Wednesday 31 August 2016

Estee Lauder Event @ Scavi & Ray


Last week the Estee Lauder team in Boots at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway invited me and other bloggers to join them at the new prosecco bar, Scavi & Ray. I love make up and I have been eagerly wanting to check out Scavi & Ray since it opened in The Mall so of course I had to go!



Upon arriving we were greeted by the smiley faces of The Estee Lauder team and were introduced to Karen who would be presenting the event and doing demonstrations. We then got to choose between red and white, alcohol and non-alcoholic prosecco and there were plenty of nibbles to be eaten. My favourite was definitely the macaroons! 



After a friendly chat with everyone Karen invited the lovely Gina up front so she could demonstrate various skincare and make up products on her. We learned a lot about the Advanced Night Repair range which includes a foil mask, serum and serum capsules. Karen also told us all about the Little Black Primer which is a primer for your mascara, although you can wear it alone too. I thought it was pretty cool that you can also use it on top of your regular mascara to make it waterproof. Brilliant!


We got to try some of the products Karen was demonstrating on the back of our hands which left them glowing!




Lastly we went in groups to the Estee Lauder counter in Boots to be colour matched for foundation. Beth, who colour matched me, recommended the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation as I said I liked a fuller coverage and she tried a couple of different shades on me. I said I'd rather be matched to the rest of my body as opposed to my actual face colour because the rest of my body is tanned at the moment! We decided that my shade would be a neutral one called Ecru. I then got to take home a sample of the foundation which I am looking forward to trying.



The team were extremely generous and kindly gave us a goody bag to take home!



  • NightWear Plus Anti-Oxidant Night Detox Creme
  • Little Black Primer Mascara
  • DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme
  • Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion
  • Advanced Night Repair Serum
  • Advanced Night Repair Intensive Recovery Capsules
  • DoubleWear Foundation in 'Ecru'
  • Modern Muse Eau De Parfum
  • Modern Muse Le Rogue Gloss

The Estee Lauder team at Boots in The Mall were very lovely and welcoming people. They held a thoroughly enjoyable event with an amazing turn out and I hope they do more in the future! Also, a big thanks go to Scavi & Ray for hosting the event and providing us with the complimentary prosecco. Who doesn't love prosecco?!







PS- Estee Lauder The Mall Cribbs Causeway also gave us a voucher to share with you guys to use on their counter. Now you have an excuse to go buy some new beauty products!



Sunday 21 August 2016

Boohoo Wishlist: Clothes and Accessories


Boohoo is one of those online shops that I can't stop looking at multiple times every week. I think I probably purchase from there than any other shop at the moment! Let's take a look at the items in my wishlist at the moment:


I like the Jane Strappy Front Bodycon Dress because it has the straps that go across the chest to add an extra sexy detail to the dress. I love this trend at the moment! I originally liked the dress in black but after seeing there's a berry version I think it would go amazing with my hair colour.


Another dress I am liking is Amber Lace Panelled Bodycon Dress. I am a sucker for a little black dress and with the lace panel it ticks every box. I don't have a dress that has a lace panel going across on the front so it would make a nice addition to my LBD collection.


Next we have Megan Lace Up Neck + Shoulder Tee. I actually prefer the black version but the photo of the black one doesn't show up the details which make it so appealing to me. This top has gaps on the shoulders and down the middle with material going through eyelets to give a normal top an alternative feel. I love edgier details like this!


Going on to accessories, I found Ava Chain Strap Day Bag the other day after browsing for potential University bags. The chain going across is what does it for me! It looks like it would fit a lot of stuff in as a day bag.


Lastly is Poppy Two Part Wrap Strap Block Heel. I rarely look at shoes on Boohoo but I need low heels for nights out! I have a pair of high heels that I can barely walk in after an hour and give me blisters so I try to avoid them at all costs. I then have big chunky boots with heels but they don't always go with my dresses. So instead of borrowing my Mum's low heels all the time I need to get my own! The heel on this looks reasonable for me and I love how the straps cross against the ankles which I imagine would give more support when walking in them. 


What are you lusting after from Boohoo?

Tuesday 16 August 2016

My Current Scrub #6


It has been a while since we've done one of these! My last one was in January where I started using The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub and I've only just finished it which I think is pretty good.


Now I am using Lush Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser. It is called a cleanser but can be used for both face and body with maize flour and polenta to exfoliate. I have actually had this in my shower for months now for exfoliating my face when I wash my hair but now I am using it for my body too. I absolutely adore this product as it smells like buttery popcorn and it forms a paste when it mixes with water. It isn't creamy like The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub but does feel like it does more exfoliation. In addition I feel like it plumps the skin which I like using round my lips as I swear it makes them look bigger!


This particular pot won't last as long as my previous scrub from now on because I have already used half of it for my face over the months. However, I've got 2 other pots of it so no doubt you will be seeing this mentioned again!




Sunday 14 August 2016

My Top 6 Travelling Make Up Favourites

Hey all!


This year has been full of a fair amount of travelling opportunities for me and so I have repeatedly been bringing certain make up products away with me. Because of this I thought I would share with you my top 6 travelling make up favourites and why I think they're perfect for travelling. In addition all the products are hand luggage friendly on the plane and all liquids are 100ml or less.


My first item is the Urban Decay De-Slick Make Up Setting Spray in the travel size. When I'm on holiday somewhere hot, I need my make up to have great staying power more than ever! Me getting hot equals me getting sweaty and this may mean melting and moving make up. But no fear- the Urban Decay setting spray is here! It does a great job in making my make up last and with the temperature control technology it has it is not going to budge on a hot day.



Urban Decay does it for me again with the Urban Decay Naked Basics eyeshadow palette which Emily bought me. This is the perfect compact size for travelling and the packaging isn't breakable. It means that it can survive my hand luggage or suitcase and not break! In addition the colours are perfect neutrals meaning I can make any sort of eye make up with it. Rather than taking lots of eyeshadows with me I instead can take this one eyeshadow which can take me from day to night. I don't think I will ever trust anything else to take travelling with me!


Continuing on from eye make up products, I would like to mention the Seventeen Black Kohl Eye Pencil. I am usually allergic to eyeliner pencils and they make my eyes water like nothing else but for some reason this eye pencil doesn't bother me! But that's not why I like it for travelling. I like it for travelling because it barely takes up any room and can be used in different ways. I like to use it for tight lining as it slides easy without hurting and makes my sparse eyelashes look fuller. This means that if I don't have any mascara on when I am away, at least I can look like I have more eyelashes that I actually have! It is also great for different looks. I can use it across my waterline, on my eyelid, make it strong or smudge it out. Used in conjunction with my Naked Basics palette I can do any sort of look and again take it from day to night.



Let's talk about lipstick. Now I am usually a bold lip kind of girl but when I am on holiday I just want to do my make up as quickly as possible so I can get out and enjoy my holiday. When I was interrailing I had days where I only had an hour to get ready before checking out of our hotel for the next journey so I had no time to fuss around with a bold lip! This is the bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in 'Break Away'. It is a nude lipstick and is glides on with ease with a lovely creamy texture. Nude lips aren't difficult to do and how easy it is to apply this lipstick means I don't have to mess around with the lip shape for ages. Furthermore it lasts quite well through drinking and eating and because it is nude it won't look patchy if it fades either! I don't have to pay much attention to this throughout the day and overall is generally just the easiest lipstick I own. You can tell I use it a lot because there's not much of the bullet left!


For primer I have been bringing along Emite Make Up Diamond Heart Primer which I got from GlossyBox one time. I like bringing this because it is very small so does not take up much space in my transparent liquids bag on the plane, which means more room for more make up! The primer also does not take much time to blend in to the skin and settle so I can get on with the rest of my make fairly quickly which I want when I am away. Not only that but the consistency is light and smooth so doesn't feel like a thick silicone primer on a hot day. The last thing I like about it for travelling is that it the peach tone of it means it helps tone down the redness on my skin. Because of this I can still use this even if I am not wearing make up and tackle evening out my skin tone. 



My last travel favourite is the Collection Lasting Perfection Powder. I have been using this powder for years and there are 2 reasons why I like it for travelling. My first reason is that because it is matte it will get rid of shine. When I am on holiday I find my upper lip, chin, middle of forehead and around my nose get shiny. If that happens I can just pull out this matte powder, put it on and the shine is gone! My second reason is the packaging. When you open the lid you get the powder but if you lift up the powder you then have a mirror and flat sponge applicator. This is my favourite mirror to use if I don't have a big mirror (making it good for on the go) and I can do my make up in it. My Urban Decay Naked Basics palette has a mirror but because it is pressed against the eyeshadows when shut it gets covered in pigment. However, in this case the mirror is separate so it is always clean and clear from product. As a little extra tip, the sponge applicator is handy if you get grains of sand on your face! I don't use it for make up application but one time I was on the beach on a windy day and I had sand grains stuck all in my foundation. As you can imagine it was not a good look but I managed to remove it all with this sponge applicator without ruining my make up. Just a little bonus there!



What are some travel friendly make up products that you like?

Tuesday 9 August 2016

New in My Make Up Collection

Hello all!


I've got some new items in my make up collection that I want to share with you all. 



First of all is the Zoeva Rose Golden Eyeshadow Palette. I've been eyeing up the Zoeva eyeshadow palettes for months and I finally bought one because I wanted to treat myself after pay day. I decided on the Rose Golden one because my friend has it so I've seen in person how stunning it is! I bought it for £18 on BeautyBay and amazingly it arrived the next day. 





The next few items have been excitingly anticipated by me for so long. As a former emo kid I have adored Kat Von D for many years so as soon as I knew she had her own make up line I was amazed. It was like her packaging was made just for me, with how great the products are being a bonus! My brother went to America with work for 2 months so I asked him to pick me up the Kat Von D Lolita Everlasting Liquid Lipstick and the black Tattoo Liquid Eyeliner which he did. He bought me 2 of each which gives him major brother points! Funnily enough the day after he told me he bought them Debenhams announced they were going to start selling Kat Von D Beauty in the UK, so you know full well you will see a lot more of her products on this blog.



What is new in your make up collection?



Thursday 4 August 2016

Botanics Hydration Burst Day Lotion SPF15

Hey guys!


I am back from my holiday now so I am able to post again. I thought I'd come back with a skincare review. This is Boot's own brand, Botanics. If you don't already know, the Botanics range uses natural plants as ingredients. 


The Botanics Hydration Burst Day Lotion SPF15 has soothing clary sage and is designed for sensitive and dehydrated skin. It has SPF15 UVA and UVB and it claims to have 8 hours of hydration which is typically how much time we can spend out in the day. In addition the packaging has a pump which I like as it makes it simple to use. The bottle contains 50ml of product which makes it good for travelling due to it fitting under the 100ml mark.


I bought this for going abroad as I needed a moisturiser with SPF that will protect my sensitive skin without giving me an allergic reaction. I have taken this on a 2 week interrailing adventure as well as a week in Tenerife and there is still plenty left so there is more than enough product! Another skin worry is that I am also acne prone and I get afraid the SPF will break me out. Fortunately, this moisturiser didn't seem to break me out or clog my pores. 


I found that I could use this moisturiser alone and under make up. It sat fine underneath make up and didn't make my skin look greasy or shiny when I was wearing no make up. When out in the sun I would reapply the moisturiser on areas where I am most likely to burn, such as my nose, every 2 and a half hours. Because of this moisturiser my face never burned on any of my trips abroad which I am grateful for! Because there's nothing like a nose for a Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.


Unfortunately that is it for my positive words about this moisturiser. There were certainly things I did not like about it. For starters, the lid is so annoying! The lid constantly comes off whether it is in my make up bag, my handbag or what. The lid just does not stay on and I was frequently losing it and having to find it. But the most annoying thing about the moisturiser was that it stung my eyes like crazy! It didn't matter that I didn't apply moisturiser near my eyes: it stung. Whether I was walking around as normal, got my face wet or I sweated, the moisturiser would always somehow end up irritating my eyes and they would sting for a good hour. My eyes would stream like crazy and sometimes they'd even go all puffy. I could rinse my eyes out with water and clean them with tissue but the problem still persists. After looking at the product on the Boots website I have seen that I am not the only person with sensitive skin that this has happened to! This product says it is for sensitive skin yet affects my eyes like no moisturiser ever has. Last of all whilst I was using this I was getting dry patches of skin appear on my face which leads me to think it is perhaps not that moisturising.


Because of how much it stings and makes my eyes water, I will not be purchasing this again. At £5.33 it is a decent price for a SPF moisturiser on a budget but I cannot cope with how much it hurts my eyes. I put up with it for the time that I was travelling but now it is time to let it go. Even though it says for sensitive skin, if you have sensitive skin I do warn you: proceed with caution!


Do you like anything from the Botanics range?