Bronzer For Pale Girls

When your pale, make up can be hard! I understand that it must be difficult for most skin tones to find foundations/bronzer/blush to match them but for us pale girls, we fall victim to most shades looking orange. For a very long time I avoided bronzer for this reason, but now it's one of my favourite steps of my make up routine (and one I rarely miss!). 

First off lets talk about the product itself, you want to find one that's quite light that doesn't have orange undertones. Great bronzer's for pale skin are Bourjois Delice De Powdre Bronzing Powder 51 this one looks bright but when blended right can look lovely and natural, plus it smells like chocolate..need I go on? Loreal's Glam Bronze 00, The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder 01 Light Matte and Seventeen Instant Glow Bronzing Powder Light are also great. (These are just the ones I have tried and tested, there's loads more out there)

The most important thing to remember when applying bronzer is to blend it. I used to ignore this tip and have seen pictures of myself where it looks like someone's drawn on me with orange highlighter (not a good look). So to avoid this, I lightly swirl my brush, tapping off any excess from the brush before applying to my cheek bones and take it up to my temples then on my neck. I tend to tap my bronzer on to avoid taking off any concealer. I then take a different brush (usually the Mac kabuki brush 182 that I have just used to apply my foundation) and blend it out further. Using a different brush to blend is key to getting it too look natural and not too florescent! 

Hope this helps you fellow pale girls!

What are your favourite bronzers?

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How To Get Strong Healthy Nails

Since treating myself to quite a few gel manicures over Christmas my nails are definitely feeling the consequences. Before gel nails I had very healthy nails that where very strong and could grow very long however now they are incredibly weak and visibly unhealthy. So here is guide and product recommendation to getting strong, long, healthy nails.

Firstly I like to cut my nails right back, to get rid of much of the old unhealthy nail as I can. I then like to file them into the shape I like so that they grow nicely into this shape. I then use a nail varnish remover (any old one will do) and a buffing quad to get rid of any old stubborn product and smooth the surface of my nails. 

Next up is dealing with the cuticles.. I use a cuticle pusher backer tool..you know what I mean right? to gently push back my cuticles towards my finger. I then take a cuticle oil, I am currently using Sinful Nails Cuticle Oil and swipe it across all my cuticle bed and gentle massage it in. 

And finally apply a nail strengthener (before I do this I like to wash my hands just to get any debris off). My absolute favourite and one I would highly recommend is Rimmel London Nail Nurse Rescue which is a clear nail treatment polish that claims to leave you with stronger, longer and more resilient nails after the 14 days (and believe me it really does do all these things) it recommends applying one coat on the first day of treatment then a second coat the following day then after a week removing it after 7 days and repeating the process. I follow these guidelines and occasionally add a few more coats depending on how bad my nails are. As well as doing this as a one of treatment I also like to wear it as clear coat when I'm not wearing nail polish (as it leaves a pretty shine) or use it as a base coat as it stops other polishes turning your nails slightly yellow. It's a great affordable product that I really do recommend, it's saved my nails!

Your nails are now good to go, to leave natural or apply your favourite nail polish too either way they are left feeling and looking much healthier than before.

What are your favourite nail polishes?

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Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara | Review

I love mascara's, if I only had to wear one product (besides foundation lol!) it would be mascara. I'm constantly changing up which mascara I use but think I have found my drug store favourite...Maybelline's Lash Sensational.

In my opinion the name does it total justice. I love the way this makes my lashes look, both volumised and long. You can apply one or two layers for a perfect every day or layer it up for a false lash effect.

It has a plastic applicator, which are my favourite ones. The brush is very similar to L'oreal's Butterfly Effect which was a favourite of mine for a long time.

My favourite thing about this mascara is that is stays put all day. I sadly fall victim too the back smudges under my eye after only a few hours of applying make up, I don't know how but I always seem to be rocking the mascara on my face rather than on my lashes look - but not with this mascara (thank god - panda eyes is not the most flattering look haha) this one doesn't budge all day! 

My second favourite thing about this mascara is the price, it's only £5.99!! A bargain and better than a few high end mascara's I have tried. I really do recommend this purse friendly mascara. I think it's one I will be using for a long time.

Have you tried it? 

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The Body Shop's Drops Of Youth WonderBlur | Review

I have never really used a primer, mostly because I'm too lazy to add another step in my already busy skin/make-up routine.

However I have recently switched over to mineral make up, which always works best with a primer. I have used it without a primer and it just doesn't look as flawless or last very long at all. 

Whenever I'm looking for a new product I always look first in The Body Shop, because most of their products are brilliant, and stumbled across wonder blur. 

Priced at £16 it claims to smooth skin texture by reducing the appearance or large pores and fine lines. For me, it does all these things. The first thing I noticed when applying this product is how soft my skin was. When I tried it on my hand in the shop the area I applied it to was so soft and it does the same on my face. I have a lot acne scars some of which have dipped so I need a primer that smooths skin texture, I have to tell you know that it's not a miracle worker but it does stop my foundation sinking into my pores and fines lines I have around my chin and also prevents laughter lines! It really does increase the longevity of my foundation. Also it's non-comedogenic so suitable for sensitive/acne prone skin. 

This paired with my bareMinerals original foundation is my new favourite make up routine that leaves me with natural, 'my skin but better' foundation that lasts all day.

Which primers do you like? Have you tried Wonderblur? 

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bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15 | Review

I've always been intrigued by bareMinerals and its promises of flawless, natural foundation and skin improving ingredients, it sounds like another false advertising campaign, right?

So after watching lots and lots of YouTube videos I decided to bit the bullet and give this foundation a try and I think it's fair to say I have not been left disappointed *get ready for an excitable rant*

Oh wow do I love this foundation. It leaves my skin looking so natural whilst still covering all my acne scars. I am not used to using powder foundations and do think this takes a little bit of practise but once you find a way to make it work for you it looks amazing. I like to use my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and to really buff it in. Bareminerals NEEDS to be buffed, in a way it sort of activates it, the more you buff the more coverage you get. Its coverage can be anything from light-full as its very buildable, applying it in thin layers is the best way to build up the coverage. Once applying a powder, just to set it, I then take a flat concealer brush and tap on the foundation over any blemishes/scars that it hasn't already covered and this helps to achieve a real flawless look.
Another thing I really love about this foundation is that it lasts all day, in fact it looks better throughout the day! I don't know how it does it but unlike other foundations which can loose their coverage throughout the day bareminerals seems to look even more flawless as the day goes on. For example, the other day I applied the foundation around 10 AM and spent the day out in the cold walking around a gorgeous reservoir, I then went straight out for dinner (without any touch ups) and by the time I got home at 10 PM the make up looked pretty much the same as it did when I put it on, maybe a little shiny but no where near as bad as other foundations would have looked. It also doesn't sink in to my laughter lines like other foundations do, keeping my face looking natural and not patchy.
The main thing I love about this foundation is the way it makes my skin look and feel. I love the 'no make up/my skin but better look' and this foundation gives me that. It's so light weight that it feels like you aren't wearing any make up at all and at the end of the day once removing my make up with my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish my skin doesn't look read and sensitive as it does when using a foundation with lots of chemicals in it. I truly believe that (slowly but surely) this foundation is improving the condition of my skin and being someone that has suffered from acne breaking/scarring for a very long time now I really am grateful for that.

Have you tried it?

♥ 

Soap and Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick | Review

I love glossy lips and these lip crayon's by Soap and Glory have become my go to every day lip products, I love them!
What's good about them? They are a quick easy way to get a sweep of colour, shine and slightly fuller lips. These gloss crayons contain Soap and Glory's famous lip plumping formula without the uncomfortable tingling feeling that you get with the other Sexy Mother Pucker products.
The colours are lovely, not a huge range of colours but 5 staple colours. My favourite every day shade is Nudist. It's a lovely nude colour with slightly brown undertones that gives you a 'my lips but better look'. Also the gloss lasts a lot longer than some of my other lip glosses so that's an added bonus! They are also super moisturising so great for use in the colder months where chapped lips can make your lip stick look awful.
Despite all these good traits of them I do have a favourite...the smell!! Oh wow, they smell gorgeous, like Cadbury's mini eggs, yummy, making them quite addictive to apply.
These lip crayons are a bargain at only £8 and in my opinion totally worth the money.

Have you tried them?

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A LUSH Bath

I love a good bath, there's nothing better than after a long day outside in the cold than getting in a lovely warm bath. I love using LUSH products in my bath to make them a little more exciting as it always make them smell and look amazing!

Tonight I decided to use two products in my bath.. 

The first is the Twilight Bath Bomb which I love because 1. I love stars, 2. it smells like lavender so is a perfect bed time scent and 3. because when you put it in your bath it looks amazing, like the sky at twilight (get it?) it froths and fizzes and turns your bath pink and blue with random spots of yellow, its so pretty!

The second product I used was the Brightside Bubble Bar. I love having bubbles in the bath and LUSH bubble bars always create good bubbles, not ones small ones that disappear really quickly. This one is a large one so you can get at least 2 baths out of it, which is great because its always sad when you buy something and can only get one use out of it. This one also smells amazing, its triple orange-scented which is one of my favourite scents. It also made my skin super soft!

For Christmas I got this set from LUSH - The Great Balls Of Bicarb which is 5 bath bombs in a funky looking tube!

I loved having this and used it up pretty quickly but it was really nice getting to test out different products. My favourite was Dragon's Egg and Honey Bee both of which smelt amazing. Dragon's Egg was the prettiest out of them all, it contained popping candy and swirling sparkles and smelt like lemon sherbet so looked amazing! Honey Bee didn't look as pretty as it turned my bath water yellow (so kind of looks like you've had an accident in the bath) but smells so good. It contains honey, aloe vera and rhassoul mud so made my skin super soft!

What are your favourite LUSH products?

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Covering It Up | The Acne Diaries

Any acne suffer is not a stranger to hearing the words "It's because you wear so much make up" I have heard it several times and understand the urge to scream at them I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU LEAVE YOUR HOUSE WITH A FACE-FULL OF ANGRY RED SPOTS well take a deep breathe because covering your acne up with make up does not necessarily cause the acne. I'm not going to argue with the fact that some foundations can cause break outs because they do. But they don't have to - there are now lots of foundations and concealers on the market that are suitable for acne-prone skin and won't cause you to break out.

When looking for foundations its important to find one thats non-comedogenic which means it won't clog your pores allowing your skin to breathe. Oil free foundations are also important as most acne suffers also have very oily skin which contributes to the problem.

I am currently using Estee Lauder's Double Wear Stay In Place Make up foundation which is advertised as non-acnegenic so it's safe for troubled skin! This is a great foundation for me as it's medium to full coverage means that it covers my acne whilst its 15 hour staying power means that my oil skin doesn't cause it to move. This foundation does not cause me to break out - I have even slept in it (because of an unexpected night stop) and did not have any new spots when I took it off a near 24 hours later. It retails at £29.50 which I understand is pricey for some.

There are also some great high street brand foundations that are good for acne-prone skin. Seventeen On The Spot foundation is a full coverage foundation that has salicylic acid in which is great for fighting blemishes! I have used this foundation myself and found it to be very good as to it's claim to give 'clearer skin in four weeks' I'm not sure on but it didn't cause my to break out.

Mineral make-up can also be good for acne-prone skin. Bare Minerals do some great products all of which claim to improve the appearance of your skin over time due to the skin loving minerals inside them. I like to use the Bare Minerals SPF 20 Correcting Concealer it's a lovely concealer that I don't feel guilty about using on my skin as I know that it will do more good than bad.

Make up does not have to be a cause of acne but you have to use the right products for you. It's well worth doing research into the make up you want to buy and find out how good it is for your skin so you can still cover up your acne whilst treating it.
However it is good to have a few non-make up days to allow your skin to breathe, I like to not wear make up whenever I am having days around the house but if you do wear make up always remember to take it off before you go to sleep or even when you get home for the day using a good cleanser, check out my blog post about cleansing here.

Do you have any great make up recommendations for acne prone skin?

♥

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time

Picture taken from google

On Friday 2nd of January I went to see a matinee performance of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time at The Gielgud Theatre.

After studying the book at A Level I was really looking forward to seeing the show. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time is a brilliant book written by Mark Haddon about a teenage boy with aspergers syndrome who finds a dead dog in his neighbours garden and decides to do detective work to find out who killed the dog and write and murder mystery novel a long the way.

Both the play and the book give an amazing insight into aspergers syndrome and how people who have it see the world, it's really eye opening. It's really refreshing to see a show that educates you about different peoples out looks of the world.

Abram Rooney, who played Christopher, was absolutely incredible. His portrayal of the character was so inspiring and heart felt - he's a very talented actor and I was surprised to find out when I got home that he was in fact the understudy.

Being a big fan of musicals I don't usually see show without songs (as I love a good sing a long) and this is the first play I've seen in a long time however I was not left disappointed at all. From the very first scene you are hooked and don't want the interval to interrupt the show - no matter how much you need to pee or want an ice cream!

It's a truly inspiring show and you leave feeling a little bit better about the world - surely worth a see?

    ♥

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish | The Acne Diaries

Since having acne its been difficult finding products that really work with my skin. I had heard a lot about this product from various different youtubers and after reading some pretty great reviews I decided to try it myself and was not left disappointed.
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish is a plant based two-phase action cleanser that uses naturally active ingredients such as cocoa butter, Beeswax, Eucalyptus essential oil and Glycerin which all work together to leave your skin feeling clean, soft and so smooth.
This cleanser comes  with a muslin cloth that you use to wipe of the cleanser after rubbing it into dry skin. This is thought of as the second phase and works by lightly exfoliating leaving it lovely and soft. Exfoliating is an important step in anyone's skin routine but even more important when you have acne. However most exfoliating scrubs are too harsh for acne prone skin and can irritate it rather than help it heal. Using the muslin cloths provides a real gentle, frequent exfoliant for your skin which aids in the treatment for your acne.
Before using this product I had cystic acne spots on my cheeks and forehead that were really painful, but since using it these have disappeared and I am finally starting to see progress in my skin. Although there are many other factors that could have contributed to my acne reducing I put a lot of it down to this product and it is now a staple in my skin care routine. 
One thing that I love about this product is that it is not specifically directed at acne-prone skin. I personally get sick of using acne treating products therefore its nice to be able to use a product that is directed at all skin types.
If you are having problems with your skin I urge you to try this product and if you do I really hope that you are not disappointed. Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish has started to make my skin look healthy again and I am so grateful!!

  ♥ 

*Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post, all thoughts and opinions are my own* 

Body Shop Chocomania Beautifying Oil | Review

I have stumbled across this product after my mum recieved it in a gift set that she got for chistmas and have found a genius use for it. Every girl knows how much of a chore it is having to shave our legs but this product has made shaving my legs a delight! I have heard many people recommend shaving with oil instead of shaving cream or soap and my shaving gel had run out so I decided to give this a try HAAALELUJAH it's so yummy, it made shaving so much easier as it allows the razor to glide across your skin without catching it. I usually cut myself around my knee area but never do using this product so it really does give a clean shave AND it leaves your skin SOO smooth much smoother than my moisturiser would usually leave it. I'm so in love with this product, have any of you tried it? oooh and it smells like chocolate...smooth legs and chocolate does a girl need much else?

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