My Must-Have Autumn Beauty Buys

As I'm back in England for two weeks I've properly got the autumn feeling and I'm loving it. I love summer and I'm always excited for it to come around, but if I'm being honest it's got nothing on autumn and winter.

The fashion is better - I love chunky things, layers and boots - and I love feeling all cosy and getting excited for Christmas. I'm still a big kid even if I am pregnant ha ha.

So at the first opportunity I had to stock up on my autumn beauty essentials (Gibraltar isn't the best for make-up) I went a bit crazy, but I've narrowed down my massive Boots raid to these four products. These are the kind that if I can't find them I to start to mildly have a panic attack at the thought of using anything else! Ha ha.

Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer 

If you're a regular reader of my blog then you'll know how much I love this product, and I had to feature it even if I'm getting boring raving on about this one ha ha.

Coming from a girl with a huge complex about her eye-bags, this concealer is the best one I've ever tried. And I've tried them all! It's a great texture, covers almost ANYTHING you don't want to be seen and lasts for ages, and I honestly can't rate it enough.

Without a tan to brighten up my skin during autumn I put more of an effort into my skin make-up (if that makes sense ha ha) and on those dark, early mornings Benefiit's Boi-ing helps make me look more awake, even if I don't feel it :-)

Soap and Glory's Peach Party Blusher

This blusher is literally amazing and I'm OBSESSED with it at the moment! I never normally carry blusher around with me in my handbag but I've made an exception for this one, as it's just so beautiful.

It's got a noticeable shimmer to it which is so illuminating, and I prefer wearing peach coloured blusher to pink in the autumn as it stops me looking so pasty.

It has a mix of peach, gold and copper colours which look great together and I love, love, love looking a bit glittery and shimmery - I'm a magpie! :-)

Max Factor's False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara

I've been a HUGE fan of this mascara since I was about 16 (six long years ago - boo hoo, I'm so old) and after trying many, many others I always return to this one.

I recently purchased Benefit's They're Real Mascara after reading so many great reviews and I did really love it, but I honestly don't think it's any better than this one and it's double the price.

Max Factor's False Lash Fusion mascara makes SUCH a difference to my eyelashes, and really does make them look so long ha ha. And the only time I get compliments on my eyelashes is when I'm wearing this! Despite being quick thick it doesn't make my lashes clumpy at all, and it's so easy to apply. I LOVE IT TOO MUCH ha ha.

As well as paying more attention to my making my skin look nice in autumn I also prefer a darker eye, and don't go for as natural a look as I do in summer. So this mascara is a must, must, must-have!

Soap and Glory's Supercat Eyeliner Pen

I love a cat-eye during autumn and I rarely do anything else to my eyes ha ha, I'm a creature of habit! And this eyeliner is by far the best one I've tried.

I always go for a thick 'felt-tip' nib rather than a thin liquid brush when I buy eyeliner as they're so much easier to apply and control ha ha, and this one is amazing. It's great for fine lines as well as thick, fuller ones and it's a really nice, dark shade.

It lasts for ages and tends to flake off rather than smudge, which might sound bad but it's definitely better than a panda-eye look ha ha. I'd recommend this to both first time triers of the cat-eye look as well as experts as it's so easy to use but also a great quality product.

If I had to narrow it down to a few products these would be my top four, but I have so many other favourites as well ha ha so I might do an England beauty haul soon, to show you everything I purchased in these two weeks :-)

Let me know what your must-have autumn beauty buys are and what you think of these products.

See you soon!!

xx

New hair and Topshop purchase!

I’m so sorry I didn't post anything yesterday, I had such a hectic day! Straight after work I went to get my hair cut, then went out for some drinks (I went crazy on the apple juice – woop woop) and then to dinner! And I didn't get back until around half 10, and then Sam’s younger brother and sister came over to stay the night, so I literally had zero time. But enough with my life story… I've got a (sort of) fringe!

Yep, I went for it and got the chop – eeeeeek.

I brought in this picture to show my hairdresser what I wanted (love Alexa Chung too much):

And I came out with this:

What do you guys think?

I have to admit yesterday I was like “OH MY GOOOOOD” because the way my hairdresser styled it just wasn't ‘me’. I asked for it to be quite messy but she curled it a bit too neatly, and left the fringe to its own devices so it was all over the shop. Flicking, frizzing and generally trying to ruin my life.

But this morning I tamed it and straightened it a bit and now I’m super happy with it!

I love how thick my hair looks after it’s been cut and I’m glad the fringe is quite thick too, although next time I think I want it even thicker ha ha, and I'd also have liked it a bit more 'fringey', but I might go back and get it touched up a bit. I’m so picky with hair though and going to the hairdressers terrifies me slightly, as I've had a couple of horrific haircuts that have scarred me for life ha ha. So this was definitely a successful trip for me!

I’m also LOVING the chunky chain necklace I'm wearing at the moment. I bought it from Topshop the other day for £14 and I think it was totally worth the pennies. I love, love, love how it’s a mixed metal look as it’s so versatile to wear, and I basically haven’t taken it off since I got it ha ha. As it’s actually made of plastic (not metal) it’s so lightweight! Which is great when you’re already carrying some extra weight around with you ha ha.

Anyway, let me know what you think of my brand new, shiny (sort of, it’s quite dry ha ha) hair! I hope you guys like it :-)

See you soon!!

xx

Hairspriration

I'm so bored of my hair at the moment - it feels dull, dry and desperately in-need of a cut! I know I want a change, but I'm just not sure what change that is ha ha. So in-need of some inspiration I started looking at the Fall/Winter 2013 hair trends and found some that I love.

The side plait, low pony, low bun and tucked in styles all look amazing, and I'll definitely be trying them out! But they're more hairstyles, rather than cuts.

Another big trend seems to be wet-look shine, but I think it's a bit too out there for me ha ha

(Prada F/W 2013)

However one hairstyle/cut that kept re-appearing that really did catch my eye was the fringe!

Alexa Chung has always been a huge hairspiration to me, as I love her effortless look. And I have previously sported her ombre style, her overgrown bob cut, and a fringe (stalker). However I've always gone for a block fringe, rather than the more choppy Alexa Chung style. And it's always looked so bad ha ha.

Arghhh I love her hair so much!!! Ha ha.

So I think I've decided I AM going to try out a fringe like this (almost definitely, maybe, probably), however it also makes me want to go back to ombre as well. But that's been so overdone I really don't need to go down that route again... step away from the ombre hair kits Ellen...

So what should I do with my colour?! A darker blonde? A white blonde? Stay the same? Please let me know!!!

(this my lame-o hair at the moment)

And I'll let you know if/when I make the fringe chop!! Wish me luck!

See you soon!!

xx

My Best Summer Beauty Buys

Here are my favourite beauty products this Summer! I really wanted to include a few more than this, but I do like to jabber on so it's best to cut it down to a few products so that I don't annoy you ha ha.

Dove Summer Glow - Nourishing Lotion With a Gradual Self-Tanner

I've always found it hard to find a gradual self-tanner I get along with because they often have that give-away self-tan smell that I hate! But I was so disappointed with my lack of tan-time this summer (grrr, stupid work making me work) that I decided to try and hunt down a good one. I'm so pasty that all the tourist attraction sales-folk in the street keep asking me to go on their boat rides etc, thinking it's the first day of my holiday and I'm yet to see any sun ha ha. Don't they know I'm secretly a local bronzed Goddess?! 

I'd heard some good things about Dove's Summer Glow (and it's one of the only ones I hadn't actually tried before ha ha) so I decided to go for it. And I love it! I've only been using it for the past few days, but so far so good! It smells soooo good - not at all of fake tan but really fresh! And it doesn't have that "glow" that other gradual self-tanners often have.

I opted for the Medium to Dark skin one because I'm impatient and I thought this one would work quicker ha ha. Is that how things like this work? And so far I have a nice sun-kissed look, which takes the edge of my pale-ness! So thumbs for this bad boy!

In the summer I try not to wear foundation (when I can handle my face) because I like to think I tan for the brief moments I'm outside, walking to the sandwich shop around the corner from my work and back again. But I have the biggest complex about my eye-bags, so I hate not wearing ANYTHING. And these next two products are amaaaaazing at working together to eliminate the bags.

YSL Touche Eclat - Number 2

This is an old favourite of mine and I've LOVED it ever since my Mum got me it for Christmas about 4 years ago now! Thanks again Mum ha ha. It's literally so good!

It reflects the light amazingly and makes an instant difference, even with eye-bags are horrific as mine! I chose one of the lightest shades (number 2) because I think the lighter the better to combat the evil darkness of the bags, and it also works really well as a highlighter. 

It's a great brush, and I've never had any problems with it clogging or anything like that. I honestly can't rate this product enough!

Benefit Boing - Industrial-Strength Concealer

With a name like that you expect something pretty amazing, which is the main reason I first got this concealer! And it's lived up to my expectations. Yay, no wasting of money!

I use this after the YSL Touche Eclat and the two work SO WELL together! Although, like the Touche Eclat, this product is amazing on it's own as well. I got Benefit's Boing in shade 2 and it's perfect for my skin tone. It's quite a thick texture but that's what I was after, and works so well with the light texture of the Touche Eclat. They're a match made in heaven! And honestly my eye-bags basically disappear once I've used these two.

Judging by the amount left I think it's fair to say I enjoy using it ha ha.

Lee Stafford Arganoil From Morocco - Nourishing Miracale Oil

This is another product with a big name to live up to - but I'm happy to say it does work miracles on my hair ha ha.

In the summer my hair dries out sooo much and always goes really frizzy, from a mixture of blonde hair dye and the sun ha ha, so I always need a good hair oil product when it starts to heat up. And this is one of the best I've tried!

I use it when my hair's wet, and then again once I've styled it on the ends of my hair, and it gets rid of any split ends I have! It makes my hair look super shiny, and it keeps the frizz away for the whole day, which is amazing! 

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butters:

010 Raspberry Pie and 095 Creme Brulee

(I had to include a pic of these because they're sooo beautiful)

I've saved the best 'till last because I LOVE these two soooo much ha ha. I heard people rave about Revlon's Lip Butters so I frantically went out searching for them (Gibraltar is pretty limited with make-up) and I am so so happy I found these!

I'm not normally a fan of nude lipsticks (I went through the worst 'foundation lips' stage when I was about 15 ha ha, so it brings back horrible memories) but in the summer I prefer a natural look, so I went for the Creme Brulee shade first of all. And I really like it! It looks so natural and makes your lips feel so smooth and soft, with a bit of a shine. It doesn't look foundation-lip-ey at all! Ha ha.

I loved it so much that I then went and purcahsed the Raspberry Pie shade, and I am literally IN LOVE. It's soooo nice. It looks sort of vampy which I love, but in more of a summery way ha ha. And it's not too dark for my skin tone. It's the perfect shade that works with both done-up eyes and a more natural eye, and I can't get enough of it! As with the Creme Brulee shade (and I assume all the Revlon Colourburst Lip Butters, ha) it has a moisturising feel which makes my lips feel healthy even in the heat.

Go buy these now!! Ha ha.

So there they are - my Best Summer Beauty Buys! Let me know if you agree/disagree and what your favourite products have been this summer :-)

See you soon!!

xx

Overcoming Pregnancy Problems: Banishing Blemishes

During my 22 weeks of pregnancy so far there have been loads of amazing things that have happened to my body, but also a few annoying things!! Ha ha. 

So I thought I'd do an 'Overcoming Issues' post every Monday so get your week off to a good start, by banishing one annoying side-effect of pregnancy a week! 

You gotta dream big!

I'm gonna start things off with one of the most annoying... teenage spots! 

When I was a teenager I didn't actually get that many spots, so I think karma has come around to bite me in the butt, because now I'm pregnant I have millions! It's to do with all those lovely hormones, and during the first months of pregnancy my face and back (and weirdly sometimes my legs?!?) were rarely spot free.

I never used to have any kind of skin care regime, and I was pretty bad at taking care of my skin to be honest. I even occasionally did the dirty on my face and slept with my make up still on - dun dun dun! (Normally vodka's fault).

But now I have been forced into a strict skin care regime to banish the blemishes, and it's actually working! Hallelujah!

I have always used Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes to remove my make-up as I have pretty sensitive skin, so Simple products work really well for me. The Cleansing Wipes don't irritate my skin or eyes, but are still one of the best I've found at taking off make-up quickly and easily.

Also when you are pregnant your skin becomes more sensitive anyway, so I would recommend Simple to all you knocked-up lot, even if you previously didn't have sensitive skin.

So I decided to stick to what I know and go with Simple to sort out my spots! I also feel like less is more when using products, so I decided to stick to three, rather than an overload.

Step One: Exfoliate

Exfoliating (sounds so weird if you say it loads of times ha ha) removes dead skin cells to leave your face, or any part of your body, as smooth as a baby's bum!

Because I was exfoliating with the purpose of eradicating spots, I chose to purchase:

Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Wash

It contains witch-hazel, zinc PCA, pro-vitamin B5 and has no perfume or colour. Which basically means it helps reduce spots by adsorbing excess oil, and softens your skin. And it does it all gently!

I use it twice a day - in the mornings and evenings - by working a pea-sized amount into my hands and massaging it onto my face whilst it's wet. Then you just rinse it off with water! Simples.

It has a slight fresh, soapy smell but it's not overpowering, and I really like it! It makes me feel clean ha ha. It doesn't irritate my eyes at all and I really do feel like it makes my skin feel smoother! 

Step Two: Toner

Skin toner basically soothes your skin, and tightens the skin and pores to remove excess oil. 

I chose to purchase:

Simple Soothing Facial Toner

And it does what it says on the tin!

It contains pro-vitamin B5 and B3, chamomile, witch-hazel, allantoin, and has no artificial perfume or colour.

I use it after I have exfoliated, again twice a day, by pouring a generous amount onto a cotton wool ball. I then apply it all over my face using upwards motions and wait for it to dry.

I honestly think my skin looks instantly more smooth and glowing (not the pregnancy kind, which is actually just sweat ha ha) after using it and feels super smooth and clean! And again it doesn't irritate my skin at all. Love, love, love it.

Step Three: Moisturise

I don't think moisturising really needs an explanation ha ha, and before the days of pregnancy I did manage to moisturise my face... most days :-)

But with spots on my mind I ditched my old moisturiser and purchased:

Simple Oil Balancing Moisturiser

It contains zinc PCA, phytosphingosine, corn starch, vitamin E, pro-vitamin B5, and no perfume or colour! In non-scientific lingo: it absorbs excess oil, helps reduce spots, moisturises and softens your skin. All very kindly :-)

This is the final stage of my skin care regime, which I use after the toner - again twice a day. You can get a lot out of a small amount with this moisturiser, so I apply a small pea (ha ha) sized amount onto my hand, and then massage a bit of the pea into each area of my face. So the small pea is all you need to cover your whole face. And now I'm hungry for peas.

My face always feels really soft after using this, and it works well with the other two products!

Verdict

When I first began using these products my skin actually flared up worse than it had done before, which I have read can happen when you first start taking care of your skin. Typical! 

So I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. I actually have some completely spot-free days now - amazing!!! And when I do get the odd spot it's usually only one or two at a time (compared to the 500 I previously had) and they go away pretty quickly.

I am almost at the end of the exfoliator and plan on purchasing the same one again, as I also plan to do with the toner and moisturiser when I reach the end of them.

I'm sure there are more expensive products that also work wanders, but for a maximum of £4.50 for each (I can't remember exactly what I paid now) I think they're amazing. They don't irritate my skin at all and they definitely work for me!

Let me know if you have used these products and agree or disagree, or if you think there are better ones out there :-)

See you soon!!

xx