Category Archives: beauty

New in from Essence

16th October 2016
After (rather excitingly) being awarded “blogger of the month” from my favourite affordable beauty brand Essence I was also lucky enough to receive a parcel with some of their new makeup lines to try out. In the spirit of living up to my new title I thought I’d do a quick review of my three favourite products which have very rapidly become staples in my Autumn/Winter makeup.
The first product is the “light up your face” luminizer palette which retails for a very purse friendly £3. I am absolutely loving this little selection of highlighter powders; used either alone or together these give the most amazing glow to my skin in a way far more expensive products have failed to do.

Secondly was my current go-to lip colour. This is the “matt, matt, matt” lipgloss in the shade ‘girl of today’. I often steer clear of matte lip products as they are notoriously drying. This product isn’t in the slightest bit drying and the colour is the perfect berry toned deep pink. The formula is a new one on me- almost mousse like and so light. The colour lasts a good half a day without need for a touch up which I think is pretty damn impressive from something that only costs £2.30

Finally on to the mascara. This is “the false lashes mascara” which promises dramatic volume unlimited. I’ve said before about how much Essence have impressed me with their budget mascaras. At £2.80 this is one of the cheapest I’ve ever owned and yet still manages to pack a powerful punch in terms of dramatic, voluminous lashes. There’s no flaking or clumping either which is a problem I’ve often had with cheaper mascaras.

There seems to be quite a few new essence products on the block which I hope to try out sooner rather than later. Let me know if anything in particular has impressed you lately, or if there’s anything you’d like to see reviewed in future posts.

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Posted in beauty, brands I love, make up, review

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Thoughts on False Nails

30th September 2016
I’m not usually one to bother with my nails- I used to, and don’t get me wrong there is nothing more satisfying than a fresh manicure but after six years of working in healthcare in a role that requires short, neat and naked nails I’ve kind of fallen out of the routine.
Obviously having not been in work now since April I’ve had time to experiment a bit more- initially in the form of a bright and beautiful shellac, but as time went on and money dwindled a DIY manicure has had to suffice. So it was with great delight that I was sent a whole heap of products from KISS which gave me a chance to experience salon style at home.

All products c/o Kiss*

Up until now my experience with false nails has been limited to just once or twice. I’ve always thought they weren’t for me as my nails (well my thumb nails) are broad and the one time I did try them I had lost half a set by lunch time. Still, I was prepared to give things another shot, KISS is one of the leading brands out there so I was confident that if anyone could change my mind it would be them.

And to an extent they did. Pictured on my hand is the imPRESS press on manicure which could not be easier to apply. You simply match up the nail size, remove the tab and press on your nail. I didn’t have high hopes for these but I made it over 24 hours without losing one and the length was perfect for someone who isn’t used to having long nails. I preferred the pretty nail art designs to the french manicure style- that looked a little too false for my personal tastes but I was still imPRESSED (sorry) with how these lasted and with more perseverance I could have got a lot longer wear out of these by simply re-gluing it.

The red gel fantasy nails were my firm favourite from the bunch. These looked exactly as I’d hope a salon manicure to and again were super quick and easy to apply.

Turns out false nails have come a long way since my initial experiment with them (which if I recall correctly was a £1 pack from Primark that ended in a massive mess) and with party season fast approaching I’ll be seeking out the perfect pack to complement my outfits whilst saving £££ on a salon manicure.

KISS and imPRESS nails are available from both Boots.com* and Superdrug* and although I am yet to try every product I’ve been sent you can check out my instagram for snapshots and more thoughts as I do give them a whirl.

If you have any top tips for wearing falsies, or have any specific recommendations then do let me know…I’m game on for further expanding my horizons.

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Posted in beauty, nails, review

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Affordable Autumn Makeup from Essence

26th September 2016
I’m one of those people who likes to change their makeup along with the season. During the warmer months I keep things simple- a nude eye, a pinky lipstick…perhaps a bit of bronzer if I’m feeling daring. As soon as the nights begin to close in though I change. Out comes the eyeliner, the smokier shadows and darker lips. It can be expensive keeping up with it all, especially when you’re a sucker for anything labelled “new” but thankfully there are brands out there like Essence who make keeping on trend whilst on a budget a breeze. The brand recently sent me over a few of their new Autumn collection to try out so read on if you want to know about some serious bargain buys!

Products c/o Essence

As you can see the eyeliner is quite different to those we’re used to and at first I wasn’t too sure what to make of the ball ended tip. It’s designed so it can be used for either dots or lines and after a few stop-start attempts I soon learnt to love this long lasting liner (which costs a mere £2.50). I’ve been a big fan of Essence’s eyeshadows since I first discovered the brand and instantly loved the metallic nude shade I was sent. I’ve been using this as a highlight shade, paired with berry tones and smokey browns and it applies like a dream and lasts all day long (a bargain at £2.50).

The lipstick (only £2.30!) is darker than I’d usually wear but actually I really love it. I’ve had to reserve it for brave days as I’m still a bit shy about wearing a statement lip colour but I love the berry shade and it will be perfect with the Autumnal colour palette I’m hoping to channel in my wardrobe.

Last but not least comes the nail polish. This is such a lovely shade of grey and makes a great neutral alternative to nudes. As with all Essence polishes it goes the distance with longevity (well, it makes it to three days on me which is a miracle) and costs a teeny tiny £1.60. The nail polishes from Essence are probably my all round favourite product and at that price there’s no reason not to own a whole rainbow of shades!

Does your makeup change with the seasons?

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Posted in beauty, brands I love, make up, review

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Bperfect Brush on Lash mascara Review

12th August 2016
Out of all of the makeup items there are I would say mascara is the one thing I’d choose to keep above all else. It’s not that my natural lashes are very pale, or even all that short but for some reason even a single coat of mascara leaves me feeling that little bit more confident and leaves me looking a good bit more awake! I was recently introduced to Bperfect Cosmetics and their brush on lash mascara which is designed as an alternative to eyelash extensions (something I’ve been putting some thought in to recently). I was really excited to try this product out and hoped it could justify the £22.99 price tag.
For your £22.99 you receive a smart black box containing two tubes of product. The first of these products is a lengthening gel and the second is a smaller tube of enhancement fibres made using green tea fibre.

Applying the kit was really easy, you simply coat upper and lower lashes with a good amount of the lash lengthening gel then add a coat of the fibres to the tips of your lashes before letting it dry for 20 seconds. You can then either seal the lashes with another coat of the lengthening gel or repeat the process for a more dramatic look.

I was a bit worried this would be quite fiddly and messy to do but really it wasn’t (and I’m the most cack-handed person I know). In the picture above I only have one coat of the product on and I was really impressed in the difference it made compared to my usual mascara and two coats would make an incredible dramatic impact for a night out, which is great for me as I am incapable of using false eyelashes without causing injury or sporting a “drunken spider on my face” look.

To remove the brush on lashes you just need to use some warm water or eye makeup remover- it’s that easy! They don’t smudge at all whilst sealed in…I’ll confess to sleeping with them on and then sporting them the next day because sometimes I’m a slob. They also pass the hormonal crying test!

BPerfect Cosmetics are an Irish beauty brand, based in Belfast. All of the products in the range are easy to use, versatile and created to change your cosmetic routine forever.

You can find out more by giving them a follow on twitter, facebook and instagram. I’d love to know if any one has tried any more products from the brand and which ones you’d recommend.

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*product sent to me for review purposes, all thoughts are honest and my own*

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Getting Festival Ready with Essence

30th July 2016
I might not be heading off to any festivals this year, but having been to a few in the past alongside several camping trips I felt quite equipped to take on the challenge of creating a long lasting festival makeup look with the help of Essence. The folks at Essence kindly sent over a bundle of their products, asking bloggers to use them to create a water and smudge proof look to take you from dawn to dusk…
I personally don’t like to wear heavy makeup at a festival- I’m not one for glitter and face paint because after a long day I can never be bothered to remove it and my tent ends up looking like a fairy exploded the next morning. With this in mind I opted for a fairly low maintenance, speedy look which still had some bright and fun elements to it.
I used the eye crayon as an eye makeup base negating a need for primer too- it’s such a pretty peachy/gold colour and unlike some crayons I’ve used in the past doesn’t crease or wear off over the course of the day. I added some silver eyeshadow on top of this for a subtle bit of sparkle and used the dark brown eyeshadow to fill in my brows before adding in turquoise liner to my top eyelids and silver in the corner of my eyes to brighten them up. All of these lasted the duration of the day without any smudges or streaks! The eyeshadows are £1, the crayon £2.80 and the eyeliners are £1.50 so not going to break the bank if you want to experiment with bright and bold colours.I was actually really impressed with the mascara. I’m not a fan of waterproof mascaras in general as I find they can be drying on my lashes. This one by essence isn’t like that at all and I loved it’s petite size and the effect it had on my mink lashes after just two coats. A complete bargain at only £2!

Skin wise I didn’t actually test the foundation as the shade was far too dark for me (being the English Rose that I am) but if it’s anything like previous essence foundations I’ve tried then it will live up to it’s long lasting hype. The lipliner and lipstick lasted a full six hours on me which is pretty good given that I’m constantly drinking a cup of something and had lunch and snacks in that time as well. The lipsticks are very reasonable at £2.30 each…I have several from essence and they’ve all impressed me.

Whilst I’m here I thought I’d throw in a bonus couple of tips if you are heading to a festival for the first time this year…

1. Don’t forget a mirror! I did this the first time I ever went and ended up begging a compact off of a friend which was interesting to do a full face in! Even if there are mirrors in the toilets you really don’t want to be hanging round in those longer than necessary!

2. Face wipes are you friend. A quick and easy way to freshen up during the day and to take makeup off a night. Not ideal as a long term solution but perfect for a weekend in a field!

3. Pack hard workers. Unless you’re taking a gazebo to sleep in space will be limited. 2 in 1 products and travel sizes are your best friends, as are products that don’t require an army of brushes to apply.

4. Relax. Festivals are all about having fun, you really don’t need to pack your full contour kit and high end foundation…no one will be looking at your face and by the time it’s rained for six hours straight and you’re covered in mud no one will see your makeup anyway!

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Products in this post gifted to me by essence.

Posted in beauty, life, make up, review

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