Coming Up!

Heres some of the blog posts I am going to be working on in the next couple of days.

• Loreal Shampoos and Conditioners: a review of the full range


• MAC Semi Precious Haul and review!


• The Lowdown on anti wrinkle creams.


• The Lowdown on cleansers.


• The Lowdown on loreal foundations. Are they worth the price?


• Loreal Face Primer Review


• Autumn Make up trends!

My top 30 beauty tips!

1. Always wear sunscreen even on cloudy rainy days
2. Using a face primer such as Maybellines “The Smoother” can reduce the appearance of pores when put on before foundation. I also use a little bit under my eyes and the concealer and i find this avoids the concealer sinking into fine lines.
3. When plucking eyebrows, take a step back every so often to gain perspective and avoid overplucking!
4. There is such thing as over shampooing and conditioning. Less product is more, so it might explain your greasy hair!
5. Change up your hair routine, have a couple of shampoos to change it up so hair doesn’t get used to products and stop them working!
6. Everyone should exercise until they sweat at least once a day.
7. Find your skin type and buy for your skin type. For ages i felt my face was so tight and dry after cleansing, turns out i was using a cleanser for oily skin when i should have been using products for dry skin.
8. To solve under eye bags, a cold teaspoon or teabag in the mornings can help get the blood flowing! Just pop in the fridge.
9. Alternatively stand on your head!
10. Alternatively use concealer with added in highlighter for a bright eyed look.
11. Exfoliating twice a week removes dead skin cells and makes a girl look radiant. St Ives do a great scrub as do body shop.
12. Fake tan is much safer than a real one ;) I love palmers (the guys who make cocoa butter) gradual tanning moisturiser. It really gives you a nice natural tan
13. This summer, bright nails are in! Want an even brighter nail? Use white nail varnish then your choice of colour to make it go PING!
14. Hair should be semi dry before applying conditioner for it to actually work. Just wring out most of the water before applying conditioner or towel dry it for 10 seconds for the conditioner to actually do its job! The more wet your hair is the more product is diluted.
15. Sleep can give you wrinkles you know! I often wake up with lines all over my face because i sleep on my side and my face scrunches up. Silk pillows or sleeping on your back can avoid this!
16. Never turn your nose up at a product before trying it. I often find the products i find “boring” to look at, when tried on i end up hearting.
17. Hair spraying bobby pins will keep them in your hair longer!
18. Baby oil is a girls best friend, not just a babies
19. If yours lips are super pigmented and that lipstick is just not showing up, use concealer on your lips first.
20. Run out of dry shampoo and 10minutes late for work. Face powders also work.
21. Heat plus any nail varnish = a bad time. Keep in a cool place not on your window sill or bathroom. Same goes for perfume.
22. White eyeliner or beige can really make you look like you got up hours ago! Not 5 minutes ago....
23. To get the ultimate bed head, hairspray + hairdryer! Beach look without the beach.
24. Thinner layers of nail varnish, not thick!
25. Using head and shoulders all the time is not necessarily good for dandruff as it is known to dry out your scalp if used continuosly.
26. I cannot stress the importance of cleansing and moisturising before bed!
27. Ran out of black eyeshadow? Black pencil eyeliner can also double as an eyeshadow to make a great smokey eye for nights out!
28. Treat your hair once a week to a leave in product or hair old mask. It really mkes a difference.
29. A great way to add a pop of colour is plum mascara or blue eyeliner.
30. For thicker eyelashes, put eyeliner on your top waterline.

Sorry for being away, but now some blog fun!

Sorry for being away! Exam time again and I needed to concentrate since they were my finals but now i'm back! So i'm gonna go through my summer favourites! Pictures are not mine :)


In the summer (even though its hardly been hot here in the UK!) i hate using foundation. I am a huge believer that natural beauty should shine through in the summer so after much searching and testing I have decided Laura Merciers Tinted Moisturiser is not only the best on the market right now but is perfect for summer skin. It blends beautifully, covers up imperfections a treat and does not feel heavy or sticky. Its not huge in price compared to others ones like Clarins or Clinique and there are about 10000 different shades to choose from :)

I always ask myself, when do i become a woman? Is it when i can finally wash my towels so they don't feel like sandpaper? Or can confidently walk in heels or own a diamond. I can officially call myself a lady now i own Chanel No5, a very generous 3 year anniversary pressie from my loved one. It smells lovely, Ive been hounding after it for months, never daring to buy because of the hefty price tag. It sits centre stage next to britney spears curious, lacoste touch of pink and vera wang princess, outshining them all! (sorry brit i still love you though!) Probably not the summery of all scents, its timeless, sophisticated and womanly - i am officially a lady! Now for that diamond ring.....

I discovered this little beaut after learning Christine from temptalia.com uses a version of it to exfoliate her lips before those famous lip swatches are photographed. I bought myself some in the mint flavour (although you could get bubblegum and vanilla). You basically scrub your lips with it, its kinda like sugar, but not harsh enough to destroy your lips, although afterwards they are heavenly soft and smooth, perfect to wear lipstick without looking chapped! It was £4.00 i believe, but i can't see myself getting through it for a long time!

I finally got my hands on it! The urban decay naked palette has become my go to for summer eyeshadows. Spring for me was all about pastels, but the neutrals and metallics in the naked palette are perfect for summer tanned skin. When i go away on holiday this is all i am going to need! They feel like butter, their pigmentation puts mac to shame and with a free mini primer potion (although i will say I'm gonna stick to paint pots, wont be buying it in full size) its worth the purchase!


Other summer loves:
- feather earrings
- natural hair
- Mac blush in warm soul, gives off a tanned vibe!
- Lady Gagas new album and Katy Perry!
- Strawberries
- Going for jogs at dusk
- Reading old novels, I'm currently working my way through Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland
:)

MAC Quite Cute Haul and Review: Part 1

So here in the UK, the MAC quite cute collection came out online MONDAY! I ordered it and got it today (Wednesday) but due to not being able to see and actually swatch things, can only review the things I was 100% about getting. These are the 3 nail varnishes, the Giggly mineralize blush and the Cutie Quad. When I can actually see the lip products in store then I’ll probably get one or two or even three of them!

So let’s get started... “Little Girl Type” “Mischievous Mint” and “Ice Cream Cake” Nail Lacquers. I am a sucker for nail laqs, particularly pastel shades! So I jumped at the chance of grab all three of these. All three are cream finishes and are to die for shades!! However and this is a big however, when I put them on I found them a little hard to work with. Starting with Little Girl Type, which is a pure lilac. No shimmer, no frostiness, just a lovely true lilac. This is the hardest shade to work with. The texture of all three are very very liquidy and if you get too much on your brush you’ve ruined it and too little and it comes off a little streaky. Get it just right and it looks to die for. Ice Cream Cake I was hoping would be a little paler; instead it’s quite a hot pink, which does suffer from the same streaking problems as the previous. It is not a dupe and nowhere as close as Steamy in the permanent line. It’s a lot less bright and slightly lighter. My personal fav has to be Mischievous Mint. This went on beautifully and is a colour I have long been searching for. It’s going to be a perfect shade for spring and summer. All three probably need a light coat first and then a light coat second as well, I found a heavy coat did not look as good and suffered from streaking

Giggly Mineralize Blush

This was the only blush I KNEW I had to get; the others in my opinion would need to be swatched before I decided to purchase them. I love this blush, its pale pink with a lilac heart in the middle and I love it when MAC makes products which are a little bit different. I think I may even get a back up of this I love it that much!! It is very similar to MACs permanent line blush dainty but on the cheeks, somehow that little Purple Heart makes it look like a more “natural blush. I don’t know how it did it! It is also a teeny bit bigger than the normal mineralize blushes for the same price .

Cutie Quad

I usually always get the limited edition quads even if I’ve heard bad things. This one was no exception but despite bloggers describing it as “sheer” and another let down quad by MAC I find the colours very workable. The light green is incredibly sheer, but in the inner corners and brow bone is a very subtle highlight. The light pink I am disappointed with, because I really wanted an opaque pink. The light and dark purple are true to their colours and are very pretty for this season and complement each other very well. A word of note however, this quad is sheer and might not come across on both very light and very dark skin tones, it is something you have to see in person.

My New Favourite YouTuber!

This girl is simply amazing! I recently discovered her and am so glad I did, her looks are to die for! She does really alternative looks such as Bellatrix LeStrang from Harry Potter (My personal Fav) and Corpse Bride! And she does them so so so well, she has the talent and skill of a mature make up artist! You go girl!

http://www.youtube.com/user/GenG123456789

Review: Benefit High Brow Pencil

This is a review for the Benefit High Brow Pencil, designed to be a brow lifting pencil, to make eyebrows appear higher, sharper and more defined. It is described as a “stroke of pink genius” which you will be pleased to know I couldn’t agree with more! I had never seen this product before so when I did I was really excited because it just seemed so simple and easy, and it wasn’t that badly priced. It was £14.00 for quite a large chunky pencil, which I can see probably lasting me my entire life!The packaging is simple; it comes in a box which has a bit of paper inside describing how you use the product. On the front of the box is a picture of the pencil which if you can’t get the pencil out to look for yourself, is a scale representation in size of the product. The pencil comes in only one colour “linen pink” which is the ONLY fault I can find with this product because it may not work on darker skin tones. The colour is a perfect highlight colour, a light pinky beige. Al you do is draw a line under your brow and blend a little. Voila! Perfect highlight. My brows look perfectly plucked and defined me couldn’t ask for a better product. The actual pencil does not snag or pull on the skin because it’s not as harsh as an actual pencil; it’s very fluid and glides across without any aggravation. I couldn’t ask for a better product/highlighter. So happy
Final Thoughts: Everyone go buy now :DFinal Rating 10/10

Review: MAC Pro-Longwear Foundation

I was always very funny when it came to liquid foundations, and i don't really know what it was that prompted me to buy the MAC pro longwear foundation. I suppose i got dragged into the hype of a foundation "that gives upto 15 hours of wear" and i had been meaning to get a mac foundation for a while.Packaging:It comes in a glass bottle, which can have both its pros and cons. I consider it to be sturdy, while others would probably argue it is very easy to break. Thats entirely upto you. It has a cool lock feature, to ensure no foundation will leak when in your bag i suppose.Value:It costs £22.50 or $35.50 which I personally did not feel expensive for this product. Any drugstore foundation is only a little bit cheaper, so I think its worth that little bit more. It comes with 30Ml of product which I also did not consider too bad.Product:I myself have very very dry skin, so finding a foundation is hard. Its hard to find one that does not irritate, flake or look plain old crusty! However i found this foundation to be very moisturising! A first!! It did not make my skin look flaky and just went on perfectly over any dry patches! I was keen to investigate whether or not this "15hours or more" staying power was true, and my working conditions are just perfect to test it. I work in a supermarket, constantly rushing around, exposed to both dry heat and coldness for 10hours a day without time to touch up. Upon putting the foundation on it provides a very even, perfect coverage. It looked like i had been airbrushed!! I was impressed. When i came home 10hours later i found, although i looked less airbrushed, it was still holding up, incredibly well might i add! It was covering the redness, undereye bags and ache a treat!! Overall i would give this foundation 10 out of 10. I couldn't think of any way it could be improved and would recommend to anybody :)

Final Thought: This foundation has no flaws in my opinion. It stays on for 15 hours + and has a really good coverage.

Final Rating: 10/10!

Review: Clean&Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser

This is a review on the clean and clear deep action cream cleanser. This is my number one go to product when cleansing my face.First of all the clean and clear range is a favourite of mine, I can't really say why, I just think their products do exactly what it says on the packaging so they are pretty trustworthy and are relatively cheap for quite a lot of product.The product is a cleanser, it is designed to clean deep into your pores, remove make up and dirt and oils on the skin, however i would not recommend it for a make up remover (I made that mistake!!) Definitely take your make up off first, then use the cleanser. After using it, i definitely feel cleaner, my face feels clean and fresh and i feel like i can trust the fact it does remove all dirts and make up, just because of the way my face feels after. When applying it, use with water and apply all over your face and your face will experience a really bizzare feeling, like tingly and cool! Its really hard to explain, but when i wake up at 5am, it wakes me up! Its got a sort of "zing" to it! Haha!It is oil free so it would be ok to use on all skin types, both dry and oily. My skin is the dryest known to man, and this product was very kind to my skin and did not make it feel tight in anyway, which was a relief! However i did feel the need to moisturise after (you always should girlies!).However the product is not anything AMAZING. It does what is says, it removes dirt and make up and oils and cleans your face and that is it! Its no miracle cleanser it just does what a cleanser should do for a very good price and with a really nice smell :)

Final Thought: This is a really good product for the basics of cleansing, it cleans your skin, wakes you up and you can rest assured that all traces of dirt and grime are gone!

Final Rating: 9/10

Review: Clean&Clear Blackhad Clearing Daily Scrub

This is a review on the clean and clear blackhead clearing daily scrub. I suffer really badly from blackheads on the cheeks, nose, chin and forehead in particular so was really drawn to this product especially since on the front it states "See fewer blackheads after 1 wash!". Pfffttt yeah right!!!Ok this product is not bad. Its very good for its value, you get quite a lot of product and its not that expensive. It has quite a thick texture, and the product itself contains lots and lots of tiny little beads, which have the consistency of, in my opinion, gravel! You use with water, all over your face and it is supposed to lift away the dirts and oils that cause blackheads. The formula is VERY harsh, but that is something i like about it, but i understand that others will not. I like the fact that it scrubs my face because i feel like it will clean it more effectively and do a good job at exfoliating it. But those with very sensitive skin should probably avoid this product because it is literally very very harsh.Using for a week on my face, it DID NOT get rid of my blackheads, which i don't think anything will other than extracting them! But i do see it as a good preventor of getting blackheads, as it really scrubs the dirt off your face. But a good cleanser should do that anyways, which kind of removes the point of this product. It also has a slightly unpleasant smell, kinda cucumbery but I don't particularly mind it, but it could bother people.
Final Thoughts: A good exfoliator, but does not get rid of blackheads. I do end up with very very clean skin, and i do believe it gets rid of every last bit of dirt on your face, but it would probably be a little too harsh for some people.7/10

Review: Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Daily Wash

This is a review on the Neutrogena Deep Clean Daily Wash. Its a bit of a boring product really, but a staple skin product in my books. The product promises to cleanse deep into pores without overdrying for fresh skin. It is for all skin types and is oil free.The product itself is like a gel, that you use on your face with water and it turns into a foam. I use this product when I'm in a rush, its always next to my sink for those days when i'm in a super hurry and not giving a crap about what i wash my face with. It just basically cleans your face and thats all its gonna do. When i went through a major breakout, it did not prevent that, or help clear it up. It just washes your face!Its meant for all skin types, and in the winter i did feel a slight tightness on some areas of my face. I definitely feel that if you have dry skin, or oily skin you should get a product suited for that type of skin, while this one is for all skin types I don't believe that. I feel it can only really be for normal skin types as I am a big believer of shopping for your skin type!The smell is rather pleasant, but in my opinion the packaging looks a bit cheap. You decide! ;)Also one thing that reallly annoys the hell outta me about this product is the nozzle, it faces the opposite way! Just my ocd i think, i dont know if that would annoy others?
Final Thoughts:I think the product is a standard skincare product, its something good to have for if you run out, or are in a hurry and it definitely cleans your skin if thats all you want out of it. It was fairly cheap, if i recall i got mine for £1.99 and its lasted me about 8months for 200ML so its pretty good value. It just doesn't do much else other than clean!

Final Rating:8/10

Review: Neutrogena Rapid Clear Wipes

This is a review on the neutrogena visably clear rapid clear wipes. These wipes claim to reduce spots in 8hours, which is one of the reasons I bought these wipes. They claim to reduce redness, swelling, spot size in 8hours or less, so you can tell why I was drawn to the product!The wipes are just like any normal make up wipe (but don't use them as make up wipes, they are definitely not for that purpose). They just look like make up wipes, which you wipe all over your face and voila! Very very easy to use.I like this produce ALOT! It lives up to the claim that it gets rid of spots in 8hours. Usually if i feel like I'm going to break out, i will use one wipe before i go to bed and wake up with visably clearer skin. I don't know how they do it, its amazing!!The wipes themselves have a very strong smell, and you can tell when you use them on your face they are very strong, so perhaps not for the most sensitive skin types, however my skin is fairly sensitive and I did not have any reactions. When you use them and look at the wipe after, you see all the dirt and grime come off on the wipe, its amazing!One thing I can fault the product on is the packaging. As soon as i opened the pack it split and does not seal up properly which is kinda annoying because its causing the wipes to dry out. Also you only get 25 wipes, and if i remember correctly they were not cheap, so you couldn't use them every day or you would go bankrupt!Final Thoughts: I love these wipes, i definitely feel like they wipe dirt and make up off my face from really deep into my pores, and really do reduce spots in 8hours. As i said though, on the back of the product it recommends using day and night, i would only use them when you have a breakout though, since they are quite expensive and you only get 25 in a pack.9/10

Monthly Mascara Challenge - February - Lancome L'Extreme

Like many women, I am on the never ending quest to find the worlds best mascara. My lashes are hideously short, stumpy and straight! So my aim to find the best mascara out there, by reviewing one a month! This month its Lancome L'Extreme!

I wanna be super clear, i have the worlds smallest, shortest unvolumised lashes. I am always searching for mascaras that make a difference because I am all about the eyes!I was wandering aimlessly around a department store, not really interested in any of the brands, when the lancome lady urged me over and asked what I was looking for. I tested their mascaras and all were very very good which suprised me. But i'm incredibly fussy about brushes. I love the Benefit BadGal brush and throughout my search kept coming accross brushes which were too skinny, too weirdly shaped or too gloopy. So i dismissed most of the lancome mascaras because of this, but due to pressure and being afraid of wasting the ladies time I bought L'Extreme, walking out feeling a little depressed with a mascara i'd bearly use.
But when i got home and took all my make up, i was very very very VERY (can't emphasise enough) pleasently suprised. The formula was really nice, not gloopy, liquidy or thick. It was just right. The brush wasn't like BadGal, its a lot skinnier, but was just right, no fancy curves or funny shapes. It hasn't clumped so far, the brush is sorta shaped so it won't (hard to explain!). The formula doesn't smell, which i'm also really funny about, i tried a dior one which had the most horrible smell. It lengthens and curls my lashes and if teamed up with an eyelash curler my lashes look amazing! Its not so much volumising, so if you already have long eyelashes and want volume this one is not for you. Its for us gals with tiny lashes :) I felt the price was OK... It was £20, which is very expensive compared to drugstore mascaras but for a high end brand which does a lovely job i believe its worth it. In comparison with BadGal which is £18 and Dior which is £21 i believe its worth that little bit more because its such amazing quality.
The only problem is the bottle, its a beautiful shape, will look lovely on any vanity. It looks very posh and is slightly curved. But i cannot for the life of me get it to stand up! It will stand up if your super careful, but the base is skinnier than the middle so its sorta out of proportion.
I would recommend to any ladies, especially since Lancome is often looked over as a brand. Its somewhat of an hidden gem which i believe everyone needs to look at :)

Final Thoughts -This mascara is AMAZING, and is probably going to be one that I will stick with for a long time now. The best so far

Final Rating - 10/10

Review: Maybelline "The Smoother"

Here I am going to be reviewing Maybellines "The Smoother",a primer that Maybelline states is "instant anti aging" and retexturises the skin.
I bought this product for about £8.50 in my local supermarket. The jar is reletively small, it is a tiny bit bigger than a MAC paintpot and contains a little more product aswell. The formula itself is a clear, see through gel which feels like silk in between your fingers. I acutally believe it or not had never tried a primer before, but i generally was just looking for a product to use on my eyes to stop eyeshadow creasing.
The smoother is exactly that, it smoothes. When applies to my skin it is like a sheet of velvet, which makes my skin beautiful to touch. Go to your drugstore and test it out, it literally will make you want to buy it. It kind of fills in my fine lines and smooths out the appearence of my skin making it look a lot nicer. However when used on the top of my eye, it is SO smooth that the eyeshadow will not stay on! The product just would not transfer there! I found that when it did about halfway through the day the same beautiful soft touch was still there, BUT my eyeshadow had creased and my mascara had even seeped under my eye because my skin is just SO soft!
So i decided to use it as a primer on my face instead, putting it on my cheeks and face to a base to my foundation and blush. This works really well, it creates the perfect silky smooth base to put foundation on to give a wonderful airbrush finish. As for anti aging, it does fill in the fine lines, i get some around my nose (weird huh?) and when i put the smoother on, it does exactly that - it smooths my skin out! Its pretty amazing. Just such a shame it doesn't work as well for the eyes!

Final Thoughts: Looking for an eye primer? SKIP! If you want the perfect base for foundation, this deffo does the trick

Final rating 8/10

Welcome

After much umming and faffing I decided to set up a beauty blog. As one of my passions, hobbies and obsessions with all things girly and beauty (and being a part time luxxer but somehow never feeling appreciated!) i decided blogging would be the best way to go! So heres a little bit about me.

I'm 21 years old, currently go to lawschool.
I am a youtube addict!
I love pugs and hopefully am getting one soon :D
MAC is my favourite make up brand although i never turn my nose up at any brand.
I live in the UK, so some brands like OPI etc.... are a little rare for me.
I like to review and haul ;)

I'm gonna put up some reviews that i've done on luuux right now so i have a little something on here