Sunday 2 November 2014

SKINCARE SAVIOURS



When it comes to skincare I like to keep things simple.  I’m not gunna lie if I had all the money in the world I’d definitely be splashing out on Oskia cleansers and By Terry Lip Balms but for the time being my student budget, even with a whopping great overdraft, doesn’t allow such luxuries. I’m also a bit of a lazy one, c b a getting out of bed ten minutes earlier to do an elaborate routine; so here’s my quick and easy one which also seems to be pretty effective…

First things first is make-up removal, the one step I will always do thoroughly no matter what state I’m in (waking up with last nights make-up and a hangover has got to be one of the worst feelings in the world.) I’m a waterproof mascara lover so I need something pretty tough, luckily Botanics All Bright Eye Make-up Remover does a brilliant job without leaving that greasy residue. Then for the rest of the face it’s obviously Bioderma Micellar Water, I stocked up enough of this on my year abroad to last me a lifetime but I don’t know what I’ll do if my current stash did ever run out. It removes make-up even quicker than a face wipe.

For cleanser I’m a big fan of No7, my current favourite is their Melting Gel Cleanser that comes out like a gel then melts into an oil on the skin, which I then remove with a wet muslin cloth. It’s really good at removing any residue from the Bioderma whilst leaving my skin feeling really soft.

Moisturiser is again a No7 love that I’ve previously reviewed here, so I won’t go to too much into detail about this. I keep my skincare the same day and night but I do like to put a little more of this on at night than in the morning so it really penetrates all the layers of my skin. I’ll also use a bit of Carmex on the lips.

Finally I like to exfoliate a couple of times a week with this Bliss Micro Magic Microdermabrasion Treatment* that doubles up as an excellent facemask. This removes all the dead skin cells without that drying effect many exfoliators often do.


What are your favourite skincare products?

Thursday 16 October 2014

5 MINUTE DRUGSTORE MAKE-UP





My mornings are a constant battle between wanting to stay in bed and attempting to get up earlier so I look half decent for the uni day ahead. Unfortunately, usually the former wins, however I’m beginning to compromise between the two and get that five minute effortless routine perfected. I still miss out a few steps that some would consider vital, and by 5 o’clock I’m still groaning that I look a mess, but we’re definitely getting there slowly.

I keep my base really simple with my Bourjois CC Cream, this is a bit of a staple when it comes to make-up posts on my blog but I genuinely don’t think I could live without it. It provides enough coverage that I don’t need to spend a good ten minutes blending and concealing, so the Lasting Perfection is kept in the drawer in the morning. I finish off with a light swish of Sleek Blush in ‘Rose Gold’ which adds a nice rosy glow.

Next up are brows, my constant battle in life (thanks Dad for their sparseness) I usually can’t be bothered pencilling them in the mornings so I just brush them through with my Rimmel ‘Brow this Way’ in Light Blonde. I hated this when I first bought it as the brush is waaay too big for my little brows, but now I’ve learnt just to wipe off excess it’s a real saviour in the morning. For eyes is another Rimmel product, this time it’s a shadow in the shade ‘Smokey Quartz.’ It’s not the most pigmented eye shadow in the world, which would usually get a thumbs down in my books, but for everyday wear a subtle bit of colour is just what you want. For mascara it’s obviously going to be my holy grail Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof ; one coat usually suffices for everyday, natural looking lashes.

Finally is my current favourite lip colour Sleek Matte Me Lip Cream in ‘Birthday Suit’ it’s the ultimate Kylie Jenner/90’s brown which is really at the moment. I’m still not entirely sure it suits me but who cares? I’m too in love with the shade. If you would like a more in depth review on these lip creams, click here.





Monday 6 October 2014

OUTFITS OF THE WEEK #1


Seeing as I started my final (!!) year of university a couple of weeks back I thought I’d do my first outfit post documenting some of the things I like to wear for class. As you can probably tell I love monochrome right now. I never used to make an effort for lectures because I’m a humanities student and usually only had an hour or so a day and then I’d come straight home, however as this year is really important I’m trying to make an effort be in at least 10-5 so my outfit choices are a little more jazzier, whilst still remaining comfortable. I’ve downsized my wardrobe a lot so I tend to ‘recycle’ key pieces for that perfect ‘capsule wardrobe’ effect. Not sure I’ve quite nailed it yet though!

Outfit 1: Primark Hoodie// Hearts and Bows via Ark smock dress//Nike Internationalist Trainers

Outfit 2: Primark Duster Cardigan // H&M T-shirt// Topshop Jamie Jeans// Primark Shoes//Primark Necklace

Outfit 3: Primark Coat// Select Jumper//Primark Necklace//Topshop Jamie Jeans//Nike Internationalist Trainers

Outfit 4: Primark Duster Cardigan// H&M T-shirt//Topshop Jamie Jeans//Primark Shoes

Monday 22 September 2014

A HAIR CHANGE

























New term, new me.  It’s something most of us students tell ourselves every September.  This year is my fourth and final year of university, so I’m *hoping* I can stick to it. First step was my biannual haircut…

Sunday 31 August 2014

AUGUST FAVOURITES

































Today I’m finally joining the monthly favourites bandwagon! Truth be told I don’t have a ton of products to show as I tend to use the same things over and over again and I just couldn’t be assed with make-up when I was travelling earlier in the month. However I have found some new gems and a couple of oldies so thought I’d share.

Thursday 28 August 2014

SKINCARE WISHLIST










I’m not going to lie; I’m not exactly a skincare junkie. I always insist on taking off my make-up properly before bed no matter what state I’m in but other than that I just follow a very simple cleanse-tone-moisturise routine. No fancy gels or treatments in sight. However, it seems a lot of my most read blogs are on the other end of the spectrum and the skincare love is beginning to rub off on me just a little bit. So here’s a line up of the products I’m currently coveting. Some of these I'm ashamed to admit I've never tried and most of them are totally out of my price range but a girl can dream, right?



Have you tried any of these products? What’s on your current wish list?