FOTD: Face Of the Day, Natural Nudes

Afternoon everyone, I thought I'd share my FOTD with you all, I don't wear make- up everyday, (yes shock horror: a beauty blogger that doesn't always have a face of slap!!) but when I do, day to day, I like my make-up to look as natural as possible. For me, every day make- up is about enhancing your features, covering imperfections. Occasions make-up is where I'm more adventurous and will go whole hog, bright red lips, smoky eyes, bold brows.

Anyway, these are the products I used:

Tools: 
Real Techniques Foundation Brush
Real Tecniques Powder Brush 
Real Techniques Stippling Brush
Real Tecniques Buffing Brush 
Real Techniques Eyebrow Brush 
Boots No7 Concealer Brush
ELF eyes lips face Eyelash and Brow wand

Products: 
Benefit That Gal Primer
Mac Lipstick in HUE
Rimmel London Stay Matte pressed powder TRANSLUCENT
Bourjois Cream blush 03 
Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 01
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclait Radiant touch
Benefit Browzings MEDIUM
Mac mineralize skin finish natural bronzer MEDIUM DARK
Chanel Vitalumiere in NUDE 10
ELF eyes lips face Make Up Mist and set

And finally, this is my completed look, I scraped my hair back to try and give a closer look of the final result. I hope you like it.

Do any of you guys use these products? I'd love to hear from you.

Much love
Amy
xoxox

Newlook Jewellery Haul

Hello there lovelies! Hope you are all managing to stay cheery despite the miserable weather! I thought that I'd share some of the pretty little things I picked up in New Look earlier today. I'm not usually a Jewellery haul type of girl, I usually buy one or two pieces maximum. I noticed that one of the display stands had a 50 percent discount offer on and decided to have a peek, on closer inspection I found quite a few bits and bobs I liked but unfortunately I only had a around 15 pounds in change in my purse. I could have spent a small fortune! Anyway, Here's what I bought.

necklace £2.00

bracelet £2.00

earring £1.25

necklace £2.20

earrings £2.00

necklace £2.00

So there you have it. Quite mismatched in the sense of style but all perfectly pretty in their own way.

Anyone else bought pretty jewellery lately?

Much love
Amy
xoxo

Kerastase Nutrients Densi- Recharge: Daily Hair Densifying Food Suppliment

Hello everyone! Today's post is about a food supplement for hair. As some of you may know, I had a baby boy at the beginning of the year. Biggest life changing and proudest moment yet, but since the birth, my hair has been in pretty bleak condition. It feels dry, malnourished and I'm currently shedding. My lovely thick pregnancy hair is slowly dwindling away. Obviously I couldn't stay pregnant forever and the hormone that my hair nice and thick is no longer present. BOO!

Having a baby can be very physically draining and with sleepless nights, very little time to eat and even less time to exercise in the early weeks, I decided that it was time to make changes. I've allocated myself one night a week of full unbroken sleep, (with the assistance of my better half), I'm eating cleaner, drinking more water and actually exercising to get back into shape. All that said, I still want to see huge improvements to my hair overnight. (Well I can dream).... Along with the changes I've made, I decided to invest in a supplement, It can't hurt, right? Work from the inside out.

I popped Kerastase Nutrients Densi- Recharge: Daily Hair Densifying Food Supplement in my basket with my order from Feel unique. The supplements cost £17.52 for a 18 day supply, a total of 36 supplements. The instructions recommend that you take one Capsule and one tablet per day with food for at least eight weeks. To complete the recommenced course it does work out pretty costly, £70.08 to be precise, but that's with tablets to spare.

The hype around this product seemed almost too good to be true, they provide nutrients for healthy hair and scalp, Promote Anti- Hair loss, help improve hair density and leave you'r hair feeling fortified. Sounds to me a little bit too much to expect from a set of pills. What are they? Miracle grow? Well quite frankly yes, and no, it wasn't too much to expect.

I've been taking these tablets for 18 days now and I've decided to review them already. The reason behind this is I've already noticed results. My post pregnancy hair loss has reduced dramatically, from a handful of strands to you'r usual daily loss. (All hair drops out at some point, its just nice to know its not going faster than it should). My scalp is in much better condition, no soreness, no flakes, no itching and it seems to be back into the swing of producing its own natural oils again. That said My hair doesn't feel or look greasy. Although I avoid brushing my hair when wet, in the past when I've needed to I've noticed snags, so If like me your hair snaps quite easily, especially when wet, you'll find that these supplements almost eliminate that problem.

I'd definitely recommend anyone who has any difficulty with swallowing tablets or capsules to steer clear, both capsule and supplement are quite sizeable and I can generally take tablets with ease, these were a bit to swallow. I really liked that the Tablets separated into doses so you can pop a days worth into you'r handbag rather than cart around a week or so's worth at a time. These Pills don't really have much taste which is great, as i tend to find this sort of supplement can leave an awful taste in your mouth. When taken with food too, any bland taste is masked.

All in all I'd say that these supplements are a really good buy for anyone who has problem hair, or wants to improve their hair. As far as value for money goes, they are expensive to complete the course. I'd Much prefer they sold the eight weeks course in one batch for around the £50.00 mark, BUT we can't have it all ways. If your hair needs a pick me up, go for it, even one batch should provide some improvement.

Anyone else tried these or anything similar? Would you give them a go? 

Much love

Amy 

xoxo

Bourjois Little Round Pot Cream Blushes

Bourjois have produced blush in their pretty little round pots for at least 150 years and although its wise to leave a good thing untouched, Bourjois have reinvented their blush with a new innovative cream to powder technology. The little round cream blush pot has recently been to their collection. Being the blush lover that I am, since the release of this product, I've been dying to get my hands on them. There are only four shades at the moment and there is most definitely something to suit every skin tone. I'm a pink lady so rose tender is my favourite. I love the choice of matte and pearl finish too. Its a nice touch that the colour pot resembles the product inside too. 

The colours are as follows:

1 Nude Velvet - light delicate peach with matte finish

02 Healthy Glow - vibrant apricot with pearl finish

03 Rose Tender - soft pink with pearl finish

04 Sweet Cherry- deep brown-pink with matte finish

 

 

 

What really drawn me to these blushes was the claims that they provide a radiant, seamless, 'second skin' effect in a cream-to-powder formulation, some blushes can feel heavy and really sit on the skin which isn't to every ones liking. The texture of the product is amazing, They apply really easily, melting into the skin. There's no risk of sharp clown like edges with these blushes as they are so easy to blend. 

All of these blushes feel really light on the skin without being sticky. They might be silky soft but they don't slip off! This formula has cast iron staying power. 

The blushes come with a really handy little mirror in the pot. ideal for application on the move. I applied my blush with  Real Tecniques stippling brush and the finish looked perfect but they look just as well applied with fingers. 

If anyone was wanting to buy just one or two of these blushes id say go for one pink and one peach, but choose the depth of the colour dependant on your skin tone, so the lighter colours for pale. 

 

I bought my Blushes from Tesco whilst they had an offer on for 3 for 2 across cosmetics, and as  I had coupons and money off, I paid a tiny £14.00 for all four, so it pays to shop around. If you were to pop to boots you'd expect to pay around £7.99 per pot. 

I HATE product doesn't smell nice, (who would want to put something stinky on their skin?), and thankfully these blushes have a mildly floral scent. Happy days! 

Any other Blush lovers out there? Anyone thinking about splashing out on any of these lovelies?? 

Hope you enjoyed your Bank Holiday weekend, and thanks for reading 

Amy 

x0x0

MUA Makeup Academy: Undress Me Too Pallette Review and Swatches

Hello everyone! Hope that your enjoying Bank Holiday Weekend. I'm really looking forward to this one as I'm spending time with my family and having a date night with my other half to go to the pictures to see Hangover 3. To all of the ladies out there to be lucky in love and not yet have a family, never take time you have together as a couple for granted, once the babies arrive, alone time goes out of the window in a puff of smoke. So as this date night is quite a big deal to me and I do feel that no matter how long you've been together as a couple its always good to make an effort. 

When browsing in Superdrug,  sometime last week, I noticed this little eye shadow palette with twelve shades. I tested it quickly last night before my bath. Personally, I have found in the past that some less expensive eye shadows can be difficult to apply and are poorly pigmented so I do tend to avoid at all costs. This Palette has completely changed my opinion on price and quality when it comes to eye shadows. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is the best products I've ever used but for the small price of £4.00 it most certainly isn't one of the worst. As far as value for money is concerned, it would be quite difficult to find this number of shades for the same price elsewhere. 

I would definitely say that some of the colours are better quality than others for pigment and some are virtually un-detectable when applied on my skin. (Yes shy and naked I mean you!). When used in conjunction together you can make a quite nice smoky eye combination. The shade Obsessed woks quite well applied on the Brow too. It was very refreshing not to have a multitude of product to clean up that slipped or dropped onto my cheek bone too. nothing more annoying that getting a perfect base and ruining it. 

The "write up" on the back of the packaging suggests these colours are soft neutrals and cool greys with stunning metallic metals. I'd disagree with the cool greys statement as I feel the colours are more golden metallic. There is a handy little section on the back for one smoky eye combination for anyone who has difficulty choosing what colours to wear. 

The packaging for this product is quite cute, I love the clear plastics and the white design as it looks really clean and fresh. I really like the fact that there is a little applicator that comes with the kit. When I'm home I always use my Real Techniques brushes to apply product but I can drop this Palette into the bottom of my hand bag without having to carry brushes for touch ups too. 

I'd recommend this product as a bargain buy for everyday use, for something to use for a little pick me up, but for a big occasion such as a christening or a wedding, I'd definitely say stick to MAC or Urban Decay's Naked.Taking nothing away from this palette, Ill be using it for my date night, but id be cautious about its staying power and how the colours would photograph after an hour or so's wear. 

Anyone else got any Bank Holiday Plans? Id be interested in hearing your thoughts on this palette too. Get in touch. 

Much love 

Amy 

xoxo

Miraculous Moroccanoil: Moisture Repair Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi everyone! Hope you are all well today, I've had a busy morning been shopping and purchased a high chair for my little boy who is now starting to wean. After the hideous amount of time it has taken for me to construct the flat pack chair, It was really uplifting to see the delivery guy from Feel Unique at my door. Since having my baby my hair has become very limp, lifeless and unfortunately is "shedding". For those of you that don't know, hair loss after a baby is quite common as our hormones during pregnancy tend to stop us shedding any hairs. This information doesn't make me feel any better and after combing my hair and what felt like a head full of hair falling out, I decided that I need to look after my hair better. Time to take action. 

I've used these products in the past BUT the impulsive purchasing devil part of my conscience always makes me stray to other brands and new releases. Don't get me wrong it is brilliant to find new products but it can be very easy to get carried away and forget about all the amazing products that we raved about in the past. I decided to order myself the Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner as on reflection, I think they have been historically the best rescue product for my hair. 

Moroccanoil Repair Shampoo.

As far as Shampooing goes, this product works wonders for making your hair feel squeaky clean yet soft at the same time. I've got incredibly dry damaged hair at the moment and although no shampoo or conditioner in the world will ever repair split ends, this certainly improves the feel and appearance of hair.With regular use alongside a good trim, I do honestly feel that this shampoo could help prevent split ends occurring. Dry hair tends to be very brittle and prone to snapping after several washes with this liquid gold, my hair always feels it has more elasticity and looks a lot shinier. This Shampoo lathers really well and as a result, I only ever need to use a small fifty pence piece sized squirt of product to complete a full wash. The consistency is amazing, its not too gloopy or too runny and smells dreamy. Smell for me is really important as why clean you'r hair for it to smell yucky? The packaging of the shampoo is quite sophisticated too, aqua coloured bottles with bold text and easy to follow instructions. I have shoulder length hair so as far as value for money goes, I don't think its too bad. The Shampoo set me back £15.85 for a 250 ml bottle. It seems quite a lot but for a premium brand, something that will last a while and a product that actually works, why go cheaper for fewer results? 

Moroccanoil Repair Conditioner. 

A good conditioner improves the feeling of hair making it feel softer, gives hair a shiny glossy appearance and makes hair more manageable and less prone to snags or tangles. Moroccanoil definitely ticks all of those boxes and more. After just one wash my hair felt amazing, like silk. This product really stays put on your hair and doesn't run, so you can be safe in the knowledge that where you put this product, it will stay and work its magic. There's nothing worse than applying something and then after a minute or two having to scoop it from your face and neck as its melted from heat in the bathroom. Again this product smells soo pretty, its not overwhelming but a nice subtle clean smell. The product contains, like the shampoo, much hyped argan oil and anti-oxidants. I don't know much about the hocus pocus of ingredients but this conditioner has definitely got an amazing formula. My hair never feels frizzy after use and even in humid weather it seems to behave itself! That is very rare indeed! The Bottle complements yet contracts that of the shampoo and again its instructions are clear and simple to follow. I cannot however, leave the conditioner on for 1-2 minutes, its always at least five. If I'm going to enjoy using a product I'm going to do it for as long as I can! The conditioner cost me slightly more than the shampoo, but well worth every penny. A little goes a long way and for £16.55 for a 250 ml bottle I'm definitely not going to complain.

I'd say I've re-discovered two staple products for every bathroom. Great Value for money from a great company who have really took time to work on their ingredients and formulas. 

Has anyone else re-discovered any products they loved and "lost"? or found a brilliant shampoo or conditioner they cant get enough of? 

I'd really love to hear from you guys, Thank you for reading!

Much love

Amy 

x0x0

MUA Power Pout: Review and Swatches

Hi! Hope you are all having a good day. My little boy is teething so I'm having a lazy cuddles on the sofa day. These day's are the best!

Now I think Just about every man and his dog have noticed Jumbo Lip Pencils slowly appearing and popping up all over the place. Personally, although I love lipsticks, I've been a little cautious jumping on this bandwagon as some products on the market, especially from premium brands, can be quite pricey for something your not too sure about. Anyway, whilst browsing in Superdrug the other day I spotted these MUA Power Pout Colour Intense Tint & Balm sticks.

On first glance the product is really pretty and each colour comes in a pencil case that represents the colour it contains. The Power Pout is quite sizeable in comparison to a lipstick but it would still fit comfortably into a handbag. That said, the lid on the Pencil tube is rather flimsy so I definitely wouldn't just be dropping this product into the bottom of a much loved handbag any time soon! 

When I got my Power Pout collection home and gave the lip product a try one of the first things I noticed was the Minty Smell. Personally unless its a toothpaste, Minty just isn't my thing, but it was quite refreshing and better than it smelling bland or chemically. Every Lip Balm I've tried in the past has always been quite poor when it comes to the colour, these on the other hand, do leave a lot more colour on the lip than i anticipated. If you love opaque colours, then this maybe isn't the product for you but if your after something light and sheer id definitely recommend these. I have swatched these Lip Pencils but I do feel that although it will give you an idea of colour it wont really represent what the product will look like on the lip so keep that in mind! 

In terms of staying power id say this product is pretty good, lasts a good few hours without needing re application. It does feel nice, soft and  moisturising but I don't think it would provide as much support as a single purpose lip balm in the harsh winter months. Its Nice and soft and almost feels like a lip butter as opposed to a lipstick . 

I'd definitely say that there is a place in my Make-Up bag for these lip pencils. At just £3.00 each they are great value for money. 

i do believe that there are six in the collection and unfortunately my local Superdrug only had five, so if I'm out and about I'll definitely pick up the sixth colour. 

Has anyone else tried a Lip Pencil? Got a Lip Pencil by a different brand you love? It would be great to hear from you!

Much love

Amy 

x0x0

UPDATED.....

I've finally added the final shade to my collection, what a beauty it is, by far my favourite of them all, its called     Broken Hearted and its a lovely shade. here are a few pics and a swatch. That's all from me xxx

Samantha Chapman Real Techniques Make Up Brushes

Hi! Hope you are all feeling well today! My blog is looking rather bare and posts are sparse so I thought id add a quick post about my real techniques make up brushes. Now as a blog reader myself I know that there are millions of posts out there for this very "hyped" brand and its products.
For those of you that don't know Real techniques brushes were created by beauty guru Samantha Chapman who is one half of the infamous Pixiwoo. If you haven't checked out  Pixiwoo's You tube Channel be sure to have a look.
Until watching the Pixiwoo channel i never really understood the importance of make up brushes let alone owned any. I'm slowly building my Real Techniques collection and there are only a few brushes left that I need to buy to complete.

As you can see these brushes are really colourful, and not just for the sake of it, the colours symbolise the purpose, for example the golden colour brushes are base, the purple are eyes and the pink for finish. For those out there who don't normally use brushes they have a little heading on the handle showing the brushes purpose. so pretty fool proof. just because a brush is said to be for a said purpose id always encourage people to try it with different products to see the finish. after all we all have different skin types different products and will achieve different results.

I'd have loved these labels on brushes back in my teens when i was unsure about what went where and a blusher brush and a make up sponge applied just about every product. The larger of the brushes have flat bases which comes in handy when your getting ready half way through applying product and the phone rings and you don't want to just plop the brush down and dirty your dressing table or carry the brush around.

Now if you take a closer look at the bristles on these brushes the ends are a lighter colour. now this seems to be the case throughout the whole range, i find it handy as it helps you see the amount of product on the brush. The fibres are Taklon and these bristles are ultra plush and smoother than the hair you'll find in other brushes. If like me your an animal lover its good to know synthetic products font harm bunnies in the making!

Now I've owned a few of my brushes for quite some time now so don't have packaging photographs to post but packaging in this case doesn't really matter, the brushes are super cute and I don't know anyone who keeps a brush packet? there is a cute little carry case that comes with the collection brushes. These brushes are available from most drug stores, I purchased mine on line from feelunique.
The brushes are sold in "collections" or as individual brushes. The collections are immense value for money as they retail at around £20.00, I know that some brands charge that amount for a single brush that in my opinion isn't always as good quality.

Here's a quick low down on what the brushes i have do....

Core Collection:

Detailer brush: precision cut to effortlessly conceal problem areas; or, use with lipstick for long-lasting shape and definition

Pointed foundation brush: Use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage

Buffing brush: ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation

Contour brush: delicately applies highlighter to contour or create sheer, soft-focus finish

Starter set:

Base shadow brush: applies a smooth, flawless foundation of colour

Deluxe crease brush: soft, over sized design for effortless contouring

Accent brush: designed for precision detailing, spotlighting, highlighting, and smudging

Pixel-point eyeliner brush: tapered cut is ideal for dense or fine eyeliner application

Brow brush: distinctive shape easily defines eyebrows

Single brushes purchased individually

Powder brush: evenly applies mineral and powder foundations for high definition results

Angled foundation brush: The angled cut lets you build the coverage you need for airbrushed, high-definition results

Stippling brush: This dual-fiber brush is the trade secret for creating airbrushed, high-definition results with all types of makeup

Blush brush: Contour and define cheeks for flawlessly blended, high-definition results

Setting brush: The key to completing any look with a controlled dusting of powder or highlighter



There are several other brushes available and I do hope to eventually own them all. I'd highly recommend these brushes to anyone, incredibly good value for money and exceptional quality.

Like all make up brushes they need to be washed. I clean mine regularly with MAC brush cleaner or baby shampoo. These brushes clean really well and I haven't lost a bristle yet!

Has anyone else tried these brushes? I'd love to know which you have and what you think?

much love
Amy
xoxo

Welcome To My Blog

My love for make up and cosmetics began way back when i was a little girl watching my mother put hers on before she went on a night out. I was always so fascinated and always told myself that when I was a grown up I wanted to be glamorous like my mother. I can remember the first ever make up kit I had. It was a little black acrylic heart shaped set with a section of blush, lipsticks and eye shadow.
The quality was terrible, I had no idea how to apply it properly but I didn't care, I loved my make up and felt soo mature.
I suppose that's how my story begins, that's where my passion stems from and one of the reasons I decided to start blogging.
As my interest in beauty grows, so does my collection of pretty products, that said, I've recently had a baby boy so cannot spend as much as id like on cosmetics. So don't be expecting an expensive beauty buy to appear on a regular basis, you can look just as glamorous on a budget too!
Although I mainly intend on blogging about beauty, don't be shocked to find the occasional fashion or lifestyle post. why be restrictive? the world is our oyster!
Well that's quite enough from me, I really hope you enjoy reading my blog.
With Love
Amy
xxx