I Love Revlon

Revlon is most definitely one of my favourite affordable make-up brands. And with Emma Stone now fronting their ad campaigns, the products have never appeared so on trend and lust-worthy. 

The Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain is the best lip product I've tried in ages. It is the ultimate chubby crayon. The packaging appearance is sleek, understated and the colour swatch is a true representation. (Sadly the writing on my tube have worn away, probably due to me fishing it out of my bag and constantly reapplying). The smell is fresh and subtle, the taste is neutral and it's so simple to apply. 

I chose shade 045 Romantic and I love it. It can be worn as a striking cherry red or a lighter pale pink - depending on how much you apply and what look you are aiming for. Unlike many other lip stains the colour actually stays all over the lip. As generally I find with normal stains, the colour begins to fade from the centre of my mouth out and I end up looking like I've applied a really horrid lip pencil! The moisturising qualities are to die for and I honestly think, do just as well as a slick of old faithful vaseline. 

Essential Eye Make-Up

Here are a few of the products I use everyday on my eyes, for a basic, well groomed look.

GROOMED BROWS

I must admit, I did only start using these tweezers today as I left my normal ones in my Bournemouth home. But as a cheap replacement, from Superdrug at only £1.99, I'm very impressed! I might even go as far to say that I prefer them to my regular Body Shop tweezers. 

The slanted nib is sharp and thin, allowing me to get a great amount of control and precision. The grip around the body of the tweezer keeps me from slipping and the plain black design looks sleek and professional, I doubt anyone would guess they cost me under £2.

As far as eyebrow advice goes, whether your a threader, waxer or plucker, there is no excuse for messy looking brows. I have tried a few different techniques to get a good outline, like using white eye liner to draw the outline of my desired shape of brow, or getting them waxed or threaded professionally and following that guide. But would say that simply having a good amount of light and steady hand are the best tips to be given for DIY plucking.

Buy these tweezers from Superdrug online here.

MAINTAINED AND GROOMED

Filling in eyebrows is a really skilful trick to master, whether your using a gel or pencil getting it right can make you look a lot more youthful and frame your face creating a well groomed impression. The pencil I use is completely cheap and cheerful, it costs £1 by MUA and to be honest does the trick. The double ended tool comes with a brow brush on one end and pencil on the other. The colour matches the tester colour and glides on easily. I also use the brush to smudge in the pencil lines, to create a more natural look, especially if I have applied too heavy handedly. 

CONCEALED EYES

Eye bags, be gone! Anyone who has ever been stressed in their life, will have had eye bags and will know how much they can drain your face, making you look exhausted and lacklustre. 
Garnier is a great brand and I have used this eye roll on for as long as I can remember. However one thing I would say is that I have begun applying with a concealer brush rather than just rolling on. I used to find that applying with the roll on left me with far too much product and after 5/10 minutes, I would have a line of excess concealer in the crease beneath my eye. I use medium, even though I am really pale, somehow the medium shade suits me better, especially when applying with bronzer.

LIQUID CAT EYES 

Here's another cheepy product that I love! 2true is the cheapest of the cheap. I will never splash out on liquid eye-liner, my belief is that if you can apply your eye-liner well, then you can get away with using a cheaper product. When applying I would advise to keep your eyes open, when I was young and foolish I would shut my eye of the lid I was applying and ended up with awfully wonky lines. As for flicks, mine genuinely look different everyday! I honestly think its just trial and error on that front. 

PHAT LASHES

My eyelashes are my own worst enemy. They are short, thin and not very dark. I used to leave them and accept I wasn't gifted in that area but recently I've started using mascara and curling everyday. This new regime is most definitely really bad for them and just making my case worse but using mascara and eyelash curlers seems to make my eyes pop... I use Soap and Glory's Thick and Fast mascara and the curlers are Superdrug's own. 

THE FINISHED PRODUCT... (Excuse the cross-eyed-ness)

Money Saving Beauty

1 - No.1 spot treatment 

This has got to be the best thrifty, beauty tip to ever have been given. I always used to read in magazines that crushed up aspirin tablets mixed with a few drops of water would work miracles on spots, repairing broken skin and reducing redness, and to be honest I was a little sceptical. Until I tried it myself. 

I use one crushed tablet when my skin has flared up on my problem areas, mix it with water till a smoothish consistency and leave over night. It is a bit of a pain as when the water has dried away, the tablet gets flakey and will fall everywhere! Though believe me, the little mess it makes, is well worth the result, especially considering you can pick up a pack of 16 for under 30p! 

2 - Home-made smoothing exfoliator salt scrub

For an instant dose of smooth skin use this DIY salt scrub! Its cheap and cheerful and can be made up quickly of the essentials hiding in your kitchen cupboard. My mum and I swear by this and have been using this clever trick for a very long time!
Simply mix the salt and oil until a smooth paste is formed, rub onto dry or wet skin and wash off. The salt helps to remove dead skin and the oil leaves you feeling smooth and silky. For an extra indulgent treat, add a couple drops of your favourite essential oil, my personal favourites to go with this scrub are almond and jasmine oils. 

3 - Desperate fix, eye make-up remover

For desperate measures when your out of facial wipes, don't go using shower gel to take off your eye make up! Soap in your eyes is really painful and shower gels are often really drying for your delicate eye area. Instead take a cotton pad and use a really gentle moisturiser like Nivea, without putting too much on the pad and getting it stuck on your lashes or into your eyes, carefully swipe away your mascara and eye-liner. 

                                                          4 - Lash nutrition

People are always saying that putting Vaseline on your lashes makes them grow longer, now that's a beauty myth. But it does nourish them allowing them to repair from mascara wear and curling, giving them the potential to grow longer. For glossy, nourished eye lases put a little Vaseline on before bed and wipe off in the morning, after a week or twos use you should be able to notice the difference.

Also if your false eyelashes are looking a little worse for wear, but you can't make the shops to buy another pair, try putting some Vaseline on a cotton wool pad and carefully wiping off the excess glue and mascara from last times use!

5 - Eyelash and brow comb 

Need something to comb your lashes with after applying a clumpy mascara? Try washing out an old mascara brush to swipe off excess mascara or even to comb your eyebrows. Maintained eyebrows are a big beauty statement as of late with models at the recent London Fashion Week seen sporting the BIG brow look. Just be sure to clean the brush properly and often as old bacteria and colour could be left on. 

Beauty review - Elemis softly, softly daily moisturiser

(The size pictured is a trial size)

Elemis is a high end, luxury skincare brand found in spas and salons, all over the world. Moisturiser is the single most important beauty product to be be armed with - I’ve tried and tested luxury spa and skincare favourite, Elemis’ daily skin saviour.

The indulgent products are said to be a new found favourite among celebrities, particularly Anna Friel, a regular visitor at the London based, urban spa and Victoria Beckham, who famously tweeted about the £27.00, Japanese Camellia Body Oil Blend, during her pregnancy - as a tip for avoiding stretch marks.

The Softly, Softly Daily Moisturiser is a bit on the expensive side at £20.00 for 50ml but for a product this scrumptious and hydrating, I would be prepared to splash out.

Infused with essential oils rosehip, almond and lavender, the cream smells sweet yet sensuous and slightly like Turkish delight. Rosehip and almond both work to soften and hydrate the skin, providing a much needed boost. Lavender has calming properties, perfect for use before bed or to create a soothing feeling, ahead of a stressful day.

The suggested directions advise to smooth onto skin after cleansing, which leaves a light, fresh and hydrated feeling. Though this product is so versatile, I’ve even used it as a base under foundation to create a dewy skin look, which is totally on trend for spring/summer.

The only thing I would say about this product is if you’re looking for a thorough moisturiser, for dry or damaged skin, to pick a more intense cream, as the creams light consistency would not have much of an impact on skin in need of substantial hydration. 

If you’re not completely sure about the right level of moisture your skin craves, visit an Elemis counter within a department store, a spa stocking the brand, or purchase trial sizes. This way you can insure to get the right product for you, before parting with your cash!

Beauty Review - Barry M Nail Paint

Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Blood Orange and Pastel Texture Nail Paint in Ridley Road

Innovative nail paint styles from Barry M

I was so excited to try these amazing new polish textures - particularly considering the more than reasonable price tag in comparison to similar style varnishes by Nails Inc. In at £3.99 each or (on promotion in Superdrug) two for £6, these bottles of brilliance are an absolute bargain.

The first of the pair I've chosen, is a high shine, blood red shade. Promised to achieve professional Shellac/Gelish manicure results, I can't wait to get painting! 

I am a great fan of DIY-ing when the quality of product enables users to gain a professional level look. After applying the first coat its obvious how great this varnish is going to look, its easy to apply, glides onto the nail evenly and shines from first application. The only difference from this Barry M polish to a professional Gelish manicure is the thickness, after two relatively thin coats the ridges of an un-buffed nail are still visible, though this could be easily avoided by buffing and applying a base coat, or applying more than two coats of the varnish. 

I think this shade would  look stunning with a LBD like this one from River Island or slogan tee, like the one I mentioned in this post, with blue denim jeans. Overall this varnish is a perfect all rounder, and makes a reliable and easy wearing, sexy red polish - something every girl needs in her collection. 

The second polish is a textured, pastel baby-blue, similar to Nails Inc. Concrete Polish but a third of the price at £3.99! Its a little tricky trying to get the hang of applying this varnish but when its done right, the look is super cool. Two coats achieve the best result as one looks a little too transparent, though be careful as too much polish will ruin the concrete style texture. 

The shade is perfect for spring and would look dahhhling with a vintage stlye, smart white shirt like this one, summer dress (see here) or on toes with flip flops or wedges! Pastel shade varnishes and textured nails are bang on trend at the moment so why not rock two key season styles in one go?!

Statement necklaces

Black & Gold Statement Necklaces

These statement necklaces can offer a bit of sparkle to a less than bland ensemble... 

Teamed with complimenting counterparts these necklaces can be stunning, here they are worn with bare necks, but can be teamed over a t-shirt, jumper or blouse. I used to feel statement necklaces were accessories more suited to evening wear, but after this seasons fever for statement jewellery, I can't get enough. See how the celebs have been making their statements here. Possibly my favourite thing about neck wear is that it just draws attention to the shoulders and collar bone (taking attention away from problem chins) and creates an uber feminine, flattering and sophisticated look in a flash. The top Grecian style necklace pictured above was £4 from Primark  (similar here) and the Egyptian gold and black crystal piece was £6 from New Look (similar here).

Peter Pan Cutesy Collars 

These Peter Pan collar necklaces are the perfect accessory and affordable enough to buy one in every colour. You can ensure your neck is never bare again! 

The two I've chosen here are particularly adaptable, both from New Look - left the navy blue beaded collar was £4 in the Christmas sales, I do love a bargain... Similar here. And the cream lace number, with pearl embellishments was £7 - similar style from ASOS here. I have worn them both with a black, velvet peplum top to add a bit more sparkle but could truly go with almost anything. I like the idea of wearing the lace one with soft pinks, pastels and chiffon materials to give a vintage luxe feel. And the navy with darker colours and maybe with gold accessories (earrings and rings), to create an edgier look.  

Beauty review - Nails Inc. varnish

After discovering that Glamour Mag was giving out freebies again, I scrapped the highly important uni work, threw on some trainers and ran to my nearest shop. Much to my dismay ASDA had fresh run out, which meant no free Nails Inc. for me! At a hopeful last shot at happiness, I popped into Co-op, thankfully they had a few copies left, although the woman on the checkout was clueless and foolishly questioned "You want three of them?!" After offering a polite smile and accepting her ignorance I answered "Yes." and joyfully skipped out of the store with my new goodies!

Upon returning home, I ripped the 10ml of joy out of the packaging and investigated the vibrant colours inside the bottles. First was a blackened navy-blue colour, as usual the varnish is thick, smooth and gloop free. I could imagine this colour matching perfectly with a tailored white blazer or silver sparkly party dress! Second, in contrast to the dark twilight-esque shade, comes a pretty, girly baby-pink. I worry slightly as sometimes pinks can be see-through but this seems as if it will be perfectly opaque. Last, but certainly not least, my favourite of the bunch (pictured below) - a bright, sexy red! I'm a big fan of red nail varnishes and this is the best one I've seen in a while. The subtle glitter pigments give the red a shiny, gel like finish, a varnish to envy any professional manicure. 

So, congrats Nails Inc. you appear to have smashed out another 3 fantastic shades and I'm sure boosted Glamour Mag sales yet again! I sure know where I will be sending Santa to fill up my Christmas stocking!