June Favourites

With yet another month of the year already over..Yes we are HALF WAY through 2014 already!!..you know what it's time for....the monthly favourites.

This month has been crazy busy for me as I've been doing my final A Level exams and leaving school, it's been a tough few weeks, so I'm certainly glad that June is coming to an end. Finally I can sleep properly, eat more frequently and stress less. Woohoo! 

Now that it's over, let's take a glance at my best of June...

First up, a brand new base. I was recently sent a little tester of the brand new Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin foundation. A while back I tried the original SuperStay foundation and really really disliked it. All over the colours were far too orange on my pale complexion and the texture was far too powdery, so it looked extremely unnatural on the skin. With that in mind, I was very sceptical about trying the Better Skin version. I put it off for a long time, then eventually I though, hey, what the hell. It's just as well I did! This couldn't be more different from the original formula; it has a far more neutral undertone, so it blends seemlessly and it pretty much undetectable, it's super lightweight AND it genuinely lasts all day. Once I've finished up my sample I will definitely be grabbing the full size, I'd really recommend that you give it a try too!

Next up is another new product..the Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Crystal Shine shampoo and conditioner. There are loads of different variations within the line, whether you have coloured hair, want to boost shine or need to strengthen your hair. The line was created alongside Claudia Schiffer, who has amazing hair, so I was expecting good things. The Crystal Shine line in particular has pearl essence within the product which helps to boost the natural colour of you hair and restore shine. The conditioner is great too; it has a lightweight texture but thoroughly nourishes the hair, without leaving a greasy feeling.

I discovered a new brow product this month in the form of the Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil in Dark Blonde whilst perusing ASOS earlier this month. It's quite a small pencil so I can't imagine it will last too long, but it's the perfect amount of creamy and waxy. The colour has an almost cool taupey tone, so doesn't look too red, which is often an issue for blonde brow products. It's really affordable and does the job very well indeed.

On to my favourite lip product.. the Rimmel Lasting Finish (By Kate Moss) Lipstick in the shade 01. I'm pretty sure I've found my perfect red with the lipstick. It's a bright cherry red that still has a bit of a warm spiced undertone, so it doesn't look too stark, yet it still whitens the appearance of your teeth. With a lipliner underneath it lasts probably for about 5 hours without needed a top up (as long as you aren't eating and drinking). It is still really quite moisturising, which is surprising for a red lip and the colour is just timelessly classic. I love it.

Now, let's talk about eyeliner. I'm an avid reader of Glamour magazine and make sure I pick it up every month (I literally run to the shop the first day the new issue is released). This month they were giving away the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner with every issue, so I was even more eager to grab a copy as I've heard such good things about Eyeko products. The packaging is sleek, the nib of the pen is the perfect shape and the colour is opaque black with one stroke. It's truly a fantastic liner pen, probably the best one I've tried so far. (I think this has replaced my beloved Collection felt tip liner!!) For a high-end product, it is also pretty reasonably priced (£12 for the full size).

So that's it for June! What have your favourites been this month? Let me know in the comments or Tweet me if you like!

Summer Reads

Most of us are so busy day to day that we don't actually get the chance to sit down, chill out and have a read of a good book. But, when summer comes around with the majority of people going off on holiday we finally get that little bit of time to ourselves, so, I thought I'd throw together a list of a few books that are perfect for throwing in your carry on bag or beach bag to keep you occupied. Let's take a look...

The Friendship Test- Elizabeth Noble

"They say the friends you make at college are with you for life, and for Tamsin, Reagan, Sarah and Freddie that certainly seems to be the case. With student life stretching ahead of them, they bonded years ago over too many bottles of wine and great gossip; ill-fated love affairs and essay deadlines were the only clouds on their horizon.

Although the four women have little in common this seems to make them greater friends, and they swear they'll always be there for one another . . . but twenty years is a long time to keep a promise.

And so, when tragedy plays a hand, their friendship is put to the ultimate test. Can they put their troubles and differences aside and remember the simple joy of their younger selves? After all, friends should always come first, shouldn't they?"

This is a great story about the lives of four women within a friendship group. It covers everything from love, to children and even death. At around 390 pages, it's a great read for a holiday. It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry. What more could you want?

The Grafton Girls-Annie Groves

"When Diane Wilson leaves Cambridge for Liverpool, destined for Derby House and war work as a teleprint operator, she is intent on mending her broken heart. But will hundreds of miles ease the pain of her betrayal?

From the moment she first lays eyes on Myra Stone in the Wavertree terrace she is billeted to, Diane senses she's bad news. But does Myra's bitterness and caustic wit belie a secret heartache?

Ruthie starts work at the munitions factory, enduring terrible conditions in order to put food on the table for herself and her widowed mother. But Ruthie is befriended by lively and vivacious Jess Hunt who injects colour and fun into the drab surroundings.

All four women are brought together at The Grafton, the local dance hall favoured by American GIs as well as the local girls. In this heady, uncertain time, infatuation and passion blossom. But has each girl found true love – or true trouble?"

For anyone that loves books set in wartime, this is the book for you. It's set around a dance hall in Liverpool and tells a few stories of romance. You also find yourself follow 4 very different women in the war, from land girls to munitions factory workers. I've re-read it many times and still thoroughly enjoy it.

Kiss Heaven Goodbye-Tasmina Perry

"On the luxurious private island of Angel Cay, four privileged students toast the end of their exams, but one dark night will change their perfect lives for ever. As the friends move into their glamorous careers - fashion, music, politics - each tries to put the past behind them. But no matter how high their stars climb, they cannot escape the dreadful truth. And when the consequences of that fateful night finally catch up with them, for one of the four, there is a terrible price to be paid..."

I can honestly say, this is certainly not your average chick-lit. What initially appears to be a light hearted holiday on a beach with old friends soon turns very dark indeed. I won't give any more away, but this one is definitely worth a read.

Men I've Loved Before- Adele Parks

"Neil and Nat seem to be perfectly matched. They hate Marmite and the opera. They love reality TV and the missionary position. And they both absolutely do not want children. At least that's what Nat thought. But now Neil seems to have softened to the prospect and he's practically begging her for a baby. Nat tries to ignore his change of heart and won't explain her reasons for hating the idea; she can't. Are they that compatible after all? As the cracks start to show, Nat wonders if Neil really is the man of her dreams. Or is it possible that someone from her past could actually be 'the one'?"

A slightly unconventional love story, this one will take you on a roller-coaster where you're never quite sure which direction you're going to head in next. This one is so easy to read and you find yourself completely lost in the story, cheering on both sides.

Rumour Has It- Jill Mansell

"When newly single Tilly Cole impulsively quits her London job for a fresh start in the small town of Roxborough she finds she's arrived in a hotbed of gossip, intrigue and rampant rivalry for the most desirable men. Tilly has no intention of joining in - she's just happy with her new Girl Friday job. Then she meets Jack Lucas. Jack is irresistible... and he's got his eye on Tilly. But there are shocking rumours about his wicked reputation. Tilly doesn't want to be just another notch on anyone's bedpost. But is she being mature and sensible - or is she running away from the love of her life?"

I love Jill Mansell. So much so I have a whole bookshelf which is almost exclusively filled with her books. Alongside the romance, there is also the tale of the heartwarming friendship that emerges between Tilly and her boss, Max, at a time when he needs it the most. Even if you don't have a read of this one, grab another Jill Mansell book, she really is brill!

So there are a few suggestions from me, hopefully at least one of them will look interesting to you. What is your ideal holiday read? Let me know in the comments or Tweet me! 

P.s sorry this is a day late, everything will be back in order this Sunday.

Pre-bedtime Pamper/ Evening Routine

After a long hard day of revision and exams, I've really been making sure to have some chill out time in the evening just before I go to bed. At this time of year when stress levels are high it's so important to make a little time for yourself to have a bit of a pamper plus a little bit of relaxing never hurt anybody!

I like to kick off with a nice hot bath with plenty of bubbles and a good book. I've recently been loving the Body Shop Papaya Body Wash It smells so yummy and fresh, foams up brilliantly and leaves me squeaky clean. p.s It's on sale right now!! The book I'm currently reading is Postcards From No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers, it's such a me kind of book! It's set in WW2 and the present day and flashes back and forwards in different areas in and around Amsterdam. Such a great zone out and relax kind of book.

After my bath I slather myself in the sweet scented Papaya Body Butter, again from The Body Shop. It locks in the scent from the body wash and moisturises really effectively. I can still feel the benefits the day after application.

Next up is pre-bed cleansing. I'm totally in love with the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish , as I think most beauty bloggers are. Next step is the Clinique Clarifying Lotion (1). This is an exfoliating toner so it gets rid of any dead skin or any remaining grime. It's a bit of a staple for me, I've been using it for years and still adore it. Finally I moisturise using the Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser. Nothing over complicated or dangerous, its gentle and just does the job.

If I feel like really pushing the boat out and can actually be bothered, I like to paint my nails. I've been keeping my fingers clear recently (having a bit of a detox) but as it's sandal season I've been making sure my tootsies are in good condition. At the moment I'm having a bit of a red phase, so the 17 Gel Colour in Maraschino Cherry  has been the only colour gracing my nails.

Finally I grab a cup of peppermint tea (it's caffeine free so it's great for just before sleep), pop my hair in a fishtail braid,slap on some Carmex to keep my lips happy and moisturise my hands with the L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream- SUCH a good hand cream, it's got a very unoffensive scent and very very deeply moisturises the skin, leaving hands supple and soft.

When all that is done, it's time for bed!

Let me know what your favourite pre-bed bits and bobs are.

The Beauty Scenario Tag

Hello everyone! This week I'm coming at you with the Beauty Scenario Tag, created by the lovely Lily from lilypebbbles.co.uk. So without further ado, let's get cracking.

1- You have to get rid of all your foundations and only keep one high-end and one drugstore. Which do you keep? 

This is such a hard question! There are so many fab bases up for grabs right now. I would probably go for Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua for my high-end base as I love it. I'm definitely more of a light/medium coverage kinda gal these days. From what I've tried and tested in the drugstore, I'd probably go for the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation, as it's very similar to the Chanel one!

2-You go for an interview and the lady interviewing you has lipstick on her teeth. Do you approach the subject or ignore it completely?

IGNORE!! I can just about tell my mum or my friends and I'd find it quite uncomfortable being told myself, even though someone is saying it to be kind. An interview is definitely not the situation to be making your interviewer feel uncomfortable.

3- You're not feeling yourself and you need a pick me up lipstick. Which one do you go for?
This is actually quite a new discovery for me, but the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 01. It's my perfect pillarbox red and makes me feel instantly glam and put together.

4- You go back in time for a day to your teenage years, how would you do your hair and makeup different?
Well, I'm still a teenager myself (18) so I'm thinking back to my early teen years. I would have to tell myself to put the straighteners down!! Back in the day I was all about the super straight shoulder length hair, which did look good, but in recent years I've been embracing my natural waves and realise they suit me more.
As far as makeup goes...I'm not sure I actually would do anything differently. I always used to watch how my mum applied her makeup and never made any crazy moves with blue eye-shadow, so even now looking back at the pictures, I quite like how my makeup was! :)

5- You ask your hairdresser for a shoulder length Pixie Lott hair cut but they hear wrong and give you a pixie crop. Do you a) smile, say thank you, leave and call your mum crying hysterically b) cry in the chair and things get awkward or c) complain to the manager and demand a refund?
This is hard, because first of all there's no way it would get that short without me stopping the hairdresser! However, I have had a situation similar to this. When I was 12 I thought it was a good idea to let my best-friend (at the time) cut my hair. It was long, beautiful healthy hair around my shoulder. She cropped it around my jaw line!! I said thank you etc, the next day when she left I cried to my mum who quickly took me to the nearest hairdresser to sort it out. The result- a 1920's esque super short, but now tidy bob. I learnt my lesson the hard way. So, in answer to the actual question... Id have to go for a.

6- Your friend surprises you with a 4 day city break and you have 1 hour to pack. Which "do it all" palette do you pack in your makeup bag?
Naked 2, without a doubt. It just has the perfect pix of everything from daytime appropriate neutrals to evening smokey shades. Perfection in a palette.

7- Your house has been robbed, don't worry everyone is safe, but your beauty stash has been raided. What's the product you really hope is safe?
I've have to go for a blush I have from Estee Lauder. It's quite on old one called "Peach Perfection". Unfortunately they don't make it any more, so it's literally irreplaceable! It'd be devastated if that disappeared.

8- Your friend borrows your makeup and returns it in awful condition. Do you a) just pretend you haven't noticed b) ask them to repurchase it or c) secretly do the same to something of theirs?
So I hate to be that girl, but if I damage something of someone else's, I would feel obliged to replace it. I would hope that other people would feel the same. I wouldn't dream of ruing someone else's things but I would have to ask them to put right what they'd damaged of mine.

So there you have it, the Beauty Scenario Tag. Let me know if you'd like to see more tags from me. I tag anyone and everyone that would like to give this one a go!

May Favourites

Well well well, the month of May is over and we are now well and truly into the summer months. I first have the annoyance of final A Level exams, but hey ho. May has been a beautiful month here in the UK, the weather has been HOT HOT HOT (okay, apart from about a solid week of rain) and the sun has constantly been shining. 

I'm going to start off with a non-beauty favourite this month in the form of Sam Smith. If you haven't heard of Sam, he is an incredibly talented singer who I've completely fallen in love with. He's got such a unique sound that brings a really fresh vibe to every song. Whether it's something poppy like La La La with Naughty Boy or something more soulful like Lay Me Down, I just love the sound. I can't get enough of him!

Moving on to the usual beauty bits...I know I'm incredibly late on the bandwagon here, but at the start of this month I finally strutted into Boots and bagged myself a Tangle Teezer. Oh yes, 10 points to me. Of course I'd heard all the hype about this miraculous thing before, but, I'm really not one to follow the crowd so I never bothered picking one up. Finally my curiosity got the better of me. How glad I am. It glides effortlessly through my hair which is long, thick and tangles very very easily. No breakages, it's the perfect palm size and it looks super cool- mines neon pink. I can safely say I'm a TT convert!

Next up is the VO5 Smoothly Does It Tame&Shine Spray. I grabbed this on a whim when I was after a finishing spray for my updo for my Sixth Form ball and was pleasantly surprised at how good it is! I've used V05 products before and loved them so thought I'd give this one a go. I spritz it through my hair before heat styling then spray a light misting after styling just to finish off and lock in the shine. It works beautifully, doesn't weigh my hair down or make it greasy AND it smells gorgeous. 

As the weather has been significantly warmer I've been gravitating towards lighter bases and staying away from heavy foundation. This month I've really been enjoying the Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream. Just a pea-sized amount blended over the skin where I need coverage works perfectly. It blends seamlessly into the skin and doesn't start to get oily and gross after a few hours.

My final fave is the Seventeen Gel Colour in "Maraschino Cherry" - My perfect red nail varnish. I tend to find it difficult to find a red that looks right on me, all the polishes I try are either too orange or too pink toned. But this one it's the perfect pillar-box blue toned red. It just looks so chic too, love it.

That's all from me for my May favourites. I hope you enjoyed reading & make sure to let me know what you've been loving this month.