, the brush. It's been specially developed by Bourjois and it takes its inspiration from professional round hairbrushes. It uses small wraparound spheres and straight bristles to coat the lashes, define each individual lash and create instant volume. 

The mascara itself uses three active lashmorphing ingredients to give an immediate thickening effect and the carnauba, bee's waxes and jojoba ester ensures volume is delivered right through the ends of each lash. The mascara claims to last 16 hours on the lashes (and there's also a waterproof mascara claiming to last 24 hours). I can't say whether or not this claim is true as I don't wear make up for that long, but I've had no problem with the mascara disappearing midday, and it holds a curl nicely throughout the day. The proof is in the images above; it's a bloody good mascara and one that I will without a doubt be repurchasing again.

You can buy this mascara here where it retails for £9.99 (and at the moment, Bourjois have a 2 for £14 offer on a lot of their products).

What's your favourite mascara?
*PR Sample
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Saturday, 14 June 2014

EYES | Simple golden summer smoky eyes







A classic smoky eye. There's no better look for your peepers. And my favourite for summer has to be a golden sparkly one. To create this look, I used my trusty and well loved Urban Decay Naked Palette. As far as neutral palettes go, it's one of my all time favourites and has completely changed the way I view and use eyeshadows. For this look, I used Half Baked all over the lid and underneath the lash line and Buck in the crease to create a little bit of depth and definition. Half Baked is definitely my all time favourite eyeshadow as it's stunning, versatile and warms up any eye look. I then used my favourite eyeliner - NYX The Curve* - to lightly line the eyes. Nothing fancy here, a quick sweep of eyeliner and I was pretty much good to go. Finally, I used the Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde mascara* on my lashes. This mascara is fabulous and I'll be writing a full review of it soon. It adds lots of volume and length without clumping the lashes together, perfection! And in case you were wondering, the foundation I used in the image above is Revlon's Colorstay... flawless, right?

This competition is open to all bloggers, for T&Cs go to http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/page/competition
*PR Sample
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Thursday, 12 June 2014

WISHLIST | In Love With Fashion sale


If there's one online clothing website that I love, it's In Love With Fashion. Their items are always high quality, reasonably priced and they fit beautifully. The majority of my holiday wardrobe is from them and I find their sales to be one of the best. They're currently holding an exclusive sale preview and I've picked out some of my favourite items above. Prices start from £5 (once the discount has been taken away) and the brand offer 15% student discount through UNiDAYS too. If you're wanting to buy any of the items in the preview, then you can do so by using the code ILWFPREVIEW50... How can you say no to that?!


Will you be buying anything from the sale?
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Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Night time skin care essentials



I know many people find it hard to take the time out and truly invest time into their skin care routine. But for me, it's one of my pleasures in life. I absolutely love massaging products into my skin and nothing gives me greater joy than seeing the benefits of doing so. I've been loving two night time skin care products recently; one that I've raved about before, and another that I tried many years ago.

Eye cream is one beauty product that I never used to understand, but since hitting 21, I decided it was about time I started looking after the skin around my eyes. In terms of wrinkle reduction, I obviously haven't noticed a difference because I don't have wrinkles. But hopefully when I'm older, I won't end up with deep set wrinkles around my eyes. After all, prevention is better than cure (GCSE History getting in there!). This eye cream is a pleasure to use. It's nicely hydrating and you only need a tiny amount, so I can easily justify the high price tag.

I'm pretty sure I've tried this product before, but that was in my oil-hating days. I know, it's crazy to think I used to hate face oils, right? I've decided to put my beloved Bio-Oil away and try something new. This oil is extremely similar to Bio-Oil as it's highly effective on scars and stretch marks. It's also very natural and contains omega 3, 6 and 9. The reason I prefer this to Bio-Oil at the moment is because when I wake up, my skin looks glowing, which is something that Bio-Oil doesn't do. It sinks in nicely to the skin and has a beautiful rose scent which is great for when you're drifting off to sleep.

What skin care do you use at night time?
*PR Sample
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Tuesday, 10 June 2014

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?
*PR Sample
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Friday, 6 June 2014

MAKE UP | Me Me Me Cosmetics Blush Me! Blush Box in Rouge


























If there's one make up product I really love (aside from foundation), it's blusher. It's an item that can completely change your look, pull it together and instantly make you look awake. I remember the MeMeMe Blush Me! Blush Box's* being released a few years ago and since then, they've been on my wishlist. Sadly, no Superdrug's near me stock the brand, but a few days ago I found one in my postbox. 

The packaging resembles Benefit's famous boxed powders. It's sturdy, pretty and comes with a decent sized mirror in the lid and a brush that isn't half bad - in fact for bronzer, it's fabulous. The blush itself comes in four different shades: Rouge, Bronze, Coral and Pink. And despite the swatch and shade, the blush above is in the shade Rouge*. The name is quite off putting, but the blush itself is far from red.

It reminds me of Benefit's Coralista which is a blusher I've wanted for an awfully long time. Pigmentation wise, this blush can't be faulted. If anything, it's too pigmented and a light hand is needed when applying. It blends beautifully and lasts throughout the day. The shimmer awakens my complexion and the colour complements my pale skin tone perfectly.

Usually, this blush retails for £8.50 but at the moment, it's on offer for just £6 on the Me Me Me Cosmetics website. Also, you can get 15% off your first order, making this blush an absolute bargain. I doubt you'll be able to find another blush of such outstanding quality for a better price. I absolutely adore it and since receiving it, I haven't worn anything else on my cheeks. I've even been told I look radiant!

Have you tried this blush before?
*PR Sample
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Wednesday, 4 June 2014

NAILS | New scented releases from Models Own





When I heard that Models Own were releasing four new polishes, I think I died a little inside. The following day, all four polishes arrived at my doorstep. Despite the fact I'd promised my nails a break, I quickly applied the shades - they were too pretty not to. I won't babble on too much about Microdots and the Hypergel topcoat because they'll be getting their own post soon, but let's just say they're necessities in any collection.

Peach Melba* and Coconut Cream* are welcome additions to the brand's Fruit Pastel collection. The polishes are supposed to release a fruity scent that matches their name once dry. I must admit, I think the whole scented nails trend is quite crazy, but it's not something that'd stop be buying a polish - but it wouldn't encourage me either. Little niggle aside, these polishes are exceptional in formula; opaque in two coats, long lasting and quick drying. They simply can't be faulted. 

As for the shades themselves well, I'll let the pictures do the talking. They're beautiful and perfect for muted summer nails. Both of these shades retail for £5 each and are available on the Models Own website.

Have you tried these polishes yet? What's your favourite Models Own shade?
*PR Sample
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