Hey Sweeties,
In this post I thought it would be fun to talk through my favourite shower gels with you. For me, I like something that smells good, and a formula that allows the product to froth up on contact with water so you get a really soapy experience in the shower.
I have tried un-scented shower gels before and I just cannot get on with them although I totally appreciate that some people both don’t like scented products, and also whose skin is too sensitive for them.
Hey Sweeties,
So someone has been a bit spendy lately and I wish I could say it was just on beauty bits.. (cough, fashion haul coming soon, cough!), so I thought I would show you my latest purchases; some of which are repurchases as well as some completely new ones.
L-R: L’Oreal True Match foundation in C2, Rose Vanilla; Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in shade 2, cool medium; Rimmel Lasting Finish primer; Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick, shade 45; Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara; Baptiste dry shampoo in Oriental; and finally (right at the top) Revlon highlighting palette in 020, Rose Glow. View Full Post
Following giving up beauty purchases for Lent, it is only natural and expected that a haul was soon to happen… and it’s happened! The majority of the purchases were from Boots, with a couple of items from TK Maxx.
Hey Sweeties,
Firstly, I am delighted to officially confirm that I completed Lent having given up all purchasing of beauty products, whoopie! I won’t be going mad now in Boots but of course a haul is probably on the cards in the not too distant future owing to running pretty low on a few things.
So today I thought I would talk through my top five favourite nail polishes….
I dont have a big collection of polishes, mostly owing to throwing a load out not too long ago that had just reached their sell by date and had dried up, but also because I just don’t have a lot anyway. In fact, I probably could do with having a bit of an overhaul of my collection and fill in any colour gaps…
Anyway, of my collection, my top five go-to polishes are: Rimmel Wear Maxx in shade 367, Chocolate Factory; Rimmel 60 Seconds in shade 504, District-ly Come Dancing; Bourjois 1 Second (Gel Silicone Texture) in shade Unknown; NYX in shade NPS 122, Coral Sensation; Tanya Burr in shade, Penguin Chic.
Of the five, for quality Bourjois I think win it hands down with their 1 Seconde range. I only own the one of theirs and I got this as part of a gift set when I subscribed to Company magazine a couple of years ago but the closest thing I can compare it to is Shellac. All this needs is one coat and the colour payoff is incredible and literally doesn’t chip for a week. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the name/shade of this particular colour but it’s basically like a dark red wine.
I reviewed Tanya Burr’s Penguin Chic last year (here) and following purchasing, it quickly became a favourite and I am definitely keen to collect more from her range. Penguin Chic is so wearable and is great for work, when I use this colour I often leave one of my fingers clear and painting it instead with a gold polish (as seen in a previous Weekly Workwear Highlight post, here).
I discovered NYX when I used to subscribe to Love Me Beauty and recieved it in one of my monthly beauty boxes. The brand for me personally isn’t one I feel I need to invest more into but I do love this coral coloured polish; it’s light to wear and applies well.
Rimmel London have crept into the mix almost by accident but when I am in the market for a new polish, I do seem to steer myself towards their stand and this is for both their colour range, and actually on price. Sometimes I just don’t feel like spending £6 on nail polish and their little bottles I think cost about £4 and certainly quality is not jeopardised here.
You are probably wondering why Barry M haven’t made it into my top five and it’s not because I don’t like them, despite making up a proportion of my collection they just aren’t actually my go-to anymore which I think applies to the brand overall. When they first hit the beauty scene everyone -myself included- went crazy for them, particularly the Dazzle Dust eye glitters and their other eye shadow ranges. Maybe it’s an age thing but I have sort of grown out of them now… can I say such a thing? Well I just did.
No longer lovin’ Barry
What are your favourite nail polishes or your favourite fail safe go-to brands?
I may make ‘My Top Five’ into a new series of posts so I can pick out my favourite products within my makeup collection… what do you think?
Until next time x
Hey Sweeties,
At this current moment in time, I don’t get through or try out enough products and things to make having a monthly favourites post worth it, so I figured a ‘favourites’ post every once in a while would however be the way forward so here goes. This is what I have been loving lately, some of which you will already have seen feature in previous posts.
So first up are the Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Balms. I adore these!
I discovered these initially when I was up in London and arrived at Paddington realising I hadn’t bought any water with me. Usually this wouldn’t be a problem but in efforts to drink more (as I really do not drink enough during the day) I felt I needed to grab a bottle somewhere. Conveniently there is a Boots on the station forecourt and with a few minutes to spare I nipped in (to grab some water) but as you do, I browsed the shelves before I went to the check out. This particular Boots really is small and for make-up the choice is limited but as I scanned the Rimmel stand these caught my eye & figured I would give them a go. That day I picked up ‘Give Me A Cuddle‘ and ‘Boom Chic A Boom‘, I later added ‘Keep on Mauving‘ on a separate shopping trip (how cool are those names?!).
Why they are so great? They are not sticky like a lip gloss, they are less matte and heavy like lipstick and they are more than your basic lip balm both in texture, in colour application and in staying power. The crayon like tip makes application swift, simple and perfect for on the go. These really can’t be faulted. They hydrate your lips nicely and even once they have absorbed in further, they don’t leave you reaching for another balm. There is also a great selection of colours in the range allowing for these to be an everyday product that can be colour matched to outfits and moods. A real winner in my books!
Bourjois Dark Khol Mascara
Before my current willingness to experiment with foundations, I found it increasingly difficult to find a mascara that worked for me enough to buy time and time again. For a while I settled with Maybelline’s ‘The Falsies Volum’ Express’ in Black Drama and I will always have a stock of Benefit’s They’re Real mascara but I can’t afford to use this everyday. However, when I took out a subscription with the now unfortunately late Company magazine, I received a gift set containing some Bourjois products. I have actually already mentioned this mascara in a past beauty favourites post, so I do apologise for sounding like a broken record but I really am still just totally loving this mascara! I like dark thick lashes without looking clumpy and this does the job, what more can I say?
If I hadn’t posted about them so recently I would also be adding here Topshop Lipsticks, mainly Wicked and Depth from the four I purchased. I am quite surprised how good they are to be honest, they last a long time and the pigment is fantastic. On my lips they are just this brilliant bold colour that really stands out and lifts any outfit. My challenge is to see if I can get away with Depth in the office… watch this space!
Moving away from beauty products…
Music
London Grammar –If You Wait
Oh my goodness, these guys have become my new favourite band, I am obsessed! I have heard their stuff before on the radio but never been able to catch who they are but the other day while perusing YouTube, the current Dior J’adore advert came on (which I equally love) with a remix of what I now know to be London Grammar’s Hey Now. I Shazamed it straight away and their album swiftly purchased, I mean we’re talking within minutes here, people! The whole album is always on repeat but particularly tunes, Hey Now, Strong and Metal & Dust I just can’t get enough of. If you take nothing else away from this post I do honestly strongly urge you to check these guys out if you haven’t already. The lead singer, Hannah, her voice has this amazingly deep haunting but breathtakingly beautiful texture to it which just never leave my ears. Who says Britain hasn’t got talent?
Apps
Map My Run
I love this app. I probably don’t use it to it’s full capacity but being able to track my route and distance on runs and walks is brilliant and incredibly useful. I found when I was training for the Water Wipeout challenge particularly, being able to monitor my progress was a real boost and I think it also helped sponsorship as being able to share on Twitter but more so on Facebook my progress allowed people to see that I was taking the challenge seriously.
Boots
This is my most recent download and it is so useful. As you guys know, I am always in Boots and it really is my happy place but I never make use of the offers unless they are right slap bang in my face on the individual stands and shelves I am perusing. This app allows me to check my Advantage Card balance and offers currently running -both general to the store and those more tailored to me so I can gain those extra points on products I may already be in there purchasing. If you are a Boots lover then I really do suggest you get this downloaded pronto!
Righty, I think I have gone on long enough to give you a good idea of my current favourites, more I have no doubt will be added to this list and I will post again shortly. But in the meantime, let me know what products and things you are loving right now and maybe they would be something I would like to! So please, do share!
Until next time x