FOTD #2

Hi everyone, I have another FOTD post for you today. I wanted a soft smokey eye for the day time with a pinky nude lip. Here are the products I used...

Complexion:

The PoreFessional- Benefit

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation mixed with Loreal True Match

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (undereyes, forehead, nose, cupids bow and chin)

Collection Loose Powder (Translucent)

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer (to contour)

Rimmel Good To Glow (cheek bones, forehead, nose, cupids bow and chin)

Bourjois Chocolate Highlighter (cheek bones, forehead, nose, cupids bow and chin)

Pink Cult Blush-MAC

Anastasia Beverley Hills Dip Brow Pomade-Taupe

Rimmel Brow This Way-Blonde

Eyes:

Primer Potion- Urban Decay in Sin

Buck- Urban Decay (crease)

Suspect-UD (lid)

Busted- UD (crease, outer corner and smoked under the eye)

Blackout- UD (to line the base of the lashes)

Vanilla- MAC (brow highlight)

Rimmel Extra 3D Lash Mascara

Lips:

Angel- MAC

And there you have everything that is on my face!

What are you favourite products for a day time smokey eye?

Hair Growth with Lee Stafford.

If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know that last summer I cut off about 15 inches of my hair and emerged from the salon with a relatively short A line bob, which I absolutely loved. It's was short, it was light and it was quick to dry. This was a major relief after having hair past my waist that was long and thick and would just take ages to do anything with.

A year on, the moment of "I miss my long hair" has finally hit and the time to re-grow my locks is upon me. I'm the kind of person that goes from loving something to loathing it really quickly...Which means that I'm also quite impatient, so I'm doing everything I can to grow my hair out as quickly as possible. I should mention that my hair has actually already grown a fair bit. It's somewhere between my shoulders and my boobs, so it's already long, just no where near long enough.

That where the Lee Stafford Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past A Certain Length comes in.

Here is a picture of my hair before I started using the treatment:

I will do an update post when I've finished the treatment, so you can see the full extent of the growth, but for now I can report that it seems to be working!

The treatment itself retails for between £8 and £9 but I managed to pick up two for £10 at Boots, so keep an eye on their offers. I've already used up one tub, and got about 7-8 applications out of it. I used a palm full of the product, worked it all around my hairline, massaged it into my scalp and then worked what was left down the mid-shaft and ends of my hair. I then leave the product on for 5 minutes and rinse out. I should add, you do this step after shampooing and before conditioning.

Like I said earlier I have already noticed a difference, but I'm going to continue with the treatment and see how much progress has occurred once I finish up the second tub.

Do you know of any great hair growth products?

Product Rave: Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

Welcome back to my second instalment of my Product Rave series. Today I'm talking about the wonderous little product that is the Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub. Everyone that has tried it loves it, because it works so well and is so easy to use. 

The lip scrub comes in a few different flavours including Mint Juleps and Popcorn, but I decided to go for the Bubblegum flavour. I scoop out a little bit of the scrub, pop it on to my lips, rub my lips together and then use my finger to really scrub the product into my lips. I finish up my rinsing my mouth area with cool water to wash it off. 

My lips are left super smooth and ready for any lip product, no matter how drying. I'll definitely be continuing to use this! 

Product Rave: Liz Earle Eye Bright Soothing Eye Lotion

I had this product in my stash for a while before I actually used it. I found the name to be a little confusing..What was this actually for? A few times after a long day at uni or after a bit too much laptop time I'd soak a few cotton pads in the stuff and let that sit over closed eyes for a few minutes and that felt great, but I was sure there was a better use for the product. So I tried it as an eye make up remover. And that's when I really fell in love.

The scent is uber soothing as it's so herby and fresh and I'm not sure why, but this liquid always seems to be really cold, no matter where I keep it in the house, so it's super refreshing on the eyes. I just soak a cotton pad and leave it on my eye for a few seconds and that pretty much gets everything off. Another quick few swipes around the lashes and my eyes are totally clear.

What I especially love about this product is that it gets everything off without leaving an oil behind. My lids feel totally clean and I don't wake up with eyeliner or mascara still on my eyes in the morning!

Have you tried Eye Bright? What's your favourite eye makeup remover?

Product Rave: Model Co Eye Liner

I'm back with another product rave! Today the product I'm telling you about it the Model Co Black Eye Pencil- a classic black pencil eye liner. It's really pigmented, super easy to apply and doesn't smudge. It also still has that slightly creamy powder texture to it, rather than the even creamier gel formulations such as the Rimmel Scandal Eyes liners, which can get a bit too smudgey if you arent careful.

I've been enjoying using this as an altervative to liquid liner. I use the pencil to tight line my upper lash line which makes them look thicker and darker than they actually are. I then draw the tiniest wing at the end of my lash line, which gives a subtle but defined effect. Great if you aren't very confident with liquid liner or find that is is too harsh for you!

The eye liner itself retails as £14, so it is more of a premium product, but I think it's great value for money. 

Current Hair Care Routine

Recently I've been playing around with the colour of my hair. Until recently I've never dyed my hair so it was a new experience for me and my hair, which has never been subject to real damage just a little bit of straightener over use in my early teens. So with my newly coloured hair I had to devise a new hair care routine that would keep my hair smooth and manageable and always optimise my colour and care for it maintaining it's vibrancy and colour. I've been trying out loads and loads of hair products in the last 6 months or so, and I'm finally happy with the products I'm currently using. So here they are!

Shampoo& Conditioner

This is going to sound majorly excessive, but I'm currently using three different shampoos and conditioners. I now...crazy. I currently only wash my hair about every four days...First day I'll wear it down and straight, second day will be wavy (using a no-heat method), third day and fourth day will be worn in a bun with a heck of a lot of dry shampoo. I do this to allow my hair to repair itself after the ordeal of being coloured. I've also noticed that my hair is growing VERY quickly as a result of not washing it too much! So, back to the shampoos and conditioners.

The one for coloured hair: TRESemme Colour Vibrance Protection Shampoo and Conditioner. This really conditions and nourishes the hair, as well as reaaally washing it. I grab this one when my hair is exceptionally greasy.

The one for dry hair: Dove Advanced Hair Series Pure Care Dry Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. This is a lovely range, and also very gentle on the hair. Probably more suited to hair that is washed every other day, or every three days, as this might have difficulty pushing through serious grease. It leaves a really rich, luxurious scent on the hair and cleanses it really nicely. This one is also great for restoring shine.

The one to give you texture:John Frieda Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo and Smooth Seas Detangling Conditioner. This is a proper summer combo, great for beachy hair. It smells of mint which is really fresh and tingly on the scalp, clarifies the hair but still gives you great manageability. This one is also great for those times when you want to style first day hair, as it gives you a bit of grit and beachy texture for the style to hold on to.

The one for brassiness: John Frieda Colour Renew Tone Correcting Shampoo. This is a little extra, for any colour treated blondes out there. Every now and again when I feel like I need a bit of toning, I do one rinse of this shampoo as it just clears out any brassiness that is sitting on the hair. It also cleans the hair really well, which purple shampoos don't really tend to do.

Masks& Treatments

I think it's really important to treat your hair now and again, just to give it an extra boost of something. Think about it, you'd use face masks and olis and serums to nourish your face, so why not do the same for your hair? I have a few masks that I currently use for my hair and a couple of oils too. First up is the John Frieda Go Blonder Deep Conditoner. This won't actually change the colour of your hair, it's just part of their Go Blonder range, which is infused with camomile, a natural blonde optimiser. So, you can either use this one on wet hair, in place of your regular conditioner, or use it on dry hair (which is what I tend to do). About 20 minutes before I wash my hair, I cover my lengths and ends in this conditioner and let it sit on the hair. I then rinse it out, and continue washing as normal. It really makes a noticable difference to the condition of my hair, making it stronger and smoother. Other products that are great for this are the conditioners that come with box dyes. They are super nourishing, and usually smell pretty darn good too!

A further step I take to nourish my hair is putting a little bit of a an oil through my lengths before bed. I brush my hair hair, take about a pump of a hair oil, work it through the hair then pop it in a braid or a bun. This ensures that your ends get nourished, as the oils from the scalp don't often get down to the very ends. Two oils I really like are the L'Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil and the more budget friendly Schwarzkopf Got2B Oil-licious Styling Oil.

Styling Products and Tools

Using thin layers of different products really helps to protect your hair from all sorts of damage. I start my spritzing the Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance all through my lengths, the I comb my hair through with a wide tooth comb. I then use some sort of styling lotion, at the moment I'm switching between the Galvin&Galvin Oh! Organic Head Heat Defence & Shine Spray and the Schwarzkopf Got2B Mind Blowing Xpress Dry Styling Spray. Both of these protect the hair from heat, restore shine and do a bit of extra detangling if you need it.

If I'm really treating my hair, I'll also pop a little bit of oil through the ends, pre-blow dry.

Finishing Products

I'd class something as a finishing product when it's used on dry hair that's just been styled. So here are my favourites: The VO5 Smoothly Does It Tame & Shine Spray. This is a really light mist that gives you hair a subtle sheen. Great for finishing off up-dos! The Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray- the affordable Oribe Dry Texturising Spray dupe, with even better lasting power. Lee Stafford's Messed Up putty is great for short to shoulder length hair for really ruffling up curls and choppy layers to give you even more texture and volume. My hair spray of choice at the moment is the TRESemme Ultimate Hold Salon Touchable Ultra Fine Hairspray. Does what it says on the tin....it's super light weight, brushes straight out, but really holds your style in place. And finally....my dry shampoo of choice (because every girl has to have one) is the Batiste Dry Shampoo in the Blush fragrance. It leaves my hair feeling clean and refreshed, and doesn't break the bank.

Extra Tips

Finally, I thought I'd leave you with a couple of tips that I've learn along the way for healthy hair.

Get a trim every six to eight weeks.

Use nourishing treatments.

Sleep with your hair down, or in a loose style. Anything too tight stops your hair from growing and can cause breakage.

Wash your hair as little as possible. If you wash every day, try washing every other day. If you can go two, try going three days without!

Leave you hair in a towel for at least 15 minutes after washing. This allows a lot of the moisture to be soaked up and means that your hair won't get so damaged when you comb in through.

Use a wide tooth comb on wet hair. Wet hair stretches, the wider the comb, the less chance of damage!

And there you have my mammoth post all about my hair care routine. It really isn't as long winded as it sounds and in time you'll find yourself fitting it to your own routine, depending on what suits you and your hair type.

What are you favourite hair products? Do you have any helpful hair tips?

What's in my makeup bag?

As with all beauty bloggers, collectors and general make up hoarders, I have a giant stash of beauty products. It's really not practical to be rifling through a zillion products on a daily basis before I finally decide what to put on my face. Instead, I keep the products that Im currently loving in a trusty makeup bag which sits on top of my desk/dressing table. Every few weeks or so I change things up in there depending on season and my mood, but I'm currently really happy with the contents of my make up bag, so I thought I'd share it with you all. Let's dive in. 

The Bag

A pretty floral offering from Clinique a few years back. I do own a lovely Lulu Guinness makeup bag however, due to the shape of the compartments, it's just too small for a few days away. It would probably work for an overnight jobby though!

Base

My primer of choice at the moment is the Pore Fessional from Benefit (because it's wonderful.) I have two foundations so I can switch up what I want from my skin. A full coverage and long lasting option comes in the form of the L'Oreal Infallible 24H-Matte Foundation in 11 Vanilla. A lighter and more radiant formula can be found in the Rimmel Match Perfection Light Perfecting Radiance Foundation in 100 Ivory. 3 concealers at the moment: L'Oreal True Match (2 Vanilla), for highlighting the under eye area, Erase Paste (No.1 Fair) from Benefit for covering pesky under eye bags and the Mac Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 for any blemishes or scars on my face.

My current powder is the L'Oreal True Match which is great for setting makeup and touch ups throughout the day as it's non cakey and really finely milled.The shade C2 Rose Vanilla has a slight hint of coverage too which is great for when your makeup starts to disappear half way through the day.

Brows

I'm really in to my brows at the moment so I have more products than I usually would, but I find that these three work really well together. First up is the Soap and Glory Brow Archery Pencil in Blondeshell. Then comes the powder from the Benefit BrowZings in Light, then I finish up with a slick of the Rimmel Brow This Way gel in 001 Blonde to set my brows in place.

Complexion

This is super compact thanks to the perfect face pallete that is the Sleek Face Form Palette in Light. I use the matte bronzing shade to contour and add some colour to my face, a dab of the rose goldy blush on my cheeks, then a swish of the highlighter on my cheek bones and down the bridge of my nose.

Eyes

I actually don't keep too many eye products in my beauty bag..The majority of the stuff I use on my eyes comes in palette form and sits on top of my desk (but more about that in a minute). In the bag itself, we have two cream shadows in the form of the Maybelline 24HR Color Tattoos. I have the shade Pink Gold, which is a really pretty mix between rose gold and baby pink. It gives the prettiest rose wash on the lids, great on it's own or under shadows. I also have the shade Vintage Plum, which is a gorgeous taupe-y plum colour. Next up in a tiny little quad from Estee Lauder, which is super compact but has some great colours in it. Insides we have Sugar Cube, a sheeny white, Iridescent Violet, a shimmery taupe-y plum shade, very similar to the Maybelline Color Tattoo. On the bottom we've got Lilac Whimsy, a pink toned lilac and Purple Passion, a true matte purple. These shadows are great on their own just for a wash of colour, but in particular I'm enjoying the combination of Maybelline's Vintage Plum and and Iridescent Violet from Estee Lauder, for a slightly softer smokey eye. 

I have two eye liners; the Model Co Black Eye Pencil, which is just the perfect black pencil eye liner and the Rimmel Glam Eye Liquid Liner (Black) which is my go-to for a cat eye. My current mascara of choice is the Maybelline Lash Sensational. It separates, gives volume and has the staying power of a waterproof mascara.

I also keep all three Naked Palettes from Urband Decay on my dressing table because they're wonderful and I can create any look I want from theses palettes.

Lips

And finally, lips!! It's only now I'm realising just how overboard I've gone in the lipstick department, but hey ho, I'm keeping it real! First up in the Rimmel Lip Liner in East End Snob (the perfect nude & Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Cheat dupe). Next I have four lipsticks: MUA Lipstick in shade 15 Juicy. The is a really peachy pink nude. Then we have the Revlond ColourBurst Lip Balm in Demure- another peachy pink (more on the pink side with a bit of shimmer), my current favourite nude comes in the form of YSL's Rouge Volupte in 01 Nude Beige. SO PRETTY. If I want a pop of colour I'll go for the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 01. I have two glosses; Model Co's Strip Tease a sheer nude with blue toned simmer and Clinique's Long Last Glosswear in Air Kiss. My final lip product is the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Don't Pink of It, which is gorgeous, I need to get more shades!!

So there you have my current makeup bag. I know there are quite a lot of products here, but I do like to have the freedom to switch up my makeup daily as I'm not the sort of person to stick to one everyday make up look. I also like to actually use my makeup seeing as I have so much of it! What are your makeup bag staples?

Product Rave: Maybelline Express Remover

I thought I'd start another little series of posts here on my blog which will be short snappy little posts telling you about things that I'm trying that I'm absolutely loving. Sometimes I don't want to wait until my monthly favourites to tell you about all the great things I've been using.

I'm kicking off my first product rave with the Maybelline Express Remover. This is one of those sponges in a jar that is soaked with nail polish remover. A simple concept, but it works brilliantly. 

I like to keep on top of my nail polish, and don't often have bare nails. With this in mind, I need something that will quickly take off my old polish, without leaving a stain, so I can move on to my next colour. 

I literally dip my nail in the pot, do about a half turn with my finger, pull it out and it's completely clean! No residue, no streaks and no stains. This Maybelline one is about a pound cheaper than the Bourjois offering and works just as well. 

I'll definitely be re-purchasing! 

The Nude Lip

As wonderful as brightly coloured lipsticks are, every woman can appreciate the simplicity of a great nude lip. Brilliant for an every day look or paired with a more dramatic eye look. There are hundreds and hundreds of nude lip products out there, with different tones that suits different people, so it's easy to struggle to find your perfect go to nude lip. But I think I've found mine and I absolutely love it. So here it is.

The trick to my nude lip is that it's more on the brown/pink side of things, rather than a proper my lips blend into my face type nude. I start with the Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in East End Snob. I line my lips and fill in my lips apart from the very centre of my top and bottom lip.

Next I go in with the YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in 01 Nude Beige. This almost looks sort of like a mauve-y pink in the bullet, but translates to the perfect nude once on the lips. 

I then slightly blend the lip liner and lipstick together with my finger.

To finish off, I slick on a little bit of Clinique's Long Last Glosswear in Air Kiss to the centre of my lips.

& there you have my perfect nude lip...I find that because I build this up in layers it lasts really well on the lips and its goes with any look. What's you go-to nude lip combination?

Brows 101- How I Do My Brows.

Whether you're in to bushy and bold like Cara D, or just neatly groomed ones, brows are THE thing right now. For years they've been overlooked but finally people realise what an impact doing your browns properly can have. I've spent ages working with my brows to find what suits them best, from waxing, to plucking, threading and tinting I've tried it all & I'm finally happy with my at-home from routine, so let me share with you how I take my brows from grown out face bushes to on fleek groomed things of beauty. 

I'm going to break this down into two parts: first the actual shaping and taming and then we'll talk about filling in brows as part of a make up routine. 

First step is to make sure you have nothing on your brows and the surrounding area. You need to be working with clean skin. If you choose to tint your brows now is the time to do it. I don't colour my brows anymore so I'm moving straight on to waxing. First I grab a spooly and comb my brows through. I then use the Superdrug Brow Shapers to wax. These are so easy to use as they are pre-cut and create no mess at all. Simply peel off one of the shapers from the strip and stick it on the area of your brow that you want to shape. I usually start at the bottom of by brow near the front, then work on my arch and finish up my clearing any strays on the top. Remember when you whip off the strip to pull against the grain on the hair and hold your skin taught whilst you do so. Your brows will be a little red after, but I find a cold flannel really soothes then! You can easily wipe off any excess wax with eye makeup remover. 

If there are any pesky skorter hairs that the wax could grab, or that you could reach precisely with your waxing strip now is the time to grab your tweezers. Don't go crazy- you can always take more hairs away but you can't stick them back on! 

Once you've finished waxing and tweezing, comb your brow hairs upwards. At this point if your brow hairs are a little long you have the option to cut them- not too much though. Nail scissors are great for this as they are small which makes them easier to control.

Once your happy with the new shape of your brows you can fill them in. 

I'm currently using a brow pencil, powder and brow gel to fill mine in. This might sound excessive to some people, but it's what I find works right now! My brow hairs are naturally quite ashy and dark, whilst my hair is coloured a lighter blonde for summer. The problem for me is that tinting often results in a slightly red toned brown colour, which just doesnt work! So I use a ashy blonde pencil ( Blondeshell by Soap and Glory) to map out the shape. I then pop a little warmth through my brows with the powder from Benefit's BrowZings in Light. The combination of the two gives me the perfect colour. I then set everything in place with the Rimmel Brow This Way brow gel in Blonde.

*I usually leave about 4-6 weeks between each waxing/ tweezing session to allow my brows to recover and grow back naturally without being disturbed.

And we're done. What products do you use in your brow routine? 

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?

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?