BUDGET BEAUTY | BACK TO SCHOOL!

As back to school is looming, I thought I'd join in with the Back To School blog posts and videos. Although I am not going back to school, college or uni this year, I still thought I would share with you some affordable pieces from the drugstore that you could wear to school when in a rush.










First up is this Botanics Beauty Balm. This has no colour to it like a lot of the others you will find in Boots or Superdrug but this is quick and easy to use when you're in a rush, it's laminating to make you look lit from within and awake. This would've been right up my street when I was in school as I found foundation was just too much of a hassle.








As I've mentioned foundation can be too much of a faff early morning when you're in a rush. So instead, the concealer will be giving the coverage you may need for pesky blemishes or those dark bags under your eyes from staying up too late. I love both these concealers as they're both high coverage so will cover pretty much anything on your face. The Collection Lasting Perfection concealer is probably easier to use as you can dab it straight on and it blends quickly, however you'll have to work at the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint a little more as it's a cream concealer. As I said I love both and they're both around the £4-5 mark, so you could use whichever you prefer.








Again, as we skipped foundation, I would use a bronzer to warm the face up a little more. This is actually an MUA Pressed Powder bought in a few shades darker than my skin tone to be used as a bronzer so it is actually matte. This will not only set your makeup in place but will give you a little more colour to avoid looking like a zombie, you know as you've probably just rolled out of bed 15 mins before school starts. 




Another product you could use to make you look more alive is blush. I've chosen the Sleek Blush in Rose Gold which is a gorgeous coral shade with flecks of shimmer. With a light hand this will give a lovely flush and also add radiance to the face seeing as it has a light shimmer running through.








Next is mascara. When I was at school and I couldn't be bothered to do the rest of my makeup, I'd give my lashes a quick flick of mascara to make me look much more awake and put together. Again, I've chosen two here. The Maybelline One By One is in Brownish Black which will look more natural for school. The Collection Lengthening Mascara is a little more affordable but both are amazing for creating length and I love fluttery lashes as they look so natural and pretty.








In Year 10 and 11 was when I started to do my eyebrows, and boy were they horrific. I wish I left them alone and just used something like this Maybelline Brow Drama to give them a little colour, set them in place and make my whole look more put together. This is around to £5 mark but instead you could use a clear mascara, although it won't add any colour it will set them in place all day and you can pick them up for about £2. 








To complete the look I'd opt for this Babylips in Pink Punch. I didn't understand the hype when these were raved about a few years back, but I think these would be ideal for school as they're moisturising and add a little colour to the lips. 




I forgot to take a picture of the complete look but this is super natural so I'm sure you'll be able to get away with it if you're not supposed to wear makeup to school. This only took me about five minutes so would be ideal for those mornings you've overslept and are rushing for school- we've all been there!




WHAT ARE YOUR SCHOOL BEAUTY ESSENTIALS?




♥   ♥   ♥

July 2015 Favourites | Makeup, Skincare, Fashion and More!

It's been months since I last done a monthly favourites post, so seeing as there has been quite a few things I've been loving this month I thought i'd share them with you. Personally, I love reading and watching favourites as it gives you an insight to what people are loving and whats worth spending your money on. I thought i'd split mine into a few sections- makeup, skincare, fashion and other which consists of things I probably can't show but can talk about- so here goes.

Makeup

Collection Lengthening Mascara
I received this in a beauty box at the beginning of the year and from what I had experienced with previous Collection mascaras, I sort of put it to one side and didn't think much of it. I recently rediscovered this when sorting through my makeup and this was the only one I hadn't tested so thought i'd give it a go. I'm so glad I did! I was using the Benefit Roller Lash sample at the time and I found this done a similar job. Although, I still would really like to repurchase the Roller Lash, I don't see much point as I love this just as much. It creates length as the name would suggest and separation leaving you with natural fluttery lashes!

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer in Fair

I was coming to the end of my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and although that is a great concealer, I wanted to try something different. I had heard that the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint was a dupe for the Bobbi Brown Corrector Concealer so decided to give this a whirl as that is a concealer which is much raved about. This covers my dark circles like no other and doesn't crease throughout the day as I found the Collection one did a little. However, I must set this cream concealer with powder otherwise it will slip and slide in the warm weather! This will definitely go in my basket again.

Botanics All Bright Radiance Balm

I'd never heard about this product before reading it on someones blog a month or so ago. As it was on offer while making an online order I decided i'd give this a go as I remember, whoever reviewed it said it was amazing for creating that 'lit from within' glow. I use the L'Oreal True Match Foundation on a daily basis which I love, however it is a satin/matte finish and I prefer a dewier look during the summer. This works alone to make you look fresh and healthy when really you've just rolled out of bed but also works well mixed in with foundation. If you see this whilst shopping at Boots, swatch it! It has the most stunning iridescence running through it.

Skincare

Botanics Shine Away Invigorating Face Scrub

I've recently ran out of the other scrub from the Botanics range, although that was lovely I thought i'd give this one a go. I'm so glad I did as I much prefer this one! The other has plastic micro-beads however this has a more fine and almost sand/sugar like scrub which I much prefer as it feels like it's really working to lift any dead skin cells to leave you with much smoother skin. This is also for oily skin which has been working wonders to mattify my skin during the summer months.

Fashion

Primark Nude Loafers

I actually picked these up to wear to an interview as they're very plain and simple which I feel can be dressed up or down on more casual days. Since buying these they've not been off my feet, hence why they look a little worse for wear. I went back to pick up another pair but unfortunately they had all sold out, maybe that's a sign to invest in a more expensive, higher quality pair- eh?

Other

You may have seen a previous post of mine, talking about meeting up with family after a long while, you can read more about that here. But yes, I went to another gathering this month with all my family there for my cousins 2nd Birthday. It was so lovely to see the family but really nice to celebrate her special day also. I was in my element while shopping for her, as you may know- I work with children. We decided on a Peppa Pig puppet book and the most gorgeous little top with ice lollies and ice creams on- perfect for her holiday! She absolutely loved the Peppa book, and Peppa is her new favourite thing- so sweet! 

And that's a wrap of what I've been loving this month!

I'm just wondering, do you guys like these sort of posts or would you rather see something different?

Also-

What have you been loving in the month of July?

Let me know in the comments!

♥   ♥   ♥

£20 Makeup Challenge! | Drugstore/ High Street Makeup Look

A lot of my makeup products are drugstore. I've seen the $20 Makeup Challenge videos and blog posts circling around the internet for a while now and I thought i'd adapt it slightly as i'm from the UK and make it the £20 Makeup Challenge. I know i'm not the first to do this and i'm sure I won't be the last but I thought it was time to shop my stash to see what products can make up a full face for £20 or less- definitely a challenge but not impossible!

Foundation was the hardest for me. I love the L'Oreal True Match but that would've been nearly half the budget gone as it comes in at £9.99. Instead I opted for another foundation that I love but unfortunately is too dark for me, however I thought I could make it work, if I was very light handed. It's the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 hour foundation in the shade 200- Soft Beige, this comes in at £7.99 but it's on offer regularly at £4.99 in places like Boots, Superdrug and Wilko. I admit, I cheated a little.
This foundation is medium to high coverage and offers a dewy base to last a long while. 25 hours? I don't know who wears makeup that long anyway?

Next up is concealer, I chose the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint in Fair which is £5.49. I've used the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer for a while now and although it's good, I just fancied a change. I heard this one is great(it is) for under-eyes especially to cover up those pesky bags, apparently it's also a dupe for the Bobbi Brown Corrector Concealer so i'm not complaining there. My skin has been quite good recently, i'm touching wood as I say this...so I've not yet had to use it on blemishes or redness but i'm sure it'll do the job just fine!

Now onto contour/bronzer. I'm fairly new to this step but with practice I love how it can add so much dimension and shape to the face, as well as giving my very pale face a bit of colour. In order to practice I picked up a bargain which I absolutely love, its an MUA Pressed Powder in the shade 04- as it's not actually a bronzer and is a face powder this is matte which is perfect for contouring. This was only £1, MUA is so affordable!

This Sleek Blush in Rose Gold is a beautiful pinky coral shade with a gorgeous shimmer running through. This could also act as a highlight as well as adding colour to your cheeks. These blushes are so pigmented and are only £4.49, I must go and look at the other shades to see what they offer ready for Autumn/Winter.

For mascara I've gone for the Collection Lengthening Mascara in Ultra Black. I've not had the best experience with collection mascaras before, they seem to have gone very dry and flaky quite quickly but this one is different. I received this in a beauty box and sort of wrote it off to begin with, I wanted to mix it up a little and try something else instead of Benefit's Roller Lash- I'm so glad I gave this one a go. On my lashes I found this creates a look very similar to the Roller Lash and this is only £2.99! What!? I know!

Last but not least is lips, I used the Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Pencil in Rose Quartz which I found in the pound shop, I believe it was Poundland so yes- this was only £1. If you didn't know Poundland often have Rimmel, Sally Hansen and a few more well-known brands so if you have a look i'm sure you'll find some hidden gems that are worth a go for a pound!

I'm afraid I haven't got a picture of what the finish look as I'm not yet comfortable with posting pictures of myself on here, apologies for that! However, these products created a lovely natural look that is perfect for summer!

This look came in at £19.96, so yes it was actually under budget.

I know, I didn't include something for eyes in terms of eye shadow. However, you could switch out the Sleek Blush for an MUA or Makeup Revolution palette/eye shadows as most of them are £4 or less.

I also didn't include something for brows as I use the Soap and Glory Brow Archery which would've taken up half of the budget. I don't do my brows everyday but if you wanted something to tidy them up a little and set them in place you could use a clear mascara which I know you can pick up in Boots and Superdrug for £1-3.

I'm so impressed I was able to do a full-face of makeup for under £20. You can definitely find some bargains in the drugstore that compare to high end products so you don't have to blow the budget!

What's your favourite drugstore/high street makeup brand/product?

Please let me know in the comments!

♥   ♥   ♥

Empties | Quick Product Reviews

Hello!

After rounding up a few finished products, I thought i'd give you an empties post! There isn't too much here as I don't tend to use up products that quickly and I wouldn't want this post to be too lengthy or boring by including unnecessary products! Without further ado I'll start here..

Garnier Moisture Match in Shine Be Gone.

I love this moisturiser, it has got to be my favourite! It's a perfect texture for me and locks in the hydration for 24 hours and my skin feels feather-like- i'm not kidding! I don't necessarily think this leaves my skin mattified but I do not look like a grease-ball once used so I can't complain! I purchased the one with SPF in for protection over the warmer months and I could not wait to repurchase this again, although the SPF one wasn't bad.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water.

Another Garnier product, I've discovered that my skin really gets on with Garnier so i'll definitely continue to try their products. This was no exception, I was so impressed with how well this dissolved my makeup and left my skin feeling clear of makeup and cleansed, although you can use this without washing the product off I still follow it up with a cleanser of which you'll see in this empties post. Overall, I can't fault it and it's very affordable! 

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer.

Do I need to say anymore? A concealer that is constantly raved about and I can see why! This covers pretty much all of my blemishes and dark under eyes! This is perfect for blemishes and although it covers dark circles it does tend to crease a little after a long while. I'm yet to find the perfect concealer for under eyes though so this is doing the job for now and I'll repurchase again and again!

Soap and Glory Scub of your Life.

Before I had the full-size of this and then a mini, I didn't really use body scrubs- oops! But i'll definitely be repurchasing this as it made my skin so smooth ready for moisturising and it smells great! I've seen there is a scrub which is lime scented, I may have to give that one a go too!

Garnier PureActive Foam Wash.

I'm sure you've seen this mentioned here on my blog before but if not you can see a review here. This is a great wash for the morning as it has quite a strong scent so definitely wakes you up! I find this is great for when I have more blemishes as it gives such a deep cleanse and it seems to reduce the redness and get rid of them quicker. This is another product i'll be buying again!

Lush Tea Tree Toner Water. (For some reason the picture didn't transport, but it can be seen above or below)

After having a few more blemishes I decided to opt for this to not only refresh my face but as it contains Tea Tree will act as an anti-bacterial, keeping my skin refreshed and cleansed at the same time. I really enjoyed using this product, especially during the warmer months as you get a little sweaty, disgusting I know but it happens to us all! My only bug bare with this is that as it is natural it doesn't last a very long time so i'm glad I purchased the smaller bottle of this, although I think i'll repurchase this when I next pop into Lush!

That's all of my empties done and dusted! I love seeing empties post as it gives an insight of whether somebody actually enjoyed using the product and to see whether they'd actually repurchase it, so I hope you liked this post! Let me know if you'd like to see my next batch of empties and i'll be sure to save them up for a post!

Until next time,

Amy X

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

Favourites this May.

Hello!

So today is Bank Holiday Monday, as I've got a day to myself I thought i'd get a post up! This is going to be a small-ish roundup of my favourites this May 2014, as the title suggests! Now I have a week off and although I have a lot of things to get done this week as I am finishing my first year at college soon, I am hoping to get some blogging done! So lets just get straight into it.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer- £4.19

The first two of my favourites come together as one really, first is the much loved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, I have this in shade 1 Fair. Now I purchased this a few months ago, I used it for a while and I wasn't overly impressed but it did the job within budget, for some reason I went off this concealer and forgot about it. Recently I picked this out and thought i'd give it a whirl again and I'm loving it, perfect for covering the spots that have been breaking out recently, although I am still looking for the perfect under-eye concealer- this is well worth it for under £5!

Real Techniques Pointed Foundation brush(from core collection)- £21.99

As I said the next links to the concealer, its the Real Techniques Pointed Foundation brush. Now I know the name doesn't suggest this but I just feel the brush is too small for foundation. I've been using this for my concealer, under my eyes and to cover blemishes- this brush is so quick to blend and doesn't leave the streaky brush marks you sometimes get!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water- usually £4.99

I've been trying to get my hands on the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water but every time I went into my local Boots, it was sold out and double the price in Superdrug! I made a trip down to another boots a little further away and got it! I've been using this to take off my makeup when I get in late for work and really can't be bothered to do the full cleansing routine. Yes I know that sounds disgusting but this takes off the makeup and cleanses at the same time without the need for a deep clean wash afterwards! Amazing!

MUA Heaven and Earth Eye shadow Palette- £4.00

I don't think I've said enough about this palette but I love it! It's the MUA Heaven and Earth palette. I must admit i'm not the best at applying eye shadow but i'm learning and I've found a way that works for me. This is the perfect neutral palette, with beautiful gold, bronze and champagne shimmers that are subtle enough for day to day looks! I'm hoping to do a more in depth review once I feel more confident with eye shadow!

Topshop 'High Vamp Skaters'- £20

And the final pictured here is my Topshop Skater style shoes. I cannot begin to explain how much I've been loving these this month- so much to the point that I've worn them nearly every day and they're still in good nick! I saw a few Youtuber's with these and instantly fell in love! At £20 I just couldn't let them go, now I've seen the pink and white pair and am lusting over them both! Watch this space to see if I *accidentally* get my hands on them, haha!

Finally the last things that I've been loving this month aren't pictured but i'd thought i'd tell you another few.
1. The weather. I live in Wales and i'd be lying if I said its been amazing all month, but there have been the odd days like today where the weather has been so lovely, so warm and summery! It's also been a tad stormy this month too, I must admit I love it when its like this! Just feeling all cozy inside listening to the rain and thunder. Its been the perfect mix this month haha!

2. Doing things. Well that's way too vague, but my confidence isn't the greatest, i'm working on it but it will take a while. This month I've been able to voice my opinions and not be afraid what people will think, especially at college. I'm so glad to say I've stuck at college for the whole year- In September I panicked and cried every morning and nearly didn't end up stepping foot back inside the building. It took time but I got over that and have near completed my first year at college!
I also attended an interview last week and for the first time it went well! I was actually able to form sentences while in there, it resulted in getting invited back for a trial day which is tomorrow! After much thinking, I decided it's something I don't want but I am going to attend to say I've done it.

And that's it for my favourites this May! This month has well and truly flown by! I can't even believe that next month we will be half way through the year of 2014 already, whaaat!

Comment below what you've been loving this month and maybe some suggestions of under eye concealers that won't crease!? Also let me know what you'd like to see on my blog!

Talk soon,

Amy X