The Hair Post | The Dark Side

The majority of the time I've had this blog my hair has definitely been on the lighter side. While it stayed natural for a while to give it a break I then got back into highlights when I went and chopped my hair into a bob nearly two years ago. Since then it's been regular visits to top up the blonde. However, I felt like it was time for a change.

If you read this post you'll know I've had a lot happening this year. especially in the past couple of months and it felt like a whole new chapter of my life was starting and I think I wanted something to really signify this. To start with I played a little and got a bit of red colour put into the blonde, it was okay but if I'm honest I wasn't 100% happy with it. So last time I went I decided to just go for it and went full on dark. I've been light for so long it was a bit of a shock when it dried and if I'm hoenst, it was darker than I was hoping for. However now it's had time to settle and fade a little from washes I couldn't be happier with it. I'd asked for some lighter bits to be put through the front which I love and I think I'll be asking for some more to be put in next time as well as it really helps to lift it.

What about blondes having more fun? Sure, probably! However I have huge responsibilities now and it was time to grow up, and this colour - as silly as it may sound to some - was my way of signifying this and drawing a line between who I was before, and who I am now. Who knew a hair change could signify so much?!

Do you think such an artificial change can signify something much bigger?

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The Review | La Roche Posay Effaclar 3-Step Anti-Blemish System

La Roche Posay Effaclar 3-Step Anti-Blemish System*

Sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind me how lucky I am. La Roche Posay is a brand that has always worked for me and when my skin starts looking bad I know I can always turn to them. So when I was offered the chance to try their new 3-step anti-blemish system (which includes their infamous effaclar duo+) I jumped at the chance.

First up we have Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser which is designed to reduce excess sebum and leaves skin feeling clean and fresh. I've said on here before I'm a fan of gel cleansers - even though most people hate them - and this is no exception for me. It's very fresh, it's not tight at all and my face felt really hydrated. My advice would be to lather it on already wet hands and apply on a wet face otherwise I felt it didn't quite foam as nicely.

Next up is the Effaclar Clarifying Toner. As someone with oily skin the best advice I can give you is to use a toner and this one is a beaut. It has a very light fragrance which doesn't linger and isn't too tight. I've found since using it my face looks a lot brighter.

Lastly we have the Effaclar Duo+. I've done a full review on this here so I won't bore you again with it but just note: it's my absolute holy grail.

Overall I think this is such great value for money. Usually with these "kits" the sizes are reduced however you get full sizes with these which are lasting really well. It also comes with information and a leaflet about how each product works so you can get the best out of them. I had become really lazy with my skin over the past few months and it was definitely showing so this was a god send! If you're thinking of a skin care-esq christmas gift, this is what you want.

Have you tried this set? What were your results?

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The Home | Christmas Prep

 

So this is the first Christmas in our new home, which means hello new decorations! Was such a nice feeling to put it all together and I wanted to share a few pieces with you. We were quite adamant we wanted to choose the pieces together, however a few bits were gifts and others I picked out on the sly.

I'm so excited for Christmas this year as it's the first one we're spending together all day, and also we're having both our families here so it'll be great. I imagine we'll accumulate more Christmas stuff over the next few years and I can't wait to show you more pieces in the future and pictures from Christmas itself! If I was honest I'd love more candle bits dotted around - however I have a feeling lit candles + exploring kittens may not be the way to go...

Items:

Robin - Next

Reindeer - Boofle (Clintons)

Gold tree - Homebase

Stockings - Homemade

Red and gold bauble - Homebase

Mice - passed down through family

White tree - Homebase

Cats - all real

Gingerbread Man - Accessorize

Christmoose Sign - Next

How will you be spending Christmas?

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The Life Post | Comeback

Who am I? Yup, you're probably wondering that and I wouldn't blame you in the slightest. I've been a bit MIA but unfortunately life got in the way of my little sector of online life. Having been away from blogging for so long it did leave me to wonder if I really did want to get back into it, if I've missed it. Well, yes, I missed blogging and I missed having this to do - something to look forward to writing. I thought I'd let you in on why I've been so MIA lately and after that we can get back on track....

1. New Job
In May I started a new job. I know it shouldn't make that much of a difference, but I went from working in retail to an office job in marketing. This means I spend at least 8 hours of my day doing online marketing - which is basically what a blog is. So when I come home I'm not always in the mood to pop back onto a computer. Not only that, but the job is in London and I live just outside of Portsmouth - commuting takes up about 4 hours a day - which means less time at home, which has become precious.

2. New House
After I got my new job I was consumed with finding a house for me and my partner. We put an offer on one in July and moved in at the end of October. It was the most stressful process I've ever been through in my life, probably made worse by various different factors throughout the entire thing. What should have been a quick and easy sale soon turned into the slowest and most painful sale in what is probably our estate agents history - they even gave us wine when we closed - which no one else I've met has ever heard of happening before. So then it was moving in, unpacking, sorting things out etc....

3. November
This is literally the busiest month of the year for us. It's my birthday, my mums birthday, my partners birthday and our anniversary. This year we added first month in our new house, holiday and the arrival of two little kittens to this month. Busy doesn't even feel like it covers it. So after all the madness it was nice to just calm down for a few days - even though we were actually still doing house stuff. Hmm.

Anyway, I'm hoping that now everything has calmed down (with the exception of Christmas) I'm going to be available to blog a lot more. I have missed it an awful lot and I've REALLY missed being able to say "I'm a blogger!". As life is so busy at the moment I have a feeling this blog may start swaying more towards lifestyle then beauty but we will see. I will keep doing my reviews etc but it'll probably be nice for you guys to get to know me a bit better as well.

What do you think? What posts would you like to see from me in 2015?

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The Life Post | Life After University

There are a couple of reasons for this post - yes it's not beauty but I do like to dabble occassionally in some little life leasons. Just call me Jeremy Kyle (please don't). Anyway, reasons.

1. My mum told me the other day that it's been 6 years since they took me to uni... WHERE did the 6 years go?

2. Seeing loads of people go off for their freshers has definitely made me nostalgic

3. Witnessing how hard it is for some people when they come out of uni and don't go where they want to go...

Because of these I thought I would just share my experiences just to let you guys know that uni is just one part of life, one step, and although I've not had the smoothest of transitions from uni to career, I did get there eventually and so will you.

Year One (July 2011 - July 2012)
When I left uni I was working in retail and picked up some extra hours. To begin with I was doing around four days a week. I also went on a couple of holidays - Portugal for a family holiday right after my graduation and then Adam and I went to Australia for four weeks for a little travelling. I would definitely recommend using this time to have a little travel - you are NOT going to get another opportunity with a full time job so don't waste it. I also went to London for a long weekend with the girls. Lovely!

Personally, I was with my boyfriend as I had been for 3 years already by that point and had it in my head that we'd move out, rent and live happily ever after. Well, when you've done long distance for three years it's not so easy to to relax back into each others company, it takes work and effort.

When I got back from Australia I picked up full time hours in retail and with every spare moment was applying for PR and marketing jobs. By January I was offered a job in a small marketing agency down South. I was really happy and went for it, head first, no worries. I couldn't wait to get out of retail and start my "life" as I thought at the time. My boyfriend also got his job around the same time so as far as we were concerned we were plain sailing. I had it in my head that our jobs meant moving out. Oh how wrong I was. We had decided to buy instead of rent so that meant savings obsession. Couple that with a shopping addiction and you can imagine how well that went.

This was also the year I started my blog. I wanted a seperate outlet from work that I could focus on and have a hobby that was my own, and if I'm honest I was beginning to miss uni so I felt like I needed something extra when I got home to do. 

Year Two (July 2012 - July 2013)

This was probably one of the hardest years of my life. I had started to hate my job, not the job so much as I'm still in marketing, but definite aspects of the job and it was making me miserable. I lost a lot of confidence and it was affecting relationships outside of work, including with Adam. We had booked a holiday to Dublin for September so I was determined to make a change by then. As it happened the retail chain I used to work for offered me a "promotion" in one of their stores. I decided to take it, have a bit of a break from career stuff and just think about what I really wanted. It was a good time to sort myself out as well, build my confidence back up and get me back. It was one of the best decisions I ever made looking back.

At the time I thought I may like to try something new so I signed up for a teacher training course with a local college and I started that in January. I really enjoyed it and was definitely valuable to do, however after doing it and looking at available jobs in teacher training my mind wandered back to marketing. Year two was definitely a "regroup" year. One that was desperately needed and I learnt a lot.

Personally, the house stuff seemed further away then ever as I did take a slight pay cut. I was a lot better at my savings and I was finally out of my overdraft which had plagued me since uni. Not living with Adam was very frustrating, but we needed that time to save and I needed that time to get back on top of myself. We had some disappointments in terms of Adams career as well which set us back, all in all it was a bad year house wise.

Year Three (July 2013 - now)

I started to really get into job hunting and really focused on marketing jobs. I would only apply for ones I really like the sounds of, I didn't want to be stuck somewhere I hated again, I was very cautious. I was getting bored and antsy in retail and wanted to get back on the career track. For a few months it was incredibly frustrating and Adam and I knew if one of us didn't get something we wouldn't be able to move in together. After MONTHS of searching, interviews and constantly coming up second best I was finally offered an amazing marketing job in London in May this year.It's not ideal commuting every day but I love my job so I can't complain.

Adam and I are also FINALLY in the process of actually buying a house, which has been a bit of a nightmare, but we're getting there and we couldn't be more excited. Three years after graduating and I finally feel like my "life" is starting.

So what am I trying to say? Three years guys, it's taken me three years to get where I want to be, jobwise AND personal wise. If you are in these three years at the moment my main piece of advice would be don't panic and get too down about it. The right thing will come along, it will just take time and work. It has been a weird three years and it's definitely been challenging at times, but I'm finally where I want to be (well, when I get the keys to my house I will be anyway) and I do think it's all happened as it's supposed to.

Just because you don't have your dream job now doesn't mean it won't come along and find you. Just because you're not in your dream flat or house, again, you'll get there. I was lucky as I had such a good support network around me who helped and I would definitely say use them! They helped me through it all, without them I would be a bit of a shadow of myself.

This is a bit of a long rambly post so sorry about that.. But it just seems to be everyone I look at the moment so thought I'd chuck my two cents in!

How did your life look after uni?

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The Mani | Trialling White Nails

These seem to be EVERYWHERE at the moment. Honestly, I was holding off as it reminded me of when I used to put tippex on my nails at school. But you know, I thought I would give it a whirl! It wasn't something I was 100% confident doing it but you know, everyone else seemed to like it so why not!

I'm loving the Rimmel nail polishes at the moment so I picked up Rita Ora's White Hot Love. It only took two coats to this really opaque white colour. I was worried about how sheer white could be but this was so thick it really didn't need too many coats. For the first few hours I was quite conscious about them, but they definitely grew on me and I got so many compliments! Even from guys...

I was very surprised at how white and clean these stayed as well. For me white is usually dirty so quickly but these stayed white and in tact for a week which is very impressive. I'm still not 100% about white nails, but I'm glad I tried it and I would wear it again.

What nail trends should I try next?

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The Review | Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain

It's been a little while since I treated myself to some lovely little lip producs and I have to say, I was having some withdrawal symptoms. I'd seen these advertised and I love Revlon's lip products, I've always found them to be really high quality for a drug store brand and I love the colours. Having not been too bothered about lip stains in the past I was autmatically a bit dubious but hey, in the spirit of getting my blog mojo back I wanted to give them a whirl. I was pleasantly surprised.

Revlon's ColorStay Moisture Stain is a creamy, non sticky formula combines Vitamin E and Aloe for moisture with lightweight PureStain pigments. Effectively it's a long wear highly pigmented, non sticky lip gloss. In terms of pigmentation these aren't sheer in the slightest. They have a high pigmentation and definitely stain the lips. I wore Barcelona Nights on a girls night out recently and it was still there in the morning eek. There's no stickiness which is a big plus for me and are super comfortable to wear for a creamy stain. 

I chose two pinks to help pull me back into a lip colour frame of mind. Barcelona Nights is a beautiful blue toned bright pink, amazing for if you want something a little bit special. LA Exclusive is an everyday lips but better colour. I've been wearing this on my lips everyday and is the one I keep handy in my bag. Both are bluey toned pinks which I think suit my skin so much better than yellow toned lip products. 

In terms of longevity I'm in two minds. Although Barcelona Nights did stain the lips til morning it was still faded and I think that has more to do with the fact that I had to touch it up around three times to keep up the intensity of the colour. In terms of LA Exclusive as it's such an everyday colour it's hard to tell when the colour has really faded but I like to top it up every couple of hours anyway. What I do like about them is that they don't transfer - straws/glasses/forks etc - they don't pop over onto the object which is great. I do love that about them.

All in all I do really like these. It doesn't really bother me to have to top up my lip colour (foundation/eyeliner yes, lip colour no) every few hours and the colour pay off and quality is so nice it's worth it.

What colours should I try next?

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The Review | Benefit They're Real Push Up Eyeliner

Over the summer I have been edging more towards a smudged liner, however as the weather start to turn more chilly I've gone back to my safety net of winged liner. I usually use a liquid liner, however since I've started my daily slog to London and back I've had issues with smudging, transfer and longevity so I decided I'd try something more from the gel range. Benefit have recently released new additions to their "They're Real" range, including their Push Up Eyeliner. It's a gel eyeliner pen, the first of its kind (as far as I know) and I was definitely intrigued. Due to the price however I did decide to wait a few weeks to gauge the reviews and see if I really did need it. Well, I ended up getting it anyway.

In terms of application I had heard it took a while to get used to a this gel pen. In a way yes, but overall not really. As long as you keep squeezing the nib at the top to release any left over gel you're fine, then use it like any other liner pen. I feel a little like the line isn't quite as black and and bold as I would like it so it does need a couple of layers to be able to build that up. Touch annoying but doable. It is VERY easy to create a lovely even wing with this and I do find it very easy to match both eyes. Once you're used to it it's no problem at all and I love how it looks. It does look very clean and there's very minimal mistakes.

In terms of wear and tear I put it to the ultimate test of London commuting. I'm having some mixed results I have to be honest. Sometimes there is not problem with it, by the time I get home it's slightly faded but nothing really disastorous. Other time it's flacky and smudged. Not ideal. I have found that using eyeshadow underneath does help it stay in place and not flack, but it does still fade. It's better but still not exactly what I was hoping for. I do love it and I love the look it gives. Maybe some eyeshadow primer will help?

Have you tried this new gel liner?

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The Comparison | Smoothing and long lasting primers

For a few years I was trying to decide whether primers were worth the hassle and what they actually really did. Then one fell into my life and I now can't live without it. The Kiehl's Micro-Blur Skin Perfector is perfect at prepping my skin for the day and holding onto my make up for as long as possible. Much longer then any other primer I've tested. However, it's nearing the end of it's life so I was wondering if there was a dupe on the high street that I could use to replace - and make my bank account a little happier.

I bought this for my best friend who was looking for a cheap primer and she loved it so much that I thought I should give it a whirl. The Seventeen Stay Time Long Wear Primer is a smoothing primer, much like the Kiehl's version, and is also meant to prolong the wear and tear of your make up. Both attributes I associate heavily with the Kiehl's primer. It's not as silicony as the Kiehl's offering which is good, however not quite as easy to apply. It does smooth the skin nicely and it makes it super easy to apply make up afterwards. 

In terms of long wear, I would say it does last a long time however not as good as Kiehl's. The Seventeen offer is good if you're looking for something that isn't going to last longer than maybe 10 hours. Kiehl's is definitely a long term primer whereas the Seventeen offering is probably a shorter term, just a lazy weekend offering.

My friend loves the Seventeen offering, so I would say that it's not the best for oil however for dry skin it's your best bet. I do like both and I think the Seventeen offering has some great attributes and is definitely worth a try. However, for me I'm going to be repurchasing my Kiehl's.

Which would you choose?

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The Review | The Body Shop Camomile Collection

So these have been worming their way into a number of bloggers hearts, so when I popped into my local Body Shop and saw there was an offer I snapped both of them up. My skin is going through some weird stages at the moment so it definitely needed it. I've been trialing these for over a month now and I have to say, I'm not sure how people are going to feel about this one... I've tried using these as a double cleanse so let's see how it goes

So instead of my usual micellar water I substituted the Camomile Silky Cleaning Oil, now I tend to stay away from oils and after using this for good reason - but we'll get to that. Basically I massage this into my face and remove all make up. It is an incredible make up remover, I will give the product that. It just cuts through the layers and really cleans the face. However, for me I find that it does irritate my eyes so I can't use it for eye make up. Also, I do have oily skin and this just seems to exacerbate that. Not good and really it's just made my skin worse. So yeah, not great. Anywho, after the oil I've been using the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter. I was really excited to use this and yeah, it went the way of disappointment. I found this so greasy to apply and it was just really cringy to use. My face did look lovely and clean afterwards, even glowing. But I just can't get past the greasiness.

I think if you have dry skin these products would be amazing for you. However for oilier skinned gals like me it's a good idea to stay away from these... It's such a shame as they are both great at cleaning the skin and brightening as well, unfortunately I just can't get past the oil/grease. Sad times. 

Have you tried the camomile collection?

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cleanse, cleanser, review, skin care, the body shop

The Comparison | Marc Jacobs Daisy v Daisy Dream

Ever since I saw this was coming out I've been coveting this perfume. Not going to lie, mainly for the insanely pretty bottle. I've never been a huge perfume person, I don't tend to wear it everyday and when I do I just feel like it doesn't last too long. However Daisy was the first one that changed my mind. As you can see from these pictures there is only about half left - I just love it. It's simple, yet pretty scent. Not too overwhelming but also on you do notice. In my head I've not been too bothered about the other Daisy variations as none are going to be as good as the original surely? However, as I said, this bottle made me covet.

My parents were going to Italy so I asked Mum to keep an eye out for this in the duty free as at the time it was only available at world duty free. Luckily she came back with this beaut and I've been wearing it every day since. Not going to lie, I still love my original Daisy but this is definitely coming to a close second. So what's the difference?

Well the original Daisy is a very classic spring pretty scent. If you're not a huge fan of florals it's fine as it isn't too heavy on the floral scent. It is however definitely based around the floral side with a focus on violet (not daisies...). Daisy Dream is still a very classic spring scent, light and fresh but this one focuses more on the fruitier side with top notes of blackberry, grapefruit and pear. For me I'm not sure why Marc Jacobs have stuck this in the Daisy family as I feel like they should all be a variation of the same theme if they're to share the same "family". However Daisy Dream's scent doesn't belong in this family, it would probably work as it's own stand alone fragrance. 

I do love this one and I think it's more of a summery scent then Daisy. Daisy definitely sits on the spring side of scents, light and airy, whereas Daisy Dream is much more summery scented with fruity highlights. I am loving Daisy Dream at the moment and I'm reaching for it everyday. The bottle itself is absolutely divine and probably my favourite every perfume bottle. Marc Jacobs is definitely still my favourite perfume brand and Daisy Dream just reaffirms its position in my heart.

You can now get Daisy Dream in all good perfume retailers as well as Daisy. Daisy Dream 50ml retails at around £50 (varies) and Daisy 50ml retails around £52 (again, varies). 

Which do you prefer out of Daisy and Daisy Dream?

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The Life Post | Blog Overhaul

Not sure if you've noticed, but I've been a bit MIA in terms of the blogging world lately. Twitter and instagram have become a bit lost on my phone apps and blog posts have become sporadic and honestly, a little lazy. So I decided to just leave it for a few days and have a real think about what I wanted to do.

Since I started blogging I've loved it, from chats on twitter to finding the latest beauty products and outfit inspirations. It's been my own little outlet to when everyday life was getting me down and I needed a distraction. Not only that but's opened a couple of doors for me, professionally and personally. But lately it has taken a back seat and it does make me sad.

I've had a LOT changing over the last couple of months which is probably the biggest factor. I left a job I'd been at for years which was comfortable but also mind numbing and started an amazing job in London. I still live down south so I'm commuting around two hours everyday, which is tiring but totally worth it. It's in marketing so a lot of the time it's online so when I get home the last thing I want to do is sit on a laptop. The boy and I have also started looking at houses, so when I'm not working most of my time is spent sorting this out - #stress.

Having some time away from really committing to blogging has really bought me back to what I really loved about it. Getting to know my products better, playing with them and creating new looks. As much as I love clothes and fashion I'm not a big "yeah take pictures of my outfit" kind of a person. I always loved the make up side of it more. That may change in another few years, who knows, but right I want to go back to basics - make up. I love doing reviews and comparisons. I'm not a make up artist so how to's aren't exactly my strong point, however I love doing them for that reason. 

If I'm honest I had gotten into the habit of blogging for the sake of blogging, and I think people could tell. I had convinced myself I needed to blog every day which is probably why. I know more than anything now that I don't need to do that. You guys are still here, still viewing and I'm still gaining new readers even though I'm not posting all the time. That's definitey opened my eyes so I will only be posting when I really want to. I have a lot I want to post about and I have a few ideas so it will still be aroun 3/4 times a week - but it won't be my usual 5/6 days as before. 

I want to get back to being more interactive with you guys as well. I've neglected twitter and commenting on blogs I like through time constraints and I'm sorry for that. I want to get to know you all, make some connections and give you guys more of what you're after.

What would you like to see more of on T&M?

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The Review | Benefit Hoola Bronzer

BENEFIT HOOLA BRONZER

So, another little beaut from my little Benefit haul the other week and this is one that I don't think I can ever live without again. I'm ridiculously picky with bronzers, they can't be too shimmery, too orange toned, too dark, too obvious... The list goes on and on. So when the benefit lady asked if I'd used it before I was like hmm.. no and didn't feel over enthused. But then she put it on my cheeks and I suddenly had beautifully sculpted cheeks. Sure, probably helped she was a make up artist but I was sold.

I took it away and had a play and yup, I have cheek bones! It's breaking news people! It's incredibly easy to use, pop it on the Real Techniques contour brush, suck in the cheeks to locate your cheek bones and just blend in from the hairline until you're happy with the colour depth. I also blend in a circular motion up to my forehead and alone the chin line. 

The tone of this is beautiful, I can't compliment it enough. it's very natural but very effective and the lasting power is definitely impressive. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a natural colour and an easy contour partner. Parfait!

Have you tried Benefit's Hoola?

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The Review | Benefit PosieBalm

BENEFIT POSIEBALM £14.50

The summer calls for lighter formulas in all make up products, tinted moisturiser replaces foundations, cream blushes replace heavy powders and balms and tints replace glosses. I recently had a lovely little make over in Benefit and this was in the little hoard of products I ended up going home with. It was paired with it's matching tint and the colour was beautiful and lifted my skin tone so amazingly. I decided to choose between the two and I went for the balm.

So what's it like? Well, there has been a plethora of tinted balms on the high street over the past couple of years so in the long term I wasn't expecting it to be much different, I just really liked the colour. However, this is so ridiculously nourishing and keeps the lips supple for a long time. it's the first time I've come home and my lips felt better after just one day. In terms of colour, it's not as lovely without the tint (we know what I'll be getting on my next trip...) but still a lovely fresh summer colour and it's my go to.

What do you think of these new balms?

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The Mani | Topshop Speckle Nails

TOPSHOP WHITE SPECKLE NAILS IN DANCING IN THE DARK & EVERYBODY GET UP £6

The Topshop next to where I work is evil. They keep things on the till that tempt me - my poor poor bank account. These were one of those purchases, what could I do? I was buying a top with the EXACT same colours in it so - you know. Whoops. 

I don't have any speckle polishes so these were definitely a novelty and the colours are beautiful. Dancing in the Dark looks like a pale grey, but it definitely has some nude tones to it which makes it that tab different and versatile. Everybody Get Up is a summer pale lilac, not mu usual colour but very pretty. I find that the white speckles are really easy to apply - you do need a couple of coats to get a good amount of colour but it is still quite sheer. Longevity wise after five days I've seen no chipping (apart from where I had a bendy nail) so I'm thoroughly impressed. I do find the formula a little thin which is a downside, but I do love the colours and the difference in pattern.

Have you ever tried speckle nails?

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The Review | No7 Shade and Define

NO7 STAY PERFECT SHADE AND DEFINE £8.00

These were a drunken purchase one evening at Waterloo station, not going to lie. But I have to say - I should drunk buy more often. Everyone is raving about the By Terry Black Ombre shadow sticks so when a few people said there was a high street dupe I was intrigued.

No7 isn't usually a brand I go straight to when I pop into Boots, I have a love/hate relationship with their products. This is definitely on the love side. First off I picked up Cool Mink, a beautiful nude beige with a definite hint of lilac in it - I think it's definitely a great dupe for the Misty Rock high end product. I love this colour and its been donning my lids every day since its purchase. It's a beautiful all over lid shade. The second shade I picked up was Coffee Bean, a dark coffee brown perfect for contouring and creating a natural smoky eye. 

The thing that really sells these is their quality. Creamy consistency, they don't crease in the slightly and create a lovely natural sheen. They are incredibly easy to apply and equally as easy to blend. They really come into their own with longevity. They literally last all day and into the evening - which for just £8.00 is frigging amazing. Love it.

These have made me realise I really need to pay more attention to No7 products - and I definitely want to pick up more of these crayons in different colours. They are my new eyeshadow love.

Have you tried these high street dupes?

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The Review | Bayliss & Harding Great Body Collection

I was very kindly sent the last three steps of Bayliss & Hardings new 5 step Great Body range. Basically, exactly what it says on the tin - 5 step routine to sort your bodies neglected skin out. When I say neglected, I'm talking about me. Step 1 and 2 are a polish and a wash, then there is steps 3, 4 and 5.

Step 3: Body Lotion for intense moisture £6*

This is quite possibly the first product from B&H whose scent I'm not a fan of. It's very herby. This is a very light moisturiser, as a lotion usually is, but it packs quite a punch in terms of quality. It has the lightness and the freshness of a lotion, which is perfect for summer, however it has the deep intense moisture as something like a body butter. Quick and easy to apply and absorb, nourishing and quite possibly my favourite lotion in terms of moisture yet. If only it didn't have the herby scent...

Step 4: Body Firming Cream for firming and sculpting the skin £6*

The same type of scent as the last one (boo) and a bit of an anonaly for me. Basically I'm incredibly wary of any cosmetic that claims to be firming or toning as I honestly think that they only way to tone is to get off your arse to sort it out (note to self). This is a nice moisturising balm, definitely more balm like than a cream. I wouldn't say I've noticed a difference in terms of firm skin around my targeted areas, moisturised and smooth yes, but firm? Nope.

Step 5: Body Mist for instant hydration £6*

This is definitely my favourite of the three steps I've been sent to try out. It refreshes the skin to no end, add a spritz and it's absorbed, it's incredibly light and just really nourishing. It's perfect for the warmer days as a quick nourishing spray. It reminds me of a toner in a way, since using it my skin has looked a lot clearer and just looks brighter as well. This has made such a big difference to my skin and I would highly recommend it out of all of the steps.

Which of these would you like to try?

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The Life Post | My First Ascot

You may have seen on Instagram, or Twitter, you will know I went off to the first day of Ascot on Tuesday. I was kindly invited by Adams mum and I was super excited. I'd never been to horse racing before and I wasn't entierly sure what to expect - all I knew was I needed a hat!

Thankfully Adam's mum had one I could borrow so I donned my smart gear, popped on my hat, and off we went. We all went up on a coach, with me texting my older brother for betting tips, and had an M&S picnic with champagne before we went into the race course. We managed to get a table right in front of the course to view all the action and it was amazing. The atmosphere was incredible and the excitement during the races was unexpected. Helps to have some pennies invested! 

Afternoon tea (not actually worth it) and singing in the bandstand later I was shattered but happy. It was a really lovely day out and if you get the chance to go I would highly recommend it! 

Have you ever been to Ascot?

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The How To | Sleeping Beauty Lips

Malifiscent came out recently which made me crave Sleeping Beauty, so obviously I ended up with it and all throughout the film I was jealous of her lips, lips even the rose would be jealous of. Instead of thinking of them as red (as the script suggests) I see them a gorgeous deep rose pink, healthy, beautiful and just plain yum. So, I had a rummage through my collection of lip products to try and find those that helped me achieve Aurora's lips. 

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede lipstick in Trendsetter is a gorgeous rose pink, blue toned and warm it adds a generous amount of colour to the lips. It's incredibly long lasting and really warms the tone of my skin and makes my eyes look brighter. However, this can look quite matte on the lips. So, to add a little more life and fun to the lips I've added Maybelline Colorsensational Shine Color in Fuchsia Flash. The perfect pairing to this lipstick. It gives the right amount of shine that isn't too slippery so that it takes away from the longevity of the lipstick. I love the look of these two together - and if it's the closest I can get to being a disney princess, well done, consider me a Sleeping Beauty.

How would you recreate Sleeping Beauty's lips?

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The Review | Kiehl's Micro Blur Skin Perfector

KIEHLS MICRO-BLUR SKIN PERFECTOR

I probably should have reviewed this one a long time ago because I love it just that much. Spoiler alert much. I guess I wanted to wait to make sure it wasn't just a fleeting love, a fling, I wanted to make sure I was in it for the long haul. Well, I am. And speaking of long hauls...

So, the idea behind this purchase was longevity. Commuting to London and back was always going to takes it toll on my make up and I needed a primer to sort this problem out. I wasn't expecting miracles but I was hoping my make up would at least last the whole work day. I saw this reviewed on Suzie's blog and pre-ordered it straight away, sold on her recommendation. I was ridiculously excited to try this - giddy almost - and I have every right to be.

It smooths out my skin like nothing else, it reminds me an awful lot of Benefit's PoreFessional in terms of consistency. It does feel slightly silicony but it doesn't bother me. Not only does it smooth, but it mattifies as well, any oily residue is gone instantly and oiliness is kept well at bay throughout the day. In terms of long wear - well, I am more then a little impressed. With my foundations it keeps it on from 5.45am well done 7pm in the evening - once it was still even there when I got home at 11pm with just a retouch of concealer and eyeliner. In terms of tinted moisturiser, it isn't quite as long lasting but it does still get me through the day.

I am thoroughly impressed by this and completely smitten. Costly, yes, however well worth it - I will be repurchasing the minute this runs out. It's a complete and utter make up saved. Mwah!

What's your favourite long lasting primer?

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The How To | Father's Day Face

Not going to lie, I love having time to really do my make up. Getting up at half 5 has meant that, although I have perfected 10 minute or less application, I'm never really 100% happy with the application. Sunday we were going out for lunch for Daddy's day so I took the time to do my hair and make up. I was so pleased with the result I felt the need to share! Plus, I was trying to base it on a little simplistic look of Blair's from GG series 4...

I started with my go to primer of the moment, Kiehls Micro Blur Skin Perfector, which I apply with my fingers all over the face - making sure for a little extra coverage over my oilier areas. Then, I took my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, dabbed it across my face and then blended in lightly with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush (btw - best brush ever). I try not to blend too deeply as there isn't much coverage left once it's done but it still gives a gorgeous natural finish. Next, I pop some Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer under the eyes and blend using my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush. This really brightens the under eye area and is perfect for my tired days.

Next I work on the eyes... I don't like doing my bronzer/blush too quickly after applying my tinted moisturiser but it works better to let it settle first. So they eyes have been promoted! The eyeshadow is a mix of two shades of the No7 Shade and Define eyeshadow crayons in Cool Mink (the base colour) and Coffee Bean, just blended lightly into the outer corner for a bit of natural contour and smoke. I also popped Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter pencil in the inner corners to brighten. After, I pop on my Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner to create my everyday flick and line. Lastly, I finish off with Soap & Glory Thick and Fast HD Mascara in Noir.

Then it's back to the base! Using my Real Techniques Contour Brush (are you sensing a theme with my brush collection) I use the darkest colour in the 17 Glow Shimmer Brick to contour my cheeks, and the two middle colours to pop on my apples for some highlight. Time for some colour - using my Stippling Brush again I pop Topshop Cream Blusher in Heads Over Heels over the apples of my cheeks and blend up to the hairline. I finish off using my Collection Sheer Loose Powder. Parfait!

Finally is the lips - I usually prep with my Lush Lip Scrub, then I finished off today with Topshop Macaroon lipstick. The perfect summer colour.

What was your fathers day face?

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The Review | Sexy Mother Blusher

SOAP & GLORY SEXY MOTHER BLUSHER IN PINKER BELLE

So, a new release from Soap and Glory and one that is probably a total gimmick, but it totally bought me in. Every product I've tried from the brand I fall head over heels for so I figured why not give it a go! It's a beautiful natural blush colour and it sucked me in completely. I love Soap & Glory products so I was convinced I would love this - I do love me a cream blush.

So, application-wise I pop this on the apples of my cheeks and blend with my stippling brush. I have to say I found it quite a hard formula so it wasn't too incredibly easy to blend, but once it is blended it is beautiful. My big gripe with this is definitely its last power, which is practically none for me. I just find that within an hour the beautiful flush has disappeared and there's no colour on my cheeks. It's such a shame cause it's a beaut of a colour and Soap and Glory are such an amazing brand. 

Have you tried their new cream blushes?

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