Wednesday 29 April 2015

My Top 3 Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter's

I absolutely love the Revlon Color Burst Lip Butters and I am slowly making my way to building quite the collection.  They are perfect for every day wear as they provide moisture and colour and they are easy to top up on the go if you need to. Although this is a rarity as the colour pay off is really good.

However if I could only choose 3 of the lip butters to have in my collection they would be these beauties: Candy Apple, Lollipop and Peach Parfait.
I love each of these shades and think that if you could only pick 3 these would definitely be the ones to go for as they are on such different sides of the colour scale.
Candy Apple. Lollipop. Peach Parfait

What I like about these shades as well is that they are great for both day wear and evening wear. Candy Apple and Lollipop especially can be used in the evening when you want to create something a bit bolder. Or if you want to tone it down in the day and create a look which features your lips with that extra pop of colour these are perfect.
My most used shade out of the 3 is Peach Parfait. This was actually one of the first Revlon lip butters that I picked up and it is definitely going to be a repurchase for years to come, as long as Revlon do not discontinue it of course! It is just the perfect shade for me. It is a beautiful coral with just a little bit of shimmer, if you are looking for a new summer lip product I cannot recommend this shade highly enough!
So Revlon I salute you for bringing us a great, all-rounder lip product to hydrate, colour and give us perfectly kissable lips!

What are your favourite Revlon Color Burst shades?


Tuesday 28 April 2015

The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter

When The Body Shop has one of their mega-money-off-voucher-extravaganza’s I like to pick up a few bits and pieces just to keep me going. One of the products which I picked up this time round was actually a repurchase and that is the Sumptuous Cleansing Butter from the Camomile range.
 
I use this as the first step in my evening skin care routine to melt away any makeup. The butter itself does have a consistency that resembles butter, or Vaseline maybe. It is hard in the tub and you need to swirl your fingers in it in order to melt the product to use it.

This stuff is amazing it literally just melts your make up away and it can be used on eye makeup as well without any irritation. It smells fresh and clean which is just what I need in a bed time product.
It is simple to use you simply rub into your skin and rinse with warm water or wipe away with a muslin cloth, bish bash bosh makeup gone! It feels like a really luxurious product when you a rubbing it into your skin as it is quite silky (I think this is the right word to use!), it feels like you are having a mini-at-home facial massage.
 
You can pick this little beauty up at The Body Shop for £12.00, at this price I still think I would buy it but as all Beauty Bloggers know it is never long before they release a new code so you can nearly always pick it up cheaper!
 
Have you tried anything from the Camomile range?


Monday 20 April 2015

Saving Money & Buying Your First Home

Last year me and my boyfriend had finally saved up enough money to buy our first home. It is just right for us and it came at just the right time. We had been saving for a couple of years as we wanted and had been living at home as neither of us wanted to rent. Luckily for us our parents didn’t mind so we were able to save up a bit easier but in the end there comes a time when you just need your own space away from the parentals! There are a few things I did to save money so thought I would share them with your guys in case you are saving for a house, a holiday or even just that shiny new bag you have had your eye on for months!
·         Pay Day Review – Ok so this one was an absolute must for me when I was trying to save as much as possible. As soon as I got paid I would work out what I was doing in that month, how much I would need to realistically spend each week and allow a bit tiny bit extra. Anything that was left over went straight into my savings account.  When you think how much you actually need to spend every week it is amazing how much you can save! And remember if you put your savings into an ISA it is tax-free! If you are saving for a house there are first time buyer ISA’s that are available too.
 
·         Do I really need to buy it? – This may seem hard at first if you are used to just going out and buying a lipstick here and a blush there. So what I would do if I saw a product that I liked I would first go home and research online, read blogs, look at swatches etc. That way I could see if it would suit me and if I had something similar already. This stopped me wasting money on things I just did not need.
 
·         Pick up a loaf of bread! – Make a pack lunch every day. In the past 5 years of working there have only been a handful of times when I have gone out and bought my lunch, usually I make all my lunches at home. I have looked on the internet and have found that the average worker spends between £4.50 and £8.00 a day on lunch and snacks. If you think about how quickly this can add up it is just insane! If you are spending the top end that’s £40 a week, £160 a month! How much does it cost to grab some bread, ham and some snacks from the supermarket?
 
·         Change how you holiday – Just because you are saving does not mean you cannot have a break! For the past couple of years rather than having a big holiday abroad we have stayed in some really nice places in sunny England. We stayed in a really lovely lodge in Yorkshire and a great holiday park in Cornwall. There are some great deals that you can find in some really lovely places if you just look!
 
·         Check your phone contract! – If your phone is coming to the end of the contract or has already finished its contract don’t just let the payments roll over. Call your provider! I phoned mine and found out on average how many minutes and texts I used a month and they told me what deals they had to suit. This saved £5 a month which may not seem like much but it’s £60 a year I would not have had before.
 
·         Check voucher sites – Again saving money does not mean you need to be a recluse. If you are going out for dinner have a look on voucher sites before you go. It is surprising how many offers you can find! I found a great one the other day for 33% off at Pizza Hut, we were going there anyway so this just made it even better. Everyone likes cheaper pizza right?
 
·         Mortgage Brokers can help! – We went to see a mortgage broker to arrange our mortgage. It was a free service and she made the process so easy. She explained everything and did all the hard work for us by researching and finding a mortgage that would suit us. This has helped us to save money as we are on a mortgage that suits our needs and doesn’t make us feel that we need to scrimp and save every month to pay the bills.
 
These are just a few on the tips & tricks that I did to help me with my saving and they really helped. If you like these types of posts let me know as I have plenty more up my sleeve!
What are your top tips for saving?

TV Inspired Tee's

I love t-shirts! They are comfy, casual and can be dressed up as well as dressed down. Truffle Shuffle always have a fab selection on their site, here are some of my favourite TV inspired tee's from some of my all time favourite shows!
Elmo Tee  £19.99
Care Bear Tee £24.99
Which T-Shirt is your favourite?


Sunday 19 April 2015

A Mini Empties Post!

Happy Sunday everyone! I have used up a few things recently and rather than save them until I have got about a million empty products to show you I thought I would share them with you all today!
 
Kick Start Shea Butter & Honey Shower Gel (Aldi) – I picked this up during my weekly shop at Aldi as firstly I love anything with Shea butter in and secondly it was an absolute bargain at less than 80p.  It works well as just an every day shower gel, nothing luxurious but it gets me clean and smells nice!
Repurchase? Yes
Oilatum Cream – I suffer with eczema on my legs so keeping them moisturised is a must to avoid feeling itchy and uncomfortable. I always use a moisturiser when I have a shower and when I have shaved my legs I use this Oilatum Cream. It works to moisturise, soothe, soften and re-hydrate skin. You can pick it up in most Boots and Superdrug stores and it helps enormously with my dry skin.
Repurchase? Yes
 
Dolce & Gabbana ‘The One’ – This is my go-to favourite scent! If I could only wear one perfume forever this would be it. The scent is amazing and it lasts all day.
Repurchase? Already have done!
Origins Modern Friction – I received this exfoliator in an Origins Gift Set that I treated myself to over the Christmas period. It is not too harsh on the skin and has a nice fresh scent to it and yes I would use it again but I do not think I would buy it again. Purely because I have used the St Ives Apricot scrub for years and love it so when you consider the price difference St Ives wins every time for me.
Repurchase? Probably not.
B.Clean Melting Gel Cleanser – This is from Superdrug’s own skincare range. I have reviewed it in more detail here. It is a good initial cleanser to remove makeup and you can usually pick it up for a good price.
Repurchase? Yes
Avon Glimmer stick Brow Definer – This is my Holy Grail brow product. I have lost count of how many times I have repurchased. It is a great colour match for my brows, it is easy to apply and I love the formula.
Repurchase? Absolutely! And I already have done!
So that’s about it for now my lovelies but if you have done any empties posts recently leave your links below as I love these types of posts!
Have you used any of these products?


Wednesday 15 April 2015

Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush 'Sensuous Rose'

With the change in seasons I like to switch up my makeup so as soon as the sun starts shining I whip out the products which are going to give my skin that lovely summer glow.
Recently I picked up the Pure Color Blush from Estee Lauder in the shade ‘Sensuous Rose’, this is a really beautiful light rose pink which helps to highlight my cheek bones in a naturally glowing way. The blush is contains luminous optic technology which makes it perfect when helping to contour and add dimension.
 I have fairly light skin and I think this shade in particular would work better on people with a lighter skin tone as it is fairly iridescent and subtle.
 I really like the consistency of this blush and it is easy to build on the colour without it looking caked on or over the top. The fact that this is in a compact as well with its own brush and mirror also makes it perfect for travel.
So if you are thinking about sunning yourself on a stunning island somewhere this would be a great blush to wear in the warm evenings while sipping on a cocktail or two. Or if you just need something to give you a glow in glorious England, where let’s face it summer seems non-existent sometimes, then this is just what you need to give your skin a bit of a pick me up!
What are your favourite Summer blushes?

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Disappointing Pore Strips

A little while ago I won a competition on the Montagne Jeunesse Twitter page. One of the things that I won was these Pressed Orange Blossom Deep Cleansing Pore Strips.
 
 I have to say I do not suffer majorly with black heads on my nose but I do have a few which I would definitely prefer were not there so pore strips help with that!
If you have not used nose pore strips before they are really easy to use. You just wet your nose and place the strip on there for the instructed time and when the time has passed you simply pull the strip away which should also pull any dirt away with it.
 
As much as I hate to say it as I really like Montagne Jeunesse products these nose strips just did not do anything for me. The scent is ok but the orange blossom reminded me of cleaning products. The strip did not feel uncomfortable at all and was easy to pull off but it just did not seem to pull away as much yucky stuff as other nose strips that I have tried.
I think in future if I am having a bad black-head day I will use the Biore strips as they are like super strips and show no mercy when it comes to black heads!
Have you tried nose pore strips? What would you recommend?


Sunday 12 April 2015

Cohorted Beauty Box April 2015

If you follow me on Twitter you would have seen that I tweeted my excitement about the April Cohorted Beauty box yesterday and I thought the quicker I get this post up the quicker I can start using the amazing goodies that I received!
If you have not heard of Cohorted they are an online cosmetic company who sell cosmetics at a lower price than the RRP. They sell all the big brands including Mac, Benefit, Nars, Bobbi Brown and more. And the offers are constantly changing so it is worth checking every now and again.
Recently Cohorted launched their own beauty box. Since there are only a limited number available they have sold out really quickly, every one wants to get their hands on one and when you see what was included in the April box you will see why.
So let’s stop the rabbiting on and get into it!
I was so excited when I picked up the box, even the packaging is so sleek. So as I untied the ribbon and opened the box my eyes were instantly drawn to one item in particular, Mac! Mac! Mac! Yes you read correctly, Mac in a beauty box. This is a really gorgeous rosy pink blush in the shade’ Dolly Mix.
Next we have another full size product that’s the Korres Mulberry Vanilla Body Butter and I can already tell you this smells amazing!
I was pleased to see a makeup brush in here as I do like my makeup brushes and this one is the bareMineral Heavenly Face brush. It feels lovely and soft and I cannot wait to start using it.
Then finally the only sample which is the ARK Age Prepare Purifying Masque 12ml. This is a cleansing mask and is probably my least favourite item in the box but that’s not to say I won’t get some use out of it.
I will write reviews on all the products once I have put them to good use!
So let’s talk value for money…….
The box itself cost £19.99 plus postage. If I wanted to buy these items separately:
·         Mac Blusher : RRP £18.00
·         Korres Body Butter: RRP £19.50
·         bareMinerals Face Brush: RRP £22.00
·         ARK Masque: RRP 30ml £10.00 RRP 12ml around £4.00
TOTAL = £63.50
As you can see the Cohorted beauty box is amazing value for money and everything in there is something that I think I will use.
If you can get the next one I definitely recommend that you do, by far the best beauty box I have ever bought!
What do you think of the Cohorted Beauty Box?


Friday 10 April 2015

Looks like Jam, Smells like Jam.....

Recently I picked up this ‘Early-Harvest Raspberry’ body scrub for an absolutely crazy price in the Body Shop sale and it definitely has not disappointed!
 Firstly the smell, it smells sooooo good! It smells like actual raspberries and the scent stays on your skin for ages.
 Next thing I have to say is how much this looks like jam, even the scrub particles look like the seeds in jam. But a word of caution, as delicious as this looks it is not suitable for consumption!
 Usually I use scrubs that are a bit harsher, like sugar scrubs. This one is more of a jelly consistency but it is so lovely to use. I think especially if you have got quite sensitive skin this more gentle scrub would be ideal just to help to combat dry skin. It is just what you need to give yourself a good pamper.
 This is the first body scrub that I have tried from the Body Shop but it certainly will not be the last!
Find out what else I picked up in my Body Shop Haul here.
Have you tried anything from the Body Shop Raspberry range?

Wednesday 8 April 2015

Hair Inspiration: The Long Bob

After years of having the same old hair I recently took the plunge and decided to have a load of it chopped off. Before going for the chop I spent what seemed like hours researching how I wanted it to look and I finally settled on a style that I had seen on Reese Witherspoon. I am now sporting a long bob with a bit of a side fringe going on. I really like my new short hair, it suits my face shape more and next time I may be extra crazy and go just that little bit shorter!
 
Here are some of the photo's that I used for inspiration!
Do you like these styles?
 


Sunday 5 April 2015

Spring FOTD - Face Of The Day

I have been wearing this look recently and have really been liking it so thought I would share with you lovely lot!
·         L’Oreal True Math Foundation ‘Rose Ivory’
 
·         Maybelline Eraser Eye ‘Light’
 
·         Collection Lasting Finish Concealer ‘Fair’
 
·         MUA ‘Undressed’ Palette
 
·         Avon Glimmersticks Brow Definer ‘Dark Brown’
 
·         Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara
 
·         Body Shop Honey Bronze ‘Fair Matte’
 
·         Elf Studio Blush ‘Fuchsia Fusion’
 
·         Revlon Lip Butter ‘Sweet Tart’
 
·         Rimmel Vinyl Gloss ‘Snog’
 
·         Brushes to apply: Glossy Box Blush Brush and the Elf Foundation Brush

What are your 'Go To' products this Spring?

Friday 3 April 2015

Body Shop Sale Haul

Recently The Body Shop released an offer code for 40% off all items on their website including sale items, it would have been rude not too, right?! I managed to restrain myself and only buy a few bits and pieces but I could have chucked so much more in my basket.
So let’s start with a couple of things I have used before. I picked up the Tea Tree Cool & Creamy face wash and the Camomile Cleansing butter. I love both of these items and so does my skin.
Next up I had to pick up the Raspberry Body scrub. It was in the sale and I have heard so much about this since it was released last year and I have to say all the positive things I have heard are so true. This stuff smells so good! I will post a more in depth review soon so keep your eyes peeled!
And last but not least you cannot do a Body Shop haul without picking up a pot of body butter or two. These were in the sale and with the discount code it made them less than £4, when you consider they were originally £13 these were an absolute bargain! The scents that I chose were ‘Frosted Cranberry’ and ‘Peach’ and oh my they smell delicious!!!

Did you pick up anything in The Body Shop sale?