ON MY FACE TODAY

I doubt this will be a new regular feature on my blog but we shall see...

GOSH Velvet Touch Foundation Primer | Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation | Urban Decay Naked Basics | Benefit Brow-zings | Bourjois Little Pot of Blush | Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer | Bourjois Liner Clubbing | Revlon Lip Butter | MAC Mineralised Skin Finish Natural | Nivea Express Hydration Primer | MUA Eye Primer | L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic Mascara

I start with the Nivea Hydration Primer. I really like this because of the dual function of it; moisturiser and primer in one! So if you're in a rush, it helpfully cuts out a step for you. I do sometimes just use this but most days I go on ahead with the GOSH Velvet Touch Primer just across my cheeks and down my nose and a bit on my chin. This is the only primer I've ever used and I love it. It can be a bit pricey but I repurchased it last week from Superdrug and it had £3 off so worth checking out.

Today's foundation was the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. One of my favourite beauty gurus is Estée from essiebutton and she raves about this foundation all the time. Now that I've been matched to the No7 foundation and I know that actually goes well for me, I'm a bit scared to buy other foundations in case it's the wrong shade which, being as ghostly as I am is likely to happen. I stood at the Bourjois stand for way too long trying to discreetly/awkwardly put a blob of the tester on my face and just decided to go for it. I picked the lightest shade (obviously) which is '51 Light Vanilla'. When I went to use it today I thought it seemed a bit too yellow toned but it blends so lovely and is such a perfect match. I compared it with the No7 and they seem pretty similar but the Bourjois one feels much lighter on my skin.

Sometimes I just use one of the concealers but today I wasn't in any rush so I went crazy and used the Rimmel one for under my eyes (I use the shade '010 Ivory') and the Collection one ('1 Fair') for any blemishes and red patches mainly around my chin and nose area.

For brows I use the Benefit Brow-zings in 'Dark' just to fill in the sparse areas. I don't go crazy drawing the whole brow on because mine are quite a decent shape/length/all that jazz. (Maybe I should have taken a photo with my fringe out of the way... Sorry!)

Eyeshadow, (again, fringe is in the way, oops.) I used the Naked Basics palette which is my absolute go to palette. I first use the MUA eye primer all over the lid and then I used the shade 'Walk of Shame' which is a really pale pink all over the lid and then used the shade 'Faint' which is a dark brown in the outer corner and just blend it all together.

I always have to have liner on my last line or I feel naked. Today, I used the Bourjois Liner Clubbing in 'Ultra Black'. I mentioned this in my April Favourites and I really like it. Very easy to use and get a nice straight line with. 

For mascara I used the L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic. I haven't really noticed much of a difference between this and the original Telescopic but I still really like it and I'll most probably repurchase it.

I set all my base with the MAC Mineralised Skin Finish Natural in 'Light'. Pretty sure this is over taking the Rimmel Stay Matte powder for my holy grail powder. I find myself reaching for this one a lot more and it was definitely worth the money. As the product name suggests, you do get a lovely natural finish from it and I feel when I use this I never seem to have to touch my make-up up throughout the day.

Nearly there... blush is next and another Bourjois product (can you tell I'm liking them at the moment?) Superdrug had an offer yesterday that if you spend £12 you got a Little Pot of Blush for free (they are worth £7.49!) so as the foundation cost about a tenner it seemed silly not to take them up on the offer. I ended up getting the Instant Nail Polish Remover that everyone raved over last year because curiosity got the better of me and then I chose the blush in the shade '34 Rose d'Or' (That's Golden Rose to me and you.) It's a beautiful doll pink colour with flecks of gold shimmer through it, very pretty.

Then finally, on my lips I chose the Revlon Lip Butter in '096 Macaroon'. I also raved this in the previous favourites post but I honestly love it. The colour is perfect for anything  and the lip butter formula is lovely and easy to use.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush | ELF Stippling Brush | ELF Eyeshadow C Brush | Ecotools Airbrush Concealer Brush | Boots Foam Puff

The Buffing Brush from the Real Techniques Core Collection is one of the loves of my life. I use it for foundation and it just gives the best finish. The bristles are nice and dense and it really buffs the foundation in to make it look natural. I also use it to buff in concealer.

I used to use the Stippling Brush for foundation before discovering the aforementioned Buffing Brush, but I now use it for blush (which is why it is stained pink). I'm a bit scared of applying blush in case I end up with the clown chic look but this stippling brush lightly puts on the colour and it's easy to build it up too.

I LOVE this eyeshadow brush. It's a good size and shape to be able to pack on the colour and it was about £3 so an absolute bargain! I use the Ecotools brush to blend out the eyeshadow. Usually I use the Ecotools Shading Brush which is similar to this but as I've recently bought this one, I'm trying to use it more. Have to say though, I think I prefer the Shading Brush. Still, they're both very soft and do a decent job.

Then a bit boring but I use Boots Foam Puffs for applying my powder. They're about £2 for 3 and they wash really well which is good because it means I don't have to keep buying them even if they are cheap.

And the final product..!

Sorry this ended up being a lengthy post and congratulations if you read it all!

Thank you xx

DRESS LIKE...ALEXA CHUNG

It's not been that long since my last one of these posts but I was quite in the mood to do another and I also couldn't believe I've done a good handful of these posts now and still not done one for Alexa Chung. I hate to use this expression, but I know she's very much a "marmite person". I personally love her! Ever since I first saw her back in the day on T4. She looks amazing all the time. She has the best clothes and I'm forever jealous of her.

BY DAY

 

Dungarees; New Look

Tee; River Island

Shorts; Topshop

Top; New Look

Jacket; Dorothy Perkins

Boots; ASOS

Bag; ASOS

Socks; Topshop

Rings; ASOS

Bag; Forever 21

Shoes; New Look via ASOS

Alexa pretty much is always relatively casually dressed. She's very much a lover of the ol' printed tee and denim shorts combo and then giving it a quirky twist with some socks and sandals.

BY NIGHT

 

Skirt; In Love With Fashion

Blouse; Topshop

Bag; River Island

Shoes; Dorothy Perkins

Dress; H&M

Blush; Topshop

Belt; ASOS

Shoes; ASOS

Lip Bullet; Topshop

Lipstick; Topshop

Ring; H&M

For when she attends events, Alexa often injects a bit of extra colour into her outfits whilst still looking effortlessly chic. The makeup colours in particular are perfect for Spring/Summer.

All the previous 'Dress Like...' posts can be found HERE.

APRIL FAVOURITES

I have literally no idea how it's already time for another favourites post but alas, it is! I've been enjoying quite a few products this month so let's get cracking!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash | Superdrug Intensive Hand Cream | La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo | MUA Cream Blush 'Bittersweet' | Rimmel x Kate Moss Salon Pro Nail Polish 'Britpop' | Bourjois Liner Clubbing Ultra Black | MUA Bronzer 'Shade 3' | Benefit Cha Cha Tint | Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain '005 Crush Béguin' | Revlon Lip Butter '096 Macaroon'

A few of these products featured in a recent beauty haul I did and my first favourite is from that. I bought the Soap & Glory Body Wash purely for the smell. It is incredible. It smells of lime and it smells really sweet and fresh and I have to really try to restrain myself not to go over the top and use to much each time.

The La Roche-Posay skincare range has been hugely raved about in the blogging world and I saw this in Boots at the start of the month and after reading a lot of reviews saying it has massively improved people's skin and breakouts, I decided to try it out. I was thinking of doing a review of it's own but there are so many out there so I'll just do a mini one here. It's not cheap, it cost me £13 but I'm delighted I bought it. My cheeks and chin always have spots. I don't think there's been a day since I was 13 when I didn't have spots. I've been putting this on before my moisturiser and makeup in the mornings and after I've cleansed/toned/exfoliated in the evenings and it's made a huge difference. I can tell mainly because I hardly use any concealer now whereas before I pretty much had a layer over my whole face! I can definitely see the hype with the brand.

As for the hand cream, not the most pleasant story but the weather here for the whole of 2013 so far has been awful. We still had snow here up until 3/4 weeks ago and unfortunately when it's that cold my fingers think it's cool to turn into sausages. So attractive, trust me..! The snow went and it got a touch warmer and it left the skin on my fingers looking gross; as if they'd deflated. (Sorry about all this TMI) Anyway, I bought this for about £1.50 from Superdrug and it fixed my gross hands so quickly! It has a lovely clean scent and my hand feel so soft!

I've been getting really into blushes lately. For my birthday, I received the Benefit Tropi-Coral set and the Cha Cha Tint was included with it. It can be worn on the cheeks and lips but I personally don't like it on the lips. It's lovely on the cheek bones though and the colour is very buildable.
The MUA one is the first cream blusher I've tried. I've only had it a week or so but I really like it. It's not overly pigmented and using a brush with it, I've found, isn't that effective but when I use my finger and blend it out it's the loveliest colour. They do another colour which is more of a coral/orange shade which I am tempted to buy now. Also, for a £1 it's worth trying!
I bought the MUA bronzer to use as a contour powder. I have the Sleek Contour Kit but sometimes, I feel it's a little too dark. This is a lot more subtle and I don't feel paranoid that I've put too much on. I think this was £1 too so definitely worth trying.

I was so late on the Revlon lip product bandwagon. I do already own a lip butter in Candy Apple but I recently picked up Macaroon. It is one of those "your lip but better" kind of colours and I've been reaching for this a lot this month. It's just so easy to apply and they're really moisturising so perfect for when I'm being lazy.
This is the first of the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains I've bought and again this is another "lazy girl lip product". When I can't be bothered in a morning I can quickly colour my lips in with this. It's not the longest lasting if worn without lip liner but such a lovely colour. Also, it has a minty smell (I think!) and I really like that.

Forever hunting for the perfect liquid liner, I picked up this Bourjois one. The applicator is very thin and that is what I'm after. I find it much easier to do winged liner this way. This is so easy to use and the colour is very pigmented. My only problem is, sometimes I find it doesn't last all day. When it gets to the end of the day I find it sometimes has worn away a bit.
Please do give me liquid eyeliner suggestions, though. Not any of the felt tip style ones those because we do not get on with each other!
Final product is the new nail polishes from the Rimmel Salon Pro range by Kate Moss. I'm a big fan of all of the ranges she has done for Rimmel lipsticks so when I heard this was happening, I got a bit excited. It's no secret how much I love Kate and Rimmel is such a great brand. I picked up two shade. One being a dark purple/grey colour called 'Punk Rock' and this bright turquoise colour called 'Britpop'. I think there's about 10 different shades all named after different music genres. I just had to get Britpop because I love that genre and the colour is beautiful. Highly pigmented and I only needed one coat to get an opaque finish! It lasted a good few days before chipping too so I was very impressed. I do like Punk Rock as well but this colour is a lot more fun and definitely my favourite of the two. I'm wearing it on my nails in this post, actually.


What have you been loving this month?

NORTH WEST BLOGGER MEET UP

Yesterday I attended the North West Blogger Meet Up in Preston which was wonderfully organised by Claire. It was so nice that there was finally a meet up where I live and not hundreds of miles away in London.
We all met up in Moka and had a drink and a bite to eat and had a good chat with each other before moving on to a couple of the local boutiques. Claire had also put together a little goodie bag for us all, which was too kind so we had a rummage through those and here's what we got....

We got some little samples and a couple of invitations to The Body Shop events, that the lovely Rachelle got for us. I'm very excited to try all these things out.

And we got some lovely pieces from The Vintage Set, Retro Rehab & Carnaby and Campbell. So kind and so very appreciated! I particularly love the cute floral earrings from Retro Rehab.

We split up so not to overcrowd each shop and went to browse Coco Boo and Retro Rehab.
I'm from Preston and I never really go down the side streets where these shops are in town and I'm definitely going to start doing. Coco Boo is beautiful and has some lovely clothes. I really liked a dress in there but unfortunately it suited the hanger much better than my body. Then Retro Rehab is wonderful! It's full of lovely vintage clothes and really decent prices. I was very impressed. We had a bit of time to kill so we nipped in to Primark but I think we were all pretty disappointed on the whole with there on this day. I know Primark can be very hit and miss and Preston's isn't that great but there was literally nothing in that caught my eye. Probably best as far as my bank account goes, mind.
Then we ended the day in a local cupcake shop called Strictly Cupcakes. I'd never even heard of it but it is beautiful! It's decorated in such a cute way and I was just staring at everything and then the cupcakes... wow. Amazing! I had a Malteaser cupcake and some homemade lemonade which was amazing! And it was pretty cheap; only cost £3 for the cake and drink! Definitely going to have to go back there very soon and try all the other cupcakes.

SO GOOD!

As I'm a bit of a fail blogger, I forgot to take my camera so I don't actually have any photos (other than an Instagram of my cupcake, obviously) so I've had to pinch a couple of the other girls photos.
All the girls was so lovely and just too cool! Hopefully there'll be more meet ups in the future and a massive thanks to Claire for organising everything.

Why, fringe? WHY? Curse you, rain!

Joanna, Me, Lindsey, Amy, Sarah, Louise, Rachelle, Danielle, Caroline, Yasmin, Heather, Claire

I should have probably done outfit photos before I left because Preston being Preston, we all got drenched!

Shirt; Primark | Skirt; Miss Selfridge | Collar tips; eBay | Rings; both Topshop | Nails; Rimmel x Kate Moss Salon Pro '713 Britpop' + Barry M nail art pen

Really been getting into nail art, though I'm not very creative so this is the best I could do!

I did also have my faux leather jacket from Miss Selfridge and my House of Holland Supergas on but I only took these photos when I got home and I was being lazy! Also the rain did awful things to my fringe so no face photo I'm afraid.

Photo from Claire's Instagram

BEDROOM TOUR

I thought I'd do something a little different from the usual post today. I am the nosiest person so I love posts and videos from other bloggers like this. Anything from their make up collections to what they have in their bathroom.
My room is constantly a mess. I put it down to having the smallest amount of space to actually move in. For the purpose of these photos, I did a quick "swipe everything under the bed" move to make it look a little more ready for public viewing.

When you first walk into my room, this is your immediate view.

Everything in my room is pretty cramped and there's not enough room for more than one person at a time but I love it. It's cosy and makes me happy. 

I've had the last week or so off work and top of my to do list was to empty my wardrobe and get rid of loads of clothes. Still not done it. It's starting to bulge a little..!

So then I have my full length mirror which I love a bit too much. I have no idea where it's from; my uncle gave it me many years back. I got the little fairy lights from B&M bargains and they were pretty cheap and they had a few different colours. I love The Beatles and I got the Abbey Road photo from the gift store at the Beatles Story museum in Liverpool. Above it is just a sign saying "Think of a wonderful thought" and the two stars from Peter Pan. I've been wanting it tattooed for quite a while.
The certificate you can see reflected in the mirror is because when I was at school, a poem I wrote was published. It's super embarrassing and possibly the worst poem ever written!
On top of the chest of drawers (which either need replacing or I need less clothes because all the drawers are falling off...) I have my TV, freeview box and DVD/VHS combo (oh yeah..!). I literally refuse to not have a video player. I have too many to not own one. I'm currently making my way through the Ugly Betty boxset which is why that is on there.
The clock was also from B&M Bargains but about a year ago and it was only about £3. It's so cute!

This little figurine on top of the TV is something I got from my birthday last week. I love Disney (this will become more clear further on in this post...) and my mum knows how much I love Belle. This has been designed by a pop artist called Romero Britto and I love it. I think it's so different and lovely.

I got two helium balloons for my birthday so I'm sort of just letting them float around my room until they deflate. I did leave the weights on them but as you can see with the whole not having space to move in my room, they were getting in the way.

This isn't really ideal but it's the only place I can think to put all of this stuff, in the gap between the chest of drawers and the wardrobe. I have this CD tower from Argos with all my CDs in. I don't tend to buy any anymore, I just buy them digitally but I still love my little collection. I think the lamp is from Tesco but now I have the fairy lights I don't actually use it. Plus, where it is now, it doesn't actually provide any light to any part of the room!
The jewellery stand was a gift from a few years ago and all my rings are hung on it. Again, not ideal as I can't reach it all that easily.

This is the part I hate the most. I'm always thinking of how I can rearrange my room to give me space for some shelving or something to store all of this stuff in. But for now, all of my skin care, hair care, body stuff and perfumes have to go in this gap on the floor.

I somehow managed to fit a desk and chair in my room after I moved it all around last year. Another reason I need some kind of storage space for the skin/hair care bits is so I can also put all my makeup somewhere organised to. I love the storage I have. I got it off eBay and I did a post a while ago on that. It just takes up all my desk space.
The little drawers in my desk are totally full of junk! They are full of belts and hair brushes and receipts. The bottom drawer though has all my nail polishes in. They all did have paper on the top with their colour painted on but a lot of them have fallen off since. And they were all in colour order but as I've bought new ones I can never be bothered reorganising it.
Then I have my laptop and my iPad just sits here when I'm not using either. I have a bit of a 'thing' about things with the Union Jack on them (as will become apparent) and I love this iPad case which is also off eBay.
My leather jacket just hangs on the back of my chair and the chair looks so grubby because when my sister's dog was a puppy he lived with us and he chewed up everything.

Yes. Yes that is a One Direction cushion... My sister bought it me for my birthday because she thinks she's HILARIOUS. (I do actually like 1D but I'm trying to be cool by pretending I don't, shush.) I also like cushions. A lot. I don't know why because I don't have any room for them. All this stuff gets thrown on the floor when I go to bed.
Also, the Union Jack thing... iPad cover, scarf hanging on the wall, cushion, bed covers...
Then on my bed is where Sulley and Mickey Mouse sleep (yes, I am 21...) I got Mickey from Edinburgh and he has an "I love Edinburgh" top on. Hoping to get a Minnie Mouse one when I go back in August.
And then there is my Stitch onesie. It's the best thing I own. I got it on eBay and it was a bit pricey but I practically live in it. I have quite a few Stitch related items and the one on the floor is one of the huge soft toys from the Disney Store. Mum actually found him in a charity shop for like £4! It has the official Disney Store logo on it too! He's wearing a hat I got with the programme when I saw Disney on Ice (still 21...)

Opposite my bed is my bookshelf but it doesn't really seem to serve that purpose. I'm not a big reader and I wish I was but I just can't get in to it the same as I could when I was a kid.
On the wall at the top I have a drawing of Belle by my friend, Rachel and the Little Mermaid painting is by my friend, Katy.
So, the Disney thing... my mum does nothing but encourage me because she buys them whenever she goes in a charity shop and now I'm running out of room! I got the Woody doll for my birthday last year and Mr Potato Head this year and he actually comes with dressing up outfits as Buzz and Woody. Also got the little Game of Throne figurine of Daeneyrs this year which is too cute. I have a few rings and earring on the shelf too.

I mentioned how I have some films on VHS which are pretty much all my Disney classics and a couple of other ones. I just cannot part with this. I'm hoping one day they will become rather valuable... After the VHS' is a few random little figurines I've got over the years that have quite a fair bit of sentimental value to me and even though they're kind of pointless I just cannot get rid of them. I am a little bit of a hoarder. I've got Neville Longbottom's wand and the packaging of a chocolate frog from when I visited the Harry Potter Studio Tour last year and there is a Hufflepuff scarf hanging on the side that I got for my birthday this year. Finally on that shelf is a Rapunzel pencil case that my friend Bethan bought me.

All my videos and DVDs are in alphabetical order because I get a bit freaked out if they aren't. There's a few cheeky bottle of alcohol dotted around that I also got for my birthday and there's nowehere else for them.
Shamefully, the only shelf on my bookcase for books is the bottom one and I haven't even got round to reading all of them.
My cute Minnie Mouse slippers are from Primark a couple of months ago so they may still have them.
Down the side of my bookcase there is a little meerkat that I got when I bought my car insurance and the other side is my sheep hot water bottle that I've had for absolute years.

These cupboards are where the cistern is so lucky me gets loads of noise in her room whenever anyone flushes the toilet or runs a bath. Everyone's bedding is also kept in there but on the front I have my jewellery board that I made a good 10 years ago from a notice board. It really needs de-cluttering!
Then I have a mini canvas of Belle that mum bought (I don't think she's okay with me growing up...) and my friend Katie drew the little poster when she stopped at my house a few years ago.

So there we go! It's tiny and cosy but I love it. I'm very much a hermit and when I come home from work I just sit in here all night.
I am looking forward to being able to get my own place so I can spread all of this stuff out though!

Congratulations if you managed to actually read all of this and I'm sorry for all of the rambling.

DRESS LIKE... EMILIA CLARKE

Next up in my series of Dress Like... posts is Game of Thrones British actress Emilia Clarke. Like, what seems like the entire world, I am also one of these crazy obsessed Game of Thrones fans. If you haven't watched it, then you really must. I watched season 1 and 2 back to back a couple of months ago and I am hooked. Season 3 has just started so you can easily catch up!

Emilia Clarke plays Daenerys Targaryen who is an exiled princess who is trying to win her claim to the Iron Throne. (That is basically the premise of the show. There's a few different people trying to become the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. I can't explain it well enough to do it justice, just go watch.)
In the show she dons a long, platinum blonde wig and has thick, dark eyebrows. In real life she is almost unrecognisable when you mainly know her as her character. However, girl got style! Her red carpet outfits are beautiful and her casual day to day outfits are simple and cool.


BY DAY

 

Jeans; Dorothy Perkins

Top; H&M

Trousers; Topshop

Ballet shoes; New Look

Sunglasses; Dorothy Perkins

Blazer; New Look

Bag; Topshop

Ring; H&M

Lipstick; Topshop

Shoes; ASOS

Belt; ASOS

Her daytime look is very minimal and natural. Very few accessories, neutral makeup and just a simple tee.

BY NIGHT

 

Dress; Matalan

Bralet; River Island

Bag; Marks & Spencer

Nails; Barry M 

Jacket; Topshop

Shoes, H&M

Skirt; Topshop

Lipstick; Topshop

Shoes; ASOS

Again, for her night time look she keeps it pretty simple. She's quite feminine and girly but toughens it up with black accessories and a bold red lip.



Hope you like this post. Please leave comment on who else you'd like me to feature on this series!