Sunday 29 June 2014

The 'Miracle' Cream



I'm sure you've heard about this product or seen an advert, but Garnier's Miracle Skin Cream really does work 'miracles' on your skin. Firstly this product does have anti-ageing formulas in it and i'm only 18, so don't want to/can't comment on that side of things.
However when you dispense it out of the tube, it's white in colour and as soon as you begin to blend it in, it perfectly matches the colour of your skin! It's also super lightweight to wear, which I found made a huge difference in the current climate and has an spf of 20, so is perfect for the weather we're currently experiencing (and the weather I'm hoping to get when I go on holiday on Monday!)
At the moment (I think) it's only available as Superdrug and they're currently offering your money back if you don't witness the miracle (until the 31st of July 2014). Superdrug also offers 10% student discount so full price at £8.66 minus the discount, you really can't go wrong!




Have you tried this 'miracle' cream? What were your thoughts?

Tuesday 10 June 2014

MAC Alluring Aquatic

I'd heard only good things about the new MAC collection and really wanted to try it, especially the bronzer as the one I previously owned, really wasn't doing it for me. So I brought it in the shade 'refined golden' and was loving it. 
Then two weeks ago my parents gave me a card and gift as a good luck for my A2 examinations and the gift was the bronzer this time in 'golden' and the lipstick in 'siren song'. 
Having now used both bronzers, I much prefer the shade 'golden' as it's more easily blended into my face and there's a lot more shine, which personally I prefer. 'Siren song' is a really pretty nude colour, once it's applied it sits on the lips like a gloss leaving them very moist with a really nice shine.
The packaging of these new products is also amazing, the faux water droplets add extra dimension, making these products completely irresistible! The mirror in the bronzer is also a perfect size.

Have you tried anything from the MAC Alluring Aquatic collection? What were your thoughts?

Thursday 5 June 2014

FREE SAMPLE

With every benefit order over £40, they offer two free samples. I recently purchased online at benefit and received a free sample of the total moisture facial cream. This small sample would have easily given me two/three applications, however I did use it all in one go through fear of what would happen to it as I wasn't able to re-seal it.
I think samples like this are a great way of trialing a product before purchasing a full size product, as it allows you to see how the product works on/with your skin to help you decide if it's worth purchasing the product. I know that next time I'm near a benefit counter I will definitely be picking up the full size product of this cream.

Friday 23 May 2014

Benefit Buys

I'm a new lover of Benefit and after recently purchasing the POREfessional and being very impressed I had to try the POREfessional Agent Zero Shine. Again, i'm so happy with the results and my skin is prone to shine across my T-zone and this product has done wonders to reduce this. It's packaging is also extremely convenient in that I don't need to carry around the product and a brush to apply it on the go, the brush is stored in the under side of the tube and the product is dispensed into the lid for a relatively clean application.
As I recently mentioned in my Summer Wants blog post I mentioned that I really wanted to try the 'They're Real!' Mascara and seeing as I was purchasing online and wanted free delivery I couldn't think of any excuse as to why this wasn't the perfect opportunity. I must say this mascara is everything I was expecting and more, it makes my eyelashes look super long however not in a way that they look fake and what's more is that the product stays, I've tried mascara's before that need to be 'topped up' for them to continue to look as they did when you left the house - this is not one of them.
I've read quite a few blog posts on the new hydrating tinted lip balms and although I've never tried any of the cheek and lip tints because I felt it was a waste as I don't think I suit 'coloured' cheeks, when I saw they were releasing lip balms I knew these would be perfect for me. I much prefer to wear a lip balm over a lipstick on an everyday basis because it's a lot more subtle and that's exactly what this BeneBalm is. It feels amazing on my lips and even smells great, not only that it's so easy to apply and just enhances the natural colour of my lips. I know this will become a new favourite of mine!

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

Thursday 22 May 2014

Summer Haul

This season I've become quite the lover of statement and floral prints. This River Island Summer Dress is a lovely light material - perfect for summer, it's just what I wanted from a day dress that'll be great for wearing down to the beach and around the pool. These Black River Island Sandals are hands down the comfiest pair of footwear I've ever purchased, they go with any number of outfits, I'm paired them with jeans, dresses and tights. I can't wait to start catching a tan because these Topshop bikini's (Blue-Pink-Black) will look even nicer. Year after year I will buy a new pair of sunglasses and more often than not these are the shape I will go for and I personally feel this is the shape that suits me the best. This year I went for these New Look Floral Sunglasses as I've already mentioned I'm like a magpie to floral this season. All I need now is for my A Level exams to be over and my holiday to hurry up!

What are you loving this summer?

Monday 19 May 2014

Summer Wants

Here are some products that I'm dying to get my hands on this summer.
St Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Mousse - I used the instant tan equivalent of this and was highly impressed (if I looked past the way I actually applied it - I'll have to get tips from a tutorial before my next go!). When I go away at the end of June I don't want to go looking like a bed sheet and so I believe this is the answer - a helpful start that won't be as in your face as an instant tan. It's also currently on offer at Boots!
Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel - I love nail polish, but scented nail polish even more! I think these colours will look gorgeous in these summer months and will go with basically anything in my wardrobe - not only that they're bottles are adorable and I've heard so many people rave about them! I've picked out the colours Lime Basil, Ginger Melon and Apricot Nectar, as these with provide a nice burst of colour to any outfit and will smell amazing.
Benefit 'They're Real!' Mascara - I've heard so many good things about this mascara and I can't wait to try it out for myself and I think it's about time!
Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster - Whatever I try and do fake tan will never turn my face the same shade as the rest of my body and believe me when I say I've tried everything! I was beginning to admit defeat until a friend of mine recently brought this product (she wrote a review here) which is a specific tanning product for your face and had nothing but praise for this product and I'm hoping I will too.
Benefit Hoola Bronzer - The bronzer I am currently in possession of has a 'sparkly' finish that oxidizes horrendously throughout the day turning me into something I can only liken to an Oompa Loompa. This Benefit bronzer claims to be the best selling bronzer for 5 years with no sparkle and no shine - which is exactly what I need. I've read nothing but great review on this product and so I'm excited to try it.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your summer wants?

Bourjois Foundation

A couple of months ago I found a new love for the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation that replaced my now second favourite Rimmel Match Perfection. I've now come to the end of my first bottle and decided I'd try more of the Bourjois Foundations and see if they met my now high expectations.
Healthy Mix - Healthy Mix Serum - Happy Light
I had quite a few advantage card points on my Boots advantage card and decided to treat myself to all three. They all smell amazing out of the bottle, which is more apparent at this time of year with the sun out and the heat wave we're currently experiencing in England, because it's quite a summery/fresh smell.
Happy Light Foundation was the most expensive at £11.99 and so I was expecting good things in particular for this one, however my favourite still lies with both the 'Healthy Mix's. I felt that although they're supposedly all the same shade, it just didn't match much skin as well and was quite 'sticky'. I love the happy light concealer and so this not meeting my expectations was a little disappointing.
However that said, I really can't fault the other two. They blend perfectly they sit on my face just the way I like, and not only that - they also stay there! (Bourjois aren't lying when they say it's 16hrs radiance). The Healthy Mix foundation retails at £9.99 and the serum normally retails at £10.99 however at the moment Boots have got a deal on this product bring it down to £7.99 meaning you're saving yourself £3 and just me when I say that this product won't disappoint. I would highly recommend - especially for summer as they product is so light on the skin that it's hardly noticeable.

Have you tried any of the Bourjois Foundations? What were your thoughts?

Friday 16 May 2014

End of an Era

I've been at my current school since September 2007 and last Wednesday, May 14th, I passed through the gates for one last time. 7 years was an extremely long time, and I had begun counting down the days until it was over, this however didn't make it any less emotional.
I've shared many memories at that place and met some of the most amazing people - friends I hope to be in contact with forever. These are the people I've grown up with and we're now all going our separate ways to university and work, right across the country. Without sounding really cliche One Direction's song - Don't Forget Where You Belong is extremely fitting for the end of this chapter in all of our lives, because these are the people that shaped who I am today.
All that said I'm excited for the future and what it brings!
It's a tradition at my school that on the last day everyone dresses up, this lead to me and my group of friends arriving as cavewomen - I also had an AM exam and so you can imagine the look on the faces of the invigilators and the other candidates when 6 students walked into the examination hall in fancy dress.
These are iPhone quality pictures so apologies for that



Chatham Grammar School for Girls 2007-2014
I wish you all the best of luck for your exams and everything in the future! I love and will miss you all!

Thursday 1 May 2014

April Favourites

Wow, it's May already? This means it's just under two weeks before I finish school and that's honestly quite frightening, this year is going so fast. This month there are a few products that I have been loving and thought I would share with you.
I've written a full review here and I can't express enough how much I love this foundation, the way it sits on my skin, the coverage and how long it lasts. I wear this foundation daily and have yet to find any faults in it, it also smells delicious while you're applying it and at £8.99 you can't really go wrong.
I've written a full review here. Before trying this concealer I wasn't really a huge Bourjois fan, however this concealer is the reason I choose to try the healthy mix foundation and I think I may have found my new favourite high street brand. This concealer is extremely blend able, making it so easy to wear and the smallest amount goes a long way making this product great value for money - which is great for me as I tend to get a bit concealer happy when I'm applying it.
I'm a fan of One Direction and the thought of them bringing out a perfume in September last year really excited me, and you can imagine how happy it made me to receive a bottle of 'Our Moment' in October for my 18th Birthday. I loved the scent and the bottle was emptied late January and the curiosity in me just went for a different perfume, however the release of a second fragrance was just too good resist and so I brought it and have worn it every day this month. It's so fresh and just reminds me of spring and blossom.
I've used the bottled moisturiser for absolutely ages now and have enjoyed it and how it leaves my skin feeling and was satisfied with the product until they brought out these spray & go 'aerosols' which are so convenient and once I finished my first one last summer, for some reason I never replaced it and I'm not sure why. However I re-found this product on a recent trip to Boots and picked it straight up, after realising what I'd been missing as it leaves my skin feeling fresh, alive and glowing - as well as also smelling amazing.
I watched Gossip Girl religiously when it was on TV and was devastated when it finished and we found out who Gossip Girl was. I asked for the complete box set for Christmas and was lucky enough to receive it, however could never find the time to go back and watch from the beginning all over again. Until this Easter Holiday, when in the evening I just sat in my bed and watched it, with a completely different outlook now I knew. I would definitely recommend this TV series to anyone interested in blogging, fashion and how the other side live.
I've been using a foundation brush for a while now and when I found out Sam & Nic of Real Techniques had released a sponge I just had to try it, knowing that from Real Techniques it would be assured to be of a high quality. I haven't looked back to my brush since, the finish is so much more effortless and streak-free. As well as application being a whole lot easier and I've been loving this, this month and would again highly recommend.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your monthly favourites?

Beauty Haul

Benefit POREfessional, Benefit High Beam and YSL Rouge Volupte Shine - 12
So me a few friends decided retail therapy was very much needed de-stress from A2 revision. So on Wednesday after we'd finished sixth form, that's exactly what we did. I went with the intention of just window shopping, however me being me it didn't end that way.
I've wanted to try more of Benefit's products for a while now after trying their foundation a couple of months back and I've seen rave reviews for both the POREfessional and High Beam and I'm so glad they didn't disappoint. I'm prone to 'wrinkles' under my eyes and after wearing it today I've been so pleased with the results I also used it on my nose, chin and eye lids and my make-up has stayed put and it's made feel so much more confident when they say they're the 'UK's Best Selling Primer' I can definitely see why. I've also fallen in love with this highlighter I just love the way it sits on my skin and the shine it adds to both my cheek and brow bones. I've used highlighters before and have liked the results however with this one i'm more than impressed and can tell it's going to last me a while, as is the POREfessional however both will become a staple piece in my everyday make-up.
A couple of weeks ago I brought the YSL Touche Eclat and I was pleased with the quality of not only the packaging, but also the product itself. So when I found myself at the YSL counter in House of Fraser looking at their Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks, I feel in love with this sheen coral colour, once that I knew I'd be able to wear with most of my day to day looks. It retails at £24 and as expensive as I knew it was I felt it was a worth while investment because I knew I was paying for quality as well as the name. I'm so pleased I took the plunge as this feels beautiful onto my lips and smells amazing. It's got such a full colour which it achieved extremely easy. As much as I'd love to own more than one, I know this will probably be the only one, however would still highly recommend these lipsticks.

Have you tried any of these products? What were your thoughts?

Sunday 27 April 2014

What's In My Bag


I brought this bag in the recent mid-season sales from Urban Outfitters at £38 (I believe?) this is my new favourite! I like to think I'm quite organised and so this bag is perfect has it has many compartments for various sized articles.

In the back pocket I carry my car and house keys, this is so I always know exactly where they are and don't have to do the embarrassing hunt through the bottom of my handbag looking for them while someone's waiting for my parking space. On my keys I've just got a photo keyring of all my closest friends, a small 'bear' that my mum brought me, a flipflop keyring my cousins brought back from Costa Rica, a keyring with my name on, a plastic River Island logo from work and a Tesco's Clubcard.
In the middle inside compartment of my handbag I've got my MAC compact mirror and also my Sighh Designs pocket mirror (you can never have too many mirrors!) 
Then in the back zip pocket I've got a sachet of Ibuprofen - an essential - and two packets of chewing gum, I think I may be addicted to this stuff, like is that even normal?!
In the front pouch I carry my iPhone and my lip product for that day.
In the biggest compartment I carry my ted baker purse (review here) my ted baker make up bag, a handbag size Victoria Secret fragrance in Pure Seduction, my lanyard for work because if it's not in there I'll lose it and won't be able to go through any doors at work and my glasses so that I can see when I'm driving.
I know the bag doesn't look very big, but I feel like Mary Poppins pulling stuff out of it. They've clearly utilised all aspects of the bag as there are several pockets and pouches meaning I could possibly carry the kitchen sink, should I ever want to.

What handbag do you use? What do you carry in it?


Sunday 20 April 2014

Holiday Wishlist

Summer is nearly here halleujah, here in England we seem to be experiencing it early, however this does mean that it's less than 80 days until myself and 10 friends fly out to Mallorca. This means only one thing, holiday shopping!!! 
This is probably my favourite time of year to shop and with pay day being this Friday, there are several pieces I've had my eye on, that I personally feel I can't go on holiday without.
Items featured included:

I understand some of these products will either be loved or hated (I'll tell you decide your own preference) however I want them all. My wardrobe is greatly lacking in yellow and feel this co ordinates will be a staple piece that I'll probably where more than I should.
When I'm on holiday, at the top of my checklist is coming home not looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost, and I feel this is when the yellow will look so nice on, as I won't appear completely washed out. I've also been looking for a beach cover up for a while now, and just want something simple to throw on as I don't feel comfortable just walking around in a bikini, and because this one is white this blue floral bikini will look great under it!

Are you excited for summer? What's on your holiday wishlist?

Thursday 10 April 2014

Sighh Designs

I first heard about this 'small' business on Jemma's blog and after seeing the mirror she'd purchased I had to have a proper look through their website. 
Sighh Designs is a buisness run by Polly Vadasz, selling phone cases, pocket mirrors and nail transfers. Every design is hand drawn and unique and as soon as I saw them, I wanted every single one. At the time however I didn't purchase anything god knows why, however I'm glad I didn't because recently she added a new design to her collection. 
Selfie Case
This phone case was made for me. I'm a huge fan of a selfie and with around 2,000 pictures in my phone's camera roll 95% of them are selfies. At £14.00, I just couldn't say no. The quality of these phone cases are great, although I know it won't protect my phone from a fall, I can see the design lasting a long time and being pretty scratch resistant.
As I was already on the website, I went to look at the pocket mirrors also and found one that I'd almost purchased back in January when I first read Jemma's post. Then it fell into my online basket and that was that.
Lipstick on Teeth Syndrome Pocket Mirror
Although the mirrors aren't particularly large, they do the job and fit nicely into my make-up bag or the pocket of my handbag. If I'm wearing lipstick, you can bet it'll be on my teeth and so this mirror is just perfect. It's not large enough that it's embarrassing to pull out and check my teeth, but it is bold enough that it makes a statement if someone were to catch me.
Side Note: the way the mirrors are packaged and sent to the recipient is so cute and adds personality - giving that impression they could be a 'one off product' even though they aren't.
Sighh Designs is definitely worth checking out and is a business that deserves a lot more recognition.

Have you tried/purchased from Sighh Designs? What were your opinions?

Wednesday 9 April 2014

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

The talented and amazing Jemma over on ohsojem.blogspot.co.uk nominated me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. You should have seen my face when I saw her comment, first the Liebster Award and now this, I'm so over the moon!
The rules of this award are:
1. Thank your nominator and link them.
2. List the rules and display your award.
3. Seven facts about yourself.
4. Nominate other amazing and inspirational blogs and comment to let them know, linking your post.
5. Optional - proudly display the award logo on your blog, for example the side bar and follow your nominator if you're not already.

7 facts about me:
1. I'm obsessed with buying clothes, particularly sleeveless shirts at the moment
2. I've seen Disney's Frozen countless times and could probably act it out backwards 
3. I've only ever been in hospital once, when I tore the ligaments in my ankle in 2011, tripping over myself in a game of netball
4. I think I'm hilarious
5. Alex Pettyfer and Ashton Irwin need I say more?
6. I always feel the need to be in charge or feel in control.
7. The only thing scaring me about university is moving away from my mum

I nominate:

Once again, thank you to Jemma for nominating me!

Foundation Review

I've brought many, many tubes of foundation trying to find the one that suits me best and sits nicely on my face and is long lasting and wearable daily etc etc. It has taken what seems like forever and around September time I thought I'd found it, however the curiosity in me decided that I would try something different and this past weekend I think I may have found something even better.
I've seen loads of beauty bloggers and youtubers rave about this foundation and after a lot of deliberating in Boots on Monday afternoon I decided to purchase it and see if it was worth the hype. Let me tell you that it most certainly is! It's so easy to wear and so light on the skin, it's got an amazing coverage. It's also great wearing all day, I'm prone to shine on my t zone and give or take a few powder touch ups throughout the day, the foundation actually stays put.
I brought it in the shade 51 - Light Vanilla and this colour looks as if it was made for me. It retails at £8.99 so you can't really knock it on price was the quality of the product inside the bottle.
This foundation, in my honest opinion, is perfect for everyday wear, because it feels as though it's not even there. Not only this, it also smells amazing, like strawberries and fresh fruit, which just adds to my admiration for this product.
I would highly recommend this foundation.
I brought this after seeing many blogs highly praise this product, and as much as it pains me to say this, as I feel I'm the only one, but I disagree. This foundation just was not for me. It was very heavy on my skin and try as I might I found it incredibly difficult to blend to my skin tone. 
In hind sight, I should have been more willing to try a lighter shade in the beginning as this could have been the answer to all my questions. However I did as there's a slight shine to this foundation and one day my sister made a 'joke' comment about me looking like Edward Cullen and that was that I never went back. Which is a shame, because once it's on, it is long lasting with a good coverage that makes the face appear luminous with a flawless/airbrushed finish.
This foundation also retails at £8.99 and so the price isn't, however will probably take some patience to obtain the correct shade.



Up until Monday this was my 'go to' foundation, I wore it day in, day out. Swore by it, and still would. I love the way it sits on my skin and how blend-able it is, especially around the hairline and eyebrows, I don't know what it is within this product, but it's almost 'repelled' by hair and just sits nicely around it. It's also great at covering redness and blemishes, should you be short for time, there's minimal need for concealer. The coverage is also faultless. This is great for everyday wear as it's not heavy and looks quite subtle on the skin.
If I had to fault it somewhere it's be that I did notice, I'd have to touch up my powder a lot more frequently, however this is something my skin is prone to and so therefore something I'm going to have to learn to live with.
This foundation retails at £6.99 and so is therefore the cheapest so far and is completely worth every penny.



In January, whilst sale shopping, I made a visit to The Body Shop. I'd wanted to try some of their make-up for a while and this foundation was marked down from £13 to £6.50 and so I decide that now was probably a good opportunity.
I wanted so much to fall in love with this product, however as good as it's best features are, I just can't fall in love with it. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is because the colour match was perfect and it sat on my skin like it was just meant to be there. However, towards to end of the day it did begin to feel almost sticky and it wasn't just my t zone that need a re-application of powder. If I were to use this as an everyday make-up, I don't think I'd wear it if I knew I was going to have a long day and I probably use it on alternate days alongside a similar foundation that's not moisture based.
It's so devastating when a product you're so looking forward to sampling doesn't meet your expectations.







I'd just like to add that these are very personal views and I will rave on about my favourite products, however we are all different with different skin types, tones and opinions. I think all these foundations are well worth trying yourself!

Have you tried any of these foundations? What were your opinions? 

Easter Nests

It's that time of year again, and come on who can resist a chocolate shredded wheat Easter nest?!
Earlier today me and my sister decided that although it's not Easter quite yet, it being the Easter Holidays was a good enough excuse.
For this recipe (20 nests) you will need:
360g Milk Chocolate
75g Shredded Wheat
Mini Eggs
Firstly boil a kettle (you can also boil the water straight over the hop, however I've found boiling a kettle is a lot less time consuming) and pour the boiling water into a saucepan. Break the chocolate into chunks and place into a ceramic/Pyrex bowl (This can be any bowl as long as it's heat proof and sits just inside the rim of the saucepan, above the water). Place the bowl over the boiling water as a Bain Marie and stir at regular intervals to prevent the chocolate burning to the bottom of the bowl.
Once the chocolate has completely melted, remove from the heat and carefully take the bowl 'out' of the saucepan (this will be hotter than you think, I learnt the hard way!!). Now gradually add the shredded wheat, grumbling it as you go and then stir it into the mixture until it looks as if there's a even spread of both the chocolate and the shredded wheat.
Now into the cake cases add an even amount of the chocolate goodness to each and create a well in the middle for the mini eggs. I found in mine there was only really enough room for three mini eggs in each nest and so this meant there were mini eggs left over for me to just devour (this may have been planned..)
And what's a spring 'baking' session without some pink lemonade?!
Are you a fan of Easter Nests? Or is there a better alternative that I've yet to discover?

Sunday 6 April 2014

Bourjois Happy Light Concealer

Boujous Happy Light Concealer
Another make-up post today (I've become obsessed recently - more so that normal). I brought this not too long ago after realising that liquid concealer just wasn't doing it for me. A friend recommended to me the MAC Studio Finish Concealer, however I decided that since that was priced at £15 I'd try a cheaper alternative to test if a more 'mousse' concealer presented the benefits I was hoping it would.
The Boujous concealer comes in two shades 21 - Ivoire and 22 - Beige Rose. I opted for the slightly lighter shade as here in the UK we've seen very little sun and so my skin is extremely pale at the moment. It's priced around £8.99 and is available from Boots, Superdrug and other large beauty retailers.
I'm so happy with the way this blends with my skin and the way it covers blemishes so flawlessly. The packaging is so handy, what with a small mirror in the lid for on the go touch ups and it's summed up quite correctly on the outer packaging 'ultra-covering'. It's a very luminous finish, that gives my skin quite a natural glow, which is always good!
Although I haven't tried the MAC alternative, I feel I've already found my concealer and at £8.99, I think it's worth every penny.

Have you tried the Boujous Happy Light Concealer? What were your thoughts?

Friday 28 March 2014

YSL Touche Eclat

YSLTouche Eclat
Okay so I may have literally brought this product 24 hours, after eyeing it up in Boots for some time and finally decided that with my friend being a Boots employee with 12% discount, it was about time! I am already in love with this product, I'm prone to dark circles under my eyes (I've tried everything nothing works) my collection 2000 concealer was doing the job, however for me it just needed something else. This is that something else, it works wonders! I look so much more awake and vibrant, who'd have thought? It's got a great coverage and one 'pump' is enough to cover everything I want covered on my face.
I brought it in the shade '1' which is known as their universal colour, that literally blends with any skin pigment. I comes out a very peachy colour, however is extremely easy to blend in.
It retails at £25 and is available in Boots flagship stores as well as House of Fraser, John Lewis and Debenhams.

Have you tried the YSL Touche Eclat? What were your thoughts?