Pre Holiday Prep

I always like to get my packing and other necessary jobs out of the way before going on holiday so on the last evening before I head off I can do a bit of pre holiday prep. Not only is it really relaxing but it means I can be a bit lower maintenance while I'm away! Here are the products I'll be using to get holiday ready! 

I usually start with dry body brushing, something I always intend on doing on the regular but never get round to. I use the Botanics Body Brush in upward strokes, it helps improve circulation, plumping up the skin while also giving it an intense exfoliation leaving it feeling nice and smooth.

Next up wax strips! We all know what these are for! I find they're a much better option than shaving as it means while I'm away I don't have to bother spending extra time shaving and I don't have to take any shaving stuff away with me.

Post wax I like to slather on a generous amount of the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil (full review here), it soothes post waxed skin and gives it a huge amount of moisture meaning I wake up with super soft skin the next morning.

Nothing is quite as relaxing as a nice hot bath and my most recent bath favourite is the Nip + Fab Yoga Blend Body Wash. The blend of coconut, rose and lavender smells amazing!

Also from Nip + Fab is the Bee Sting Fix Lifting Mask, it's a mask I've only used a few times so far but really like. It plumps up and hydrates the skin leaving it with a lovely glow, definitely a good 'pre party' mask!

Last up is the TRESemme Keratin Smooth 7 Day Smooth System, which I recently got a few sachets of. The directions say to apply the entire sachet to towel dried hair then blow-dry and straighten. This is supposed to 'lock in' the smoothness, in a similar way to a Brazilian blow-dry treatment. I'm excited to try this one as I have very frizz prone hair and this suff supposedly lasts through 4 washes! 

Do you have any pre holiday beauty rituals?

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Summer Makeup Bag

Every season I like to put a post together featuring all the makeup products I've been getting the most use out of. Here's what has been in my makeup bag as of late.

MUA Undressed Palette

I won't go into too much detail on this one as I just did a full review on it, you can see that here. It's a great, versatile palette that can be used to create lots of different looks. I've been using shade 6 (top row, right) and 7 (bottom row, left) the most.

Avon Ideal Flawless CC Cream - Nutmeg

This has been my everyday base for the last couple of months, I don't really need a full on foundation everyday and this feels so much more comfortable on the skin. It's really lightweight and contains SPF 50!

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Dark Peach

I tap this onto my dark circles with my finger as it covers them without feeling too heavy, it also really brightens up my face and makes me look more awake. 

Kiko Glow Touch Lip & Cheeks - 102 Wave Hibiscus

This one is quite a recent purchase but I've not stopped using it since I got it, it's a very flattering peachy pink shade in a cream formula that works well on both lips and cheeks. I do love a good multitasker!

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

I've been mentioning this lipbalm/lipstick hybrid a lot recently, you can see what it looks like on here. It's been living in my handbag for when I need to add a bit of colour to my look. 

The Body Shop Mango Lip Butter

I love the taste/smell of mangoes so this lip balm was bound to go down well with me. The formula is super moisturising and it doesn't leave a pale cast on the lips.

Benefit Sun Beam

I do love a good highlighter and lately I've been going for liquid formulas over powder. This one sits somewhere in between champagne and gold and manages to bring a bit of life back into the face while still looking subtle. 

What's been in you makeup bag lately?

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Essie Manicure at Privet Beauty

I recently went to an event hosted at Privet, a beauty salon in Notting Hill. Quite possibly the loveliest decorated salon I've ever been to! The salon has lots of different treatment rooms, each with a different theme as well as a hidden away area for manicures called the 'secret garden'. It's such a lovely change from the usual generically decorated salons and nail bars.

They use Essie polishes for their manicures which I was really pleased to hear as it's my favourite nail brand. I went for the shade Watermelon with Naughty Nautical as an accent nail, I was having a bit of a difficult time choosing but I think the shades look great together! As I write this I'm on day 3 and still no chips! I may have to invest in the Essie top and base coat!

The lady who did my manicure was lovely and chatty, something which makes a big difference to me. It felt more like a friend was doing my nails!

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FOTD #2

I've decided to try and do a few more makeup posts here on the blog, I hope you like this one, it's a look I'd probably reserve for evenings as the eyeshadow really is quite glittery, although it doesn't seem to look like it in the picture! I used my Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette in In the Dark which I did a full review of here. It's a palette I'm trying to use a bit more as it's been left unloved for a while! 

For base I went for MAC Studio Fix Fluid, another usually unloved product. I tend to reach for lighter bases over this one most days but I was having a bit of a 'bad skin day' so I thought I could do with a bit of extra coverage! I applied it with a Buffing Brush and then tapped on a bit of Bobbi Brown Corrector under my eyes to cover dark circles. I then used all the shades from my Sleek Face Form Palette in Light, the contour shade to define, a tiny bit of blush to add some colour and the highlighter to add a bit of a glow back into an otherwise quite matte finish. 

For the eyes I started with the shade Gold (top row, second from right) all over the lid, then added a tiny amount of Nude (top row, second from left) into the inner corners and under the brow bone. Next I went for the shade Deep Brown (bottom row, second from left) and packed that into the outer corner. I then blended everything out with a fluffy brush so it all looked a bit softer. To finish up I used the shade Glitter Black (bottom row, middle) as an eyeliner using a small angled brush and Avon Aero Volume Mascara which I don't love but am trying to finish up!

For lips I kept things super simple and just went for my favourite, wear with everything gloss, Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 56 Imaginaire. I hope you like the look!

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MUA Undressed Palette

I've had the MUA Undressed Palette for a really long time but it was left neglected for a long time. In all honesty, I forgot I had it. When I rediscovered it a few weeks ago I put it with my everyday makeup as a reminder to use it and I've barely used any other palettes since. It has a great range of neutral shades and the quality of the shadows is excellent. They're very pigmented, soft and buttery and don't fall down onto your face as you're applying them. In fact I even think they're better quality than some of my high end shadows! 

Top row - Shade 1 - 6

Bottom Row - Shade 7 - 12

Shades 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9

Shades 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12

Shades 1-3

Shades 4-6

Shades 7-9

Shades 10-12

As you can see the palette contains some great shades, shades 6 and 7 are by far my favourite. Although I would have liked to see a few more mattes in the palette (there are only 2), I think it's a great buy overall, especially since it's only £4! You can use it to create everything from a really simple everyday look to a full on smoky eye! 

Will you be adding this palette to your collection?

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Beauty Wishlist

Stila - In the Light Palette

Chanel - Les Beiges Powder

Nars - Radiant Creamy Concealer

Indeedlabs - Peptabright

Ecotools - Fresh and Flawless Brush Set 

Bourjois - Rouge Edition Velvet

Nars - Bronzer

Alpha H - Liquid Gold 

A few products that are currently topping my beauty wishlist! What's on yours?  

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OOTD #2

On most days you'll find me in a T-Shirt and a pair of jeans, when I need to smarten things up a bit or just look a bit more pulled together I usually just add a pair of heels. These are the ones I mentioned I was lusting after in a previous post and I'm so glad I got them. They're such an amazingly bright cobalt blue (the picture doesn't do them justice) and they're surprisingly comfortable, thanks to the ankle strap. They're also available in black so I'm seriously considering another purchase!

Necklace - Alex Monroe 

T-Shirt - ASOS

Jeans - ASOS

Bag - H&M

Sunglasses - Dorothy Perkins

Shoes - Next

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Saatchi Gallery Photo Diary

Something a little different here on the blog today! I went for a wonder around the Saatchi Gallery the other day and thought I'd share a few photos with you.

I hope this post has inspired you to give the gallery a visit!

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