February Non-Beauty Favourites!

As promised, here comes the second installment! It was super easy to pick my non-beauty favourites this month, being somewhat a creature of habit, when I like something, I use it over and over and over again until something new and sparkly comes along!

The first thing I picked up was my gorgeous Anna Dello Russo for H&M Bracelet. I actually have two from this collection, my boyfriend got me this one and I picked up a gold, pearl and coral cuff, but I definitely wear this one the most. It's so quirky and unique, and it looks gorgeous with everything! I wish I'd picked up the snake one too now!

The second thing I wanted to mention is my Body Shop deep sleep. I think I've mentioned it before in posts, but I've been using it every night for a month now, and it really does help calm me down! Definitely a good investment for any other insomniacs out there!

I know it's weird to include TicTacs, but it felt rude not to! I literally get through like three big packs a week of these, I don't like mint and although I don't mind the orange and lime ones, these are like a dream come true. I keep them in my handbag and on my bedside table, they're so lovely!

I wanted to mention my latin rings now, siince I don't know if you can tell, but they're starting to discolour :(. I bought these for a bargain two pounds each in Marc by Marc Jacobs back in the beginning of January, and I've totally worn them to death since. They look super cute stacked on top of each other on my right ring finger! The top one means 'for you, forever' and the bottom one 'no one but death shall part us'. I really wish I'd bought more now, I'm seriously considering going back to see if they have any more!

This is one of my absolute favourite Banksy images, I picked this little wooden copy up in Camden Market before Christmas for about £4, and it lives on my bedside table. I love it so much! The guy I bought this from also had old Vogue covers on these, and I think they would look great all hung up together!

Isn't this purse just the cutest?! I picked this up (in two colours! I got pale pink too!) on a whim from eBay, for £3.58! It's great for me, because I never ever ever have cash and I carry the weirdest things in my purse, so I keep my Drivers License and bank card in the front, and then in the zip up section I have my Boots/Superdrug/Ikea/House of Fraser/Every other membership card, a couple of business cards, some hair grips and bands, and a lip balm. I didn't realise til after I bought this (always read all the details in the listing guys!) that the phone slot is actually for an iPhone 4/4s and some kinda Galaxy something or other, so I didn't think I'd be able to fit my iPhone 5 in there, but it fits perfectly. I love that theres a little hole so you can plug your earphones in, and I guess even charge it, whilst it's still in there!

Since I can fit all my essentials in here easily, I can kind of just take this out! It came with a little clip on wrist strap, but it also fits snuggly in my coat pocket!

A weird one, but I'm totally obsessed with my new notebook from Ikea of all places! With an Ikea family card it was only £2, and I had to have it when I saw that despite being plain paper inside, they had a plastic movable page with lines on, for you to put under the page you're writing on, and write straight! It's absolutely perfect for a crappy left hander like me who can't write in straight lines, and I love the pretty design too! I'm using this as a diary, and for blog post planning!

The pink Sharpie needs nothing said. It's pink and it's a Sharpie. It's awesome and you can buy a two pack in Tesco for about £3.75.

Last but not least I wanted to mention my Vogue On Alexander McQueen book. I got this for Christmas from a very clever mummy, but have only just had time to sit down and start reading. Alexander McQueen is my absolute favourite designer, and this book offers a unique insight into his mind and inspirations. 

So there you have it! What are your favourites this month, beauty or otherwise?!

February Favourites!

Well! I know February is a short month but did anyone else think that flew by?! Feels like only yesterday I was pondering over January's favourites! 

There's quite a few this month, and I'm also going to be a non-beauty favourites tomorrow (branching out a bit, I know) so buckle up, because I'm going to whiz through these and then get back to Uni work, since my deadline is 9.30 Friday morning.

Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation was an obvious choice, you can read my full review of it here. I've used it everyday since I bought it. No regrets! I'm absolutely enraptured with Benefit's Stay Don't Stray, it's my favourite primer EVER. I've actually been known to dab it on any redder areas of skin under my foundation, because it's just that good. I would smother my face in this if it wasn't too expensive. I mentioned this briefly here when I got it, but I will do a full review soon!

I finally treated myself to the Real Techniques Stippling Brush using my Boots points this month, and it's love, full review coming soon! As for the You Won't Believe Your Eyes, by Soap and Glory, I love the thick, creamy formula, and how refreshing the metal application balls make it. I put this on every morning without fail, and it perks up my under eyes quite nicely!

I feel like eyebrow pencil can make your brows look very artificial, my perfect answer to that is the Benefit Brow-Zings wax, which along with the shadows in this Benefit Smokin' Eyes palette, I have used every day! Again I mentioned this briefly here, but I will do a full review soon.

I new that the MAC Archie's Girls Pearlmatte Powder was going to be the love of my life before I got it, and I wasn't wrong. I love everything about this, and you can read my thoughts here.

Sometimes, I'm just not in the mood for a strong perfume, so I turn to my Body Shop Mango Body Mist. I spritz this a few times in the air in front of me, and walk through, so it's not too heavy whilst still smelling good. I love this fragrance, it reminds me of summer, and wakes me up when I need a little extra go in the morning.

I have a review of this and a couple of other products in this range coming soon, but I just couldn't miss out my new Tesco Vitamin E Moisturiser. It's an amazing dupe for the Body Shop equivalent, and it's a snippet of the price! I've been using this while my skin needs a little extra TLC with this horrible weather, and my skin feels super healthy! I can't find the online link for this product but it's available in most larger stores and it's about £1.50!

I finally got my hands on some Baby Lips when my mum and dad came back from Vegas this month and I'm obsessed! My mumma picked shade 30 Peach Kiss, since I love everything peach. This lip balm now lives in my handbag, it's moisturising, gives a sheer goldy, glittery colour, and smells just like skittles. I've heard a few rumours that these will finally be coming to the UK, I can feel a spending spree coming on, I'd love to try the cherry one!

So there we have it, my favourites for this month! Have you guys tried any of these products? Link me to your February Favourites, I love reading them! 

Back to Uni work for me... photographing makeup is much more fun! :(

It's Not An Obsession, It's Love...

So I was in Boots the other day, six bottles of Soap and Glory products in hand (what...it was 3 for 2!) when it was like my beauty life flashed before my eyes. Images of my shower, bathroom shelf, and makeup stash began to flash in front of me. I hastily dropped everything and headed back to my flat at warp speed to see if it was true

It was.

This is what I found.

And this is just products, I'm not even going to go into how much makeup I have.

The crazy thing is, this is the one brand where I actually use every product I own, and I love it!

Anyway, I thought I'd give you a little product rundown of my favourites. I love them all so much, I'm actually surprised you haven't been forced to listen to this sooner...

I bought Rich & Foamous after I moved to London, since the water up here is so different to back home, I get out the shower feeling like my skin is so dry it's about to flake off. I adore this, the clue is in the name, it is super duper foamy and makes your skin feel silky and smooth. Also, it's smells like heaven on earth, like pancakes and waffles!

My boyfriend's mum used to have this, and every time I'd stay at their house, I'd steal a handful in the shower. When she ran out (I think I was the only one who used it) I just had to buy one for myself. Aside from being a great exfoliant, this stuff is actually pretty reasonable, a little four-finger-scoop will do my whole body (and I've got a pretty big one) and this is less than a tenner. Plus, it literally smells like pancakes. What could be better?

I know the blogosphere is mad for Hand Food, and I am too, but if I had to choose one or the other I'd pick this. It's like a super intense older sister of Hand Food, it's marketed as a hand mask, slap it on thick before bed, pop on your pink Soap and Glory Gloves, and let it soak in overnight, but you can also use a little less just as a hand cream, and it's like Hand Food on steroids.

Peaches and Clean was the first Soap and Glory skincare product I bought (not pictured, but I also have Scrub Your Nose In It, all their different wipes, You Won't Believe Your Eyes and a moisturiser...) and it will forevermore remain my favourite. I love a multifunctional product, and as the bottle says, this is 4 in 1. I keep this in my shower and use it daily, but it also comes with me on trips, much easier than lugging around cleansers and toners and everything else!

 Are you as obsessive as I am? What are your favourite Soap and Glory products?

Wake Me Up!

So I'm getting to the end of my beloved Benefit foundation, and due to, ahem, insufficient funds, it doesn't look like I'll be purchasing a new one any time soon. Keen to have perfect skin for my upcoming birthday (March 18th, write it down guys!) I'm saving the last fifth of the bottle til then, so out I went in search of a cheaper bottle to keep me going.

Having read a lot of blogs on drugstore foundation, I headed to the shops thinking about either Maybelline's Fit Me foundation, or Rimmel's Wake Me Up. I had swatched the Rimmel one previously and really not understood the hype, so I was already leaning towards Maybelline, especially seeing as my Dream Matte Mousse served me so well during my teenage years.

At the Maybelline counter I discovered however, that the foundation had been wrongly named, I couldn't find a shade with the right undertones to suit me, the closest match I had made me somewhat resemble the same shade as an uncooked chicken, classy.

So I thought I'd try the Rimmel one again. I picked up the lightest shade, 100 Ivory, and tested it on hand, neck and face, and although not entirely convinced it was worth the hype, decided to go with it. I also picked up the matching concealer and a new Kate Moss lipstick, because, well, I challenge you to find a beauty blogger who can resist a 3 for 2.

So I tentatively tried this out using my lovely Body Shop foundation brush, and then my Eco Tools foundation brush, and found myself staring at a strange swirly skinned face in the mirror. In the midst of considering returning it, since streaky face wasn't exactly what I wanted, I decided to try applying it with my fingers. Thank god I did.

I've now got this foundation down to a routine of, cover face using fingers, tap on concealer in desired areas, and then using my Real Techniques stippling brush to buff half a pump of foundation over my whole face lightly. The outcome, I actually prefer to my Benefit foundation, at half the price!

Despite getting a lot of compliments on my good complexion when wearing my Benefit foundation, a lot of people have actually said that I look healthier wearing this, so it seems the packaging might be right in it's claims of giving you a 'healthier, radiant glow'.

I'd say this gives me medium coverage before I buff extra on, then you're looking at full, but natural coverage. It's got great staying power, even without a primer it will last the day! It's got a little bit of shimmer to it in the bottle, but that isn't actually noticable on the skin, I assume that's all part of the 'radiant glow effect'! It also has SPF 15 in it, not as much as Benefit's 25, but let's face it, the sun rarely comes out in England anyway.

I also really like the packaging of this product. It's an embossed glass bottle with an orange lid, and a pump that dispenses the perfect amount for a whole face. It feels sturdier, and it actually looks more expensive than my poor Benefit's plastic tube.

In terms of the concealer, when I first opened it I thought, 'clearly I've been ripped off here and it's just a little bit of the foundation in a different bottle' but actually, I really like it. It's not great for covering any redness, i.e. if you have a angry looking spot, or I have a little red scar on my cheek, so I won't be kicking out my MAC Studio Finish any time soon, but it's great for brightening up around the eyes, or at the side of the nose. And the bonus of it of course is that you buy it in the same shade as the foundation and it blends in impeccably.

The only downside I can really think of is the fact that you can only buy this foundation in eight shades, so it's not going to be for everyone. But for me, this is great!

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation and concealer retail at £8.99, and £4.99 respectively, and are available from, well, everywhere.

Bath Watch

This blog post comes to you from the hot, bubbly, purple watered, last bath of my trip home.

Rest assured, normal service will resume tomorrow! But for today, all I have to share is a few Instagram pics of my favourite bath time products, or at least the ones that have graced this particular hot tub of wonder.

What are your favourite bath time products?

Thinking Pink

Firstly, I just want to apologise in advance for either not posting much this weekend, or having really rubbish photos, I'm back in Bournemouth until Sunday night, and I thought I had enough saved posts to get me through, but apparently not! So now I'm having to work with my sisters camera (which has loads of really strange settings and I have no idea how to work it), a lack of good lighting to photograph, and I don't really have many products and such with me!

So I was looking through my bag earlier to find something to write about, and realised that a hell of a lot of the stuff in my bag was, well, pink. This struck me as really bizarre, since I'm not really a pink girl, but it seems a lot of my go to products at the moment are pink. So I thought I'd give you a little walk through of my new found girliness.

Since I'm back home, I've finally been able to have a bath! I used to live for my bubble baths before I moved, but now I only get to have one when I come home for the weekend (before this weekend, I hadn't had a bubble bath since Christmas! Oh the horror!) so the first thing I chucked in my bag was my trusty bottle of Calm One, Calm All. This is my absolute favourite bubble bath, it smells good, it makes your skin feel super soft, and one little splash will give you bubbles up to your eyebrows! I used to love Sanctuary bath products, but I'd always leave the bath with a rash all over my legs, not attractive!

Another Soap and Glory product, my Hand Food has taken up residence in my handbag recently. I'm getting through hand cream at the moment like nobody's business, and I just love the instant relief I get from this product! I never get bored of that signature Soap and Glory scent either, and I can't say the same for my Body Shop almond cream that was booted out of the bag for this! It even got the seal of approval off my Dad, who has been pinching it for his super dry elbows.

The Lee Stafford hair treatment is a recent purchase. I'll do a full review of this when I've used it a bit more, since I know a lot of people have been interested in it. But for now, all I can tell you is it claims to stimulate hair growth by improving follicle health, improving tensile strength, whilst soothing and reducing scalp irritation. You just slap it on for five minutes in between shampoo and conditioner to let it soak in, and Bob's your uncle. I've only used it twice, and my hair has definitely felt softer and my scalp much more healthy, but you'll have to wait to find out if it works to stimulate hair growth! I do however feel this product is pretty pricey, so if I don't get results from the first pot, I'm unlikely to repurchase!

Onto deodorant! Bit of a weird one this but I've actually wanted to mention this for a while. I've always been a spray deodorant sort of girl, roll-ons always kinda weirded me out a bit. I bought this Sure Bright from their fragrance collection last summer for my holiday bag, since it's small, and unlike spray minis, would last more than two days, and I haven't bought any other deodorant since. The scent isn't particularly strong, I think it smells a little like 'floral' washing powder, but it's not overbearing. It lasts all day easily, and the thing I love most, no white marks! Brilliant!

As far as lip products go, my trusty Soap and Glory Smooch operator goes everywhere with me, I think I've mentioned it before so I'll skip over it! I also have my new purchase from the Kate Moss for Rimmel London lipstick collection, shade 8. It's the perfect 'your lips but better' lipstick, review coming soon! I also have my Smashbox Electric Pink Matte lipstick, which I reviewed here. My trusty Revlon Just Bitten lip stain in Lovesick lives in my handbag, for an emergency bold lip. Still a bit confused as to the minty smell though. So I also have my new gloss from Victoria's Secret, which smells and tastes overwhelmingly of strawberry. Mmmmmmmm.

Another recent purchase is the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. I've been after this brush for forever, and finally took the plunge last week, using my Boots points! I absolutely love it, it gives a flawlessly buffed complexion every time! 

I also chucked my new Pink Sharpie in, it felt rude not to mention it seeing as I am totally obsessed with it! You can buy a pack of two in Tesco for three pounds something, and they're so cute! So now everything comes with pink Sharpie doodles on...

And lastly, I wanted to mention the makeup bag I used for this weekend. I got this as part of a gift set from a friend, and I love it! It's the perfect size to carry your daily face, and also a couple of creams. I love the picture, and the fabric is super smooth! So cute!

So there we go, some uncharacteristic girliness from my camp! Writing this I've also realised I'm using a pink phone case. What is this madness?!

You Shall Go To The Ball Cinderella...

I received this lipstick as part of a free gift from Max Factor, for spending over £15 just before Christmas, and it wasn't til I was sorting through all my makeup this week that I rediscovered it. I think I didn't really pay much attention to it originally since in the barrel it looks kinda purpley, and the name kind of backs this up, and I know from past experience that purple based lipsticks make me look like I've caught the plague. However, this lipstick actually wears as more of a dusky pink, with gold shimmer, but not too much! It's actually quite pretty, and I feel quite sophisticated wearing it, like I am on my way to a ball or something...

I've never really tried Max Factor lipsticks before, I have one of their Liptints, but other than that, I've only ever experimented with foundations, eyeliners and mascaras, but I'm quite pleased with the formula of this lipstick. It's not overly creamy, so that it smudges everywhere, but it's not by any means matte. It's definitely not as soft as the MAC satin or creamsheen ranges, but it's quite nice. I wouldn't say it's particularly hydrating, but it wouldn't dry your lips out by any means.

Either way, I'm quite pleased with my little rediscovery!

Do you have any Max Factor lipsticks?

Perfect Skin? Yes I Thought So Too...

Since being plagued with problem skin from the moment my teenage years hit, I have been on the hunt for products that give you a flawless, airbrushed skin finish. And I think since my shopaholic-ness (IT'S A REAL DISEASE I TELL YOU) has recently gotten, ahem, dramatically worse, I've managed to find the products that really do give me the perfect complexion.

I start off by using my fingers to apply The Porefessional all over my face. I used to only use this on my T-Zone (I have no idea why) and have recently gotten a lot more liberal with it's usage! This is my all time favourite primer, it mattifies, minimises pores, makes your makeup last longer, and doubles up as foundation touch-up. Seriously, if this thing could also make me dinner, I'd dump my boyfriend. It's LOVE.

Then I whack out my Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in Ivory. One pump of this will cover my face, and then some. It gives a great dewy, natural looking finish, whilst providing medium coverage. It definitely evens out any pinkness in my cheeks!

Then I go crazy with Boi-ing (are you picking up on my Benefit addiction at all here?). I use my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease brush to bash this in and around and all over my eye area, it's amazing. If there are any nasties on the face, they get a liberal application with my fingers!

Then onto Stay Don't Stray (last Benefit product I promise!) Half a pump of this will do both eyes, from brow to bags, and completely eliminate any sign of an all nighter, as well as holding your eye makeup in place all day! Perfect.

After that I use MUA's brush on concealer around my nose, and YSL's Touché Éclat under my eyes, in the corner of my eyes, and under my brows, so I look not only like I got sleep, but I'm also awake.

I set all this in place with the new love in my life, Rimmel's Stay Matte powder in Translucent. Godsend. Seriously, this stuff is amazing.

The combination of all these products has gotten me sooooooo many compliments on my skin recently, so hopefully they'll work for you too!

More Fashion Week Snaps

Ahhh London Fashion Week. I could get used to this you know, eating my lunch in the sun out front of Somerset House, maneuvering cobblestones in heels, observing the weird and wonderful photographing each other in the courtyard. It's not even been the catwalks that have captured my attention this season, but rather the gathering of the fashion world, in a little courtyard in central London. Such fun.

Anyway, here are a few more snaps from the last few days. Fear not, not as many this time!

So from the weird to the quite wonderful, it's been a good day!

On a little side note, Fred Butler have opened a pop up shop for the duration of Fashion Week, if you're in the area, definitely worth a look! Absolutely delectable shoes, jewelry and cake! What else could you want?! The shop is open 10am-7pm and is located at 53 Monmouth Street in Covent Garden.