5 Beauty Hacks I can't live without...

Hey there, today and hopefully every week i'm going to share with you 5 tips, tricks or beauty hacks that have either saved my life in a pinch or that I have learned from various places over the years. The main thing to remember though is that although these may work for me everyone is different and theres no guarantee that they will work for everyone.
phew now thats out of the way how about we get started?

1. Longer Lasting Perfume...

If like me you find that your perfume just falls flat after a little while meaning you either seriously need to re-apply or run the risk of smelling like you've taken dumpster diving a little too seriously, then this is the hack for you. All you need to do is apply a small amount of vaseline or chapstick to the areas where you apply your perfume and your perfume will last that much longer. This is definitely a hack that has saved my skin or rather other peoples noses on more than one occasion.

2. Save Your Dried Out Mascara...

Now most of you girls (or guys) know that when your mascara dries out too much thats pretty much a death sentence for said mascara. However, now you can give that old clumpy mascara a new lease of life by simply placing the tube in a cup of hot water (not boiling but not too cold either) for around 5 minutes. With this hack theres no need to throw away your favourite tube of mascara just heat it up and your good to go. Although, I've got to say that there is a down side to this tip as you lose the excuse to get some more mascara.

3. Mattify That Glossy Lip

I am most definitely a self confessed lipstick addict, I love all the different shades and the way that you can completely change a look just by using a different coloured lippy. That being said i am not the kind of woman who can pull off a glossy lip, I don't know what it is but I just prefer the look of matte lipsticks. However anyone who loves a matte lip will know that there are serious limitations when it comes to matte lipstick choices, so when I found a hack to make "any" lipstick matte I just about jumped up for joy. Finally I can enjoy a matte lip without the lipstick envy that comes along with it. All you need to do for this hack is apply your lipstick as normal (any shade would work) then take a tissue and hold it over your lips, then all you need to do is tap some translucent powder (using a makeup brush) through the tissue and on to your lips. Voila instant matte lipstick.

4. Create a Sharp Eyeshadow Look and Perfect Wing

This particular hack is one I use pretty often as it just makes things so much easier. If you struggle to create a sharp line with your eyeshadow or maybe can't seem to get a nice straight wing to your liner, then this hack right here is your life saver. All you need to do is take a small piece of tape (I prefer to use craft tape or cheaper sellotape as it's less sticky), line the tape up with your lower lash line making sure to follow the curve of your eye and aim up towards your eyebrow and then do your eyeshadow as normal. When you come to do your wing you just need to follow the edge of the tape. When you're done simply remove the tape, touch up your foundation and your done and have mastered the perfect wing to your liner.

5. Turn Your Kohl Liner into Gel

Okay so I have a serious problem with eyeliner, I just feel completely naked without it, weird I know lol. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with kohl eyeliner, in fact it's great for perfecting a sultry smokey eye or a soft makeup look. But when doing a winged liner look or you just want a perfect black liner then this hack is here to help. All you need is a kohl liner and a lighter, take the eyeliner and hold it close to (but not touching) the flame until you can see it change consistency and look a little like it's melting (you don't need to hold it there for long just a second or so) wait for it to be cool enough that it won't burn you and apply as normal. Just like that you've turned your greyish black kohl liner into a super black gel liner...Perfect.

Okay folks so there you have my 5 beauty hacks for today I will of course share more tips, tricks and hacks with you and I hope to see you again soon...

Alison

Birchbox vs Glossybox...

Hey there, today I'm going to put beauty box against beauty box to see which one will come out on top!! Birchbox and Glossybox are two monthly beauty subscription boxes both of which cost £10 plus P+P, both boxes send out 4-5 surprise beauty products each month, most of which will be samples however sometimes you get a full sized product thrown in there too definitely making them worth your while. So let's get to it and find the winning box out of Birchbox vs Glossybox!!! 

Now each of the boxes have their own perks and benefits, with Birchbox each time you review one of the samples you receive they reward you with 5 points. Then, each 100 points is equal to £10.00 which can be redeemed in their online shop (the perfect way to top up your makeup stash ;)). Whereas with Glossybox with each review you earn between 20 and 40 "glossy dots" which add up to a free box when you have reached 1000 points.
Personally I prefer the way that Birchbox's reward system works, I don't know why but for me I need to have something physical to see it as a reward, so receiving a free box just isn't as gratifying when I receive a box every month already. Plus I find that normally I just can't justify spending £30-£40 on one makeup item and when I use my Birchbox points I'm basically getting it for free and thats my kind of price lol.

Okay so lets start with Birchbox, this month Birchbox has teamed up with Habitat to create a colourful fun looking box (which I am most definitely going to find a use for let me know if you would like me to show you different ways to re-use the boxes) full of tips, tricks and colour swatches.

I love the various tip cards that you get inside the Birchbox, it's always something different (usually about beauty) and this time keeping in mind the team up with Habitat it also has a couple of tips for the home and a 20% off discount code. To be honest I was't particularly enamoured with the whole Habitat theme (not including the box itself of course) after all the only reason I subscribe to Birchbox is to be able to try out beauty products. That being said they didn't count the code as one of the samples so it was forgivable lol. You also get the usual card detailing each product in your box and exactly how to use them, which is particularly helpful with some of the smaller samples as they don't usually have instructions on the packaging/bottle.


So lets just dive right on in and see what is inside shall we?

1. A Perfect Heritage by Penny Vincenzi (RRP £7.99) 2. Catherine Malandrino - Style de Paris (RRP £50.00)

*RRP is for full sized products

 Again being that this is a beauty subscription box finding a book in my box did not exactly fill me with joy, people are so different when it comes to the things and the amount that they read and although I read a heck of a lot this particular book is not something I would have chosen for myself. I haven't gotten round to reading it yet and to be honest I seriously doubt that I will simply because if I'm going to read a book I like to firstly choose for myself and secondly I prefer to read using my iPad  as its just more convenient for me. I do however like the little note book (heres the plan) as its the perfect size to throw in my bottomless pit of a handbag. I really love the perfume (although a slightly bigger sample size would have been great) its got a lovely scent, not too flowery or over powering and lasts a fair amount of time, which is really all I ask for in a perfume and again its the perfect handbag size.

1. Philip Kingsley-Smooth cream (RRP £18.00) 2. Janjira-Pomegranate & acai facial scrub cleanser (RRP £24.00) 3. Tan Organic-Self tanning oil (RRP £24.99)

I have received a Philip Kingsley hair product in a previous box and it worked pretty well so I have high hopes for the smooth cream plus what frizzy haired girl doesn't love a good frizz tamer. To be honest I haven't tried either the facial scrub or the tanning oil yet so I can't say how effective they will be but I'm definitely excited to try the tanning oil (which I'll get to this weekend as i have a wedding to go to) as I haven't tried anything like that yet and I do love a good oil whether for my hair or my body. The same can't be said for the facial scrub simply because I do seem to get a fair few facial scrubs and masks in my Birchbox and although most of them work really well I'm not overly keen on constantly changing my face products due to my super sensitive skin.

Benefit Cosmetics-Roller Lash (RRP from £17.50)

 Now this last product is by far the product I LOVE the most and was a the most excited for, not only because I love a good mascara. With Roller Lash you're supposed achieve beautiful looking curled eyelashes without the need for eyelash curlers. And to tell you the truth I just couldn't wait so I have tried this already and although I won't go in to detail as I will do a full review at a later date it has to be said that my lashes do look great :). Now it's time we moved on to Glossybox so that we can see which box came out on top.

This months Glossybox is the classic pink box as opposed to a themed box (next months theme is Hollywood glam) and is packed with the same care and attention to detail as usual, including a cute black ribbon which I usually keep to use in my hair (it makes a great simple accessory to any hairstyle). And again you get a product card with details, prices and how to use each item although unlike Birchbox there aren't any tip cards which could be seen as a negative I suppose. The other downside with the Glossybox this month is that although the Birchbox arrived around the 4th of March I then had to wait until the 19th for my Glossybox to arrive and let me tell you it was one incredibly long wait.

1. Carmex-moisture plus hydrating lip balm (RRP £4.49) 2. NCLA-Los Angeles Nail varnish in shade(RRP £13.00)

Anyway...Lets get on with the goodies, the first thing i pulled out of my little box of treats was this carmen lip balm in the shade Berry. I already own a carmen lip balm and it is super moisturising but its in the pink colour, when I tried out this shade though I instantly fell in love. It adds the perfect hint of colour all while leaving my lips super smooth and soft, definitely a lip balm I would recommend. To be honest I have never even heard of the brand NCLA and have yet to try the polish out but the colour is a lovely shade of green that will be a perfect pop of colour for spring, fingers crossed it'll be nice and opaque but I will keep you posted.

Essence-Lash Princess Mascara (RRP£3.30) 

Now just let me say, I am in love with the packaging it's very much my kind of mascara tube its a unique shape and design and the wand is pretty cool too. the end of the wand is bent in such a way that it fits your eye shape and tapers of to a smaller point at the end to get those pesky lashes in the inner corner of your eye, plus the bristles are dense enough that you should be able to get a decent amount of volume at the base, now I just have to hope that it lives up to my expectations.

1. Dove-Youthful Vitality shampoo and conditioner (RRP £5.99) 2. Naobay-Moisturising Peeling (RRP £13.71)

I've tried Dove shampoo and conditioner before so this wasn't particularly exciting but I mean it's a good shampoo/conditioner, it certainly leaves my hair nice and soft but no more so than other shampoo/conditioner combinations that I have tried. Again Naobay is a product that I have never heard of before, but to be honest thats part of the appeal of these subscription boxes, it's a great way of trying new products and brands without having to make a huge commitment. I was pretty impressed with this product as it did do a great job of leaving my skin feeling nice and clean and smooth, the only downside is that my skin felt a little tight afterwards.

Okay, so now I've gone through the various products that came in my boxes this month it's time to decide which box came out on top. I loved the design of both boxes, they were both completely different, one is eye-catching and colourful and the other is simple and classic yet both of them appealed to me and I'll definitely be able to get some extra use out of them. Price wise when you take into account the RRP price of each box Birchbox seems to come out way on top which is actually pretty rare as they're normally a lot closer in price, but... none of the items in Birchbox were full-sized products whereas 4 out of the 5 products in Glossybox were full-sized which is a massive positive as far as I'm concerned. Pushing that aside if we really get down to it and judge it simply on the basis of the products inside and how much use I would get out of them, for me the clear winner is Glossybox, to be honest the only item in the Birchbox that I was genuinely excited to try was the Benfit Roller Lash. Whereas I would quite happily use all of the products in Glossybox maybe with the exception of the moisturising peeling, so this month despite the fact that the Birchbox contained the higher priced items Glossybox contained the more useful products leaving it the clear winner, pop back next month to see who wins the next Birchbox vs Glossybox (I've seen sneak peeks and its looking promising)

See you next time guys - Alison
  

February Favourites Part 3 - everything else ...

It feels like it's been forever since I last blogged, but thats probably because it has been lol. I have had the craziest week this past week full of ups and downs, school runs, after school activities, meetings and events just finding the time to sit down and relax has been insanely difficult never mind typing a post, but I'm here now so lets delve back into the final part of my February favourites which is all my non-beauty related faves.

Poncho - Primark (cannot for the life of me remember the price)

Okay, so first up is one of my old faithful clothing items and that is my poncho (yep you read it right I did say poncho, who'd have thought it?) from Primark. I've got to say that I am in love with my poncho its the perfect accessory to so many of my outfits (it literally goes with just about everything), I just throw it on as I'm on my way out the door and I'm good to go. The shape of poncho is really flattering helps to hide the areas that I'm insecure about, and the fact that its made out of wool means it's really more like a thick cardigan than a coat so its perfect for the (hopefully) warmer weather we will be having soon.

1. Conjoined leggings (£20.99) 2. Skeleton romper (£29.99) both from Ironfist

Now with these next two items you may be sensing a theme, my style isn't strictly one style or another (it's really more of a mishmash of different styles) but one thing that I do really love is skeleton or skull prints. Ironfist is most definitely the kind of shop for people with a fun, versatile sense of fashion they manage to take things like skeletons and zombies etc and make them fun and, in most cases colourful too (I actually also have a pair of pink, glittery, sky high heels with skulls and roses they're to die for). anyway, the leggings are just the right amount of interesting for me, they're super soft and I can wear them for just about anything, and the romper is soon comfortable I usually wear it on a day when I know I'm just going to be lounging around at home but I have to confess I have taken the munchkins to school wearing it more than once. To be fair the romper could probably work in the summer months too as its comfy and pretty baggy too I don't think I'd have a problem with wearing it out and about.

Jawbone - UP24 -Activity Tracker (£89.99) Argos

My next favourite thing from last month is this nifty little device, you simply keep it on your wrist and it tracks all your activities throughout the day and then links up to an app which gives you all the details. With the app you can set yourself realistic goals and see how many steps you've taken in a day, plus it breaks it all down for you and lets you know when you were most active and how long for. I personally got it more for the sleep tracking function as it tracks what time you go to bed, how long it takes before you fall asleep, whether you're in a true deep sleep or a lighter sleep and when/how often you wake up. For me this is pretty useful as I don't really get much sleep, it takes me forever to fall asleep and when I do I wake often (I average around 4-5 hours a night) but because I'm able to track this it means I can make small changes and hopefully get a little more sleep and look a little less like a zombie. Although I did originally get the Jawbone for the sleep function its been great to be able to track my activities, especially since I struggle with movement because of my medical condition. This app/device has helped me to gradually increase my movement every day plus you can even input things like exercise, food and mood and it also offers nifty little hints and tips to help you improve your health.

Last but by no means least I have a couple of films that I've enjoyed, now please don't judge me but both of my favourite films last month could be considered children's films. Any parents out there might relate to this but we have a family movie/game night every week and the way I see it having children gives me the perfect excuse to watch kids films without the need to hide the fact. Any way, to get to the point I actually loved "Big Hero 6" (an animated film about a boy and a robot but don't let that fool you it's really good lol) I was in stitches a few times and will never fist bump the same way again (you'll have to watch the film to know what I mean but it tickled me) so you should definitely check that one out. The other film I enjoyed was "Maze runner", this one is about a group of boys and one girl who have to travel through a maze to escape. This one is aimed at slightly older children so maybe pre-teen to teenagers (and of course adults) and has a slightly more thriller-esque quality to it, but both myself and my daughter really enjoyed it.

Okay so thats your lot for the month of February these are a few of my favourite things (thats right I am actually singing the sound of music while I'm writing this, I may have lost my marbles thanks to my crazy hectic week, but I will have more favourites (hopefully a little earlier in the month) for you next month and I have more than a few fun and interesting (to me anyway) things coming up for you guys. So I hope to see you back here again soon with more beauty loving fun ;)

I can't believe I forgot to put in my fave hairstyle so here it is;

I am so in love with this style, it's a Dutch/inverted chunky fishtail (if I find a pic of the top Dutch part I'll pop it in too) it's so quick and easy to do and adds a tonne of texture (although my natural hair has a lot of texture too). I personally like to start out with pretty big sections creating a nice chunky braid and then get smaller pieces as I go further down my hair, long story short it's my go to hairstyle at the mo.

February Favourites Part 2 - Eyes and lips

Okay so it's time to delve back in to my beauty faves and today it's all about those eyes and lips. I've got to say this is by far the hardest selection to choose favourites from, I am most definitely a self confessed lipstick addict and who doesn't love to change things up with the amazing colours of eyeshadow, and don't even get me started on eyeliner I love a good wing lol. So lets get started, shall we?

Stilla - In the Know eyeshadow palette (£25.00)

 I know that this palette is a little more pricey than some others on the market at the moment, but I've got to say that I really love it anyway, all the shadows are matte meaning that this palette is great for girls with hooded eyes (shimmery shades tend to accentuate the hooded area), the colour selection is great for a nice natural every day makeup look. All the shadows are super creamy and blendable, so its easy to eliminate any harsh lines (unless of course thats the look you're going for) the burnt orange shade is to die for and adds a perfect pop of colour to any look. My only criticism is that a few of the shades are very similar in colour and I feel that had they maybe just changed them up slightly it would make a good palette great.

1. Collection Lasting Colour Gel eyeliner (£4.99) 2. Maybelline Lasting Drama gel eyeliner (£8.99)

Now I am most definitely a lover of eyeliner particularly gel eyeliner as in general gel gives a darker and more defined line, and this month these 2 are my go to products. The Collection gel eyeliner is a nice creamy gel thats really easy to apply and glides on perfectly. For me I have a hard time finding a gel eyeliner that is as black as I like it to be, most that I have found are black but not entirely opaque. The collection eyeliner though doesn't have that problem so it is one of my favourites for this month. Now if you're a fan of Benefits They're real push up liner but don't want to fork out £18.00 (ish) then look no further than Maybelline's Lasting Drama gel eyeliner. It works in much the same way as the benefit one by giving you the great look of a gel liner while also giving you the convenience and ease of a pen liner. I wouldn't say that it's without it's flaws as I generally have to dab the excess product away before using it in order to avoid lumps and it's a little tricky to master, but once you have the hang of it you end up with a fab well defined look. I love that the tip is flexible too as it really helps when you're connecting your wing to the rest of your liner and it's also incredibly long lasting so there's no need for touch ups, I will say though that it can be a bit stubborn when it comes to removing your makeup, but for half the price of the Benefit one I can handle a little stubbornness :).

1.Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara (£6.99) 2. Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara (£7.99)

Makeup simply isn't complete without the wonder that is mascara and 2 of my favourites in February were definitely Rimmel's Scandaleyes and Maybelline's Lash sensational. Now the reason that I have picked 2 mascara favourites is because I pretty much always use 2 different types of mascara, one to add volume and another to separate and add length to my otherwise pitiful lashes. These mascara's do the job perfectly, Rimmel Scandaleyes adds masses of volume and really make my lashes look lovely and full, and I find that by using the Maybelline Lash sensational as well not only are my lashes longer and more defined but they stay clump free too (unless I was to add another 20 coats lol).

Maybelline Brow Satin in Dark Blonde and Medium Brown (£5.99)

 

Anyone who follows me on instagram will know by now that my eyebrow game (without product) is simply non existent. I have got incredibly thin eyebrows anyway as I over plucked a couple of times when I was younger and they've just never grown back in, but just to make matters worse they are also mostly blonde so the hair that is there is virtually invisible. Needless to say that filling in my brows is an absolute must no matter what look I am aiming for. Now I have tried a number of different products in the past that have worked fine but when I stumbled upon the Maybelline Brow satin pencils my brow routine got a whole lot easier. I love the fact that with this product you have the pencil end (nice and thin) which is perfect for filling out the shape and getting a nice defined line and then you have the shadow end which fills in the centre and just softens up the edges (if you want to) giving a nice natural look. So with this brow pencil you get 2 in 1 and a great range of shades too.

1. Stainiac - The Balm (£9.99), 2. Burts Bees Lip shine (£6.99) 3. Maybelline Superstay 14hr Lipstick (£6.99)

Last of all, well for part 2 anyway, are some great lip products. Ive got to say that this is by far the area that I find the hardest to pick just one favourite as I LOVE a good lippie, but I've narrowed it down to these 3 lip products. I really love the lip stain by The Balm, it's a great product for those days when you don't want to wear a lipstick but just want a little something to brighten up your lips (if you're anything like me if I don't have anything on my lips I look like a zombie lol) it gives your lips just a hint of colour thats long lasting without being drying, t's basically my lips but better. I also find that if the colour isn't quite enough I can just give it a little something extra by building up layers until the colour is perfect. The 2nd lip product I chose this month is Burts bees lip shine, although this product adds a subtle sheen to your lips it's not actually the main thing that I love about it, I am absolutely in love with how soft this makes my lips. I tend to suffer with pretty dry lips and this just makes them feel so much softer my only problem is that when I have it on I have a tendency to rub my lips together just because I love how smooth they are and so I go through the lip shine a little quicker than most but I can live with that ;). Last of all I love the Maybelline Superstay 14 hr lipstick, not because it's long lasting, although it is fairly long lasting (not 14hrs long though), not because it's a matte lipstick (I do love a good matte lippie) but because this particular shade is simply beautiful. The one I've chosen is called always plum and it is a stunning shade of purple/mauve that goes perfect with just about any kind of look, in fact if I had my own way (although with 2 children I seldom do) my lips would naturally be this colour. Actually scrap that idea I love lipstick too much to pin it down to just one shade lol.

Well folks thats the end of part 2 of my February favourites, just one more to go now and thats my favourite everything else lol so I will sign off for now and see you all again soon.

February Favourites Part 1 - Face...

I know, I know, I'm a little late with the whole February favourites thing, but to be honest last month was kinda hectic (then again isn't every month lol). As I have been struggling to find enough time to sit down and write out all of my faves at once I figured the best thing would be to do it in parts, that way I get to post each part as I find the time instead of having to wait who knows how long for the whole thing.

So lets dive right in with a few of my favourite things, I'll start with the beauty favourites since thats why we are all here shall I? ;)
Last month, well the past few months really I have found myself reaching for these products over and over again,

1. Simple clear skin, oil balancing moisturiser (£2.83 on offer at Superdrug) 2. Maybelline , Baby Skin  (£7.99 ) 3. Garnier moisture matte + (£3.99)

I am one of those really lucky people who suffers with incredibly oily skin so finding a moisturiser that leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth without leaving it looking and feeling greasy can be a bit of a challenge. That being said out of the various moisturisers I have tried these 2 have definitely been the ones that have worked best for my skin.

In the interest of prepping my skin I've also been loving Maybelline's Baby skin, this particular one is supposed to be a pore eraser and I have to say that I'm pretty impressed, don't get me wrong it doesn't completely erase my pores (which in fact are more like craters) however it adds almost a blurring effect to my skin, so making them seem a lot less prominent add to that the fact that makeup lasts longer when using this primer and I think we are on to a winner. 

Monu - Refining capri facial oil (£26)

It might seem a little strange to use a facial oil when I already have incredibly oily skin but to be honest my skin doesn't feel any more oily than usual when I'm using this product. In fact this company claims that the oil actually helps to balance oily skin and decongest pores and I definitely agree with the balancing although I don't particularly notice a massive difference in my pores. I like to use it a couple of times a week before bed to give my face that little extra boost and I lurve how soft it makes my skin feel. If like me you don't really want to fork out £26 for a product that might not work for you, there are plenty of cheaper options available if you shop around, although I got mine in my Glossybox (Subscription box).

I apologise if this post seems a little disjointed but I am currently typing one handed while holding my 11 month old nephew with the other and he really wants to help lol :)

1. Maybelline superstay 24hr foundation in colour nude (£7.99) 2. Revlon superstay in colour sand beige (£12.49)

I am completely a Revlon superstay foundation at heart if for no other reason than it's one of the only foundations that I have found so far that actually stays on my skin. The thing is that when you have oily skin like mine foundation can start to break down after a time leaving your makeup looking patchy and uneven, fortunately for me with Revlon superstay I don't seem to have that problem and my foundation looks great all day. That being the case I am always wary of trying new foundations but I have to say that I really like the finish with the maybelline superstar, it does have a slightly orange look that I'm not a fan of but I think that if I mix a couple of shades together I can get a much more natural finish. (I'll update later on whether or not that works out for me lol).

1.Barry M Chisel cheeks contouring palette (£6.49) 2. Real techniques contour brush (£20.99 for the core collection containing 4 brushes)

I can't really talk about my favourite face products without also mentioning this product, I have done a review already on this particular contour palette (check it out in product reviews) so I won't go into too much detail but suffice to say that this is pretty much a staple product in my current makeup routine. Whether I'm going for something natural or going glam I find myself reaching for the Barry M contour palette and at just £6.49 its amazing value for money too.

Vita coco coconut oil (£9.99)

Okay so I'm going to finish up the face favourites with a product that is actually great for soon many different things. Now I've heard on and off about the benefits of various oils for health, skin and hair and I've even tried out a few including argan oil and moroccan oil for my hair but I've never jumped on the bandwagon with coconut oil. It's got to be said boy was I wrong (I know, I know it's a first lol), coconut oil is by far my favourite oil right now, it's AMAZING, I have extremely dry hair (its neither curly or straight so basically just a huge frizzy mess) and I've previously been using dedicated hair oils in the mid lengths to help to control the frizz, don't get me wrong dedicated hair oils are pretty great too and do make my hair look and feel smoother. But for the past month or so I've been adding the tiniest amount of coconut oil to the ends of my hair (while it's still damp) and its made a huge difference. Thats not the greatest thing about coconut oil though, coconut oil can be used for just about anything and you only need a tiny amount to make a huge difference so far I've used it in my hair (obviously), to take off my makeup (which leaves my skin feeling soft and supple),  as a cuticle oil to help my gel nail polish last longer, as a lip balm and I've even used it for cooking, the munchkins and I made some delicious popcorn for movie night (definitely recommend) and I also made my mum a yummy coconut cake for her birthday (simply swap out the butter for coconut oil). You could also make a face scrub or lip scrub by adding some brown sugar, so its got to be said if you're going to invest in anything I would definitely recommend picking up the wonderfully versatile coconut oil.

So thats it for part 1 folks I will be back soon for part 2 which is going to be all about eyes and lips :) see you soon.

It's all aout nails...

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're all with me when I say goodbye to the crazy hectic week and hello to the hopefully nice and relaxing weekend (although it seldom is).

 So, yesterday I actually managed to find the time (between school runs, parent teacher meetings and after school activities) to get my nails done with the lovely Diane of "Creative nails and brows" it's a nice mother/daughter company in the East Yorkshire area, where I get to have a nice cuppa and friendly chat while I get my nails beautified. 

 This pic is of my sisters beautiful nails and this is definitely my nail goal...

Now, in no way do my nail technicians have an easy job when it comes to my nails, between my medical conditions, medications and busy, hands on personality the various polishes just do not want to stay on for longer than a couple of days (on average they're supposed to last approximately 2-3 weeks)

(My christmas nails which are roughly the length they were when I first started going to "Creative nails and Brows"

 This means that we have been trying all kinds of different products in an attempt to get them to just play ball. Some of the products have managed to improve the longevity and therefore length of my nails, but we have yet to find a method (without the need for acrylic overlays) which makes them last the full time between appointments. I cannot for the life of me remember which product we used this time but believe me when I say I am crossing my fingers (and everything else lol) in the hopes that this finally works. You see, the problem is that until we have everything sorted I am a little limited in colour and design but once we have it down it'll open up a whole world of colours and design possibilities, I'll go from thinking about how to make them last to deciding if stiletto, rounded or squared of nails will look best and should I have matte or glossy polish? and the colour choices oh boy will I have some fun with that. Until then though heres what they look like now and I have to say I'm pretty pleased that I've managed to grow them to this length, I know, I know, they're pitiful in comparison to most, but for me this is a huge achievement. 

I will see you again tomorrow with my fave products from February, until then enjoy whats left of Friday :)

Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour palette

Okay, so makeup today is all about contouring and highlighting. No matter what makeup look you are going for contouring is the key to adding dimension and definition to your face. The thing is when we add foundation to our faces we are basically laying a fresh canvas and covering up the shadows and light areas that would naturally be there, thats where contouring comes in, you are simply adding those shadows and highlights back to your face giving you a flawless and natural finish.

It's got to be said though, that it's pretty damn hard for us pale skinned girls to find a contour palette that isn't too dark or too orange for our pasty white skin tones. I personally prefer powder over a cream for my contouring because I have major issues with my skin. I have rosacea which leaves my skin red and patchy but the main problem I have is my oily skin. For some reason my skin has decided that its not going to play ball and whenever I add certain cream products the oils in my skin start to break it down and after a few hours my skin looks blotchy. Using a powder product helps stop this from happening so I am all for the new powder contour palettes that have come out recently.

Today I am reviewing a fairly new palette on the market, the Barry M Chisel cheeks contour palette and I have got to say I am most definitely impressed with it so far and it has quickly become a staple in my makeup routine.

The palette comes with 3 different shades, a light shade for highlighting, a medium warm shade for bronzing and a darker shade for the actual contouring. All the shades are creamy in texture and really easy to blend which is most definitely a crucial step, they are also nice and buildable so you can do as soft or heavy a contour as you need. The contour colour is the perfect colour for me and doesn't have the orangey effect that a lot of contour colours have so I feel less like Ive had an accident with fake tan lol, the bronzer is a lovely colour that warms the skin up perfectly and you don't need to use a lot of product at all to get a nice natural look. I really like that the highlight shade doesn't have the shimmery look that some have which is great for the areas that need highlighting but that you don't want to appear too shiny. I personally have insecurities about my nose so in the past have skipped highlighting here, but with this palette I can highlight my nose without drawing attention to it. 

Something that I love about this particular palette is that it comes with a guide in the lid showing you where to apply each product which is great for those who are new to contouring or who are maybe unsure of where exactly to use which product.

 The price is certainly reasonable for those of us who cannot afford to spend a fortune on one product and its readily available in local drugstores (I got mine from super drug which is my guilty pleasure) for (insert price). All in all I am in love with this palette and the only thing that I think would have added to the versatility would have been both the highlighting shade included and a shimmery shade too, for highlighting your cheekbones (gotta make those babies look amazing). I would definitely recommend this palette to people with paler skin and also those of you with oily skin too. 

Well Hello There!!!!

Well I guess my first blog post should be about me and why I made the decision to step into the uncertain world of blogging shouldn't it? The main reason would probably be the most obvious and possibly the most common and that is, to put it simply, that I LOVE all things beauty, nothing is quite as satisfying as the smell of a brand new lipstick, or hearing the letterbox clang with the telltale noise of the new moisturiser I bought last week. When the inevitable stresses of life start to feel overwhelming I have my own little corner of beauty to fall into, where theres nothing more complicated than deciding which eyeshadow I'm going to use today.

 Although I have been dabbling in makeup since the age of 13 I am by no means a professional makeup artist, there has been more than one "what in the world was I thinking?" moment believe me; That being said I do like to think that I know my way around a beauty blender after nearly 20 years of makeup (I'm 21 not 32, honestly lol). 

Each week on my blog I hope to bring you product reviews, swatches, hauls, favourites, makeup and hair tutorials and so much more, including a segment I'm calling Hit, "Miss or Maybe" where I will take three of the same products from different brands and score them based on various things such as "application", "durability", "pigmentation" and of course personal opinion. The product that scores the highest overall will be the "Hit" and so on. I would also like to do a beginners guide into beauty as my 10 year old daughter is just starting to take an interest in makeup, I think it would be fun to teach you as I teach her and show how she gets on along the way, answering her questions and hopefully yours too.

 Phew, now that the first blog post is out of the way how about we get to the fun stuff? (it's harder than you think to take the leap and write the very first post)