Autumn Wish List. - B

So this post is a little bit different to the ones I’ve written before, as I’m sure you can tell from the title. As opposed to reviewing new things that I’ve got, I thought I’d share with you guys the things that I would like in the future. Eg “wish list”. What used to frustrate me most about reading certain blogs, was that they only ever used to post about the lovely things that they had, and how amazing they are. It’s important to me (and Sam) that you guys know at the end of the day, we’re hardly made of money and for whatever reason we can’t just always go out and buy all of the things that we want. So I’m going to write about the things that I would like, and then if I’m lucky enough to get them, I’ll update you on it!

The first thing I would really like is touche éclat foundation. Especially since being bought the highlighter for my birthday and absolutely loving it. I have a few concerns about this foundation. Being a high end foundation, it  comes with a high end price tag. I also know that it can slide off oily skin. Although I’m not majorly oily, I’m unsure how this kind of foundation would sit on my skin. However, the finish looks so gorgeous. I’m going to look into getting a sample of this so I can try before I buy. NOTE. Eleanor Calder is known for using this foundation and her skin always looks beautiful.

Mac lipglass: I can’t really explain this one. I’m a big fan of the mac eye products, but as a brand I’m never sure about it. It’s quite a lot more expensive than high street brands, but it doesn’t quite make the high end bracket. I know some people that absolute love mac, and I will admit that some of their stuff is brilliant. But some of it, I personally think, is decidedly average considering the price tag. I always think that their lipsticks aren’t great, and the packaging just doesn’t do it for me. Buuuut, I would love a mac lipglass. I just think it looks lovely and I’ve heard such good things.

The third thing on my wish list is non beauty related, but still something I’ve been lusting after for a long time. I would really like, a parka. If you don’t know what this is, it’s basically a winter coat. Think Liam Gallagher in the music video for Little by Little. Again, this is another one of those real love hate things. Some of you will be reading this and going oh my god what the hell is she thinking! And some of you will know exactly what I mean. I have wanted one of these for as long as I can remember. Maybe when the weather is a bit more wintery I’ll be able to justify it!

Another thing on my wish list is something I’m sure Sam would be interested in as well. It is…. HD Brows! This is a craze that’s really taken off in the last year or so, helped along by looooads of celeb endorsement. Eyebrows are very in at the moment. Chunky fringes are gone and striking brows are back (Thank you, Cara Delevingne). HD brows come from a seven step procedure, involving a shape consultation followed by a mixture of threading, tweezing, plucking and tinting to leave you with perfect brows. This results really are amazing. Having well groomed brows can change the look of your whole face; and this is something that really can’t be achieved at home with a pair of tweezers. HD brows cost around £40, which seems pretty steep when you can get them waxed at your local salon for under £10, but there really is such a difference in the end result. As of yet I have not succumbed to this trend but the more people I’m seeing with HD brows, the more I want to.  

B xxo

One Direction for MUA mini review - Little Things range.

Unless you follow my personal twitter/tumblr/any other social networking platform, most of you probably don’t know my deep dark secret. I am a HUGE (referring to my interest, not my dress size) One Direction fan. S kept this in mind when purchasing my birthday presents (she is fabby), and bought me a lipstick, lip polish and nail varnish from their new 1D for MUA “little things” make up range. As she knows that I have singled out Harry Styles as my one and only, she bought me his colours. This means that I have the “Fuschia Frenzy” nail varnish, Harry Loves Strawberry lip polish, and “Be Mine” lipstick. Now I knew that I wanted these products (I love makeup and I love 1D, of course I wanted them), but I’ll be honest, I didn’t have very high expectations for the quality. MUA, in my opinion, used to be a bit rubbish. Although recently they have seriously stepped it up, I will admit. I have had some really good pieces from them, and I know that Sam loves their heaven and earth palette. For such a reasonably priced brand, you can’t really complain.

So anyway, after receiving these from S, I was tres excited to try them out. I dived straight in with the lipstick. The packaging is nice enough. They all say kiss you on the outside, a cute little merger of a 1D reference and obviously, lips. The lid stays on, which is majorly important for me, and the bottom of the packaging is clear, so you can see what shade the lipstick is. It’s cute, and serves it’s purpose. “Be Mine” is actually a really nice shade. In the packaging, it looks a dark, cherry shade, but when applied it’s actually a very pretty, strawberry kind of red. Not matte, but not glitter overload. It has a shine to it, but you could apply a gloss on top if you wanted a different kind of finish. This product is impressively highly pigmented, and is lovely to apply. I’ve tried it with a lip liner and without and was pleased with it’s staying power. Overall, I really like this product. (And I think it’s so cute that Harry’s signature is on it, awh).

On to the lip polish. Now, I know that me and Harry are destined to be together because I love strawberry too! Coincidence or what? I am a big fan of lipgloss. I love the shine it tends to give, as well as the fact that I don’t always have a mirror to hand which makes applying proper lipstick a risky business. At least with lipgloss I know I can’t go far wrong,. The packaging of this polish is actually really cute. It’s fairly flat, which means it fits well in my makeup bag. It doesn’t look exactly high end, but I’m fine with that. It lids are coloured pretty much the same as the actual gloss, so that you can see what shade it is straight away. And, of course, the boys have their lovely signatures on top. The lids twist off, which is great for making it secure (is there anything worse than ending up with lipstick all over your bag? I think not). Now, the first thing I noticed about this product, the second I had untwisted the lid, was the smell. Harry Loves Strawberry smells amaaaazing. Like strawberries, weirdly. But it isn’t sickly or overpowering. It’s strawberryish in a lovely subtle kind of way and I like it a lot. I applied this product with my fingers. I didn’t need a lot, and it literally glided on. What I liked was that it didn’t make my lips feel too sticky, and it actually stayed on really well. The colour showed up a lovely baby pink. My lips felt extremely kissable (hint hint, come on H).

Finally, came the ultimate test. You lot will probably know by now that I love to have my nails painted, and therefore am a huge fan of nail polishes. However, for some reason, every kind of polish that I put on my nails seems to chip within a matter of hours. I’m pretty critical of nail polishes, I don’t mind admitting. A lot of them, I think are rubbish. So to me, I’d saved the most interesting (and potentially disappointing) until last. My nails are currently in a bit of a sorry state. I recently had acrylics, and although I absolutely loved them, they didn’t last very well at all. I had to take them off and now my real nails are all short and sad. This means that I have the perfect excuse to paint them, and make them look a bit more presentable. Cue time to try out “Fuschia Frenzy”. Again, the packaging of this is quite nice. The bottle is a decent size, and all clear glass so you can see the exact colour that the product is. Plus it has a cutesy little plectrum of Harry’s face, attached, always a winner in my book. On opening the bottle, I had a look at the brush. Let’s be honest, a lot of brushes that come in nail varnishes are utter crap. They’re cheaply made, the bristles come off and end up stuck in your polish, or they just don’t apply smoothly at all. I was very impressed with this brush. A lot of product came out with one dip, enough to paint several nails. This was so easy to put on, I couldn’t believe it. Not much product was needed at all, due to the pigmentation and consistency of the polish. I applied two coats, more for peace of mind than anything else. Habit, I suppose. These both dried in record time. And, as of yet, they have not chipped. So weirdly ,the product I expected to be the least impressive, has been my favourite. Thanks, Harry! And thanks to S for my perfect birthday presents. Love you, kid.

B xxo

Non Beauty things I have been loving lately

If you come here solely for the beauty posts, this is definitely not one for you. Turn away now and come back another day. I like reading people’s non beauty, lifestyle kind of posts so I thought I’d start doing a few on the off chance that you lot do as well.

The first non beauty thing that I have been loving recently is The Great British Bake-off. This is something that’s been going a few years now, and the new series started a few weeks ago on BBC2. The bake-off is definitely a love/hate thing. As a keen baker myself, I think this is brilliant. It’s really interesting to see how people interpret recipes differently, how their personal preferences effect their styles of baking, and how their skills progress throughout the series. It can also be very funny, and I am loving it being back of a Tuesday night. (Also, eye candy alert in the form of Paul Hollywood, he is yummy).

The second non beauty thing I have been loving lately is actually a re-discovery. If you are a female between the ages of 14 and 25 I’m willing to bet you will think these books are brilliant – The Heather Wells Mysteries. They’re written by Meg Cabbot, of Princess Diaries fame, and quite frankly they are brilliant. I read them over and over again. With titles such as Size 14 is not fat either, and Size 12 and ready to rock, how could you not love them. They follow ex pop sensation Heather Wells in her new job as a New York college residence hall worker, and document the fact that death seems to follow wherever she goes. I won’t give too much away because if you haven’t read them you really should. They aren’t too heavy, are full of laughs and just a really great series. Love them!

Another thing that I’ve really been enjoying lately is going to make me sound like I’m about 80, but I really do not care. I  have a lot of trouble sleeping. I don’t know why, I just do. It either takes me hours of tossing and turning to get to sleep, or I fall asleep straight away and then wake up in the middle of the night. As you can imagine, this is most inconvenient. However, I recently discovered…ovaltine! I know, I know, old lady alert. I’m only 19, I swear. I was reluctant to try this – my Grandma used to drink it for goodness sake. But to be honest, I’m willing to try almost anything for a decent night’s sleep. So I invested in some ovaltine (if you’re from the UK you’ll find it in any supermarket, it isn’t expensive) and gave it ago. I don’t know how it works, all I know is, it works. I’ve been sleeping so much better since I started drinking it before bed. Sam described it as a warm drink that tastes like maltesers and she’s right. You can get a kind that you make with milk, or a kind that you make with water. I have the kind you make with water because I don’t like milk sitting on my stomach right before bed. Honestly, this stuff is amazing. It tastes relaxing and it really has improved my sleep pattern. Magic.

B xxo 

Pure Poison Elixir - Search

Hi guys.

This is just a quick post, to see if any of you can help me out. I’m on a desperate search to find Pure Poison Elixir by Dior, and I cannot find it anywhere. If anyone has any ideas on where I can get hold of this, please get in touch!

B xxo

August Monthly Favourites - B.

I have quite a few things to talk about this monthly favourite’s post. In fact, August has been such a good month for new discoveries that I had to be quite brutal with what made the cut for my favourites! There are of course some months where you stick to your old faithful products, or just don’t find anything new that you like. This month I’ve been a bit more adventurous (and naughty with my pennies) than normal, and it has definitely paid off.

The first thing I need to talk about is of course, Liz Earle skin products. I know, I know, we’re a bit late to the party on this one. All of our favourite youtubers/bloggers have spoken about this at one time or another, and I’ve been wanting to try it for a long time. After using up what was left of my Dermalogica skin care bits, I decided to take the plunge into the world of Liz Earle. So during a shopping trip to Liverpool, I popped into Debenhams to speak to a lady at the counter about it. I could have just ordered online, but I wanted to have a chat to the SA and see if she had any advice/general product information. I must say that the lady was lovely. I find that some assistants at beauty counters have no interest in matching you to the right product, they just want a sale. This experience was the complete opposite, and I came away feeling that I had the perfect product for me. I bought the cleanse and polish starter kit. This is basically a travel bag of sample sized products to try out and see whether they suit your skin, before you invest in full size versions. It contains cleanse and polish hot cloth cleanser, instant boost skin tonic, skin repair moisturiser for normal to combination skin, and two muslin clothes. I think I paid £21 for this, which I thought was reasonable. The lady at the counter told me that these should last me around 2 weeks and by then I would know for sure whether I liked the products, if my skin liked them, and if the type of moisturiser was right for me.

I admit, I was a little sceptical. I had literally not heard a bad word said about cleanse and polish and I thought, surely this product cannot be THAT good. I was completely wrong. This product really is THAT good. In fact, it’s not good. It’s amazing. I have tried pretty much every kind of makeup remover/facewash type product you can possibly imagine and I have never known anything to be as lovely as this. I wear quite a lot of eye makeup on a daily basis, and I have quite sensitive eyes. So I thought, there is just no way that this is going to get all of my makeup off and not sting my eyes or take a mammoth amount of scrubbing. The instructions say to take a small amount (the full sized version says one pump) of cleanse and polish and rub it into your skin, makeup still on. You then take your dry muslin cloth, wet it in warm water, and wipe off. The muslin cloth acts as a gentle exfoliator for your skin. This really works. It removes all of my makeup, every last scrap. Even my waterproof mascara. It also leaves my skin feeling gorgeous. I’ve noticed such a difference in a very short space of time. It’s so quick and easy that I have no excuse not to do it. I’ve also been following up my cleanse and polish routine with the skin tonic and the moisturiser and my skin feels amazing. I really cannot recommend this product enough – I sent Sam a mini to try as I wanted to share the discovery! She has done her own mini review in her monthly favourites video, go and check it out on our youtube channel! 

My second favourite of the month is something I picked up whilst shopping with Sam a few weeks ago. We popped into boots and they had a 3 for the price of 2 offer on Soap and Glory. I know this is a brand that a lot of you out there love, but I had never really tried before. Sam herself uses some of their products so we chose a few for me to try out. I bought the butter yourself body cream, sugar crush body scrub, and the smoothie star deep moisturising body milk. Whilst I have been enjoying all of these products, one of them stands out miles ahead of the others. I absolutely adore the body milk, it is seriously one of the best moisturisers I have ever used. The smell of oats, yoghurt, honey and cocoa butter will not be for everybody but I think it is utterly devine. It sinks into the skin so beautifully and the smell lasts really well. The consistency is lovely, not too thick, and it doesn’t take too long to dry in. I get some patches of eczema and this has cleared them right up. I used to be quite lazy with moisturising, but since this product came into my life I’ve been using it religiously, night and day. This product is a little bit more expensive than the kind of moisturiser I used to buy, but not so much that it would be classed as high end. And yet, it feels like a luxury when you apply it, and throughout the day. My skin feels soft and smells so lovely, it’s so pampering. Well worth the £10 price tag – I love it!

YSL touché éclat. If you know me at all you will know that this has been on my wish list for a looooong time. I had my birthday last week and was lucky enough to be bought the highlighter – I was so excited! I have used this product every day since I was given it; it is amazing. Seriously the best highlighter I have ever used. It’s so subtle, but the glow that it gives your skin is really beautiful. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure if I’m using it right, I’m still getting to grips with it. I apply it under my eyes, down my nose and just above the top of my lip line. It really does make my skin look so healthy and…well, glowing. The packaging is really lovely as well and although this is definitely a luxury purchase I feel that it is worth the money and I will be buying again when mine is all gone.

<My last but certainly not least favourite of this month is a bit of a sentimental one. Now obviously this isn’t a monthly thing, Sam is one of my favourite things all year round but I feel like I should mention her now. As some of you may know if you’ve watched our first vlog, we didn’t meet in the most conventional circumstances. But since then, we have become so close, she’s my best friend. That title isn’t really enough for her; she is an amazing girl. We’re so alike it’s scary. We get on so well, and she knows me better than anybody. She’s always been there for me, even when I’ve been a cow or I’ve made stupid decisions or whatever, she’s never given up on me. Similarly, she knows that she’s pretty much stuck with me for life and there is nothing that I wouldn’t do for her. Sam is one of my favourite ever human beings and that is why she is here, in my monthly favourites. Love you, S. xxo

B x

Sammy's Monthly Favourites (August/September)

This month I've done things a little differently and done my monthly favourites as a video!

You can find it here; 

Sammy's Monthly Favourites (August/September)

We'll definitely try to update the youtube channel as much as we can (and hopefully I'll get better at it as we go along!) So please like and subscribe, all items talked about are written in the description and feel free to comment with what you think of the products because I always like to hear what others have to say. 

Thanks!

Sammy xo

Films I Love

I'm taking a little bit of time out from speaking about beauty today to talk to you about some films that I've watched and love in the last few weeks. I recently swapped from Netflix to Lovefilm because I felt like I'd watched as much as I ever would on Netflix, and so I feel like a whole world has now opened up to me in terms of new films, so here are my top five at the moment (new and old alike).

1 : Lady and The Tramp 

For those of you that aren't aware, Lovefilm have a Disney collection  which sports such beauties as "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" and "The Emperor's new groove". Nestled between them I managed to find Lady and The Tramp and watched it just because I hadn't in a while.If you haven't watched this since you were a kid, go and find a copy and do it now because it's beautiful (and Lady when she's a puppy is lovely.)

2 : Sucker Punch 

This is a fairly new film and you may have seen the adverts which at the time was just a seemingly mis-put together series of clips that didn't seem to logically link in any way, shape or form. The whole film is a bit like this, but it isn't a bad thing, it's disjointed and confusing, but that's all part of it's charm. Quite hard hitting and hard to decipher, but really worth a watch if you haven't already.

3 : Bridesmaids 

I think I've watched this about five times in the last two weeks. It makes me laugh so much because it really reminds me of me and Bek, but the whole thing is funny, a real cheer up film to sit with a bowl (tub) of ice cream and watch when you're feeling a bit down.

4 : Now You See Me 

This isn't a Lovefilm film, it's one that's out in the cinema at the moment and I couldn't recommend it more. It's a film that's so clever that it has you rooting for the bad guys, it's all about magic and bank robberies and seemingly impossible tasks. It's a pleasure to watch, clever and manipulative and when I came out I wanted to go back in and watch it all again knowing what I knew now. Seriously, it's Sunday, if you don't have anything planned go down to your nearest Odeon with a mate or your significant other (or go on your own, I do that sometimes and it's perfectly fine and not weird. And you get two arm rests.) and watch this!

So there we go. Not the normal kind of updates we have on here but a couple of films to kill a Sunday with if you're that way inclined!

Let me know what you think of my favourite films, and tell me what yours are at the moment!

Sammy xo