Category Archives: make up

Get Cara’s Camo Look with Rimmel

20th June 2017
Rimmel have recently launched a limited edition collection exclusive to Superdrug. The range is fronted by Cara Delevingne and is called Cara’s Camo Collection. As the name would suggest the products are all based upon the bang on trend camouflage look- from the shades of the products to the packaging itself, and it’s all finished with Rimmel’s trademark Union Jack print.
I haven’t reviewed the entire range as some of the products are ones I’ve tried and featured before- the brow gels for example [the clear and dark brown are staples of mine]. Same goes for the lipstick, although I’m certainly glad to have a back up of this shade as it’s the most perfect nude I’ve found on the high street!
I’m not a black nail polish kind of girl but the other two colours in the collection are right up my street and perfect for pulling together an on trend look this Summer. I’m already a huge fan of Rimmel’s 60 second shine range and camo girl and desert disguise are fantastic additions to the collection.
Most people by now know I love my mascaras and I’m always on the look out for great new additions to my ever-growing army of them. The Extra 3D Lash Mascara is the first mascara by Rimmel to give a multi-dimensional look and one swift coat of this gives a voluminous, defined look that I’m seriously loving.
One of the first makeup items I ever owned was the original Hide the Blemish concealer stick from Rimmel and it’s been an absolute staple ever since. This is the same product we know and love bought up to date with it’s camouflage disguise. The main reason I love this product so much is that it’s a great all-rounder. It hides blemishes and conceals dark circles equally well and it’s perfect for me at the weekend’s when I’m staying at my boyfriend’s and don’t want to pack endless makeup products.
Another multi-tasking product I love from this collection is the Highlighter Pencil. You can use it to life the brow arch, or to highlight the brow bones and I’ve actually also been using it in the inner corners of my eyes for a wide-awake look when I’m really not feeling it!
The entire collection is available Superdrug and as well as being ridiculously affordable in the first instance it’s also currently on a 3 for 2 offer so now’s the time to snap it up!

Have you tried any products from this collection? What limited edition packaging would you like to see from Rimmel?

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Products sent to me c/o Rimmel for blog consideration. Post contains affiliate links.

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

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My Must Haves from Essence

14th June 2017
Another week and another new product from my favourite budget makeup brand Essence. The “My Must Haves” eyeshadow palette is something I’ve seen pop up on a few blogs recently and I just knew it was going to be a winner.

Eyeshadow palettes are tricky territory if you’re buying them pre-made, they can be a bit of a false economy really- I’ve lost track of how many I’ve bought only to use one or two of the shades and ignore the rest, then feeling horribly guilty when the rest of the palette sits there neglected and unloved.

As with all Essence products this is an absolute bargain. The empty case costs £1.50 for a four colour palette and £2 for an eight colour one. The individual products themselves then cost a mere £1.50 each making it a great way to create on-trend looks for every season.

Although my palette is filled with eyeshadows (which live up to the usual highly pigmented and long-lasting Essence standard) you can also get blushes, a lip base and powders, highlighter, bronzer and fixing powder. With the 32 product strong selection the opportunities for customisation are endless.

My personal palette is embracing my current love for all things pink when it comes to beauty- it might look a bit scary but the shade “raspberry frosting” is so bright and fun for summer and also works well as a blusher shade too.

The palette is super easy to pop together with a secure special click mechanism meaning your shades are safe and secure, but also easy to interchange.

You can pick up these products from selected Wilko stores and the Wilko website. For the full range of shades available hop on over to the Essence site and customising. I highly recommend these as a fun and affordable way to update your makeup, and perfect for taking away on holiday where you don’t want to lug your full makeup collection with you.

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Products in this post sent to me for blog consideration, all opinions are my own.

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

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Beauty- Introducing Avril

29th May 2017
I’m always up for trying out new skincare and makeup products especially when they’re from brands that are completely new to me. Recently I was contacted by Avril, a young French brand specialising in certified organic and natural cosmetics. All of their products are cruelty free, always a complete winner in my eyes (well, essential actually) so I was on board entirely when they offered to send out a selection of products for me to try.

Lipstick | Micellar Water | Mascara | Day Cream | Highlighter

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I like the simple, no nonsense packaging from the brand. It’s clean and concise and fits well with the ethos of the brand. Price wise I think the entire range is reasonable, the most expensive product here is the highlighter which comes in at 8 euros (just under £7) and the products are a very decent size for that. The main question though is how do they perform? Well, read on…
Skincare wise both of these products impressed me. The micellar water in particular- it’s packed full of aloe vera which I’m a big fan of and means it feels incredibly refreshing when you use it. It feels a lot more soothing than my usual micellar water and price wise it’s certainly comparable enough for me to order this instead when I’m next in need.

The day cream contains both organic macadamia and organic sweet almond oil meaning it feels incredibly rich when you put it on. I did find this a little odd at first as I generally want a day cream to feel lighter but after getting used to how much I needed to use I started to really enjoy this product and it’s become a daily part of my routine. It has subtle and refreshing scent which I really enjoy and my skin is certainly incredibly soft right now.

Makeup wise Avril continued to make a good impression. The highlighter is incredibly subtle- exactly what I want for a fresh, day time look. A light application of this as an addition to my standard week day makeup brightens up my complexion nicely without leaving me feeling like a disco ball. This is probably one of the best highlighters I’ve tried for daily wear, although if you’re a big glow fan you might find it a bit subtle for your tastes.

The lipstick is a product I fully intended to swatch and it’s only as I write this post that I realise I didn’t- nice one Laura! This shade is called Framboise and is a gorgeous berry colour. It applies nicely and lasts a long time- not as long as some of the more premium brands out there, but at 6 euros I was impressed at it’s longevity and the pigmentation as well as the quality.

Finally we have the mascara. I went for the volume variety and whilst it’s probably not going to find itself in my top three mascaras of all time it’s still decent, again especially when you consider the price. The mascara contains organic beeswax and extract of acai berry to strengthen and nourish the lashes which is a nice touch and whilst the effect isn’t the most dramatic volume you’ve ever seen it’s a perfectly good mascara and great for a more subtle work makeup look. I’ll happily continue to use this.

This is only a small selection of what Avril has to offer and I’d be keen to try out more from the brand, in particular more of the makeup range- eyeshadow and foundations are definitely on my list. I’m also interested in seeing what their nail products and makeup brushes are like, if I place an order would you like to see further reviews?

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Products sent c/o Avril

Posted in beauty, make up, review, skincare

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Essence SS17 new arrivals

03rd May 2017
It’s been a little while since Essence featured on the blog and they’ve been busy little bees creating some great new products for the Spring/Summer season. If you didn’t already know I am a big fan of Essence products (past features here) so I was really excited when an envelope containing some of these new products arrived at my door.
There were some really intriguing looking products inside the package and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. So excited it seems I completely forgot to get any swatches of the products but I’ll make sure to pop some up on my instagram over the coming days.
The Blush Play sculpting blush palette (£4) in “play it pink” is a very pretty little palette containing three blush shades that can be used together for a contoured effect or individually. I’m especially fond of the highlight shade, but all three really do work in harmony to create a gorgeous spring flush of pink.
I’ve always raved about Essence’s mascaras and the volume stylist 18h lash extension mascara (£3) is yet another bargain mascara to win my praise. This mascara features a diamond shaped brush which holds lengthening fibres and it creates long, full lashes that don’t budge.

Another product that really excited me was the cushion eyeliner (£3). This little jar holds a sponge soaked with super pigmented eyeliner. Applied with a fine brush this has an amazing texture and again doesn’t budge at all during the day.

You can’t beat Essence for bargain lip products and at a mere £2 these shine shine shine lipglosses are amazing. I’ve got two shades- number 12 and number 13 and they apply smoothly to give a really, really shiny and highly pigmented splash of colour. Out of the two shade 12 is my favourite, I’m really loving purple lips at the moment.

On a side note, these smell incredible too.

Last but not least we have a new nail product- colour boost high pigment nail paint in the shade 11- instant match. Essence nail products are a long standing favourite and a really affordable way to bring your look up to date at a minuscule £1.80 each. This new range takes just one application to provide super shine and solid colour coverage. There are ten shades available and I want them all!
Have you tried any of these new products from Essence, or any others from the brand for that matter? If not then I highly recommend you get acquainted with the brand which you can find in selected Wilko stores or the Wilko website.

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

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How to Add a Pop of Colour to your Summer Wardrobe

28th March 2017
When the sun is shining I feel the sudden urge to get out my bright clothes and I’m not the only one. Knowing how and where to add colour can be hard though as you don’t want to overdo it. I feel at ease with red lips and fun prints but what other ways are there of adding a pop of colour to your summer outfit if you’re not quite so brave?

Colour block skirt
I own more A-line skirts than I’d care to mention and have them in pretty much every length, colour and print. It makes sense then that for summer I like to colour block with a bright skirt and a complimentary colour top. For those with a curvier frame wearing bright colours from the waist down works really well and an A-line shape skims the hips. If you want a more toned down look just pair with a neutral top instead.

Bold Summer dresses
For the ultimate boost of colour and energy to your wardrobe it has to be a patterned summer dress. There are so many patterns that are trending right now- from pastel gingham to bright stripes and vintage florals to fun food prints – pineapple anyone? Aztec prints also never go out of style so I’m keeping an eye out for this trapeze dress from Sainsbury’s holiday shop when doing the weekly shop.

Add colour in your accessories
In winter it’s easier to accessorise with colour simply because you wear more accessories and can layer up with hats, gloves and scarves. It’s still possible to do it in summer though – albeit in a slightly more subtle way. I like to add colour with a big bright bag to carry all of my everyday essentials (i.e. my entire life) or in or a pair of platform heels.

Off the top of your head
You can use your head, quite literally, to top off your colour offering. My cat beret gets a little rest over summer but out comes the sun hat instead. Even if yours is plain it’s always possible to wrap around a colour-coordinating scarf to match your outfit. For another instant colour update using a pretty silk scarf tie it round some classic vintage rolls- with the added bonus of keeping your neck nice and cool!
Finishing touches
Last but not least don’t neglect your face and fingers. If you’ve gone for accessories to add tones to your outfit pick the same shades out in your eyeshadow, lipstick or nails for added zing. While I stick to reds and darker shades of make-up in winter, spring is the time to experiment and I’m not afraid of orange lipstick, purple eyeshadow or pastel green nails – as long as it matches something I’m wearing! If you’re not feeling too brave start with a bold nail colour and go from there. This guide to nail shades covers orange, green, bronze, hot pink and everything in between.
How will you be adding colour to your Spring/Summer looks? I’d love to know.

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Posted in accessories, beauty, fashion, guest post, lifestyle, make up, nails, shopping

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