Soap&Glory: Solar Powder

Throughout my time blogging I have been using this S&G product in my everyday makeup routine for pretty much most of the time I've blogged (a year or so), yet it came to my attention that I have not actually reviewed this product which startled me because I always recommend it to people! So I thought it is about time I get my thoughts up on this product that way when I recommend it to someone I can show them why!

I bought this more like impulse purchased this product back at the start of 2014 and I honestly do not regret it. And yet here we are into 2015 and I still own the exact same product I've had from the start and I can guarantee it will last me most of next year too. I wasn't sure who, what, why, how this product worked as the name is a bit misleading, so I did a bit of research and realized this in fact is a two toned bronzer and highlighter in one. What I mean by two toned is if you fancy the dark or light shade you have the option of either or swirling them both together. Now I know you're probably thinking this could perhaps turn your face into a clown, wrong. I thought this too and it actually is the best invention yet!

It gives such a lovely glow on the skin without looking like you're about to join a circus. In fact in my opinion it adds definition and shape to your face if anything, I use this for contouring my face: cheekbones, jaw, forehead etc. Blending in isn't a challenge which is great, probably one of the best products I've used when it comes to blending in. It just looks really nice and natural on the skin without looking over the top it is a brilliant invention.

As a round up for all you on the go girls...

Pros:

Inexpensive

Easy to blend

Suits all skin tones

Multi-purposed: bronze, highlight

Shapes face if used as contour

Cons:

Cardboard packaging

Hard to get a hold of

Misleading name

Overall I would really recommend you try this product out whether you love bronzing, contouring or highlighting you can get the best of both worlds and have all in one. Which not only saves you time but, saves you a heck of a lot more money! An £11 bargain you must grab!

Similar posts you may like:

Soap&Glory Glossy Sticks Review

Soap&Glory Brow Archery Review

Soap&Glory Top 3

Have you tried this before??

Makeup Revolution VS Too Faced Blushing Hearts

I love these sorts of dupe-like posts that compare a high end with a drugstore product to spot the differences. I am a money saver. What I mean is if I can find an alternative product that won't cost me £20-£30 I will purchase it. I created a spot the difference or 'dupe' post quite a while ago now here and received some wonderful feedback from you lovely lot. So I was over the moon that I have yet again came across another dupe that could save you up to £19 so here I am given you my little secrets to save you a bit extra money!

The question some of you may be wondering is why do I own two blushers that look identical? Well, I have wanted to try one of the Too Faced Blushers for quite some time now so I had asked for it for Christmas just gone. At the time my Mam had bought me it, Makeup Revolution* kindly sent me a couple of blushers to try out a few weeks later and to my surprise they looked the spitting double of my Too Faced Blusher. At first I laughed because it is ridiculous how similar these are from packaging, shades and consistency yet have such a giant price difference. I love blushers therefore I knew both of these would get put to great use. 

Instead of me repeating myself on how I found both products I thought to write a list of pros/cons that way you are able to spot the differences straight away without reading my rambles!

Makeup Revolution

Pros: 

Inexpensive - £4.99

Looks healthy on the cheeks

Easy to apply

All shades mixed together looked stunning

Adds the tiniest amount of highlight/shimmer

Pretty packaging

Cons:

Can look too much if not blended in enough

Wears off after awhile

Not pigmented enough

Too Faced

Pros:

Looks healthy on the cheeks

Easy to apply

All shades mixed together look stunning

Adds the tiniest amount of highlight/shimmer

Pretty packaging

Pigmented

Long lasting

Cons:

Expensive - £24

Too pigmented you need the tiniest amount (no clown business!)

Overall these are both very similar to each other apart from the expense and pigmentation they are very identical. I love both blushers equally. I do tend to use the Too Faced heart blusher on days I know I am going to be wearing makeup all day, I am not one for touching up blushers so Makeup Revolution heart blusher gets used if I am popping out for a few hours.

To rap this post up I would repurchase both of these products again.

Have you discovered any dupes lately??

My Stationery Staples

I have a tiny confession to make that I need to admit; I think I may need stationery rehab. I have countless amounts of pretty notebooks that get bought fairly often, an excessive amount of gel pens, sharpies and whatnot that get scattered everywhere and of course enough post-it-notes to last me for years. Recently I have been stocking up on new bits of stationery (new semester = new notepads right?) so today I wanted to share with you all some of my stationery staples that I use on a daily basis and what have got me up to date with being overly organised and motivated!

As you can see I have not one but two big notebooks that I use on a daily basis. One that reads 'Random Crap' which is from the wonderful Flamingo Gifts* and the other I received in my subscription box from My Little Box a few months ago. The notebook from Flamingo Gifts is the best one yet (that I own). I love simple books that read the real-deal on the front. I do need a notebook to store all my random thoughts so this was perfect! I tend to jot down all my blog post ideas in here. The notebook from My Little Box I use for uni, I use this to write any key dates, deadlines, ideas, drawings etc etc. This is plain paper too which is perfect if you are a designer like myself.

Finally I own a diary! I have never used a diary since I was maybe 14/15 and even then I used it to write down ridiculous things regarding my love life (cringe). This diary I actually use for writing down any upcoming plans, driving lessons, birthdays etc anything that I am most likely to forget! This diary is so lovely and totally up my street, it always gets left out on display in my room because it is one of those books you have got to have out on display. I got it as a gift so I am unsure where this is from (maybe Clintons of Card Factory). The pocket sized notebook that reads 'stuff to do [if I feel like it]' is from Waterstones, now I never in a million years thought Waterstones stationery would impress me recently but it has. This little book comes everywhere with me because I am constantly writing and crossing things out that need to be done. Things like: clean brushes, email someone back, update website (uni), finish proposal...anything that I need to do I will jot down.

What is a stationery staples post without some actual pens?! This macaroon bag is from Primark. I use this to store all of my pens, Sharpies, Promarkers, pencils etc. Next to my pencil case I have a what can only be described as a tower of highlighters! This is from Smiggle* I have had this for over a year now and still to this day I have not got bored or bought any other. It is such a cool invention to carry around with you to uni! I am all about colour so when I am highlighting any books or briefs I use this to colour in the important areas.

The last stationery staple I have been using a lot of a calender. This I again got in my subscription box from My Little Box last month. This is the coolest calender I have ever seen! We have some inspirational quotes, illustrated drawings and some pages include some fun & games to play! I jot down any upcoming plans I have on this and cross off each day as I go. This sits nicely on my cupboard door it is such an appealing calender.

These are all of my stationery staples that help keep me organized and on top of life! I still believe I need stationery rehab.   

What are your stationery staples??

My Little Frenchie Box

Oh my goodness just when I thought last month's box here was the best of all boxes I have received so far, My Little Box go and blow my mind again and completely top last month's box by a mile. If I'm honest I thought this was going to be a 'lovey dovey' box that fitted in with Valentine's Day but instead it is a My Little 'Frenchie' themed box - which I am still trying to work out where the french theme is. This box is wonderful and filled with lots of useful things that will be put to great use! I don't know how they can top this box off anymore.

Once I opened up my box I was welcomed with one of My Little Box's greetings cards. This card reads "life is never what it seems - and that's the great thing about it" I love this quote as it is so easy to relate to as my life so far has never ran the way I wanted it to go but yet it is still great and adventurous. This card has straight away been placed on my wall of inspiration. I do think these cards are wonderful to give to someone who is having an off day and may need a bit of cheering up or in my case spread across my wall to always look at.

Behind the greetings card was another cute, little magazine filled with lots of inspiration, interviews, photography, tutorials, tips and some positive quotes to keep you motivated and happy. I always find these magazines so useful for throwing in your bag to read on the go. I always like to read these on the train or any breaks I take. I always find some really helpful tips in these books and not to be biased to my degree (advertising/design) I like how these have more content less adverts.

The first surprise I was welcomed with came in this lovely red box and once I had opened the box I came across a smartphone case. This case is so handy for me because it keeps my screen clean and avoids any scratches. It is such a classy mini pouch that will come of use to me, even if I don't use it to hold my phone I would use it to store my bank cards or tickets! So useful.

As well as the smartphone case I had also came across another dainty, useful item; a pot of messages. Now I love stuff like this the whole idea of storing your thoughts or quotes onto paper and roll up into a jar really appeals to me because it the simplest of things to brighten up your day. Hiding in this little pot are special little messages to brighten up my day. This now has a privilege place on my desk area so I am able to grab one whenever I fancy.

Once I finished unraveling everything in boxes, bows and whatnot I finally came across another dainty drawstring bag filled with some lovely makeup products. The first beauty product I pulled out was from My Little Beauty which is My Little Box's makeup range. The product I received this month was a Complexion Enhancer that brightens up your skin. This can be used for all skin colours and will bring your skin back to life. The second product I had come across really got me screaming inside because it was by the high end brand By Terry. I received a Waterproof Khol Pencil from By Terry which will come in useful! I was so shocked to see this brand in my box that I started to think there may have been a mistake. 

The third product I came across was the Super Liner Brow Artist Shaper by Loreal Paris. This is a 3 in 1 product which you will know by now I love. It contains a coloured pencil to draw and intensify your brows, then discipline your arch using the soft brush tip and finally fix your brows in place with the clear wax based formula. These steps supposedly help you achieve the bushy brows like Kate Middleton. I usually receive 3 makeup products and 2/3 other bits but this time I received 4 makeup-y pieces, so the last makeup item I pulled out was in fact DHC Blotting Paper. Being oily skinned these always come in handy for on the go, they always have a permanent place in my handbag so I am able to reduce any oils that appear as the day goes on. I think the packaging for these is beautiful and definitely knocks off my Boot's own range blotting papers from my bag.

Overall I am really quite flabbergasted is the word to describe how I feel about the quality and effort put into this month's box. I think now is the perfect timing to be sending out little motivational, happy quotes to keep our moods flying high. These box's just keep getting better so I can't wait for next month's box already!

Love it.

Have you subscribed to My Little Box yet??

Valentine | Night In Essentials

Whether you are in a relationship or not staying in on Valentine's Day can save you a lot of money as well as effort mostly for us girls who spend hours playing with our makeup! I am a sucker for a good old pamper evening and if I decide to stay in on valentine's day with/or without my boyfriend I will no doubt treat myself to a relaxing evening. I decided to create a valentine's 'night in essentials' post sharing the products I would use to complete my Valentine's night in.

What is a pamper evening without a couple of bath products to create a bath cocktail? I have chosen a LUSH bubble bar and Zoellas fizz bar for this occasion. Some scented tealights are also essential for when it comes to creating the perfect relaxing bath - my personal favourite tealights are from Primark they are inexpensive and smell great.

Face masks are one of my favourite parts to a pamper evening because there is nothing nicer than treating your skin. The Origins face masks are my all time favourite because they always make my skin feel great and refreshed. The clear improvements face mask is great for clearing out the pores as well as reducing any redness, spots etc. While sitting back with a face mask on I like to either go on my phone or do something beauty related to pass by time so here I have included some nail varnish that I have been using recently.

After I have relaxed in the bath I like to get into my comfiest pyjamas, make some tea and watch a few dvds with some chocolate. Here I have chosen two of my favourite Disney films Sleeping Beauty and Monsters University along with some Dairy Milk chocolate. Watching some Disney films always makes me happy and relaxes me, even though this is a Valentine's Day night in essentials watching romantic films isn't my favourite so you can't beat a classic Disney film.

What are your V-day night in essentials??

Beauty | 5 Things I Don't Have Time For

I don't know about anybody else but I find that I don't always have the time for keeping my beauty regimes up to scratch. Some of the time I just like to remove my makeup and be done with it all and yes sometimes this is down to being lazy I'll admit that 'woops' but, most of the time it is due to not really having the spare time to get everything up to scratch. Today I wanted to share with you all some of my beauty routines/habits that I don't always have the time for...and let's face it there is a lot.

1. Cleaning Makeup Brushes | Most definitely number one is cleaning my makeup brushes. Even though I surprisingly enjoy watching my foundation go down the plughole and getting my brushes to near-enough clean, I somehow always seem to put off cleaning them. Cleaning them takes time. Not actually washing them takes loads of time I'm talking about letting them air dry. I have to keep a whole day free where I am not going to be wearing makeup to be able to clean my brushes and have them dried for the next day. I don't have time for this. I don't have the time or patience for waiting around for makeup brushes to dry therefore I end up 99% of the time washing my brushes every 2/3 weeks (maybe even 4!).

2. Sharpening The Blunt | Lip, highlight, eyeliner pencils are such a chore for me. Don't get me wrong I love pencils as you have more control and things run smoother/quicker when applying makeup but, when you can see you are in need of sharpening that pencil because it feels uncomfortable when applying it to your face (believe me I get to that situation!) this becomes the most infuriating thing for me. Why? Because I don't have time to dig out my rubbish sharpener and stand sharpening a pencil for 5 for it to not sharpen or break no, I will most likely find something else to use because I don't have time for this nonsense.

3.  Moisturizing | It is a lovely feeling having a fresh moisturized body especially if your legs are nice and smooth. But moisturizing my body takes time and it is time I would much rather spend on sharpening a pencil (and that says something!). People most of the time like to moisturize when they have just got out of the shower, why? This just doesn't work for me. As soon as I am out the shower (especially in winter) I just want to quickly dry myself and get into some clothes to keep warm not wait around for my skin to dry properly and apply cream all over. I do moisturize a lot in the summer because my legs are on show a lot more but winter really? I'd rather layer up and use a moisturizing bath product.

4. Serums, CC Creams, Oils | If I want to treat my skin to some TLC I will either use: masks, facial or exfoliating washes (including cleanse routine beforehand). When I read some blogs and people use serums, cc creams and oils my eyebrow tends to raise. I own serums/oils and yes they are good products but not anything I don't already get from my TLC skincare. CC creams? What is this? I am not even sure if it is skincare I think it's makeup. What I am saying is I don't have time for these extra touches or alternative products, I stick to what I know is what.

5. The Top Ups | When out and about (mostly busy with uni) I rarely stop to think about what my makeup looks like. There are only two makeup essentials I carry around with me in my bag and those are powder/brush and my chosen lip product for that day. Like I said I rarely stop to think about my makeup unless I am visiting the ladies room or I can actually feel my face melting. Touching up my powder I am fine with or erasing any panda eyes etc I just don't have the time to top up my lip product for that day. Especially if I am wearing bright red or purple that took a good 2/5 minutes in the morning to do I won't stand and spend another 2/5 minutes doing it again.

Even though this lets you think I am lazy and hate beauty I don't I love it and I enjoy applying products. But you know I don't always have time for these little things and I am sure some of you will have similar issues too.

What do you not have time for??

Valentine | Makeup To Impress The Other

Can you believe it is Valentine's Day in a just over a week?! It literally only felt like Christmas yesterday and now we are into February, goodness me. Whether you are going out on a date with someone new or someone you are with I know myself when it comes to an occasion I like to make more of an effort with my makeup that makes an impression but doesn't look too in your face. I am sure a lot of you makeup, beauty fanatics out there are exactly the same. So today I decided to blog my makeup 'extra touches' that will impress the other.

What do you associate with Valentine's Day? Hearts. So what is a Valentine's Day without using some heart shaped products! I have chose my Too Faced sweethearts perfect blush which contains 3 individual colour swatches. I personally like to swirl my blush brush in all 3 colours very lightly then apply this onto the apple of my cheeks blending out. This gives a lovely glow as well as a nice pinky shade that is buildable for both daytime and evenings. Sticking with the heart theme I have also chosen my Makeup Revolution Goddess or love highlighter for this occasion. This highlighter is so easy to apply and gives the perfect amount of highlight without it being too much or too little. I like to apply this on my cheek bones to highlight my blusher a little more and on my brow bone too.

When it comes to eyeshadow I think the Naked 3 palette is a perfect choice for a Valentine's Day look because you have plenty of pinks and nudes that can look flattering on the lid. If I was going out with my boyfriend during the date I would wear the shade 'burnout' all over my lid and add 'trick' in the inner corner of my eyelid. This eyeshadow looks neutral but effective for daytime to brighten up your eyes a little more. If I was going out in the evening I would use the same shades but add a smokey effect using 'factory' in my outer corner the blend out and bring this down to my lower line too. This looks more of an evening wear but still doesn't look too much. Personally 'factory' is a good shade colour to choose as it isn't the darkest of shades for outer corners.

Valentine's Day is all about the pinks and reds so here I have chosen two of my favourite lip products: Topshop lipstick in 'Brighton rock' and NARS lip pencil in 'Cruella'. I am always undecided between lipsticks so I think for daytime I would wear Brighton Rock and for the evening I would be wearing Cruella. Both of these lip products are amazing for pigmentation and long lasting.

The last two things I have included are not essential but if you want to go a little bit further then these are what I would choose. The Vintage Cosmetic do some amazing lashes that look so beautiful on (definitely an evening wear choice). Even though I am useless with false eyelashes when I can get to grips with them half an hour later, these are the ones I would use. I think having red nail varnish is great if you are wearing red lips, a nail varnish I picked out was Nails Inc London in the shade 'tart'. This is the perfect colour for valentine's day!

What is your Valentine's Day look??

3 Total Eye Awakeners

I don't know about anybody else but for me winter has become a little bit of a pain in the bum for keeping my skin hydrated (and that is coming from a girl with oily skin!). Recently one area that has received the most attention than anywhere else is my eyes. When the days/nights get a lot chillier my eyes tend to need the most TLC. So I decided to share with you's 3 of my eye staples that help me kick off those dark, dull, dehydrated eyes and get them looking brighter than the sun (not literally but close-ish)

Origins Ginzing Eye Cream | This little pot of joy, glory, gold whatever you want to call it has been a staple in my skincare routine for a good year or 2 now. When I ran out of this near the end of last year (awaiting for Santa to drop me a new one off!) I cheekily had popped into Boots to pick up the sample pots you are able to get just to keep me going till I got my new one. That is how much of a staple this product is for my eyes in winter. I 100% swear by this product it totally helps fix my eyes: it hydrates them, brightens them, reduces any dark circles and I realized when you are feeling a little 'run down' this little pot of gold fixes those tired eyes to get you looking hunky-dory again! - It is a little on the pricey side but if you are committed to eye creams definitely try this or ask for a sample and see what you make of it. Total eye awakener.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer | I was a huge fan of the foundation when I was a teenager so when Rimmel launched their concealer version I was thrilled to try it. When my eyes are looking drastically dull and tiresome I pop a few dots of this under my eyes, blend it in and ta-dah my eyes are bright as rain. This concealer covers over any dark circles I have reasonably well and brightens my eyes up so much. I love how this feels under my eyes too it lets my eyes look more healthy and moisturized. I don't use this to cover any other imperfections incase any of you's wondered I purely use this concealer just for when my eyes are ridiculously dull.

Loreal Lumi Magique Concealer | This product is a new discovery I found whilst popping into Superdrug. The packaging drawn me in a copper/rose gold shade always makes products look a lot more expensive than what it is. This is a multipurpose product it conceals any imperfections, helps brighten the appearance of eyes and can be used to highlight cheekbones, brow and the cupids bow. I am sold truly. I pop this product under my eyes once my base makeup is all set then blend it in with my finger this time. This adds the most stunning amount of highlight under my eyes, it adds to what the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer doesn't. I am yet to try this on any blemishes but frankly I don't want to walk out looking like Edward Cullen. The pigmentation is wonderful for brightening my eyes up, I love using this product it really does make a difference!

What are your eye awaken products??

Thoughts On Primark Makeup

There is nothing more exhilarating than finding a good beauty bargain which I had came across when browsing around Primark. My eyes darted towards their makeup stall the second I saw it. Now I know that Primark already sell brushes, perfume and other essentials but I was flabbergasted that they now sell their own line of makeup. I um'd and ah'd as to whether or not I should give these a try and of course I said yes the inner beauty brain can never resist. I had picked up the eyeshadow palette £2.50 and two lip liners for £1.50 for the time being.

Holy moly this eyeshadow palette is to my surprise incredible, I say to my surprise because I always have my doubts with inexpensive makeup. I have been religiously using this palette every day since the moment I first tried it which is a big commitment! I think because it is only £2.50 you won't feel disappointed if it broke or you lost it as the price is so inexpensive. This is the perfect shimmer eyeshadow palette for everyday looks as you have some neutrals, highlight and a few darker tones. Since it is a shimmer palette I know some people may walk away from this as an everyday palette but trust me when I say this the shimmer is very light you can hardly notice it at all, which is why I use it daily.

The pigmentation I would say is standard - not rubbish but not high end quality. With an eye primer you are pretty much going to have the eyeshadow stay on your lid all day. I use the Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer and this always keeps all branded eyeshadows on my lids all day/night. These are really easy to apply, blend in and leave the most flattering looks to your lids. I may try and include some photos of me wearing this sometime to show you how great they are.

 Lip liners have never really appealed to me before it has only been the past couple of months that I've really wanted to try them. So when I saw these in Primark I thought why not give these a try and if I think they make much difference then explore in Boots for more. I picked up the classic nude and red lip liners because those are the colours I tend to use most often at the moment (plus I couldn't find any purple liners). I wasn't expecting great things from these because of how inexpensive they are. 

The nude lip liner works well for given your lips an extra lift and to shape them a lot nicer but, I wasn't a fan of the red liner. I found the red pencil very slippery almost like a liquid which was hard to control and since it is red this was easily creating a mess. I have been using the nude liner whenever I wear nude lips of course but the red liner I have kept away from for now.

Overall I am really happy with the quality of Primarks eyeshadow palette I definitely recommend this to maybe girls who are starting out with makeup or who are like me and just get too curious. The lip liners are okay a little hard to work with but the nude it fine as it isn't as 'out there' compared to red. On my next visit to Primark I might try their lipsticks or blushers.

Have you tried Primarks makeup yet??