GLOW BOOSTING WITH SOAP & GLORY'S 'BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL' SERUM!

My skin has certainly been a little lacklustre as we slowly creep out of the colder months of the year in the UK. My skin isn't dry, but it is dehydrated and frequently not getting enough sleep doesn't help!

I picked up this '6-in-1 energising radiance serum'  (£13) from Soap and Glory hoping that it could help make me look a little more awake when I head out the door at 7:30. I've never tried anything from Soap and Glory that I didn't like, so I had high hopes. 

I have to admit, initially when I used this underneath moisturiser... I didn't really think it did much - or at least not enough that it would show through my foundation. 

So... I switched up my method. I'm currently using the L'Oreal Infallible Matte foundation which does set down to a very matte, mid-high coverage finish. If I feel like I need a little more glow to my skin (aka most days), I'll mix 2 parts foundation with 1 part serum and make my own super-glowy non oily foundation combination. This way the glow from the serum doesn't get masked by the foundation! I've not tried this with other foundations - I'd imagine that it might not work so well with foundations which are already leaning towards the 'dewy' side. 

I love the finish this product gives when mixed into my foundations - for me I loved the longevity and colour match of the Infallible matte foundation but thought it was just a little too matte for my skin type. 

I'd love to know if you have any glow-boosting recommendations for me!

xxx

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On-the-go Fragrance Solutions

Nope, they aren't vibrators. Just portable perfume dispensers which look like vibrators and could lead to confusing comments about the type's of things you keep in your office handbag... 

It's nice to smell nice. It's nice to continue to smell nice all day long. And if you aren't fortunate enough to be wearing Chanel everyday, then sometimes this just isn't possible from your morning spritz. 

Keeping perfume in your bag is not fun either. The bottles are more than often made of glass, bulky and awkward. And god forbid it smashed in your handbag... There is such thing as too much of a good thing - walking around doused in an entire bottle of perfume being one of them. 

So today I have two alternatives to the perfume bottle for you... the trusty Travalo  (RRP £15, but £7.50 on Fragrance Direct right now!) and a more affordable alternative for £1.50 from Primark. 

So.... what's the difference?

Well the Travalo (pictured in Pink) has a rather clever patented valve which allows you to remove the cap of your perfume, pop this on the little tube and pump it full of fragrance this way. It also comes in a large range of colours which would make them easier to differentiate, and it is slightly bigger and generally looks and feels more expensive. 

The Primark option is a fraction of the price, meaning you could buy more for different perfumes. But they only come in silver (as far as I'm aware), you have to unscrew the lid and spray the perfume in directly, which can be a bit messier. 

So you can buy 5 Primark atomisers for every Travalo - both have their merits. I use my Travalo for my most used, every day perfume, then will probably use the Primark atomisers for my less frequently used scents. 

Both hold enough to get a good few used out of. I hardly ever have to refill these! 

I'd love to know how you guys travel with your perfumes at the moment. Let me know below!

xxx

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The 15p Brush Cleanser Alternative.

If you're looking for a great budget brush cleanser, look no further. 

I've tried a lot of different products when it comes to cleaning my make up brushes. It's one of my least favourites chores, so I'm always on the hunt to find alternatives that will thoroughly clean my brushes in record time. I'd heard Nikkie (of Nikkie Tutorials) briefly talk about how 'hotel soap' was one of the best things to clean your brushes, so I thought I would put a plain white soap to the test on my brushes. I popped into my local Tesco and picked up their Everyday Value Soap at only 15p and, without being overly dramatic, IT IS THE BEST BRUSH CLEANSER I HAVE EVER USED!

Filthy brushes. Lovely. 

This soap is all you need guys. AND 15p!

I can't vouch for how this fares with sensitive skin as it does have a slight 'soap' fragrance, so if you are especially sensitive it may be best to check the ingredients. It does, however, imply that it can be used with babies, which implies to me that it should be sensitive skin friendly - but don't quote me on that! 

Ooh, working up a lather...

I use the soap in a similar way to how you would use a Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser, so I will draw my main comparison from that. Firstly, the price difference is HUGE - with the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser coming in at around £15. It is also only a fraction of the size and quite simply just awkward to store, whereas the Tesco soap can just be popped in a soap dish to the side. As the soap bar is so much larger, it is a lot easier to work up a lather, too! 

I really struggle to see why solid make up cleansers cost so much after trying this. Personally I think this is better than the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser, so much so that I feel a little bit angry for having potentially paid quite a bit to be sold what was essentially a teeny bit of soap. 

If you have a particularly stubborn foundation that you can't shift, then maybe you would need a little extra help still (although I am yet to find a cleansing product which does any better). A little drop of Olive oil does the trick to help lift it off before you give it a good clean with soap though. 

Ah, all clean.. that's better. 

I am honestly totally blown away with how good this is for cleaning brushes and will be in no rush to try any more over-priced soaps any time soon. I really hope I can convince at least one of you to pick it up - it's only 15p so no loss if you aren't a fan (although, I'm pretty sure you will be!)

xxx

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DIOR AIRFLASH: Airbrush In A Can?

Dior Airflash (£33.50) has been on my radar ever since Jeffree Star raved about it years ago on Instagram. As far as I know, it's one of his favourite foundations so when I was invited to a Dior event recently at Debenhams in Cardiff, I had to have it. 

Being on the extreme end of of the pale skinned spectrum, I obviously opted for the lightest shade of Ivory. This is probably still a tad too dark for my skin, and slightly too neutral where I suit a cool-toned base best, but all is not lost as I know this will be the perfect foundation for me when the summer rolls around. 

So this foundation can be used in a number of ways - either use it on its own sprayed directly on to the face for an easy, natural base, spray over foundation to make it extra high coverage and flawless, or spray onto a beauty blender / brush and apply that way. It's not often you get such versatility in foundations, so I found this to be a big selling point! 

You also get a lot more product than a normal foundation - 70ml! That's at least double what most foundations offer. This is mainly to account for the spray that get's lost during use, but if you're nifty with it then you can definitely make the most out of it. 

At the moment I use this when I'm going for a full coverage, night on the town type make up (which, unfortunately, happens less than I would like!). When I use it over a base foundation it helps to bronze me up slightly (yes, Ivory is bronzing up for me!) and boost my coverage which is great! I then go in with concealer to highlight where needed. 

It may be a bit gimic-y, but actually the Dior Airflash is a great multi-use product and will certainly go a long way. My only downside is the poor colour range as I would love to wear this on it's own during the cooler months, too!

Have any of you tried this? What do you think?

xxx

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WINTER NAIL WARDROBE: PARTY EDITION! (Models Own and Barry M)

The last post of my Winter Nail Wardrobe mini series is the party edition - all the colours perfect for NYE! I decided to use Models Own and Barry M exclusively as I think they are the best brands for glitter shades - better than any high end versions I've tried! (DISCLAIMER - This post is not sponsored by either...)

L-R: Barry M Rose Glitter Quartz, Models Own Ibiza Mix, Models Own Boogie Nights, Models Own Magenta Divine, Barry M Fashion Icon, Barry M Amethyst Glitter, Barry M Xmas 2012, Barry M Pink Glitter, Barry M Black Multi Glitter.

WINTER NAIL WARDROBE: CHRISTMAS!

Today I'm sharing perhaps my favourite of my Winter Nail Wardrobe, my CHRISTMAS nails! The green ORLY polish is one of my favourites, and perfect for Christmas. The NAILSINC Stars are adorable too!

NAILSINC Alexa Stars, Barry M Red Glitter, NAILSINC Victoria and Albert, Orly Mermaid Tale, Models Own Absinthe

WINTER NAIL WARDROBE: ICY BLUES

Welcome to part 3 of my Winter Nail Wardrobe! Today I'm sharing my icy blue shades. Unfortunately the models own shade pictured bottom right was smashed by my son before I could get a swatch (grr!)

Models Own Chrome Blue, Barry M Aqua Glitter, OPI Last Friday Night, Essie Find Me An Oasis, Sinful Colors Cinderella, Orly Harmonious Mess, Nails Inc. Winter Lilac, Orly Snowcone

Let me know your favourite blue shades!

xxx

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WINTER NAIL WARDROBE: FROSTY TIPS

If you saw Tuesday's post, then you'll know that I'm doing a quick mini series on my Winter nail wardrobe. Today I'm sharing some beautiful frosty whites and silvers!

OPI Snow You Love Me, China Glaze Luxe and Lush, Nails Inc Alexa Holographic, No.7 82445, GOSH Holographic Hero, OPI Turn on The Haute Light, Models Own Snow White. 

Let me know if you think I'd love anything else!

xxx

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WINTER NAIL WARDROBE: AUTUMN HUES

I thought I would do a mini series on my 'nail wardrobe' for winter. First up, and perhaps a little late, is the autumnal reds, golds and nudes I love to wear once the weather takes a turn for the worse! I'll keep these posts short and sweet because there's a few of them coming! 

From top - bottom: OPI I Sing in Colour, Nails Inc. Tate, Seche Irresistable, Nails Inc. Jermyn Street, Orly 0712514a (Sorry the actual name came off!), Mac Originality, M&S Gold Shimmer, No.7 71443,  OPI Gaining Mole-Mentum.

I'd love to know what Nail Colours you recommend for the winter months - let me know below! 

xxx

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Faking a Winter Glow with Make Up Revolution

I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to highlighting. As someone with an oily t-zone, I was always a fan of keeping my skin as matte as possible, regardless of how half-dead I looked as a result. Over the past year or so though, I have built up a decent collection of highlighters and have come to use them on a daily basis to add a bit more glow to my face (and disguise the sleep-deprived parent look that I'm usually rocking...)

Make Up Revolution have some great highlight offerings which I thought I would share with you today, if you're looking for an affordable way to add a little bit of glow to your skin now that the winter is drawing in! 

Radiance Palette Swatches: Left-Right - Breathe, Exhale, Glow

If I was going to suggest a 'must-have', it would be the radiance palette (£8). As you can probably tell I get A LOT of use out of the two highlighting shades, and despite having used this almost every day for a few months I am yet to hit pan.

I haven't tried the hourglass ambient lighting powders, but these are supposedly a dupe for those at a tiny fraction of the price! They are more subtle than regular highlighters and without any chunks of glitter, instead they just add a beautiful sheen to the skin. I use the first shade 'Breathe' around the under eye area and tops of cheek bones and the centre of the forehead then the second shade 'Exhale' to add a little extra glow to the tops of the cheeks and the brow bone. The third shade 'Glow' is a great bronzey shade for the summer months, too!

Left - Goddess of Love, Right - Peach Lights

Two of the separate highlighters Make Up Revolution offer are the Goddess of Love highlight (£4.99) and the 'Peach Lights' baked highlighter (£3) which both offer a light pinky glow - perfect for cool skin tones like mine. The Goddess of Love highlighter comes in gorgeous packaging (very similar to the Too Faced blushes...) and seems to have a little more depth to the colour which doesn't seem to show up in the swatches. Peach Lights is very similar though and a great affordable alternative.

I'm forever being impressed by Make Up Revolution. I'd love to know if you have any recommendations for me to try!

xxx

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Ben Nye Neutral Set Colorless Powder DUPE!

Hello everybody!

Today I have an exciting discovery to share with you all... a dupe of the Ben Nye Neutral Set Colorless Powder! Now this powder normally retails at around £6.50 for a small tub, or £12.50 for the large. It's not really expensive, but it's not a bargain either. It's not the easiest to get hold of, either. Unfortunately... the Dupe is a little bit hard to get your hands on as well... but now that E.L.F. are back online in the UK it can be yours in a few clicks! 

Now as far as E.L.F. goes, their High Definition Powder is actually at the pricier end of the spectrum with the RRP of £7.50, however if you're a savvy shopped like me, you'll know they run promotions all the time, so you can probably pick this up at a fraction of the price if you just wait for a promo code to land in your inbox. 

I love a translucent powder. I'm so pale that I think it's necessary to not make my foundation look patchy and weird. I picked the Ben Nye powder up at IMATS this year, and whilst I seem to have barely made a dent in it with frequent use, I'm still a little scared of using it up. So recently, I started to delve into my make up collection and found the long forgotten E.L.F. powder. I picked it up ages ago when they had their store in Cardiff, but for some reason never got around to giving it a go. 

I'm not into looking super-matte, but rather use these powders to set my undereyes and oily areas. I actually like to apply both, lightly, with a sponge. I feel like this moulds it better with the make up than with a brush and makes your base look a little more seamless. 

The only differences I can tell between these powders is that the E.L.F. one seem to be a little bit more finely milled... more like a bright white dust, than the Ben Nye which resembles more of a flour-y texture (okay, describing powders is weird - they both look a little bit like cocaine too, if that appeals to you). Despite being more finely milled, I think the E.L.F. powder is slightly more visible on the skin, but with good application you should be able to achieve seamless blending. 

OH, and let's not forget the elephant in the room. Ben Nye powders have the most annoying packaging ever. Guys at Ben Nye, can we sort this out please. You end up having to sort of dab a little bit into the lid and end up wasting loads / making a mess... So E.L.F. definitely win on the packaging front!

I'd love to know your translucent powder recommendations!

xxx

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PINK PARCEL: The Monthly Subscription With A Difference!

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive a 'Pink Parcel' subscription box* to try out. It's a service which I was not familiar with, but immediately LOVED the idea.. and the box! 

The Pink Parcel monthly box is estimated to arrive when us ladies need it most.. *ahem* that time of the month.... Okay.. when you get your period. Just so we're all on the same page. 

It costs £12.99, so about the same price as most subscription boxes, although you can get your first one to try it out for just £7.95 through their website! 

The box contains 5 sub-boxes. The first being a little box of 'pick me ups', a little pouch featuring sanitary protection of your choice, two extra boxes to get you through the week and a final box for keeping things in good working order... 

I was so impressed with the 'For You' box. It's probably as good as any other beauty subscription box, if not better. There was a full size OPI nail polish and L'Oreal mascara in there which would total at least £20 on their own already! I love the mix of beauty a lifestyle bits, which you don't usually get in subscription boxes. The box featured a deluxe Elizabeth Arden sample, some rather fancy chocolate, a Bellapierre eyeshadow, a Skin Hair and Nails sample, some Pukka tea, a cute lip balm, a necklace and some adorable Bandzee hair bands - a good haul! 

A great feature about the box is that you can cater it to your preference in terms of which tampons / pads you use and what kind of absorption you need - amazing! 

Finally, this months box contained a 'Sass' intimate cleanser - not the most glamorous of things, but useful none the less and why not treat your downstairs to something a little bit fancier than Femfresh once in a while?! Also, this looks pretty subtle in your bathroom too! 

I absolutely love the Pink Parcel box, and will definitely be signing up to get one next month! Realistically, a couple of boxes of tampons a month will set you back at least £5-£6 anyway, so why not spend an extra few pounds to get the hassle taken out, plus a few extras! 

What do you think of this service?

xxx

*This post contains a PR sample which I was gifted*

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