June Favourites

It's that time of the month again where I round up all of my favourites that I've been using in the last month. June has seen the end of my first year of university, moving back home and rather a lot of chilling out. July is to be the month of a trip away with my boyfriend, exam results and new home prep, so exciting things to come! 

I'm going to crack right on with my favourites and kick it off with my favourite nail polish of the month which has been Essie's Fishnet Stockings. It's my perfect red- a deep blue toned red, rather than anything really bright. It's classic and elegant and just goes with everything. The formula, as is expected with Essie polishes, is great and lasts ages on the nails. 

My next favourite is Soap and Glory's Clean On Me. The smell is what really gets me with this product, it just smells so good I could cover myself in it all day long. The formula is super thick and nourishing and creates a beautifully thick foamy lather. Great for in the bath or shower and the fragrance lingers throughout the day. Totally dreamy. 

Lush's Ocean Salt Scrub has been amazing this month. I've been using it in the shower on my face just to get rid of the uneven texture that can occur sometimes if you're like me and your skin has a tendency to be dry. Just make sure you moisturise well after you've used this!

Another skincare favourite this month has been a rediscovery in the form of Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion +. This is a classic product that is a total fail safe for me, Whenever my skin care is stuck in a rut or my moisturiser just isn't cutting it, I know I can turn to this and it will sort my face out. 

My final beauty favourite this month is the YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in 01 Nude Beige. It's my perfect nude lipstick. It's really comfortable on the lips, has great colour pay off and lasts really well for a nude lipstick (Which have a tendency to disappear super quickly!)

My fashion favourite this month is my new bag, which I picked up in the sale at Dorothy Perkins. It's the perfect shoulder bag to just pop in your essentials and go, rather than lugging the kitchen sink around with you!  I have a What's In My Bag post coming soon...

A food/health favourite would be green smoothies. Since I've been home and away from the horror that is the food in catered student accommodation I've really been enjoying super healthy green smoothies. They're great for breakfast or even as a pick me up throughout the day. I have a recipe for one of my favourite combinations right here.

And finally, my un-favourite for this month has to be the terrible weather we're currently having in the UK! It's supposedly summer yet it's rained nearly every day! I'm hoping the weather will pick up in July so I can actually spend some time in my garden!

That's it for this month's favourites. What have you been loving this past month?

Top 5....Red Lipsticks

Welcome back to my Top 5 series! If you've been around these parts for a while you'll know that every now and again I do a round up of my favourite 5 products from particular categories. Today I thought I'd focus my top five even more and let you in on the best red lipsticks, in my opinion. Here they are in no particular order. 

L'Oreal Color Riche Creme de Rouge in the shade 461 Scarlett Creme. This is a lovely classic red shade. The formula itself is sort of waxy meaning that the wear is extremely comfortable and doesnt stick to any dry patches. It lasts around 4 hours on the lips (no eating or drinking) but does fade slightly unevenly, mind you that's fairly standard for a bright lip. 

17 Supreme Shine Lipstick in the shade Rich. This is my staple winter red. It leans more towards the berry side of things, but it's still definitely a rich, deep red. Brilliant quality for the high street price, sticks around for ages on the lips and can be worn full on or toned down with a lip balm for more of a sheer finish.

 Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquer in 400 Big Bang. Bold and glossy, I wasn't too keen on this when I first tried it but now it's my go to for a glossy red lip. It saves the hassle of having to use a lipstick and a gloss and it stains the lips afterwards. The pigmentation is incredible- a little goes a long way. This is more of an orange toned red, so probably better for warmer months, but great on a night out too to make a real statement. 

Clinique High Impact Lipstick in Red-y To Wear. This one is pretty much the same shade as the L'Oreal lipstick but the texture is far more nourishing and I'd say the pigment is even stronger. Again, very comfortable on the lips and great wear time. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in the shade 01. This is a slightly darker, bolder red than the L'Oreal offering. I'd say this has more of a creamy texture so is very opaque and rich on the lips. Wear time on this one is great and I find that it fades very evenly on me leaving a bold red stain behind, which is great if you can't be bothered with maintaining your red lip throughout the day.

And there you have my top five red lipsticks. What is your go to red lip & are there any that you think I need to try out?

The Recipe: Green Breakfast Smoothie

Hi guys!

Today I'm back with a recipe for one of my favourite things to have for breakfast; a smoothie. But not just any smoothie, a super healthy green smoothie. I tend to just grab anything that's in my fridge and it usually tastes pretty good, but this combination tasted extra good and it's super healthy, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

For this smoothie you will need:

Spinach

A banana

Some cherry tomatoes

Grapes (purple or green)

Blueberries

Celery

Half a lemon 

Half on apple

A splash of water

Chop up your celery, banana, apple and tomatoes and throw them in your blender/ Nutribullet (whatever your using to whizz up your smoothie). Then chuck in your grapes and blueberries. Grab a handful of spinach (or more or less, depending on what your prefer.) Then pour in the juice of half a lemon and add a splash of water. If you like you can also throw in some ice at this point for an extra cold smoothie. Blend everything together until it reaches the consistency you like, but bear in mind green smoothies tend to be on the thicker side. Pour into a glass and enjoy your breakfast! 

Purple Shampoo- Why YOU should be using it.

So we've all heard of it, but what is purple shampoo, why is it purple, and what does it actually do? Purple shampoo is quite literally a shampoo that is purple, that is used on blonde hair to removes brassy and yellowy hues. But how? It all comes down to science. If you look at a colour wheel you'll find that purple sits exactly opposite to yellow. When you put purple on blonde hair the hair absorbs some of the purple pigment which cools the shade of blonde. This does NOT mean that it will turn your hair purple, it simply deposits enough tint to neutralise the brassy shades and banish them from your gorgeous blonde locks.  

Okay, but how do I use it?

Well, its far easier than getting your hair toned at a salon. Simply jump in the shower, saturate your hair with water, lather and rinse. Only repeat if you feel like you've got a really deep brassy yellow tone in the hair. If you like to shampoo twice, go once with the purple shampoo and follow up with your regular shampoo. Continue with conditioner.

How often should I use it?

This all depends on how much toning your hair needs. For super brassy hair I'd suggest using a couple of times a week, but obviously this depends on how often you wash your hair. As a bit of a guide Id say use your purple shampoo every other wash. 

What about purple conditioner?

In my opinion, purple conditioner isn't necessary. You don't need to tone your hair twice in one go, plus, the warmer tones usually show more at the roots, and you don't want to be putting conditioner on your roots! 

Do I have to spend a lot of money on purple shampoo?

Not at all. Obviously the more expensive products that you find in salons do have a better ingredients list, but there are still some great purple shampoos that you can find for a great price. My personal favourite is the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone Correcting Shampoo, which retails for about £5.99 in Boots but is often on a 3-4-2.

There you have purple shampoo explained. Obviously I'm not a trained professional in the hair world but any questions that you have I'd be happy to answer as best as I can!

Talk soon...

Top 5....Favourite Nail Polishes

Today I'm continuing my top 5 series with my top 5 favourite nail polishes! I love wearing all different colours on my nails and like to change it up according to season. I never really tend to stick with the same shade for too long and might even end up changing my polishes about 3 times in each week. I especially like coordinating my nails with my outfit and makeup where possible. The point is I try a lot of different polishes and have narrowed it down to the 5 that I use the most and would most likely re-purchase. So here they are...

The Collection 60 Seconds Hot Looks Polish in Milkshake. This is my go to nude nail shade. The formula is nicey and watery which means it dreis really quick, but the polish is opaque in two thin layers, which is great if you want to quickly paint your nails before you head out of the door. In terms of chipping, with a top coat I can probably get away with this for about 4 days, so not brilliant, but not terrible at all!

 Essie Nail Lacquer in Fiji. This is such an iconic and raved about nail polish in the beauty world. It's an extremely pale milky baby pink that just goes with everything. I tend to pull this out in the warmer months when the sun is out as it contrasts really beautifully with a tan. You can make this work in two coats if you really try, but for the ultimate opaque look I go for three layers. With a top coat this can last anywhere from 5 days to over a week depending on how careful I am.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in the shade Sugar Apple. Extremely comparable colour wise to Essie's Mint Candy Apple, this shade is the prettiest minty sky blue hybrid. The texture of the polish is super thick and gel like and has a beautifully shiny finish. The only downside for me is the brush, it's too small. If it were updated to the larger more square brush I'd be completely happy.

Maybelline Super Stay Gel Color in Extreme Blackcurrant. The perfect winter berry shade ( even though I wear it all year round). These polishes have a great wide brush, they are opaque in two coats and dry really quickly. There is a great colour range as well so if you're looking for great budget polishes I'd check out the Maybelline counter! I can get about a week of wear from these.

Essie Nail Lacquer in Fishnet Stockings. Another favourite of mine from Essie. Every woman just has to own a red nail polish, and this is my favourite. This is a true deep red that screams elegance. The beaty of red nails is that they go with anything and just look timelessly classic. I could probably get away with just one coat of this one, but I got for two just for longevity and I find two thin layers last longer than one thick. This is probably my favourite polish in my collection.

Any there are my top 5 polishes. What should I try next? Do you have a nail polish that you couldn't be without?

Mani Monday

This week on my nails I'm wearing the Maybelline SuperStay Gel Nail Color in Surreal (635). It's opaque it two coats and is a lovely cool pastel lilac. So pretty for the spring or cooler months!

Current Skincare Routine

Hi guys!

Today I'm coming at you with my current skin care routine. This does tend to change quite often but I have a really good bunch of products at the moment so I thought I'd share with you what I've been using on my skin recently. 

First up, cleansing. I'm using two cleansers at the moment which I sort of switch in between depending on what I'm in the mood for. Currently on the go in my skincare stash are the Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil and the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. Both give me a really deep cleanse and really nourish the skin at the same time. I really enjoy using the oil and it's great for taking makeup off and actually cleaning my skin at the same time. The Cleanse and Polish really soothes the skin and I find it really helps with pesky hormonal break outs. Both cleansers are ones that I would repurchase over and over again. 

I will just briefly talk about eye make up remover, even though it's not something I always use. Generally my cleanser will suffice, but if I've gone particularly heavy on the eyes or my winged eyeliner just won't budge I'll grab some cotton wool and an eye make up remover. This Garnier Express 2 in 1 is a bi-phase solution meaning it contains an oil as well as a conventional makeup remover. Just shake it up and you're good to go. This isn't the best one I've ever used, but it's certainly does the job!

Next up, toner. Now I'm not usually too fussy with toners, I'm quite happy with an affordable one from the high street but I have the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic in my stash at the moment so that's what I'm using. It's very herbal and really calms the skin. I would say that you can find toners that are just as good for a fraction of the price but this is a lovely one to have if your budget stretches. I just splash a little on to a cotton round and swipe it all over my face and sometimes my neck too. 

Now on the moisturising my skin. Right now I'm usuing the Garnier Moisture Nourish + for dry to very dry skin. Love the moisturiser as it is a non-greasy formula that thoroughly moisturises dry skin and keeps it plump throughout the day. My only bug bear is the packaging. The product itself is too thick in consistency to be in a sqeezy tube, in my opinion. It's just too much hard work trying to squeeze the product out. Yes this is the more hygenic option to a tub, but honestly I think that would work better. 

For eye cream I'm using the Boots Vitamin E Gentle Eye Cream. I don't need anything heavy as I'm only 19 but I find that this just gently mositurises the sensitive eye area which can get dried out from concealers and powders. A little bit goes a long way with this stuff.

There are two masks that I'm reaching for currently, again, depending on what issue I'm drying to tackle. If I'm having an oily day or if I'm seeing some break outs I'll grab the Lush Mask of Magnanimity. It's a thick green paste that dries in about 15 and really purifies the skin. I can definitely notice the difference as it pulls the oil out of my skin without drying it out. 

If, on the other hand, my skin is feeling particularly dry I'll slap on a bit of the Balance Me Radiance Face Mask. I spoke about this in my April favourites so I won't say too much about it, but it gently exfoliates dry skin whilst penetrating the skin to deeply hydrate and moisturise. Not a massive fan of the smell, but the product really works! I tend to leave this one on for about 5-10 minutes then wipe of with a damp muslin cloth.

Finally, for when my skin just needs a good old scrub when I'm feeling particularly gross and scaly, I use the Ocean Salt scrub from Lush. This is suitable for the face and for your body ( gotta love a good two-in-one). It's really salty and zesty and gets rid of any pesky dry patches. Just make sure you moisturise afterwards because this one can be quite harsh on the skin.

So there you have the skincare products I'm currently using. What are you skincare saviours?

May Favourites

I'm back from my brief break for exams (which means my first year of uni is over!) which also means it's time for my May favourites as we have already reached June!

This month has been pretty boring for me as it's basically just consisted of me washing my hair as little as often, hardly getting dressed, eating and revising. Such a glamorous life I lead...Hence the lack of loads and loads of beauty products. However the bits and bobs that I have been enjoying must be good if they've made the cut when it's been a very non-beauty month. So here they are:

Let's get the most boring thing out of the way, the Barry M Basecoat, Topcoat and Nail Hardener All in One. Yep, literally a clear nail polish. Now I know this sounds very yawn, but I've been giving my nails a break recently from coloured polish and false nails to get them nice and strong again. So instead of colour I've been slapping a layer of clear polish on my tip every day to keep them shiny and strong. This one was only about £2.99, but honestly who wants to pay any more for no colour? Works a treat and I have actually noticed a difference in the strength of my nails.

Next up is the Le Blush in Rose Pastel by L'Oreal (Who seem to be featuring a lot on my blog right now, I'm having a bit of a love affair with their products!). It's the perfect cool toned light pink blush which just gives me the right amount of colour on my cheeks. If I've bothered at all with makeup this last month it's usually been a few blobs of concealer, this blush, something light on the brows and a swipe of mascara. Super simple but just about enough to make me look slightly human. 

That "something light on the brows" I just mentioned comes in the form of the Rimmel Brow This Way tinted brow gel in 001 Blonde. This comes in four shades: a clear gel, the Blonde one, a light brown and a dark brown. So this hasn't had the greatest reviews from other people as the brush is quite large and seems to dispense a bit too much product, but honestly it's not too much of an issue. I'm okay with the size of the brush and just find if I wipe of the excess product I'm good to go. It sets the brows in place without them feeling crispy and gives just the right amount of tint so you can layer it with other brow products or just use on it's own. Ooo, also, it's the perfect ashy blonde, no red tones in sight!

My next favourite is a body product which comes in the shape of the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub. Mmmmm, it smells SO good! It's the prefect consistency for a body scrub and is packed full of brown sugar, lime, almond and macadamia oil. It gets rid of dry skin really well and leaves skin feeling moisturised after. And the smell....I could go on forever about the smell. So zesty and fresh. Yum!

The final product I've been loving this month has been the Schwarzkopf got2b Oil-licious Styling Oil. Finally a decent hair oil that doesn't come with a hefty price tag. I picked this up from Boots for £3 when it was on offer but the usually retail price is still only about £4.99 which is a total bargain. This one contains argan oil which we all know is good for out hair and it comes in a handy 50ml which makes it great for travelling/chucking in your handbag for on the go. I've been using this on wet hair pre-blow drying and on day between washing to nourish my ends. I really like it!

No fashion favourite this month as I've just been living in pjs, but hooray for pjs, they're the best.

A TV favourite this month has to be Pretty Little Liars. I've heard people rave about it for years, but never really got round to watching it. So as soon as I'd finished my exams I got home and cracked on with season one. I'm already half way through season two and really enjoying it- I'm totally hooked!!

That's all from me for this monthly favourites, I'll speak to you soon....

DIY-How to distress jeans

Hello!

Today I have a little DIY project for you. Distressed and ripped jeans are very in at the moment but that doesn't mean that you have to rush out and pay more than you need to for a pair of jeans that have already been ripped. Instead if you spend a little time you can transform an old pair of jeans. 

For this you'll need 

A pair of jeans

Scissors & Tweezers 

The first thing you need to do is have a look at your jeans and decide where you want to cut them. 

I decided to rip both knees first off.

Lay your jeans flat, pinch them slightly (make sure you don't pinch the front and the back as you don't want to turn them into shorts) then make a little cut. Now cut a straight line with your scissors.

Depending on how big you want your rips/holes leave a few inches then make an identical cut below.

Then what you want to do is grab a pair of of tweezers. You want to gently pull the threads away from your cuts. This starts to give the rips a bit of a worn in look. Don't worry about this too much though because you will be throwing these in the washing machine which will do the hard work for you. 

At this point I had

a quick look at my jeans and decided I wanted some rips further up the leg nearer the thigh. My advice would be start small, you can always make the cuts larger if you want to!

Keep going until you're happy with the look of the jeans. Try them on a few times and see if you want to make any more cuts. As a final step, throw them in the wash. This will just get rid of any loose threads and distress the rips even further.

I hope you enjoyed this little DIY!