QVC recently got in touch and asked whether I wanted to test out some of the products from a category in their Customer Beauty Awards and I said yes! I chose the anti-aging category because now more than ever, I am very into skincare and treating it properly whilst I’m young, to help it age more healthily and gracefully.
I thought I’d give you my initial thoughts on the four products before the live show on QVC tomorrow night where they will be announcing the winner!
Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial– This looks and feels super expensive, with a swanky bottle and pump. I thought this would be a cream but in actual fact it’s a very pungent oil (it almost smells like men’s musk perfume) to me. It’s packed with vitamins, omega oils, peptides and more to leave your skin refreshed and radiant. Despite being an oil, it sinks in nicely leaving no residue.
Alpha H Liquid Gold– This was obviously the product I was most looking forward to trying as it is a firm favourite of a lot of bloggers. I have been using this on alternate evenings before bed and when I awake my skin looks plump and firm. My skin is also ridiculously soft after using this, making makeup glide on smoothly!
Decleor Aromessence Iris Rejuvenating Serum - This is the another oil based serum which smells highly of essential oils. I really like that it’s 100% natural and free from mineral oils and preservatives but it is pricey! I’ve also heard that essential oils aren’t great for acne-prone skin which mine is, so I might just stick to using this on my neck and décolletage.
Perricone MD Concentrated Restorative Treatment– This night cream is packed with high levels of Vitamin C which helps promote radiant skin and helps to minimise discolouration (which I do have a slight problem with). It apparently also helps lessen the appearance of wrinkles. I’m going to pass this on to Mummy Snooks to try out as I know she loves using thick night creams.
My prediction: I think Alpha H should win here – it’s the most affordable of the bunch and the one with the most obvious and immediate results, however I know the others have a large following too so it’s a tough one!
As I said earlier, the winner will be announced on QVC tomorrow evening at 7pm but I’m planning to give these all a full test (with Mummy Snooks!) and possibly review my favs in greater detail after a few months of testing.
Do you use any anti-aging products? What’s your favourite?
I went through my stash and pulled together 6 products which I’ve been using a lot obsessively over the past month! I also filmed a video explaining just why I love these products, but had a bit of a wobbly half way through filming! Have a watch if you fancy a giggle!
Kiko Glow Touch Lip and Cheeks in Ginger Touch– This has become my go-to lip product for daily use. It’s a stunning ginger pink/peach cream which is super pigmented yet mosisturizing at the same time, which can be used on both lips and cheeks. It also smells delicious and is just the most perfect summer shade. I adore it apart from that fact that it’s really difficult to open!
Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner in Flash– You all know how much I adore multipurpose products and this is one of my new recent favourites. This pencil eyeliner is a super shimmery pink which works beautifully as a highlighter. I’ve been using this on the inner corners of my eyes to open them up, above my cupids bow, underneath my brow bone and even on my cheeks as a highlighter. I really recommend this – it’s cheap and stunning.
MAC Blusher in Melba– I’ve worn this blusher almost every single day in June and I adore it. It’s a peachy pink blush which really warms up my complexion and makes me look healthy. It also compliments the Kiko lip cream perfectly.
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Speed Dry Drops– For a beauty blogger – I am terrible at painting my nails. They always smudge as soon as I do them (I’m quite impatient and fidgety). I spotted this on Makeup Savvy’s blog and purchased it straight after, on eBay for around £4. Simply pop a drop of this on each nail after painting and it halves the drying time.
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer– After using up a sample tube of this, I decided that I needed to get my hands on a full size tub. This stuff it gold dust to me, it leaves my hair incredibly soft and manageable compared to the matted mess that is usually my hair. Full review of this coming soon!
Eysilix– The skin around my eyes have been sensitive throughout July because I have horrendous hayfever (need to stop rubbing them!). I’ve been using Eysilix morning and evening around my eye area which soothes it somewhat, but also makes me feel happy that I’m doing my bit to stop fine lines/dark circles etc!
Favourite songs:
I’ve had two bands that I’ve been loving in July. The first is Aluna George. A boy made me a mixtape (I’m one for good old fashioned romance) with one of their tunes on and I feel in love with it and am now obsessed with all their songs. I urge you to listen to them, I have a feeling they’ll get big! http://youtu.be/VfCSx5641U4 Second is Rudimental… sounds like proper chavvy music but I really like it. The songs are tuneful and instantly catchy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M97vR2V4vTs
What have been your favourite products in July? Recommend me some new music?
I was very naughty last week and placed a sneaky little order in the Space NK sale… it wasn’t my fault!! Thought I’d show you what I purchased because I’m super happy with them!
Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Candle– There’s nothing I love more than 1) candles and 2) sweet food, so when I spotted this it went straight into my basket. I’ve never actually tried any Laura Mercier products before so this was a treat. Apparently this was a limited edition product in their Creme Brulee range and comes in a massive tumbler with a snakeskin print on the side. I haven’t burnt this yet but on first impressions it smells like a warm, sweet vanilla caramel; delicious! £14.50 down from £29.
Diptiqye Amber Oud Candle– I adore spicy, woody scents and just reading ‘Amber Oud’ I knew that I would adore it. This miniture candle was from their Christmas collection (I much prefer winter candles to summer ones). It’s quite risky purchasing a candle without smelling it beforehand but this has not disappointed. I picked this up for £12.50 down from £25.
Diptyque Eau Duelle 100ml– This has quickly become my favourite perfume EVER after buying it in May and I’ve already nearly used up half of my 50ml bottle, so when I spotted a 100ml bottle of this in the sale I SQUEALED! A bottle of this is normally £70 but I got it for £34. Bargain. Super happy with this purchase.
There we have it! You can tell I’m going through a bit of a romantic period at the moment… after work I come home, change into my pjs, light candles, make a tea and snuggle to read books or blogs in bed. I love this little routine I’ve got going on and these treats will make this relaxation time even better!
I’ve said it before; I’m definitely one of those girls that prefers a night in relaxing rather than a night out on the town. My idea of the perfect evening is a cup of tea, a good book, music, good food and company. When I was challenged by Money Supermarket to have the ‘perfect’ night in for only £50, I thought – that’s a doddle! I set aside one evening last week and made it my ‘official evening in’ and here is what I got up to!
As soon as I got in from work I ran a bath for myself to relax before the evening ahead. I used the new Timotei Organic Delight Range (which is free from parabens, sulphates, silicones etc) to wash my hair with. I also picked up a little essential oil from the Muji sale which was £2; I adore adding essential oils to baths as they make the whole bathroom smell incredible, this lime one being super invigorating and delicious. I also added the Aveeno Bath and Shower Oil which I recently got because my eczema has been playing up, it’s a creamy oil which smells like oats which is lovely but can get a little sickly! I’ve discovered that I like to pour a few drops of this into the bath and rub some into my body whilst in the bath too!
Secondly and maybe the most important part of the night; food! Me and the Snooks family love takeaways, one of our favourites being a chinese called Dinner Box from the Just Eat website. I ordered a selection of our fav dishes, included honey ribs, crispy fried vegetables, sea-spiced aubergine, noodles etc!
Once fed and bathed I’m pretty much the most content! I changed into my dressing gown (it’s SO soft and from Very.co.uk) and had a little cuddle with Balthazar my little hamster (I’m going to introduce her properly to you all very soon). Then I lit a candle I treated myself to just for the night as my current one is running out. It’s from Muji and called Nashi which means Japanese pear and it smells SO GOOD. I then jumped into bed with a cup of green tea and a new book I’ve just started reading. It’s called ‘The End of Alice’ by A.M Holmes. It’s not the loveliest book I’ve ever read as it’s told from the perspective of a paedophile in jail (controversial, I know) but the story so far has been intriguing.
Chinese Takeaway: £28.10 Timotei Organic Delight range: £6.98 Muji Lime Oil: £2 Aveeno Oatmeal Bath & Shower Oil: £5.46 Muji Candle: £3.99 Book on my Acer Tablet: £5.99
Total: £52.52
Now I’m a tiny bit over budget, but the beauty products I purchased can be used multiple times so you are getting moneys worth with them! And instead of a book I could have listened to music on Spotify (my new favourite band being Little Comets – check them out) or I could have watch some TV online for free (been loving Hannibal, Dates and Breaking Bad recently, not to mention that the final season of Dexter has just started). But I really enjoyed this challenge and I’m looking forward to seeing other ‘night in’ blog posts!
One of the little things I LOVE doing (as sad as it may seem) is rummaging through my makeup collection and pulling out bits and bobs to add to my daily makeup bag. I think rotating products in my daily routine is a great way of finding new gems and re-discovering old favourites.
Here are the recent staples that I’ve been using daily!
Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Barely There– I don’t think I talk about this lipstick enough but it is my favourite lipstick of all time. This goes EVERYWHERE with me, it’ll always be in my bag as it’s just the most perfect natural pink for my skintone. It’s also super affordable and moisturizing; I can’t rave about it enough.
Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Androgen – I purchased this recently and it has not left my makeup bag since. Androgen is the most stunning bright peachy pink cream which really brightens up my complexion. The cream is extremely pigmented, soft and blendable which makes it an absolute pleasure to use!
MAC Studio Finish Concealer– This was a stern favourite in my makeup bag for about 4 years, however it took a back seat in my collection for quite a while. Recently I decided to bring it back out and I’ve fallen back in love with it all over again. This is such a fabulous concealer because it conceals everything! It’s quite thick and creamy but does an incredible job of covering imperfections.
Real Techniques Blender Brush– I had to include this in this post as it’s what I’ve been using to apply the MAC concealer with. I started using this as an eye shadow brush at first but then realised it works wonderfully for applying and blending concealer. It picks up just the perfect amount of product and allows me to really buff and blend it into the skin for a flawless base.
YSL Baby Doll Faux Cils Mascara– Faux Cils seems to be a mascara that everyone and their Mum has tried… apart from me! I got my hands on this recently after a friend didn’t want it and have been using it ever since. I adore it! Despite being really overly fragranced, it makes my lashes look long and defined, without being clumpy. It’s pricey but a great product; I look forward to using this every morning.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Precision Micro Eyeliner – I am a big, big liquid eyeliner fan as you all know – my eyes feel naked and bear without it. I like to switch up my liquid liners as there are always so many to try from the highstreet and this is the one I’ve been reaching for the most recently.
Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner in Black– I always, always come back to this eye liner because quite truly it’s the best! This is SO pigmented, creamy and soft and best of all, it is cheap as chips.
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder– This is the final step in my daily morning makeup routine! I take my Real Techniques Powder Brush and sweep this powder all over my face to mattify my skin and set my foundation. I wish this had a mirror in it so I could take it out with me but I always, always use this when getting ready at home!
I’m due another makeup switch up soon so stay tuned for that!
What products have been staples in your bag recently?
I’ve said before that I have terrible, terrible hayfever. I suffer really badly from it and have done since I was about 11 so I popped together a selection of products that I find helps lessen the suffering so much.
Before getting on to the products, I should mention that my allergy is so terrible that I get a yearly injection to help get rid of the symptoms. It’s not a great injection to get (it’s very expensive) but after five days symptoms are pretty much gone. Until I get the injection, these are the products I swear by!
Kleenex Pocket Tissues – Tissues! This is an obvious one but there have been multiple times that I’ve hopped on the tube and realised I don’t have any tissues, which leads to me sneezing over my hands and getting generally quite messy (gross, I know). I like the Kleenex one as they are super soft and last a while.
Murine Irritation and Redness Relief Eyedrops– I don’t think I could have got through this hay fever season without these. I suffer from terribly itchy, red eyes especially in the evening and these magically soothe my eyes and also take away any signs of redness or bloodshot-ness! They cost me about £5 and I get them behind the counter at my local chemist and find them better than the itchy eyes Optrex ones I used to use.
Prevalin Allergy Relief Spray– Lots of people recommended me this and so I gave it a try. I’m not generally a fan of nasal sprays as they seem to make me sneeze even more, however this one in particular lessened nose blockage after the initial sneeze tickle and outburst!
Optrex Activist 2-in-1 Eye Spray- This is an odd product; a spray which you use with your eyes closed! You spritz this on to closed eyes and it apparently seeps through to help soothe eyes. The good thing is you can use this even when wearing eye makeup and it doesn't ruin it but I’m not sure whether it actually helps my itchy eyes that greatly!
Boots Own Brand Hayfever pills - I used to buy only branded hayfever pills such as Zirtek, Benadryl etc but now I just buy chemists own branded ones, which are half the price, normally on offer also and have the exact same ingredients. This saves me so much money and works just as well so they are handbag staples!
What are your favourite products for lessening the symptoms of hayfever?
I’m back with another catch up of what I’ve been up to recently! These are from the last three weeks, I’ve been crazy busy as usual and have been out most evenings socializing which is most unlike me! I’ve been to the theatre, lots of restaurants and lots of blogger events. Work has also been really good and my creativity is flowing.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. 1) Cuddles with Balthazar, my little hamster with only one ear. 2) Outside the theatre after seeing Daniel Radcliff perform in the Cripple of Inishman! 3) I won a cocktail making task at the Rituals Event – the cosmopolitan challenge! 4) Pancakes with work mates!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. 1) Art installation in Dalston on a Friday evening 2) Creating a graphic eye look for Company magazine’s weekly edit app 3) Editing YouTube Videos 4) Tanya and I at the Vichy event
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. 1) Before doing ‘Clue Quest’ with my sister’s boyf 2) Outfit of the day – Topshop, Primark, H&M 3) On the dodgems on a Friday night at Mile End Fun Fair 4) Drinking shandy in dungarees
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. 1) Creating shadows in the sun 2) Pizza at work 3) With my favourite girls ever – Zoe, Lily and Emma 4) Nic from Pixiwoo creating magic at an Avon event
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. 1) New pale CC cream’s from Gosh launching soon 2) The incredible Zoella bought me macaroons! 3) Helping Tanya sort her makeup kit out – I was in makeup heaven 4) Morning strolls!
Catch up I was recently asked on Twitter if I could write a post about how I got my job so I’m currently typing it up, although it’s turning out to be a massive post all about my work history. If you like the sound of this let me know and I’ll be sure to publish it.
I filmed a makeup tutorial yesterday, a simple one but the before and after shots are really impressive, I can’t wait to publish it. I also trekked out to Streatham last night to watch a friend perform with his band. They are called Whisky Jax and they are super cool so check them out here -
In terms of books, I’ve read one this month so far – The End of Alice is was super disturbing and I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t like graphic novels. I’ve just downloaded Nabokov’s Lolita to read next – have you read it? This week ahead is going to be super busy with lots of work drinks and catching up with friends I haven’t seen in a while so the next catch up post should be interesting!
What have you been up to recently? Also, please recommend me some books!
I love being nosey when it comes to make-up hygiene (and am quite OCD when it comes to makeup – sharing especially) so I thought I’d let you guys know how I clean my makeup brushes and what I use to do so!
I like to use a couple of different products to wash my brushes. Baby shampoo is a great choice as it’s very gentle on the hairs and not packed full of bad ingredients, but more recently I’ve been using Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap as it’s a great organic product without preservatives, with lots of uses! It’s gentle enough to be used on brushes and foams up nicely getting rid of all dirt and grime.
I start off by wetting the brush hairs a little under the tap, being sure not to get the handle too wet (this could damage the brushes). I then pour a little of the magic soap (or baby shampoo) onto either my hand or the brush hairs, and swirl it around in my hand to get rid of the dirt. Depending on the type of brush and what you use it for, it may take a couple of rinses with the soap and water before it runs clear. I should also say it is really satisfying seeing all the colourful grime that comes out of the brushes (gross, ha!).
After cleaning with the magic soap, I also like to give each brush (especially the face brushes) and quick clean with my current face wash. As I am acne prone I have to be careful about what I use on my face so I feel like giving them a final once-over with my face wash helps to prevent breakouts!
Once the water runs clear and the hairs look their normal colour, lay them down on a towel or tissue and leave to dry naturally. Never leave them standing up to dry whilst wet as the water can trickle down to the handle and damage the brush.
I like to wash my brushes every couple of weeks and I find just before bed is the best time, as then I can leave them to dry over night so they are ready for use the next morning!
Also – for quick in between washes, I just use a little spritz of Clinique’s Brush Cleaner (or a little one I have from Sephora). This is great if I’ve used a really dark messy colour or gel eyeliner, as it gets the majority of the product out in a few spritzes whilst wiping on a piece of tissue!
I hope you’ve picked up a few little tips from this post and are feeling inspired to get a-washing!
How do you clean your brushes? What are your favourite brush cleaning products?
I love choosing out makeup and nail polish shades for different seasons and decided to pick a whopping 18 nail polish shades that I adore for this summer. This post will be mainly picture heavy, but watch my video to see why I chose these particular shades out!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. L-R Deborah Lippmann in Lara’s Theme, Mavala in Jaipur, Colour Club in Reign in Spain, 17 Lasting Fix in Orange Soda, Bourjois in Melon.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. L-R Bourjois in Peach and Love, Pixi Glow in Pirouette Pink, China Glaze in Neon & On & On, Models Own in Pink Punch
I don’t know about you, but whenever I see a blogger posting about their pet (whether it be a kitten, bunny rabbit, dog or even hedgehog) I am immediately filled with delight and happiness and sigh a big fat ‘awwhhh’ out loud. Now, my mum and sister are allergic to cats and dogs (I would love nothing more than a little kitten running around at home) so for my whole life we have always had little hamsters! I’ve never done a post on hamsters before but thought I’d introduce you to the current cutest member of the Snooks family!
Ladies and gents, I introduce you to Balthazar, the light of my life! Balth is coming up to two years old now so is turning into a little old girl, but she is still as energetic and loving as ever. Whenever I’m feeling down I just look to Balthazar and she instantly makes me happy. I’m the trainer of Snooks family hamsters and am always given the job of holding the hamsters first and teaching them not to bite, but Balth has been the only hamster we’ve ever had that has never bitten, ever! She loves cuddles and I like to feed her food whilst holding her (bonding sessions).
She had to have a little operation a few months ago as she had a little lump that kept growing on her ear, so a vet removed it and she has been happy (but silly looking) ever since and was so brave, running all over the place once she came round from the anaesthetic.
Our last little hamster was called Bishmael, who was equally as loved and adorable. You can watch a video of Bish and I here -
There we have it! I hope you enjoyed (and squealed ‘awwh’) at this post. I’d love to know if you have any little pets, tweet me a photograph! @katesnooks
Do you have a little hamster? What’s your favourite pet to have?
I was feeling super inspired a couple of weekends ago and decided to film myself getting ready (for a date, ooo-err) and made it into a tutorial for you guys! Admittedly, this is nothing special makeup wise – I wear this look daily to work and find it really quick and easy to do; it just consists of a bit of eyeliner, flawless base and smokey under-eye shadow.
Watch the video below to see how I created this look!
Products Used: Kiehls Ultra Light Daily Defense SPF 50 Urban Decay Primer Potion Benefit Stay Flawless Primer Sleek Ink Pot Gel Eyeliner in Dominatrix HD Brows Kit (matte black shadow to help pro-long the gel liner) Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner in Black Urban Decay Brow Box HD Brow Kit (Taupe shadow under the eye) MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC15 with the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush Rimmel Stay Matte Powder Japonesque Eyelash Curlers YSL Babydoll Mascara MAC Blush in Strada Zoeva Contour Brush MAC Sushi Kiss Lipstick
I really hope you guys enjoy this! I’m quite embarrassed about going totally eye makeup free (don’t think I’ve EVER done that before on this blog) but I think it adds to the before & after look! If you are short of time but want to try this look, swap the gel liner for a liquid liner in a pen form, it’s a lot quicker!
Do let me know if you would like to see any more tutorials from me in the future!
I was recently asked on Twitter if I could do a post about my life after uni and how I got my job etc and so I thought, why not!
I know how difficult it can be after university, having spent pretty much your whole life studying and then not knowing what to do and even if you want to carry on in the career you studied for at university, so this post is going to be a little about what I did and my tips for getting a job you want!
I graduated from university in 2011 with a Photography degree. Uni holds some of the best memories of my life and I had an incredible time, studying something that I had real passion for and loved doing. Doing an arty subject such as photography might be seen by some as a lazy subject but it was tough, as any subjects are! As well as dissertations, classes and essay work we studied a lot of conceptual photography & art, had to develop concepts and ideas for projects, hold exhibitions for our work (3 a year) as well as give presentations about our work.
Half way through my degree I started my blog. I’ve always had a big passion in makeup (I worked as a colour coach (makeup artist) at The Body Shop for 5 years whilst studying) and I wanted to start writing about my favourite products and sharing my thoughts on the matter. I’m not an incredibly social person so it wasn’t a problem juggling social and work/blogging life, I just got on with it and enjoyed it. I also landed a job as a photography intern at Tate Modern. I was one of their official photographers for their events and workshops for 2 years and even got to exhibit one of my photographs in the Tate.
Again – this meant that I didn’t have time to party but I was allowed to photograph in the Tate after hours – I didn’t care!
(If you google image search my name then a couple of my photography shots come up – even one of a nude male model at a lifedrawing class I photographed for the Tate)!
After university I moved back home with my parents in Essex (a tough thing for any wild creature to do after 3 years of freedom) and started the dreaded job hunt. I still wanted to work in photography and landed a freelance photography job for a very popular classical music company, documenting their projects over a period of around 5 months.
I also started photographing weddings for a little bit of income and I LOVED it. I have photographed three in total (I don’t really have time anymore). It’s hard work – shooting for 8 hours solidly (only breaking when the guests are eating) but it filled me with complete joy being a part of someone's special day. (I’m going to pop some of my wedding photographs up on fromkatiewithlovee.blogspot.com so stay tuned for that)!
I also started applying for internships and small jobs, mainly art based. I landed a job as a freelance Styling, Hair and Makeup researcher for a fantastic online brand where I spent my days researching my favourite photographers and makeup artists for an online database. Around 6 more freelancers were hired at the same time and we worked together, however I was called back a few weeks later to do more (by myself) as they loved how hardworking I was. (Not boasting at all, but if you are passionate and hardworking enough then it does pay off).
Around the same time, I also saw an online application for a blogger to have a meeting with a new start up beauty company. I went along to the meeting and put in my honest thoughts and opinions about what a beauty website should be like (from a bloggers perspective) and they too called me back to do a weeks more work with them. (This site has now launched and is called BaoBella.com - a lot of the website is based on my ideas and input so check it out!)
After months of doing freelance jobs like those above, I saw a friend (gh0stparties, you babe) tweet about an internship she knew that was going. I tweeted her, got the details and applied. I went in for the interview and got the internship with Gleam. I interned for 5 months and was then made into a full time employee with a brand spanking new job title in January. I have been working at Gleam ever since and ADORE IT. The opportunities it has given me are fantastic and I learn more and more every day (I’m even getting the hang of how to work out percentages, despite being horrendous at maths). I also get to spend my days with great people and help to manage YouTubers who I have been fans of for a long time, so I count myself very lucky!
Motivational Speech: I know how difficult it can be to job hunt and how at times it’s depressing, and your self-confidence then drops too because of it, but my best advice is to keep busy. Take every little opportunity that is thrown at you and do it; say yes! There have been lots of other things I haven’t mentioned in this post – like the fact that I also taught drama to children ages 8-12 for a year (the year that I was jobless after uni) and also act for the same theatre company whenever a job comes up (I love acting and went to a stage school growing up). These extra little bits and bobs on my CV have shown that I am reliable, enthusiastic, committed and passionate about the creative industry.
I’m sorry about how long this post is – but I hope it has been interesting and helped (inspired?) a few of you out there? Do let me know if you have any questions and I will try and answer them to the best of my ability!
Urban Decay Revolutionize Lipstick in Streak– This (along with MAC’s limited edition Sushi Kiss lippie) has been my most used lipstick throughout the month of July. It’s the most luxurious, peachy pink lipstick which really suits my pale complexion. I am wearing this in the video above and it is just beautiful. Props to Urban Decay for creating this beauty!
Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in 02– A second lip product here, and this time it’s one of the much loved & spoken about Clarins Lip Perfectors. I recently got my hands on this and it hasn’t left my makeup bag since. It’s a caramel-scented light, non-sticky lipgloss which just adds the nicest sheen to my pout. I could sniff this all day.
Cover FX Total Cover Pressed Powder – July has been all about matte skin for me; it was a ridiculously hot and humid month which means that my face looked pretty much permanently oily, so used a pressed powder was a daily (and hourly) occurance. I love this pressed powder for its buildable coverage and pale shade which doesn’t leave me looking orange at all.
Skin Doctors Hair No More– I’ll admit now I’m super lazy in the hair department. I’ve never had a wax (shock-horror) and try and get away with shaving as less as I can (not painting a great picture of myself, am I, ha!). Well, I’ve been using this beauty in July and I have already started seeing a slight difference. It’s a hair inhibitor spray which helps to minimise the growth of hair. It can be used all over but I’ve started off using it just on my legs, just spritz it on and massage it in a couple of times a week and you should start seeing a difference after a couple of weeks. I am adamant to keep this up and use it religiously this summer!
Sleek Ink Pot Gel Eyeliner in Dominatrix– I’ve scrimped on eyeshadow in July and just focused on eyeliner to give me that big-eyed look and this has been my gel liner of choice! This is ridiculously affordable, at around £5 including a brush, and is a fantastic quality giving me the most perfect, matte black winged liner look. This is my third pot of this is my third pot of this stuff (I’ve been using it for a couple of years now) and favour it over any other high-end gel liner. Try it out!
Extras Favourite Band: Little Comets– I have been absolutely obsessed with Little Comets throughout the entire month and still can’t stop listening to their songs. My favourites of theirs are: In Blue Music We Trust, Figures, Little Opus, Isles… and ALL the others. I really urge you to give them a listen and I hope I get to see them live soon.
Books: I read two books this month; The End of Alice by A.M Holmes and Lolita by Vladimirovich Nabokov. Both are based around the same (disturbing) topic and both have been interesting (?) to read. I wouldn’t necersarily recommend them as they aren’t nice books but I thought they are both well written. I’m definitely going to read a happy book next!
Lovebox Festival: I went to Lovebox with some of my favourite people a couple of weekends ago and had the best time. I have a post coming up about it shortly!
Filming with DailyMix: I was super lucky to film with Tanya Burr on Dailymix in July – we had a great little chat about highstreet/highend makeup dupes! I really can’t wait for the video to go live, I’ll let you know as soon as it does!
What have been your favourite products throughout the month of July? Anymore books to recommend me (happy ones)?
I’m not normally one for festivals – my phobia of people being sick stops me doing a lot of things and going to festivals is one of them. However, Sure recently got in touch with a challenge – to try out their new Maximum Protection deodorant in a situation where you are likely to get rather hot & sweaty. I chose two tickets to Lovebox festival to see a couple of my favourite artists live and it just so happened that some of my best friends also went along also!
The Festival: I saw two of my current favourite musical obsessions, Josef Salvat (thanks Andrew you babe for coming to watch him with me), and Aluna George. We sipped rose, ran around, ate pizza, jumped for photographs and claimed our spot of grass in between five massive flags. After the festival I made my way straight out to the Barfly in Camden to see Andrew perform with his band Whisky Jax and did even more dancing there. The day was pretty perfect and has definitely re-ignited my love of festivals.
Lily also took her camera along on the day (most of the photographs above are hers, thank you!) and we didn’t realise but the camera was on a mode which filmed little clips before we took a photograph. So once she was home she put together a little vlog of our day (you can see me preparing to take a selfie – cringe!) you can watch that above too!
The deodorant: Now I am already a massive fan of this deodorant and have been using it religiously for the past year, however they have bought out a new scent and so I was looking forward to giving it a try. The product works best when applied before bed as that's when your body temperature is at its most consistent so it can really get working. The morning after applying it was the day of the festival. I had a shower (and shaved – note this is important, as this surely means that I’m getting rid of the deod?). I gave myself another sweep of the product before heading out at 12pm and I can safely say that I didn’t sweat an inch, despite the hot weather and festivities.
I had an incredible (sweat-free) weekend and would do it all over again if I could! Thanks Sure for the opportunity!
A couple of week’s ago I went to a fancy dress party and the theme was ‘Favourite Childhood Characters’. It really wasn’t a difficult decision at all for me who I adored growing up (apart from Count Duckula) it was of course Pikachu. I have been obsessed with Pokemon since it hit my TV at the age of about 13, I have every episode of the original TV series on DVD and have completed both red, blue, yellow and diamond editions of the game on my multiple gameboys.
Now, being as it’s my birthday today (I’m 25, so old!) I decided to upload my Pikachu tutorial in ode to my childhood. If you are ever in need to look like a pokemon, look no further!
I really hope you enjoy this video. Do subscribe to my YouTube channel (it’d make my day) and let me know what your favourite Pokemon was, maybe I’ll do their tutorial next! For now, I’m back to birthday celebrations!
‘Top Coat’ nail polishes have been super popular recently with lots of brands bringing out different formulations (such as confetti, glitter & opal top coats) to switch up your usual plain nail style. The most recent is by Bourjois with their new Laser Toppings, to add a bit of sparkle and glitter to everyday nails.
Very sorry for this picture heavy post – I just think they are too beautiful not to photograph!
The Laser Toppings include tiny little shiny, metallic strips in a clear base which remind me a little of the Nails Inc Feather collection. These can be used alone & built up to create a full-on opaque glitter nail, but as you can see above these toppings really stand out and come alive when paired with a base coat of the same shade. The Beige & Sun Scale combination is my current favourite for an everyday nail art look. I recommend these if you’re looking to jazz up basic blocks of colour on the nails with something a little more interesting than just plain glitter.
These are available now for £5.99 each in your local Boots & Superdrug stores.
Will you be purchasing these babies? What’s your favourite current nail top-coat?
I have been trying to get my hands on this for AGES but I couldn’t find anywhere that had the palest shade, Siberia, in stock; that was until recently. I’ve been wearing this foundation pretty much daily since getting my mitts on it so now I can give my honest thoughts on this much raved-about foundation!
Colour: The shade Siberia is the lightest available and is pretty much perfect for my ghostly pale skin. I wasn’t expecting it to match so well; it leaves my skin looking natural, but still leaving me looking glowing rather than a grey-white shade.
Formula/Texture: I’m sure you can see from the images above just how wonderful this foundation is; it covers imperfections perfectly leaving my skintone looking natural, yet even and flawless. The texture is a creamy thick liquid which dries to a nice powder once applied, leaving my skin dewy without being overly greasy looking. I find that it can be a little heavy for hot summer days and my skin does get super oily around mid-day (after applying at 7am in the morning) but a little bit of powder helps this. I do also find that I need to re-apply concealer on problem areas after a while but this isn’t a massive problem as I carry one around anyway.
Price: This retails for £29.50 for 30ml and I’m hoping it’ll last me a while as a little goes a long way.
SPF: This doesn’t contain an SPF which is disappointing but I wear sunscreen daily anyway.
What I Think: I really like this foundation, a lot. I wouldn’t say it is a ‘sheer’ foundation at all, I think of it as being more of a satin-matte foundation with buildable coverage. This is a pricey product and it took me a very long time to decide whether I wanted to invest in this, but I’m very glad I did.
I also have the Sheer-Matte foundation which I will be reviewing and comparing shortly!
Have you tried Nars Sheer Glow? What are your thoughts?
Lip crayons seem to be cropping up everywhere at the moment, so I’ve picked out my top-6 summer shades for you today! See below for swatches and mini-reviews.
Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Curviest Caramel– This is probably my most worn lip crayon as it’s a shade which makes my lips look natural but better; it’s a very similar shade to my all time favourite lipstick (Barely There by Sleek) but super creamy and moisturizing making it a dream to apply and wear. I really adore this ‘intense’ chubby sticks as opposed to the sheer ones and can’t wait to get my hands on more.
Avon Lip Crayon in Carefree Coral– Avon have recently jumped onto the lip crayon bandwagon with 6 new fabulously pigmented shades. Carefree Coral is a super bright orange-red shade which I adore at the moment. These crayons pack a punch of shimmer leaving you with a super sexy bright pout.
Stila After Glow Lip Colour in Electric Pink– Now this is the most intriguing of the bunch as this lippie glows in the dark… I know, right! I haven’t yet had a chance to try this out in a clubbing situation but I’ve seen photographs and it looks incredible! Electric Pink is a bright neon-Barbie pink shade which is spot on for summer. It is pigmented and creamy, making it easy to wear.
Topshop Lip Bullet in Covet– This was my most recent makeup purchase I adore it! I love all things peach and couldn’t resist this creamy peach shade which I’ve been wearing ever since. This can be a little drying on the lips so make sure you apply lip balm before hand.
Clinique Chubby Stick in Oversize Orange & Mighty Mimosa– If you’re in need of a sheer flush of lip colour for daily wear then the original Chubby Sticks are ideal for you. I’ve picked out two summer shades for this post, both of which add the slightest bit of colour to you face. I like to think of these as a lip-balm and colour in one.
What’s your favourite lip crayon? Recommend me a few! xxx
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. My best friend and I at Trafalgar Square, Getting all romantic at London Zoo with my new man, The awesome Whisky Jax before their gig at The Lexington, L’Oreal Nail Art Event!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Flowers from the gorgeous Suzie from Hello October, The Body Shop Lipstick heaven, Playing Dress up & Escalator fashion.
It was my birthday last week and I turned the ripe old age of 25. I spent the day in Cambridge with my family and my new squeeze. We went for a punt along the river, bought lots of fudge, had a ‘high tea’ lunch and I had a really lovely day.
Since then, things have been a little up and down and I feel like I’m having a bit of a real ‘life' dilemma. I’m really trying to evaluate what I want in life and where I am at at the moment. I’ve learnt over the past week that I am incredibly lucky to have the most incredible and caring friends and family around me who will be there for me no matter what my choices. I still believe that everything happens for a reason (although I’m not sure what these reasons are at the moment) but I hope everything works out well in the future. I feel like the song Mulder & Scully by Catatonia explains my situation perfectly, as the lyrics are quite prominent. Sorry for all the mystery, team!
Things I’m looking forward to: - Seeing one of my favourite artists, Josef Salvat, play London tonight in Hoxton. - I’m going away on holiday shortly and I really can’t wait for some valuable ‘me’ time. I plan to spend my days exploring and pampering life’s complexities (10 points to whoever gets the Morrissey reference). - Reading a gazillion books on holiday – give me summer read recommendations! - Going to Alton Towers with my work mates in September - Catching up with lots of friends over cocktails over the coming weeks.
If anyone has any book recommendations for my holiday then do let me know. Also – if you have any nice, inspiring quotes, please tweet me them or leave a comment – I need positive energy!
I’m not sure what it is (possibly the fact that it’s summer) but I’ve really enjoyed experimenting and switching up my daily makeup look recently. I decided to create a ‘red lip’ look for daily wear which I’ve been loving recently, so I decided to show you what I used to create the look!
Products Used: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC15 Rimmel Stay Matte Powder Sleek Blusher in Natural MAC’s Nylon Eyeshadow Urban Decay Shadow in Desperation Sleek Gel Liner in Dominatrix Benefit They’re Real Mascara Gosh Kohl Liner in Black L’Oreal Super Liner Gelmatic in Taupe Grey The Body Shop Lipstick in #105
After applying my base with Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, MAC’s Concealer & Rimmel Powder, I used my favourite eyeshadow (Nylon from MAC) all over my eyelid, adding a tad of Urban Decay’s Desperation in the crease of the eye. I used my black gel liner (by Sleek) to create a flick, lined my waterline with Gosh’s black kohl and used Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara to coat my lashes. Finally, I finished with a slick of red lipstick, a new one from The Body Shop!
Do let me know if you would like to see any other ‘looks’ on me – I’m still in the mood to experiment!
Image may be NSFW.
