Budget beauty




As much as I love buying a lotion and potion, I love buying dresses and skirts more. So i'm all over finding amazing products that do what they say in the tin and don't cost a fortune. These following poducts are currently on rotation and have been for quite a while!

VO5 Ultimate Hold Hairspray £3.05 - I found out about this on the blogger grapevine last year and have never looked back, purchasing time after time again. The can is massive and lasts for ages  - I'm not tight with hairspray either. It doesn't leave a sticky, horrible residue behind and it keeps your hair in check for hours.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula £5.89 - Ah this baby has been one of my best friends since I had a growth spurt at the tender age of around 12. I've used others but always come back to my old faithful. You just can't beat it! I can't get enough of the gorgeous smell and it leaves my skin so soft to touch. It always feels so luxurious. I can't ever imagine not using it.

Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Facial Scrub £3.99 - This is a new product i've been using for about a month. I picked it up on a whim in Boots as they had their 3 for 2 offer on. It promises to blast away dreaded blackheads and whilst it hasn't eliminated them completely, they're a lot better than they were. I use it around 4-5 days a week during my evening skincare routine. It doesn't leave my skin looking red and although it's not too scratchy on my face, it still feels like it's doing it's job.

Soap and Glory Hand Food £5.50 - Again this is a product that's been a staple for god knows how long. I suffer from extremely dry hands in the winter, so much so that if I don't keep an eye on them, they crack, bleed and become red raw. Very painful! But this gem helps to keep them in check. I love the smell and one bottle lasts for absolutely ages. I haven't found anything to beat this hand cream yet!

Batiste Dry Shampoo Brown Dark & Deep £3.99 - Ah the holy grail of dry shampoo. I was over the moon when they introduced products that matched hair colours - anyone else struggle to get rid of that pesky white patch? I don't really know what I can say that hasn't been said already. It's something every girl should have!

What are your favourite beauty buys?
7 Comments

Feeling lippy





L-R Avon Ultra Glazewear Lip Gloss in Fiery c/o, Flori Roberts lipstick in Fierce c/o, Chanel Rouge Allure in Incandescente, Topshop Lipstick in All About Me

I'm a real lipstick fiend. I don't wear it all the time but I always carry around two or three on my bag to whip on at any moment. I find it really helps to lift an outfit even if you just have your slob clothes on! Since it's began to heat up i've found myself drawn to these four beauties. Red and pinks are clearly my thing.

I don't own very many lipglosses as I find them a bit too sheer. This one is the opposite and comes up quite opaque. It's great when you don't want something too heavy on your lips. The only downside to the gloss is the fact it bleeds so you have to constantly keep an eye on it. Not one you can forget about once you've had a few drinks. I always make sure I have a few cotton buds in my bag to help keep it looking tidy.

I was very kindly given this gorgeous deep pink from Flori Roberts and it's a welcomed addition to my collection. I've only worn it a few times as it's such a statement with just one swipe. It has quite good staying power and is even better if you pop lipcote in the mix.

I love the orange tone of the Chanel number - it really makes it ideal for the summer. It's so vibrant and again stays put even after eating. I do have such a soft spot for Chanel.

Finally I can't rave enough about Topshop lipsticks. They have such a brilliant creamy formula and so pigmented. The colour in the bullet is literally the same shade that will transfer on your lips. Nothing worse than a missleading bullet!

What's your favourite lipstick colour for the summer?
7 Comments

Review: ร“gra Organic Irish Peat




ร“GRA
 ร“gra 100% Peat Face and Body Mask and ร“gra Anti-Aging Facial Moisturiser c/o

I am a complete skincare magpie and love trying out new products that promise to transform me. I think your skin is one of the most important things you should look after. Premature aging strikes fear into me. Admittedly i'd never heard of organic Irish peat but was intrigued when I started reading more about the product. Peat is found in waterlogged bogs - mud is by far one of my favourite type of masks. It's said to have strong anti-oxidents to help with the anti-aging process and has special qualities to help bind together your skin tissue to create a smoother look. Wrinkles will become a thing of the past!

When you first apply the mask, they're's a slight tingling. It's not too uncomfortable but it does feel a little strange. This is because all the blood is coming to the surface. I do a thin layer over my face and leave it on for 15 minutes. It suggests you keep spritzing with water to make it easier to remove after it's set. I used Evian Facial Spray a few times to keep it moist. I then wiped it using a muslin cloth soaked in warm water. I've been using it for a good few weeks now twice a week and am about to reduce it down to once a week. The difference is amazing, my skin feels so much softer and looks brighter. Dull skin is the bane of every commuters life! Tightness is a thing of the past. The moisturiser glides on like a dream and there's no sticky aftermath meaning your make up can go on almost straight away. It sinks in perfectly and leaves your skin feeling subtle. It's really helped my skin in the summer months as it tends to dry out because of the heat.

Have you ever tried any of these products? ร“gra are currently looking for retail outlets and salons to perform the facials.

3 Comments

Cheek to cheek






Bourjois Delice De Poudre Bronzing Powder, Liz Earle blusher in Nude c/o, Topshop Cream Blusher in Neon Rose (similar), Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake

Now the summer has decided to make an appearance albeit a little hit and miss, I thought i'd share a few of my favourite cheek products that have been in rotation over the last few months.

My all time favourite bronzer that I come back to time and time again is the Bourjois offering. It's such a staple product in my make up bag. I love the fact it's fairly matte and doesn't turn me into a glitterball. It's great value for money and lasts for ages as you don't need too much. Be careful when you apply as it can look a little 'muddy' if you're too heavy handed.

I was kindly given the matte Liz Earle blush and fell in love from the first swipe. Again it's best to use quite lightly as it's very pigminted. It has amazing staying power and looks gorgeous when you have a bit of a tan. Alternatively it's great to use when you're feeling pale and need a pick-me-up. 

I picked up the Topshop cream blush on a whim as i'd been reading too many blogs and regretted the colour choice when I got home. I'm a bronzer girl through and through! It was a moment of madness and remained untouched until the weather started to heat up. Now I love it for a night out. It's not quite as scary as it looks in the pot! It's a great product to build up depending on what sort of mood you're in. It doesn't go streaky and glides on effortlessly.

Finally the cream Maybelline blush was something I picked up whilst I was in New York back in April. I was immediately drawn to the colour as I thought it'd be great for a subtle everyday look. I was completely right and love it when I want to look glowing but also that I haven't tried too hard! I wish i'd picked up more of the range.

What's your favourite cheek product at the moment? Have you tried any of my picks?
5 Comments

Soap Glory Sit Tight Super-Intense 4D






A few weeks ago now I was invited along to Soap & Glory pamper evening to celebrate the launch of their new product. Let me introduce Sit Tight Super-Intense 4D. Priced at £18, it's designed to to work it's magic while you sit down. Hence the name! It has three metal ball barings which you glide on your problem areas on your bottom half.  Obviously it's not a complete miracle and you can't have perfect firm skin if you continue to binge on junk food but it does help if you eat healthily! It has a slight tingling feeling once it's been applied but this doesn't last forever. It's a strange sensation when you do sit down but it's not too annoying that it will make you uncomfortable. I felt strangely comforted as it meant it was working in my eyes. It'll be a great product to start using a month before your summer holiday.

Although I could only pay a fleeting visit as I was meeting my boyfriend for dinner, I was still able to enjoy a relaxing hand massage. Hand Food is a product that's a staple in my handbag so I made sure I made a beeline for that station. I loved the fact you could move around and try out different activities, such a shame I couldn't stay long enough for the tarot card reading. I've never had it done before!

Thank you very much for the invite Soap & Glory! 

Are you a fan of Soap & Glory?
11 Comments

Dove Colour Confidence

I was invited to help celebrate a new camapaign for Dove Invisble Dry deodorant to spread the news that it's been proven to leave no white marks on a staggering 100 different colours. Pretty impressive right? They've teamed up with fashion designer Olivia Rubin to encourage women to ditch the drab black and embrace more colour. You can upload photos of yourself wearing vibrant colours throughout this month onto their website to be in with a chance to win a special capsule collection. It's been created exclusively for Dove by the woman herself.


 

I got to have a chat with colour psychology expert Karen Haller who gave her top tips on how colour can work for you. I didn't realise that hot pink is actually a cold colour as it's blue based. It's probably only called hot pink because of the sheer intensity of the colour. I wear a lot of red as it's one of the colours I feel most confident in and found out it gives off phyiscal courage. Maybe there's a reason why I always wear it then?!



In our goodie bag we were kindly given a compressed bottle of the product. It holds exactly the same amount of product as a normal bottle but has less gas meaning it can be squeezed in 75ml bottle. This makes it perfect to take in your hand luggage for your holiday. It won't run out midway through like the normal tenny tiny travel bottles.

I've been trialing it for over a week, trying to make a concious effort to wear all different colours in a bid to find out if it lives up to its claim. So does it? A bit fat yes! So many deodorants leave the dreaded white mark, who's got time to wait for it to dry fully in the morning when you're in a rush? This dries almost instantly and so far it's not tarnished anything. Even black! I was forever running to the bathroom and splashing water in the offending area. This will definately be something i'll be picking up from Boots on a regular basis!

Are you a fan of Dove deordorants?
4 Comments

Review: The Purple Salon







When an email dropped in my inbox asking me if i'd like to be treated to a blow dry by The Purple Salon. I've never actually had a proper bouncy blow dry. I know right? I've been extremely lucky that my wonderful uncle is a hairdresser and he helps me keep control of my mop. As I usually have it done late at night I don't want him to spend hours blow drying my hair into shop so it usually get it blow dried straight.

I arrived to the salon with a sinking feeling as my name wasn't on their appointment list. But credit to them, they didn't seem fazed and did their best to fit me in. It took a lot of shifting but in the end it worked out fine.

I was very well looked after by the junior Chloe (I think that was her name!) who made sure I was comfortable and fetched me a drink and magazines to read. She was very chatty and made me feel at ease. My stylist Karl again was very friendly and made me feel at ease too. I was very impressed with his attention to detail and he worked well with Chloe as a team. I was in awe of the fact I had two people working in the blow dry! I was so happy with the result. Just look at those curls?! It helped put a spring in my step the whole day. It lasted for most of the day. Karl explained the curls would have held better if my hair was layered. Something i'm going to look into getting down next time i'm due a trim.

Thanks so much guys!
3 Comments

Night time skin routine




Origins Drink-Up Intensive Overnight Mask, Bioderma, No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser and Heaven By Deborah Mitchell Bee Venom Mask c/o

After many experiments with all kinds of lotions and potions over the years i've finally found a night time skin routine that suits me down to a tee.

Starting with the famous Bioderma, I use this to clear every last scrap of make up. I find it just glides off effortlessly with this cleanser and a little goes a long way. It only takes a couple of minutes to do my whole face. Next I use the hot cloth cleanser to ensure my face really is make up free! I smear over a semi thick layer and place a hot cloth on my face for around 30 seconds before wiping it off. I then quickly rinse the cloth with ice cold water and place it on my face for a nice shock!

I rub in a thick layer of the intensive mask and leave it on my face for around 10-15 minutes before using the eye cream over the top to finish off the job. I can't praise the Origins face mask enough, it does wonders for dry, tight skin and is a commuter's lifesaver. Those trains don't do anyone any good! Made with Shea Butter, Rose and Lavender essential oils, the eye cream is ideal for soft  skin and i've really noticed a difference since i've been using it both day at night. It's a great product if you're looking to help rehydrate your skin. I've noticed it helps to lighten my dreaded black circles too which is always a plus.

What do you use in your night time routine? Any gems I should try out?
8 Comments

Beauty: NYC Make Up Haul


L-R Clinique Cheek Pop 01 Ginger Pop, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush Natural Beauty, Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush 60 Coffee Cake


L-R Yello-Out Clear Acrylic Top Coat, O.P.I You're Such A Budapest, O.P.I Red My Fortune Cookie, O.P.I Red Hot Rio, O.P.I My Paprika is Hotter Than Yours, O.P.I Toucan Do It If You Try, Nicole by O.P.I Drying Drops


L-R Burt's Bees Tinted Lipbalm Red Dahlia, Covergirl 305 Hot Passion lipstick, Covergirl Lipperfection Jumbo Gloss Balm 245


Marc Jacobs Daisy Rollerball and Marc Jacobs Dot Rollerball


Origins Super Spot Remover, Covergirl Flamed Out Very Black Blaze, Clinique Chubby Stick 09 Heaping Hazelnut


Just like I would never refer to myself as a shoe girl (you and I both know this isn't true), I wouldn't use the term 'Make Up Lover' to describe myself either. So how did I end up spending a small fortune on beauty products in New York? Your guess is as good as mine.

I fell head over heels for Duane Reade especially when I discovered O.P.I nail polishes worked out around £5 each. Yep I may have squealed a little too. I could have brought home a whole rainbow of colours but alas my nail polish collection makes my dad nervous. He's convinced it's going to cause a crack in our ceilings... I decided to spare him the heart attack and only bring home 7 bottles. I showed some good restraint! The Maybelline blush is absolutely amazing! I can't stop wearing it.

I couldn't resist this snazzy pouch at Chelsea Market although I can't for the life of me remember my the name. Schoolboy error! It made me laugh as I've only just really graduated onto lipstick in the last two years.

I wish I brought more of the Covergirl lip crayons. It just applies like a dream and is such a pretty colour. It's perfect for day way as it's not to in your face. It also creates a slight stain so isn't too shabby when it starts to wear off. It's enough of a reason for me to book a return trip right?

6 Comments

Beauty: Simple Skincare






Simple was one of the first brands I tried when I ventured into skincare many moons ago. Over the years I've tried and tested many different brands both budget and high end. When Simple offered to send me the new Kind To Skin selection to try I jumped at the chance and was transported back to my teenage years left wondering why I stopped buying the brand.

001: Kind to Skin Protecting Moisture Cream SPF 30
I fell completely in love with this product and will buy it myself when it runs out! It's one of the best budget moisturers I've tried and for a small bottle it lasts for a fairly long time. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated and doesn't have an overpowering smell. Being the wrong side of 25 is not sitting well with me and when I look for a moisturer it ideally has to have SPF. This ticks all the boxes, the SPF 30 will help with any dreaded premature ageing. They do say the sun causes the most wrinkles!

002: Kind to Skin Perfecting BB Beauty Balm
Admittedly this is the first time I've ever used a BB cream so I don't have much to compare it with. However, this took to my skin like a duck to water and didn't feel too heavy on my skin. I don't wear foundation because it makes me feel claustrophobic. I wouldn't buy this again, not because it was an awful product but because I just don't think BB creams are for me. I prefer to be au natural before putting my daily face on!

003: Kind to Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Boost
I have a feeling this will be a god send in the warmer months! It will be great to keep in my bag so I can freshen up on the go. It dries almost instantly and makes your skin feel lovely and refreshed. Perfect for waking you up in the morning!

004: Kind to Skin Sunkissed Moisture Cream
It's getting to that time of year when the fake tan comes out of hiding and the pins need polishing up. I struggle with fan tanners on my face as it tends to make me look like a oompa-loompa.  It's not very dark and it doesn't make a different straight away. But by the time a week has passed it's reached a lovely natural colour. Just make sure you are continuous in your application as it will get patchy if you don't do it daily. Never a good look!

005: Kind to Skin Illumiating Radiance Cream
Again the SPF in this is a winner. I preferred wearing this at night as it had a shimmer in it and I thought it was a bit too much for the day. A little goes a long way and it was very easy to use too much and end up looking like a glitterball! Subtly is key when it comes to this product. It was a really nice cream to wear at night to help jazz up your make up.

006: Kind to Skin Brightening Eye Make Up Remover Pads
Sometimes I find eye pads a little bit too irritable thanks to being a contact lens wearer. But these glide on effortlessly and you don't have to rub hard to remove stubborn mascara leaving your eyes sore and red. It worked out one bad per eye. I do still perfect to use cleansing water to remove my make up but these are a great option if you're on a hurry!
2 Comments

Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'


 


A while ago I was kindly given some Sleep In Rollers to try out. I'm always after some extra volume in my hair, given it's thickness I struggle to help curls stay in and it often drops out within hours. Sometimes thick hair is a curse and not a blessing! These rollers are designed to flatten when you go to sleep helping you get a better nights sleep. Having slept in heated rollers before, it's not very comfortable so I was excited to try these out! You could feel the rollers in your hair as you laid down to the land of nod but you soon forget about them and drift off to sleep. I find they are most comfortable when you sleep on your back. I did find my neck ached slightly when I woke up the next day but beauty isn't without pain as we're told! It didn't put me off using them again.

You get given a good selection of rollers and some kirby grips to keep them in place. They're easy to pop in and feel very secure. I didn't worry about them falling out as I tossed and turned in my sleep. I think spraying the hair before you go to sleep might have helped them set better. Something I'm going to attempt next time!

I was a bit sad my hair didn't come out quite as I expected. But it definately has some volume at the ends, just not the sassy curls I was hoping for. I kept them in my hair for around 10-11 hours throughout sleep and a little while after I woke up. They recommend you keep them in as long as you possibily can.

I think the reason why I don't have bouncing curls is because my hair isn't layered and is too heavy. I find it much easier to curl and blowdry when I have layers cut in. This time I decided I wanted my hair all one length and my curls have suffered! I'm going to try them next time in slightly damp hair to see if I get a different result.

Have you ever tried Sleep in Rollers?
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A Essex based lifestyle blogger who lives a champagne life on a lemonade purse!

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sophie.warner89@yahoo.co.uk.

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