Budget Lip Combo

I had one of those moments at Superdrug yesterday when my basket collected make- up completely without my knowledge, I swear. I ended up spending almost forty pounds, and I've spent the last 24 hours in a state of excitement and spending- regret.

Anyway- these two products are a couple of the things I bought, and magically I managed to pick a lipliner which really compliments the lipstick.

The lipliner is one of Rimmel's Exaggerate Lip liners which are £3.99 I believe. We all know about how great East End Snob is, but this is the shade Addiction, and its a darker, more browny mauve-y purple. Lovely, there's a lot of the MAC Brave vibe about it.

The lipstick is Collection's Lasting colour in China Rose. By itself, this is more of a dark, rosey pink, but with the lipliner it becomes more dusty and browny - beautiful. I'm pretty sure these lipsticks are £2.99, but I got mine 2 for £5 at Superdrug, so check that out. The formula of this lipstick is unbelievably creamy; it feels high-end despite the packaging, which I have to say is pretty horrible.

But, for two budget lip products, I think the formula and finish of both is really good, and the Rimmel lipliner makes sure the colour stays put for a good few hours.

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

Barry M Quick Dry ~ Pit Stop

Barry M is my go- to nail varnish brand, and I rarely venture beyond their collection to look for a new colour. The Quick Dry range is just fabulous- I've had Lap of Honour for a while now, and it's become my favourite nail varnish because of the colour and the formula, which is extremely quick drying (duh) and long wearing. I had to get another colour from the range, and I love a really pale grey nail so I purchased Pit Stop. Amazing. Feast your eyes. It's opaque in one coat, but I did two to prolong the wear time.

Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Make Up Revolution Ultra Sculpt and Contour Kit

I've been on the look out for a budget Bronze/Blush//Highlight kit for a while now, mainly for the convenience. So- I was really excited to see this offering from Make Up Revolution for around £3.50. I got mine in the shade Ultra Fair, and I've worn it a couple of times to check the wear time, which is surprisingly good.

(I did film a little video of my applying it but it was too large to upload to my blog, so I'll make a YouTube video and upload it soon)

 I would say the best of the threesome is the bronzer/contour. It's very pigmented but blends out like an absolute dream. The blusher is my least favourite because, when teamed with the highlight, the two together is a lot of shimmer. But hey, its summer so who cares? The highlight is beautiful; not chunky or glittery like a lot of cheaper highlights, but really shimmery and pretty, lav it.
I think this is a really good mini- palette, and definitely one to pick up if you're heading away on holiday and you want a quick fix.

Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Blue Eyeliner | Video

It's been a while, but I've just chucked up a new video on my YouTube channel, and it's of  this daytime bright eye look with blue eyeliner. I personally find blue anything on my eyes pretty scary, but I think in the summer its more ok to experiment with bright colours in make up; and blue looks lovely on any skintone with any eye colour.

Hope you enjoy!

http://youtu.be/80dM8fnM_sY

thanks for reading!
Lou x

3 Quick Summer Holiday Essentials

I've previously mentioned that I love packing make-up and skincare for holidays, and its true. But, there are a few bits and bobs which I tend to forget/ think I don't need/ underestimate my dependence on, and therefore get left behind. So, here are three things which aren't necessarily exciting products, but I've decided are my absolute essentials for any summer holiday.

1. Dry Shampoo.
For some reason, when I go away I tend to think that I won't need this, but every time I've left it behind I've regretted it/ had to purchase one in a foreign country. This time I took a travel size Batiste bottle with me to Morocco and finished it within 4 days. Perfection for days when you don't have time to waste washing hair between day trips, pool days, and general holiday fun. If I was going on a holiday for a little longer, I'd definitely take a full size can to see me through the week.

2. Nail Polish Remover Pads.
Unless you've gone and got an amazing holiday manicure, you'll probably be switching up your nail varnish during your  holiday. I definitely love a bright nail, so these pads are handy for holidays as an alternative to taking a whole bottle of nail varnish remover and millions of extra cotton pads.

3. Lip Balm.
I have forgotten lip balm when I've gone away so many times, so I've learnt the hard way that its an essential. Somehow, it's just something I don't think about within make-up or skincare, and so it does inevitably get left out occasionally. But, especially on a hot sunny holiday, something to rehydrate and protect the lips is very important, so I really like this Body Shop SPF 15 Vitamin E Balm as a handy option.

Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Travel Skincare | Morocco

Travelling with only hand luggage is a struggle, and I was forced to summarise my normal skin routine for this four day trip to Morocco. I was unable to take my Serozinc from La Roche Posay because it's too big, and that's definitely the product I miss the most, and my face mask was confiscated at baggage check in Bristol Airport. So this is my selection of skincare, comprising of a few minis which I've been able to test out during my break.
(I'd like to apologise for the state of my photos- I forgot to bring my SD card converter so I'm relying on my phone camera for the minute)
So, in order of the day-
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
This came from a one-off beauty box months ago, and I've been saving it because of it's handy size. I'm definitely more of a cleansing balm-rather-than-oil girl, so I wouldn't say this is my favourite cleanser of all time. It's definitely more oil-y than the Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil if you know what I mean; it doesn't quite lather up and melt off my make- up like that one does. Not a huge disappointment, but not great.
Clinique Take the Day off make-up Remover
Again- what a handy travel size. This was the biggest surprise of the whole lot. It's a heck more oily than I thought it would be, I expected a more water-y consistency, but it's a definite oil-based remover. It gets make-up off pretty well, but when used all over the face to remove base products, it leaves a kind-of film on the skin which needs to be cleansed with another round of the DHC stuff. I'm not sure about this one, I'll definitely be sticking to Micellar water when I get back home.
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +
My tried and true skin saviour. This and the Serozinc I swear are responsible for keeping my skin under control. It fades my pigmentation/ scars from spots around my chin and jawline, and prevents new ones from popping up. I use it day and night after cleansing, and maybe dotted on any blemishes I can feel arising to keep them at bay. I love this stuff.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturiser SPF 30
I wanted to bring a really nice facial moisturiser with a high SPF, and after doing my research, I purchased this beauty. It was definitely worth my money, and is definitely a new summer favourite. It's quite a thick consistency, but I like that as I have dehydrated skin and I like to slather on the moisture wherever possible. Definitely keeps sunburn at bay, and sits nicely under make- up. Love it.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Balm SPF 15
Pretty much just your basic lip balm, quite a thick consistency so it stays nicely on the lips. It has a strange matte-like finish to it, rather than the gloss of most lip balms, and works well under lipstick. I would have preferred to find a balm with a higher SPF, but I hadn't managed to before I came on holiday- but this is definitely a good one.
Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avacado
Again, another tried and true. Really moisturising and rich, I recommend this to anyone as it has everything I could want from a night- time eye cream.
Clinique Moisture Surge 
I brought this along as my night moisturiser, and I've been really pleasantly surprised with it. The cream has a really light texture, but it is definitely a 'surge' of moisture. Definitely enough for my dehydrated skin, even after a day in the sun, and sinks into the skin really quickly after application.

Hope you enjoyed this little run-down of my travel skincare for a short break in Morocco, thanks for reading!
Lou x

Quick Review | A Bargain Blush

This is the Collection Gorgeous Glow Blush Block, and it's such an amazing bargain I needed to do a speedy review.

The striped 'brick' design is reminiscent of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks, but obviously at a smidgen of the price.
I use this by swirling my brush into all of the colours and applying it as one shade to my cheeks. It is a peachy pink sheer-ish soft powder with a golden sheen, which makes it amazing for summer, and beautiful on tanned skin.

You can see it here swatched and blended in on the left, to show that it can really be sheered out and worn even on the palest skin. Because of the shine in the powder, it would make a beautiful peachy highlight on darker skin tones, as well as a great blush on fairer skin.
The staying power is actually pretty good. It has at least a 6-8 hour wear, and I found that I didn't need to re-apply it during the day when I wore this to work.
Fabulous, and a bargain at £2.99. Check it out!

Thanks for reading!
Lou x