Beautyblender | Review

One of the most exciting things I got in this months Birchbox was the Beautyblender. I'll be honest, before I started blogging I had never heard of it, but when I saw it I knew it was a big deal.

How cute is that? 

It also comes with a little cleansing bar of soap to wash it after use, which I think it fab! 

I've never really used sponges, I've tried to in the past but just felt that sponges absorb the foundation instead of actually putting it on my face. 

I'm not gonna lie, it took me a lot of YouTube videos to find out how to use the thing and I was looking at it thinking it's pretty small it's going to take a while for me to cover my entire face. 

How to use it

The magic thing is that you have to wet the sponge, I mean completely drench the thing and it doubles in size 

It doesn't even fit into it's little pot anymore. 

To wring it out simply put it in the palm of your hand and make a tight fist, don't stretch or pull it dry! Just squeeze. The sponge will stay a little damp but there shouldn't be water dripping from it. 

How to apply make up

I put my liquid foundation on the back of my hand as I always do when putting on my make up. Right now I'm using two different foundations, I've caught the tiniest bit of colour which means my Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in Ivory is just a fraction too light. 

I simply dabbed the Beautyblender into the foundation and bounced it on my face. It's so important that you don't drag it across your cheeks as the application won't look as good. Just bounce, bounce, bounce...

The verdict

I bloody love this Beautyblender!!!!! Honestly, I'm really impressed with it. The coverage is amazing, I use brushes and I love my brushes but this Beautyblender is something else. 

It pushes the foundation into every crease of your skin, making sure that your face is perfectly covered. I'm relatively new to the make up world, I've always worn it but I'm experimenting far more and this is a stand alone make up tool. 

I really struggled to get an after picture because of the lighting was a bit naff yesterday and I don't really do entire face shots on my blog, so all I can do is urge you to watch the YouTube videos on how to use the Beautyblender and buy one. It's really impressive. 

I probably wouldn't use this everyday just because I'd look incredibly done up just to be going into work when I don't need to be. But I am going to be using this every time I go out or when I go to an event, the Beautyblender is coming out. 

Washing the Beautyblender 

The cleanser is bloody fantastic, it really cleans the Beautyblender incredibly well. The one thing I will point out is the hot pink dye did wash off with it, which is worrying because I don't want that transferring to my face but it almost looked brand new again. 

The Beautyblender really is an amazing make up tool. 

Have you tried the Beautyblender? 

OPI I'm Brazil nuts over you | Review

I was super excited to receive a gorgeous little OPI miniature in this months Birchbox. Now I have my natural nails again I can actually get excited about all these lovely new nail polishes. 

The colour I received was I'm Brazil Nuts Over You, a fun sparkly pink colour. 

I thought this was just going to be a standard glittery shade...oh how I was wrong. 

It's actually part of the Liquid Sands collection that OPI has released and there are about 4 different shades. What this means is that formula is actually incredibly textured, like a sandy sort of finish. 

It's hard to show in pictures the texture of it, but it's completely different from any nail varnish I've ever used and y'know what, I kinda like it. 

The colour, I'm Brazil Nuts Over You, I absolutely love, it's different to what I've been wearing recently but in the past I'm a lover of all shades of reds and corals and pinks so it's perfect. 

It has a gorgeous shimmer to it that works incredibly well with the textured feeling. It almost has another purpley tone that shows in the light really the pictures do not do this beauty justice.

As I said I'm used to a smooth almost gel like finish but this actually neatens my nails up and works well on my broken short nails, it doesn't make them look even shorter which is a bonus. 

One thing I will say is that like all other glitter nail polishes, it's a bugger to get off. You're going to need a good acetone nail polish remover for this bad boy. 

I love love love this nail polish. 

Have you tried anything from the Liquid Sand range from OPI?

Summer Fitness | #summerbloggerchallenge

This week's theme is Summer Fitness which I will admit is a bloody easy topic for me right now. 

I've had a bit of drama lately regarding my weight, so I've been on this massive push to get fit, lose weight and look fab. 

Obviously I'm eating a lot less and it's definitely working but I'm also getting more physical. 

So me and my friend, Nikki, have decided to go for runs two or three times a week. But after the run we actually do squats, lunges, burpies, press ups and ab work. We are really pushing ourselves and it's actually paying off. 

The leg workout I'm loving at the moment has to be jumping squats and walking lunges. They pretty much are what they say the are but jumping lunges are fab! You start off in a squat position and literally jump in the air and squat back down again, continue to do that as many times as possible. 

You really work a range of muscles doing this which is why I love it so much. 

What I've realised is it really is about technique. When me and Nikki first started we just wanted to rush through our sets but that meant the technique was lost. Recently we've really focused on making sure we are doing it properly and now we can feel the benefits straight away. 

In addition to this, I've also started walking to and from Liverpool street station to my office, which is a 25 min walk each way when walking at a quick pace. It's just these small differences what make the biggest changes. 

My body is starting to feel slimmer, my thighs aren't as big, my collar bones are coming back, my belly isn't bloated. I feel better. 

Also I've started using a new # for when I'm posting health/fitness related tweets. #healthyselves was actually created by Beth (www.beautyinbeta.co.uk) to support everyone who is trying to live more healthily both mentally and physically, so if you follow me on twitter and Instagram be sure to look out for my #healthyselves hashtag. 

*smile!!! I'm just walking here, obvs not running*

I'm a lot happier since I've started being healthier.  I know massive changes aren't going to happen over night but I know in the end it's going to be worth it. This isn't just for the summer neither, I want to make sure that I continue to keep a healthy mind and body forever. 

What are your fitness plans this summer?! 

My meals today | #healthyselves

Weight and health is very topical for me right now. 

During the week I am strict with what I'm eating, no snacking and I'm focused to change the way I think about food. But my biggest problem comes at the weekend. The house is full of sweet and crisps and all things bad, so I find myself snacking a lot. 

Today I was determined not to binge and undo all of my hard work so I thought by taking pictures of what I'm eating it'll keep me focused because I know I've added it to my blog. 

I kept my food as close to how I eat at work, I have at least two apples a day. Not one after the other I'll have one and then I'll have another a few hours after. I just like apples, the greener the better... 

I had cereal for lunch with skimmed milk always skimmed milk, which is much better than a sandwich. I really struggle with carbs, I am such a carb monster but I know that I can't eat a sandwich everyday like I used to. That's two slices of bread a day and over a week that 14 slices which is nearly an entire loaf. 

I can't cut everything out otherwise it will mean that I'll binge on stuff if I deprive myself of it. So I'm doing smarter snacking, so if I want some crisps I can, but I'll have Quavers, I bloody love Quavers. If I need something sweet, weight watchers do these pretty tasty biscuits that are low calories and two is enough. 

Finally for dinner I had steak and peas. Something very simple but good, it gives my body some protein and fills me up today I didn't have an potatoes with it because I didn't feel like cooking them to be honest. This was a pretty large steak and had a little more fat on it that I would like but I just cut that off. 

If I do get a bit hungry or I fancy something sweet then I will let myself have this Options hot chocolate it bloody lovely think of melted praline in a cup (lush!) and very low calories. 

This is such a boring post I know, but it helped me to stay focused which was the main point. I'm not on a diet and I'm not counting calories, I'm just eating better cutting out things I don't actually need. I just want to be healthy. If I really wanted chocolate I will have some, if I go out for a meal, sure I'll have dessert but it's about making sensible choices and knowing that today if I have a treat I just have to be focused again tomorrow. I also drink a crazy amount of water so that I don't dehydrate. 

I am exercising as well but I'll follow up in another post.

What did you eat today? 

Summer Bucket List | #summerbloggerchallenge

Ok so I was suppose to post this on  Tuesday which would mean this is a #summerbloggerchallenge post. This week's theme is Summer Bucket List which actually sounds quite fun. 

I'm going to write a list of things I must do every summer otherwise, it's clearly not summer. 

Starting from the top...

1. Must get a tan. 

Ok so this is quite a small one and I'm not expecting to go too bronzed but if I don't get even a slight colour I feel that I look like I've done nothing all summer. 

2. Sit in a beer garden. 

There is nothing better than chilling in a beer garden with an ice cold cider with your friends.  

3. Must go on holiday with my best pal. 

I will admit I'm a bit of a workaholic, I don't like taking time off work but I know that I must. Last year we went to Marrakech which was beautiful. 

4. Must get the legs out. 

To be fair, my legs are never get shown they are fifty shades of ugly. But when you're on holiday you've gotta let them out haven't ya? 

5. Must go on a road trip. 

What summer would be complete without one? Normally UK based where you have a little travel down to a close by beach. Windows down, music blaring, messy hair and sunnies! 

6. Must have a day exploring London. 

Yes, I have a confession to make I bloody love London and I'm not just talking about the touristy parts, everywhere. It really is beautiful when the sun is shining. 

  

7. Must have at least one Strawberry Daiquiri. 

This is my all time favourite cocktail, there is nothing better than sitting in the sun getting tipsy on these bad boys. 

8. Must spend at least one entire day in the garden, in the sun, reading a book. 

A pretty simple one, but it's utter relaxation plus it's nice to get lost in a good book. 

9. Must go at least one day without wearing any foundation. 

Whether it be in another country on holiday or here in the UK. Everyone's face looks so beautiful with a bit of colour just a sunkissed glow, not to be mistaken with sun burn. Nobody wants sunburn. 

10. Become obsessed with ice pops. 

Literally one of my favourite things about summer I get to eat my own body weight in ice pops and they're just flavoured ice so barely any calories to worry about!

11. Must run more.

The summer is THE perfect time to start running again. It's bright and it makes you feel good!!

What's on your summer bucket list? 

Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick | Review

In this months Birchbox I discovered this gorgeous Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick.

I must admit when I first opened it up and saw how red it was I instantly thought I'm going to hate it, the shade I recieved was Rouge Groseille which is a pretty bold red. I don't like strong colours on me, personally I don't think they suit me especially with the blonde hair it can look a little cheap on me.

However I quickly swatched it and realised it actually gorgeously sheer, it's more like a tinted lipstick.

I must move onto the scent really quickly because this is truly amazing. It's infused with cherry oil, so can you image how lush that smells and the scent actually lasts pretty well.

When I tried it I was so impressed with this Sheer Botanical Lipstick because it's not at bold as I first thought. It's on of those lipsticks that you can just swipe across you lips for a little colour and shine, but build it up for a deeper colour. It goes on really smooth as well.

This time around I've opted for just a little hint...

I'll be honest I'm still not sure about the colour, I think it's just because I'm not used to it, I really love the lipstick but I think I need to start getting used to these shades because it is gorgeous. It's just very different to what I usually wear, I think I'm going to try this out when I'm going out of the evening so that it isn't too noticeable to me.

I'm super impressed with this Yves Rocher lipstick, I think I'm going to look at what else they have to offer. 

Have you tried the Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick?

Brazil Birchbox

It's finally hear one of my favourite days of them month, apart from pay day, of course...Birchbox day!!!

I must admit I had heard this box was a goodie so I hunted the internet to find blogs who had already received theirs so I could have a little look inside. I'm pretty bad with surprises, the suspense kills me, just imagine me at Christmas, utter nightmare.

It's a little hard to see exactly what's inside, bad picture quality I will admit but the lighting was against me. 

Got some really exciting things, so instead of me telling you all about them in this post I'm just going to give them their very own post each. 

I will say I'm very excited to use the Beautyblender...but I have absolutely no idea how! I'm going to spend this weeks looking through youbtube and other vlogs to see how they use it.

What did you get in your Birchbox? What are you most excited to try out?

Summer Trends | Colours

Recently I’ve joined the #summerblogger challenge that Amy has created for loads of bloggers to get involved with. She’ll suggest a topic every week and basically we all write about it with own on twist. I missed last week’s one, I was out at events and didn’t have time to write about it.

So this week is Summer Trends a lovely broad topic and now the sun has come out to greet us I know I’m feeling more summery. Let's face it i know most trends this summer are gonna be crop tops and co ords but that's just not going to work for my body shape.

The trend that I have gone for is…Colour! I’m going to share with you the colours and materials I love to wear when it is gorgeous outside.

I spend most of my time dressed head to toe in black, but let’s face it, black isn’t the most practical colour to wear in the sun. This time of year I opt for all things bold and floaty

You can see I’m a massive fan of coral shades, I’m a blonde so I coral and peaches look really well with my skin tone. Also they really look fab with a tan. I chose soft silky materials that just catch the summer breeze. I also love to wear blues, electric blue of course which is a contrast to the corals but equally as beautiful.

This is just a couple of items I love. I wear a lot of colour on the top half of my body, I’ve got quite wide hips so wearing bright colours on my legs is just a no no!

I tend to buy a lot of bright colours for when I go on holiday and last year I bought this dress and I’m still so in love with it…

The colour is gorgeous and bright but also the cut and style of the dress just suits me so well. I picked this up in the Reiss sample sale last year for a bargain price and just loved it. The dress is floaty and light, but it does have an underskirt that’s silk so it can get a little warm if you are in a very hot country.

What are your summer trends? Bold colours or pastel shades?

It’s got to be Honey by Marc Jacobs

Now the sun has come out, one of the first things I reach for is my summer scent which is...

Honey by Marc Jacobs (of course)

I bought this on a whim last year, I tend to keep my perfumes quite simple, I like fresh scents but I stick to the same fail safe ones. I normally wear Hugo Boss - Orange during the day and if I am going out of the evening it’s definitely Jean Paul Gaultier – Classique. 

Firstly can I just say, I love the Marc Jacob bottles, they’re super cute, a little quirky. The little butterflies on the bottle are just so cute. Without even smelling the perfume just from the look I’m already feeling summery, it’s that gorgeous vivid yellow.

When you first spray it, it’s a really fresh almost fruity scent but what I really love about this one is that it develops into an almost floral scent the longer it stays on. Every time I wear it, I feel like it’s summer, plus it wears quite well you will only need to spray it another one or two times to make it last the entire day and evening. It's fresh, fruity, floral and fabulous!

What is your fave summer scent? 

Thomas Sabo charms me again...

I've always loved the idea of a charm bracelet, loads of little things to remind you of things you love or need to remember, that all mean something.

I've had a Thomas Sabo charm bracelet for several years now. It actually started with a the black one where you could add 1 or 2 charms to but I soon realised I wanted more and more so I opted for a bracelet that would carry several more. 

I wear the thing literally every day, never take it off! I only really wear silver jewellery so it fits perfectly with every outfit and my other bits. I had 7 charms on it which were...

• Snake with an apple (temptation, of course) 

• the letter T (my first name) 

• A shooting star 

• A heart 

• Turtle 

• Seahorse 

• Sun, moon and star (a link to one of my fave little poems) 

The last time I bought a charm was very long ago because I hadn't seen anything recently until I popped into my local jewellery store that stocks Thomas Sabo products. 

I ended up with two new charms!!!

It was hard finding something different to what I've already got, I didn't want another heart or star and I didn't want any from the rose gold range (it just wouldn't match). 

So I ended up with these beauties...

A gorgeous angel wing, I mean I don't need to go too far into the reason behind getting an angel wing. Sometimes it's nice to just look down and be remembered of loved ones. It's got 4 tiny little gems in it as well and just looks stunning. 

Hmmm how best to describe this one a disk with a kinda Celtic cut out pattern?! It didn't photograph as lovely as what it actually is. I love these types of patterns and I have a pendant which is almost similar to this. Yet again I just love the simplicity of it and it's something a bit different to what else I have but fits in beautifully.

I'm really happy with my little purchase 

Do you have a charm bracelet?

Superdrug coconut oil | review

So I did it, I finally caved into the coconut oil hype. Though I have a confession to make, I bloody hate the smell of coconut. Shocking I know, everyone loves it. 

When I was hunting for some coconut oil, there were so many different types but they were all a little pricey for my liking. I just wanted something to put on my hair that would help with the dry ends. 

I was reading a blog recently (for the life of me I can't remember who it was now otherwise I would link to it) and they wrote a review on this Superdrug product...

It was only £2.29 but this product isn't 100% coconut oil, it also has Parfum and Coumarin. But to be honest I don't mind, because I'm only using it on my hair and maybe some dry skin patches. I'd never do the whole "oil pulling" thing so it didn't matter to me that it wasn't 100% natural because I wasn't gonna eat it anyway.

I read the back and this product can be used for a moisturiser on your skin, can be used for very dry hair and for a dry scalp. 

I must admit it was a little weird because at room temp it's completely solid but only when you start rubbing it between you hands does it melt. 

I completely coated my ends in the oil, running it through with my hands and actually the smell wasn't too over powering. 

I left it overnight to let it fully work it's magic. What I did notice though was how smooth my hands felt after applying it. Really amazing!! I don't even have dry hands but they felt even softer. 

The results

I am really impressed with this product, it took some time to wash out because of it's oily texture but after I dried my hair it feels amazing so soft. It's no longer frizzy. It looks so much better than before, and the scent lingers a little which actually is quite pleasant. 

I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone with dry hair.  

Have you tried coconut oil?