Showing posts with label uk beauty blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label uk beauty blogger. Show all posts
23/11/2015

Flake Away Lips


With the cooler months in full swing, there are days where my skin gets so dry it feels like it's ready to shed (almost like how snakes shed their skin) and my lips are no exception.

I love my matte lipsticks so as they can often be quite drying (and sometimes cling to dry patches) so I take extra care to make sure my lips are always moisturised and soft but with so many lip balms on the market, it can be quite tricky to find one that really works.

My first step is exfoliating. I love Lush's Mint Julips because it's minty and sweet. It's basically a simple combination of sugar and oil so if you don't want to spend any money then mixing sugar with olive or coconut oil would come up with a similar effect. 

And then I load on the balm. Depending on how I'm feeling, I switch everything up but my current favourite is the Glossier Balm Dot Com which is probably one of the best lip balms I've ever tried. It's incredibly moisturising and I find putting this on before I head to bed leaves my lips soft and flake free in the morning. 

What are some of your go to maintenance lip products? 

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19/05/2015

The Summer Hair Update: The Balayage





I've never been much of a hair care person - I tend to buy the cheapest shampoo (we're talking under £10 here) and the most I do is the occasional hair mask or hair serum (if I remember) so hair is not big on my list. But I do love getting highlights.

So with Spring finally setting in, I decided I wanted my hair to be a bit lighter and went for a balayage which is essentially a more "natural" ombre and because the upper half of my head is still natural, it's a relatively low maintenance colour. For all my manchester readers, I went to RCNQ in the Northern Quarter for a cut and colour (Liam did my colour and Vince my cut) and I'm so happy! What I'm so pleased about is the condition of my hair, it's definitely slightly drier on the newer blonde parts but nothing like when I've had colour put in before. But when I was getting my hair cut, I got chastised on my lack of hair care, I decided it was time for a change.

Cue, Bumble and Bumble. Bumble and Bumble is almost a cult brand for hair care - they're obviously more expensive than your standard L'Oreal Elvive but they're brilliant. I've been using the Bb Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner which are brilliant. Because my hair is naturally quite frizzy, the oils in the shampoo and conditioner leave my hair feeling soft and smooth which means serum is off the cards! When blowdrying it, I'm using the Bb All Style Blow Dry Creme (not pictured because it's only a sample size) but I've been loving it so much that I've ordered a full size! My hair feels so light and smooth and it definitely holds it's blow dry longer than before.

Instead of assorted and random hair masks, I've been using Sacha Juan Hair Repair which is so lovely. I try to whack this on a Sunday so I can leave my hair in a shower cap for as long as possible but it makes my hair so much softer and manageable and I've noticed a steady improvement in the quality of my hair since using it.

So definitely a bit of a Bumble and Bumble rehaul but my hair is in so much better condition that it's definitely worth it. What are your haircare essentials?
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11/03/2015

The Face and Body Moisturiser Duo




I've always had a bit of a love hate relationship with moisturisers and have never quite understood the hype. But I now am...

There is almost always a moisturiser of some sort on my dressing table but I only use it if my skin is overly dry and even then, I tend to use my Origins Drink Me Up Mask instead of a moisturiser. But I've recently been using the Amie Morning Light Hydrating Daily Moisturiser which I'd never heard of before until it landed in my post box. Amie is a natural skincare brand designed for sensitive skin so perfect for me! This has been incorporated into my skincare routine for the past couple of weeks, morning and evening and my skin feels so much softer. It's an incredibly light consistency and sits really well under makeup. Definitely would recommend! You can also pick it up from The Hut.

Likewise with face moisturisers, I rarely bother with a body version unless I'm suffering from day two itchy leg syndrome and even then, it's whichever moisturiser I can reach first (this typically ranges from hotel freebies to samples). But the Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion is so lovely. It's a rich formula that sinks into the skin instantly and doesn't leave it sticky or oily. The air has been ridiculously dry (Yes, I cringed writing that) and it's definitely taken a toll on my skin so I've been reaching for this a lot lately. Plus, it has a handy pump which makes it so much easier for someone who is particularly lazy with these sort of things.

Are you on the moisturising bandwagon? What are your favourite options?

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This post may contain items that have been sent to me for review. All opinions are my own.
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09/12/2014

Winter Dewy Skin


[MUA Shimmer Highlight | Soap&Glory Luminous Face Powder | Bourjois Paris Bronzer | Sleek Contour Kit in Light | Benefit High Beam 

One of the worst things about winter (aside from the constant drizzly rain) is how drying the cold is on the skin which means that all the dewiness from summer goes down the drain meaning that matte skin is often popular around winter.

However, I love a good glowy base regardless of the weather so have come up with a selection of highlighters from a variety of budgets perfect for putting the glow back into your skin!

One of my favourite budget buys is the Make Up Academy Shimmer Highlight which is nameless because there are only two shades available, a golden one and the pink toned one shown in the picture - but it depends on your skin type which one you go for. Although it looks pink, it's not pigmented enough for that to be obvious on your skin which means it acts simply as a highlight. This has a slight glittery element so I would say it's great for the evening.

Then we have a bit more expensive option, Benefit's High Beam. This once again has two colours available, the golden colour is called Sun Beam and goes really nicely with a bronze eye look. But once again, this is a really nice liquid highlighter. I dab it along the tops of my cheekbones, down my nose and on my brow bone and then just tap it with my fingertips until it blends. It gives a lovely sheen without being over the top - this doesn't have any glitter in it so is great for the day time. I think the fact that it's liquid makes it look far more natural and seems to blend really well with foundation. 

Soap&Glory's Glow All Out powder isn't necessarily a highlight but is a really great powder for making your skin look dewy all over - the powder is really finely milled so doesn't go cakey and is great for making your skin glow without looking oily which is perfect if you have oily or combination skin.

My all time favourite highlighter has to be from Sleek's Contouring and Blush Palette (which is an incredible contouring palette as well). This is probably the most natural looking highlight from the post as it just catches the light without looking like you're wearing makeup. This is my favourite for days where I want to look like I'm not wearing any makeup but still want to look fresh and dewy.

Do you have any highlighter recommendations or do you prefer a matte skin finish in winter?

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10/10/2014

The Cleansing Balm On A Budget

[Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter from The Body Shop. £12]

It's no secret that cleansing balms are the new 'it' product amongst the beauty world at the moment - the Emma Harding one in particular but unfortunately spending upwards of £30 on a beauty product makes me quake in fear but I want it.

I have oily skin and anything with the label 'balm', 'butter', 'oil' or all of the above had me running in the opposite direction; convinced that if I so much as came into contact with it, my skin would hate me forever. But in the colder months, my skin craves moisture and takes a swift turn into dry skin alley. Hence the above product. 

It is phenomenal. The consistency is so rich and moisturising whilst also ridding your face of every single last scrap of makeup. This is honestly the first product I've found that completely takes off all that mascara and prevents a severe case of panda eyes the next morning. 

Sumptuous butter describes it completely and you don't need a lot for it to work - simply rub a bit between your fingers to make it melt a bit and massage it into your skin and then wipe it off with the damp washcloth. The best part is seeing your eye makeup dissolve around your eyes and turn them black and voila, they're clean and your skin is soft and free of product. Plus, it has a lovely subtle floral scent!

I would definitely recommend it as a cheaper alternative to the Emma Harding one as it does the exact same thing without the hefty price tag.

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03/10/2014

The Berry Edit: Getting Lippy



I love a bit of colour and over these past few months, I've become a bit of a lip product fiend - something I didn't realise until I had to pack them all up to move to university! I love the diversity in products you can now get so I decided to compile my latest loves and the ones I'll be wearing whilst the leaves remain brown.

Lip crayons are definitely some of the easiest products to wear as no lip liner is required and they're often moisturising which is something I've found with the NV Colour Chunky Crayon in Spiced Plum*. The colour instantly makes me think of chrismas and the deep purple is definitely something I'll be wearing on nights out. Revlon have made a name for themselves with their various crayons and a really nice brown hued colour is Adore as part of their Just Bitten Kissable range. The colour is really lovely and natural - perfect for days when you don't want to wear much makeup. I've also been liking the Revlon Colourburst Lacquer Balm in Provocateur Femme Fatale. The colour is more on the orange spectrum but is subtle enough that you don't have to forgo your eye makeup when using - the colour builds really well as well. 

One of the latest beauty blogger hypes is the Bourjois Paris Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks which apply like lipgloss but dry matte - they're incredibly pigmented and last forever. I own Ole Flamingo which is a bright pink with red undertones and Peach Club which is a peach (obviously) natural shade but matte enough to show you're wearing lippy. Both are some of the best matte lipsticks I've tried, and they don't go funny when you touch them up should you need to. Barry M has also released a cracking colour which unfortunately doesn't have a name but is LPS3*. It's a lovely yet quite basic pink. Your bog standard lipstick.

But my favourite berry hued lipsticks are Topshop Lips in Hazard, Collection's Little Mix in Jesy and a Sephora one in Rouge. All three are my current go to colours and are all equally moisturising. However, I do wear them all with lipliner and a Lip sealer as theres nothing pretty about leaving lipstick prints on coffee cups or glasses. Trust me. I've been using Lipcote and it honestly is brilliant - it mattifiess the lips slightly but is otherwise ace.

What are your go to colours for autumn?

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