A Few Drugstore Dupes

It had been quite some time since I'd had a root around in the aisles of Superdrug and Boots, when a belated Christmas gift of a  £20 Boots voucher found it's way into my purse. Rest assured it didn't stay there long.

Originally, I had planned to pick up one of the Clinique Contour sticks, they were due out the very next day, but when I arrived in Boots, card in hand, I was told that they'd only received the highlighting shade, not the contour one.

I was destitute for about 19 seconds before I found myself at the L'Oreal counter.

I had seen a lot of great things about the L'Oreal Infallible 24 hour Matte Foundation from across the pond, and it was firmly on my hitlist of products to keep an eye out for. Well lo and behold, it had arrived on English soil without much fuss or fanfare, and my Boots was fully stocked with shade options galore (I was back in Bournemouth at the time, so you should understand this is a massive rarity, Bournemouth is normally severely understocked and about three decades behind when it comes to releases). I swiftly dropped this into my basket without a second thought and I'm pleased I did. If you're an oily skinned gal, or you prefer a matte finish, then make haste to your local drugstore and pick this up. In terms of finish and coverage, this is the closest thing I've found to my beloved Jouer Matte Moisture tint, which comes with a price tag that's eyewateringly three times the size. The actual consistency of the product is very different, it's lighter and runnier compared to Jouer's thick, whipped, almost mousse like texture, but the finish, wear time and feel of it is spot on. Good medium coverage (but definitely buildable if you want more), matte finish that isn't heavy or cakey, but natural looking, and incredibly long lasting. My only problem is that due to dodgy Boots lighting I picked up a shade too dark for me. It'll be fine in the summer, and with some careful blending I can make it work now, but I should have gotten a shade lighter!

Next counter along was Max Factor, and again I found another new product that seemed to (at the time) have hit counters without much noise, the Max Factor Creme Puff Blushes. Now these have had a bit more press coverage, but they are still seriously underrated. It was only a matter of time before the drugstore came up with a good alternative to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes, and now they've done it, and done it good. In fact I'd say these are better, they've got the gorgeous marbleized baked finish, they're beautifully pigmented and incredibly natural looking on the cheeks, but they aren't as powder and prone to fall out as the Hourglass offering. They give a gorgeous natural glow to the cheeks, and I've barely stopped wearing this shade (I Nude Mauve, an almost perfect dupe for Mood Exposure) since I got it! This shade in particular is perfect for pairing with a bold lip, it just gives a little somethin' somethin' to the cheeks!

Previously I hadn't gotten on too well with the Maybelline Colour Tattoo's but the new Leather Effect formula in Creamy Beige intrigued me. It's a matte medium brown that looks pretty much perfect for everyday. I swatched a few of these and found the formulas to be pretty inconsistent, Vintage Plum for example was a disaster, try as I might I couldn't get an even swatch, but this was quite a bit softer and easier to use. I've been loving this as a slightly darker alternative to my MAC Paint Pot in Painterly, on it's own with brown liner or as a base to intensify the shades for my Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette.

As I was queuing, quite content with the contents of my basket, I spotted a mini stand in the 'aisle of death' with one last Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit left at the back. I chucked this into my basket with little hope really, my previous forrays into Barry M products have generally left me disappointed (lipsticks - drying, nail polishes - bloody awful, dazzle dust - goes all over your face), but hey, curiousity got the better of me. This is pretty much identical to the Anastasia Contour Kit, but whittled down to three important shades, a highlight, bronzer and contour, all matte. I was a little concerned that the latter two would be too dark, but don't be put off by the intensity in the pan, with a light hand they work wonders for carving cheekbones into my pizza pockets. I've been using this ever since, and I've not even felt the need to run out and purchase the Clinique Contour Stick!

Have you discovered any awesome drugstore dupes recently?

Little Things #5

This week I finally got around to starting the Yoga with Adrienne 30 Days of Yoga challenge. I was putting it off because I am going away for five days in March, but I figure that's no excuse! I'm sure I'll be able to find a spare 20 minutes in the morning to keep it up! I'm only a few days in, but I'm really enjoying it so far. I've done some Yoga and Pilates too before, but I'm by no means an expert, and this is definitely a great place to start if you're a beginner!

My local Tesco has started stocking my favourite granola, and it's currently half price! I panic bought four bags because I love it that much! It's the Udi's Au Natural granola, it's gluten free, no nuts and super tasty! I've been having it with vanilla soy yogurt and fresh strawberries for breakfast!

I've bookmarked this post by the lovely Angela, for any of those days where I just need a little cheering up!

I stumbled upon this recipe by Ella whilst planning out my meals for the week, and I'm obsessed. It's the perfect thing to whip up on a Sunday to have for lunch in the week. It's warming, filling and healthy! I like to add in a little bit of cinnamon too!

My hair is finally long enough to fit in a fishtail braid and I could not be more excited about it! 

Did you see Lady Gaga's performance at the Oscars? She dressed like a normal human, there was no meat, no giant eggs, no one puking on her, and she sang songs from The Sound Of Music, and it was bloody great. That woman has got a set of pipes on her for sure. Also, she hugged Julie Andrews and it was the cutest thing ever.

Remember these shoes? Well they still hurt my feet after about an hour but they are getting easier to wear! I'll keep persevering!

I've been feeling really anxious this week, but this post on Improving Your Mental Health definitely gave me food for thought, and a new bottle of rescue remedy certainly helped! I've had lots of bubble baths too to help me relax, and I'll definitely be sad when the last of my Lush Unicorn Horn stock pile is used up! I am pleased to see they've bought back Dragons Egg though for Easter, it's my favourite Lush scent!

Current Makeup Loves

So as part of my little blogging break, I decided to ditch monthly favourite features. They just aren't working for me anymore, sometimes I get to the end of the month and struggle to put products together, and sometimes I forget to mention amazing products because I've tried so many amazing things in a month. I think I just felt like I had to do monthly favourites, because everyone else does? Well, monthly favourites are going now, and instead, whenever I have a group of products that I love, I'll pop up with them, whenever. Right now there are a LOT of things I'm loving, pretty much a full face, so without further ado, here goes!

Base-wise, I've discovered a few new tricks. I've spoken about the Beauty Blender before, and how I find it a bit of a faff to apply foundation with, it takes a long time and the finish isn't worth the hassle. Well, I found the exception that proved the rule, pairing the Beauty Blender with my beloved Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation. This foundation needs to be worked with quickly for the best finish, and by pressing it in to the skin with a damp beauty blender, you get just that. It ends up looking just like skin, but better.

I've been feeling the need for a little powder in the T-Zone recently, and I've finally found a powder that the Real Techniques Bold Metals Arched Powder Brush can work with. The Maybelline Matte Maker Powder is a real star drugstore find, it mattifies the skin, offers a little bump of extra coverage, and it's actually light enough for my pale skin. However, it can look a little cakey on the skin if you go to heavy handed, so the Bold Metals brush is perfect, because it doesn't pick up too much product.

I've had the Jouer Sunswept Mattifying Bronzer for a while now, but I've only recently started using it. In the pan it looks pretty warm, a touch orange even, but actually when applied the right way it looks great. I take the Real Techniques Blush Brush and just tap the very end of the brush in the powder, it's tapered so if you take just a tiny amount on the end you can be pretty precise with where you place this. The brush is super fluffy, so once I place the bronzer right where I want it (on my temples and right under my cheekbones), and then use the fluffiest part of the brush to blend it all out. Natural and it gives a little warmth to my snow white skin.

Ever since I discovered this eye duo I haven't stopped wearing it. I feel a little mean talking about this because I don't think if you can get either of these products anymore! But I love it so much I have to talk about it! I've been starting with the MAC Electric Cool Eyeshadow in Superwatt, a cream to powder eyeshadow in a gorgeous bronzey taupe shade. On it's own this is a beautiful shade, but by adding the shade form the Chanel L'Ombres 4 in Poesie, it's like magic. The shades are almost identical, and alone are beautiful, but together are just incredible, it intensifies the colour and it's the most amazing 'one wash wonder' kinda thing!

Another product duo I've fallen in love with to mention! I finally caved and picked up the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk, which everyone and their mother says is the bees knees. I have to say it's not quite what I expected, I thought based on what everyone else said it would be the kinda thing I could wear on it's own and look awesome. I find it a little too matte and a bit too intense to wear alone (the top right photo is just that), it looks okay from a distance but close up it just looks a bit weird. However, with the Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss in Sesso over the top, it's the perfect nude pink lip combo. I haven't stopped wearing it!

I don't think I have actually addressed the fact I picked up the Charlotte Tilbury Makeup Bag last month! I was having a bit of a bad day and a wonder through the Selfridges ground floor left me with this. I actually think it was a bit of a bargain, it's a huge bag, it can fit so much in it, even my Naked palettes, and it's great quality for a bargain £15. I think it's my favourite makeup bag ever!

Written down that looks like a lot! But they all deserved a mention!

What have you been loving recently?

A February Haul!

No post today as per our current schedule, no new post today but I thought I'd share my new video with you guys!

I've picked up a couple of bits and pieces over the last few weeks so I figured I'd share them with you!

I hope you enjoy!

Let me know in the comments what you've picked up this month!

New In: The Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Overnight Mask

I don't normally devote entire posts to skincare products, but with a name that long and weird, I feel like this product deserves a little attention.

The new Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Overnight Mask* popped through my letterbox last month, and since then I've used it every single day. And let's start all this by saying, it's so weird.

I honestly can't think of a way to accurately explain the texture of this stuff to you. My boyfriend suggested it's what Alien Goo might look like, and I'm inclined to agree, whatever alien goo might be. It's described as having a 'unique, bouncy, memory shape texture' by The Body Shop, and that's pretty accurate, if you press this it bounces back, almost like it's elasticated. It's honestly totally bizarre. It's wobbly, and kind of similar to jelly. It's just really bizarre, like nothing I've used before.

This stuff is designed to be left on overnight to replenish the skin, it contains Eidelweiss Stem cells which should leave skin feeling bouncier, and plumper with regular use. I find that I only need a tiny amount (once I get the stuff out of the damn pot, it's like Flubber, ridiculously tricky to get ahold of. It did come with a spatula, but like 90% of lids, my left socks and all my hairbands, it vanished.), and I can massage this into my face and neck easily. It's really light on the skin, kind of like a gel or serum as opposed to a mask or cream, it doesn't feel heavy or wet, and it doesn't set like your average mask, instead it just absorbs into the skin whilst you sleep, and is gone by morning.

What I like about this is it does exactly what it says on the label. Don't you love it when that happens? I almost want to shout it from the rooftops. When I apply this I wake up with soft, hydrated skin that absolutely feels plumper. It's definitely on the pricier side for a product from The Body Shop, but you need so little that this little tub will last you yonks. Also, I'd happily pay twice that for getting the results you want from a product!

Have you discovered any amazing skincare products recently?

#Celebrating Creativity at Citizen M

 On Friday night I bravely exited the house without a coat and headed to Bankside. I know. No coat. In February. At night. Is there no end to my madness?

Anyway, the reason for this total act of lunacy, I'd was lucky enough to receive an invite to an event at the Citizen M hotel just south of the river, to meet other bloggers and celebrate creativity. Sounds good right? 

I did pop into the Citizen M hotel in New York for a swift drink last summer, but oddly enough, considering this one was a mere 20 minute tube journey away, I'd never been.

We were shown up to a conference room and, after stopping to photograph nearly every square inch of impeccable decor, introduced to the other girls. There was plenty of white wine on ice, which went down a little too smoothly considering I was yet to have dinner!

The evening kicked off with the wonderful Liz Atkin, who spoke from the heart about art, creative process, and mental health too, and then the wonderful Jessica Swale, who talked about creating what makes you happy, being a female in a male dominated industry, and left me wanting to go to the theatre. I kind of forgot to photograph a thing throughout the talks, because both these women were so incredibly inspiring. It was amazing to spend an evening with so many creative people, talking about the process of creating art, of any kind, that makes you happy.

We rounded off the evening with Peach Bellinis in the bar downstairs. I can't get over how well designed this hotel is, I can only imagine what the rooms must look like! There's so much attention to detail, stacks of classic novels and coffee table books, bizarre statues, cases of bugs, ginormous sofas and beautiful lighting, I wanted to Instagram the lot! The staff were all attentive and lovely, and the drinks were delicious! Citizen M is definitely top of my list for hotels to stay in in the future! 

Thank you to the team at Citizen M and Ingenuity Digital for an amazing night!

Dipping My Toe Into First Aid Beauty

First Aid Beauty Products have been on my product hit list for the longest time, and in the last couple of months I've finally gotten around to trying a few bits out. I've read up on the brand a lot and they have an ethos I can really get behind. All their products are created with an aim to be 'effective yet luxurious products that treat everyday beauty and skincare challenges', which really is exactly what I want from my skincare.

Another key selling point with these products is that their formulated without harsh chemicals, alcohol, fragrance, known allergens and artificial dyes, and their products contain only ingredients that are thoroughly researched. It's not an all natural brand, but my philosophy is it's not about all natural ingredients, it's about knowing what the ingredients are, what they're there for and what they are doing to your skin. That's much more important. I also love the simple, no fuss packaging, that ticks a lot of boxes for me, plus they look pretty cute.

On to the products themselves! I've been using the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay in the evenings after I've removed all my makeup. This is packed with good stuff like Rosemary Leaf Oil and Red Clay that help unclog pores, purify the skin and assist with oil control. What I love about this is that it leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed, but not stripped or tight. My pores definitely look smaller and I haven't had ONE SINGLE BLACKHEAD since using this, which is pretty impressive. It's targeted at oily or combination skin, but I have very 'normal' skin, and this is perfect for maintaining balance. It's gentle and a little goes a long way.

I've been road testing the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Instant Oatmeal Mask, which is formulated with protective oats and antioxidants to help calm, nourish, repair and revive the skin. I've been reaching for this on days when my skin needs a little TLC, whether it's feeling dry or I'm having a breakout, this just calms everything down, and leaves my skin feeling incredibly nourished.

My new best friend is the First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy, which you guys have heard me talk about already, I just love it so much. I've never had a holy grail eye cream before but this definitely fits the bill. It's got cooling stainless steel applicator which not only cools and depuffs the skin around your eyes like a dream in the mornings, it also disperses the product perfectly. The cream itself is pink toned and goes a long way to concealing dark circles, as well as hydrating the area. Long term benefits include anti aging and minimizing dark circles. It's love, I tell you.

And lastly, I have a deluxe sample of the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, an incredibly intensive hydrating cream. This is a little heavy for me to use daily on my face, but it's perfect for on planes, when my skin is feeling particularly dry, and for on my super scaly elbows. This is a good old mix of oatmeal, shea butter and eucalyptus oil, all of which help provide immediate relief for dry skin, and it really is immediate. This is a great wonder product to have on hand!

I'm definitely a First Aid Beauty Convert! I'll definitely be picking up more products when I run out of other things I'm using, I really want to try their lip therapy, the cleansing milk, and some of their radiance boosting products!

Have you tried anything from First Aid Beauty?

On My Wishlist

I don't do wishlist posts all too often, mostly because I have the restraint of a moth, and can't help myself when it comes to spending. However, right now I'm on my bestest spending behaviour, and there are three things sat in my bookmarks just waiting to be purchased. 

FRENCH CONNECTION STRIPE SKATER DRESS // What a beauty this is. I'm trying to upgrade my wardrobe from lazy teen student, to sophisticated real human with a degree. It's not going to be easy. I've had my eye on this dress for a long time, I feel like it would be so easy to dress up or down (with a long cardigan, black tights and heeled boots, or a statement necklace and pretty heels). It's just gone in the sale too! 

ICONIC DESIGN SMART WALLET // I love carrying big handbags, but sometimes, when I'm popping to the supermarket or running to the post office, I want to take the essentials and leave behid the rest. I love the look of this little wallet, it's got a slot for phone, cards and cash, and a little wrist strap too. Small and compact but it holds all the important bits! This brand does so many gorgeous things, I love this 100 Stories Journal too. 

SKAGEN ANITA WATCH // I've had my eye on this since even before Christmas! I have a beautiful Marc Jacobs watch, but it's a little bulky and impractical for everyday, and I'm constantly cleaning the white strap! I love how sleek and elegant this is, plus it fits with my simple, monochrome wardrobe theme! It's such a beautiful piece!

What's on your wishlist right now?

How To Shop On Etsy

Etsy is one of my latest obsessions. I've bought a few things from them in the past, but I recently downloaded their app on my phone and since then I've been hooked. Ever since I upgraded to the iPhone 6, with it's larger screen, I've enjoyed shopping on my phone so much more. Usually I find shopping apps pretty poor (living with a boy who develops software and apps for a living makes you an app snob), but the Etsy app is really well designed and easy to use, i.e., easy to spend all your money on.

However, Etsy can be something of a minefield, there are so many people selling so many different products, it can be hard to sort through and find the gems. The gems are there to be found though! I thought I'd share a few tips for getting the most out of Etsy, I've definitely found my fair share of gems over the last couple of months!

1. Follow the Etsy Blog. For a good place to start, check out Etsy's own blog. Here they share their featured stores and editors picks, which you know are gonna be good. They also have what they call their 'Tastemakers' tab, where you can see favourites from different artists, brands and designers.
2. Check Pinterest. Particularly if you're in the market for illustrations, so many amazing Etsy finds can be found on Pinterest. I found this adorable Valentine's card on Etsy just by searching for Valentine's cards!
3. Make use of the favouriting feature. On Etsy you can favourite shops and items that take your fancy, saving them for later. It'll also bring up similar shops and items in your feed, as well as any new items added to your shop.
4. Check out other people's favourites. When you find a shop you love, there's a little button in the left task bar that lets you see who else favourited that shop. From there you can look through their favourites, to find shops people with similar tastes love.
5. Clever key words. Not only can you search specific key words on Etsy, but by putting a hyphen before a word will eliminate that key word from your search. For example, if you search 'illustration -printable', any illustrations that just give you the file to print will be eliminated from the search. Clever stuff.

 

And if you're still struggling, here are some of my favourites!

ROOM 121 - For pretty notebook planners, I bought my blog planners from here!

CROSSBOW PRINTABLES - For instant downloads of  meal planners, daily agendas and inspirational quotes.

APPLELATTE - For cute and dainty jewelery.

HEY CHARLIE - For anyone who loves their planner or sending snail mail, here you can buy super cheap packs of mini stickers and post-its and other adorable stationery bits.

SHOPLUCA - Seriously pretty jewelery, that's a little different.

 

Are you an Etsy fan?

8/52

 This week has been a week of many meals consumed at my desk. With my dissertation deadline looming, I've done very little over the last seven days other than work and eat it would seem! By the time the weekend rolled around, my desk was so cluttered with papers and crumbs that I spent a large portion of Saturday having a good old sort out, I felt much better for it! I love my desk space so much!

Tuesday marked Pancake day, and I definitely did my civic duty there. I spent most of the day resisting the urge to unfollow people posting pictures of crepes, and then chowed down on thick, fluffy pancakes, with lashings of syrup, and lots of fresh fruit too!

I popped out midweek for an impromptu tea and catch up with my mum, who happened to be in London for a revision class. Our favourite haunt at the moment is Scandinavia Kitchen, who do tasty hot filled croissants for breakfast, incredible lunchtime salads, and have a delicious range of cakes too. I had Elderflower and Ginger tea with a Cinnamon Roll, and my mum plumped for English Breakfast, and a cheeky gluten free brownie (it had a whole strawberry on top, so that makes it healthy, right?). I'm always grateful for the amount of time I get to spend with my mama, even though I live over a hundred miles away now! 

Slightly unexciting news (that's what my week's been like) but I discovered Vit Hit drinks this week and I'm now obsessed. My favourite is the Apple and Elderflower one, but the Citrus and Mandarin flavours are delicious too. They're packed full of vitamins and have a tea base, they really perk you up if you're flagging, but they're pretty healthy!

I've been making an effort to make sure I take the odd evening off here and there so I don't totally burn out, and I managed two this week (progress!). I spent the first one curled up in bed with a stack of books and a pack of Malted Milks. Anyone who says Malted Milks aren't the best biscuits is totally mad! (diet, what diet?)

The second one, I actually went out! I was lucky enough to be invited to an event at the Bankside Citizen M hotel celebrating creativity. Expect a full post on that later in the week, I have so many photos I want to share with you! It was an incredibly inspiring night, with delicious cocktails and great company. I didn't get home until ten to twelve, practically unheard of for little granny me.

3 Ways To Wear Eyeliner

Until this blog was well into it's second year of life, I was a certified liner noob. My attempts at winged liner left me with giant black eyelids or wonky flicks, and generally by the end of the day my eyeliner had migrated to either my browbone, or my cheeks. Not a good look, I assure you.

As I've gotten more beauty-wise (as in, older. I'm old now. Sob), I'm much more liner-savvy. I know more of what works for me and my eye shape, and I've arranged an army of products that help me get the job done. I've got three go-to liner looks, they aren't original by any means, but I don't look like I fell down into a puddle of petrol. So little victories.

 

Number One: The Clean Cut Wing.

This one is pretty much the classic really, isn't it? I've only recently mastered this, and that's entirely creditable to two things. One, the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner In Trooper, which makes light work of winged liner. And Two, Sellotape. I put sellotape on my face. Yup. From the end of my brow down to the outer corner of my lash line. It's by no means a perfect scenario, but it gives me a line to follow, and since I've been doing this, my wings have been (mostly) straight. I go for winged liner for bold lip days, and when I'm feeling sassy. Obviously.

 

Number Two: The Lived In Pencil Smudge.

Again, I'll win no awards for ingenuity with this one. I take a creamy formulated kohl pencil, normally black but I'm also fond of brown and navy for this look, messily scribble it along my lashline, and then use a brush with coarse hairs to blend it out. The end result is a smudgy, messy, daytime version of Taylor Momsen. I like this for when I don't have time to faff with my eye makeup, but I want something dark. You can make this as tame or as intense as you want, and I'm all about variety, especially when it's this easy.

 

Number Three: The Lash Thickening Powder Trick.

As the not particularly snappy name of this one would suggest, this is what I go for when I want my lashes to little more volumised and oomphed. Normally when I'm rocking a smokey eye, and I just want a little more lashline definition. For this I just use a small angled brush and a dark eyeshadow, I take it right across the upper lashline, and a little in the outer corner of my lower lashline, and then smudge it all out with a fluffy brush. I particularly like doing this with the shade Blackheart from the Naked 3 Palette, it just gives so much dimension to an eye look.

 

See, easy peasy! If I can do it, you can too!

What are your go to liner looks?

Little Things #4

I've enjoyed so many online things this week that I thought I'd take lead from my awesome friend Tami and her Friday Shared posts, to share them all with you! (all my good ideas are either encouraged or inspired by Tami, just don't tell her!)

This week I've been pouring over Jen's blog, which has not only been helpful for my confusion over where to take Bed In The Kitchen, but also with my uni project. The girl knows content like the back of her hand.

I loved this article, about what happened when woman lived her life according to Pinterest's most popular pins for a week. I've only just discovered Pinterest, and I'm pretty much hooked already. This article is amazing. 

I've gotten back into reading, and I've been researching for my uni project. Luckily for me, research means reading beauty books, and this week I've been loving Eat Pretty and The Glam Guide.

This Into The Gloss article sums up exactly how I feel about Parabens. Whilst we all know exposing our bodies to chemicals is less than ideal, it's important to understand and recognise what is dangerous, and what needs further explanation.

I'll be trying out this recipe that I found on Pinterest for breakfast today, it looks so delicious! I feel hungry just looking at it! I'll report back if all goes well!

This week I picked up this bargain jacket from H&M. The colour is definitely out of my comfort zone, but paired with black skinny jeans and an oversized white tee I really like it. And for £7.99, you can't really go wrong!

I'm lusting over this beautiful new contour palette from Stila. It's a cream to powder formula and it looks totally stunning. I love their cream blushes so I have high hopes for this! For now it's sat in my basket until there are a few reviews out there, but my willpower is fading fast!

What Brand Is Best For: The Drugstore Edition.

There are so many different brands and products out there that sometimes it can be hard to know where to even start. This post was definitely been inspired by this post by Anna, such a great idea!

Foundation: I found this a little tricky, because I love Bourjois foundations a lot, but in all honesty, the shade selection is shocking and they are super heavily scented, so no good if you have sensitive skin. So this one goes to L'Oreal, who literally have a foundation for whatever your foundation needs could be. For my dry skinned gals out there, I'd go for the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation which is hydrating and glowy. Oily gals, look no further than the L'Oreal Infallible 24 hour Matte Foundation, which will keep you matte and looking flawless all day long. And for anyone else with totally normal skin like myself, go for the L'Oreal True Match Foundation or the L'Oreal Eau de Teint Nude Magique Foundation. The former offers buildable coverage and a natural finish, while the latter is a lighter option that looks more like a powder finish on the skin. They are all awesome products.

Concealer: I uhhhmed and ahhed with this one but I settled for Rimmel. I haven't found a drugstore concealer perfect for blemishes, but Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer and Match Perfection Concealer are amazing for under eyes. Brightening and covering, they are pretty damn good.

Powder: This one goes to Bourjois on the back of their Healthy Balance Powder. It's just insane. Mattifies the skin without compromising on glow or finish. This doesn't make your makeup look heavy or cakey, it just takes the shine away!

Bronzer: This was an easy one, it's all about The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer, which is perfect for any other pale skinned ladies out there. It's matte and most importantly not orange toned, long lasting and easy to apply - you can't go overboard with this stuff.

Blush: I couldn't pick one for this category, because I've yet to find any blushes that really hit the spot from the drugstore. Revlon and Bourjois make blushes that are okay, but nothing that will blow you out of the water.

Eyeshadows: Sleek do amazing big palettes, but my personal favourites are the quad offerings from Rimmel. Buttery soft, pigmented, and a great colour selection, you can't go wrong with these, and they're so affordable. They also have amazing cream shadows too!

Mascara: L'Oreal take the crown for this one, without much competition. I have yet to try a mascara from them that I haven't loved. My favourites are the Volume Million Lash Excess and False Lash Telescopic Mascaras.

Brows: This one goes to Soap and Glory for their Archery Brow Pencil, a perfect affordable version of the Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil. I could get rid of all my other brow products for this. Easily.

Lips: This is a tricky one. For glosses I love Maybelline's Colour Elixir Glosses and Coloursensational Shine Glosses, but for lipsticks, Rimmel do amazing ones. The Kate Moss matte ones are great, and the Moisture Renew Lipsticks are good too.

That was a long list! What are your top picks?

Staying Inspired

Staying inspired when creativity is your business can be tricky. Being creative isn't something you can do on demand, but there are things you can do to help stay inspired!

1. Find images that inspire you, and create a little collection. I've created a board on Pinterest for gorgeous blog photography (have a peak here!), where I pin images I love to inspire me when I'm struggling on the blog photography front. I'm a  incredibly visual person, so images really help me! 
2. Get out. One of the best things for me is to get out an explore. If I'm in London I go for a walk along the river, or to somewhere I haven't been before, and if I'm home I go to the beach. Sometimes you just need to get out and get some fresh air to get the ideas going. Oddly, I have my best ideas walking home from the tube station.
3. Clean up. You know the phrase, tidy home, tidy mind? Yeah, that. If I'm feeling stumped for ideas I like to get up, tidy up, clean something or organise something. I'll light a few candles, and come back to my desk feeling like there's a fresh start happening. 
4. Read something, but don't read too much. There can be too much thing as too much content. Read a book, or check up on your Bloglovin' feed, but don't overdo it. Allow yourself to be inspired by content other people create, just don't outright copy it!
5. Change tasks. Sometimes when you've been working on something for a long time, it's hard to stay focused and inspired. Switch it up and tackle something else on your to do list, and come back to whatever's got you stumped. 
6. Create something different. Whether it's trying a recipe you've seen on Pinterest, trying out a DIY, or writing a letter to an old friend, just try and channel creative energy into something else.

What are your top tips for keeping inspiration?

Braids Best Friends

So, braids are having a bit of a moment aren't they? Until recently, when I thought of braids I thought of the face stretchingly tight pair of french plaits that my mum gave me whenever there was a dance show or someone in my class got nits. Oh the glamour.

But you only need to look at Pinterest, or any blogger's Instagram to know that braids are back, and it looks like they'll stick around a while. Over the last month or two I've been experimenting with braids a lot more (more on that soon) and I've assembled a small army of products and tools to help make complicated hairstyles so much simpler.

Let's talk products first. There are two occasions when I tend to go for a braid, the first being when my hair is freshly washed and I haven't had time to style it. Freshly washed hair is a total pain in the ass to braid, it lacks the texture and grip necessary to make chunky, messy plaits, it either sits perfect and super tight to your head (a la nit braids), or it falls out. See, nightmare. However, I've literally found the perfect solution, and it comes in the form of Bumble and Bumble's Texture Undressing Creme. This stuff was made for braids and messy bedhead styles I'm sure of it. I take a tiny amount, the size of a pea, and run it through the lengths of my hair. It feels quite tacky but it dries and just makes your hair feel thicker and grittier. Perfect. It also offers a bit of hold too, so when you pull apart your braids to make them look messier.

Also good for this scenario, the V05 Give Me Texture Texturising Spray. This stuff is the drugstore equivalent of the purse achingly expensive Oribe Dry Texturising Spray, and it's fantastic. I like to spritz this into my finished braid before I pull it all apart, and it just makes it look a bit better.

The other braid necessary occasion is when my hair really should have been washed already and I just didn't do it. Bad Jaye. But you know, it happens, and on those occassions it's all about the Co Lab Rio Dry Shampoo, which smells great and doesn't leave a powdery residue in your locks.

Hairspray is of course, a given, I love the Fudge Urban Iced Vanilla and Raspberry Hairspray, because not only is it a great hairspray (there's not much to say about hairspray is there?), it smells FREAKING AMAZING. Seriously.

Moving on to more tool-y things, first off, these tiny little elastic band hair bands, they are amazing for braids. I always pick up the clear ones from places like Claire's Accessories, and they're just great because you can't see them in your hair. Especially if you're doing something where you are pinning the braids up, they're invisible and they don't leave lumps in your hair either!

Also handy are these big hairdressing clips, I got mine from Sally's Beauty Supply, but I'm pretty sure you can get something similar in Boots! These are great for when you're only braiding a section of your hair, they hold everything else back! Easier to clip in and out than using a hairband (and they're great for blow drying too!).

And lastly, I find that if I'm wearing my hair in a simple side braid, or just braiding a section of my hair, I want a little more volume in the roots of the rest of my hair, so I've been taking to my mane with a Backcomb brush. Again, I picked this up in Sally's for about £2, and it's great, I just use this to tease the roots of my hair at my crown, to make it look less sleek!

That's everything I can think of! Is there anything that you find essential for braids?

I Am Not A Fashion Blogger

 This week I played fashion photographer for my friend Aftab, and his humongous wardrobe, and after three hours of posing and two large coffees, he insisted on snapping a few pictures of me. Now I can take selfies with my friends and snap pictures of my makeup until the cows come home, but try and take pictures of my outfits and I freeze up.

I can't smile, I don't know what to do with my arms, I awkwardly cross my legs over to hide my giant ballet thighs. It's a problem. I'm working on it.

The other thing is I tend to either like my outfit, makeup or hair. Sometimes two but never all three. You can see that here I've put very little effort into my makeup, and I've relied on a braid to save me from my bad hair day. Braids are the best for these kinda days!

I'm trying to introduce a few 'smartish' pieces into my wardrobe at the moment, or at least items of clothing that make me look like I've made an effort when I really haven't. This top was a Primark find, but the quality is actually really nice. I'm pretty sure I've never paid £12 for something from Primark before, but this definitely feels nicer than most of their stuff! I normally shy away from tops with collars like this, being the proud owner of pretty generous basoomas, they aren't always the most flattering, but with the right bra this definitely works. I love that this looks like a shirt and jumper layered, it's kind of taken the effort out of outfits for me! Pair it with some skinny jeans and I'm done! It has this annoying habit of blowing up and making me look with child in the wind, but I can overlook that!

I ended up with these shoes after wearing these shoes out and not being able to stomach it any longer. They were meant to be a cheap stopgap for my bleeding feet, but I actually quite like them, and they're surprisingly comfortable. I'm not normally into loafers but I think the loafer/ballet slipper mix makes them a little more wearable for me!

 WHAT I WORE

TOP - PRIMARK | JEANS - TOPSHOP | SHOES - H&M | HANDBAG - MICHAEL KORS | NECKLACE - H&M | LIPS - NYX BUTTER GLOSS IN PEACH COBBLER

Fresh Beginnings

I'm back! You didn't think I'd be gone too long did ya? I can never stay away from this place too long, and turns out a few days of thinking was all I needed to feel refreshed and reinvigorated, and in fact, full of new and (I think) exciting ideas for new content!

I was struggling because I kind of feel like throughout the last year and a half of daily blogging, I've fallen into a bit of a content rut, producing the same, or at least very similar content over and over with different products, and I've been looking for new ways to mix things up a little.

So lets talk about what you can expect! First off, and most importantly, beauty content is not going anywhere. Talking about makeup and skincare and everything that goes along with it is something I love, and getting to share and interact with you guys over it is amazing. Beauty content is here to stay. However, I want to change the way I present it slightly, hopefully you're going to enjoy the content just as much, if not more, and hey, you may not even notice a difference, but I will!

I also wanted to find a way to introduce something a little different too, mostly out of fear that eventually I will run out of things to say, or you will get so bored of reading about makeup you'll internet blacklist me. So, I'm going to slowly introduce a few different posts, maybe a few fashion ones, certainly some health related things, hopefully some shopping related bits, and fingers crossed, a lot more tips and advice posts. I want you guys to read this blog and enjoy it, but also take something useful away too.  The main focus will still be beauty, but there will be a few other posts in there too.

I debated with merging this blog with my lifestyle blog, but I kind of want to keep this blog for sharing beauty, tips, advice and useful content, and keep my lifestyle blog for sharing my life. I feel like the content I write there is very very different, and I just don't feel comfortable merging the two. If you're into lifestyle content, you can follow me over here.

And lastly a word on scheduling. I've decided that for the next couple of weeks, until my dissertation hand in in March, I'm going to allow myself two days off a week. Hopefully I'll return to daily posting soon, but until then, you'll find a new post here Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Hopefully you guys shouldn't notice too much of a difference!

Thank you again for your continued support, I love you guys so much!

I'll see you all on Wednesday for a brand new post!

xxx

7/52

The weeks are just flying by right now, I'm sure Christmas was only yesterday? This week has been a good one, much much better than the last few weeks. I feel a lot happier, a lot more comfortable, and less stressed. I still have a lot to do, but it feels less scary right now. 

I spent last night making lots of plans for my beauty blog, I'm excited to tweak the content over there and create something a little different to what I normally do. 

My Valentine's day was a bit of a wash out, everything kind of went the wrong way. I think sometimes people think when you've been with someone for a long time, it's all smooth sailing, but it's pretty hard. It's hard to keep things hunky dory all the time when you live with someone and have to wash their socks. But I think little arguments are good, they keep everything out in the open. I don't know much about relationships, but I do know the worst thing you can do is keep things bottled up. Anyway, we are hoping for a V-Day redo this week, so there's that to look forward to!

Have a lovely week!

xxx

Flippin' Good Pancakes

I hope you guys are having a great weekend, I just wanted to pop up again and let you guys know about a little event going on this week! 

If any of you are in central London on Tuesday and have a hankering for pancakes, then head on over to Ethos Foods on Eastcastle Street (just behind Oxford Circus). They're hosting a flip your own pancake event to help raise money for Battersea Dogs and Cats home!

What better way to get your pancake fix this week, than raising money for a worthy cause! The pancakes are gluten free too, so surely that makes them less of a cheat? The event starts at 3pm so if you get a chance, head on down and help raise some cash!

The Little Life Clear Out

I've been trying to take little steps to declutter my everyday life, everything just feels a little busy right now? I'm just making little steps to try and make everything seem a bit more minimal, nothing dramatic, but just stuff that will help make my day to day life a little easier.

First off, unsubscribing from junk emails. This takes a lot longer than you'd think. I'm trying to do them as they come in, rather than just deleting them, and I feel like I'm getting nowhere! However, I feel like this is one of those tasks where when I get there, it'll be so worth it. I get so many emails trying to convince me to buy stuff and really, I don't need anything. Or any persuading to buy stuff!

Clearing out Twitter and Instagram followings. When I started my accounts I think I just mass followed everyone I came across and three years down the line I'm regretting that. This is another one of those work in progress tasks, because I feel awful unfollowing people, but I'm just not interested in their posts! I waste a lot of time on social media too, so the less people I follow, the less I'll have to look at! 

Wardrobe sort outs! I came to the realisation that I literally have about three outfits that I wear on rotation with different accessories, but my wardrobe is bursting at the seams. I find I hold on to clothing a lot for sentimental reasons, but realistically, I just don't wear any of it. 

In a similar vein, my desk has gone from being super pinterestable to a total clutter zone. My task for today is to find a way of storing all my shit so that it's not just out everywhere! I may need to spend a little time on pinterest! 

Do you have any tips on decluttering your day to day life?

Little Things #3

I really need to make more of an effort to acknowledge the good bits in each week! This week has been a very good week, and it was so easy to pick out the best bits to share with you. I've hung out with a lot of awesome bloggers this week, I'm one lucky lady!

1. I got the week off to a good start, with a coffee date with the beautiful Rebecca from From Roses, and A Little Opulent. I can confirm she's one of the nicest people I've ever met, and she's a Starbucks girl too, which puts her way up in my estimation. We chatted for far too long, and I had to fight the urge to beg her to be my best friend. 

2. I made a sneaky little ASOS order this week, and ended up with the biggest grey knitted scarf. It's the cosiest thing I own and I don't plan on taking it off until the sun comes out for good.

3. I've been on a mission to reinspire myself this week, and I placed a big old Amazon order (I waved goodbye to my Prime account this week, a sad occasion) of books to help with my uni work. The great thing about my uni course is that a lot of the books that help me for Uni help me with blogging too! 

4. In a similar vein, I've been making more of an effort to get out and about in London, it's such a beautiful city and I definitely don't appreciate it enough! This week I met The Boy after uni one day, and we went for a stroll around Picaddilly, Green Park, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. It was just as the sun was disappearing, and I think that's when London is it's most beautiful. I love this city so much. 

5. The boy also got bonus points this week for picking me up not one but two of my favourite pots of Guacamole from Whole Foods. They didn't last long. 

6. I got lucky in Waterstones and managed to snag this beautiful Rifle Paper Co calendar half price in the sale! It was definitely a Rebecca inspired purchase, her Instagram made it look irresistible!

7. I've been playing with different hairstyles this week, and actually quite liking the results! I'll have to do a blogpost soon on Bed In The Kitchen!

8. I got a midweek pick me up in the form of a Wagamamas date with my gorgeous friend Daphne, it was much needed! Even if she did laugh at me for my atrocious chopstick skills. 

9. New baby cacti to add to the family! Cacti are the only plants I can keep alive, so I'm going all out with a cacti corner! I'd like to spray paint the pots copper but I'm worried it'll be a cliched blogger thing!

10. And saving a major highlight for last, I saw Tami this week! Tami is essentially my soul sister, and I always feel amazing after spending time with her! We filmed some videos so keep your eyes peeled for those, and we ate half of the Waitrose patisserie counter. No regrets. Not one.

Taking A Break

For a while now I haven't been enjoying this little corner of the internet as much as I usually do. I'm not really sure why, maybe it's because I am just kind of bored with traditional beauty blogging? I have reached a point where I'm talking about beauty products all the time for Uni and this blog and it's all getting a little bit too much. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm bored of talking about lipsticks.

I've decided to take a little beauty blogging hiatus temporarily. I'm not 100% sure when I'll be back, I think I need to take a little time to re-evaluate my goals for Bed In The Kitchen, and revamp my content, maybe to something that's not entirely beauty related? I'm not so sure.

I've been really enjoying blogging over on jayerockett.com recently, and I'm going to try and keep up with that, but I think I need to put the beauty posts on the back burner for a bit. Right now I kind of feel like I'm writing content that I think you guys will like, rather than content I like, which isn't really what this blog should be about.

I'm not entirely sure when I'll be back, but I will be back! In the meantime you can keep up to date by following me on twitter, instagram, facebook or my lifestyle blog.

I'd love to know what posts you guys love to read, so that I have a bit of an idea for when it comes to putting together some fresh new content!

Thank you all so much for your continued support, I love each and every one of you.

See you soon! x

Thoughts I Have in the Shower

This water's not hot enough.
Why am I awake?
Why is the water so weak in London?
I'm covered in water so why is my skin getting dryer?
This waters still not hot enough.
Oh my god I have so much to do today.
How is this razor blunt I've only used it once?
Maybe if I can make the bathroom really steamy my voice will sound better.
Better make the water hotter.
Nope. Doesn't sound better.
How does that song go? That one that's stuck in my head? It can't just be one line?
Ow I have shampoo in my eyes again.
I've got so much to do.
I'm not going to procrastinate like yesterday.
I'm going to achieve so much today.
Ooh Pretty Little Liars was on last night, I better watch it once I'm done.
This water is still not hot enough.
I'm not sure I like this shampoo. I'd better go to Boots today and buy another.
Oh and that lipstick from Bourjois.
And a new black eyeliner.
And maybe some new polishes from Essie.
And I could swing past the Chanel counter.
If I go as soon as I'm dressed I'll have plenty of time to work after.
This water still isn't hot enough.
I wonder if there is life on other planets.
I wonder if there are other planets with humans on.
I wonder if the people who made Battlestar Galactica are secretly government officials trying to tell us how life on Earth came to be.
I really should watch Battlestar Galactica again.
This water is still not hot enough.
Can I still use gingerbread shower gel when it's not December anymore?
I need to hurry up, I have so much to do.
Does this water get any hotter?

Champagne Shimmer

I've got a real obsession right now with all things champagne coloured, I'm all about getting that shimmery glow to my skin. Maybe it's because it's so dark all the time, I'm trying to compensate by going light and bright with my makeup!

Let's start with complexion products! Highlighting your skin can make a massive difference to how your skin looks, it really adds a lot of light and dimension to your face. My every day go to is the Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade, which is like the baby version of champagne shimmer. I like to apply this under my eyes to set my concealer, over the tops of my cheekbones and down the centre of my nose too, and the effect is just amazing. It really softens the look of skin, and adds a lot of brightness, it really helps with under eye circles, and it's a beauty for making your skin look naturally healthy and glowy.

For evenings, filming, or if I just want a bit more impact, The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer is my girl. This stuff is like pressed flakes of pure gold, I'm sure of this. It's pretty intimidating in the pan, but with a light hand and a good brush, MAGIC I tell you. This one is great for cheekbones, browbones, inner corners of your eyes, and even as an eyeshadow.

For a more subtle option, if I'm feeling a cream product, I love the Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand. One click is the perfect amount for cheekbones and browbones, I just dot this where I want it  and blend it out with either the Nanshy Blush and Bronze Brush or my finger tips. Subtle and sheeny as opposed to sheeny, but a real beaut.

My go to for the summer months when I'm rocking a bit of a tan (HA!) is the Benefit Watts Up Highlighter. This is pure golden, thick and creamy, it's intense, but with careful application it's incredibly beautiful. Best paired with seventeen layers. Does anyone know why they bothered with that crappy sponge on the end?

When it comes to eyes, my go to look is champagne lids with a flick of black liner. I opt for the Josie Maran Coconut Watercolour Eyeshadow in Playa Del Pink (totally not pink) a lot, it's easy to apply, longwearing and pretty intense, but if I fancy a powder, I go for the shades in my Marc Jacobs The Lolita Palette. Just. Look. At. It.

And lastly, a nail polish, because who doesn't love sparkly nails ?! This is one of my favourites for when I need a little sparkle in my life it's the Maybelline Colour Show Brocade in Knitted Gold which has gold glitter of all shapes and sizes. Perfect.

Are you a champagne lover?

Budget Beauty #10

Let's talk budget buys! A lot of my daily go to products right now are from the drugstore, they just seem to be kinda killing it?

Let's start with two Rimmel products, one I love and one that I had a slight issue with. I picked up the Lasting Finish Foundation in 100 Ivory, and whilst I liked the finish of this (it's medium to high coverage and matte but not too matte and obvious) a) I can't get around the smell, it's heavily fragranced and really strong and b) it made me break out like nobody's business. I wore this once and then passed it on to someone who will hopefully love it! I also picked up the Lasting Finish Powder and this I really like, it's got a good coverage to it but it doesn't look or feel heavy on the skin at all. It just mattifies and gives a pop of extra coverage, I've been reaching for this for over the top of the tinted moisturisers, it's the perfect accompaniment!

I've had the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara on hand for a while now, waiting until I'd used up a few other mascaras, and I finally cracked this out last week and boy am I impressed. Generally I really get along with L'Oreal mascaras, and this is no different, it really lifts and coats each individual lash, meaning you get lots of volume but no clumpy or thick looking lashes. Love this.

I recently got my hands on The Body Shop's Colour Crush Lipstick in 18, a gorgeous coral shade. In the bullet this is incredibly bright and poppy, but the formula is really sheer. So essentially what this does is just impart just a drop of colour, but because it's bright it lifts the face. Still subtle and perfect for everyday, but a nice way to brighten up the look.

And lastly I wanted to mention a body product, this is the Dove Cream Oil Body Bar, and I've actually been using this to shave my legs with. I've mentioned before that I have a serious problem with shaving my legs, no matter what products and razors I use I always get awful rashes all over my legs for 24 hours after (a great excuse to put off shaving though haha). I've been using this in place of a shaving gel and it's fantastic, it's super creamy and hydrating, but it's also pretty neutral, and hurrah, no rash! The best thing is that these last forever and never cost more than 99p!

What have you been loving from the drugstore recently?

Easy Like Sunday Morning

 I so needed a weekend in Bournemouth, fresh air, peace and a view other than dirty side streets. London is amazing, but it's also pretty smothering, and after two weeks there I long for the countryside. We headed home late on Thursday for family time, puppy cuddles and some R&R, and it was definitely much needed, I feel so much better now! 

On Sunday we decided to grab some lunch at The Kitchen Club, the restaurant attached to the local Golf Club, before heading back to London. The views from the restaurant are amazing, stretching out over the golf course, with more trees, lakes and open grass than you would find anywhere in London. The Kitchen Club is my favourite Sunday morning hang out back in Bournemouth, it's got a really chilled, laid back vibe, there's usually live acoustic music on Sundays, the drinks are reasonably priced, the food is delicious and I just love the decor. 

I normally opt for a 16 Hole English Breakfast, but I couldn't resist a pizza this week. They've got a giant pizza oven which really gives them the most delicious flavour. The pizza bases are really thin too so they don't feel too heavy. The boy and I spent a lazy hour and a half eating pizza, listening to music, knocking back a couple of pints of lime and soda water, and planning out our next few weeks. It was pretty blissful, the perfect way to spend the last few hours before heading back to the smoke!

This was probably the last lazy morning I'll get to have for a few weeks, so I definitely want to savour the moment!