NOTW: Orange It's Obvious

As I painted my nails (or claws as my Mum so kindly likes to call them) with Essie Orange It's Obvious for the hundredth time I realised I had never done a post on it. It is definitely my most worn nail varnish of all time and one of the cheapest. It's available for £2.95 from Cheap Smells and there is even free delivery. Bargain! As the name is suggests it is a bright orange that is perfect for all seasons. Even with Seche Vite on top it chips really quickly but the unique colour is so worth it.

Also a family friend said I could be a hand model the other day which I think is hilarious. My face isn't good enough to be modelled but my hands are! Keep your eyes out for these mits in up and coming hand cream adverts! How cool would it be to be able to say " You may recognise these hands from such adverts as Nivea Hand Cream and Cuticle Care 101" ?!

Mac Shy Girl Dupe

Mac are my favourite brand for lipsticks because of the colour range, quality and packaging. However at £14 a piece and Mac cheekily bumping up the price they aren't very affordable so it's no surprise everybody loves a Mac dupe. I was admiring my lipsticks one day when I noticed a dupe for one of Mac's best loved lipstick- Shy Girl. The Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Nude Delight is only £6.29 which is half the price, but is it a good enough dupe?

L- Shy  Girl R- Nude Delight

As you can see they are very similar warm peachy nudes. It actually took me a while to work out which swatch was which! The Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Nude Delight is slightly warmer and actually more pigmented then Shy Girl. They are both creamy and moisturising although Shy Girl feels much lighter on the lips and definitely has a more luxurious texture.
If you've been lusting after Shy Girl for a while but don't want to splash the cash then the Rimmel Nude Delight is a great alternative. I do prefer the Mac lipstick just because of the scent, packaging and slightly more luxurious texture.

Have you tried either of these lipsticks? Do you know a good mac lippy dupe?

Bright Here Bright Now Review

I've had Soap and Glory Bright Here Bright Now for a good few months but it's only recently I've discovered how amazing it is. It's one of those products that takes a while to get you used to but when you do it's amazing. Bright Here Bright Now is an instant radiance energy balm that can be used in place of a moisturiser or mixed in with a foundation. If you have oily skin then you should properly steer clear 'cause this is all about the bright dewy finish. Think Mac Strobe Cream but golden and you're on track.

                                       

I have tried using this as a moisturiser and whilst it does help brighten up tired skin the effects aren't too noticeable. For me it isn't moisturising enough during winter but in Summer time it will be perfect. It makes my skin feel super soft but as I'm only seventeen I can't comment on if it did firm my face.

The best way to use this is by mixing it in with foundation. It instantly makes a dull matte foundation have a healthy dewy finish. For example Estee Lauder Double Wear is a heavy matte foundation but when mixed in with Bright Here Bright Now it becomes a creamy full coverage dewy foundation. Perfect for people who like to mix between matte and dewy foundation but can't afford lots of different foundations. It has completely given my double wear a new lease of life and I now wear it so much more. It also stops the foundation sticking to dry patches and instantly brightens up tired skin. No one has to know how little sleep you had the night before. As for mixing the energy balm with a already dewy foundations I wasn't so in love. Mixed with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum it was far too dewy for my taste but some people may like that.

I absolutely love this product. At only £10.50 it is worth it because it has revamped old foundations so I don't have to by more. Soap and Glory skin care is yet to let me down!

Have you tried this? What do you think about S&G skincare?

FOTD: Pizza Hut

Face

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

Collection Concealer

Benefit Erase Paste

Bare Minerals Mineral Viel

NYX  Taupe Blush

Nars Deep Throat

Mac Pearl Cream Colour Base

Eyes

Sleek Brow Kit

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette-  Booty Call, Chopper, Taupe, Snakebite

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Maybelline Flasies Mascra

Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara 

Lips

Korres Jasmine Lip Butter

Mac Chatterbox

This is the make up I wore to go out for a meal at Pizza Hut with some friends. We managed to eat and laugh so much that we all felt sick. I got the cookie dough desert for the first ever time and it really confused me. Why didn't they just cook it the whole way through? Do people actually like sloppy cookie dough over a crunchy cooked cookie? It honestly baffled me. 

For this look I used my new lipstick Chatterbox for the first time although to tone it down I only dabbed it on and put some lip butter on top. My shirt is also a recent purchase from Monki when I was in London. Monochromes may be on trend this Spring and Summer but nothing will stop me wearing mint green! 

Flawless By Nadia Mineral Blush Review

Flawless By Nadia Mineral Blush in Dusk- £14*  

 This blush is a mineral blush from a small  British company called Flawless By Nadia. To be honest I didn't have high expectations of it but oh my gosh it is amazing. The colour is so pigmented and creamy it blends well. But best of all, look at that colour! The swatch does no justice to show the pigmentation. It's bright pink and packed full of glitter, call me a kid but pink and glitter make up makes me happy. On the cheeks the glitter looks beautiful and so glowy to the point I don't even need highlight and trust me, I love a bit of highlight.

Mineral blushes. Controversial? I like to think so. The blush is by no means perfect. The packaging is plastic so it doesn't feel very luxurious but it doesn't look tacky. All loose mineral products are messy and I wish it had a turn screw top like Bare Minerals products do. I found the best thing to do is handle it with care and not remove the sticker completely from the top. Although I may or may not have covered my favourite black jeans in pink glitter like a nursery kid.

The benefits are so worth putting up with the cons though. The colour is stunning and definitely one of my favourite blushes. It has a beautiful silky texture too. Next time I want a new blush I will definitely be straight on the Flawless by Nadia website. All products are hand made in the UK, completley natural and  cruelty free which is amazing. I'm so excited about this brand and cannot wait to try new products!

What do you think about mineral blushes?

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for the purpose of review. However this does not effect my opinion of it at all. I could never lie to you and make out like a product is amazing when it isn't because I'd feel to guilty!

What's In My Bag? London Edition

Had sleepless nights wondering what's in my bag? Well wonder no more!

At the weekend me and my Mum went on a trip to London. We hopped on the train early Saturday morning and stayed in a hotel over night so I had the challenge of fitting all my overnight stuff into one handbag that I had to carry round all day. As a self confessed worry packer it was quite a challenge!

The bag is a fake Mulberry that I picked up in Thailand. It wasn't cheap so it is good quality and real leather. We hunted it down because I remembered Zoella showing one in an old what's in my bag video and saying her brother got it from Thailand or Turkey. I have to admit since getting it I haven't shown it enough love because I wear so much black. I will now though, promise!

Obviously the contents isn't normal day to day stuff. I had my essentials such as my purse, tatted phone and hand gel to satisfy my germ-o-phobe side. The biggest challenge for me was make up.  I know there is a lot but I had to compromise by only taking two brushes, no highlight and an mua brow pencil instead of the sleek brow kit. I decided to leave most of my high end make up at home as I didn't want an expensive smashed foundation/eye shadow palette/blush on my hands. I can guess you beauty addicts are dying to know what Mac lipstick it is. Russian Red. Straight after I took these photos I added in a Marc Jacobs Dot perfume sample, mini deodorant, tooth brush, emergency sanitary towels, a spare pair of knickers (pants if you're American) and medication for my dietary problems.

I'm sure you are all feeling enlightened now you know the contents of my bag. What are your handbag essentials?

Face Of The Day

 Eyes:

Sleek Light Brow Kit 

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Naked 2 Palette: Half Baked, Tease and Snakebite

Urban Decay Ink For Eyes

Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara 

Face:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum
Benefit Erase Paste
Collection Concealer
Bare Minerals Mineral Viel 

NYX Taupe Blush

MUA  Bittersweet Cream Blush

Mac Pearl Cream Colour

Lips:

Mac Shy Girl

On my 200 followers giveaway (click here to enter) a few people said they'd like to see more faces of the day. I am crap at taking pictures of myself and posing and the shadows are funny so sorry about that! For my first face of the day I thought I'd show you my  everyday make up that I wear to College. It is fairly plain and netural but in the mornings I can't be bothered doing much more. Plus if you get all dolled up everyday it won't feel special when you go out somewhere nice.  I hope this post wasn't too boring for you!

Do you use any of these products? What are your every day favourites?

The Haul That Shouldn't Have Happened

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Glow Business

I may be getting excited for Spring and Summer a little early but I have been planning how to achieve the Summer glow. I always find myself looking a bit dead in the mornings (not and attractive look) so products that brighten up my face are essentials. Keep reading to find out how I get bright eyed and bushy tailed!

 My favourite foundation to get a glowy look is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. It's  a light coverage with a dewy finish and as the name suggests it does make your skin look healthy. I can't say much more about this as I've only had it a week but so far I'm loving it. If I want extra radiance I use the Soap and Glory Bright Here Bright Now in place of a moisturiser. It has a golden shimmer and a slight tint which is makes your skin look much brighter and more awake instantly. It can be mixed in with foundation but I've found it makes it look a little cakey.

To brighten up eyes a little bit of a white eye-shadow on the inner corner makes a huge difference. I always use the Nude Rimmel Scandal Eyes Kohl Liner on my water line. It covers any redness and instantly makes you look wide awake. Personally I hate using a white eye liner as it looks so unnatural and a bit odd.  Then to cover up horrendous dark circles I use a tiny bit of Benefit Erase Paste. It does an amazing job and concealing the circles and brightening up the area. A full review is on the way!

For cheeks I adore using Mac Cream Colour Base in Pearl. I sweep it over my cheek bones, under my brows and on my cupids bow using my finger. It can also be used on your nose but as I have an oily conk so I avoid doing that. This gives an amazing dewy finish in all the right places. For blush I use the Bobbi Brown Pink Sugar blush which I got when I got my make up done for prom at the counter (they did an awful job and I really don't recommend going there). It isn't very pigmented so the swatch below is of a lot of product but it is pact full of glitter which translates as a pretty pink glow on the face. It is subtle and very pretty.

Swatches L-R: Mac Cream Colour, Bobbi Brown Blush, Rimmel Scandal Eyes

What are your favourite products to wake up your face?