Empties And Dissapointing Products.

It's been a long while since I have done an empties post, that long in fact that I'm not sure if I've actually done one on this blog or whether that was my old one. Regardless, for some reason I take absolutely ages to use up products. Hang on, that reason is quite possibly because I have WAY too many things to use! I really need to stop shopping and control myself ha! Today I thought I'd bite the bullet and have a bit of a clear out, however I could only find a few items that were worth throwing out due to being empty or just utter rubbish! It's very disappointing when you have such high hopes for a product, and it just turns out not worth the money you paid! These things happen though and I would prefer to enlighten you to stop you making my mistakes!

So the first thing in my empties collection is this Skin Wisdom eye make up remover. Skin Wisdom is one of my all time favourite budget skin care lines simply for the fact that they are extremely affordable yet do the job good! I believe when I purchased this it was around £2-£3 and I used this up in no time at all. Although this is obviously classed as an 'eye make up' remover I find it is outstanding at getting rid of foundation and other base products quickly and effectively. Usually I'll go in after with a proper cleansing routine after, as without this step the product leaves the face feeling somewhat sticky and not well cleansed at all. I would say 'I would recommend this product and will be repurchasing it', however I am already nearly through with my second bottle of this so I guess that it goes without saying! However I'm not sure how popular the brand is so what I shall say is that I highly highly highly recommend the brand in general. It's widely available in most Tesco's and they have an excellent rage of products from removers to cleansers, toners, face masks etc. Everything a girl could ask for! So if you have a couple of extra quid this week check it out! I can nearly guarantee you wont be disappointed!


Secondly is this teeny tiny sample of Benefit's 'The pore fessional' primer. I received this (like most other beauty bloggers) in some magazine a few months back and have been literally dying to mention this on here, I just haven't had enough other things to write about! Sadness. So this is a sample size of 7.5ml which did not last long enough at all! I know the reaction you're probably looking for and I can tell you now, you're right to expect it. This primer is absolutely fantastic. From the gorgeous matte texture packaging, to the way it makes your skin feel like some kind of silk sent from the Gods, right down to that gorgeous apricot scent that makes my brain tingle with happiness. I cannot find one single fault with the product! Oh wait, yes I can, THE PRICE! This typically starts from around £20-£25 for a 22ml size product, although on John Lewis at the moment you can get a 44ml size for just under £30 which is quite bargainous! I am quite a newby to Benefit products along with other quite costly brands (must say I'm a budget girl!) however it's products such as this that make me understand why people pay the money they do for them. Don't get me wrong you can get some gorgeous quality products in the high street, MUA for example, but I think the general gist of things is that you get what you pay for! If you can afford this, go pick one up. I know as soon as I have £30 spare I will be on that John Lewis website faster than you can say 'bankruptcy'.


Next is the Big Fake Ultimate false lash effect mascara, Collection (2000). Look at that wand! Ladies, if like me you're a girl who is all about heavy duty, thick, voluminous, elongated, flirt accelerating lashes then this is the mascara for you! This retails at around the £5 mark in most stores which you can't argue with on the high street now can you? Beauty is a massively expensive business right now so to find a product as extremely decent as this at such a price is on par with winning the lottery in my opinion. This mascara has served me very well indeed for the short time that I had it. I do have to point out that this lasts a few months at best as the formula is extremely thick and dry. Of course thick is great for voluminous lashes however it's not so great for the product itself. It quickly becomes very flaky and unmanageable making it hard to work with. However whilst new it is perfect and for the price it's just a dream. When a product is that affordable it seemingly doesn't matter how fast it runs out! I will definitely be repurchasing this, I promise!


Also by Collection is the Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer. This retails again for around £5 like most of Collection's classic products. I had this in the shade 'Natural 2' which was probably the best colour matching concealer for my skin tone I have ever had. Now, some of you may know that, unlike every single other beauty blogger in the world, I really do not care about the Lasting Perfection Concealer. I find it so average at best and I wish I knew why! I think it may be because it reacts oddly with my skin type and after about two minutes of applying it, it creases all over my lower eye lids and just looks atrocious. I will agree that it has good coverage, however I have several concealers that I find just so much better! Unfortunately, the illuminating touch concealer wasn't one of them. I do prefer this to the lasting perfection one simply because it is so much thinner and doesn't crease on the lids. However as you'd expect that means coverage isn't so tops! It does brighten the eyes really well and so I ended up using this more for a highlight on natural make up days, but really it was just to use the product up! I do like the functionality of this product and wish that more concealers had this format of clicking the product up through the bottom and applying with the more soft brush than the typical wand. I genuinely don't think I'll be repurchasing this any time soon as it was just another meh product.


The final empty product of mine is the Pantene Pro-V 2min Colour Damage Rescue Masque. Oooooh this was just lovely. I initially went to purchase the Herbal Essences Bee Strong hair mask as I use other products of that line more frequently, but of course my luck meant that it was out of stock. So instead I ended up with this one which was just a pleasure to use. It claims to 'help repair two months of damage in two minutes' and when you pick up a product like this that leaves you hair feeling super soft and luxurious after just two minutes it is a beautiful beautiful feeling. Of course it is better to use products such as this on coloured and damaged hair than it is to use nothing at all, so if you have coloured hair I would recommend you try a product like this. Hair masks are great for a kind of 'quick fix' when you want nice manageable hair. I generally use a mask or another intense conditioner once a week and I do feel the benefits of it so there's no reason you wont too! Also I have noticed this in my local poundland recently!

So that's it for this empties post! I hope this has helped in giving you a bit of insight into these products and I would love to hear your thoughts on them too. Let me know what you want to try, or what you have tried or even what you will never try. Also let me know if there are any specific posts you would like me to write up.
Much love, G
xo

Beauty Hacks I Live By!

If there's one thing I am always on the look out for it's new tips and tricks to make my life just a little bit easier. Some times the most simple things can make the biggest difference to efficiency and haste and so below are about three of the best hacks I have for a better beauty experience!

1: Use Old Brushes For Nail Art.

If like me you are a complete amateur at nail art then this is for you! I must have spent a good three years using pins to do any kind of detail on my nails. As I don't partake in nail art such a lot I didn't want to go out and spend money on tools, then today while going through my makeup stash I came across two empty products ( Collection's Illuminating Touch Concealer & Simple's Kind To Eyes Eye Make-up Corrector ) with brush applicators. It suddenly hit me that these would make perfect nail art brushes and after trying them out I was pretty impressed with the results. Both are easily cleaned with a tiny bit of nail varnish remover rubbed into the bristles with a cotton wool pad. Not only is this free and effective, but it's also recycling!
As an added tip you may note I put little dots of nail varnish ( Rimmel London's Rose Libertine & Vivo's Someday ) on to a torn piece of cardboard. The reasoning behind this is that for said years I was fiddling around attempting to get the polish out of the bottles which resulted in a lot of my products clogging up and drying out. So instead I now just place a few dots onto a piece of card which makes it much more easy to work with along with being easily disposable and a lot less messy!



2: Use Empty Tic-Tac Boxes As Bobby Pin Storage.

The magical disappearing qualities of bobby pins has been a long struggle for all of womankind quite possibly since the dawn of time! Regardless of how many you buy you end up with around one to four when you come to needing them! However, Tic-Tac boxes are the perfect solution to this on-going battle. I found this on the off chance one day where I found a whole stash of bobby pins and had an empty Tic-Tac box both in my hangbag. Call it fate. The boxes are the perfect size, really secure and equally amazingly compact. I now keep a box full in my handbag and have them to hand as and when needed! If you don't find the boxes eye-pleasing you can always paint them to your liking!



3: Halloween Special Tip.
So as a budding make up artist, and having a few jobs lined up for Halloween this year I have found extreme difficulty in finding a good white base for looks. I have purchased several white face paints in different price ranges none of which were any use to me, as they all dried patchy and looked awful. After testing out other ways of getting a white base (such as mixing white face paint with moisturiser and using talcum powder over foundation) I found the only way to get round this issue is to mix white face paint (the one pictured was £1 from Tesco) with any good coverage foundation (I used Rimmel London's Wake Me Up foundation in Soft Beige). Dependant on how dark your foundation is means you may end up using more or less white face paint than I do. I use a two part face paint to one part foundation and get the perfect white with enough foundation involved to stop patchiness. I believe that the end result is as flawless as you can achieve particularly if you're on a budget this Halloween.




I hope these tips are useful to some of you, and I would love to hear your tips so leave me some comments below!

Much love, G
xo

A Weekend Of Bargains!

This weekend just gone was an absolute dream for me, not only due to the fact that my maternal grandparents were visiting, but also for the insane amount of outstanding bargains I managed to pick up! I know full well just how expensive beauty blogging can end up, and so I was thrilled when I found some drugstore makeup and also a couple of high end pieces all for well under said drugstore prices. And why on earth wouldn't I share these little secret spots with you?

Friday: Poundland.
Did someone say £1 Rimmel? Oh yes, me. Pound shops often do sell drug store makeup and I have had quite a few Rimmel products from poundland, but most of them have been unused testers or samples. However after hearing rumours of apocolips, I dashed in to town and went to see if the rumours were true.. and they were. Thank God!


I ended up picking three Apocolips lip lacquer's simply because at £1 you have to grab them while you can. Right now theses are £6.49 at Boots stores which in itself is quite a good deal but obviously is no where near as bargainous as a mere quid! The three shades I picked up unfortunately don't have names on them and most of the writing on the packaging is foreign, however I have been kindly informed by the good people of Instagram that the nude colour is called 'Nude Eclipse'. As you can see from the swatches I bought an intense coral shade which may be stored away until next summer, the for mentioned nude and a deep burgundy colour both of which I feel will be getting possibly overused this Autumn/Winter. Rimmel's Apocolips range is simply amazing in a whole sense, which was quite clearly shown when they were launched and the blogging world went in to mass hype about them, but there's not much to love! Even in the swatches you can see just how thoroughly pigmented they are. They are long lasting and extremely manageable! If the intensity of the colour's isn't for you then you can simply dab a smaller amount on with your finger and blend it into a more natural and less intimidating look. While these are beautiful, they are also just that. Intimidating. They take a fair bit of practice but one you have it down then you will never have boring looks again!

  

I also picked up one of the eyeshadow paints in '002 Slate Grey'. I have to be honest with you here and say I am genuinely unsure of whether I bought this for the product or because it reminded me of the fifty shades trilogy which I am currently obsessing over (again). I am seemingly glad I picked this up though as it is quite pretty. Again this is an intimidating product because the initial outcome of the product is very dark and metallic and completely inappropriate for daily wear. It is much more of a night time look. However as shown in the swatch this blends out in to a lovely pop of colour which looks really very nice in the day time with just a small coat of mascara. It's very simplistic but I cant quite contain my excitement to use this on a night out when I can transform this into a gorgeous and glamorous smoky eye.



The last thing I picked up was this Lycra Pro nail varnish in '391 celebrity bash'. I picked this up because it reminded me of 'rapid ruby', also by Rimmel. Last year I could not put that shade down throughout autumn and so I felt this would be a good replacement. Of all the things I bought over the weekend this is definitely my least favourite due to it being such a stubborn product to use. It's one of those nail varnishes that takes up far too much time and patience as you really need three coats to achieve a perfect finish. Personally this product just pushes me way out of my comfort zone as I can't sit and apply three coats waiting in turn for each coat to dry, resulting in a messy finish. I feel as though there are so many better nail varnishes out there that match the price I paid for this. Particularly MUA cosmetics' nail varnishes that are also one pound each but are much faster drying. I'll definitely be heading in to Superdrug to see what I can find in that range.

Saturday: Boyes.

Chesterfield have recently had a Boyes store open up in the town centre, and as I'm from Hull originally and Boyes are a Yorkshire born brand I was really excited about the opening as I know how awesome Boyes is for bargains. The only thing I picked up was this W7 'In The Buff' Eyeshadow pallet for a mere £4.99. After putting this picture on Instagram I had a comment regarding the fact that this pallet is a near dupe for the Urban Decay 'Naked' Eyeshadow Pallet. Having not owned any of the naked pallets, I couldn't really comment on the similarities between the two. However what I can say is that the quality of these eyeshadows is simply impeccable. This pallet is of a similar standard to the MUA pallets I own which I obviously rave about for pigment, control and lasting purposes and although I haven't had this all that long I can comment that when I have used this the effects have been in turn exact to those of the MUA pallets. These are extremely pigmented and long lasting, and what I like most about this pallet is the range of colours. I'm very much a brown eyeshadow only girl and very rarely stray from neutral tones like this, so this pallet really is a dream for me. There are a mix of matte and shimmer shades ranging from cream to black, with golds and coppers between. The names of the eyeshadows Left to Right are Buff, Camel, Sand, Dust, Chocolate, Topaz, Earth, Storm, Silk, Wave, Thunder and Onyx. I dare say my favourite of all these shades (if I had to pick) would be Thunder. Everything about this pallet appeals to me from the gorgeous rose gold tin packaging to the double ended brush included and I think for under five pounds this is a pallet every girl should own.

Sunday: TK Maxx.
Okay so TK Maxx is where the real bargains of this weekend lie. I picked up two higher end products both of which I am raving over completely and have used daily since I got them.


Firstly is this foundation by Rituals. This is their matt finish foundation with SPF 15 in shade 2. This has a retail price of £20.50 and thanks to the gods that are TK Maxx I picked this up for a whopping reduced price of £4.99. I was amazed to say the very least. Not only was I lucky in terms of the price but also in the fact this was the only one there and was the perfect shade for me. I genuinely have used this daily since I bought it and part of me wishes I wouldn't do that, simply so it would last longer but I can see myself getting through this mighty quickly. This foundation gives initially a medium coverage but it is easily buildable without giving a cakey finish. I apply this using my real techniques stippling brush ensuring is it all buffed nicely into my skin. The finish of this is matte, as advertised, but not in a way that washes you out. It still has a nice glow to it that looks natural and exquisite. It lasts well throughout the day with minimum wear and stays looking fresh and gorgeous. This is one of those products that I feel absolutely great wearing, a real confidence booster, and the price of this has lured me in well and good. I know I will be replacing this time and time again.



The final product of this post is the insanely gorgeous lipgloss from Cargo Cosmetics. This was reduced to £3.99 from £7.50, again being a great cheap price for what you're receiving. I am fully aware that I purchased three lip lacquer's not two days before, but they have unfortunately been over looked by this. This is in the shade 'stockholm' and is a beautiful natural, sheer, pink that just complements the look of the natural lips to a tee. This smells like sweeties which is very enticing in itself, but what's better is the formula. Again this is a sheer but buildable product meaning you can control fully the look you want to achieve. This isn't sticky at all which I love about a lip gloss. There's nothing worse than getting hair stuck all up in your grill while wearing lipstick now is there girls? As this is a gloss it does need topping up every now and again but when a products this beautiful, that's not exactly a chore. I absolutely adore using this product and am very tempted to go back and see the other shades.


So that's it for this mini bargain focused haul. I hope you enjoyed it and that you have been inspired to get out there and search for some bargains of your own! Share what you find with me, I would love to know what else is out there.
Much love, G x

L'Occitane En Provence: 5 Essential Oils Sample Review.

I recently picked up an issue of In Style magazine (October 2014 issue) and with it came two rather generous 50ml samples of shampoo and conditioner created by the ever wonderful L'Occitane. They are advertised as having 5 essential oils in the ingredients which are angelica oil, lavender oil, geranium oil, ylang ylang oil and sweet orange oil (the conditioner also contains sweet almond oil but the shampoo doesn't) so you can initially see how natural of origin the ingredients are which I love in a product.  I'm not the sort of person who religiously purchases magazines for their content, rather their freebies, is that cheeky? When I saw these samples I could not resist picking up a copy and what was more enticing was the price of the magazine was almost cut in half anyway! So I took the plunge and after a week or so of traveling/coming home/sorting out miscellaneous things I finally got around to testing them out. I've ended up with mixed thoughts about the two products and I'd be extremely interested to hear what you thought of them if you have tried them.

Application.
So the first thing I noticed about these products (besides the gorgeously chic packaging) was the intense herbal scent they produce! You really do get a huge hit of something floral/grassy as soon as you start using the products which is reminiscent to me of medicated shampoo. A smell which you either love or hate, and I personally LOVE it! So first things first, top marks on scent!
When using the shampoo I was overcome by both how easily it lathered up in the hair and also how easy it was to work through the scalp and the lengths of the hair. And when rinsed out my hair felt really noticeably clean and quite soft. I did actually do a lather/rinse/repeat of this step as I'd previously had hairspray in but even with two applications of shampoo my hair was still feeling healthily clean.
I then went to use the conditioner and this is where things went downhill. Firstly I noticed there were no directions on the sample bottle so I was unsure how long to leave it in (I ended up going for around 3 minutes) which I find very disconcerting as I don't want to over condition my hair and end up looking greasy as a result. Once I rinsed out the conditioner my hair felt actually a lot dryer than it did after simply shampooing alone and in no way shape or form did it feel conditioned.

Drying.
I left my hair to sit in a towel for around 10/15 minutes before roughly towel drying it. Then I went to comb through it and was so past infuriated. This combination has absolutely no detangling properties in it at all (which are actually stated on the packaging of the conditioner) and so I had to spend around 5 minutes trying to get all the knots out before I could blow dry it, obviously, creating more damage which I have been trying exceptionally hard to avoid. Whilst blow drying I also noticed that my hair was feeling very heavy as if it were full of product and at this point I really was not having a good time at all. Once dry and brushed through my hair did feel quite soft at the roots but you could easily see the damage at the ends of my hair and there was absolutely no help involved for my frizz problem.
The finish of my hair after blow drying was so underwhelming. When I think about all the super oils in these products I expect gorgeous shiny, nourished, healthy looking hair and what I ended up with was a thin and dull hot mess! So while I didn't want to add any more product to my hair due to trying to review two products alone I felt I had to add some of my VO5 Smoothly Does It Heat Protect Serum. This calmed the frizz down, added some shine and set a protective barrier for the styling.

Styling.
At this point I was really fed up of looking at my hair and so decided to straighten it simply for haste and ease reasons. Things began looking up at this point as it straightened really easily and well for a change. Usually I do have to go over it a few times before the ends are straight but this time just once seemed to be enough and I wish I knew what this was down to! I ended up with actually a really nice finish but I can't help but wonder whether that has more to do with the VO5 serum as appose to the shampoo/conditioner. The finish was very lightweight and soft but my hair had absolutely no volume at all which was disheartening.
However, after around an hour of finishing the whole process I can still smell the product very very well which is just swell!

As I said I have been left with very mixed feelings about these products. I think if I saw the shampoo on sale/offer somewhere I might pick it up as that was really nice but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it. However the conditioner is just so ridiculous that I don't even think I'll be keeping the rest of the sample. I feel that the shampoo would be better either alone of paired with another conditioner so I might play around with that as I have about 4 uses of the sample left. Unfortunately I have been left extremely disappointed by the duo and genuinely wouldn't recommend them at all. Let me know what you thought about these products in the comments below. I do hope this was helpful to someone!

Much love, G x

August Favourites!

We're in the last third of 2014, did that sneak up on anyone else or is it just me? So August has been and gone as has pretty much the first week of September. I genuinely cannot believe how fast this year is going! August was a pretty hectic month for me but a great one none the less and while I thought there would be loads of beauty products that I would be obsessing over I seem to have stuck to what I know with most things. Thus meaning this post isn't going to be the biggest favourites post ever. What I can say though is that all of the products mentioned have been well and truly loved this month!

1: Rimmel London's Wonder'full Mascara.
So Rimmel London released this mascara not too long ago now and from day one I wanted it in my life and on my lashes! It contains Argan oil which I believe is some what of a conditioner. It also has one of those fancy 'ultra flex' brushes which lets be honest, what's the point? Still, it's rather appealing in it's sexy copper packaging. However, £9 is just too much of a 'should I shouldn't I?' price for me so I was very hesitant on buying this, especially after seeing such mixed reviews online about it. Then came the day that I saw it in Tesco for a mere £4.99 and the deal was sealed! I can honestly say looking back I would have happily paid £9 for this as it's just magical. This has converted me from being a heavy lash lover to actually appreciating a nice natural look and more noticeably a lovely feel! This mascara wipes out that stiff feel to the lashes that often occurs with thicker products which leaves me feeling like my eyes are getting a bit of a break! In terms of giving you a 'full' look I wouldn't agree with that. While it is a lovely formula if anything it creates more of an elongated rather than a voluminous look. One thing I do like is that the brush picks up literally every single eyelash which I find to be a rarity and a very welcome one at that. Since I have used this every single day since purchasing it I felt it only right to include it in my August favourites!



2: Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in 04 Peach Club.
I am SO late jumping on this bandwagon but I am so glad I finally did! These Bourjois lipsticks are just insanely amazing and are all I could ask a lip product to be. Although they are called 'lipsticks' they're much more of a creamy gloss like substance and remind me a lot of Collection's Lip Creams. The Bourjois ones however are about twice the price but you really do get what you pay for. I chose the shade 'peach club' which is a very orange-toned pink/coral and is gorgeous to say the least. As is practically everything about these, from the classy packaging to the ridiculous staying power. I also love how versatile these are as you can create a very sheer sort of tinted look or a full blown bold lip, or if you're feeling adventurous take note that these work quite well as cream blushes too. Once applied this stuff isn't going anywhere, it doesn't bleed or fade even through general every day necessities like eating making it one hell of a high quality product. If you haven't tried any of these I highly recommend that you do. The hardest part will be picking your shade!




3: Maybelline New York's Color Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow in 40 Permanent Taupe.
I purchased this quite a while ago and was seemingly disappointed with it. I found it to be more of an ash grey shade than anything near the brown you would associate with 'Taupe'. It made a nice alternative eyeliner shade for a while but was a faff to apply so I gave up with it pretty quickly. That is until I decided it was time to start maintaining my eyebrows. I'm not usually one to bother with my brows as they've never really been unruly however I thought that it was time to neaten them up a bit and give them a bit of shape. I have relatively sparse hairs through my brows and so I was on the hunt for something to apply to them and all I could find was an old Rimmel brow pencil that was too dark for my now lightened hair. That's when I picked up this and got curious. Yep, it was a success. While it is still maybe a shade or two dark it's nothing remarkably noticeable and the ash shade works pretty well. I apply this with an angled eyeliner brush through my lashes to add definition and shape, and I am left with a very nice well groomed finish. I do love a multi-functional product!



4: Vivo's Under Eye Concealer in Shade 1 Light.
 This is not the world's best concealer by any standards. In fact it is very translucent and weak. I bet you're wondering why this is classed as a monthly favourite. I have been loving this over the past month for it's highlighting properties. While it isn't shimmery it leaves the skin with a gorgeous dewy glow and so for most of the month I have been replacing my powder highlighters with this. I apply it in the same places I would a powder and just blot it in with my fingers. I am left with such a gorgeous healthy radiance, as though my skin is really well hydrated, but without the appearance that makeup has created this affect. It is such a natural and beautiful finish and is actually a lot easier than applying a powder as you can't really apply too much. I do use this under the eyes if I am applying makeup first thing in the morning not for the concealing effect (that isn't there), but as it has a metal rollerball applicator that is extremely cooling and seems to reduce any puffiness from my sleep. Again, another awesome multi-functional product.



5: Pro Formula's Radiance Melting Gel Cleanser.
I've gone and found myself another holy grail product! I picked this up in Tesco for a tiny £3, bargain! I am so obsessed with this. This is a melting cleanser and so when you apply the gel to the face and begin to massage it in, it turns into an oil which breaks up and dissolves makeup and other nasties. When you then apply water to the cleanser it turns to a milky substance and glides off the skin without leaving you feeling sticky. This product contains green tea and vitamin E complex and so smells absolutely divine and probably does a lot of good stuff for the skin (Can you tell I'm no dermatologist or what? haha). Since using this my skin had felt a lot more clean and nourished and a lot of the redness in my face has died down as the product has been clearing up my complexion. I am such a lazy person when it comes to skin care and admittedly baby wipes are my best friends, however since purchasing this I don't think there's been a day where I haven't used it. I enjoy using it so much and I just adore how it leaves my skin feeling afterwards. I already know this is going to be a repurchase product for a long long time!



6: Calcot Manor's The Lazy Evening Gentle Salt Scrub.
Another skin care product that I have been obsessing over is this salt scrub from Calcot Manor. Again this is an old product that got shoved aside and is now rediscovered and this time I can't put it down. I use this twice a week in the shower and my body is now so soft it's unbelievable. I was suffering from a few dry spots on my arms and after using this for around a week and a half they had completely cleared up. This is quite a harsh exfoliate with large bits of sea salt in it but it doesn't by any means irritate the skin as there is such a generous amount of almond oil which just hydrates and softens to no end! You really do not need a great deal of this product to do even your whole body so I can tell this will last me so long and there isn't much concern of it going out of date as there is a 36 month (3 year) use guideline on it. I feel as though I wont be putting this down again throughout autumn/winter which I am perfectly content with as it's such a treat to use!



Favourite Instagram Account: BOULTBEEABLE!
My absolute favourite Instagrammer of August was by no doubt Grace Boultbee. Why? Simply for the picture below. How immensely perfect is that winged liner? I am so jealous of that talent! Grace is from my hometown and is such a lovely girl. She always has something nice to say and our opinions on the 'bank of mum and dad' are extremely similar! Haha! Her Instagram account to me screams 'keeping it real', she hasn't got a themed account which I love. If she wants to post something she will and I admire that so much. Overall Grace is so beautiful and funny and deserves to be followed by anyone who is reading this now! So if you're not, why? Go follow her and show her some love!

Grace's Instagram Here.


So that's it for August! Although we're only 4 days into September I've already had so many awesome things happen that I could write about and when there's another three birthdays to come this month I'm sure there'll be a lot more happening. I'm aiming to post a lot more this month and already have a few posts lined up! Be sure to comment below if you have any questions for me regarding any of the products in this post or if you have any ideas of future posts for me. I love feedback!

Much love, G x

July Favourites!

See, I told you I would be back! And here I am, with my favourite things from July. Now there's only about 7 things I have to write about this month, all of which are cosmetics. This is probably because I've been breaking the beauty law and neglecting my skin care. But I will pick up on that so prepare for loads of skin care related items being mentioned in the following month! July has been crazy as you probably noticed from my last post and now I am so psyched for August it's unreal! Without further ado here's what I've been relying on throughout July!

1: Rimmel London's Fix & Perfect PRO Primer 002.
I do love me a Rimmel primer I do, partially because they all smell like my grandma's face creams so it's really quite nostalgic when applying this. However this primer wins all the primer based battles for me as it's just everything I want in a product. This primer advertises a 5 in 1 result system, where it apparently smoothes (check), resurfaces (check), brightens (definite check), mattifies (check) and protects (not sure what it protects against but lets just say check for the hell of it, CHECK)! A little of this product goes an extremely long way as it has a very thin consistency. I apply this with my fingers as the norm with most primers and after around 20/30 seconds my skin feels so smooth to the touch, looks radiant and glowing along with a very visible reduction of fine lines and redness. When I use this I feel as though most days I can get away with a little concealer and that's it. If you're new to using primers I would definitely recommend this as I don't see how you can go wrong with it. I have used primers in the past that feel quite gel based and heavy on the skin which can be quite intimidating to a newbie and even to someone more experienced. This is now to be known as my safe bet primer, and is definitely already my go to primer for every day use!



2: Collection's Bronze Glow Mosaic Powder 02 Radiant.
If you are a huge hater of bronzers that leave your skin looking too brown, too orange or just generally dirty then this is the bronzer for you. I picked this up a few weeks ago and have used it every single day since. Seriously, there have been days where I've not even bothered with blush, just this. Summer is the perfect time for bronzer as everyone goes crazy for that sunkissed glow and this is the product to perfectly achieve it. It contains mosaic blocks of pearlescent browns and pinks which look perfect once applied. This is extremely similar to the MUA mosaic blush in the way it seems to adapt to the skin tone to create a totally different look for each different individual. Also for the cost of this, which was well under five pounds, you just can't go wrong. Definitely worth a try!



3: Loreal Paris' Color Riche Eyeshadow Primer.
This eyeshadow primer is one of those things that makes you feel like the heaven's have shined a damn holy light on you when you find it. You all know how much I love an eyeshadow primer and it seems as though every one I find raises the bar even higher for me. This one in particular is just phenomenal. I do find this a little tricky to use as it is such a thick formula and takes a while to blend. Personally I wouldn't apply this straight to the eye lid from the pencil, I like to apply it to my fingertips and rub gently so to warm it up and make it more manageable and workable. Also I've come to a slight breaking point with it as I haven't got a pencil sharpener large enough for it, as it is a jumbo pencil. Darn. However through all it's flaws it is one of those genius holy grail products. Once you manage to apply this the initial look is gorgeous and is a lovely 'wear alone' look for summer as it brightens the eyes to no end. If you want to wear this for it's intended purpose though I can tell you now you will not be disappointed. Generally my make up is one of the first things I do in a morning and so if I'm wearing eyeshadow it's usually on my face for a good 12+ hours, and as we all know make up does not like to be up that long! However this primer has honestly got some kind of super power where I can put eyeshadow on top of it and when I come to taking it off it still looks as precise and perfect as it did once applied. I think I can honestly say this primer has beaten all the odds for me and is my new favourite. Wow, top marks Loreal!



4: Maybelline New York's Super Stay 14 Hr Lipstick 180 Ultimate Blush.
Fruit. No I haven't gone insane, fruit is just the first thing you notice with this lipstick. As soon as you open the packaging you are hit with this scent wave of berries and sugar and all things gorgeous. I do not have any other lipstick that smells half as good as this and I am hoping that all the lipsticks in this range smell the same! If they do, I must buy them all! Getting down to the review side of things though you do have to question the whole 14 hour wear deal. Lipsticks wear so easily which is to be expected with eating, drinking and smooching! Honestly I feel like a bit of a silly sod as I haven't tested the wear of this very well. I have noticed the pigment doesn't fade for a very long time but that's about it. I will do a wear review in pictures for you soon though so we can test this out properly! Now the reason this is in my favourites is simply for the colour and formula, both of which are beautiful. The colour is so perfect for the summer months being highly pink but with gorgeous coral undertones and the formula is just amazing. It is so thick on the lips but not in an unpleasant manner at all. One thing I love about this is how hydrating it is as I cant deal with lipsticks that dry me out. This makes me feel like it is working as a lipstick and also a balm, sort of a two in one jobby. Over all this lipstick is just tops and I kind of cant wait to do a day review of it!



5: Collection's Work The Colour Lip Butter 02 Cappuccino.
Also on the lip front is this new lip butter by Collection (previously collection 2000). I have always struggled finding nudes that are right for me, however I think I have now found the perfect one. This is a nude with pink undertones which complements my pale skin very well bringing out any colour on my cheeks. The look it creates is quite sheer and very glossy but seriously pretty. I have two of these lip butters, this one and Vintage Rose and I can't get over how good they are. We all know Collection's prices are just to die for and so when they bring out a product as good a quality as this you have to dash out and pick one up! I absolutely love the feel of these on the lips which is very creamy however I've found this one is a lot more drying than my other one which is slightly devastating. Also you do need a few touch ups throughout the day but it's worth it for the look it creates. Collection seem to be really on point this summer bringing out all these new gorgeous products like these and the mosaic bronzers, although, what was that whole mardi  gras thing about? Weird.



6: Avon's Super Shock Gel Eyeliner Pencil.
I love this. Oh my days, I just love it. A gel eyeliner in the form of a kohl liner. Goodbye stupid gel liner pots and tiny angled brushes, hello easy precise winged liner with 0% effort! This formula is outstanding! Avon have really hit the bullseye with it, making it so well. The liner itself is just an absolute dream to use, being a very soft creamy texture that dries in seconds leaving you with smudge proof wet looking eyeliner. I love this with a smoky eye or alone as a gorgeous feline flick! Honestly this eye liner is so versatile as it can be applied alone, over eyeshadow without clumping up or dragging the skin, and even on the waterline/tightline without budging all day! To be honestly I don't really pick up other kohl liners anymore, just felt tip ones if I'm in a hurry as I have found nothing really beats the look this gives. Professionalism at home, by beginners!



7: Makeup Academy's Eyeshadow Pallet, Undressed.
First up let me take you through the names of the 12 shadows as that's my favourite thing about these pallets. (Top Row Left to right) Puff, Rose ash, Fawn, Gild, Hazel, Lion. (Bottom Row Left to Right) Bronze ore, Burnished brown, Tawny, Henna, Fuel, Cool grey.
Awesome names for equally awesome eyeshadows. I've spoke about MUA products before, including another eyeshadow pallet. Through all my experience of MUA I have not once been let down by them. This eyeshadow pallet was £4 meaning each eyeshadow costs less than 50p each. If you can complain about that then there is something seriously wrong with you. The quality of all the eyeshadows is simply remarkable. They are very highly pigmented, they don't budge easily, there's very little fall out and they work together exceedingly well blending in complete union with each other. This pallet is mainly neutral being almost solely pinks and brown (with the two odd greys at the end) making it perfect for every day use. There is a range of matte colours, shimmery colours and metallic colours which is such good value for your money. I have been loving using this pallet throughout July. My favourite colours are Gild, Henna and Bronze ore and are probably the ones I have used most. Again this is a very versatile product as there are so many ways to use it. Personally I like to create smoky eye looks with shadow used as liner along my bottom eye lid, or sometimes if I'm in a hurry I will just use one colour as a wash over my lids. Whatever you like to do with eyeshadow I would recommend picking up a few MUA pallets, especially if you are a beginner as they're just so affordable and such great quality!




Now as promised it's time for my favourite INSTAGRAMMER of the month. This months winner is....

LINZILOU92



Linzi's feed is just wonderful, I love looking through her photos time to time and admiring her goods! haha! She seems to have a really keen eye for what's 'hot' in the beauty industry right now, and I cant help but be envious of her passion for nails. I wish I had that in me! Also what's odd is we have exactly the same amount of followers! Oooooh, strange! I highly suggest that you go and follow her as she's a lovely lovely lass, who isn't scared of a chat either!
Linzi's Instagram Here!

My favourite photo of hers from this month is easily this one. You've gotta love a bit of the Depp now haven't you! Also, Sleepy Hollow is just the best film! Much adoration!


Until next time
Much Love, G x

A little insight.

So here we are again, where I've disappeared from blogging and now I'm writing up my 'apology'. Today however isn't so much an apology as is more a little insight into what's going on and why I've been AWOL. There's a lot to explain, so let's do it in stages.

1: The Relationship Fail.
As some of you will know I have been with a boy for just under a year now and up until a few weeks ago we were even engaged. What came of that? A messy hurtful breakup. You see I honestly thought this boy was 'the one' and so for the past year I have put all my efforts in to affecting him, mostly pleasing him but often to piss him off too when he'd hurt me, which was more than you'd expect. He is the sort of guy who feels like he has utter control in a relationship meaning the past year has consisted of him deciding when we're on and when we're off. Stupidly, I let him thus giving him this power and control. But as they say 'all good things come to an end' and this finally has. Unfortunately by trying to give him what he wanted all year I put some of the most important people to me after him. I've always said sisters before misters, chicks before dicks (or any other innuendoes that come to mind) but this time I didn't stick to my own wisdom and really I should have lost a lot of people through that. Luckily all my loved ones are still there for me, even more so now that I need them, even though I don't deserve their support. I was so consumed by my love for this boy that I have honestly forgotten who I am and what's important to me meaning there is a huge battle ahead where I have to remember. Anyway to put it bluntly, boy decided we were off and so I finally grew some lady balls and told him we would NEVER be back on and I'd like to think I meant it. So now I'm adjusting to life as a single lady (now put ya hands up!) and I'm finding it a bit of a struggle as it's honestly quite weird going from seeing someone every day to not at all. It doesn't help that less than a week later he got himself a new girlfriend and tried setting me up with some random Vietnamese fellow that can't speak English but hey, moving on and such!

2: Working with anxiety?
Aside from the relationship fail I've also been failing within my work. Yes being a retail assistant isn't my dream job but it's an income, a source to pay the bills etc. However trying to juggle anxiety, depression, a full time job and a relationship just means stress overload. I was managing most of the time, admittedly I have had a little time off work on sick due to my panic attacks, but I seemed to be on the mend. My last panic attack was in late Feb/ early March of this year so I had gone a whole five months without one which was honestly the best feeling ever to me. The last month or so however things seem to have taken a turn for the worst, and I mean the genuine worst. It has got so bad that I have lost a total of 3 stone since my heaviest through stress alone. That along with having comments made about my appearance by a colleague, losing an old friend, splitting up with boy and being generally confused as to where I am in life has all gotten on top of me. Which leads me on to...

3: This morning!So, this morning I broke. Not to the extent that you may think where I was rocking back and forth speaking in tongues, no. But I woke up and whilst getting ready for work I had a panic attack. Yep, they're back and they're back with a vengeance. I powered through it however and got myself to work with a positive outlook on the day. That quickly vanished. About an hour or so into the day all I could think about was quitting or getting out of there somehow, my anxiety had hit its' peak and I can honestly say I have never been as nervous. My stomach was churning and I was shaking like hell. The worst thing about it is that I don't know why. There was nothing that set me off, it just begun and continued. Luckily my area manager was there and after speaking with my (outstanding) mum, I knew I had to go back on sick. Which brings us to right now. Me sat at home writing this feeling like utter rubbish. I have been prescribed Diazepam for the short term and have an appointment on Thursday to get some medication for the long haul of this. Hopefully I will overcome my anxiety and my depression but right now my mind set is falsely in a place where I'm not so sure I ever will. I'm not afraid to say that I'm scared shitless for myself. However I was told not to think about negatives but to concentrate on the good things that can come from the bad. So....

1: The relationship WIN!I am now completely free, untied and released from boy meaning I can start a fresh. I no longer have to please anyone but myself and those who genuinely matter to me. Who knows, maybe one day I'll even meet a nice new boy who will treat me like a human being! I know I said I have forgotten who I am/was but there's beauty in that. It means I can find myself and make myself into someone who I absolutely love. I'm going to leave the past in the past and get on with my new self and my new life and I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it! Hell, I might even dye my hair blonde!

2: Working with MANAGED anxiety!I cannot wait to be able to say I have managed anxiety and controlled depression. Although I'm in that pessimistic mind set there is absolutely no reason as to why those two things aren't achievable and I know that if I give it the time and patience that I need to give it I will get there and I will be one hell of a proud person for doing so! When it comes to work right now I'm still unsure what to do. I know I need to be on sick for a while but whether I will go back to that job, or go ahead and start my own MUA business I don't know. But I figure I have all the time in the world to decide.

3: Forthcoming!One day I will look back on this post and be in disbelief that I ever felt so shoddy. One day there will be no doubt in my mind that I am fully better and well. One day I wont love boy anymore but I will love myself wholeheartedly. One day I will be a successful woman and I will have made everyone who loves me and myself extremely proud. One day I'll be over this..


I may be a tad unwell at the moment, but I am monumentally determined to make something of myself. In terms of this blog it will kick off again. Probably with a July favourites post. You know, when you stop seeing someone every day you have a hell of a lot of time on your hands to do with whatever you want. And with me, thanks browsing the magical world of make up! I've found many new things this month and fallen for them hard, so keep your eyes out for that in the next few days.
If anyone at all has any questions about my situation or wants advice on theirs then do not hesitate to speak up even for a second. I feel a massive part of getting through hard times is communication so please do be a part of that!
Until next time

Much love, G x

Aromatherapy Associates Review.

Okay, so this month I picked up a copy of ( I think... ) Marie Claire magazine, simply because I was extremely curious about the free sample gift you received with it. That was a pack of three travel sized Aromatherapy Associates products. I've heard of Aromatherapy Associates here and there but I haven't really paid much attention or took to buying any of their products, so the fact I could now try three of there products for a mere £4ish felt like a great opportunity.



The three products I received were from the Hydrating collection which, after researching into a bit, I have found is sorely Rose scented. So unfortunately if you're not into smelling like a Turkish delight then this collection probably isn't for you. However I absolutely adore the fragrance so that was no issue for me. On the photo above with all my sexy fingers you can see how each of the products look which I do feel is important as I was quite surprised with one of them. Now I will tell you now I have extremely mixed opinions about the three products so don't expect this to be a 'this is my new holy grail' kind of review as it really is not.

Product 1: Hydrating Rose Face Mask, Moisturising and Renewing. £37 for 100ml.

Aromatherapy Associates say:
"A deeply hydrating mask to restore vital moisture to dry skin. Aloe vera and Sodium Hyalauronate, renowned for their hydrating properties, are combined with damask rose water, distilled from Bulgarian roses, in a cooling, transparent mask to bring radiance and vitality to dry complexions".

This face mask is like no other I have used before. On the sexy finger photo this is on the middle finger and as you can see is a clear substance which feels like a gel. For some reason the only face masks I have used in the past have been more of a creamy formula and so I was extremely sceptical and rather concerned about putting this on my face, however I have used this a few times now so the concept is a little less scary. In terms of it's overall purpose of being hydrating I feel this lets the range down immensely. I've given this two or three attempts now and each time I was so disappointed. When I use a face mask it is because my face is feeling particularly rubbish and I need an instant pick me up, and unfortunately I didn't get that with this in the slightest. While it is soothing to the skin whilst on the face, once I washed this off my skin felt no better for it. I still felt the dryness to my face and the soothing feeling was completely gone. Another flaw? It didn't set. Whilst this was on my face I didn't feel comfortable, I felt sticky and greasy and honestly I couldn't wait for the ten minutes to be over so I could wash it off my face. I think that the only appealing thing about this mask is that you need hardly any of it to cover the whole face, after 2/3 uses I still have well over half of the sample bottle (15ml) left to use, so while £37 is a fair bit of money it is something that will see you through a good few months and so if you like it then it is worth the money. I however will not be purchasing a full size of this and I have no desire to recommend you to do so either.

Product 2: Hydrating Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser. £56 for 50ml.

Aromatherapy Associates say:
"A nourishing daily moisturiser combining three unique roses from Morocco, Turkey and Bulgaria to rejuvenate your skin. Anti-oxidant and anti-ageing rosehip, red aquatic algae and frankincense protect and tone your skin, whilst locking in moisture to keep your complexion looking youthful, radiant and full of vitality".

This is on the first finger of the sexy finger photo and is a more reassuring texture for what it is. Like most moisturisers this is lovely and creamy and was so much nicer to use than the mask. This moisturiser has the same soothing properties as the mask but lasts until it has sunk in to the skin. While applying this I did feel that it was a bit grainy, as if it had small sand particles in it but I can not find any explanation of this on the website and so is something that I just had to put up with not knowing why. And I did put up with the grainy feeling simply because of how amazing my skin felt afterwards. I have used this several times and at different times of the day such as in the morning when I wake up, before putting makeup on, after taking it off etc. but I found that the best time to apply this is before going to sleep. I put this on about half an hour before I'm getting in to bed as it does take a while to fully sink in and while it's doing so it does make the skin feel slightly sticky (nowhere near as sticky compared to the mask though). Half an hour is plenty of time to avoid feeling like your sticking to your pillow all night, and when you wake up in the morning it's as if the heavens have opened! When I wake up on a morning after using this I can honestly say my skin has never felt better as it feels soothed, full of moisture and silky to the touch. I also noticed a huge difference to the dryer parts of my face like my forehead and between my eyebrows where any dry flaky skin was so very nearly gone that just wasn't getting touched by other products I own. Strangely, although I have nothing but praise for this product, there is not a chance that I will repurchase this and here's why. The sample size is a 5ml bottle and while I got a good 4 or 5 uses out of it I feel as though if I bought the full size I would use it every day, meaning it would last me around 2 to 3 months. Yes that is a long time but at £56 and knowing full well I will get addicted and repurchase time and time again, it will come to around £200 a year which is something I am really not prepared to do. So I will carry on my venture of finding my perfect budget moisturiser. I would recommend you find a way to try this however especially if you suffer with dryness.

Product 3: Hydrating Renewing Rose Cleanser. £25 for 200ml.

Aromatherapy Associates Say:
"A gentle and effective cleanser to wipe away impurities and make-up for clean, glowing skin. Jojoba cleanses whilst precious damask rose works to keep skin radiant and healthy-looking, and essential oil of geranium helps balance the skin’s natural oils. Your skin is left fresh, bright and delicately fragrant".

Sexy finger 3 on the sexy finger scaling system, (I'm so funny sometimes) shows that this cleanser is a thin creamy substance, what it doesn't show however is how freaking amazing this cleanser is. The 10ml sample lasted me roughly a week using this every night to remove my make up, with some sneaky mid-day uses too. Seriously, I would re-do my make up just to use this. I am OBSESSED! I love a good cleanser and this has raised the bar so high up for me now that I'm not sure anything will ever compare to it. Again we have that beautiful soothing and refreshing, cooling feel that is so great to feel with a product like this but what blew me away with this cleanser is just how spotless it made my face feel. Even a full face of makeup disappears with such a small amount of this. I don't know how but that Jojoba stuff disintegrates make up like a mother, and it works so fast. I've found with some cleansers a good amount of time consuming facial massaging is needed but when using this I can take off all my makeup in a few minutes which is super when you're as busy as I am right now. In order to do an honest review I tried desperately to find something wrong with it and I just couldn't. I have already placed an order for the full sized product of this which compared to the other products is an absolute bargain at £25 for 200ml and I can't wait to get my hands on it! This is definitely going to become a staple piece in my skin care collection and I can tell you now will be featured in my May Favourites post. Well done Aromatherapy Associates, you little dimes!

So, here's hoping this review has inspired some of you to try out some of these products or ones that are similar. I know there are a few more things in this collection I'd like to try such as a lip balm, a couple of facial oils, a mist and an eye serum which I will try get my hands on samples of. Also their other collections look beautiful too and so worth the pennies! Do let me know your opinions if you have tried any of these products, and feel free to ask any questions if there is something you wanted to know that I didn't cover in the review. Other than that keep your eye out for an empties post coming up soon along with of course my May Favourites post.

Much love, G x

April Favourites!

Hellooo, long time no speak! As you may recall in my last post, Birthday Haul part one, I did say that I would be posting about accessories and skin care along with all the other things I bought on my birthday in a series of posts. But oh no, my internet was not going to have that now was it! For a few weeks now my home internet has just been a massive fail so my only means of being online was through my mobile which is just not a good method of blogging. So unfortunately I have decided to scratch the birthday hauls and speak about what I got in future posts. Some things you haven't seen are in this post and some you'll just have to wait for!
April was an amazing month for me and was filled with great times like my 21st and my boyfriends 25th birthdays, two weeks off work (hoorah!) and some really sweet weather. Things like this mean I get to play around with new make up and share all the things I've been loving with yourselves! So here we are, enjoy!


Ok so I really need to start with this watch. This was £12 from Asda living and since the day I got it, it has barely left my wrist. As well as being adorably cute it is also I really comfortable watch, the strap is a nice faux leather material which doesn't irritate the skin as I've found can be the case at times. I think this is gorgeous, simple and very understated. As this isn't in your face it pretty much goes with any outfit I wear. The only problem with this watch is that there are no numbers on it, and so it can be a little tricky to know the exact time. It is so worth it though, just for the cute factor.








I have also been adoring this bracelet this month. This daisy chain look bracelet is from River Island, however I can't give you a price as it was a gift from a colleague for my birthday. I think this is such a lovely little dainty thing and I have been wearing it every single day that the sun has been out. It is so perfect for spring and to be honest I think it will be staying for the summer too. I had a little look and I've seen the matching necklace. Obviously I need it, don't I?










Also Spring related is this amazing shower gel from The Body Shop. This is the Satsuma scented one and, oh dear lord, it's scented! Damn scented in fact! When you're using this it literally smells like you're washing yourself in orange juice as appealing as that is. I love this so much, it really gives you that Spring feeling. I find the whole citrus scent to be really invigorating and awakening. If I use this in the morning I go from being a groggy mess to BAM, instantly awakened! I am also extremely impressed by how long lasting this is! I have easily used this ten times now and I'm only about 1/4 of my way through it, making it so worth the money as this size bottle sits happily under £10. The only thing I could wish for with this is that once you've used it that seems to be it. Once I'm dried and dressed I can no longer smell it which is highly disappointing, but I suppose that is just proof of how much I love it! If you pick up one shower gel for the summer, make it this one, I dare you!


Another scent that hasn't left me this month is the Ted Baker perfume in 'Made In Heaven'. My best friend Danielle bought me this for Christmas and I am really getting in to it now the weathers brightening up. This perfume is a really sweet floral scent which is perfectly if you're after a real girly girl scent, however it is in no way shape or form is this overpowering like some of the sweeter scents are. I have received so many compliments when wearing this which is evident of how long lasting it is. I remember putting this on one day before work and come around 7pm one of my colleagues commented on it which put me in the best mood. I adore this so much and receiving it was also a real surprise, so thank you Danni!




I posted an Instagram picture of these three Max Factor lipsticks a few days ago that I am just completely obsessed with. These are named (Left to Right) Raisin, Pink Brandy and Rosewood. Rosewood was the first one I picked up and I did so as I had been wanting to buy Clarins' Rosewood lipstick for ages, but once finding it I hated the formula as it looked wet and messy. Then once stumbling upon this I noticed that they are exactly the same colour but this one being a lot more matte and about a third of the price. These lipsticks retail for around £8 each, but can be found on a 3 for 2 offer in a lot of places. I am so impressed with these lipsticks and I honestly regret not discovering Max Factor lipsticks previously. Raisin is quite a similar colour to rosewood but holds more of a pink/red undertone to it, whilst rosewood is more purple undertoned. Pink Brandy however is becoming a staple daily lipstick for me as it is a beautiful deep pink colour and I just love it on a sunny day matched with a light eye look. I know I will get so much use out of these and I am considering just buying the whole collection! Haha, better not!


Another new product that has wormed it's way into my monthly favourites is the Elizabeth Arden Advanced Eye-Fix Primer. This was a bargainous £10 from TK Maxx which actually may seem like a fair bit of money for the size of the bottle. However you need literally a pinhead amount of this to cover the whole eye lid. I find this is a really nice eye primer which enhances the look of eye shadow and helps make it last all day long. This also looks beautiful on its own as it is just a gorgeous beige skin toned colour. Whilst I do love this a great deal I am not sure that I would repurchase it unless I could find it for the same price, as I think the initial price of £16 - £18 is a little high for this as you can find great alternatives at much cheaper prices. Whilst I have this though I intend to make the utter most of it as it truly is a wonderful product.

I bought this cream blush from George at Asda roughly a week ago and I have worn it every single day since. This is in the colour No. 2 Coral which in the packaging looks to be a neon pink colour however once applied this becomes a beautiful naturally flushed pink colour with an extremely soft orange tint to it. It is so beautiful in the spring time and is surprisingly easy to work with. I've had nothing but trouble with cream blushes in the past but this has changed my mind set on them completely. I can now apply this quickly and effortlessly finishing with a gorgeous natural look. All I do is apply this over foundation, by using my ring finger to dot this on to my cheek and then I blend it out with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. If the look is too bright for any reason I just use my every day setting powder over the top and all is fine and dandy! This is such a nice product and is really super affordable at £3 - £4.


The final product I have to speak about is quite possibly a revolutionary product in my collection. This is the Barbara Daly Helping Hands serum. This was £3.50 from Tesco and has honestly changed my skin so much. Strangely this is not for the face, this serum is for the hands and nails. Now I suffer badly with brittle nails and I have found that massaging this onto the nails every few days is really helping. I'm noticing much less breakage and a nicer finish to my natural nails. Also as I work with cardboard my hands can become horrendously dry but this just fixes that right up! You can also use this on any other part of your body that becomes dry such as elbows and knees. This seems to be a miracle product and I urge anyone who suffers with dryness or even just wants smoother hands to head out and find this. It really is amazing!

NEW FEATURE TIME!!!
I have decided that at the end of every month I will be posting a little add on to my favourites post regarding my favourite instagrammer of the month. As I am obsessed with Instagram and connect with so many wonderful people on their I thought it's only right to recognise them on here! In the future there will be ONE favourite person per month, however to kick things off there will be THREE this month. And they are as follows!!

3) Loraforever3

This girl has a wonderful Instagram page and her photos are just magical. She is mostly nail art based and honestly some of her photos have blown me away. She is so talented that she deserves so much recognition. I am honestly so jealous of her skills at times haha. She's also a really friendly girl and I know if I have a question there she will be there to answer it as best she can!
Click on her name to go to her page!
 

2) Strawberrycheese_Cake

Oh my God what can I say about this girl! I adore Tessa's profile so much, I honestly never get bored of looking through her gorgeous photos. She has so much style and can pull of any kind of look it is crazy! She is honestly one of the most gorgeous people and she has a cat! She has a cat!!! What is not to love?! I just love seeing photo's of Trigger the cat and her cosmetic photos are just beautifullllll. She accessorises her photos will all things sparkly and gorgeous! Also she is a gem for sharing her tips and tricks and you seriously need to check out her page!


1) Juliekerrx

Quite possibly my favourite instagrammer of the month is Julie. Julie is such a sweet girl and we have had some right conversations on Instagram. She's always got something nice to say and is always keen to find out about beauty things from what I've seen. She is gorgeous and so kind mannered and I just love her photos. Some are sweet, some are random, one was a topless guy soooo yano! I highly suggest you go follow her find this second!




And that is it for my April favourites. I hope everyone had as good a month as I did, and I hope that May is just as good for you too!
Much Love, G x