Beauty Haul +FOTD

Hello beautiful people! Yesterday I popped into superdrug and picked up a few beautry essentials. I don't wear makeup to school but I picked up this foundation to use for prom and for when I start sixth form after summer. I am very pale so it's hard to find a shade to match my skin tone but miraculously this one did, it smells fresh and looks almost invisible, I am in love! It was £10.99 but if you spend over £12 you get a free blusher, however nothing else took my fancy so I stuck with this. 

Instead I picked up the MUA mosaic blush in English Rose, this gives a lovely flush to my cheeks, a light pink. Normally the 'flush' look is something I avoid as I have cheeks that may as well be constantly red due to blushing but on top of foundation it goes well and I find it also acts as a highlighter.

I'm new to primers of any sort so I can't give my views on this one as of yet but at £2.50 I'm not risking much. This eye shadow palette caught my eye I know there have been many reviews but I think it has lovely neutrals I bought it especially for the gold's, this will be a staple for my prom look.

My acne has been improving greatly, but I'm off the doc's med's and trying to keep everything as natural as possible. Clean and clear is the only cheap brand aimed as blemished skin that I trust for an everyday fix so this was something that I picked up just as I needed something, I have only tried the exfoliating version before though. I have never tried oil papers but again my skin can get oily and I think this are an essential for prom and could come in handy if you do P.E/sports. 

On my face I have the primer,foundation,blush, eye shadow in shades naked,shy, and lavish, as well as my Natural collection lipstick in the shade cranberry, my MUA eyebrow kit,Witch Pressed powder, and No7 extreme length mascara which is my favourite.

Tell me if you wish to see a review of any of these products!

xxx

Republic 'story'

Let me start off by saying this isn't much of a story. But I had never previously shopped at Republic until I picked up a dress and bracelet there over the half term. As they are closing down with all their stock on sale they have a no-return policy. I'd tried the dress on in the store and as I was happy with my purchase and knew it was non-returnable I binned the receipt. Well I tried it on  again the other day to discover a security tag on the underskirt. It was so unnoticeable to the eye so I can understand if the cashier didn't notice or suspect it as I couldn't even feel it when on.

I was pretty gutted as this had never happened to me before and this so happened to be...my prom dress!! Uh huh I'm a bargain hunter like that :P I'd picked it up in Westfield after watching The Host (I'd give it 3 stars out of 5) and I went to my local Republic today to see if they could help. Now I understand it is partially my fault but I don't think anyone was to blame, and so they said they couldn't help me. I was disappointed so I just ended up prying it off myself and luckily no ink split just a small hole that I have to sew up.

Yeah that's it, sorry it wasn't very interesting but something else happened to me straight after so I felt like sharing that at least. If you've got exams I hope you're procrastinating revising like I am. :)

Share your experiences!!
Loveee x

Tutti fruity

For my birthday my friend got me this gift set from Lush. Boyyy do I love it I was smelling the box for ages as it had the smell of the shop, but the contents were actually even more intoxicating! In the box is a Miranda soap which is very fruity it smells like a fruit cocktail. I wouldn't recommend using this for your face but I'm sure it would do well for your hands. The happy Hippy shower gel contains grapefruit but is not over empowering together they leave you feeling like you've stepped out of a goddesses bath tub. The gel can be used for hair, but I haven't tried that as I feel it would be a waste of the product. But they both lather well and if you use a loofah you can create plenty of bubbles. I would also like to say that I love the way gifts are packaged as they come in cute lil boxes full of potato starch puffs, yes that's right! How cool, which makes them biodegradable and edible. Here's some of the ingredients....

Miranda Ingredients: 

•  Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil
• Kiwi
• Banana's
• Cherries
• Oranges
• Ylang Ylang oil

Happy Hippy Ingredients:

• Bergamot Oil,
• Grapefruit juice

EcoTools Bamboo Travel set

As you probably know my Seventeen kabuki brush saw the end of it's days and as I use powder daily I needed a replacement. A youtuber recommended on a video to buy this set of brushes as they are just over £3 on ebay (here and here). This is a MASSIVE bargain as this travel set is £20 at boots. They are honestly lovely, the brushes are all very soft, gliding across the face. I was slightly shocked at the size of them to be honest as they are quite small, so I think I will be using the powder brush instead of the kabuki as it's hard to hold. I can not guarantee that they are genuine but it doesn't matter as I'm not disappointed. As you can see the handles are sturdy are made of Bamboo so I can hope these last as long as my previous brush. 

These are ideal for mineral makeup, as I don't currently wear foundation this are suited to me. EcoTools also guarantee's it is one of the most environmentally friendly brands which makes me very happy as it is a concern that I am deeply interested in and wish to pursue in a possible career. The bristles are synthetic, the handle both recycled and natural, and it comes with a useful cotton bag for easy storage to pop into your handbag.

What do you think of EcoTools?

The host

Yesterday I went to see The Host with a friend at Westfield, it was enjoyable and entertaining but if you haven't read the book you might find it slow. The cinema at Westfield has a bigger screen than usual so you might want to check it out. After we were full of food (the food hall is great) we went shopping. I didn't intend of spending money but I still hadn't bought my prom dress.  The dress pictured above is really pretty but no, it's not the dress I bought I'm going to keep it a secret, until my prom in July. Also if you have a Republic near you I really suggest you go as they have beautiful fashionable pieces at a low price.

In case you were wondering though, Republic is not actually shutting down...neither is HMV.

Love xxx

Recent Primark Purchases

Hello lovelies, so this is about half the amount of stuff I have bought in the past few weeks. I previously mentioned that I really wanted new jumpers but I settled for these cardigans instead at £5 each. For my birthday I had a sleepover and I love Primark's pajamas so I bought these lovely floral cotton bottoms. The jeans were reduced to £7.90 (i think?) and normally I'd avoid red but the colour was so eye catching, a deep wine red, so I snatched them up. Lastly I bought 3 vest tops for £2 each, these are ideal as it's still snowing, I'v now developed my second cold this year. But also I think these will work well for layering in the summer time, there's so many colours to choose from so I'm loving these!

Are you saving or spending?

Primark Nails

Angelica is a nail polish brand that is best known for being sold in Primark but can be found in other smaller places too. I purchased Angel 93(blue), Brit pop 92 (glitter), and a top coat. For my birthday I tried and tested the glitter, this is the first glitter polish I have used and I was pleased with the results, it was easy to cover the whole nail and looks very glam. I know people have problems getting glitter polishes off but I found no problems. 

I tried the blue polish for Easter but was fooled as it does not appear blue on the nails! It looks like something a toddler would wear as the pigment is very faint. However I think it will make an excellent top coat on top of a pastel blue nail colour. I have been desperate for a top coat as I only own a pink tinted one. I find the top coat to be average it does the job but is nothing special. I purchased these for £2.50 each, a good price but I doubt I will be re purchasing.

Hope you all had a splendid Easter! 

xxx

Sweet Sixteen

Hello beautiful people! You may have seen my brief post announcing my birthday which was last monday. To celebrate I had a few friends over and a sleepover! I had a lovely time, but a warning if you play Never Have I Ever things can get out of hand! Haha. I just tried to relax as school leaves me feeling very stressed. The last picture shows skittles shots but I promise mien was mostly lemonade.

Oddly I feel things have changed now and life doesn't seem so simple. It's sad really as I didn't realise before how innocent I was. Yet at the same time it's exciting as I know there's so much more to learn and even if I don't want to grow up it has to happen. I have been doing this blog for over a year now (not frequently) and I love to throw an update of my life in here and there. So for all the British teens I am in the process of choosing a college/sixth form and freaking out over exams. Plus procrastinating BIG TIME. However I always work hard for what I want in life otherwise goals won't be reached.

Hope you are all well
xxx

Hair treatment: Coconut oil

Coconut oil is good for Skin,nails and hair as it contains protein (like egg). It's supposed to help with frizzy, dry hair to make it more silky smooth. To do this I applied it all over my hair by melting it between my palms. I then left it for 30mins-1hour before washing out. You could also apply to ends of comb a bit through you hair with your fingers to style it. I also tried putting it in a bottle and mixing it with water. This wasn't a clever idea as the coconut oil solidify's.

My verdict:

Keeping in mind I haven't use it long....I am disappointed as I feel it made my hair frizzy and limp! A good conditioner is more effective. However I will now continue to use it on my face as it supposedly helps acne as well. I imagine if you have a dry scalp this will work. I will still continue to use it on my hair to see if there's any long term effects but I prefer using egg and olive oil.

Here's a more informative video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_l9caSqIxs

Hope you're all well 

xxx

Death by kabuki

                         























Ahhh today my kabuki brush broke! To be fair it's lasted me 3 years and I use it a lot, but I'll have to go the next week without it. Since it's my birthday soon I'v been receiving parcels, this red letter meant we had to go to the post office, but it was only letter size, they could have put that through the door. Then I went shopping in primark and also to a cheap store to pick up some decorations and treats. While I was waiting for my mum I decided to buy a McFlurry, I never ever have these, but it was so good :) For the rest of the evening I'v been practicing for my Spanish exam for next week and eating my mums yummy food. This is an odd post but hey ho, I felt like procrastinating!

Hope your all well
x

Instagram #2

1.Garland I made on my wall with pics of Emma Watson and Marilyn Monroe  2.Frilly socks; Primark   3.Lush timeee   4. Hot choco and homemade cookies

Hola! Not a lot happened recently same old. Except I got some GCSE results last thursday (which were good) so I treated myself to some retail therapy with my friend last weekend. Now it's back to exams though for a couple of weeks....

@Fluffycandyflouds

Hair treatment: Olive oil+eggs

Hair treatment and honey face!

Slightly damp hair

Oh my! Lately my hair has been getting on my nerves, dry, limp, every girls nightmare! Well before hitting the shops to look for products I thought hey, lets try a home remedy. I'd seen this one circling a lot...

I used:

1 egg

5/6 tablespoons olive oil

(Add more according to hair length) 

Simple right? You betcha, apply to dry or damp hair, separating into parts with a clip to make it easier. Leave for 30 mins, give it a good rinse and wash with shampoo. I suggest putting your head forward in the shower so the oil doesn't run down your back! While you're waiting you can also apply a face mask, I added honey to mien. I was so skeptical since I didn't think it would be strong enough to have an affect, but from the moment I rinsed it from my hair I started to feel it's effects (silky smooth). Once my hair began to dry it didn't retain all of it's silkiness but it had more volume! The picture above is of my hair semi-dry, when I combed my fringe out properly the next day it was so full and thick, I got many comments! 

Now some of you might be thinking egg is slightly random but it's great for your hair. Raw eggs contain essential proteins and nutrients, this protein can be used to strengthen hair follicles. Likewise, the nutrients work much like conditioners to add volume and shine. Ya'll can also add honey for it's anti septic properties giving a deep clean and condition, or a touch of lemon juice to lighten hair.

Next up I think I'll be trying coconut oil! But I think I'm going to stick to using this 2/3 times a week in the meantime to get its full affects, I'm super happy with the results so far.

What's your hair care routine?

Simple Nutella Cookies

Hey Guys! So a while back I saved this recipe to my favorites on instagram! It's super duper easy, not a work of art, but is great if you're craving chocolate and feeling kinda lazy. Also since it's simple it's flexible to you.

On Instagram the ingredients said: 1 cup Nutella, 1 whole egg, 1 cup flour, bake for 6-8mins at Gas mark 3.

What I used: 1/2 cup Nutella, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 cup flour, 1 whole egg, a few drops of milk, bake for 15-20 mins at Gas mark 3/4

So as you can see this is totally flexible just whisk an egg, add your choice of  ingredients, and mix together, I only used half a cup of Nutella as I didn't want to waste it :3 You could add chocolate chips, melted chocolate etc. I know this isn't healthy so I will be trying some more healthier options in the future and share them with you, but this is a good alternative to Nutella on digestive biscuits!

Enjoy! xxx

Acne: My story

From the age of about 10 I started to get my first spots, as I entered secondary school these became a regular thing. I only tended to have the odd spot here and there, but never did I have clear skin. One or two days since then have I had almost clear skin and boy did it feel good! Well over the past 3 years these spots which I regarded as normal became more frequent in numbers. I could have it on my forehead chin, and cheeks on a bad day. This is when It started to affect me, I wanted it gone as it was not something I wanted to have to live with for the rest of my life. I'm not someone who wears a lot of makeup to school and it begun to really upset me and have me feeling very self conscious all the time. I feel like people judged me on it as I knew it didn't look good, but I never asked for it, so why should it affect who I am?




My acne is mostly on my cheeks and skin. But I also had acne on my back, for about 5 years I found myself self conscious in summer as my shoulders were exposed and my spots could be seen by anyone and everyone. Spots on the back? How odd! You hear about spots on the face but people tend to avoid talking about acne on the back and you never see it in person. It wasn't painful when I lied down but it was always there and started to irritate me. As my acne on my face expanded so did that on my back, from my shoulders to my waist.











I have tried so many products out of boots/superdrug/lush etc, but these just made me frustrated as I felt they have little or no affect on my skin. I'd watch beauty gurus saying how all these products had worked wonders for them,seen great reviews online, but they didn't work for me. Well all this changed last November after I had seen a new beauty guru talk about using the contraceptive pill for her skin. I never go to the doctors so I plucked up the courage to ask my mum if we could go as she's always busy. To my relief she said yes! And then my medication chapter began.

P.s I still use these products!

My doctor first confirmed for me that yes it was acne and not just spots, that I should have come
sooner, that it's very much treatable. First of all she gave me a a cream called Duac, how excited I was! Yay a cream that to cure spots how simple and wondrous  Well the result was that I was left lying in bed with tears streaming down my face as I felt like I'd stuck my face in a furnace. This stuff was good, but too good for my sensitive face. It worked well on my back but I couldn't be bothered with the fuss and pain (I'm a germ freak!).

Then we moved onto the pill. The ever dreaded question of ''Are you sexually active?'' came up in conversation, it's an important question nevertheless! These seemed much more simple, pain free, just take it routinely every day. After 3 months of treatment my acne seemed to finally improve, spots on my back retreated to my shoulders and disappeared, the spots on my face became smaller and less fierce.

Another thing I find is that my diet affects my acne, when I drink water/eat more fruit my skin appears clearer, In comparison to eating chocolate and junk food which break me out. On a handout my Doctor gave me it said some rare causes of acne are makeup,sweating,tight clothing, sugar diets, milk and picking spots. But I'll tell you something even if you manage to lead a life without all of this you can still get acne! It may improve it but might have no difference whatsoever!

My skin today (after 4 months treatment)

Now nothing in life is perfect, my face and back are still likely to get the odd spot day to day, but I'm now learning how to control it. Different things work for different people, and I'd like to say that I'm not bashing products just stating what affect they had on my skin. Same with the drugstore products I still use some of them daily and will talk about that more in the future if your interested. But if you have been suffering for acne for a while I do suggest going to the doctors if drugstore products don't work for you. As you can see my skin is starting to improve (loss of inflamation) but I'll keep you updated on my journey as my skin still has breakouts and scars, so I have a lot way to go yet.

Do you have acne? What products/treatments work for you?

MUA Eyebrow kit

The MUA Pro Brow Kit contains two shades of brown, a matte highlighter, a setting wax, a double ended applicator and tweezers. I'd first like to say that I'm sorry I didn't include a picture of my brows but I don't feel they do this justice as they're not very shapely. My eyebrows are very light since I'm blonde and until recently I'v never used/done anything to them. 

I began to see how a bit of preening could really make a difference to the face. I began by using the natural collection clear mascara, which held them in place and darkened them very slightly. I also use nail scissors to keep them tamed (anyone else do that?!). But after a while I began to feel it just wasn't enough that I was due to get my self a kit of some kind. Now there's not many on the market but there's a few, mostly expensive! But woahhh hold your horses this is MUA which meant it was only £3.50!

Now I believe this is the only palette they have to offer, being blonde i tend to used to lighter brown lightly but I think the dark brown would work well for brunettes and maybe even those of you with black hair, I'm not too sure, but you have blend the colours together to create your own look. The wax works well and also darkens your eyebrows further, I don't always apply it though as it's oily so I'm afraid of getting spots in my brows!

This has now become one of my go-to products that I use every day as I feel it gives that extra something! You can get this at Superdrug, for the price it's worth trying!

Hope you're all well

xxx

DIY: Body+Lip Scrub

What you will need:
Brown sugar (1 cup)
Olive oil (1/2 cup)
Honey (1/4 cup)
1 Lemon
Grater
Storage jar/container (air tight)
Spoon

Mix the sugar and oil together making sure to separate the sugar if clumpy. Stir in the honey thoroughly. Now use the cheese grater to add the zest of a lemon to the mixture, I suggest using the smaller side. Whenever you use this you may find the oil sepeartes from the mixture so you will have to stir it before use, I also suggest adding more sugar if this is the case.

Yesterday I decided to try something new, a body scrub! This smells sweet and if you like the smell of the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush for a penny of the price. At the moment I'm using this as a lip scrub, rub in a gentle circular motion to remove dead skin cells leave on for 10-mins and take off with a wet wipe, water, or lick it off! I will use this as a body scrub more often once I start baring my legs in spring/summer, but as I have previously mentioned my lips have been suffering for a while due to my careless abandon and are on the road to recovery! However this also leaves your legs smooth after you step out of the shower and apply your favourite moisturiser. I would not suggest to use this on your face as scrubs can irritate your skin and make it red/break out.

If a lemon citrus smell isn't for you, you can also add essential oils, vanilla extract, fruit, mint, and even melted chocolate! Just use what you have lying around the house so nothing goes to waste. You can also substitute the sugar for sea salt for a coarser solution and if you like the smell of the sea (I suggest it for a foot scrub)

Have a happy treatment time :)
Leave comments telling me what ingredients you used!

Nivea Lip butter:Raspberry Rosé Review

Let me first of start my saying this smells AMAAZINGGG and if you so happen to pass a Boots or  Superdrug you have to at least smell it! It says Raspberry's, but all I think of when I smell it is smoothies. It even applies like a smoothie (or melted marshmallows). Let me tell you this is an essential to carry around in your bag this Spring/Summer.

On a more serious note I'v recently realised that the reason for my dewy lips is due to them not being well moisturised. Nivea for me have always been the golden arch for moisturisation 101 yet a lot of their products are without girly scents. Well I'd give this a rating of 4/5 for softness as once applied it leaves your lips as soft as a baby's bottom, but after eating/drinking I find my lips return to their original state. Yet it does improve the general state of my lips and doesn't sit on them like vaseline, another thing I noticed is that it's half the size of a vaseline tin. Hmm I'm not going to lie it's no miracle worker (what is?) but to be honest even if it applied to my lips like dry wallpaper I'd still love it as the smell is intoxicating and so worth it for only £1.50!

Pearls over chains

Tee:£4 Jumper:£7 Pearls:Present Bracelet:£1 Boots:£3

Is that a sigh I hear? Yeah I know I got that T-shirt that everyone and their grandma has but ya know what I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of it. Speaking of grandma's I kind of gave this an old-style twist, a chain would be more commonly worn with this shirt but I'm not a fan(although I'd love a chunky rose gold one!). So as an alternative I went for pearls, I mean a nerd doesn't wear chains right? I love pearls and all things vintage as you can probably tell my style is quite girly. Yet I'v paired it with this cardigan which is oversized for me and is cable knit. I also worn some navy skinny jeans with these To be honest all this may not have been unnecessary as wearing glasses alone gives meaning to the Tee is some aspects.

These boots are my babies as you can see I got them for a bargainous price(I should have stocked up). They're so comfy, like slipping your feet into slippers! I absolutely love cowboy boots yet these were my first pair (they were originally £18). Even though they're not plain black I feel I can wear them with a lot of outfits. The feathers add a slight twist but I'd still love theses without them. I don't love country music but I can't help fall in love with the country style.

But honestly I'm proud to wear a Geek/Nerd Tee (I think geek sounds better?). The reason my posts haven't always been frequent is because I'v either been revising for exams or had my head stuck in a new book. I'm not very confident in my glasses as I haven't always had to wear them so when I can afford it I'll switch to contacts. Also I made pancakes for the first time (Waaat?) Yeah well my family is always working and so no one really had time for pancake day, but as it's half term I'm taking it as an opportunity to try something new.

ASOS ft Marc B outfit

1.2.3.4.5.6

Hey guys this is an outfit composed of ASOS clothing around a Marc B bag. You all know I'm in love with jumpers at the moment and I thought this one was so cute, Zoella wore a similar style with a Barbie print on it, I think they are so easy to style. The glasses are a statement piece for this summer, a must have, round sunglasses jazz up any outfit. I love these shorts as they continue to make the outfit casual with the rugged style even though I paired them with platforms! I'm in love with these shoes but they're not something I could wear due to my height. These socks are simple yet girly and keep your legs slightly warmer in this new spring weather while matching the jumper. The bag finishes off the outfit by making this outfit more formal and sophisticated, if you can get away with killer heels I'd say this would be a perfect outfit for sixth form.

To be in with a chance of winning Marc B and ASOS vouchers click here.

Topshop wishlist 001

1-2-3-4-5-6-7

I love almost everything in Topshop, problem is it's more of a dream as I can only afford/justify things in the sale. At the moment I am loving jumpers mainly as I could so with some since mien don't fit, yet I feel that even spending over £10 is too much at the moment (I'm saving). But I love these high neck jumpers, the first one is absolutely gorgeous and will go with anything being nude. The second one is a bit more raunchy and I'm no a fan of the dip dye jumpers but these colours make up the type of sweater you'd receive as a kid knitted by your nan! 

The top is by a brand called Tea and Cake not only is it a lovely make but the clothes are lovely too, the labels have mini recipes. I love to travel and I'm a geography student so I love this tee along with many of there others. The crop top is not something I'd usually wear as I love lace and yellow but I don't like showing off my midriff. Yet I think this will be perfect to wear on a holiday abroad at the beach with a skater skirt.

I love to wear nail polish but hardly get the chance as its forbidden at school. But I'll soon be stocking up for summer and sixth form as the new styles and colours available are always expanding!

Are you a Topshop or Primark girl?