Sunday 29 June 2014

How To Achieve that Summer Glow

I love nothing more than sporting a healthy glow that makes my skin look radiant. As someone who rocks the pale and interesting look all year round, my current obsession has been finding beauty products that can effortlessly transform my complection from Casper the Friendly Ghost to Bronzed Goddess.

An amazing moisturiser I have discovered recently is the Million Dollar Moisturiser from Lush. As well as hydrating the skin, it adds a natural glow as it seems to contain tiny shimmers. Lush have added a little bit of their highlighter, Feeling Younger to the formula. This moisturiser has a SPF 30, therefore is perfect for this time of year. 

The base I have been favouring to create a healthy complection is the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser. I have the shade Groenland which is a perfect match to my skin tone and this gives a beautiful, my skin but better, finish. 

To hide dark circles and brighten the under eye, I have been using the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. This is a lightweight concealer that doesn't crease, which is great, because that is never a good look when you are trying to look healthy and glowing. 

A Bronzer that I have been loving for a while now is the Topshop Bronzer in Sandcastle. A matte formula that adds a natural bronzed glow to the cheeks and temples, it is the perfect summer Bronzer for achieving that sun kissed look.

Finally, a healthy glow could not be achieved without the help of the NO7 Instant Radiance Highlighter. This champagne toned stick highlighter adds the perfect amount of sheen to the tops of my cheeks, giving the impression my skin is glowing from within. 

What are your summer beauty essentials? 

Thursday 26 June 2014

The New Nail Trend

A new nail art trend has been circling the beauty blogosphere and I am loving it! If you are debating between two of your favourite nail colours, why not go for both? I think this look is chic yet simple and I have had lots of compliments on my nails.


I went for my two favourite Topshop Nail Colours in Boy Next Door and Milkshake and I think they make the perfect pastel duo. 

Introduction: Lush's New Sun Care Collection

Lush has recently brought out a body and facial sun care range which I was so excited to try. As someone with fair and sun burn prone skin I tend to rely on sun cream and moisturisers with SPF's all year round, so these products were right up my street.
I have finally got my hands on them and wanted to share a first impressions post with you guys. 

The Sunblock- Solid Sunscreen Wash, 100g £8.95 SPF 30
This is a solid bar sunscreen that you apply to damp skin while in the shower or the bath. It is split into three segments and one segment will be enough for your whole body. You apply wet, rince of the excess and then pat dry your body after to lock in the sunscreen. 
I think this is a fantastic product to take away on holiday as an initial protective layer from the very start of your day in the sun. It feels lovely on the skin and smells better than your average sun cream. 
It contains Fair Trade Cocoa butter, therefore you know this product is also very conditioning on the skin as well as a protective from the sun's rays. 

Sesame Suntan Lotion, 100g £8.00 SPF 10
Sesame Suntan Lotion is a light lotion that can be applied all over the body adding some sun protection. It is described as having a toasted sesame seed scent, which to begin with is slightly odd but after a while I actually love it. 
As well as having an SPF of 10 and protecting your skin from the sun with the sesame oil and walnut leaf infusion, it contains Aloe Vera which is soothing on the skin and excellent when applying to sun burnt areas. 

Life Saver Sunscreen Cream, 50g £15.00 SPF 30
The Life Saver Sunscreen Cream has a light mousse like consistency which I love. It absorbs quickly into the skin and doesn't leave an oily residue like other sun creams. 
The scent of this reminds me of summer, it is fresh and not atall overwhelming. It is the perfect sun cream. Life Saver has some amazing ingredients such as, Fair Trade Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter and Avacado Oil for nourishment and hydration and it also has a soothing eucalyptus and mint infusion that helps skin to feel fresh during the humid sunny weather. 

Million Dollar Moisturiser - Bionic Facial Moisturiser, 45g £32.50 SPF 30
Million Dollar Moisturiser is a lovely fast absorbing facial moisturiser with an SPF 30, so not only does it hydrate and condition the skin,nit protects against harmful UV rays. 
The smells good enough to eat and the list of amazing ingredients and has some incredible skincare benefits. The honey, Fair Trade Shea Butter and jojoba oil all condition the skin, as well honey having antiseptic properties. 

Remember to reapply your sun cream throughout the day to make sure your skin is properly protected. 

Friday 20 June 2014

A Repurchase- Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot

As a beauty blogger, I can be pretty fickle when it comes to makeup and skincare. I love trying out new products and changing up my beauty routines, so I rarely use up a product, let alone make a repurchase.
But I have discovered a game changer:

After hitting pan on my Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Mattifying Powder, I knew that I had to pop down to my local Boots and pick up another one and I am loving having a fresh compact in my makeup bag. 
I tend to have quite an oily T-zone, which is very apparent during these muggy, summer days, and my skin welcomes this powder. It is a finely milled, translucent powder that keeps shine away all day yet keeps skin looking fresh and healthy. 
This is one of my daily makeup bag essentials and would even go as far as to say it is a Holy Grail product that I could not live without. It has been in countless favourites posts since starting this blog and deserves special recognition. 

Wednesday 18 June 2014

New Bedroom Tour

So I recently moved back up to Aberdeen, after going back to the borders to live with my mum and dad after I graduated. I've moved in with a couple of my friends until I can find a place of my own and I wanted to share some photos of my new room up here. I love the way it looks and I am loving my independence but I am struggling a little with spending and shopping, (so if you have any saving tips for me, please leave a comment.)
All my furniture is from Ikea and I have become a Pro at putting flat pack furniture together!







Sunday 15 June 2014

Lip Product Addict Tag

I have seen this Tag done all over the beauty blogger community and thought, as a lip product lover myself, I would share my lip favourites with you guys.

1. Favourite Balm/Treatment:
My favourite lip treatment is the Lush Lip Scrub in Mint Julips. I have spoken about my love for this product before and my love still burns bright for this guy. It smells like After Eight chocolates and as an added bonus, you can eat this stuff. It contains sugar for exfoliating and removing dead skin, and jojoba oil and peppermint oil for adding moisture back into the lips, a perfect base for applying lipstick.

2. Best Eye Catching Red:
I went for the red I have been picking up most. It is the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Hot Pepper, an amazing liquid lipstick that is, matte, highly pigmented and moisturising. I think this red would look amazing on almost everyone and the staying power is incredible. If you have not tried this yet, I seriously think you should head to your local Boots right now and pick it up. 

3. Best Luxury and Best Drugstore Lipstick:
I struggled with this one because I don't have that many high end lipsticks, but I picked the one that had the most sentimental value to me. The first Chanel lipstick I was ever given was from my best friend for my 21st birthday and it was the Rouge Allure Velvet in the shade La Ravissante, a pretty blue toned red.
For best drugstore lipstick, there were many contenders but I narrowed it down to another sentimental offering. The Topshop Lipstick in Idol is my favourite pink out of my whole collection and it happens to be the one i was wearing when I met my ex boyfriend for the first time. I used to wear this lipstick all the time and it has recently been forgotten about so I'll have to bring it out more often for a that pink pout. The formula of Topshop lipsticks are my favourite drugstore formula, pigmented, moisturising and long lasting, they are pretty amazing. 

4. Best Mac Lipstick:
I have only recently delved into the world of Mac lipsticks so my collection is not as big as other beauty bloggers. The Mac lipstick I have been loving and reaching for recently has been Mac Vegas Volt. It is a reddy/coral/orange shade that is perfect for summer and suits my pale complection. I have not heard much about this one on bloggers so perhaps it is quite underrated?

5. The Most Disapointing:
When it came to the Maybelline Baby Lips hype I tried to stay away and not spend money on something that was essentially a lip balm but I ended up purchasing two of these lip products due to the positive reviews they were receiving. Trust me: these are nothing special and there are many other amazing lip balms out there for less money that will give you better results. 

6. Liner - Yes or no?:
I do not usually use a lip liner but I have heard amazing things about the finished results lip liners can give. I tend to just slap on lipstick with little precision but I want to start using lip liners. So, yes and no. 

7. Best Gloss:
I am not usually a lip gloss girl but it is something I am starting to get into. My favourite one at the moment is the Model Co Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in Strip Tease, which I got free in a magazine and have been loving. It smells amazing and it doesn't have a sticky formula like most other glosses. The neutral colour is great. Layering over virtually any lipstick. 

8. Something Extra:
For my something extra I chose the Lush Emotional Brilliance Lip Colour in Strong. I think I am going to do a post on the Emotional Brilliance range which is Lush's makeup line, so I don't want to go into too much detail but this is a lovely liquid lipstick in a orange toned red with amazing staying power. It pretty much leaves a stain on the lips and needs an excellent cleanser/scrub to remove it but I love it. I love the idea that when I'm feeling particularly strong or I'm lacking strength, that this lip colour is supposed to bring me the strength I need through colour therapy- but more on that another time.

Let me know if you have done the Lip Product Addict Tag because I would love to read your offerings on the subject. 



Lush Hair Heroes

I started my new job at Lush 3 weeks ago and I am now a converted Lushie. I loved Lush products before I started working there but having further knowledge and understanding of the products and companies ethics, I can honestly say that I will not be purchasing any body or skin care products from anywhere else any time soon.
This post is going to be an introduction to my current hair care routine, including the shampoo and conditioner I have been loving. My hair has never looked fuller or brighter and the condition of my hair is incredible compared to how it felt only a month ago. 

I have quite fine hair but I have a lot of it, so it's usually weighted down and lanky with very little volume, so I was looking for a shampoo that would help create bouncy, volumised hair without making it look dry or damaged. 

During a consultation on my first day, I was advised to try the Big Sea Salt Shampoo. It contains  chunks of coarse sea salt, fresh sea water, seaweed, lemon, lime and coconut oil and is great for adding volume, absorbing excess oils and adding a beautiful shine. A little goes a long way with this shampoo and you certainly do not need as much as you would think. It lathers up nicely and when massaged into the roots and ends, it feels very cleansing. 

I then like to condition the tips of my hair with a super conditioner because I find the sea salt can feel quite drying. I have been loving the American Cream Hair Conditioner. It is described as a double strength, creamy conditioner that I did fear would be to intense for my hair, however it is amazing and works wonders on the ends. There have been many occasions where I feel I have been rocking Disney Princess hair and I owe it this combination of Big and American Cream. American Cream Hair Conditioner contains, vanilla pod, fresh oranges, fresh strawberries, lavender oil and honey water and smells like a delicious strawberry milkshake which lingers in the hair all day. 

I can not recommend this combination enough and I am forever introducing customers to my favourite hair care duo. Are there any Lush hair products that you guys have enjoyed using?