Favourite Drugstore Mascara

Hey guys, sorry I haven't blogged much lately, but Ive been busy sorting a post graduate placement, which has taken up quite a lot of my time. 

This post is about my favourite drugstore mascara, which I actually think, is my all time favourite mascara. Its the Barry M Lash Vegas mascara and it is incredible. I use this almost daily, even when I am going out at night. Its amazing, it is long lasting, it doesn't budge or fall down under the eyes throughout the day! 

This mascara not only lengthens, but adds volumes and thickens the lashes, it gives them a dramatic curl too. It almost looks like you have falsies on! 

I really can't rave about this mascara enough! I would recommend this to anyone, especially those that don't like shelling out a lot of money on mascara... like I don't. The Lash Vegas is only £6.99 from Boots or Superdrug and it'll last you for months! 

 Whats your favourite drugstore mascara? 

First Outfit Post; Holiday Midi Skirt

This kind of post is a first for me, so bare with me as I play around with it. 

I also want to just say, I am not the most confident person with my body size or shape, and there are loads of things I would change, however after reading through one of SprinkleOfGlitter's latest youtube video, and seeing how brave she is, I thought I would give it a go.

Recently I went to Prague on holiday, and quite a few of my friends really liked the outfit I am about to show. 

Its a really simple, yet elegant summer look, perfect for holiday or even just at home when you're going out for lunch etc.

I love the midi skirt, and this has become a staple in my wardrobe, this one is from Primark and only cost me £10, a bargain if you ask me!

I love that its such a girlie colour, that can be teamed with almost any other colour, its a slight waffle effect, with a linen lining underneath, and comes with a brown waisted belt.

I love how light weight this skirt is, and floaty and girlie. ahhh I just love it. The smallest part of me, and my favourite 'body feature' is my waist, as its quite small, and I have an hourglass figure, so this skirt nips in at the waist and flares out to hide the fact I have chunky legs and a big bum.

I teamed this with a light pink shirt, from Dorothy Perkins sale which was £10. Again a gorgeous piece that I have put with loads of other things too.

This is a light flimsy shirt, but not see through, with a panel on the front, to cover the buttons, and a collar. 

This was perfect in the 36 degree heat which I was suffering in in Prague. 

I had cream flip flop sandals on, with gold studding in the middle, and flowers all the strap, these were Primark from a few years ago, but I know they stock similar styles now. They were super comfy to walk in all day, and gave your feet room to breathe in the sweltering heat. 

My accessories consist of a white Primark Satchel, which was £9, and was just perfect. 

It carried everything I needed it to, with extra pockets inside for my phone, lip balm, purse etc, and it was a lovely summer colour. 

I think satchels add a little extra class to any outfit, and they're handy to keep your hands free.

Lastly I had some 60 style sunglasses, also from Primark for £2. I have been after these for ages, and when I found them I was ecstatic. 

These are just cute and girlie, and tied the whole outfit together, especially as it matched colours.

So, just a few snaps, from my holiday to Prague, I hope this gives some style inspiration, and you guys like it.

Love In my Language Book Review

I recently discovered Alexandra Elle on Instagram, (all places to find her I will leave at the end) after liking a photo, of a quote, very apt to my life at the moment, I decided to check out the rest of her account. I was very pleased, to discover the quote had come from a book, her book, Love in my Language (available on Amazon) and without hesitation I brought it. 

The book is a cute, and very unique take on Love, with poems and writings, exploring love from different angles from the author. From the moment you pick this book up, you are captivated, to its diverse range of rich language, and its exploration into feelings, which many of us can relate to. I love the layout of this book, each page adorned with a different tale, each as empowering as the other, whether its a three lined poem, or a two page story. You cant put the book down, You don't want to put the book down. 

I also liked the simplicity of it all, the black cover, with simple white writing, the non- frilly language, and the amazing idea of having a notes section at the end to 'write your language' spurring you on to believe you too can write your own language for love. 

I enjoyed this book, as it was a light read, I don't read as much as I would like to, and unfortunatley I am someone who is on social media all the time! But this book gave me the relaxing time out I so desperately needed from the real world, and transported me to a world of Love from Alexandra's point of view.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, one in which I think will inspire me for years to come. 

Where to find Alexandra Elle: 

Instagram: Alex_Elle

Twitter: AISFORALEX

Maybelline Dream Nude Airfoam

This product, was one I was very sceptical to try, I used to have the dream matte mouse as a foundation when I was about 15 and just starting out with make-up, so I wondered if this was going to be similar, but better (if that makes sense?)

I love this foundation, Its so light and blend-able, its not high coverage, so is great if you want a lighter make-up look, or you're on holiday and want slight coverage. 

It doesn't feel cakey when its on, or clog on the skin, it glides on smoothly and blends really well with either a brush or your fingers. 

The shade range is great, and is suits skin tones well, to give a natural finish, however I wouldn't recommend this for dry skin, as it dries it out further. 

I went for 020 Cameo, because I had that colour when I had the Dream Matte Mouse, which suited me very well. 

I also like that this has a pump, so you don't lose a lot of the product in a glass bottle where it pours out!

The Airfoam is very affordable, and does everything it says; gives a nude perfect finish, using its air infused foundation techniques. 

I would 100% recommend this, if you're starting out with make up, or just want a light coverage foundation, this is perfect for you!

 

Have you tried this before?

Lush Bath Bomb; Spacegirl

Recently, I have been a little stressed with life, and I have found baths a great help de-stressing. I love Lush Cosmetics, and have quite a little collection of items stored up ready to use.

The latest bath bomb, which I had never tried before was the SpaceGirl bomb, which has instantly become my favourite.
This is shaped like a spaceship, and is purple and pink with hints of glitter all over it, and it smells divine.
I simply popped it in while my bath was running, and let it do its magic.
The bomb, dispersed giving off a beautiful girlie sweet smell, perfect for relaxing in. It then mixed in with the water to create a beautiful fuchsia pink colour.
This is a lovely bomb, as it leaves you feeling squeaky clean, and is cute to relax in as well as beautifully smelling to ensure your bath is so heavenly you don't want to get out.. just what I've needed!

(Please excuse my rubber duck)

Lush do a fantastic range of bath bombs, you're sure to fins one you like.
What one's would you guys recommenced for me to try next?

Healthy Snack Inspiration

Now that the nice weather has actually arrived, and it's starting to really feel like summer, it's the perfect time to get healthy snacking and take advantage of eating fruit. 

I am on a bit of a health kick at the minute, and I am trying to eat better, and drink more water, and so far I'm not doing too bad. However, I am a serial snacker, and I am a bordem eater, which now I am home from university, I find myself bored a lot of the time. But I am making a conscious effort to swap the crisps for fruit and vegetables... and these are two of my favourite snacks.

I love making fruit salads. They're so versatile, you can put any fruit in and mix it up any way. 

In this case I used banana, Strawberries and Grapes, and sprinkled with some Canderel (a lot fat sugar). This is so quick and easy, and is actually really filling, as you feel like you're eating more than you are, especially if you eat it slowly. 

The beauty of this, is that you can use almost anything, for instance, low fat Greek yoghurt, a sprinkle of honey, or even a meringue nest, which are really low in fat. 

One of my other favourite snacks is carrot sticks and dip. I literally go on a binge of these sometimes, like I actually worry I may wake up orange haha!

This literally takes 5 minutes, and again is so versatile, with what dip you could use.

All you need is to peel the carrot and then cut them into stick like shapes, and add a little dish of dip. 

My personal favourites are Low Fat Salad Cream or Sour Cream and Chive dip, or Humus.

This is great for when you are studying and need a little snack to get you through that dreaded essay, or great for when you have some friends over and you want to mix it up from the traditional crisps, nuts or pizza. 

Don't forget to drink lots of water too, it really does make a difference to every aspect of your body, including lovely healthy skin.

What are your favourite healthy snacks? 

Spring/ Summer Easy Hairstyle

What is it with British weather? One minute its thunder storming and the next we're having a heatwave! All girls know that coping with a lot of hair in this weather really isn't fun or easy. So I've created this really simple look, for the warmer weather. Its just really fun and girlie, and keeps your hair off your face. 

All I did was slightly curl my hair using a pair of GHD's, which takes about 5 minutes, and spray through some hairspray, I've been particularly liking the Tresemme firm hold spray. 

Then take the top half of your hair, making sure to scoop the sides, so nothing is on your face, you want to make this look quite messy, so don't flatten the top down too much to fit in the clip. 

Then take any kind of clip, I used this cute pink bow from Dorothy Perkins and placed central in the back of my head. 

I then resprayed with a little more hairspray, scrunched any hair, to make it look effortlessly wavy and job done! 

What summer hair tips have you guys got? 

Bloglovin

Hey guys, I have just joined the marvellous BlogLovin, a great way to find new and exciting Blogs, with all things that interest you! I would be really grateful if you guys would follow me on there, or suggest me blog's you guys love. If you're new then definitely go and check it out! 

SEVENTEEN Blemish BB Balm

The first BB balm I have ever purchased, and I am quite impressed. I've been on the hunt for a blemish balm for the summer and I thought I would give this one a go. 

This is the Seventeen BB skincare and is great for lighter coverage. It's great for the summer where you don't want to wear much make-up or even have a tan. 

However, the shade range isn't fantastic, and it can feel quite heavy on the skin. Other than that for the price it does what it says, and it helps even skin tone, covers imperfections and helps oil control. I also really like that its SPF 25, which really makes a difference in the sun. 

I would recommend this if you suffer from oily skin, but I wouldn't recommend this for pale skin as it comes out quite dark. 

What other Blemish Balms would you guys suggest? 

Real Techniques Brush Collection

For the last 6 months I have been really getting into makeup tools and different brushes, and after some 'research' into what brands to buy, I decided a great starting point would be the Real techniques brushes, and how right I was.

I own 7 brushes from this collection, that I have collected over the last 8 months, and I will definitely continue to expand my collection. I wanted to write a little post, just showing the ones I have and reviewing them, to give others ideas and guidance on brilliant make up brushes that anyone can use.

The real techniques powder brush, priced at £12.99, this brush is amazing, its a large sized brush, which is quite fluffy, and powders the face instantly, I simply run this across my powder and lightly brush across my face, it takes away any shine, and because of the size it takes seconds to cover a large area of the face with powder, worth investing if you are a big powder fan.

I also own the expert face brush, which I use for my foundation. This brush is priced at £9.99, and is the best brush, in my opinion from the range. I simply apply some foundation on the back of my hand, dip the brush in and apply, buffing it around my face. This brush has short bristles and captures the foundation brilliantly, it adds great coverage and the foundation goes on flawlessly, using this brush makes applying foundation so effortless, its great if you're running late in the mornings.

The setting brush, is something I have only recently purchased, and I use this for contouring and highlighting on my cheeks. This is priced at £8.99, and has so many uses its amazing, this has a small brush, with thin bristles and is perfect for intricate detailing. I simply dip into my bronzer and sweep onto my cheeks to contour, and blend with the brush, then I use it to highlight the apples of my cheeks, I have also used this to blend in concealer under my eyes. This brush is so amazing, I would 100% recommend this. 

Next is the Blush brush, I like this brush, but its my least favourite from the ones I have. this is also £9.99 and is a large fluffy brush perfect for blush. The only negative point about this brush, is its not that stiff, so you have to really push the brush onto the powder, for it to pick up anything, however when you apply it to your cheeks, it goes on smoothly, and quickly.

Lastly, is the shading brush, I have three of these, I use for different colours, or brands of eye shadows I have. This brush is brilliant for applying eye shadow, it glides the shadow on easily leaving the eyes looking perfect in any light, it has thick plush bristles, which allows you to blend the colours easily and smooth the eyeshadow out. This is priced at £8.99 and is such a bargain.

Have you guys got any of the Real Techniques brushes? 

DP.X

First E.L.F Cosmetic's Haul

Hey guys, so lately I have been getting into watching different YouTubers than just sticking to the two or three I religiously watch, and one in particular BeccaRose use's a lot of E.L.F products in her tutorials, so I thought I would have a look on their website. I couldn't believe how affordable the brand is, I only got a couple of things just to try out, to see whether I like E.L.F or not, so I thought I would do a mini haul/review.

The first thing I brought was the matte eye shadow in the shade #D29, this comes in a little pot, with a small brush applicator. This is a nice nude colour, great to use as a base or just for a quick tool if you're running out of time to apply full make-up. This is a matte eye shadow that has no shimmer but is still really pigmented, which was £.188

 I also ordered the eyelid primer in the shade sheer, this is just a creme, clear formula used for priming the eyes before applying eye shadow, it locks in the shadow and works and making it last longer on the lids and making the colour much more pigmented. This retails for £1.50, and comes in a variety of shades.

I find it really difficult to find my favourite concealer which is the lasting perfection one by collection, it seems to sell out everywhere, so I thought I would try one from this range as a sort of back-up when I cant find my favourite. This is the Tone Correcting concealer in the shade Ivory, and this was £1.50.

Next was the Waterproof eyeliner pen in the shade Plum, which is a nice deep purple colour, I always think its nice to go for something other than black, and purple, for me, is still quite a safe colour without being to bold. This goes on very smoothly and last's for ages, even better that its waterproof, and cost £1.50.

Lastly, the product I am most looking forward to using, is the Make-up mist and set, which has Aloe, Green Tea, Cucumber and Vitamins A,C & E. This is in a handy sized bottle, great for your handbag and travelling, especially in hot countries where your make-up needs help to set. This just sprays on the face and keeps your make-up looking fresh the whole day, and this was £3.75.

I am really looking forward to properly trying out these products, and hopefully I have found another Make-up brand I will go back to, because I love their products.

Have any of you used E.L.F products? If so what did you think?

D.PX

Lush Bathbomb

This is only a little post to show my love for Lush cosmetics, and in particular a bath bomb  I received for Christmas which was called 'Sex Bomb'. It is a beautiful dusky pinky colour, with hints of purple with a baby pink rose in the middle, absolutely gorgeous! The moment you drop it into your bath it begins to fizz and lets off a sweet smelling fragrance, whilst turning the bath water pink. It fizzes for quite a while, and makes your whole bath seem like a tub of bliss, with a floral sweet smell and a pretty pink colouring to the water. This bath bomb makes for the perfect relaxing pamper time to yourself!

What's your favourite Bath bomb to use?

DP X.

Becoming a 'Youtuber'

As I'm sure many of you are aware, there are hundreds of people taking to YouTube to share their lives and fashion advice with us, giving us great fashion tips, make-up must haves, and life lessons and advice. I have watched, and at times re-watched, some of my favourite You-tubers (The one I love most has to be Velvetgh0st), each time wanting more and more to be able to do what they do. I am undeniably interested in make-up and fashion, and love seeing the latest must haves, for me to scurry to the shops and buy, and would love more than anything to become, in my eyes, a 'Beauty Guru'. This for me isn't something I will see as a career path or I am just doing to be 'Famous' but more for a relief from uni work, and a little extra fun, something I can get involved in, that's just for me. I have wondered, however, how you even get started, what camera to invest in, how to get 'noticed' what do people actually want to see, and of course the self doubting questions of 'will I be any good?' 'Will anyone actually like me?'

I am writing this as a call for help, for advice on how to get started, more than anything else, and to see whether any of you fellow bloggers, are wondering the same as me?