Winter Pamper Routine | Hair, Skin and Nails

Today I thought it was about time I shared an updated pamper routine with you guys. It's been a while since I last shared what I use to pamper myself and I like to change up my products quite regularly in order to try new ones out, however some remain the same which you will see throughout this post. If you'd like to see my last pamper routine, you can find it here. Also, this post is a collab with the lovely Megan from Floral Chummys so be sure to go check her post out too! Enough with the rambling, lets get into it!

First up i'll start with a hair mask, i'd usually go for an Argan Oil one which you can pick up in bargain shops. However, I recently discovered the Philip Kingsley Elastizer in my beauty advent calendar so I tried it out as soon as I could. The directions tell you to pop it on before shampooing, leave it on for about 20 mins then rinse with shampoo and condition as normal. It's supposed to leave you with healthier hair that shines- so far I couldn't say but bloggers rave about this so i'm hoping it'll serve my hair well!

Next i'll jump in the shower and rinse my hair with shampoo as instructed by the hair mask. I don't have any particular shampoo and conditioner that I use during a pamper night so i'll just use my everyday products which happen to be the Tresemme Salon Silk Shampoo and Conditioner. I love Tresemme hair products so i'll always run back to them, time and time again.

Once my hair is washed and conditioned, it's time to move on to my body. First of all, I'll go in with the Soap and Glory Scrub Of Your Life which I have sadly ran out of at the moment. It's my favourite body scrub, I love the classic Soap and Glory scent and this really gets to work an leaves me with super soft skin paired with the Clean On Me Shower Gel and the body butter which i'll talk about shortly.

Now i'm all clean and my pores have opened from the steam of the shower, i'll pop on a face mask. This is currently my go-to face mask, it's the Lush Mask of Magnaminty- I actually did a review on it here. It also doubles up as a scrub when applying and removing as there are little grains in it- the perfect two-in-one! This leaves my face feeling super clean, soft and tackles any blemishes I may have on their way/on my face. I'll leave this on whilst i'm moisturising my body.

The body butter I most often opt for is the Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter. Again, it has the classic Soap and Glory scent and is super thick but sinks in quickly to leave the skin feeling soft and smelling lovely. I've almost run out of this too so i'm hoping Santa will pop it under the tree along side with the scrub.

Another Soap and Glory product I like to use(#NotAnAd, lol) is The Heel Genius Foot Cream. Feet isn't usually something I focus on here on my blog but I put quite a lot of this on, put socks on and leave it to do it's work overnight and by the morning I have super moisturised and soft feet.

Once these are done, i'm pretty sure it's time to remove my face mask so once that's done i'll apply whatever moisturiser i'm using at the time. At the moment i'm using the Grown Alchemist Hydra-Repair Cream morning and night, it leaves my skin feeling hydrated and plump and I also really like the botanical scent- it's so relaxing when applied just before bed. Now it's time to light some candles and pop on some YouTube vidoes whilst I paint my nails.

As i'm not supposed to wear nail polish during the week because of my job, I tend not to bother on the weekends. However, I'll definitely be whipping out my festive polishes once I finish work for Christmas. I recently picked up these from Avon which are perfect for the Christmas season. The left is one of the Magic Effects Molten Metals in the shade Copper and the other is one of the Gel Finish Polishes in Roses Are Red.

Whilst my nails are drying, i'll try to convince my Dad to make me a Lemon Green Tea because ya'know my nails aren't dry! Usually, it doesn't work so i'll have to strategically make a cup of tea without getting smudging my nails. Then again, i'll watch a bunch of YouTube videos whilst sipping my cup of tea, waiting for my nails to dry, loving life!

Last but not least, once it's time to call it a day i'll pop on some hand cream- usually one by The Body Shop or Soap and Glory, blow the candles out and hit the hay. Zzz!

There you have it, my winter pamper routine. I hope you enjoyed this post, make sure you go check out Megan's post, here to see what products she loves using during a pamper routine. I hope you've had a lovely week, only twelve sleeps til Christmas!

WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU USE WHILST HAVING A PAMPER?

♥   ♥   ♥

The Pinky Nude Lip | My Favourite Lip Combo!

Recently I noticed that compared to any other category in my makeup collection, I have a lot more lip products! On a day-to-day basis, I only really wear the same few so I decided I won't buy any more lip products until after Christmas. Who knows? It might save me a few pounds before Christmas, thus being able to spend more on gifts! It's been about a month, though I may have caved a little bit and bought the Glamour magazine- just for the free lipstick! When thinking about this, the idea came to me to do a post on one of my favourite lip combos- so that's what I shall be sharing with you today.

I love a pinky/nude lip on an everyday basis as I think they're so easy to pair with any makeup look and they wear away nicely without leaving that horrible ring stain. Now, I always go into Poundland for a browse as sometimes they have some great beauty products- whilst looking I saw this Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Rose Quartz. These lip liners retail at around £3 so I saved myself a couple of quid there, however I can't seem to find Rose Quartz online at Boots so I think they may have had a revamp and renamed it Indian Pink which looks a pretty similar colour, so bare that in mind if you're looking for it!

As you can see below this is a nudey pink colour with the slightest shimmer, however I can barely notice the shimmer unless it's in the light. I apologise, that was an awful description so hopefully it swatched gives you a better idea! I tend to use this by outlining my lips first and then put it all over the inside of my lips, this will act as a base for the lip gloss later. As I mentioned earlier, this lip liner fades evenly so you're left with a stain all over. However, this may need to be re-applied throughout the day depending on whether you're eating or drinking.

Left/Top- Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Rose Quartz
Right/Bottom- Fleur De Force Lip Gloss in Written In The Stars

To finish off the look I will go in with the Fleur De Force Lip Gloss in Written In The Stars. I was super excited for these to be released as they looked and sounded amazing when Fleur was showing them in her video. I had my eye on the berry toned one, ready for Autumn/Winter but I already have enough berry colours in my collection so instead I went for this instead. This is Written In The Stars, again is a pinky nude colour, very similar to the lip liner- just a tad lighter. On first swatch, I was really impressed by how incredibly pigmented these glosses are, they're not too sticky so are comfortable on the lips and they smell gorgeous! If scented lip products are your thing then you'd love these- vanillary goodness!

Usually i'd quickly pop on lip gloss without a mirror, however I find these are so pigmented that I could end up looking like Coco the Clown- so I make sure I've got a mirror handy when applying these. I love the high shine finish these lip glosses give and this combo makes me feel like I've got my sh*t together when really, I probably haven't...

How long does this combo last? I couldn't say exactly, I do find I have to reapply after eating/drinking for the full effect. If I just left it though, as I've mentioned a good few times before in this post- these fade evenly so I don't have to worry too much! I'm yet to find a lipstick/lip combo that lasts all day without the need to re-apply so if you've got any recommendations, please leave them below!

This is my go-to lip look for an everyday basis, though if i'm feeling I want to be extra Autumnal, I will apply a berry colour. This one is just a lot easier to maintain!

SHOP THE LOOK

Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Rose Quartz, here- £3.24

Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Indian Pink(similar), here- £2.99 

Fleur De Force Lip Gloss in Written In The Stars, here- £6.99

Apologies for not posting on Sunday, I was pretty busy so didn't have time or ideas on what to post. I'd be grateful if you left me with any suggestions to take me up to December. Also, let me know whether you've tried any of Fleur De Forces makeup line and what you think of it!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LIP COMBO?

♥   ♥   ♥

30 Beauty Questions | TAG

This week I've been quite busy so unfortunately I haven't had much time to think about or prepare a post for today. However, I didn't want to miss an upload day so I thought i'd take a look some beauty tags and I've chosen this one to share with you today. I'll try to make sure i'm on top form next week, so bare with me guys!

1. DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST MAKEUP ITEM?

I had to have a good think about this. I believe it was one of those makeup compacts with pink and blue eye shadows from Argos. I think I may still have it somewhere!

2. DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT MASCARA. HAVE YOU FOUND ONE THAT FITS YOUR SPECIFICATIONS? 

I really like long fluttery lashes, though the mascara must not be too wet nor too dry. I love the Benefit Roller Lash for this!

3. WHAT KIND OF COVERAGE DO YOU PREFER FROM FOUNDATION?

Medium. Something that can be worn as a natural everyday base but also can be built up to a high coverage when needed.

4. FAVOURITE HIGH END BRAND?

I haven't tried that many high end brands so it'd have to be Benefit.

5. WHAT COSMETICS BRANDS HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY BUT STILL HAVEN'T?

MAC, Urban Decay and Laura Mercier!

6. FAVOURITE DRUGSTORE BRAND?

This was a tough one! It was between Rimmel and L'Oreal. I'd have to say Rimmel as I've tried and loved a lot more products from them!

7. DO YOU WEAR FAKE EYELASHES?

I've only worn individuals once or twice and I loved them! I think I should try them out again, go all fancy for the festive season coming up! Any recommendations?

8. IS THERE ANY KIND OF MAKEUP YOU CANT LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT?

Mascara, I feel that I look more awake and slightly more done up with a quick flick of mascara!

9. WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHERISHED BEAUTY PRODUCT?

I imagine this would usually be a high end product that you love but I don't have any full-sized high end products! I'd have to say L'Oreal True Match Foundation, it has been a solid favourite for over a year now!

10. HOW OFTEN DO YOU SHOP FOR MAKEUP? DO YOU PICK IT UP HERE AND THERE OR GET LOTS OF GOODIES AT ONCE?

I've never actually gone into Boots and done a huge shop. Though, I think I should after Christmas and get a whole load of products for a new year. I pick it up here and there!

11. DO YOU HAVE A BEAUTY BUDGET OR DO YOU SPEND FREELY?

I don't necessarily have a budget, but I do try not to spend too much on beauty products- hence why the majority of them are drugstore!

12. DO YOU UTILISE COUPONS, REWARDS CARDS AND SALES WHEN YOU SHOP FOR COSMETICS?

I pop coupons in my purse and forget about them! I always use my Boots and Superdrug points card and always browse in the sale!

13. WHAT TYPE OF PRODUCT DO YOU BUY THE MOST OF?

Lipsticks, definitely. I've told my mum that I won't buy anymore until after Christmas. Let's see how long this lasts!

14. IS THERE A BRAND YOU ABSOLUTELY CANT STAND?

I had a good think about this and I don't think there is! Miss Sporty reminds me of the time when I used to use cheap makeup from magazines, it didn't look too great but that was probably my fault. But I don't hate Miss Sporty as I've heard they actually have some really affordable and great products.

15. DO YOU AVOID CERTAIN INGREDIENTS IN COSMETICS LIKE PARABENS OR SULFATES?

Of course it's always a bonus if products don't have these but it's rare that I look up the ingredients of products which is really bad. I'm sure i'm not though only one though!

16. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PLACE TO SHOP FOR MAKEUP?

Boots and Superdrug. I used to love buying makeup from Frangrance Direct online though as they have super affordable makeup. I may just go have a browse now!

17. DO YOU LIKE TRYING NEW SKINCARE PRODUCTS OR DO YOU KEEP A CERTAIN ROUTINE?

I buy new skincare products quite often actually. I love trying new cleansers as i'm yet to find the perfect one for my skin. However, once I start using a product that I like- I do use it for a good while or until it's completely empty so I sort of stick to a routine.

18. FAVOURITE BATH AND BODY BRAND?

Soap and Glory. I've just been lusting over their amazing Christmas gift sets!

19. IF YOU COULD ONLY BUY FROM ONE BRAND, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

This may seem a little odd as I've never actually tried anything from them but MAC. MAC just about do everything beauty wise and so many people rave about it!

20. WHAT BRAND DO YOU THINK HAS THE BEST PACKAGING?

Benefits packaging is really pretty!

21. WHICH CELEBRITY ALWAYS HAS GREAT MAKEUP?

I actually have no idea for this one. I only keep upto date with a handful of celebs and I rarely look at their makeup which is odd seeing as I love makeup a lot!

22. DO YOU BELONG TO ANY ONLINE BEAUTY COMMUNITIES?

The Beauty Blogger community, I guess!

23. 5 FAVOURITE BEAUTY GURUS

*Trawls through YouTube Subscriptions*
Amelia Liana
Fleur De Force
Laura Black
Miss Budget Beauty
Vivianna Does Makeup
one more, maybe?
Lily Pebbles

24. DO YOU LIKE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PRODUCTS LIKE LIP AND CHEEK STAINS?

They're handy, yes! I don't really use lip and cheek stains. I do use an eye shadow on my eyes and as a highlight though!

25. ARE YOU CLUMSY WHEN PUTTING MAKEUP ON?

I'm not the best, I do try though! I have had countless eye makeup disasters which I've had to frantically wipe away and do my standard everyday neutral look!

26. DO YOU USE A MAKEUP BASE/PRIMER FOR THE EYES?

I usually use the remains on my fingers of my face primer and just pat it into my lids. Some people use their concealer too, don't they?

27. HOW MANY HAIR PRODUCTS DO YOU USE ON A TYPICAL DAY?

If i'm washing my hair, 4(shampoo, conditioner, serum and heat protector). If not then 2(heat protector and dry shampoo).

28. WHAT DO YOU APPLY FIRST? CONCEALER OR FOUNDATION?

I used to apply concealer first but I was technically rubbing it off when applying foundation so now, it's always foundation first!

29. DO YOU EVER CONSIDER TAKING MAKEUP CLASSES?

Always! I'd love to learn how to professionally apply makeup. However, there are only a couple near me which either don't have very good reviews or are super expensive!

30. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MAKEUP?
I love how much makeup can change the way you look by enhancing your best features. Makeup also changes the way you feel about yourself, you can feel so much more confident and put together with makeup. I love to experiment with makeup, is it sad to say that makeup brings me joy?

I really enjoy reading tags so I hope this one hasn't been too boring!
I'm not going to tag anyone in particular as I know it can be difficult to keep on top of tags you've been tagged to complete. Feel free to do this tag if you please, let me know if you do it and i'll definitely go and check it out!

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO THIS WEEK?

♥   ♥   ♥

Halloween How To: | Dripping Blood Nails!

It's been a long time since I actually did something for Halloween. Gone are the days where i'd throw on my witch costume and go trick or treating, sigh! Instead of just wasting the opportunity to do something festive every year, I always do some pumpkin carving and baking! However, this year I also opted to paint my nails a little creepy and Halloween-y so I thought i'd share those with you today.

First of all, i'm not taking the credit for this design- I was inspired by sophdoesnails on YouTube, click here to take you to the video. She has some other nail art tutorials, beauty and fashion videos which I also love to watch!

For this look you're going to need:
-Base coat
-Top coat

-Red nail varnish

-White nail varnish
-A straw or you could use a cotton bud with the cotton removed.

1. First of all, you will need to prep the nails doing your usual nail-care routine and apply your base coat.

2. Next you will need to paint your middle and ring finger with the white nail varnish. I used this cheap one from a manicure kit, so I did two coats.

3. Whilst you're waiting for the first coat of white to dry, paint the rest of your nails using a red. I used a classic red but you could go for a darker shade, it might look more realistic too.

4. Once the second coat of white is dry, take the red that you used for your other nails and put a few drops onto some paper. Dip in the end of your straw and blow at the other end onto the white nail. The red I used was a gel nail varnish so was a little thicker than a standard polish, this made it a little harder to use the blowing technique. Instead, I used the straw as a dotting tool and dotted red in places to make it look splattered. I felt I was able to have more control using this technique, therefore there was less mess to clean up!

5. Once I was happy with the way they looked, I took a cotton bud with some nail varnish remover to remove any nail varnish that got onto my skin around the nail.

6. Finally, to finish off the design and to make it last longer, apply a top coat. I still don't have a top coat so I used my base coat instead.

And there you have it, blood splattered/dripping nails for Halloween!

I know this is last minute, but you've still got time before tomorrow to do this so let me know if you do!


Happy Halloween!

Stay safe and have fun!

♥   ♥   ♥

Mask of Magnaminty | Lush Skincare Review

I heard lots about this mask and after having a breakout, my skin was in desperate need of a good treatment. I decided to purchase this mask whilst I was shopping in Exeter, we do have Lush in my hometown I just rarely pop in as it's a little out the way. I don't tend to purchase much from Lush anyway as I don't enjoy baths which is a shame, also the products are fresh so they don't tend to last as long, therefore I found a lot would go  to waste in my case. I believe the Mask of Magnaminty is the only self-preserving mask that Lush do, I picked this up in August and it should stay fresh til late November which is great and it shouldn't go to waste. 

This mask is aimed at more oily and blemish prone skin as it aims to clean, calm and clear. However I feel that this is quite gentle and nourishing so it could work for those with dry or sensitive skin too! 

On first application I noticed the lovely fresh minty scent, as the name would suggest. I found that this mask doesn't tend to go hard like most of the other masks I've used in the past, so I tend to leave it on for a little longer and my skin has no problems with that! Although, I did hear that the fresh Mask of Magnaminty has a considerably thicker consistency, so if you like thicker, heavier masks- that might be a better option for you. I think I much prefer this as it will last a lot longer, therefore it's better value for money. 

The mask is quite gritty as it contains evening primrose seeds and aduki beans which help to exfoliate the skin when applying and removing. Although the grains are quite large, they're gentle on the skin which would also be great for dry skin sufferers to remove any flaking skin. 

To remove the mask I usually soak a face towel in warm water and wipe it from the skin. Once removed I could definitely notice how clean, soft and smooth my face felt. I couldn't help but feel my face afterwards as it felt amazing! In terms of how it made my skin look, I haven't noticed drastic changes but any spots I did have were less angry and I believe my skin has been a lot calmer since I started using this.

For that matter, I would definitely repurchase this as it's so affordable and convenient as it's self-preserving because like most people, I only use a mask once a week. Also, it tastes like mint chocolate chip ice cream. Yes, I know you're not supposed to eat it but I couldn't resist licking the tiny bit that happened to get onto my lips when applying. I noticed on the pot it also says, if you bring back five pots or tubes to recycle, you get a free fresh face mask- I'm definitely up for that!

The Mask of Magnaminty comes in at £5.50 for 125g which is quite a considerable amount, however you can also pick up the larger size of 315g for £9.75 which you might want if you're planning to use it as a body scrub also!

Have you tried this? If not, what is your favourite face mask?

♥   ♥   ♥

10 Things I'd Tell My Teenage Self About Beauty | Skincare, Makeup and Hair.

Today I've been reminiscing on my awful beauty habits as a teenager and thought it'd make a good/cringe/funny blog post, hopefully some of you can relate and that I wasn't that bad... we'll see I guess.

1. Going to sleep with makeup on.
This makes me quiver just thinking about it- i'm sure somebody told me that leaving your makeup on overnight can age your face by seven days. I'm not too sure how true that is but I still continued to out of sheer laziness. I was actually reading online and found this article- 'A recent survey reveals a third of us sleep with our slap on, twice weekly. So for a month, Anna applied makeup as normal- but never took it off! By the end, experts said her skin had aged by a decade.' This absolutely horror-ed me, thank goodness I snapped out of that in my mid teens.

2. Makeup wipes do not remove all traces of makeup.
I did use makeup wipes for some years and I must admit at the time I didn't realise how bad they could be for use on a daily basis. However, they're very convenient for travelling!

3. Cleansing, Toning and Moisturising was meant to be done twice a day, not just when you're pampering yourself.

This is another one that makes me cringe, why did I think a sweep of a makeup wipe would be ok? I had very oily skin, I'm not surprised but I thought moisturising would make it worse.

4. Powder on dry skin.
Another stage I went through was extremely dry skin. When I couldn't be bothered to apply foundation before school, powder was my go-to. Let me tell you, powder on extremely dry skin is a complete no no. It clinged and looked orange, lovely...

5. Clumped mascara.
To be fair, this was a trend in high school- spidery lashes.
It did not suit you Aim.

6. Neither did bright purple mascara...
This was one I received with one of those teenage magazines, Bliss I think- that was my favourite. I thought I was quirky, but really I was very uncool.

7. Put the black kohl eye liner down.
Because who wants to look like Shirley Carter from Eastenders? Me apparently! 

8. Do not over pluck your eyebrows

OR try trimming them yourself because you think the hairs are too long. Hello one and a half eyebrows...

9. Dark hair does not suit you.

Especially the red and purple toned browns- no, no, no. You probably resembled a vampire deemed as you're so pale.

10. Use that heat protector!
I used to think heat protector would make my hair greasy, it's not that bad but singed red/purple hair is!

Please tell me you can relate to some of these...
Also let me know in the comments some of the bad beauty habits you had as a teenager or when you were younger- i'd love to hear as i'm sure there are probably a lot more I could relate to.

♥   ♥   ♥

July Goals | Life

Today's post will be short and snappy. I'm going to share with you a few of my goals for the month of July.

1. Finish college and my work placement. 

I believe I've mentioned this before but I have to complete a work placement along side my college course to gain experience working with children. My last day is on the 10th of July and although i'm a little gutted to be leaving as I love it so much, I am very excited to start my summer properly.

2. Get a job interview. 

Recently I've been applying for jobs to start in September, working full-time. However, I've not been very successful in my search but i'm hoping something will crop up that I can attend an interview for or even secure a job. Fingers crossed!

3. Complete a Paediatric First Aid Course. 

I found out that a centre near me will be running a First Aid Course this month and though i'm yet to book- I plan on doing it. Not only will this help me in my job search and when working with children, I also feel this is a very handy skill to have.

4. Spend more time outside.

It is well known that the sun can really help to solve skin problems such as spots or acne. I always try to get my daily dose of Vitamin D but i'll be trying extra hard to step outside and just enjoy being outdoors whether that be in my garden or out and about with friends.

5. Spend more time with family.

You may have seen my previous post: here, where I mentioned I met up with family that I haven't seen in years. I'd like to continue to do this so my plan for this summer, starting now is to visit family on a regular basis.

6. Exercise more.

I feel this occurs in a lot of peoples goals or resolutions but I really mean it. I'd like to loose weight but more importantly become healthier and fitter. Me and my friend have tried to go for a run at least once a week and we've decided to step it up a notch and go every other day or whenever possible.We'll see how that's gone at the end of the month.

7. Choose healthier options.

I'm constantly trying to eat healthier and shift a bit of weight but who can resit a couple of biscuits with their cup of tea!? Instead of just jumping to the junk food, i'm trying to consider and eat healthier options. Goodbye bread, hello crispbread and salad.

8. Give my room a little makeover.

I've never really been completely happy with the area at the end of my bed so I've decided to ditch the bed net, you know those mosquito nets that you see quite often on Tumblr and maybe add some clear fairy lights or just go completely simplistic and have a shelf with a few bits and bobs on.

9. Give myself a little makeover.

Nothing too drastic don't worry, I just mean sorting my hair out. I haven't dyed my hair in about 3/4 years but i'd like to change it up a little. I'm not entirely sure what colour i'd like but I shall have a think and get back to you on that one. If not I may just have a restyle!

10. Blog more.

Last but not least as I soon shall be off for summer, i'll have more time to blog so i'd like to get up at least two posts a week- if not more! I'd really appreciate if you could leave some post suggestions for the summer below in the comments!

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS JULY?

♥   ♥   ♥

Face, Body and Hair | Evening Pamper Routine!

Today me and the lovely Jess from the blog heyitisjess decided it was time to collab again so we've brought to you our pamper routine and essentials. Be sure to check out her post, here and give her a follow on bloglovin!

First of all my pamper routine starts with removing all my makeup from the day, usually I would use Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water but when I'm pampering myself a little I'll use this Vichy 3 in 1 Cleansing Milk as it's a little more moisturising. 

Depending how my skin is I'll take the Origins Modern Friction exfoliator and buff away the dead skin cells, nice..

Or if I'm having a breakout or feel my skin needs a little more TLC I'll use the Origins Clear Improvement charcoal face mask which is great for calming down spots. If my skins a little dry which I've been finding it has been lately with the change in seasons I'll use one of the Montagne Jeunesse packet face masks, these are so affordable and come in lots of different types!

I'm not a lover of baths so unfortunately the bath products in Lush are pretty useless for me, however tempting! Instead I'll shower using a couple of my favourite products, first is this Lush American Cream conditioner. I use this on a regular basis though when I'm pampering I tend to leave it on for longer, about 5 minutes. 

While that's working on my hair I'll take the Soap and Glory Scrub of Your Life body scrub and again buff away the dead skin cells on my body to prep ready to moisturise! At the moment I'm using the this Coconut and Cream body butter from I Love... which I believe is stocked at Superdrug. I usually wouldn't go for something like this as I'm hooked on Soap and Glory's The Righteous Butter but I had this to use up and I actually really like it, mainly for the scent- mmm!

Comfiest pyjamas? Check!

Next I'll switch on my fairy lights and light some candles before jumping into bed with a cup of tea in my favourite mug(which isn't actually mine, haha!), some chocolate and watch the videos in my YouTube subscription box, bliss!

Do you have pamper evenings often? If so, what products are essential for you? Let me know as I'd love to try some new ones out!

Remember to check out Jess' post, until next time...

♥   ♥   ♥

I Can't Be The Only One? | Bad Beauty Habits

Hello! For those of you who aren't already aware I've changed my blog name, I was 'A Touch of Pastels' but now everything has been changed over. Yay!

However, today I thought I'd do something a bit different- talk through some bad beauty habits. The first is a given with the image below, makeup filled brushes!

- I don't clean my brushes as often as I should. Once a week I say, more like evey fortnight- probably a bit gross!

- My skin seems to eat my makeup, why? I forget to prime and set with powder or a setting spray. This is probably why I look a bit worse for wear when returning from college or shopping.

- I touch my face, by that I mean I check for spots that could've appeared through out the day and probably encourage more. Not to mention the urge to pop them, disgusting I know! Does this sound familiar?

- I'm too lazy to dry my hair after washing so I let it dry naturally, that's not the problem. When my hair is wild in the morning and I need to look semi presentable I straighten/put some curls in my hair but I don't use heat protection because it doesn't feel right on dry hair, and I wonder why my hair is so damaged!?

- Who has time to moisturise their body after every shower? Definitely not me! I don't want to wait around in the cold for my body to absorb the body butter so I don't get stuck to my clothes. I should really pick up the Vaseline spray on body moisturiser!

- Old makeup? Throw it out! I'm guilty of assuming a 2 possibly 3 year old cream eye shadow would be OK, it wasn't! Talk about extremely irritated and dry eye lids! Having said that, give or take a few months and it can't cause that much harm, if anything. What do you think about it?

- Steer away from the tweezers, or in my case scissors. When I was about 15, I thought my eyebrow hairs were too long and thought it'd be perfectly fine to trim them with scissors. I thought it was OK until I wiped the pencil off I used to fill them in, I was half an eyebrow down! Thank goodness it grew back but in some cases, it doesn't. So don't over pluck either!

- I'm sure most people have bitten their nails at some point in their life, whether that be down to habit or habit when you're nervous. Think of all the germs and bacteria on your hands and even worse hidden under your nail, this stopped me along with painting them with my favourite nail varnish!

- That little bit of skin at the side of your nail, do not pick it! Apart from the fact it hurts like a (excuse my language) b*tch, it can also get infected really easily- ouch!

- Who else picks at split ends? I found myself rummaging through my hair while watching TV to find split ends, while I thought I was removing them I was actually told I was causing further damage up the hair. Again, I wonder why my hair is so damaged!

Please let me know I'm not the only one? What are your bad beauty habits? I'd love to hear in the comments!

Also let me know what you'd like to see here on The Traces of my Thoughts.

Much Love,

♥   ♥   ♥ 

The Glamour Party Beauty Edit | Beauty Box Review

I'm pretty sure most beauty lovers will have heard of beauty boxes and have received or been intrigued by what they have to offer. I definitely fit into that category so about a week or two ago I made an order on a website called Latest In Beauty, where I ordered the Glamour Party Beauty Edit box. At the time this box was on offer for about £13 which I was completely drawn to as the box featured a lot of brands I had yet to try at such good value.

This was the first beauty box I've tried so I was so excited when it came through my door. Upon opening I was greeted by a lovely designed printed box, where I then opened to find the prettiest simplistic tissue paper to surprise me with the contents.

Inside contained:

L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin (75ml- perfect handbag size)

Wild about Beauty eye shadow in Fern

Lola nail varnish in Bluebell

Xen-Tan Luminous Gold Gel in Medium (30ml sample size)

Collection Lengthening Mascara

Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing shampoo&conditioner(x2 20ml sample size)

Stila Smudge Stick waterproof eye liner in Black Amethyst

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb

Vichy Purete Thermal 3 in 1 cleanser (30ml sample size)

Vichy Idealia Life Serum (3ml sample size)

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels (1 use sachet)

2x London Popband (1 black&gold houndstooth and 1 plain black)

and finally Glamour Magazine subscription(discounted by 62%)

As you can see you get a lot for your money, with trial sizes perfect for experimenting with before purchasing the full-sized product and also some full-size drugstore and high-end brands. You'll definitely get your moneys worth with this box as just the Wild about Beauty eye shadow or Stila Smudge Stick are £13 each alone. Although i'm not going to review every product here individually, you will see the products I've liked and enjoyed using featured on my blog in upcoming weeks. So keep an eye out for my thoughts or ask below if you're desperate for someone elses opinion on a product before buying. 

I'm completely happy with the box as I was not disappointed by any of the shades/products I received so I will definitely think about ordering another and maybe trying some other beauty boxes.

The Glamour Party Beauty Edit box is still available here, priced at £16.99 which is a complete bargain as the products inside are worth over a total of £88.

Have you tried a beauty box and have got any recommendations? I'd love to know!

Until next time,

♥   ♥   ♥

Lauren Conrad Beauty | Book Review

If i'm honest i'm not really a reader of novels, though I do enjoy a quick flick through non-fiction and magazines. As you can probably tell one of my main interests is beauty so Christmas 2013 I asked for the Lauren Conrad Beauty book as i'd seen it was quite popular among beauty lovers.

I've had this for a year now and I wanted to write something different to the usual on my blog so I thought i'd do a review on what I think of it.

Immediately when unwrapping the book I thought how pretty it would look displayed on a shelf or coffee table as it's complete with a lovely dust cover. I love how simplistic the book is with a monochrome look throughout complete with beautiful images. 

I have to be honest my initial thoughts were exactly how the book spent the first few months of 2014, though I did have a quick nose through it, it's main purpose was to look pretty displayed on a shelf in my room. 

Once I had nothing planned for an evening I decided to sit down with a cup of tea and have a look through the book. The book features 12 Chapters based on skin and hair care, health, fitness and food, hair and makeup looks, nails and beauty through the decades. I wont go in depth on every chapter here but I will include my opinions on chapters that I thought really stood out.

Instantly I was drawn to the skincare section of the book as I believe having good skin is the basis to all good makeup. Though I don't have the best skin, I do try my hardest in order to put it in it's best condition. 

I was most intrigued by the section on ingredients to avoid which is very handy and usually avoids mishaps of purchasing products that could potentially make my skin worse, I always reference back to this when shopping online for products- so handy!

#

Makeup Tips, Tricks and Techniques is a chapter I found really useful as it was only at the beginning of 2014 where I really started to get into makeup and beauty. This is great if you're just starting out in makeup or you feel you need more knowledge and hints to perfecting your makeup. The chapter also held pages on different brushes and what they can be used for which is again perfect if you're a beginner.

I still agree with my initial thought of this book being perfect for the coffee table as you can simply just pick it up, brush up where you think you need more knowledge and put it down without feeling like you're missing out. As I mentioned earlier the images in this book really catch the eye which I love when reading.

Featured are short, easy to follow tutorials on hair and makeup looks as well as nails- perfect for when you're planning to go out with the girls!

Beauty Through the Decades is the chapter I think most people will love demonstrating how beauty has changed through the years and how we're at this stage today. This section features look's from the 20's to the 70's to recreate yourself and look somewhat similar to beauty icon's mentioned throughout the years. 

Overall I think this book is perfect for teenagers or beginners who are just getting into beauty. Though this book doesn't recommend the best products you can buy according to Lauren Conrad, I think this is great as it will not make you feel like you need what another person is able to afford in order to look your 'best'.

The book is so handy to reference to when purchasing skincare, brushes and items to suit the individual best.

So add it to your basket if you feel like treating yourself or another!

I hope this wasn't too boring as it's the first time I've done a book review. Let me know what you think below in the comments and what else you'd like to see on my blog!

Much Love,

♥   ♥   ♥