What's In My Bag | Summer 2015

What's In My Bag posts and videos seem to be very popular, I guess it's because we're super nosey? I know I am! I've never done one of these posts before so I thought today i'd rummage around my bag and show you what I carry on a day-to-day basis- lets get started!

The lighting is a bit odd here, apologies for that!

My current bag is pretty basic, it's this white almost grey, double pouch with a strap that can be worn across the body or on one shoulder. When I say double pouch, it's simply like two clutch bags stuck together, therefore giving you more room but also looking pretty cool if I do say so myself. This was from Primark around this time last year costing around the £6-£8 mark. I'm sure if you pop in you'll find something similar though!

1. Purse

This again is from Primark, I've probably had this nearly two years now though- it was only £5 and it's lasted me well though I could probably do with a new one now, I've got my eye on you Ted Baker.
My purse contains various store cards including Boots, Superdrug and Tesco, my ID and Organ Donor card and very little money. Usually there is just loose change and receipts lying at the bottom of my bag- but i'm definitely not the only one right?

2. Sunglasses

Despite the British summer, we still sunglasses to protect our eyes. These again are from Primark last year but had a sticker on stating they have 100% UV protection- amazing for a pair that only cost me about £3!

Apologies for the quality of this picture, this was taken on my tablet so that I could include my phone in the picture as I take my pictures on my iPhone.

3. Phone

To be quite honest, this is rarely in my bag and almost always in my hand- lets be real? I have an iPhone 4, though i'd love the latest iPhone, i'm not too bothered as I've had no problems with this(touch wood) so i'm sure it'll last me until I finally cave and buy a new one. The case I currently have on is very Autumnal but I like it, I found this on Etsy.

4. Keys

Of course, I have too many key rings for one key but i'm hoping to have a car key soon(wishful thinking Aim, wishful thinking). The two blue camper vans are from gift shops in Dawlish and Cornwall- I've never been to Cornwall myself but my sister picked this up for me to go along with my other. I can't remember where I got the big silver heart but the silver spade was in my stocking(from Santa aka my parents) and the purple stone was another gift from when my sister went to Tenerife, apparently it has healing properties!

5. A snack

This is just in case I get super hungry and don't have time to stop and get food. I've had these Party Rings in my bag for a good while and I noticed they were nearly a month out of date when taking this photo- they're no longer in my bag and are in the bin, sad times. I also usually carry chewing gum around, gotta keep fresh.

6. Makeup Bag

My makeup bag is from Avon, I love the print and it's faux leather so can be wiped down if it gets a little dirty. I actually have little makeup in here, but this makeup bag is like Mary Poppins bag as in there I have:

-Powder and a brush to keep the shine at bay

-Maybelline Baby Lips and a Natural Collection lipstick in Rosebud
-Mirror, this one is from Sighh Designs

-The Body Shop Madagascan Vanilla Flower mini perfume, this smells amazing!

- A comb

- Hand sanitizer, hand cream and a nail file

-Tampons

And finally 

-Tablets, usually paracetamol and Kalms.

7. Tote Bag

In Wales and I think England may do too, but we charge 5p for a carrier bag in shops so to avoid the 5p charge for a bag that dissolves in the rain, i'm looking at you Primark- I take this just in case, though being canvas it doesn't keep the things dry but they're handy nonetheless. 

And that's what I carry in this bag, admittedly there would be a lot more junk if I featured my large Zara tote but another time maybe! 

What are your handbag essentials?

Let me know!

♥   ♥   ♥

My Most Used | Face, Eyes and Lip Products

Myself and a few lovely bloggers have been planning this post for a short while and here is the result of it. Today myself and the others will be showing you our favourite Face, Eye and Lip product- the majority of mine will be drugstore so at more affordable prices, though if you're in the market for some higher end pieces be sure to check out the other girls blogs to see what they love!

Chloe from Chloe Paigee 

Megan from Secretly Megan

Jess from Hey It Is Jess

and Nicole from Thrifty Vintage Fashion

Without further-ado i'll just get straight into it..

L'Oreal True Match foundation in N1 Ivory-

I'm sure you will have heard lots about this foundation before, I've actually done a review here. This is the only foundation I've been using since so it'd obviously have to be my favourite! I look for something medium-high coverage when buying foundation and this definitely fits into that category as it's medium coverage with one application but is very buildable to a higher coverage. I find this lasts on my skin all day which is a bonus as my face apparently eats my foundation, not cool! This retails at £9.99 in Boots and Superdrug so not the cheapest nor most expensive so is really reasonable as it lasts me a long while!

MUA eye shadow palette in Heaven and Earth-

I really love experimenting with eye shadows even though i'm not the best at applying them. Unfortunately that was put on hold as I had extremely dry eyelids that I could not shift, thankfully that's been sorted now so I can finally wear a subtle smokey eye or pretty shimmer!
I bought this palette a long while ago now and it's been quite well loved yet I still haven't hit pan on any of the colours. I find they are well pigmented and last a long length of time on the lid which is amazing as this palette only cost £4.
If I've not got the effort to apply eye shadow I usually go for a quick flick of the Benefit Roller Lash mascara, you can see what I thought of it here.

No. 7 lipstick in the shade Vanity-

This is my go-to if i'm wanting a pink lip, I love it! This is a really old No. 7 and I probably shouldn't still have it but i'm on the hunt to find the perfect match for it. I haven't found an exact match but I also really like the Natural Collection lipstick in Rose Bud.
Both are perfect for everyday wear, although I find the No. 7 lipstick lasts longer on the lips but I can't fault Natural Collection as they're so affordable.

And that's a round up of my favourite Face, Eyes and Lips products, don't forget to check out the other girls blog posts linked at the beginning of this post.

What are yours? 

Leave them in the comments below!

♥   ♥   ♥

What's In My Makeup Bag? | Travel Edition

Hello!
As you can tell from the title of this post, today i'll be giving you an insight to my makeup bag and in particular what i'll be taking away with me, or rather what I've taken away with me- depending on when this goes up! I'll let you know now, I don't have the most luxurious high end makeup although I would love some- it's just not within budget at the moment and I feel the drugstore offers great quality products at more affordable prices so here we go..

Again, I don't have the nicest of makeup bags that are on offer to me, but this is handy as it fits everything in nicely without the need to leave the bag half unzipped! This is just a pink mesh bag that came with a gift from The Body Shop- handy!

First up is foundations, notice the plural? I was using the L'Oreal True Match foundation for a while on it's own, although it's great on it's own I wasn't too keen on the finish for summer as I prefer a dewier finish. I had the Rimmel 25 hour foundation lying around as I wasn't using it as I picked up the darker shade on accident.Now I know it looks really dark in comparison but just a little mixed in with the L'Oreal foundation creates the perfect finish and colour for my skin in the summer, so that's why I'll be taking a 2nd!

Next of course I couldn't go without concealer so in there I've thrown in my trusty Collection Lasting Perfection 16 hour concealer, perfect for the job and it's small, so perfect for travelling!

To then add some colour to my face I have a blush, this isn't a Barry M blush I just had to re-pot as it had shattered everywhere from the previous pan. If you can't tell already I love this blush which is why it had to be re-potted, it's a little hassle to use but I just tap a little into the lid and swirl my brush and it's fine! This is just a natural pink colour to give a flush on the cheeks with a little shimmer in. Usually I wouldn't be keen on shimmer but it's ever so slight and gives a glow to the cheeks also! No need to pack a highlight, great!

Moving on to eyes, mascara! I couldn't leave the house without a quick flick of mascara as quite frankly I look dead! Mascara just opens my eyes and makes me look more awake, so I've packed 2- again none in particular just ones I had lying in my stash to use up! I don't really notice the difference in mascaras as they all seem to have the same effect on my eyelashes, so I've packed both Rimmel mascaras, the Scandal Eyes for my top lashes and the Extra WOW lash for the bottom!

I could go without eye shadow each day but I love creating subtle looks to make my face look more made up and like I've made an effort! So in I've put the MUA Heaven and Earth palette which are a range of natural slightly shimmery shades to create subtle or more dramatic looks as each of the shades are so versatile! Also I forgot to mention, there are 12 different eye shadows in this tiny compact palette so again, perfect for travelling!

For my brows I sweep through the Maybelline Brow Drama brow mascara in Medium Brown- this matches my brow colour perfectly and makes them look fuller and more put together!

Last but not least, moving on to lips! I love applying lipstick last as I feel it just pulls the look together, providing you choose the correct shade not to clash with your blush or even eye makeup! Of course, i'm not the expert but I've included a range of 4 shades that are practically fool proof for the looks I tend to create on a daily basis. From left to right, MUA in shade 14 Bare, Natural Collection in Rose Bud, No7 in Vanity(bare in mind this is old, passed onto me by my Auntie who's quite the makeup hoarder) and lastly another MUA lipstick in the shade Nectar.

Bare- the perfect nude colour liptick- I think this could work for a range of skin tones too!
Rose Bud- a lovely pink colour that almost matches my actual lip colour so it's great for natural days!
Vanity- don't be fooled by the bullet like I was, this comes out as a natural brighter pink on my lips, I love it for a pop of colour!
Nectar- this is a lovely bright coral colour which looks amazing and so summery on a brighter day!

Last in the terms of actual makeup products is again another lip product, or eye for that matter! The Beverly Hills lip and eye primer, again passed down from my wonderful Auntie to make my lipstick and eye makeup last a lot longer on those warmer days!

Of course i'm taking makeup brushes to apply the makeup, these all fit in so nicely without squeezing them in and ever so slightly bending the bristles like I have done in the past! I'll list these like the lipsticks and explain what I use them for..
Eyelash Curlers
Real Techniques Buffing brush- buffing in foundation and concealer.
Real Techniques Pointed Foundation brush- applying foundation and concealer.
Real Techniques Contour brush- to apply blush.
Lydia eye shadow applicator- to apply the base shadow.
ELF Blending brush- to blend all eye makeup.
Real Techniques Detail brush- to apply a darker shade to the crease and outer corner.
Lydia Brow brush/comb- to brush through my brows and comb through my lashes.

And that's all for my travel makeup bag! For me this is just the right amount, admittedly I don't need to take 2 foundations, 2 mascaras and 4 lipsticks but if you've got the room- why not!? Let me know what's in your travel makeup bag or what would be if you were travelling this summer!

Until next time,

Amy X