What To Take Abroad | Makeup

As you are reading this I will most probably be jetting off into the air.  As some of you may or may not be aware I am going away for a week, which unfortunately means no posting this coming week (boooo!), however it does mean that my next few posts will be holiday based when I get back so keep your eyes peeled for that (yaay!).

I know that now is the time most of us are packing our bags and heading abroad and today I am going to be telling you the do's and don'ts for packing your makeup bag.

1. Think Minimalist

When your in a hot country the last thing you want to be doing is slapping on layers upon layers of makeup, keep it simple. Light, natural looking makeup always looks better than makeup melting off your face. I tend not to wear any face makeup, but if needs be use a concealer to conceal any blemishes or dark circles, and if you need extra coverage try using a BB cream over foundation as this is lighter on your skin. Fill in your eyebrows lightly to frame your face, add some mascara and your favourite nude lip and your good to go.

2. Take Things You Know You Like

When your on holiday in a rush to get ready you don't want to use a product that you actually find out you don't like, otherwise it ends up with you without a mascara. Instead take your old favourites that you know you love and that sit well on your skin, this way you won't have to stress out about your concealer making you break out in a zillion spots.

3. Waterproof Everything

Have any of you had that unfortunate event where you come to jump in the pool, forget you have mascara on, and then end up looking like a panda? not just me then. A way to avoid this is to use waterproof everything! Mascara, lipstick, eyeliner, anything you can get your hands on. Using waterproof makeup will also help in the heat, as it will help your makeup last through the humidity and sweat.

4. SPF

One of the utmost important thing to do whilst your away is to apply a high SPF to protect your skin. It may be pain but it will reduce premature ageing, prevent you getting burnt and reduce the risk of skin cancer, all of which are bonus' right? if your like me and burn like a tomato you'll know how important it is to wear sunscreen. Don't just wear it on your body and face though, be sure to carry with you a SPF lip balm that will protect your lips from the sun too, you lips are prone to get burnt also.

5 .Pack Light

When your trying not to over pack, you don't want to be taking your over-sized bronzer or powder. Instead take compact items that will take up less space, that way you'll also be able to fit more clothes in your suitcase (hint hint).

Those are all my tips and tricks to packing your makeup bag. When I get back there will be lots more holiday based posts including a look book (ooo...). I hope you all have a fabulous week and I will talk to you when I'm back.

Holiday Planning | An Outfit

Dress // Fashion Union

Shorts // Vintage

Shoes // Office

Belt // Vintage

It's that time of the year again where everyone's packing up their bags and heading abroad. I'm one of them people escaping the British Summer to a much warmer, sunnier climate too soon. At this moment in time my room is a tip, with clothes all over the floor and is very dis-functional. I thought as a quick post I would show you on outfit I'm thinking of taking with me on holiday, as right now my Summer consists of getting things ready and outfit planning, to try and make sure I won't over pack; even though I know I will for sure. The dress I am wearing is from Fashion Union, as it's a bit short for me I did pair it off with a pair of denim cut offs. This dress would also make a great beach cover up for over your bathing suit. So is perfect for Summer.

I hope all of you are having an amazing Summer, and if you are going away to have a great time. Thank you for reading.

Primed and Ready

Primers are the thing that can make or break your makeup. Today I am going to be comparing two primers that claim to do different things. The two primers I am going to compare are the Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser and the Nivea Express Hydration Primer. Both are very different formulations and finishes.

It's important to prime your skin if your going to be wearing your makeup for longer periods of time, as it prevents your makeup sliding off your face and will help it look better for longer. I don't wear primer often but if I'm going to a party or event I will wear one to make sure my makeup lasts all day and night. If you are working long days, Primer is a step you do not want to miss.

The Maybelline Primer is on the more pricier side of the two primers at £7.99, it claims to erase pores and help reduce shine. Whilst the Nivea one claims to smooth and hydrate your skin at more than half the price at £2.49. Out of the two I prefer the Nivea primer as it gives a smooth appearance to your skin and gives you added hydration which is an important step in your skincare, the Maybelline primer on the other hand does smooth out your pores and reduces shine. I suffer from oily skin and it really does help my makeup last longer also helps keep my skin matte.The downside of this product is that it made my skin break out after I used it a couple of times. It was for that reason I know prefer the Nivea one, nobody likes spots.

For the price I would choose the Nivea one, it's a highly affordable product, that I would repurchase over. I rarely wear primer but for those days I do I would choose the Nivea over the Baby Skin. Although I prefer the matte finish the Baby Skin primer gave, the fact that it broke me out put me off, and for that reason I go for the Nivea one. Depending on the look you are going for, these primers work well but remember different skin types react differently to products do it's important to get a primer best suited to your skin. 

I have done a full review on the Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser but this is an updated opinion to read my older post click here. I hope this post proved useful and thank you for reading.

Summer Essentials | Fashion

I'm back today with another Summer favourites my fashion addition. In the Winter time I live in black clothing but as soon as Summer comes around I seem to switch to the other end of the colour wheel with white clothing.  

My clothing items I love to wear in the Summer time first off are dresses, to me they are an essential as you can just throw them on without thinking. In particular this white one from Topshop which I featured in an outfit post here. I love this dress because it has a textured look, it has dainty embroidered thread though it which give it a boho theme to it. Because it's light it is perfect Summer dress that will be light and keep you cool.

Next the item I enjoy to wear flowy loose cami tops. I own a few of them from various places the one I have pictured is from Forever 21 which has the lace detailing at the bottom. I love how they are so simple and can be paired with pretty much anything. 

An accessory that is seen everywhere in the Summer months is flower crowns. You see them all over the catwalk and they become a real fashion staple during these warmer months. The small collection I have collected are from; Georgialouhandmade and Primark. 

In the Summer I always love to stack my bracelets. I have way too many to count. A couple of my favourites however are from Pandora, Handmade bracelets. I also wear a lot of anklets in the Summer as think they add extra detail to an outfit.

Something I have been seeing everywhere recently is headscarves, they have hit the catwalk with a modern twist on the vintage classic. I like to pick mine up from vintage stores, because they have a more traditional look and can be worn so many different ways.

My final fashion favourite is a Summer classic that no one must go without: sandals. There are no ends to the variety of sandals you can get. However my personal favourite is the traditional gladiator in a brown tone. I prefer these as they don't look chunky at all and will go well with any of your Summer outfits.

Those are all of my Summer essentials fashion and beauty wise, to read my beauty essentials click here. I hope you all have an amazing Summer and be sure to keep up to date for more upcoming Summer related posts. Thank you for reading.

Coffee Bean Scrub | First Impressions

I have never heard of such things as coffee scrubs until I saw them blowing up my Instagram feed. After that I knew the time would come where I would have to try one. The first on my list that I have tried is the Mr Bean Body Coffee Bean Scrub*.

This scrub is 100% natural and has lots of added benefits for your skin. It helps with rough skin, dry skin, acne, and stretch marks. Because of the natural ingredients, you are not adding chemicals onto your skin that can dry out, irritate and clog up your skin, instead it will enhance your natural skin and nourish it with the skin loving nutrients. Along with all of that Mr Bean Body uses Fair trade ingredients to produce their scrub.

The first thing you notice about the scrub is the smell, it's a strong coffee scent with a touch of sea salt which I actually enjoy. However of your not a coffee lover then you may not. If you can get past the smell I would highly recommend this scrub to you. After just one use my skin felt rejuvenated and smooth. I suffer from acne on my arms and using the Mr Bean Body scrub in the shower honestly seemed to help smooth and reduce the redness on my arms. I can truly say that the acne on my arms has reduced dramatically. I use the scrub all over my body and it has the same effect as it does on my arms. My whole body feels much smoother, I find that after using it my moisturizer sank into my skin much better and things such as tanning lotions went on a lot smoother without streaking at all.  

If you have not yet had the chance to try out a coffee scrub then I suggest you make it to the top of your list, it has changed my skin for the better and I am sure I will be repurchasing the Mr Bean Body Scrub again. To get your hands on the Mr Bean Body Coffee Scrub, then click here. I hope you enjoyed this post and that you learn't more about the added benefits to coffee scrubs. Thank you for reading.

Affordable Makeup | Under £10

Affordable high street makeup can be a steal, but can also sometimes be a let down. Today I thought I would share wit you a few of my favourite affordable makeup, these makeup items are absolute steals for their price and quality not to mention all under £10!

The first item I have is the MUA palette in 'Heaven and Earth' these palettes are known for their similarities to the Naked palettes not so much for the quality but definitely the shades. These palettes are available at Superdrug for only £4! for that you get 12 eye-shadows which are all neutral shades. I would recommend this palette if you are starting out with makeup as they are super affordable and have a wide variety of neutral shades.

Also for eye shadows the 17 eye trio's are good for their price £5.49 the shade I have is 'Enraged'. For the price I would say the quality is OK and great for beginners. The shades are well pigmented for the price, however they can come across as quite chalky; and as they are shimmery can create quite a lot of fallout. However I think they area great start of point and affordable.

An affordable eyebrow products is the Rimmel London Eyebrow Pencil, which only costs £2.99. I used to use this all the time for my brows. It is a waxy texture so it also keeps your eyebrows in place as well as giving a bolder but still natural eyebrow look.

Now moving onto an eye shadow duo that I think is a great alternative to spending a lot of money on a brow powder. It is by Natural Collection, which is already a highly affordable brand with actually quite good products. If you want to save money on things for your brows I would recommend trying out Natural Collections eye shadows as they are not chalky but a smooth and will give a natural look to your eyes. The duo I have is in the shade Mocha/Latte. I use the dark brown shade for my brows and the matte white shade as a highlight. You can pick this up for a steal price at £1.99!

Last brow product now I promise, but I find it quite hard to find a brow setting product in the drugstore and it's not something I want to splash the cash on really. So I turned to clear mascara which holds a similar concept as it's a clear gel. I find they hold your eyebrows in place all day, so you'll be left with your brows being on point. The one I use is the 17 Clear Mascara which retails for £4.69.

I tend to go for cream eye shadows over powdered as I feel they last a lot longer and give an over all nicer finish on the eyes. Coincidental my favourite cream eye shadows are from the drugstore, they are the Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencils. I have them in the shade 'Milk' and 'Black Bean' both act as good bases for eye shadows. They retail for £5.99 in Next stores and I would highly recommend them as not only are they highly pigmented and creamy, but they are also multi purpose and can act as an eyeliner also so effectively you are getting two products for the price of one.

I next have the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Nude Eyeliner, this retails for £3.99. This product really helps to make your eyes appear more rounded and awake. It can make a huge difference and there aren't a lot of this type of products in the drugstore, so it's great that Rimmel offer it and at such a good price.

I love wearing liquid liner and always stick to the drugstore for it, I have never actually tried a high end liner. The best one I have yet tried that is highly affordable is they Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Liner. You can pick this up from Boots for a great price at £5.29. This Eye liner gives a precise line with easy application; I struggle with liner but this product makes it so much easier to do.

All of these products are highly affordable and are all below £10. I hope this post helped you out and discover a love for affordable make up that you don't have to spend an arm and leg on. Thank you for reading.