Choosing the right foundation.

That noticed that it's been a while since I did a beauty related post, and when it comes to make up, one of the biggest problems I face (scuse the pun) is getting the right foundation. It's either too thick/too dark/too pale/not enough coverage/doesn't last/too oily..... There are a lot of factors in choosing one that's right for you.

So I thought i'd just write some quick reviews on foundations I have tried in the past in case it helps any of you guys out!

1. Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse

When I was in high school I wore Maybelline's Matte Mousse every single day. I loved the stuff. I found a shade that matched my skin perfectly and as this was the period where I had only just started to wear make up, it didn't feel too heavy on my skin or make me look too 'caked up'. If you're after a light foundation just to even out your skin tone then this is perfect.

2. MAC Studio Fix Fluid
If this foundation was a person, I would worship the ground it walked on. I seriously can not rave about this foundation enough. Depending on how much you put on, you can choose the amount of coverage you'd like, for instance through the day i put on a small amount to just even out my skin, then when I go out I like a bit more coverage. I love this when I go out because if you're like me and dance a lot when you go out, this doesn't show up how shiny you are - and you don't need powder on top!

3. No7 Stay Perfect Foundation

I didn't use this one for that long, so as you can guess it didn't make a lasting impression. It pretty much just had the same problem most foundations do - didn't last very long. I went for the colour match service that they were doing in Boots as I was really struggling to find a foundation that matched my skin. Fortunately, the one they picked out for me (Calico, and also the palest), matched quite well. I was just disappointed with how long it lasted on my face.

(Photo unavailable - I stupidly binned this one a few weeks ago!)

4. Rimmel Wake Me Up Anti-Fatigue Foundation
I like to use this foundation as an emergency one when I run out of my MAC. It gives perfectly good coverage and applies fairly evenly. There are only 2 things that make me reach for my MAC foundation more than this one. The first being that this one doesn't last very long. I'd find that after a few hours most of the foundation will have worn off. The second is due to it being quite a shiny and oily foundation, powder is needed on top.

5. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Honestly, I was pretty disappointed with this foundation. It could have been a case of not being suited for my skin type, but I really didn't like anything about it, which is annoying - especially for the price you pay! I've heard a lot of people rave on about this one but I seriously couldn't attach to it. The shade I chose was too pale and I found it started to wear off my face after less than an hour. Honestly for this one i'd advise you not to waste your money!

I feel your pain ladies (or men!). Choosing the right foundation can be a nightmare until you find 'the one', so I hope this has helped!
𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒𝕓𝕖𝕝

June favourites

I can't believe it's July already! Where is the year going?! Here's a quick look at some of my favourite cosmetic buys this month, each one i've been using pretty regularly and I would recommend every single one of them.

Maybelline 24 Hour Superstay Lip Colour Lipstick in Timeless Rose £8.99 Boots

I'm in love with this colour. The conditioning balm plumps my lips and makes a nice base for the colour, making it easy to clean off at the end of the day but also keeps it in place when you need it!

Sleek Contour Palette in Light £6.49 Boots

I'm obsessed with make up videos - especially contouring. I've been using bronzer for a while and it can look too shimmery and orange. I love the Sleek eyeshadow palettes and when I saw this in a store in town, I needed to give it a go, and I wasn't disappointed!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water £2.79 Boots 

I've only recently started to use Micellar Water. Up until now it's just been facewipes and facewash until a friend nearly had a breakdown when she found out what I was using. "Facewipes strip your skin of their natural oils!", "They're so bad for you!", "You NEED to use Micellar Water!".

So here I am giving it a go. It takes my make up off so easy and my skin hasn't been this clear in so long! I am loving it!

Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream £29.50 Boots

This has become a pretty regular participant of my evening skin routine. After i've cleaned my face I put a small dollop on my cheeks and massage it around my face, then in the morning my face feels as soft as a baby's bottom!

Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray 200ml £4.99 Superdrug

This is brilliant if you're having one of those 'you want to look good but you're too tired and lazy to do anything about it' days. All it takes it a couple sprays onto my hair, a quick brush through and i'm good to go. This is one of my favourite looks at the moment. I've always been a fan of sea salt waves - they make me feel like i'm on holiday! With this one, I feel that the best results come when you've used it on wet hair.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF15 30ml Foundation £21.50 Harvey Nichols

Once you go MAC, you never go back. It took a while to find the perfect shade (they have a lot to choose from!), but after I used it for the first time, I was amazed! Only a small dollop (1 pump) was needed for enough coverage on my face, and it looks flawless! My favourite thing about it is the fact that it feels like i'm not wearing any foundation at all.

(I'm pretty surprised there's no Soap & Glory in here, doesn't mean I love them any less!)

Soap & Glory haul!

Surprise surprise, I found myself wandering into Boots today and somehow ended up at the Soap and Glory stand, and if you've read my #1 Addiction post, you will know that I have a bit of a crazy obsession when it comes to Soap and Glory.

So today the craziness struck again and with 3 for 2 at Boots, I thought it would be rude not to!

Kick Ass Concealer, It's About Prime eyeshadow primer & Archery brow tint & shaper

I already have S&G's Kick Ass Concealer, but I dropped it and the container has broken so the make up just gets everywhere. I thought it would be a good idea to buy a new one, so I did. The lovely creaminess of the concealer covers up flaws perfectly, then the adorable little powder puff applies a light amount of the powder to get rid of the shininess.







Achieving perfect eyebrows is possibly one of the biggest beauty crazes at the moment and I've heard a lot of raving reviews about Archery so I felt like giving it a go. For a while now I've been using Benefit's Brow Zings, however I sometimes think that it applies very heavily and dark, making my eyebrows look very artificial.








And last but certainly not least, It's About Prime. One of the main problem's i've experienced with eyeshadow primers is the annoying creases they can leave after a while on your eyelid. However, It's About Prime promises no creases so i'm looking forward to giving it a go!









Out of the three of these i'm most excited to see how Archery turns out. I'll be using all 3 of these products over the weekend so I will be writing a follow up post to let you all know what I thought about them. I'd love to know what your favourite Soap & Glory products are!

My #1 addiction...

Probably one of my biggest obsessions is Soap & Glory. Their products feature pretty regularly in my blog posts which you can read here, here and here.

1. Big Vanity Bag, 2. Sit Tight, 3. Lipstick Super Nude, 4. Orangeasm Body Wash, 5. Sugar Crush Body Scrub, 6. Massage Glove, 7. A Brush With Greatness, 8. Supercat Liquid Eyeliner, 9. Mist You Madly, 10. No Clogs Allowed Facemask, 11. Hand Maid, 12. Smooch Operator, 13. You Won't Believe Your Eyes, 14. Scrub Of Your Life, 15. Glad Hair Day Shampoo, 16. Heel Genius, 17. Endless Glove, 18. The Fab Pore Facewipes, 19. Another Bag With A Name I Do Not Know, 20. Clean On Me, 21. Lipstick Pom Pom, 22. Face Massage Mini Mitt, 23. Eyes Cool Mask, 24. Face Soap And Clarity, 25. Scrub 'Em And Leave 'Em Body Buff, 26. The Righteous Butter, 27. Mini Make-Up Bag, 28. Bath Pillow, 29. The Daily Soothe Bath Float, 30. Smoulder Kohl Pencil Eyeliner (in various colours), 31. Lipstick The Missing Pink, 32. Hand Food, 33. Small Silver Make Up Bag, 34. Shower Puff.

And that's not everything. I also have a Nail Polish, Nail File, Kick Ass Concealer and 2 other cosmetic bags, so as you can see, I have a bit of a problem. It's got that bad that now I treat myself to 1 new S&G product every payday. I seriously just can't get enough of them. One of my favourite things about these products is that pretty much most of the names are puns or silly little jokes. It gives me a little giggle whilst i'm in the bath, but also makes them memorable. But of course, the main reason why Soap & Glory is so well known, the magnificent smells! Their products each have their own individual, unique and beautiful fragrance. Sometimes with cosmetics there are products who's scent can give you a bit of a headache (I'm mainly thinking of a popular high street bath bomb brand), but S&G find that perfect balance to make you smell like a goddess without causing migraines.

Choosing my favourite products is extremely difficult, but i'll give a good go at choosing my top 5:

1. Massage Glove with Breakfast Scrub or Sugar Crush Body Scrub

I did a review on these products last year which, if you like, you can have a read of here. I would absolutely recommend them to everyone. They make my legs feel amazing and it gives me that extra little boost of confidence if i'm going out and baring the legs.

2. Supercat Liquid Eyeliner

My most favourite eyeliner of all time. It's styled like a marker pen so it's literally like just drawing on your eyelid. The application is so easy and even. I've been using it for years and I will be until the end of time. It dries incredibly fast so there's no worries about it transferring to the top of your eyelid, which us girls know is a pain in the arse.

3. The Fab Pore Facewipes with Face Soap & Clarity and No Clogs Allowed Facemask

I love using these three together. The face wipes take make up off so easily, and just after using these my face feels so clean afterwards. Then I take to the sink and wash my face with Face Soap (also using the Mini Mitt which is number 22 in the top picture). The beads in the face wash and the bristles on the Mini Mitt really help clean out pores and leaves an incredibly fresh feeling afterwards. Finally, once a week I use the No Clogs Allowed face mask after my usual routine. It slightly warms up your face in a pleasant way, and also includes menthol (just don't put it too close to your eyes, I made that mistake). My face feels like a baby's bottom afterwards! I can't stop feeling my face after using this.

4. Hand Maid

It just smells so good. Whenever I use it I can still smell it on my hands hours later. It's handy to keep in my bag in case I touch something icky or I get chocolate on my hands etc (this happens a lot).

5. Mini Make Up Bag

I love to use this to carry round my make up brushes when i'm staying somewhere overnight. It doesn't take up too much space in an overnight bag and is just the right size to fit all of my brushes in.

So there you have it. My #1 addiction which shows no signs of wavering any time soon.

Little Lipstick Collection.

Recently I have become somewhat an avid collector of lipsticks. I just can't help myself.
MAC and Soap and Glory have become personal favourites, with a couple of Rimmel's on the side.
Let's start with the eau naturals.
MAC in 'Pink Plaid' and Soap and Glory's 'The Missing Pink' are both very similar shades and are perfect if you're going for that natural/pinkish look. I tend to use these for casual days out.
For a natural beige I can not rave enough about Super Nude by Soap and Glory. I wear this nearly every day, it's lovely and smooth on my lips and smells like vanilla. When I use heavy eyeshadow (usually with my Naked Palette by Urban Decay) I like to use quite a calm lipstick so I don't over do it, which Super Nude is perfect for. And to top it off, it's a perfect natural look too.
Next we have the lovely reds. MAC's Ruby Woo is a brilliant and rich crimson red colour. Because it's matte, it can be quite dry when applying to my lips so i'd recommend using a lip liner with this one, and maybe topping it off with a bit of lipgloss for a bit of moisture. As a nice dark red I really like 'Wine' in Rimmel's Kate Moss collection, and it smells really nice! At the moment, i'm on a bit of a purpley hype. My newest and most favourite is 'Rebel' by MAC. So far it's my only purple lipstick and I absolutely love the colour. Another close favourite is another MAC gem, 'Flat Out Fabulous' which I am wearing in the picture below (the filter makes it look pink).

With most of MAC's dark shaded lipsticks, Flat Out Fabulous, Rebel and Ruby Woo are nearly impossible to completely wash off your lips. I often find myself with a scourer and soap scrubbing my lips! If anyone has any remedies that helps them with this, I would be very thankful. Most of the lipsticks I wear are because they have been recommended to me by friends and family. I'm always willing to try out a new shade!

𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒𝕓𝕖𝕝

#1 Christmas Gift: The Urban Decay Naked Palette.

My sister definitely topped the Christmas present charts when she got me the Urban Decay Naked Palette last year. It's the perfect palette to use for both casual and a perfect going out look. And the best thing about it; it all still looks so natural.

Another benefit of this palette, you get some free eyeshadow primer!

Virgin - This one is perfect to highlight the corners of my eyes and just under my eyebrows.
Sin - I like to wear this when I go out for a casual/slightly dressed up day out like shopping. It's a very plain colour with just the right amount of sparkle.
Naked - This is just a little darker than my skin tone and isn't shimmery so it's great for a casual look and goes perfect with Buck (also not a shimmery one) to create a natural smokey eye look without any sparkles.
Sidecar - This one is very similar to Sin and makes a very nice natural shimmer.
Half Baked - I love this one as it's a very nice golden colour and can highlight any shade on the eyes. I especially like to use it with Smog and Darkhorse.
Smog - I really like to use this with Darkhorse when I want to get really dressed up. The two together can make a very nice shimmery smokey eye.
Toasted - Slightly darker and pinker than Half-Baked, I love this one when I want a darker shimmer, and goes very well with Hustle.
Hustle - A very dark brown, perfect for creating those dark corners.
Creep - I haven't used this one yet as it's a very dark colour and at the moment i'm on a dark lipstick hype and I don't like to have both dark eyes and dark lips - it's either one or the other.
Gunmetal -  I haven't yet used this one either, I imagine it will go very well with Creep to create a heavy smokey eye.

I decided to get artistic and instead of showing a picture of the palette, I created a swatch on my arm!

In the end, my favourite shades have to be Sidecar, Sin and Naked. 

Another shot of mine!

Flowers are easy to get good pictures of because they so pwiddy. I ran outside in the rain one afternoon and took a few shots of the flowers in my Auntie's garden. Fair to say I got soaked, but this was one of my favourites.

Rambling post #1: Foundation problems.

One of the biggest dilemmas I have to face (scuse the pun) is choosing the right foundation.
If you're not a massive make up fan, then it doesn't sound that much of a problem.
But first you need a decent base that has a long lasting stay and doesn't give you too much of a shiny face (overcoming that last one would be powder, but the downside of that is it means spending extra pennies - not good for a poor student like me).
Then when you have an ideal foundation, there's picking the right shade.
This drives me INSANE.
I have tried so many different types and brands and I still haven't found the perfect match - even the No7 shade match didn't find one!
Maybe I just have awkward skin…
So I'm asking you,
What foundation do you use? I need recommendations.

𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒𝕓𝕖𝕝

A long awaited review!

Finally!

A while ago I bought a Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub, and I promised a review.
*You can see the first post here*


Soap & Glory Massage Glove £8.50 from Boots

Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub £8 from Boots


SO HERE IT FINALLY IS!
First of all, like all other S&G products, it smells UH-MAZING. 
I used the scrub with Soap & Glory's Massage Glove in the shower on my legs and afterwards they felt amazing!
I literally stepped out of the shower feeling like I had the most amazing legs in the world.
They felt so soft and smooth afterwards that I couldn't get enough of it.
If you're body conscious (like me) then this will at least help you feel more confident about your legs - get out there and don those short skirts!
There isn't much else to say apart from BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT.
I would definitely recommend both of these to everyone. They should seriously start selling them together as a package because they go together like cookies and milk. Both of these products are my two favourites from Soap & Glory so far.

Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub.

After treating myself with the points on my advantage card at Boots, I thought I'd give Soap & Glory's Breakfast Scrub a go.

For only £8, it's a decent sized pot that could last a good while.

Soap & Glory is known for the lovely scents of it's products, (i'm obsessed with Hand Food & Clean On Me). The smell of Breakfast Scrub doesn't disappoint. With the product including bananas, almond & honey extracts, it literally smells as if you could eat it (please don't). If you sat and sniffed it for a while it would probably get too much and too sickly, but for a quick scrub in the shower or the bath, I think it's perfect.

So over the next 2 weeks I'll be using this and I'll let you know what the results are!