Beauty Haul!

   [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7pKIM0cx7o]

So...I went shopping. Well, most of this was ordered online so it doesn't count, right? That's what I'm telling myself anyway. I actually got a lot of this on sale, or with discount codes so it was all a good deal. There's a few Boots bits, some stuff from the Cosmetic Company Outlet, one thing from Feel Unique and then a Sephora order!

I have also bought a few clothing and techy bits so if you want to see a haul of all that stuff, I'll film that next!

What have you been buying recently?

One Thousand Followers

This is a post I never in a million years thought I'd get to write. When I started this blog, it was more about having something to do in the lonely evenings in my new London flat, and having somewhere to spiel about makeup after my friends got bored of listening. I thought it would be just me and my mum here for the long haul, but now it seems there are a few more of us!

Hitting 500 followers was incredible, but 1000? That's just surreal. In the week since we hit 1000 here, we've somehow managed to get to over 1200, I'm not even sure how that happened, but I'm so proud of this little blog and how far it's come.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support, whether you follow on Bloglovin', silently watch, or if you're getting involved in the comments section, you guys all mean the world to me, and it's crazy since we've never met! I'd like to meet you all and give you a big squeeze, but since I can't, how about a little giveaway?

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of lipstick, and my current brand of choice is Lipstick Queen, a brand I stumbled across one rainy day in Space NK. I'm hooked on them now, so I figured, why not give you guys the chance to get hooked too? The shade I chose is Saint Coral, and although it looks quite dark in the bullet, it's a sheer formula so it's actually quite bright on the lips! It's a super wearable, moisturising coral, perfect for summer! Have a google of the swatches, it's gorgeous!

Giveaway Rules

This giveaway is only open to readers in the UK, I'm SO SO sorry about this :(

You must follow me on Bloglovin' to be entered, all the other entries are optional!

This giveaway is for genuine readers of my blog. Compers will automatically be disqualified.

This giveaway will run for exactly two weeks, ending on the 24th of May 2014

Wishing you all the best of luck! And once again, thank you for your continued love and support <3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let's Talk About Boobs.

Okay girls, let's have a heart to heart shall we? We are getting serious today, we need to have a chat. It's about our boobs.

Recently my Mum picked me up this hoodie (there's a matching tote too), and introduced me to the charity CoppaFeel!.

CoppaFeel!'s mission is to help give everyone the best possible fighting chance against breast cancer, by encouraging everyone to get to know their boobs. CoppaFeel is the brainchild of Kris and her sister. Kris, at 23, had her lumpy breast dismissed by her GP as hormones, six months later, she returned from travelling with a still lumpy breast and to cut a long story short, she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, that had spread to her spine. At 23. How terrifying is that?

Now, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who just assumes that breast cancer is something that only affects older women, right? Well I was wrong.

Now Kris has a fantastic team around her, and together they're fighting to raise awareness, and empowering women to take control of their own health, because breast cancer DOES NOT need to be diagnosed late. It's about getting to know our own breasts, so that if something is unusual, we know about it ASAP.

So what are CoppaFeel! doing? Well for starters, they're campaigning for us to rethink cancer. They (and I) strongly believe that all young people should be taught about cancer, and how to live a healthy life from a young age, instilling good habits from the beginning!

They're also encouraging women to CHECK THEIR BREASTS. Let's be honest here girls, we all know we should be doing it, but how many of us actually do? Luckily, CoppaFeel! are helping us out here too. First off, they have a comprehensive guide for what you should be looking for, and they can also text you reminders to do the deed too, it's as easy as naming your boobs, entering a phone number and hitting send. No excuse now ladies!

This is so important guys, one in eight women will experience breast cancer in their life, and the sooner you catch it, the better chance you've got. There are over 1200 of us here now, scarily put that means that 150 of us here could be affected. Put that way, it terrifies me. 

So what do you do? First, check out CoppaFeel!'s AMAZING website, right here. Then read up on how to check your boobs here. And don't forget to sign up to be reminded to check those puppies here. You can also follow them on Twitter, here. And if you've got any cash hanging around, why not make a donation, or buy yourself an awesome boob hoodie? Mine's super cosy, warm and soft. They have other merch too! 

Thanks for listening guys, I love you all <3

The Best of Cream Blushes

 (L-R, Tarte Cheek Stain in Tipsy, Smashbox Cream Blush in Captivate, Topshop Cream Blush in Morning Dew, Max Factor Creamy Touch Miracle Blush, Chanel Creme Blush in Revelation, Estée Lauder Pure Colour Cheek Rush in Pink Patent, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Fresh Melon, Chanel Creme Blush in Intonation)

I never used to be a cream blush fan at all, but I think I was looking in all the wrong places. With a couple of notable exceptions I do believe that the best cream blushes are found on high end counters. 

I was sick of using cream blushes that either took off my foundation or had disappeared from my face after an hour. However, once I discovered the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Fresh Melon, that all changed. This is what I'd describe as a true cream blush, it applies as a cream and whilst it does 'set' into the skin, it stays looking creamy and natural. It's got perfect pigmentation, not so heavy that it's easy to go overboard, but enough to not have to use too much. The wear time of this is fantastic too, it really stays put for most of the day, I do however find if I'm heading out in the evening that I like to top this up. This can also be used on the lips, it's a little dry but over lip balm it's fine. The colour is gorgeous, kind of a dirty peach shade. This is definitely the product that kick started my cream blush love affair.

After that was the Topshop Cream Blush in Morning Dew, a cream to powder formulation in a perky pink shade. Because it has a more powder finish it does tend to last longer than your average cream blush, although it doesn't have the best lasting power of all the blushes here. This is definitely a favourite of mine for summer months, because the shade is quite bold. You can sheer it out if you buff it in loads, but for the most part this is quite a bright cheek colour. These retail for a mere £7, so a good budget option!

From here things went from bad to worse for my budget, as I fell in love with the Chanel Creme Blush in Revelation. I was working in Boots at the time on the YSL counter which was directly opposite the Chanel counter, you see the problem here? I think I held out two weeks, swatching them on every shift, until I caved and picked one up. These almost have a moussey texture to them, and they really set into the skin and last all day easily. This shade is a dusky pink kind of shade, but I also ended up picking up the shade Intonation from the spring collection, a gorgeous bright coral.

Then came my dalliance with the Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink. This, like the Bobbi Brown offering, has a real 'traditional' cream blush formula, it stays looking slightly sheeny throughout the day, but really just looks so natural on your skin. The colour is really pretty, it's a good natural everyday pink, and the product is so easy to work with, you can even apply it with your fingers. The packaging is pretty cheap and crappy but it's small and compact which is always good (it makes me feel like I have less makeup than I actually do). 

Back in January I picked up a Smashbox set in the sale and inside was the Smashbox Cream Blush in Captivate. This is the darkest of all the blushes here, it's a warm pink shade with reddy undertones, but once you blend it in it looks really natural. Out of all the blushes here this is the only one I tend to reach for in the Winter months because it's not as bright a shade. The formula's great and it lasts really well on the skin.

A recent addition is the Tarte Cheek Stain in Tipsy, which kind of reminds me of a giant stick deodorant. This is almost a 'watercolour' blush, it's quite sheer, which makes it super natural looking on the skin, it just leaves a coral sheen to the cheeks. Because it's got a bit of a stain quality so it sticks around really well throughout the day. Perfect for low-maintenance makeup days.

And the newest addition to the blush roundup is the Estée Lauder Pure Colour Cheek Rush in Pink Patent, one of the strangest products I've ever used. It's a liquid blush dispensed from a pump which is strange to start. I've found the best way to apply this is to dispense a little onto my hand and apply it with either my fingers or a stippling brush. This is the most natural looking blush I've ever used, it just looks so natural. And the best thing is that once this is on, it's going nowhere.

Coming into Summer I always reach for cream blushes more, and I would wholeheartedly recommend every single blush mentioned here!

What are your favourite cream blushes?

7 Moments from 7 Days

Via Instagram: @jayerockett

Being reunited with my favourite polish: I smashed my favourite nail polish a few weeks ago, and it was almost IMPOSSIBLE to track down a replacement. I call it The Essie Button Effect, once it's been mentioned by Essie Button, it sells out! I finally tracked this down in a dingy Boots in Middlesex, and I couldn't be happier. Essie Splash of Grenadine, it's love.

My new handbag love: meet my new baby, it's Steve Madden and it's love. It's the perfect everyday size, big enough for my purse, phone, makeup bag, and my iPad. What more could you want? 

Being reunited with my kitten: who's not really a kitten anymore, she's approaching three (they grow up so fast don't they?!), I only went home for a day, but it was worth it, I got to spend time with my family and my kitty!

Encouraging young women to check their breasts: A weird one I know. If you haven't yet please check out CoppaFeel! 

Enjoying a glowier makeup look: my skin has been a little dry recently so as well as reaching for a more intense moisturiser, I've been reaching for makeup that gives a little glow. Namely, the Benefit That Gal Brightening Primer, Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation and The Balm Mary Lou Manizer Highlighter. Good stuff, good stuff.

Got a Sephora order!: I've been putting it off for ages but in the end Daphne and I placed a joint one to protect our budgets from the blow, and maaaaan is it good. Check out my YouTube Channel tomorrow for a haul!

Went for cocktails with friends: sometimes it's good to just kick back and relax with friends and a cocktail or two. In my case two was enough and I may or may not have fallen in the toilet.