Update time and a little explaining...

Hey guys,

So, I feel like I have a little explaining to do, especially if you keep up with my blog regularly or you've been following it for a while. You may have noticed that I haven't posted in a long time, and that's because this year is an extremely stressful year for me in terms of school work, so blogging and all my other hobbies and anything I enjoy has had to take a back seat unfortunately, so I won't be posting regularly for quite a while. 

I've also lost interest a little. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy blogging, it's just that lately I've been really uninspired and doubting if I really enjoy it as much as I did at first. I've also been doubting the name and layout of my blog as to whether I still like it and if I change it yet again what to change it to, which just makes me loose the will for the whole thing just a little bit. This doesn't mean I'm going to stop blogging forever, I just need to take a step back and think about things. I've also just been enjoying YouTube a lot more (yes, I have a YouTube channel too, if you didn't know).

Now, about YouTube, I think I ought to mention that too. I've never had a schedule for uploading, and I certainly haven't been regular and that's mainly because school gets in the way. However, as I mentioned before, I'm a lot more interested in that than I am in blogging, and I enjoy it more, so I will be continuing with that as often as my school work will let me. 

This post has been a little while coming, and I'm sorry for sounding a little negative, but I really needed to get this off my chest. If you have bothered to read this whole post, then thank you very much. And whether you've been following me since the beginning, or this is one of the first posts of mine you're reading (in which case, sorry!), it doesn't matter because your support by simply acknowledging this blog means the world to me, thank you xx

August | Monthly Top 5

Hola!

I spent quite a lot of August on holiday, so it seemed to absolutely fly past! I'm trying to hold on to summer as I'm really not much of a cold weather person (despite being born in winter!) so I'm not looking forward to the cold, and not least school, eugh, so I'm going to talk you through my top 5 favourite beauty bits from August.

5. Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch concealer

I bought this on a limb as I needed a new one to take on holiday as my old one was running out fast, so I grabbed this in Sainsbury's and I'm pretty impressed. It's not one I've heard many people talking about but I think it does a decent enough job. It's very brightening without being shimmery and highlighting so you can still use it on spots as well as under the eyes. It's not very high coverage and doesn't last all that well so you need it in your handbag if you're going out, but it's perfect handbag size and the packaging won't get squashed or broken, so overall I'm impressed.

4. Barry M Gelly Hi-shine nail polish in Huckleberry

I've heard so many good things about these polishes that I just had to give one a try, being the nail polish junkie that I am! I love the shade, it's a perfect pastel blue that really works a tan, always a plus, and the formula is good too. I think my expectations were a little too high as without a topcoat, this is how they held up after 1 week:

Not awful and with a top coat it did survive a little longer (yes I did wear it twice in 6 weeks!) but for what is supposed to be like a gel manicure, I would have hoped for a little better but hey, the pigmentation is pretty good and the shade range is amazing so I'm not complaining!

3. MUA Eyeshadow Palette in Undressed

I looked through some of my past favourites and couldn't believe that I hadn't mentioned it in one before! I've had it for at least 9 months, if not a year, and have loved it since I got it, so why I can't find it in a favourites I don't know. It's supposedly a dupe for the original Naked palette, which I really don't have the budget for, and it looks like it has the same shade range, which is the main thing I love about it. It has such a diverse range of natural, wearable colours that you can make work day or night no matter the occasion. They are a little chalky but if you use a good cream base then you can't go wrong for £4 for 12 eye shadows!!

2. Barry M Matte top coat

I've been eyeing this up for a long time as I love matte effect anyway, so matte nail polish is a dream to me, but I didn't want to end up buying duplicate shades but in matte, so this was the perfect solution! It goes on like a normal topcoat and the dries matte, and it dries really fast. I have found that it gradually gets some shine after about a week, but I have only used it with the Gelly polish I mentioned earlier, so maybe the effect will last longer over different formulas. The overall wear of it as a protective topcoat was really good, I had very minimal chips which is fantastic, so I would definitely recommend it!

1. Topshop lipstick in Naturist

I'm in love with this lipstick. I've worn it almost every day since I got it and will continue to wear it into the autumn. It's such a gorgeous browny-nude that compliments every skin tone and every makeup look no matter what season. It's really moisturising as it's a satin to matte finish and it's fairly long lasting (though you'll need to re-apply after a meal) and it doesn't wear or dry strangely like some formulas do. It's also sheer but easily buildable, I just love everything about it and would highly recommend it so everyone!

So that's what I've been loving in August, let me know in the comments what you're favourite thing has been this summer, not necessarily beauty related, and I'll see you in a new post soon.

Summer Survival Guide

Hola!

We've just about finished a pretty hot summer and I know that, unlike me, lots of people hate the hot weather, so here are my tips on surviving next summer, abroad or at home.

The first and main topic I wanted to cover is mosquitoes. Mozzies, gnats, whatever you want to call them, they're a pest. If you are bothered by mozzies just try everything! Smother yourself in mozzie repellent (followed by a ton of perfume because wow that stuff stinks!) and get it everywhere, even the soles of your feet. I would have thought of it either, but that's were I some how managed to bet bitten?! Also, they like to hide under tables and chairs, so spray bug killer/repellent under there and if you see one, try hairspray. Yup, I was sceptical at first, but it works!  It sticks them to their wings so they can't fly. My current weapon of choice is Fudge Urban iced raspberry & vanilla hairspray, purely because it smells so good (and it's cheap)!

Heat, suncream and sun all adds up to horrendously dry skin. For your body, I'd recommend the Vaseline Spray and Go as it smells great, it's not greasy and dries quickly so you can get dressed straight after. My face, however, has been much more of a problem than my body, even my T-zone, which is normally oily, has been really dry. I've been using the Simple Hydrating moisturiser in the mornings and skipping makeup for the day, then putting some more on before I put makeup on if I'm going out in the evening. I then put on a thick of the Superdrug Vitamin E night cream on before I sleep to help my skin recover over night.

My next tip is an idea my friend had and it's so simple but I love it so much in the heat! You can pay endless amounts for facial mists from all sorts of brands that promise all sorts of wonderful things, but it feels just as good when your baking hot to fill a 50p Superdrug spray bottle with tap water! Honestly, it's one of the nicest feelings when you're in the sun all day, I've taken mine everywhere with me all summer, it's so simple but so good!

Other than wear sun cream, I think that's about it for my top summer tips. I hope you found this useful and leave some of your favourite summer tips in the comments below.

My Guide to Washing Brushes

Hola!

It's important to keep your makeup brushes clean because they can carry bacteria just like any other surface, particularly as they come into contact with skin very regularly. I tend to wash my brushes every sunday and deep clean the ones I use every single day (concealer and powder mainly) once a month by leaving them to soak in soapy water overnight.

When I wash my brushes, I start by rising the bristles under running water and squirting a small amount of gentle shampoo into the palm of my hand. I swirl the brush in the shampoo until the brush is clean then rinse it out and leave it to dry on a towel. When you expose a brush to water, it's important not to get the butt of the brush wet as the glue that holds the bristles will wash away if it gets too wet too often and the bristles will fall out.

For any more tips on caring for brushes, check out this video by Sam & Nic Chapman (aka Pixiwoo) as they are pro makeup artists with their own range of incredible brushes so I would highly recommend checking out their YouTube channel! Plus, most of what I know about brushes came from their brush care video, and just their videos in general!

I hope you liked this video and found it useful and let me know any of your favourite brush brands in the come comments below, I'd love to know!

Budget Summer Lookbook

Hola!

So I was going to this lookbook as a video, but I decided to make it a blog post as to be honest I'm running out of blog post ideas! (if you've got any suggestions please let me know). I wanted to do a lookbook of purely low budget,  high street outfits, so I hope you like it.

July| Monthly Top 5

Hola!

I know, I missed out June, but it was exam time and I was annoyingly busy with revision, but it's the summer holidays at last so I've got more time for the things I want to do, like blogging! 

5. Bourjois Bronzing powder in 51

The main thing I like about this bronzer is the shade. Because I have very pale skin, finding a shade that doesn't make me look orange is difficult,  but this is just right. I do like the L'Oréal Glam Bronze as well, but I wanted something a little darker for summer and this Bourjois one is perfect. Plus it smells of chocolate,  what more could you want?

4. Forever 21 T-shirts

This is a slightly random favourite, but I bought two of these tops in pink and baby blue about a month back and loved them so much I went back and got another one in purple (of course). They're really cheap for one thing, about £3 I think, an they're so so so comfy! They're really soft and really light and thin without feeling cheap or bad quality and they go with absolutely anything, they're fast becoming a staple!

3. The Body Shop All in One BB cream in 00

Things that change colour on their own fascinate me for some reason, so that's my main reason for loving this BB cream. It comes out of he tube white but as you rub it in it changes to match your skin tone! It's not great coverage but it's lightweight so I love it for summer when you don't want anything to heavy or cake in hot weather. 

2. Garnier Micellar Cleansing wipes

These are probably some of the best wipes I've used. They are incredibly soft and don't irritate my skin in the slightest. They're really cheap, they smell nice and they take off all my makeup pretty easily,  although waterproof mascara is a bit of a struggle, but other than that I love them and would recommend them to anyone, even if you have sensitive skin I would give them a go!

1. Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry and Vanilla hairspray

I haven't tried very many different hairsprays, so this might not be a very fair judgement in comparison to some other hairsprays, but I absolutely love it! Unless you use loads, it doesn't make your hair too straw-like and it lasts quite a long time, but my main reason for loving it so much is the smell. As you can see from the picture,  it's iced raspberry and vanilla scented, and I'm a sucker for vanilla-scented things anyway, but I would honestly wear this scent as a perfume! It smells amazing and it's really cheap so there nothing not to love!

So those were my top 5 favourite thing in July, I hope you liked it and I'd love to hear your favourite thing from this month, so let me know in the comments below!

DIY Palettes

Hola!

First off, sorry for not posting in AGES, but was busy with school stuff and recently I've just been feeling a bit uninspired and not really in the mood to blog, but now I've got some ideas so I'm going to try and get back into things.

This one is a bit different as I thought I'd show you a very Pinterest-type tutorial: DIY palettes. The idea was inspired by something I discovered recently called the Z-palette. The basic idea of these is that they are an empty, magnetic palette that you can put any product in which is in a metal pan. But, they are really expensive for what they are, so I have two ways to show you to make your own.

So for the first method you'll need an old palette that you can remove the contents from, some scissors or a ruler, the new products to put in the palette and maybe some double-sided tape.

Start by removing the contents from the old palette. Use the scissors/ruler to prise it up as it's most likely stuck down.

Next, take your new products and remove them from any packaging they may be already in. If the pans don't already have some form of adhesive on the bottom, then use double-sided tape to stick them down. The reason I don't recommend using glue is because the point of this palette is that you can change out the contents any time.

Then simply stick the pans in the palette and voila! a fully customisable cosmetic palette at little/no cost!

Now, at the start I mentioned an alternative way of doing things, and that is to make it like the Z-palette and make it magnetic. To do this, use magnetic dots instead of double-sided tape and use a metal palette, or line the bottom of the palette with magnetic tape.

I hope you liked this slightly different post and leave a comment below with post suggestions x

Revlon ColourStay Concealer Review

Hola!

I'm very fussy when it comes to concealers and I have very high expectations as my under-eye circles are quite dark and uneven and just generally in a bit of a state.

I bought this with high hopes because of the name ColourStay, but that was not to be. Just to say, the colour is not really right for me as it is a little to yellow-toned for me.

My main issue for me is how much it creases and how quickly it comes off. When I first apply it, it really brightens my eye area and the coverage isn't terrible (although it could be better), but within minutes it settles into the creases and lumps in my skin and rubs off the raised areas within a couple of hours, even when I powder it. It's also quite thin and oily , so I definitely wouldn't recommend it for oily skin as it would just slip off!

In comparison to other concealers I have tried, this is not my favourite. For example, the Rimmel Wake Me Up is quite similar, just this is not as brightening and is a little more cakey when dry. My favourite concealer (so far) is the Collection Lasting Perfection as although it is a little dry, it provides far more coverage and stays in place for longer too.

All in all I would not recommend the Revlon ColourStay concealer compared to others that I think are far better value.

May | Monthly Top 5

Hola!

This year is flying past, were almost half way already, whaaaaat? May seemed to go even faster than usual, although I feel like I say that every month. Anyway, it's time for another monthly top 5 and I'm going to get straight into it.

5. Models Own Buffing Block
At the start of the month I had a bit of a spree in a Models Own bottle shop (which are adorable if you haven't seen one) and bought a few bits, most of which appear in this months favourites. The first thing was this buffing block. which I got as a free gift for going into the store, which I think is a really nice touch. It's come in really handy and has kept my nails looking smooth and neat. The nail file is especially good as far as nail files go and the shine side makes them really smooth and nail polish goes on a lot better too. All in all a really useful tool to have.

4. Models Own nail polish in Red Alert
Next is a standard Models Own nail polish in a bright post box red, which I was missing from my collection. It's the perfect red that just looks so classic on fingers and toes. The formula is really nice too, its really shiny and long lasting and I would really recommend Models Own polishes.

3. Yankee candles
This is more of a general favourite but anyone who has ever had one will get it. I have two: Vanilla Cupcake and Orange Spice, which I love to burn together to create orange spice and vanilla cupcake scent! So good! The orange one is more of a Christmassy cinnamon smell and the cupcake scent is spot on, it's gorgeous. I don't know how they do it but all the other ones I've smelt are always so accurate. Plus they're relatively cheap, easy to get hold of and long lasting.

2. Models Own Hyperlips Lip Gloss in Premier Plum
I've worn this gloss a lot this month as although it looks dark when you swatch it, it's barely darker than my natural lip colour. It's really shiny but hardly very sticky and it's just a great your-lips-but-better everyday lip gloss. It doesn't dry out or go patchy when it wears off, which admittedly it does after not too long, a couple of hours at most. Apart from that its pretty much perfect.

1. Invisibobble
These have been absolutely hair saving for me. I tie my hair up every night when I sleep and several times a week at school, so it's up a lot and I like my hair to be as straight as it can be, which doesn't happen with normal hairbands; they leave a large kink. But with the invisibobble, my hair stays straight and it doesn't look like it's been tied up. It doesn't pull on my hair and feel uncomfortable or get caught or knotted. They're quite pricey at £3.75 for a pack of 3, but they last for so so long as they don't thin down or snap over time and I would 100% recommend them.

I know I normally stick to beauty favourites as that's what this blog is about, but I just had to mention music. My friend introduced me to Fall out Boy about two weeks ago and ever since I've been completely obsessed. I love their two latest albums and have played them to death: Save Rock and Roll and American Beauty/American Psyco. Some of my favourite songs include Young Volcanoes, Immortals, Centuries, Jetpack Blues, The Pheonix, Uma Thurman, Alone together and too many more to list right now! I had heard them mentioned a few times before but shoutout to Niamh for telling me to listen to them.

So those are my favourite things from May and I hope you liked reading about them. leave below what you've been enjoying in may, I'd love to know.

Handbag Essentials

Hola!

I carry a handbag/school bag around with me all the time I'm out of the house, so I thought it would make sense if I did a post on the essential bits I have with me.

The first thing is body spray. The one I have at the moment is the So.....? Enticing body spray. It's ok, but I prefer some of their other fragrances, like Brit and In Love.

Next up is hand sanitiser, which is particularly useful in winter when there are loads of colds and germs around. At the moment, I'm using the satsuma one from The Body Shop, which smells amazing!

I also have some Tic Tacs to keep my breath fresh. These are the spearmint twist ones, which I really like.

The next thing is just a packet of tissues as they always come in handy. There's not really much else I can say about tissues...

The next thing is less of an essential,  more something I like to have with me, and that's hand cream. I use it a lot in winter as my skin gets really dry. I'm using the Body Shop honey hand cream, which I really like, although I can imagine it to be an acquired taste for some people if you don't like strong scents.

The last thing us a little makeup bag, which I just have the essentials in: concealer, powder, mascara and the lip gloss/lipstick I'm wearing that day. These are the four main things I'll touch up on the go, I don't see the point of bringing any more than that, personally.

So that's what I carry around in my bag. Let me know in the comments the things you can't leave the house without, I'd love to know! 

April | Monthly Top 5

Hola!

Where on earth did April go? Yet it feels like an absolute age since my last top 5, so I'm just going to get on with it!

5. Revlon Colourstay Shadowlinks in Sand and Plum

I bought these because I really like the idea of being able to create your own palette of eyeshadows, like MAC or KIKO, but without paying for the palette, especially as these are a steal at £2.99. They are really good quality, pigmented and blendable shadows. I love the colours I have and they go really well together: I use Sand as a base all over the lid as it adds a nice shimmer without being at all in-your-face, then I use plum smoked around the edges and through the crease. Plum is a really lovely purple as it's subtle, not too intense and is a really autumnal shade. I love them both and would like to try some more shades.

4. KIKO Smart Lip pencil in 702 Coral

I only bought this recently (as you might have seen in my Spain haul, feel free to check that out here) and I've only worn it a couple of times, but I really like it. Its the perfect spring/summer shade and  the formula is lovely, matte and long-lasting without being too drying (although I wouldn't recommend it for really dry lips). I use it one of two ways: to line the lips before lipstick or all over the lips with lipgloss on top. Both of which look really pretty and I can't wait to wear it more in the summer.

3. Vaseline Spray and Go body moisturiser

I took this on holiday as that's the only time my legs and arms have actually been on show so far this year (damn English weather!) and I really like it. At first I wasn't sure as, although its claims on the bottle not to be greasy, it goes on quite greasy, but when you rib it in it sinks into the skin so quickly and leaves no trace! You really can use it and get dressed almost immediately, which will be great in the summer when I'm in a rush to get out the door. Plus, it smells great and was pretty cheap too., would definitely recommend.

2. Topshop Matte Metallic nail polish in Heathers

I bought this purely out of curiosity (and an unhealthy obsession with nail polish) as I wanted to see how matte and metallic worked. I'd wanted to try a matte nail polish for a while and this was the perfect opportunity. It was around the £5 mark and I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I love it! Firstly, this pale, baby blue shade is beautiful, and I can confirm that matte metallic works super well, it looks gorgeous! Shimmery yet matte at the same time! I don't understand hoe it works but I'm obsessed, I wish I could wear it permanently. It did chip a little more easily than I would have liked as a top coat would have ruined the whole matte thing, so I'm now determined to find a good matte top coat. Until then, I will definitely still wear it as it is just the most beautiful nail polish.

1. Topshop eyeshadow in Interstellar 

As soon as I saw this I had to get it, no questions, no hesitation. It's just gorgeous. I'm definitely a neutrals girl when it comes to eyeshadow and who can resist glitter? It's not excessive fall-down-your-face sort of glitter either. The colour is perfect however you wear it and it catches the the light really nicely and I can't express how in love with it I am. I've only recently discovered Topshop makeup and so far I'm really impressed, I would definitely recommend you check it out!

So that was April in 5 beauty products for me. Let me know down in the comments what you've been loving in April, beauty or anything!