Tuesday 29 July 2014

Event | BareMinerals in Bristol

On Friday of last week myself and my gorgeous blogging friends Eltoria and Melody made our way to House of Fraser in Bristol to a bareMinerals beauty blogger event. Hosted by the lovely Ashton (my lovely ex-Benebabe friend) and her colleague Joseph, we had a wonderful evening, munching on the most amazing cup cakes, trying out all of the mineral enriched makeup and having our nails painted by the lovely lady at the Estee Lauder counter.



The evening started with Ashton showing us all the 'Swirl, Tap, Buff' technique for applying the mineral foundation. In the picture below, Ashton has applied the Original SPF 15 Foundation to Eltoria. It's such an easy way and such an effective way to apply loose powder and gives such a great coverage - something I never thought you could get with a mineral powder. Made with only 5 ingredients, all of which are minerals, bareMinerals Original Foundation is very kind to the skin and covers blemishes with the easiest of touches. 


We all then received our make-unders and got to try out the individual techniques ourselves. Something that I love about bareMinerals is that the MUA's get you to try it out yourself so you know how to do it when you get the product home! 


Myself, Ashton, Eltoria

Myself, Eltoria

The bareMineral's team were so lovely and we came away with a very generous goodie bag, in the most gorgeous pink and white stripped paper bag. It contained a lolly pop, a mini version of their Mascara and the cutest mini Moxie lipstick! All products are photographed below! I also bought the bareMineral Starter Kit (at £50 for 8 products including a full sized foundation and 3 brushes), an eyeshadow, an eyeshadow brush and also the Night Serum! 


bareMinerals Starter Kit - such good quality for the money!

Mini Mascara from the Goodie bag!

Mini Moxie Lipstick in 'Speak your Mind' - goodie bag
Active Cell Renewal Night Serum

Above has to be one of the best photos of the night, Eltoria taking a selfie and me doing only God-knows-what! 


I had such a great evening and came away with an amazing array of bareMinerals products to try! A full review on the Starter Kit will be coming in a couple of weeks! You can get any of the products mentioned in this post at any bareMinerals counters or online here.

Thank you Ashton for a lovely evening yet again!


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Sunday 27 July 2014

Review | Proactiv Pressed and Loose Powder*

Keeping my skin clear is something that, along with most teenage girls, I am constantly battling with.  I religiously use my 3-step skincare routine morning and night, but those pesky spots still manage to get a look in! Do I cover with concealer and Foundation? Will this clog my pores? There are a million questions that us girls would love answered regarding what is best for our skin and none of the answers would ever be the same when asked to different people. With so many misconceptions surrounding skincare and healthy skin, there's no wonder that we find it hard to find that 'perfect' balance with products and a spot-free face.


'Wearing makeup to cover my blemishes will just clog my pores even further' 


The above quote was recently released in a press release from Proactiv where they 'busted' the myth. There are some kinds of foundations where there can be a risk of pores clogging, however Proactiv have come up with a brilliant Loose Powder which is both light and yet gets the job done! The 'Proactiv Solution Sheer Finish Mineral Loose Powder'* is a wonderfully light powder which is talc-free and gives great coverage. I have been using 'light' which has been perfect for my skin, it balances my skin tone really well and covers my blemishes and blemish scars without looking too 'over-done' like some foundations do. I've found that it hasn't created any dry patches on my skin and also doesn't cake up when my face gets a little moisture added to it (be this sweat - gross - moisturiser or even rain) - that's always a great feature of a loose powder. Since using this Mineral loose powder instead of my usual liquid foundation, I've definitely noticed my skin has cleared up more, such a bonus and another reason to keep using  mineral powder!


I've also been trying the Proactiv Solution Sheer Finish Translucent Pressed Powder*, which I've found (on days that I've wanted to wear liquid foundation) does wonders at getting rid of any unwanted shine and helps cover blemishes better. It's a great pressed powder and is easy to dust over the face, like the Mineral Loose Powder, it doesn't go cakey - always an issue when wearing liquid foundation also. 


Have you ever tried Proactiv products? Would you give these powders a go?


You can pick both up here on the Proactive website for £13.95 each. 

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Friday 25 July 2014

Hairstyles that Rock | Festival Hair with House of Fraser

Forget about the Mud and the camping, the wind and the rain and just think about that perfect Music festival just like I did in one of my recent posts 'The Ideal Festival' . The Sun would be shining, you would have your favourite festival get-up on and your favourite band would be playing... But what's your hair doing? For me, one of the tough decisions when it comes to festivals is my hair. What to do with it? What will keep it looking fresh? Do I just 'bung it up' like I do for the Gym and hope it lasts the weekend? Of course not! A music festival is one place to show off your style, not just with the fashion but with your lovely locks too. Below are a couple of my fave Festival hair looks and the products I've used to achieve them!

I have very long hair and so festival looks can be quite difficult for me but with some dry shampoo, a good de-tangling brush and the lovely Aveda Be Curly Enhancing Hair Spray which is available at House Of Fraser, it can become quite easy to tame that mane. I absolutely love this product because for girls with straight hair like me, it helps to enhance a natural wave (I'm sure with naturally curly hair it will do much more wonders). I would use this when my hair was wet before creating my first look, this would then help keep the wave of my plait and give a lovely effect for day 2's high pony and would help keep the hold of day 3's messy bun. 

Of Course, for a festival you can take these styles into your own hands and vamp them up with flower crowns, scrunchies and so on! 


Day 1 - The Side Plait / French Plait - Now, I'm not too skilled with my hair, so for me this look is only a side plait, but for this look ideally it would be a french plait to the side of your head. It's a great look, keeps the majority of your hair out of the way and can look really really pretty with flowers intertwined in it!


Day 2 - The high Pony - I am a massive fan of the high pony, I think it's a classic look and with some beachy waves can really look great. Pop on a flower crown or a flower hair tie and you're good to go, festival style!


Day 3 - The Top Knot / Messy Bun - A classic look for when your hair has had enough, spritz in some dry shampoo (My favourite is the Batiste range, available here) pull out a few messy strands and go crazy with a band or two and some bobby pins for extra sturdiness. Spray with the Aveda Be Curly Enhancing Hair Spray and you've got a rock solid look for your festivals last day!



*I did not use the Aveda Be Curly Enhancing Hair Spray when taking these photos (I'd ran out - cry!)

You can pick up Aved Be Curly Enhancing Hair Spray in House of Fraser or online at their website here for just £17.50! 

What would your festival hair be?


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Tuesday 22 July 2014

So...? Scentsational Must-have fragrances*

I just cannot get enough of new perfumes this summer! I've been stocking up on all of my faves and am no longer the girl that maybe uses the one her Mum gets her for Christmas every now and again . I am a girl who is in love with her fragrances and I just cannot help buying more and more, so when this lovely little things popped onto my doorstep, I couldn't wait to give it a sniff. 


I've always been a fan of 'So...?' scents, growing up I've adored their body sprays and always had one in my gym bag at school ready to freshen up with. Hearing that their range was expanding even more was great and with such well priced fragrances in more and more scents, I don't know where you can really go wrong with these. There literally is a scent for everyone with the So...? fragrances and better yet, each one has a body spray version too. 


I chose the gorgeous 'So...? Burlesque' fragrance and was surprised with how nice it smelt, however I did find it a little musky for my complete liking. The fragrance really captures the theme of 'burlesque' and definitely smelt sassy and sultry with lovely floral and fruity scents. The top notes of Blackcurrant and the heartiness of the rose really stood out to me and it mixed really well with my skin giving a gorgeous finish. 


Even though this one isn't completely to my taste with the strong musk that I got from it, I still love the overall smell once it has sunk it to the skin and cannot wait to try some more from the ever expanding range. With prices as great as £5.99 for a 30ml bottle and just £9.9f for 50ml, what isn't there to love about these?


Will you be giving these a try?
You can get them here in Boots!

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Sunday 20 July 2014

Review | Clarins 'Eau Des Jardins' Treatment Fragrance*



Being a massive lover of perfume, the moment this package arrived with a knock on the door by the postman, was a very good moment. I've always wanted to try Clarins' products, however had just never gotten round to it - I hadn't heard much about their makeup range and have always been so set in my ways when it comes to brands that I always loved. Now I realise that I've definitely been missing out!


'Eau Des Jardins'* is the latest in a line of three treatment fragrances from the famous brand. First launched in 2010 this fragrance is part of a trio and is partnered with a shower gel and body cream in the same gorgeous zesty, floral scent. It also comes as the third instalment in the Clarins treatment fragrances. Starting off with the legendary 'citrus-fresh' Eau Dynamisante all the way back in 1987 and then following along with Eau Ressourcante in 2003, Eaud Des Jardins fits in nicely to complete a best-selling trio of treatment fragrances to die for. Eau Des Jardins is the 'Floral' of  the three (the other two being Citrus and Woody scents) and it smells devine. It has a perfect blend of 10 aroma-theraputic essential oils including the zesty orange, lemon and grapefruit and the loveable favourites that are cedarwood, white musk and wild rose. I'm not normally a fan of florally scents, but this one really is lovely, It's quickly become my go-to fragrance and I wear it almost everyday now.

I think the one thing that disappoints me about this product is it's appearance. I have a pretty strong feeling that this is the reason I haven't bought anything from Clarins before. The packaging doesn't entice me, something about it just feels a little old, dated maybe? It's a shame, because it's such a lovely perfume and I think if it looked a little better, more people would be drawn to it and pick it up off the shelf. However, regardless of that, this is almost certainly my new favourite perfume. I can do nothing but thank the lovely people at Clarins for sending it over to me to try and the other two are now most definitely on my shopping list!


You can buy yourself this scent or any of the other three scents in the range here at Boots for £32.

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Friday 18 July 2014

OOTD | Kimono lovin'


Short but sweet! I have absolutely fallen in love with this fringed flowery Kimono from Cameo Rose at New Look. It works so well with simple dresses like this other New Look number and also just with jeans and a cami. It's so versatile and I'm in love! This heat in the summer is something I could definitely get used to! What staples are you loving this Summer?


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Tuesday 15 July 2014

Review | Nail HQ All In One Nail Treatment*






I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before or not, but I have terribly damaged nails at the moment. They always split, they break so easily and every time I wear a nail polish for more than three days not only does the paint chip, but also my nail. I don't know what's wrong with them or why they're so weak right now, but I give absolutely everything a try when it comes to getting them stronger.


The latest on my list of 'things to try to make my nails stronger' (yes I kind of have one of these) is NailHQ 'All In One'* which is basically a base/top coat and also a miracle worker for making nails stronger (as far as I'm aware so far). I haven't been using this for very long, but it sure seems to be doing something a little better than the rest that I've tried from the likes of Rimmel and Nails Inc. Made for 'dry, brittle, soft and weak nails' this nail formula is made with Argan Oils and essential minerals to try and nourish the nails back to life. For me, this means a good coat or two before applying my nail colour - although with the results that I'm seeing from just this, I'm tempted to go the 'whole hog' for a week and just use this everyday. By reapplying the solution everyday to a clean and dry nail, I'm hoping that it will be able to resurrect my nails with a bit more breathing room. So far it's worked wonders and I can definitely see myself using this for a longer period of time to see more results. It's been so kind to my nails and I've most definitely noticed a lot less splitting and a firmer and stronger nail (when they finally grow).  Especially made for the repair of nails after Shellac, Acrylic or the like, no wonders it does great just on my naturals!

You can Pick up NailHQ nail solutions in a variety of formulas, for all kinds of nails, here at Amazon or in Tesco stores from just: £7.99.

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Sunday 13 July 2014

Gallo Family Vineyards Summery Apple-scato Cocktail*

Needing that perfect Cocktail for those summery days? Well look no further, this easy to make and deliciously fruity cocktail should be the top of everybody's list for summer, with Wimbeldon, the World Cup and these extra hot and long days that we're having here in the UK, there is nothing better than sitting back with a glass of wine and just relaxing. This cocktail brilliantly blends Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato* with Apple Juice, Ginger Ale and Honey to make the most gorgeous, barbecue ready cocktail for Summer. 

I made some for my family - why not give it a go yourself with the directions below? 





Gallo Family Vineyards Apple-scato Cocktail*

Ingredients:

2 ounces of Gallo Moscato*

2 ounces of Apple Juice

1/4 ounce of Honey

1 1/2 ounce of ginger beer

Candied ginger

Sliced apples to garnish


Directions:1.Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice.

 2.Shake to blend and chill.

3.Strain into tumbler

4.Garnish with sliced apple and candied ginger

You can pick up Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato in most local supermarkets! 




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Friday 11 July 2014

Review | Sunkissed Instant Tan*

As you may have noticed over the past couple of months, I've been on a instant tan hype. I've been non-stop trying out the latest tans and the best in the business. The next on my list was the Sunkissed Instant self Tanning Mousse in Medium Bronze*. Unfortunately, due to the (incredible) Coconut scent, I had an allergic reaction to this tan and had to get it off of me as soon as I could - One downside of being incredibly allergic to one of the nicest smelling and widely used ingredients ever. However, as you may also know, I have a younger sister who is my tanning companion - granted, it's usually her applying it to me, but on this occasion, she stepped up to the plate and bronzed up.


Like a lot of other Fake Tans at the moment, this bottle has a pump dispenser with no aerosol. Such a great feature and one that I have loved for ages now, it makes the application process so much easier and doesn't make a mess, like other bottles I've had the experience of using. It was lovely to apply and with the use of the Sunkissed Applicator Mitt*, it rubbed in nicely to the skin. We were also pleasantly surprised with how moisturising the mousse was once applied - normally there is a stigma of fake tan's being quite drying and yet this one blows that straight out of the park. This Instant tan also states nothing about washing off in the shower - so we didn't. It really is instant and only needs the shortest amount of time for the colour to build nicely. Just allow the tan to dry and pop your clothes back on!


I can't say that I've found a nicer tan before now. If only I could wear it! It looks so lovely on Holly and gives her such a natural glow. I also love that there is no fuss - it's just apply and go (if we're doing it right that is!). We both definitely agree that this is one to get!


Sunkissed Instant Self Tanning Mousse* is available here for just £4.99!


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Tuesday 8 July 2014

The Ideal Festival | With Boohoo.com

It's been a while since I've been to a Music Festival. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that I'm not too keen on the whole live in a tent for the weekend, with no nice accessible toilets, kinda thing. Now, BooHoo.com have come up with an amazing idea and have given me free rain on designing my ideal Music Festival, this is my kind of blog post! So, here goes, this would be my dream festival.


I would share a tent with my best ones - forget the boys, this music festival would be all about me, my girls and the music! The Headliners would definitely have to include, my McFly boys. We all know, I could not go to a festival that didn't have them in attendance. The Second headline favourites would have to be Thirty Seconds to Mars. A combo, but that's what festivals are all about! Parking and bottles of water would be free for all attendees, who can be dealing with that anyway? Definitely not me, there are things that should not be allowed to have a charge against them! I definitely would not be able to attend without my solar shower - a girl needs cleanliness! Wedges are a must for this festival, because it would be on the beach  and the theme would have to include summer - a proper beach party kinda vibe. And obviously, you wouldn't be able to leave without those great little celeb spots, such as Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevnigne just walking around with the rest of us normals! 

Of course, with the perfect festival, there needs to be, the perfect festival outfit. Here's my top BooHoo.com picks for my festival ensemble.


festival ideal

What would you ideal festival / festival outfit be?
You can check out all of the items in my ideal festival outfit here

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Sunday 6 July 2014

Premium Beauty | Wishlist

Premium Beauty - that phrase we all swoon at as we walk past the many 'high end' beauty counters in Boots and department stores such as House of Frazer and Debenhams... If I'm honest, I can't help stopping by and swatching every lipstick I can. I love a little Premium Beauty and can't help myself from splashing the cash on those coveted faves and anything else I fall in love with. At the moment, I'm wishing about the below - some definitely on next months pay day packet wish list!

What Premium Beauty buys are on your wish list?


premium makeup

premium makeup by beky-lou on Polyvore

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Friday 4 July 2014

Review | Rituals Shikakai Secret Shampoo & Conditioner, Energy Bubbles, Bath foam*




Rituals have always been a brand that I've wanted to try and so when I was generously sent these gorgeous products to try, I genuinely squealed with excitement. Their 'Brilliant Bliss' Shampoo and 'Shikakai Secret' Conditioner are gorgeous hair products that have done my hair wonders. Both products are made with Indian Rose and Shikakai (a native Indian plant which as been used to make hair care since ancient times, cleverly named as it means 'fruit for hair' in Indian) and are loved for their 'nourishing and ultra-shine' capabilities. The Shikakai is included to give your hair a healthy shine and the Indian Rose, for a natural relaxing quality. I absolutely loved how soft my hair felt after using these products and how much nicer it felt even after blow-drying. I also loved how easy it was to use the conditioner as a hair mask, by leaving it on a while longer. 

There is nothing like a good bath! And this Rituals Energy Bubbles 'luxurious bath foam', definitely made for a good bath! This bubble bath is up there with the best, creating a lather of gorgeously scented bubbles, perfect for a bubble beard - a bubble bath is not a bubble bath if the bubbles are not up to scratch and you cannot make a bubble beard!! This product made my skin feel so soft after my bath and it almost made me feel like I didn't need to moisturise straight after. 

I've been so impressed with these Rituals products and I cannot wait to get trying some more! 
You can buy Rituals 'Brilliant Bliss' Shampoo here for £9.50, 'Shikakai Secret' Conditioner here for £9.50 and the 'Energy Bubbles' luxurious bath foam here for £13.50.

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Tuesday 1 July 2014

Review | Beanies Flavoured Instant Coffee*

I was recently contacted and asked if I would like to try out some new flavoured instant coffee's from Beanies. Not being able to drink coffee myself due to an allergy to caffeine where I go super hyper, I was reluctant to accept them at first. But after talking to my Dad, I chose my four flavours generously offered to me and handed them over to him when they arrived. An avid coffee drinker (try 4-6 mugs!) and lover of all types, (caffeinated, decaffeinated, instant and ground coffee), I asked him to give them a whirl and see what he thought. 


Turns out we already had a packet of Beanies' Very Vanilla Ground Coffee in the fridge - always a good start! He'd picked this up once before and repurchased it because of his love for the strong aroma and great taste. The Ground Coffee, with a medium strength, was great because of its ability to be varied when it comes to the strength when strained through the Caffetiere. He's a lover of the strong stuff!


Onto the jars of Beanies Instant Coffee*, he was originally a little sceptical that they wouldn't taste as good as the ground coffee, however was proven wrong. Beanies recommend that you heap a nice ol' teaspoon of coffee into your mug, but dad (liking his coffee strong) has found that one and a half teaspoons is perfect for him and it still keeps the defined taste of each flavour! His particular point (that he was very keen to point out) was that he could differentiate easily between the different flavours, something that surprised him and has now made him lean more to the flavoured coffee section of the supermarket than to the bog standard coffee, when buying more. Well done Beanies - you've made him a changed man!


He also wanted to compare these to the syrups that you can buy to add to coffees and other hot drinks, stating that with those, you are less likely to get a fuller flavour and more likely to get more of a sweetness, something that he has never liked. Beanies, for him, is a great combination of the smooth coffee he loves, with a great added flavour that isn't overly sweet. 


Out of the four that we were sent (Rich Hazelnut, Double Chocolate, Caramel and French Vanilla) the Rich Hazelnut was his favourite, the flavour was as lovely as it smelt (as was with all of these - way to go!) and it didn't have a burnt taste, like some roasted products can. His least favourite of the four was the Double Chocolate, but only because it had a bit of an overpowering bitterness for his taste, strange considering he's a lover of dark chocolate also. However, he was surprised that these had a full coffee flavour as well as the added taste, not something that you can usually have with other flavoured brands. 


Overall, I think it's fair to say he's found a new love with Beanies' Coffees. He's already come back from the supermarket this past week with another jar of 'Irish Cream' flavoured Beanies instant coffee - his new favourite with a smooth creamy taste (even though he drinks his coffee black)!


You can buy Beanies' Coffee here online for around £2.50 each or in Sainsbury's stores nationwide!


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