OOTD - Bank Holiday Drinks

If there's one thing us Brits love, it's a bank holiday weekend.. throw in some sun & pay-day Friday and it's basically Christmas come early.

In our eyes the perfect way to celebrate this extra day of freedom is (of course) to head out for a few too many drinks which perfect after a long week in the office. Not wanting to break tradition I skipped home from work & quickly got changed before heading out to a local bar with some friends.

Top: Primark - £8.00

Skirt: Boo Hoo  - £10.00 [x]

Tights: M&S - £5.00 [x]

Boots: New Look - £20.00 [x]

(I picked these up a while ago so have linked similar) 

As you can see I decided to opt for my leather-look skater skirt with a navy chiffon top. I personally love anything "skater-style" as I find it perfect for covering up those lumps and bumps around my stomach area (thanks a lot, pizza!). As we weren't heading anywhere particularly fancy, I also decided to keep the look relativity smart-causal with a tights/boots combination. Before heading out the door I finished this look by adding a leather-look jacket & a small clutch bag to carry the essentials. 

Overall this is a look that I love as it's something that can easily be dressed up or down & is perfect for any occasion. I hope you liked this little OOTD post & if you have any plans for the bank holiday weekend I'd love to know!

xxx

Urban Decay ft. Disney | Alice Through The Looking Glass

If you missed my original post - or the huge amount of hype within the beauty world - then you may not be aware that Urban Decay have recently collaborated with Disney to celebrate the release of the new film, Alice Through The Looking Glass. Although in high demand since the moment of release, I managed to get my hands on one item from the collection & couldn't resist sharing.

After much deliberation, I finally settled on the shade Iracebeth (or the Red Queen to any unfamiliar to the Through The Looking Glass Story).

As you can see above the lipstick is bright red shade which comes in a matte formulae. Whilst matte lipsticks usually scare me a little, I was pleasantly surprised to find this creamy & not at all drying, whilst still managing to keep its matte-effect. Whilst testing I was also very impressed by the staying-power which managed to avoid any cracking or drastic fading.

Besides the colour/formulae, I also instantly fell in love with the packaging of the Through The Looking Glass collection. Urban Decay created a floral, kaleidoscope print that fits perfect with the strange & weird film whilst still managing to remain beautiful. This really is a lipstick that anyone would be proud to display on their dressing table.

Believe it or not, this is the first lipstick I've tried for Urban Decay & I'm happy to say that I was not left disappointed. Retailing at £16.00 these lipsticks aren't exactly cheap - however if you're a fan of Disney I'd definitely recommend picking one up if you can. Whilst they're still a little difficult to get your hands on at the moment, the collection is available from Urban Decay, Selfridge's & Harvey Nichols.

What are your thoughts on Urban Decay's

Alice Through The Looking Glass collection?
xxx

For The Dreamers - May Birchbox

If there's one thing that brightens up a long day of work, it's coming home to find my Birchbox has been delivered. This months box focuses on all things dreamy (whether it be a finally finding the perfect lipstick, jetting off on a round the world trip or waking up to realise that David Beckham is at your door with a bunch of roses) by allowing subscribers to sample a selection of "dreamy" beauty products from the comfort of home.

Contents: 

Unicorn Tears Wonder Sponge - Spectrum - £4.99 [x]

Stainiac Lip/Cheek Stain - The Balm Cosmetics - £10.00 [x]

PK Polishing Balm - Phillip Kingsley - £18.50 [x]

Vinosource Moisturising Lotion - Caudalie - £23.00 [x]

Wai Wang Mild Exfoliating Scrub - Rituals - £19.50 [x]

Moisturising Skin Cream - Yu-Be - £19.50 [x]

After opening I'm happy to say that I was left feeling very excited by the contents of this months box. As a huge fan of the Spectrum brushes & as a lover of the Real Techniques Beauty Sponge (read a full review here) I'm excited to test the Spectrum Wonder Sponge for myself (plus, how cute is the name "Unicorn Tears"?!). I'm also very much looking forward to testing out the Stainiac lip stain in the hope that it'll finally end my woes of fading lipstick! Watch this space for a review! 

Are you subscribed to Birchbox? Or have you tried any of the above products? If so, I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments below. 

xxx

Hittime Blackhead Removal Strips

I'm sure anyone who reads this will remember the phase of "blackhead removal" that hit the beauty world a few months back. It seemed beauty guru's everywhere were suddenly applying a tar-like product to their skin before peeling them away to remove a mass of - what can only be described as - "dirt" that had been lurking within their pores.

Whilst this craze was in it's prime, I received a sample of the Hiitime Blackhead Removal Strips from a friend.. however it remained tucked away in my bathroom & only came to light again recently. Whilst blackheads aren't necessarily something I tend to suffer with, as soon as I rediscovered this product I was keen to put it to the test & see if it would remove any impurities hiding within my skin.

As you can see.. I managed to rope my boyfriend into joining me. He was obviously thrilled. 

As the instructions for this product aren't in English, I researched & found that it is usually recommended to cleanse the area of skin (i.e nose or chin) before applying the product. Unfortunately it was also recommended to use a specific cleanser.. however -  as this isn't something I own - I decided to opt for good old Micellar Water instead.

After allowing the Micellar water to dry, I squeezed out some of the dark & sticky liquid (which is runnier than expected - so be careful!) onto my hand & gently massaged into the skin on & around my nose. As it dries you feel the product become tighter across your skin until it becomes completely dry & shiny in colour. A process that takes around ten-fifteen minuets in total.

Once dry I *excitedly* popped to the bathroom mirror & gentle began to peel it off. Whilst researching I also found that when removing, it is best to peel the strip from the underneath in an upwards motion. Apparently this is the best way to ensure any impurities are removed from the pores. Although excited I was also a little nervous that this was going to hurt (images of waxing suddenly sprung to mind) but I was pleasantly surprised to find that when peeled off slowly, it didn't hurt at all.

Next came the part I was most excited for.. seeing what - if anything - this product had managed to cleanse from my skin. After a quick look, I'll admit that at first I was left feeling pretty disappointed. It didn't seem anything had been removed at all. However after looking a little closer, I found that - without going into detail - the product had actually removed some form of dirt from the very corners of my nose (an area of my skin that can get a little oily).

Obviously the results weren't as ground-breaking as half of the videos I'd watched prior to using this (admittedly this was probably due to the fact that I don't actually have many blackheads) I was still left feeling pretty impressed. Not only did the Pore Strip remove a form of dirt from my skin, it also left my skin feeling gorgeously soft.

Whilst I was left feeling pretty impressed with the product - the fact that I'm still not 100% if I was using it right means I probably wouldn't use it again. However if a version of the Hittime Pore Strips were sold here in the UK, I would definitely give it another go.

If you're interested in testing the Pore Strips for yourself - they can be picked up on Amazon for around £3.00 per pack of ten.

Have you tried a blackhead removal kit?

Which did you find worked best?

xxx

April Favourites

Whilst flicking back through my recent blog posts, it dawned on me that I haven't actually written a monthly favourites post in nearly a year. So with April passing by in a flash (& in a bid to win back some blogging points) I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share a few of the items I've been loving this month.

The first item that I've been loving this month is the romantic novel by author Jojo Moyes; Me Before You. The story follows main character Lou Clark as she leaves her comfortable - & a little boring - life behind to work with Will Traynor, a successful businessman left with devastating injuries following a motorcycle accident. This is a heartbreakingly beautiful story that left me hanging on every word - however, be sure to keep the tissues near by.. it's definitely a tear jerker!

Throughout April I've also found myself taking a break from my usual perfume's & reaching for Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb. With notes of Mandarin, Jasmine & Freesia I've found that the floral scent make this a perfect perfume to wear as we head into Spring.

When it came to beauty throughout April I've found myself reaching for two items more than others. The first to make my favourites is the Real Techniques Powder Brush. With it's large, soft bristles & described as providing "smooth, high-definition results" I find this perfect for application of both  pressed & loose powders. The second beauty item that I've been loving this month is a cult favourite within the beauty world - Benefit's They're Real mascara. As someone who doesn't tend to wear false eyelashes, I genuinely find this to be the next best thing. Not only does it add curl & volume but it really does last throughout the day (perfect for day to night wear).

Last but not least is an item that I couldn't leave off my favourites list this month - the Invisibobble. Not only is this product gentle on the hair by helping to reduce split ends, it also eliminates the annoying "kink" that comes from using regular hair-bands. Something that is perfect for anyone who has long and/or thick hair like me.

I personally love reading monthly favourite posts, so hope you've enjoyed a little insight into a few of the items I've been loving throughout April. If there are any products that I've missed, be sure to let me know in the comments - I'm always on the look out for a new favourite item.

xxx

Lush Happy Bathday Giftset

If there's one thing all beauty fans seem to have in common, it's the love for all things Lush. So - of course -  when I was lucky enough to be gifted Lush's gorgeous Happy Bathday gift-set, I was completely over the moon. Retailing at £27.50 the set contains 6 different products designed to create a mixture of fun baths, each with a unique twist.

Contents: 

Rose Jam Bubbleroon [x]

Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb [x]

Sea Monster Fun [x]

The Comforter Bubble Bar [x]

Blackberry Bath Bomb [x]

The Experimenter Bath Bomb [x]

Not only do the products within this gift set seem amazing - I'm particularly excited to test out the Dragon's Egg bath bomb & the Rose Jam Bubbleroon - but the packaging is also stunning. Designed by artists MinaLima - who also created amazing designs for the Harry Potter franchise - the large tin packaging is covered in an combination of bright swirls & cute ducks. Something that is both great to look at & to use as storage (for future Lush products of course). 

The combination of products & packaging (not to mention the cute little "duck-themed" bunting that is included) make this the perfect gift for anyone who loves nothing more than to unwind in a relaxing bath after a long day. I'll definitely be adding more of Lush's gift sets to my wishlists in the future! 

Have you tried any of the above Lush products?

If so, I'd love to know! 

xxx