April Beauty Favourites

I know I say things like this every month in my favourites, but I can't believe May starts this week. I feel like it's still the Christmas holidays. April has been a great month, especially when we finally got to see the sun make an appearance! About bloody time too if you ask me.

I've been trying to break away from my wintery staples this month, and edge myself into Spring, even if we've only had a day and a half resembling Spring.

The only beauty thing that really stood out to me this month was Bioderma's Créaline H20, the best micellar water on the (french) market. I like the B. and L'Oreal micellar solutions, but this one really is a cut above the rest. Removes makeup with ease, without drying out your skin like the others, this really is holy grail if you ask me. 

Two new brushes have worked their way into my collection, and heart this month. First up is YSL's foundation brush, which I had to have in my life once I'd felt it. It's so incredibly soft. I know a lot of people like to apply the YSL Teint Touche Eclat foundation with their fingers, but a) you honestly lose 50% of the foundation to your fingers, and b) they probably haven't tried applying it with this bad boy. Flawless application every time. The other brush is one I mentioned in my & Other Stories haul. It's the Universal Shadow brush, and it's fantastic. I use this for everything, packing shadow onto my lids, defining the crease, I even use it to add a bit of highlight under my brow bone. At seven pounds a pop, not only is it crazy cheap, but I actually prefer it to my MAC 217. Definitely need to pick up another one of these! 

An oldie but goodie, I don't really know why I stopped using Benefit's Boi-ing industrial strength concealer, but I plucked this out of the back of my stash (which is getting further and further away) at the beginning of the month, and I haven't stopped using it since. This is a great concealer, super creamy and high coverage. You can read my thoughts on it here.

MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly is something I have worn every day this month. I can't believe I went so long without it! It's a great base for my new MAC palette, which is a combination of my favourite neutrals, Hush, a pink toned neutral shimmer, Quarry, a grey toned taupe, Mulch, a sparkly midtoned copper brown, and Courdoroy, a deep matte brown that also works to fill in my brows. It's love guys, it really is.

Primerwise, I've been loving the Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation primer. I'm dreading when this runs out because it's crazy expensive, but it's so good. It's probably the best primer I've ever used. And that's saying something.

The last MAC product, I know there's been a few, is the Studio Sculpt foundation in NC15. This is a great high coverage foundation that isn't too heavy on the skin, and mixes well with other foundations to give higher coverage. I think I've used this everyday this month!

My lip pick of choice this month has to be Chanel's Rouge Allure Velvet in the shade 37, a bright matte pink which looks amazing on, and isn't too drying. It's so luxurious and smooth, and it applies like velvet. I love this so much.

Last up, two polish picks. First up H&M's Blue My Mind which you all know I've loved, but also Essie's Orange It's Obvious, which I didn't expect to love as much as I do.

So those are my beauty picks of the month, there's quite a few, I know, and this was the whittled down list! It's been a looooong month of makeup lovin'! 

What have been your favourites this month?

30 Ways To Save £1

Money Supermarket has given bloggers the task of finding thirty ways you can save a pound and sharing them with their followers. I figured this would definitely be a good thing for me to get involved in, since I have a serious spending addiction, and need to save every possible penny! So here are my top tips, that I'm about to start paying a little more attention to!

1. If you are a student, get a student card and take advantage of it! Even just your college or university's cards can get you discounts in New Look, Topshop, it can even bag you a free cheeseburger in McDonalds, what's not to love about that?! So often I forget my student card when I go out, but if you add up all the savings you make, it can add up to quite a bit! 


2. Something I have started to do, is put away the money I save through student discounts, to save for a rainy day! This week already I've got a £3.50 saving from some new Topshop jeans, a pound from a cheeky McDonald's cheeseburger, and a massive £20 because of Ted Baker's bigger student discount during April! 


3. A lot of high-end beauty brands will offer samples of products if you buy something from them, for example, I recently got a perfume sample and some serum samples from YSL. This is a great way to stock up on minis for travelling, or handbag essentials! Also, most high end brands will give you a seven day foundation sample before you buy it, so you can make sure you like it before splurging! I like to have sample sized foundations to keep in my handbag for midday touchups! Also, places like Lush and The Body Shop will give you samples!


4. TAKE YOUR OWN LUNCH! I added up how much I spent on food for THREE DAYS at uni this week, and it was over fifteen pounds. That's right, fifteen pounds. I should have just got a loaf of bread, a packet of ham, and a multipack of crisps from Tesco.


5. If you live in London and use public transport, buy a monthly oyster pass, instead of topping up as you go, you'll be amazed at how much you save! 


6. Look for a broken product. I know this sounds a bit weird, but last week I ran out of deodorant, and managed to get a half price replacement from Superdrug, because the lid was missing. I also got a new Zara Jacket with ten pounds off, because a button was missing, and that's a two minute job. 


7. Check out charity shops, last month I found two coats and a cute pussy bow blouse all with the tags on, for less than a quarter of their original prices in Traid. Also, check them out in wealthier neighborhoods, they often have more expensive products!


8.  If you travel on the trains a lot, invest in a railcard. I now get a third off my trains back home, and considering the railcard only cost me £17.50, I'm saving a fortune!


9. If you're going out for the evening, get your makeup done at a makeup counter. It's free, you'll have a pretty face, and pick up some tips! 


10. If you're going sale shopping, take a list of upcoming birthdays of your friends and family. You never know, even if you don't find something for yourself, you may be able to save a few pounds on the perfect gift for someone else!


11. Stock up on things when they are in the sale or on offer. The woman in Boots gave me a bizarre look when I handed over a basket full of Tampax, but it was only a pound, and that stuff is expensive!


12. If buying branded food products, shop at Tesco or Sainsburys, they'll give you a money off voucher for the difference, if your shop would have been cheaper elsewhere.


13. Make it, don't buy it! I love Lola's cupcakes, but at £2.60 each, you could make an entire batch of cupcakes for that!


14. If you're planning a trip involving a flight, delete your internet cookies whilst looking at flights. If you repeatedly look at flights, the prices will go up just for you! 


15. Going out for a fry up? Head to Ikea, where their full english, is only a pound! Even at Wetherspoons you'll pay a fiver!


16. Check magazines for their freebies! You can often find goodies from Benefit, Cowshed, Ciate, Nails Inc, Percy and Reed and all sorts of others for free with magazines! If you'd buy them anyway, buy them in a magazine! 


17. Read a lot of books? Head to your local library, not only are libraries struggling at the moment, but you'll also save a ton of money, and the environment!


18. Addicted to makeup? Check out your local market, I got L'Oreal's Telescopic mascara and Superliner, brand new for half price today. Bargain.


19. Turn something old into something new. Ripped a pair of jeans? Cut off the legs and have a new pair of shorts. Jumper got a hole in? Turn it into a cushion cover! (my mum is an expert at that one, my parents' VW campervan has loads of scatter cushions made from old Animal hoodies, it looks so cool!) 


20. Find out if brands have any recycling schemes! Return five empty Lush pots, and they'll give you a free face mask, and the Back To MAC campaign means if you take back six empties, you can have a new lippie!


21. If you often buy cans or bottled drinks when out, buy a multipack from your local supermarket instead, and take them with you. A six pack of Coke is currently half price in Tesco! Alternatively, you can fill up a water bottle with water or squash at home! 


22. Quit smoking! Even if you aren't bothered buy the health benefits, think of all the money you would save! 


23. Get store cards! I recently had enough on my Boots Card for a new YSL Rouge Volupte. Not bad at all! I also have cards for House Of Fraser, Debenhams, Tesco, Superdrug, Space NK, Liberty's, Ikea, and so many more, and the rewards you get will help you save more! Also, Tesco clubcard points are worth four times as much, if you use them for vouchers on days out, magazines, stuff like that.


24. Fill up your car with petrol or diesel at a Tesco station, use your clubcard, and reap the rewards!


25. When doing the food shopping, check out the reduced section. The boyfriend and I picked up a stash of microwave cottage pie and curry meals for 25p and 39p respectively. We froze them all and now when we need a quick meal, we get them out! They were originally £2.59 and £3.90, so we saved a fortune really!


26. Turn off your lights and appliances when you aren't using them! Let's get those electricity bills down shall we?!


27. Shop around before you buy. I once bought a very nice dress in Topshop for over £30, only to walk straight into Primark, and see the same thing for a fiver. Needless to say, that dress went back. 


28. Check Ebay. My boyfriend wanted a very expensive Vivienne Westwood ring, and last night I managed to win the same ring, brand new still in the pouch and box, for £8. 


29. Do your nails yourself. You can spend £30 on a shellac, or you can pick up a Topshop varnish for a fiver, and do it yourself whilst watching TV. I know what I'd rather do.


30. And lastly, just really think about things before you buy them. I've noticed recently that I get way too much buyers remorse. So this week when I was in the queue at MAC clutching three new eyeshadows, I actually put them down and walked away. That's growth guys.

So I hope these tips can help you guys, I know I'm going to start trying to practice what I preach!  Do you have any other tips for saving money?

The Weekly Round Up #11

 A weekend of spring cleaning has left me with a 'Whiskey and smells' shelf, and a super organised makeup shelf! Blog post prep, with my new nail art wheels! Fragrance direct order!

 Pre bed treats, strawberry Nesquick and Maltesers! Beautiful blue skys in Wembley! I am a grown woman, and if I want Laughing Cow with my lunch, I will have it! The boyfriend ate an entire cheesecake for dessert, so I didn't feel bad for having two desserts! 

 The tools of waiting! Been singlehandedly keeping Wagamamas in business. An accidental haul, oops! The perks of having friends who live in France, restocking my french goodies! 

 Lovely day in Camden. Early evening bike ride in the sun with the boy, around Hyde Park! Hyde Park looking gorgeous! Forever 21 do gorgeous accessories! 

Fridays at uni mean Vitamin Water and catching up on blogs! Smushed Lola's Cupcakes are better than no Lola's cupcakes! Stepping out of my comfort zone, light jeans and orange nails! And finally a little throwback, missing my long hair! 

I've been getting out in London a lot this week, it's been so nice, it's like I've fallen in love with the city all over again! There is just so much to do here! It's been nice to have my boyfriend  back too!

Not much in the way of news, all quite on the western front and all, just been at uni and whatnot. I've realised that I've bought a lot of stuff recently, so I feel a big ol' haul post coming up! 

This week, thanks to some super lovely friends who live in France, I've had Bioderma Crealine H20 back in my life, as well as Caudalie's Beauty Elixir, and I forgot how much I love them! So good to have them back, they really are holy grail items in my opinion!  On the makeup front, I have been totally obsessed with my new Chanel lipstick, which I will be doing a post on this week! 

Got a few exciting things going on this week, which I will be letting you know about later on! But one thing I am very excited about is the lovely Holly is coming up for a little shopping trip including a little press event, so I shall take my camera and do a little post on that too!

Hope you've all had a great week!

The Spring Summer Edit: The Lips Edition

The final part of my little spring summer week? Well it had to be lips. This summer, I am embracing the bold lip, with nothing but a slick of mascara to accompany it. 

My choices? There's a lot of bright pinks in here, but MAC's Lovelorn also made the cut, a gorgeous cremesheen formula that wears as a muted baby pink. For a bolder pink, but with a sheerer look, perfect for the beach, it had to be the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain, in Lovesick. You guys know all about my love/hate relationship with the Rimmel Apocalips, the general rule for me is I'll wear this if I'm not going to be eating/drinking! It's a lovely shade this one, a darker dusky pink, that looks quite natural on my lips. YSL's Rouge Volupte number 17 might just be my favourite lipstick ever, but if I want a red lip, day or night, I'll be turning to this. Smashbox's Electric Matte Pink is a favourite, if you ask me it personifies summer. Although the Chanel lippie looks similar, it doesn't wear quite as bright and scary! This is a more daytime version of the Smashbox lipstick, but the hefty price tag means I'll be using it sparingly! Coral is bang on trend this season, and there aren't many coral lip products that suit my super pale skin and crazy dark hair combination, but Betty Bright from MAC's Archie's girls collection does the job! And finally, Max Factor's Giant pen stick in Passionate Red is a beautiful darker red, with a hint of shimmer, great for late summer nights.

What will your lips be sporting this season?

The Spring Summer Edit: The Cream Blush Edition

When it comes to summer blushes, I tend to favour a cream product, especially when I'm wearing a dewier foundation. I'm not actually a massive fan of them, and there is only a few that I really like, since I'm quite a fuss pot.

Without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite cream blush is the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge's, particularly this shade, Fresh Melon. It's a gorgeous corally flush, and it also works great on the lips. As you can see, I like to use my Real Techniques Stippling brush to add a little colour with this, and it works a treat. I did a full review of this here.

A new cream blush I'm getting to grips with is one of Topshops, the shade Morning Dew. This is a little too pigmented for my liking, making it quite hard to apply, but when you get it right, it's a very pretty pink.

Lastly, is a blush I like to use to add a little more dimension, or colour to my face, or for a more natural look. This Dainty Doll blush was a £1.99 fragrance direct find, and I use this on my no-makeup, makeup days.

Do you guys like cream blushes?

The Spring/Summer Edit: The Foundation Edition

Summer makeup for me means three things, the right foundation, a good cream blusher, and a bold lip. I never really bother with eye makeup when the sun's shining, since my eyes are usually masked by a giant pair of sunnies, so it's all about clear skin and a bold lip, with a hint of colour on the cheeks. Today, I'm talking foundation.

Picking a foundation is a pretty personal experience, so here are my favourite's, I've split them into High-Street and High-End, since there are a fair few.

The cheapest of the lot, and the lightest coverage (I would almost describe this as more of a BB Cream or tinted moisturiser, coverage is minimal, just evens out the skin tone) is MUA's newest skin product, the Undress Your Skin Illuminating foundation. I got this when it was at it's introductory price of £3, and it now retails at £5 (although it's currently 3 for 2 on the new MUA skin range in Superdrug). I pick this up on a day when I'm gonna be catching the rays, or I don't really want a full face of makeup. Sometimes, I just mix this into my moisturiser, and it's quite light, so if I have a foundation that's a little too dark, I'll mix a bit of this in, since it's super light. I like this, I know it gets a few mixed reviews, but it does what it says on the tin. Or tube, rather.

I feel like the L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation is overlooked by bloggers a lot. I really like this, it's got a good coverage, probably medium coverage if you work it in, but it has light infusing technology, which means unlike most medium/high coverage foundations, it looks super dewy. I'll be leaning for this on days when I want to look natural, but I want to cover up a pesky breakout. It's got a great glass bottle, and the pump dispenses the perfect amount, one pump for light coverage, two for medium. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone with particularly oily skin however, since it's super dewy!

Next up, you've all heard of this one, Revlon's Nearly Naked is probably the first thing I'd turn to for light coverage with longevity. Not much to say about it really, this is a good 'un!

You can read my full review of the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum here, but this is pretty much the same as the L'Oreal offering, but not as dewy! Smells incredible though!

Rimmel's Wake Me Up is another one you've heard a lot about from me, light to medium coverage, a little dewy, applys like a dream and lasts all day. A good solid foundation, a staple to my collection! My one gripe? It's a little dark.

Unlike the previous category, there are only three high end foundations that I feel I need. MAC Studio Sculpt might seem like a weird pick, it's a very thick, heavy coverage foundation, but I love this. Although it's very thick, it's workable, and it covers every blemish and dark circle and red spot, without looking heavy on the skin at all. AND it has SPF. AND it lasts all day with ease. On a daily basis, I mix this in with my YSL foundation, for the perfect mix of dewy, coverage and longevity.

Hello Flawless has been a favourite of mine for a while. Great medium coverage, brightening, but gives a fairly matte finish. Good for any oily skinned girls out there who want the radiance associated with a dewy finish. Pricey, but worth it. Read more here.

And finally, my new fave, YSL's Teint Touche Eclat. To me, this is the perfect summer foundation. The gel formula melts into your skin leaving you with buildable coverage and dewy skin. Perfection.

The Spring Summer Edit: The Skincare Edition

So the french goodies featured here were what was holding up this post! Some friends have visited from France today and kindly replenished my Bioderma and Caudalie stocks! I apologise for the lighting, I wanted to get this post up today, but didn't get home til it was dark!

Your skin, the tricky little devil that it is, needs to be treated differently in the Summer than in the winter. It's no longer so much about hydration, as it is sun protection. So here is what I use to get my skin in tip top summer condition, so I can go out of the house in a lighter foundation, or heaven forbid, a tinted moisturiser.

You'll never have good skin unless you take care of it properly, and piling on the makeup doesn't count, so it's important to have a great makeup removal scheme in place. I like to start with a swish of Bioderma Micellar Solution, nothing removes makeup without drying your skin out quite like it. Then it's onto a gel cleanser to remove anything left, and as you guys know, I'm loving this one from & Other Stories, which you can read more about here. I never really used to understand the purpose of toner, that was until I cut it out of my routine. I use the This Works Fresh Skin toner on a daily basis, which is great once you get past the herby smell. If my skin's feeling a little sensitive however, I'll switch it out for the Premae Skincare Balance Rescue face tonique. I can't rave about this stuff enough guys, if you have a breakout, look no further! You can read a full review of that here. A new addition to my skincare routine is the Bioderma Pore Refiner, which I apply thinly to my T-Zone. I'll report on that fully when I've had more of a play! Swiftly onto the moisturisers. In the day, it's gotta have SPF, and I'm loving the Garnier Moisture Match for normal skin, with SPF 20. If you haven't checked out this range yet, do, there really is something for everyone. Top this off with the Body Shop Vitamin C Eye Cream Duo to make me look awake! At night, I switch for something heavier, and my favourite ever has to be Nivea Daily Essentials Regenerating night cream. It's cheap, it doesn't breakout my skin, or leave it feeling greasy, and it hydrates my skin a treat.

A special mention to the Caudalie Beauty Elixir too, which keeps me feeling fresh faced and calm, all year long.

The Spring Summer Edit: The Body Edition

In a perfect world, us gals have time to prepare ourselves for Summer, and the short skirts, sandals and denim shorts that come with. However, this is England, and more often or not, we end up in a situation like I was in last night, where we have to scramble to get those summer pins, now.

Because of the unreliability of the English weather, and my lack of enthusiasm for spending more money in tanning salons, I've devised a little leg prep routine that I can do from the comfort of the giant bathroom in my tiny flat (seriously, I could hold a yoga class in there).

It all starts in the shower, where my legs get the scrub of their life. I tend to drift between Soap and Glory and The Body Shop Scrubs, but at the moment I'm using this Onsen Sea Salt, which smells faintly of lavender, and soothes me before bed. At the same time, I go to town on my poor feet with a Sally Hansen foot file, removing any evidence of years of pointe classes and high heeled shoes.

Out the shower and this is where the tan comes in. I use Garnier Summerbody on a daily basis, to build up a gradual tan that doesn't hint at all that I work part time in a certain chocolate factory. This provides me with a great base tan, but the night before getting my legs out, I tend to have a spray with the Ambre Solaire no streaks bronzer. Spray this onto your legs, and three hours later, your pins are as bronzed as Mariah Carey's.

The secret to maintaining a good tan, lies in moisturisation. I like to indulge in a super thick body butter once or twice a week, which normally leads to me standing nude in a star shape in my bathroom, waiting for the cream to sink in. For me, there is nothing better than The Body Shop's Body Butters, and this peach scented one will really get you in a summery mood.

The whole look wouldn't be complete without a dash of colour on the toenails, I tend to go for bright pinks and reds, because who doesn't love that?

How do you get your legs ready for summer?

The Spring Summer Edit: The Nail Edition

Ideally, I'd have liked to have done this series in an order that made logical sense, ie, skincare first, but life doesn't work like that, and I'm still waiting on a couple of deliveries, so we shall start with nails!

I firmly believe that injecting a little colour onto the ends of your fingertips is a great way to brighten up your day, and your outfit. As a lover of outfits that are, for the most part, entirely monochrome, I like to accessories with bright tips and lips.

To me, Spring/Summer nails mean two things, pastels and brights. So here are my top picks, and what you are likely to be seeing on my nails in the coming months, whatever the weather.

Clockwise from bottom left, LA Colors Color Craze in Coral Reef, Gosh 570 Peachy, OPI Euro Centrale Collection Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!, OY-Another Polish Joke!, Can't Find My Czechbook & You're Such A Budapest, Model's Own Lili's Pink, Pink Lady & Hot Stuff, H&M Nail Polish Blue My Mind, Barry M Peach Melba & Blue Moon, Essie Fiji, Mint Candy Apple, Orange It's Obvious and Bikini So Teeny.

You will see a bit of a theme with these polishes, it's all about the corals and blues at the moment!

Since I change my nail polish pretty much every other day, I tend to pick up a few cheaper polishes, since quality doesn't really matter, but I was pleasantly surprised with LA Colors Color Craze range, which are just a pound for 13ml, which is quite a hefty sized polish. This one is a very pretty coral based pink with a hint of shimmer, it looks great with a tan! Next up is a Gosh polish, it's called peachy but it's basically orange. Great formula, only one coat needed and not too bright. I've had this polish for a good two years and it's still going strong.

These minis are from OPI's new Euro Centrale spring collection and I love them! I do think OPI polishes are a bit overpriced, but I got this set of four for a fabulous fiver, so no complaints there. Suzi's Hungary AGAIN! is another peach toned pink, with the faintest hint of shimmer which is only really visible before it dries. OY-Another Polish Joke! reminds me of the yellow brick road from Wizard of Oz, it's a perfect gold glitter polish, that's shockingly easy to remove in terms of glitter polish. Can't Find My Czechbook is a tealy blue, very pretty and again I'd imagine it would look great on anyone with a tan. Last up, You're Such A Budapest is the perfect pastel lilac, it's got a slight shimmer  that's just noticeable on the nails. Very pretty. All these polishes apply well and look great together! 

These three Models Own Polishes I got around Christmastime. Models Own are by far my favourite polish brand, huge colour range, amazing pigmentation, for the most part you only need one coat, they're reasonably priced (standard collection is £5 a bottle and they often do deals) and the bottles hold a whopping 14ml of product, the most out of all the polishes in this post. Lili's Pink is a gorgeous baby pink shimmer, Pink Lady is the perfect bright barbie pink, and Hot Stuff is made up of pink and gold glitter, that looks good alone or layered on the others. 

My new favourite polish, the Nails Inc Baker Street dupe from H&M, Blue My Mind. It's love. I will definitely be rocking this colour through til Winter. Read the full post here.

I'm not a massive fan of the Barry M formulas, but they do do a great colour range, and they're super reasonably priced. These two are my favourites, Peach Melba, this is how peach polishes should be, and Blue Moon, a lovely pastel blue. Honourable mentions go to Barry M's Gelly Hi Shine polishes, I know lots of people love them, I just don't get on with the formula. 

And last but not least Essie. These would be vying for the top spot with Models Own in my opinion, but the price holds them back. Fiji and Mint Candy Apple are gorgeous pastels that look great alone, or as a base for nail art. Orange It's Obvious is a super bright orange, that looks gorgeous on it's own, or with a hint of gold glitter. And finally, Bikini So Teeny, a pastel lilac that's closer to blue. This too has a vein of glitter running through it, and is undeniably pretty.

So that's what my nails will be sporting this Spring/Summer, what about you?

The Weekly Round Up #10

Yay for being back in London! I missed this city so much, I think once you live in London, it's very hard to live anywhere else! I was going mad with shops that shut at five! So here's what happened in my life this week...

A TK Maxx haul, god I love that shop! One of the pro's of the long drive back to London! When Starbucks don't have Berry Hibiscus Refreshas, this is my drink of choice! Tuesday I finally got to go to & Other Stories! 

Once I was back in London, I couldn't wait to get back into Vapiano! It's love I'm telling you! A new foundation, review coming soon! An obligatory first day back at uni shot, what do you think of my new short hair? Wednesday made a lot better buy a sesh at YSL trying out the new Summer collection! 

Even on a cloudy day, I love Picadilly! Back in & Other Stories, this store is addictive! See my post on it here. Cocktail o'clock! Cranberry and clementine juice with prosecco! Headed to Zest for a dose of french goodies and to stock up on vitamins! Well worth a visit for any skincare lovers.

The most beautiful lipstick ever? The view from my flat is incredible, I love watching the sun set over central! Can you believe the weather we had yesterday?! The sun was gorgeous, but my poor pins were unprepared for being released from their skinnies! 

It's been so nice to be back in London, especially with this weather! I haven't worn a coat or jacket all week! Inspired by the weather this weekend, this week will be a wash of spring summer inspired posts, so stay tuned! 

In the beauty department, it's been all about the & Other Stories Cleansing gel this week, I talked about it briefly in yesterday's post, but I will do a full review on it soon! Makeup wise, I can't talk about anything other than the YSL Teint Touche Eclat foundation, which again I will be talking about later on in the week.

& Other Stories

It was only a matter of time before this post popped up on my blog. The main reason I was so desperate to get back to London was to check out the newest brainchild of the H&M and Cos creators. Dubbed the 'bloggers store' the concept behind & Other Stories is very different to any other store out there at the moment. I'm sure you've all heard a lot about it, so I'll be brief! 

The store sells clothing and beauty products. Just imagine what it would look like if Ikea did fashion and beauty, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what the store looks like. The clothing and bags are all pretty pricey, you're looking at upwards of £50 for a clutch bag, but the beauty products are all pretty reasonable.

The store is laid out in a way that makes shopping incredibly easy. You'll find a photographed look, and all the components of that look all together, the clothing, accessories and makeup used, handy right? If you needed an outfit for an event and had little time to spend putting it together, this is the place to go, all the work is done for you! 

As well as stocking their own brand beauty products, & Other Stories also stocks L.A. Brüket, This Works, Dr Bronner and The Balm,  amongst others. Although I was tempted by a The Balm primer, and a couple of This Works products, I decided to take advantage of their own brand instead.

The beauty section is laid out like a beauty blogger's dream. Lollipop sticks with nail polish swatches, giant sinks to try out the soaps, creams and cleansers, makeup testers paired with suggested brushes and tools, it's swatching heaven in there! I could have easily left with one of everything! 

So my thoughts on their products? All their 'beauty tools' brushes, wipes, cotton buds, eyelash curlers, pocket mirrors etc. are all really reasonably priced, and the brushes are great quality. The blushes and eyeshadows with phrases printed into them are adorable! The nail polishes are great quality (I'm talking one application needed folks, it's the holy grail) and really cheap, just £5 each! Their own brand soaps and creams are all gorgeous in scent and formula, and so hard to resist!

So what did I leave with?

First thing that went into the basket? A pot of cotton buds, since I'd run out, and this adorable pot was just a pound. This is the sort of thing I'll refill when I run out, I love that the pot says & Other Stories on it! Next up, nail polish! I could have bought them all, but limited myself to just one. I left with Pekin Cherry, a deep berry red, which with hindsight was probably a silly choice heading into spring and summer, but I loved the colour. This looks great paired with the Butter London polish 'West End Wonderland'  from the Harvey Nichols gift with purchase promotion.

I then picked up two brushes. The Universal Eyeshadow brush is super soft, and great for packing shadow onto the lid, as well as blending colour into the crease. This brush was only £7, and I love it! I haven't used my MAC 217 at all since I got this. I genuinely think I might prefer it, and it's less than half the price! I also picked up an eyelash brush and at £2 each, I'm wishing I'd gotten two, one for shaping the brows, and one for seperating lashes. It does the job and it's a lot cheaper than any other one on the market! Last from the beauty section was the Perfectly Purifying Cleansing Gel. I've been on the hunt for a new cleanser since Lush went and discontinued Let The Good Times Roll (sob) and this might not smell as good, but it's doing wonders for my skin. It's got one of those lids where you twist it up, and then the product comes out a little hole in the middle. Great for combination or oily skin as it helps remove any excess oils. And the best thing? It's paraben free! (we'll be having a little chat about parabens later on in the month!) 

The last thing I picked up wasn't from the beauty section. Since chopping all my hair off, I've been looking for ways to jazz it up, since there's not much I can do with it! These packs of hairgrips were £4 each and look really cute pinning my fringe back, or holding my hair off my face. I thought four pounds was really reasonable! 

Have you checked out & Other Stories yet? What do you think?

Ultimate Suede

You guys have probably realised by now that I'm a high end lipstick kinda gal. I'm a sucker for the luxurious packaging, sweet smells and quality that you can expect when you fork out upwards of about £14 for a lipstick. However, there is one high street pick that in the last month since I bought it, I've been reaching for at least two or three times a week. 

I've not really been much enticed by any Revlon lip products. I know that everyone loves the Revlon Lip Butters, but they aren't really for me, if I'm going to wear a lipstick, I want pigmentation, and I'm not a massive fan of any lip product with a sparkle.

So I'd heard through the grapevine (i.e. the thousands of blogs I read) about the Revlon Colour Stay Ultimate Suedes, and thought they sounded quite cool, and lets face it, everyone got a bit caught up in the Boots 3 for 2, and I left with this one in Preview. Along with three Essie polishes, some Bourjois and Revlon foundation, a Max Factor Colour Elixir giant pen amongst other things.

So lets start with the formula. When Revlon say suede, they mean suede. They are really creamy, apply matte but not drying on the lips which is a nice change, and they are pigmented enough that you don't have to apply tons to get colour, but if you want to just lightly swish this across the lips for a hint of colour, you can. That was a long sentence. Don't mind me, I'm not very well and my ability to string coherent sentences together is not at it's best.

Colourwise, I picked up the shade Preview, which is a browny toned pink, a pinker take on your lips but better. Very easily wearable shade! 

I really like this lippie, it's so easy to wear and goes with everything, and the formula is so nice! Considering picking up Finale too, which is an orangey red, but we'll see!

What do you think of Revlon lip products?

Harvey Nichols, The Indulgent Beauty Deal

Thinking about heading out for a little high-end beauty indulgence this week? Forget wherever you had planned, and head straight to Harvey Nichols, where the annual gift with purchase scheme is in full swing.

Harvey Nichols may just be home to my favourite beauty hall. Equipped with the friendliest staff ever, and an array of brands, from YSL and Chanel to MAC and Stila, whatever your beauty needs, you can be pretty sure they're going to cater to it. It's not limited to makeup either, you can also treat yourself to a few skin are treats, or splash out on that perfume you've been eyeing up. Their minimum spend for the gift is £110, but the free gift is worth £130, so you're saving money really!

The free gift comprises of a gorgeous black makeup bag, designed exclusively for the promotion by the wonderful Fif Lapin. The insides are packed with goodies from a massive range of brands. I'm so excited to try out the Butter London polish in West End Wonderland, Laura Mercier foundation primer and the Shu Umera skin purifier (who knew Shu Umera did anything other than eyelash curlers?!). Also in the bag, you'll find a miniature YSL mascara (yay!) , a Dermologica daily microfoliant, an Eve Lom cleanser treatment, a sample of Lancôme Visionnaire, an Espa moisturiser, a Bliss face mask, Serge Lutens perfume sample (in a cute glass bottle!), Clarins extra firming neck cream, Elemis tri-enzyme face wash, and a Bare Minerals bush in one of two colours. Not bad swag, eh?

Also, should your indulgence of choice be YSL, they'll throw in a phone case and notepad for you, as well as a handful of samples. Also, chances are you'll get to meet the lovely Libby, who is possibly one of the nicest people you'll have the pleasure of meeting.

Harvey Nichols Gift With Purchase, whilst stocks last.

Painterly

 

So when picking up my latest MAC palette, it seemed silly not to equip myself with the necessary accessories (hello MAC 217, my old friend, nice to see you again) and at the recommendation of the lovely lady in store, I picked up the Paint Pot in Painterly. I tend to favour a more matte look on my eyes, so I went for that over Bare Study, which is equally as pretty, but with a hint of shimmer.

The concept of these Paint Pots is pretty simple. Dab your finger in the pot and smear all over your eyelid with gay abandon, creating either the perfect base for eyeshadow, increasing colour longevity and enhancing pigmentation, or wear alone to even out the tone of your lid, and brighten up the eye area.

I've worn this pretty much every day since I got it and I love it. A little really goes a long way and I can tell you already this pot is going to last forever. In terms of using it as an eyeshadow base, it really does stop you ending up with eyeshadow all around your eyes throughout the day, and it makes the colours themselves more powerful, meaning you use less. It's also super handy for when you're in a rush, I just pop this on my eyelids on my way out the door, and it totally enhances my eyes, making me look more awake!

A side note, I also love the glass packaging, and weirdly, the sound when you unscrew the lid...

The MAC Paint Pots retail at £14.50, which I personally think is really reasonable, especially when you consider how much product is in the pot, and how long it'll last. I already have my eye on a few more (Rubenesque and Groundwork come at me).


Have you tried any of these?

Rose Gold Love

By now, it should be no surprise to any of you that I am a massive fan of Sleek blushes. With the quality I would expect from a high end brand, a gorgeous colour range, and the less-than-a-fiver price tag, it's no wonder I have built up quite a collection. However, since this blush love affair began, there has been one blush that has sadly, eluded my grasp, the Rose Gold. Considered the closest dupe for the Legendary NARS Orgasm Blush (insert pause for sniggering) the beautiful peachy toned pigment has been on my hit list for a while now. And as with all good dupes, it's been sold out everywhere all the time.

I don't know if you've noticed in the past few weeks since I've been back in Bournemouth, but I've ignited a love affair with the Bournemouth Superdrug store so strong, that any London offering only pales by comparison. The flame was burning bright but when I found a Rose Gold lurking in the 'Life's a Peach" (more on that one later) section, I could have sought out the manager and kissed him. And what's even better, I had enough Beauty Points, so it was free!

Now enough dramatics and on to the product itself. I feel like I needn't say anything about the formula by now, you know the drill, it's super pigmented, buttery soft and long lasting. It's the colour that I'm interested in. Unlike a lot of cheaper blushes, the gold shimmer is not just stamped on the top of the pan, it runs all the way through the product, serving only to highlight the beautiful coral colour. It's quite hard to photograph on the face, so you shall have to cope with some hand swatches, it looks very different depending on how the light hits it? This is definitely a summer blush, it's a lot more shimmery than my usual go tos, but with a little sun on my face, this will be perfect.

All in all, despite the fact I adore NARS products, this dupe is for me, and it's love.

What do you think of Sleek blushes?