My July favourites...

Is it me, or has July gone so quickly? 0_0
Since this month has been so hot I haven't been wearing as much make up, but here are the things I've been enjoying using the most...

Etude House Makeup Fix Mist: This stuff is amazing! I've tried a fair few make up setting sprays and found them to do nothing. This one keeps my make up in place all day (AND in this heat wave weather too) and it smells like baby powder, which is a bonus.

Marks & Spencer Butterfly ETD: This scent is perfect for the Summer. It has a nice light melon smell that isn't too overbearing, but fresh.

Holika Holika Peach Girl BB cream: Hands down the best BB cream I've tried so far. It's a lovely pale shade, that gives a good strong coverage to hide all the redness (and current spotty chin!) without feeling like I have a ton of make up on. The lid also has a cream blush/lip colour.

Soap & Glory Sexy Motherpucker Gloss Stick: In the shade Fuchsia-ristic a lovely bright  neon pink. This gives a nice wash of colour, that has a glossy finish without having the stickiness of a lip gloss.

Acti-derm Miceller Lotion: This is great for removing make up, and really refreshes my skin. I'm not too fussed with the brand, as other stuff from them I've tried I got allergic reactions from.

NYC Sky Rise mascara: A brilliant budget mascara, this does lengthen my lashes like it claims. It removes with no fuss too.

and finally, Naked Shine Glossing Hair Treatment: I got this huge tub in poundland! It leaves my hair feeling silky soft, and my hair smells fresh and clean even the day after (although it doesn't smell much like coconut & shea).

What have your July favourites been?

July empties...

Here are my July empties.....

My definite repurchases are Lypsll Strawberry lip balm, which is by far my favourite lipbalm. I go through about 1 a month and already have a few back ups. I have also already repurchased the Estee Lauder Foaming cleanser, although I know they are supposed to be bad for the skin I haven't had any problems so far. The Superdrug Coconut & Almond Intensive Conditioner is another favourite. For under £2 it makes my hair soft, shiny, and smells lovely- I've already started another tub.

Things I definitely won't repurchase are the Salon Selectives shampoo and conditioner. The conditioner is the worst I've ever tried, it was really watery and did nothing for my hair. I also didn't enjoy Superdrugs Little Red Tin lip balm, which was horrible and gooey, and did nothing for my lips.

My favourite sample I've tried this month is Etude House Nymph Aura. It makes a great illuminator, and I've been using it on my cheeks for a nice Summer glow. I definitely plan to buy the full size.

 

Below is my empties video, where I talk about each product...

 

Etude House Color Pop Collection

I can't stop drooling over these promotional images for the Etude House Color Pop collection. So many pretty things! The collection was out a few months ago, but sadly unlike the (amazing) Sweet recipe collection has been near impossible to track down products here :(

Etude House Lovely Cookie blusher...

If you are regular reader of my blog you will know I have become a big fan of Asian cosmetic brands, particularly Etude House. For todays post I wanted to show you their Lovely Cookie Blusher in the shade Strawberry Mousse. 

I have had this quite a while, and I think this is perhaps one of their more known products. 

As with all Etude House products the packaging in adorable. The blush comes in casing that matches the shade, with a frosted lid. You also get a cute and fluffy powder puff to apply it!

The powder itself is silky smooth, and very pigmented & blends in nicely onto the cheeks.

As you can see from the swatch this shade is a very pale pink, and in hindsight I wish I'd have gone for another shade as this is just too light to look right on me. The other shades in the collection are lovely, so I think I might have to try a few more.

Overall, a lovely product- just not the shade for me. I have never been disappointed by an Etude House product yet :)
Here's the other shades (pic from Google images)...

Etude House Bling in the Sea collection...

Today I thought i'd share some promo images of the beautiful Bling in the Sea collection from Etude House. This is their Summer 2013 range.

 

 

Out of all the collection this is one of the products I'd most like to try. It's the Precious Mineral Sun BB cream with a built in sponge applicator.

These are pots of Cheek Brighteners loose powders.

The nail polishe glitter toppers are the other item I'm most interested in. I've already ordered one, and can't wait until it arrives!

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach...

It seems that every brand is coming out with their version of lip crayons, and Bourjois are the latest. I haven't found any that I feel rival the Revlon ones, and so wasn't planning on getting any- but after giving these a quick swatch changed my mind.

The shade that got my attention was Peach on the Beach, a lovely bright pinky peach.

I have found that rather than the lip balm texture of the Revlon versions, these ones are ultra glossy (very similar to the Soap & Glory lip crayons. God, I know too much about lip crayons! ha). Bourjois claim these are waterproof, are hydrating and give 10 hours of wear. After trying them I have found they don't deliver on any of these claims.

Regardless, I love this product simply for the shade (I haven't seen a match in any other lip crayon (I'm obsessed!). This is also a lovely glossy product, great for a simple Summer look.

(^_^)

Sleek Lip Palette: Mardi Gras

When Sleek released their new lip palette, Mardi Gras the special edition palette stood out to me. The palettes are all a mix of matte, sheen and glossy lip shades.

I'm not usually a huge fan of lip palettes in general but the colour selection changed my mind. The colours are so vivid and bright. I especially love the purple shade- I haven't seen anything like it.

The formula, as with all Sleek lipsticks is long lasting, moisturising, and very pigmented :)

Blogsale buys...

I love a good bargain, and there's no better place to find a bargain than a blog sale! Here are my latest purchases... Lots of Etude House, and Holika Holika from Cosmetic Candys amazing sale.

Nails Inc Sprinkles polish and Baby Lips from The Sunday Girls blog (plus a kind MUA freebie), and finally the Estee Lauder Witty Peach gradient blush which I've been looking for forever!

July haul...

As with any other month I've been busy spending, and bargain hunting! For a closer look here's my video :)

Look Beauty Fresh Cheeks!

Other than lipstick my favourite item of make up is blush, especially cream blush. I am a big fan of these Fresh Cheeks from Look Beauty. They come in 3 shades, and cost just £5 (although they often have half price deals).

They come in cute packaging with a mirror on the back. The blush itself is very similar to the NYX cream blushes (which I also love)- very pigmented, soft and easy to blend. On the cheeks they give a beautiful dewy healthy glow. I especially love these for a Summer look.

The shades are all fairly natural colours that work great with most skin tones. They last pretty well throughout the day, my favourite shade is Melon, a bright pink. My sister wore it on her wedding day and It lasted until evening.

L-R Melon, Guava, Lychee.

Have you tried these?
(^_^)

Similar to Mac Impassioned...

I love the lip colour Impassioned by Mac, and thought I would show a few alternatives to the lovely hot pink shade. I say alternatives because they are not close enough to be dupes :)

The first one is It's My Party by Dainty Doll. It has the same creamy texture as Impassioned, and is a beautiful shade of pink. I love the quality of the Dainty Doll lipsticks, they wear really well.

The other shade is Chaos Jumbo Lip Pencil by NYX. I'd say the shade is maybe a cross between Impassioned and Girl About Town. It's a really bold creamy blue-ish toned bright pink.

Personally i'd recommend all 3! What are your favourite fuchsia lipsticks?

Soap & Glory Glow All Out

Glow All Out by Soap & Glory is my go to highlighter. It's a lovely peachy shimmering highlighting powder.

Glow All Out comes in a nice compact made of a sturdy card that has a magnet clasp, and a mirror. The powder itself is embossed with the Soap & Glory logo :) The compact has a tendency to get a little grubby on the outside after being in a make up bag for a while.

The powder itself is a lovely shade, and is shimmery and creamy without being packed with glitter. It's easy to apply, and a little goes a long way. This works particularly well on my pale skin, although I think it would suit most skin tones. On lazy make up days I put a wash of this over my eyelids with some mascara for a simple glowing look.

You get a generous 7.5g for £11. I would most definitely recommend! (^_^)

Have you tried it?

Montagne Jeunesse Glacial Clay Spa mask...

 

Some time ago Montagne Jeunesse were giving away free masks from their newly released Clay Spa range. There are 2 masks in the range, the Dead Sea Mud Spa, and the one I got the Glacial Clay Spa.

 

It says it is made with crushes arctic cloudberries, and anti-oxidant red grape to cleanse pores. The mask itself is a sheet mask made from a fairly thick fabric that is soaked in the product. Firstly the mask smells really good! It's quite a strong aqua/ fresh smell.

 

The mask feels really cooling when it's on- so I particularly enjoyed it in this heat wave weather. One thing I'll say is don't look in the mirror or show anyone when you have this mask on as it will make you laugh hysterically and ruin the serene moment. Seriously. I'll spare you the picture of me wearing it, instead here's a picture of Leatherface for reference....

 

 

After 15 mins I removed it, and my face did feel incredibly clean, and refreshed. I must admit it did leave some dry patches and I had to slather on the moisturiser afterwards. I also never noticed any difference to my pores, or my currently spotty chin!

I didn't notice any major effects from the mask, but I like it for the fact it was cooling, and refreshing whilst on!

Have you tried this?

Liebster Award (i tag YOU!)

Thank you to Nena at MadameNailPolish for nominating me :)

The Liebster Award is an award given to bloggers with less than 200 followers.
Rules: You must answer the questions that the blogger who nominated you suggested to you, you should also nominate 11 bloggers, and leave 11 questions for them to answer, you should also tell those bloggers that you have nominated them, and you must also link the person you have nominated by!

Questions from Nena:
1. What is your favourite nail polish colour ?
I love anything with glitter best :) but also love a good red every now and then too!
2.What do you prefer pants or skirts?
I like both, but if I had to choose I'd go for trousers.
3. TV or computer? 
Definitely computer (or laptop). I don't really watch much TV, I tend to watch dvds/ Netflix/ YouTube on my laptop. I also think I'd be LOST without internet access! 
3.Do you love sweet or salty foods? 
Hmm, well I have a major sweet tooth, so I'd go for sweet. 
4.What is the last movie you've seen and what did you think?
I saw World War Z at the cinema the other day. The CGI was brilliant in it, and the film was pretty good apart from the stupid ending. Brad Pitts hair was the star though haha ;) 
5.Who is your favourite fashion designer?
If I'm honest I don't have a favourite fashion designer. I'm not into designer labels, or what is the fashion. I prefer clothes that are to my own tastes, and style :) I like things a little quirky best. 
6.Which season do you like best and why?
Winter is my favourite just because I love Christmas, and Bonfire night and wrapping up in a scarf, and gloves and snuggling up inside in the evenings. I much prefer cold weather (and I'm not just saying that because today is a heat wave and I'm melting!). I also love the blossom in Spring too.
7.What song do you keep on like, every time when you hear it?
This question didn't translate too clearly, but my favourite music is by Garbage, and Queens of the Stone Age. I also love 50s and 60s music and my favourite feel good song that always gets me singing is That's Life by Frank Sinatra and anything by The Kinks!  
8.Who is / are your favourite YouTuber (s)?
My favourite YouTubers are:
Thedollydevine because she is a lovely friend and has great taste (and hair!)
Nicky for her bargain hauls
Leanashe23 for her amazingly creative make up looks, and
FoundOnFilm for her mamouth hauls!  
9.If you could choose any place in the world to live where would it be?
I don't know weather I'd be able to live anywhere else because I'm not good with change, but my dream is to one day visit Japan :) I'd also love to go on a road trip of the US too!
10.Twitter or Facebook?
Twitter! Facebook annoys me too much. The thing i love with twitter is that I can chat to a stranger from somewhere else in the world about beauty, blogging, tv shows etc...!

Rather than nominate 11 bloggers I nominate anyone who wants to take part :)
If you do, leave a comment and i'll add the link to this post.

My 10 questions for you...
1. What is your all time favourite film?
2. Which one make up product would you recommend the most?
3. Which type of blog posts do you most enjoy writing (or typing!)
4. Lipstick or lipgloss?
5. Who are your favourite bands/ singers?
6. Describe your style...
7. Now for a serious question... You have 10 minutes to do a trolley dash around a shop (not really, sorry) which shop would you choose?
8. Favourite place in the world you've visited?
9. 3 items you'd take to a desert island?
10. Who are your favourite Youtubers/ Bloggers (any recommendations) ?

Lovely bloggers who've posted the tag:
Bad Girls Do It Well


(^_^) 

Pond's Magic BB Powder and Maybelline Baby Lips...

I wanted to show you a couple of recent Asian make up items I bought on ebay. Firstly, Pond's BB Magic Powder. It is a loose powder, with a good pigmentation. It comes in a cute pink bottle (they also have a blue oil control version) and has a sifter at the top (like a bottle of baby talc.)

The main ingredient is talc, but after trying it I really like it. It works best on top of a foundation, or BB cream and gives good coverage. It seems to last really well too. I initially tried mixing it with a moisturiser (thinking I'd make my own BB cream!) but that just didn't work. The other plus is that you get absolutely tons in the bottle and it cost me around £2.50. This works best on paler skins, I think anything medium onwards may find this too light.

From the same seller I also picked up a Maybelline Baby lips. I couldn't decide which colour so I went with my favourite name- Pink Lolita! It is a lovely glossy pink :)

Here is the seller if you fancy a look!