Nivea Rich Moisturising Day Cream | REVIEW

If you read my skincare routine post as part of the #teenblogseries then you'd know that i didn't have much of a skincare routine in place. As the colder weather has been rolling in, I've noticed a considerable change in my skin and it hasn't been dealing death with the cold, windy weather. I decided to buy myself a cheap little moisturiser to use in the mornings as my skin was feeling rather dry so i picked up the Nivea Daily Essentials Light Moisturiser for Dry and Sensitive Skin for £4.19 in Boots.

Not having used many moisturisers before I didn't really know what to expect with this but it has improved my skin to no end. I apply it in the morning after cleansing and before my applying my makeup. I use a tiny pea sized amount and i find this covers the whole of my face so its very economic to use. This also sinks in really well making your skin feel light and refreshed as opposed to greasy, and caked like you can find with a lot of the cheaper moisturisers. This is an amazing bonus when you don't have ages to wait in the mornings before applying your makeup!

The fact this comes in a squeezey tube as well is so handy as it's really easy to store and move should you need to take it anywhere overnight. It's really helped my skin survive this winter and is definitely going to be something i repurchase! 

Maybelline BROWdrama in Transparent | REVIEW

Ive always had incredibly thick, bushy eyebrows but since everybody has been obsessing over eyebrows I decided i needed to do something to tame them a little, and this is where this little beauty comes in. The Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in transparent has become an absolute saviour in my everyday makeup routine, by turning unruly brows into defined masterpieces.Essentially the Maybelline Brow Drama is just, in this case, a clear mascara for the brows but it feels like so much more than that. It holds my brows in place all day without letting any unruly hairs escape or smudging any of the powder underneath. The brush on this is also incredibly unique with a large sphere at the end which allows you to only apply the product to the brows instead of it getting everywhere else, this is so handy as a lot of brow mascaras I've found are completely useless and you end up getting the product everywhere. The brush also picks up just the right amount of product too so it's not at all wasteful and you don't have to wipe any of it off before use. Overall this is a really great product for anyone who has bushy brows that need that extra help to stay in place all day. Its £4.99 from Boots as well so it's not going to break the bank, but its well worth it for perfecting those brows! 

Poppy | Barry M Silk Nail Effects | REVIEW

So here I am on the second to last day of 2014 writing up my first blog post in December, to say its been a while would be an understatement. The past month in all honesty has not been great for me, but as things are getting better I've decided i want to become more active with my blog and my Instagram as they're both something i really love to do. With that being said I'm here to talk to you today about my new favourite nail polish which I've been raving about on Insta for months. It is the Barry M Silk Effect Nail Polish in the shade 'Poppy' and it's absolutely to die for. 

Its no secret that I am a huge love of Barry M's nail polishes but when i heard about the Silk Nail Collection i just wasn't sold, that was until i saw this colour. It's the perfect shimmery, pinky red but at the same time its also matte and subtle enough for everyday wear! 

The formula for this is absolutely spot on too, its not thin or streaky but has enough coverage for you to be able to wear it with just one coat. I always use two as i like it to be a little bolder but either way it looks amazing. Unlike other matte nail polishes it does have a slightly longer drying time than normal, but as long as you paint it on thinly enough this is not really an issue. The wear time on this is between 3 and 5 days, with a basecoat. Thats a huge bonus for me as I'm constantly on the go and nail polishes don't tend to last longer than a couple of days for me. 

Overall this is a really lovely colour which is perfect for those colder winter months and adding a little colour back into your life. For just £3.99 its you really can't go far wrong! 

Stay Perfect Foundation | No7

I don't actually wear foundation on a day to day basis, i find that i simply using a concealer and a bi of powder is enough to cover up any blemishes, but when i heard about Boots match making service to find your perfect foundation and lipstick i had to give it a go. I got matched to the shade Cool Ivory and i ended up picking up the Stay Perfect foundation.

I have to start by talking about the packaging for this, which is amazing. Firstly it’s in a steel grey kind of box, although i accidentally damaged this as i also bought a hairbrush and the two didn’t really get along. But the bottle itself feels so expensive. It’s frosted glass and feels so sturdy with the pump and lid feeling incredibly secure. I just really like the packaging for this! 

The foundation itself is amazing, and has medium coverage but is very buildable. I applied it with a foundation brush, buffing brush and a sponge and i think the sponge works best. A little bit really goes a long way with this and i fin a small blob on the back of my hand can cover my whole face, pretty impressive, eh! Its finish is rather dewy which I'm not a fan of but this can easily be fixed with a bit of powder, and it does tend to last all day.

Overall i do really like this foundation, its such a nice offering coming into the winter months and being able to get your match made colour just make it such a good choice. 

BOOMF.

A little while ago I won a giveaway on Megans blog, The Perks Of Meg to win a set of marshmallows from boomf, and i thought with christmas coming up its the perfect time to share these all with you as they really do make a brilliant gift idea. Essentially the idea is that you can get your photos from either Instagram, Facebook or your computer printed onto marshmallows and they'll send them out to you in this cute little box. 

The turnaround for these marshmallows was incredibly quick. I ordered them on a Saturday evening and i had them by the Tuesday which i was very impressed with. The box fits through your postbox too so no one has to sign if you're not in, it was nice to come home to and find this little box waiting for me! 

On the marshmallows you can have your images printed and i chose a bunch of photographs of me and my friends. The images did come out a little grainy and overexposed but the fact that they're printing onto marshmallows kind of means this doesnt matter, you're going to eat them, they dont need to be perfect! The novelty of my photos on marshmallows was exciting enough, not to mention they tasted amazing. They had a kind of vanilla taste to them and weren't as sickly as the shop bought mrshmallows. Its kind of scary eating them at first but once you get over the fact they have your photos on they're such a yummy treat! 

Overall these would be such a fun gift for a friend or family member for Christmas, and a tasty treat as well. Alternatively they'd be great for just ordering for yourself if you want a dummy treat! I would definitely recommend the service, it's so easy to use, so quick and they're such great quality! 

Not An Illusion | The Colour Rush Balm

Have you ever found a lip product that you just instantly love? Where everything from the colour to the smell is perfect? Ive found this with the Rimmel London Colour Rush Balm in Not An Illusion. I didn't really see the hype behind the crayon style lip colours but i can definitely understand now, this has become a daily essential for me, it's so handy to carry round and so much easier to find in the bottom of my handbag.

Let me start by saying this smells absolutely amazing, almost chocolatey, and it feels so soft and hydrating on the lips. Its feels like you're applying a simple lip balm instead of something with a bit of colour in, and it also looks a lot more natural and not too in your face. The colour of this as absolutely gorgeous too, so understated but adds a lovely pop to an otherwise boring makeup day. Although the first layer does appear quite sheer, it can easily be built up to create a bolder brighter lip. 

The packaging on this is pretty standard of all of the lip crayons and i have noticed that the writing wears away pretty quick, but this isn't really an issue. I also really like the fact the colour on the outside of the tube is a near perfect match for what colour the balm appears on your lips. 

Overall i really do love the Rimmel London Colour Rush Balm in Not An Illusion, its feels so nice on lips, it lasts really well and smells absolutely gorgeous. Definitely going to keep my eye out for the other products in this range! 

Eye makeup Remover

Eye makeup is notorious for being difficult to get off and sometimes micellar waters just aren't strong enough. Im not a fan of using makeup wipes around my eyes either so i was in search for something gentle but strong. When i was picking up a Garnier Micellar Water in Boots i saw this on offer and i thought it was worth a try as i love the Micellar Water so much. The Garnier Eye Makeup Remover is such a powerful little tool for wiping away every single last bit of eye makeup and I've absolutely fallen in love with it.

In this little bottle you get 125ml of two different removers, one which i assume is oil based sits on the top and appears purple and then a clear liquid underneath, you shake the bottle to mix the liquid and then i apply it to a cotton pad and hold it over my eyes for a few seconds. Although you don't get a huge amount in this bottle you really don't need to use a lot so its very economical to use and the amount isn't really an issue. 

When it comes to actually removing the eye makeup, this works like a dream. Its so delicate and gentle around your eyes and doesn't require rubbing at all, you hold it on and wipe it off and you're done. This manages to remove even the most difficult of my mascaras without leaving and form of makeup or oily residue. It's not at all drying on the skin either, it doesn't leave you feeling like its stripped bare, its just leaves a nice balance and clean feeling skin. 

Overall i really do love this eye makeup remover, its works so well and is such a great price. If anyones got any recommendations of any other eye makeup removers id love to know! 

Brow This Way | Rimmel London

Im not entirely sure why, but brows seem to be hugely important in todays society.  I naturally have thick, dark brows as you can see but they are a little sparse in places and i thought it would be good to look for something that could help me define my brows a little more. I won a competition with Beauty At Tesco on twitter and this is one of the things i received from them, I'm so glad i got a chance to try it before i actually went out and bought it though! 

The packaging is pretty standard to be honest, it gets the job done and nothing more. The colour of the tube is also a little darker than the product itself so it's a little misleading! The brush for the is absolutely huge, it's really not dissimilar to a mascara wand which is a tad worrying. Because the brush is so big it also picks up a lot of unnecessary product which you have to wipe away before using as otherwise you end up with messy looking brows. 

In the above photo i am wearing Brow This Way on my right side brow and I've left the other side blank so that you can see the comparison. There is quite a trick to getting this product in the right place but once you've got that down it is quite nice to work with. It is however a very warm toned brown which can be bad on some skin tones. 

I do think this is a nice product, but theres certain little bits about this they just haven't quite gotten right, like the brush and the formula mainly. If my Collection Brow Kit Runs out then ill have no hesitation with using this, but until then its definitely only going to be used as a back up. This does have the potential to be a great little brow product but unfortunately it's not quite right just yet!

Wonder'full Mascara | Rimmel London

Whenever I get a new mascara, I think its 'The One' but thats normally because i do a lot of research into them before hand and then buy the mascara that looks the best. This mascara, however, was sent to me because I won a twitter competition with Beauty At Tesco and its definitely love . I received the Rimmel London Wonder'full Mascara quite soon after its release and id had my eye on it due to the gorgeous packaging, i was just a little bit put off by the reviews, however after trialing this for a good few weeks now and using it everyday, i know that this mascara really is 'The One'.

The bronzed packaging is just hands down gorgeous to me, and feels a lot more premium apect from Rimmel. Wonder'full features a rather narrow synthetic/rubber kind of brush which seems to be the breaking point for a lot of people, but used correctly to brush through your lashes, it goves such a volumised, full lash effect. The wand doesnt pull out too much either so you dont have to spend wiping it off for ages, but it has enough to only need one coat on your lashes. 

Secondly, I love the formula for this mascara. Its not too wet or dry, thick of thin, it doesnt clump at all or flake. To me, its about as ideal as mascara can be. It lasts really well on your lashes, without losing any volume as the day goes on, or leaving any black marks under your eyes. The staying power of this is incredible, although when it finally comes to removing it, its not at all tricky to take off if you use a good eye makeup remover. Holding some makeup remover over it for a couple of seconds is enough to take it all off. 

Overall I really love this mascara and it has become an essential within my everyday makeup routine, everything about it for me is just a winner from the packaging to the brush and everything in-between. Let me know if you've tried this mascara before and what you thought of it! 

my fashion icon | week 9 | #teenblogseries

If you're a blogger and you haven't heard of Luanna from Le-Happy then where have you been? I first spotted her on a fashion inspo instagram and immediately fell in love with her edgy fashion sense and  unapologetic style. I'm following her on instagram now and i love her blog too. She shares some amazing photos and all of her outfits are spot on. 

Aren't you just in love with her hair though? I genuinely looked into getting my hair done like this once but i think it would probably end up going wrong for me. I just think Luanna is such an inspiration from her style to simply how her personality shines through on her blog. I don't have too much to say as i think the images really do speak for themselves. 

http://www.le-happy.com