Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Colour Pink Blush

 

Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Colour 'Pink Blush' - £20 LINK

Laura Mercier's description... 'In one smoothing swipe, the crème formula envelops lips in rich colour with a semi-lustrous finish. The cushiony, lightweight texture feels comfortable, while pure Olive Oil and Vitamin E nourish lips. Features an elegant, modern case with a metallised finish.'

Let me just start by saying this is my favourite lipstick ever! Quite a bold statement I know. Firstly lets start with the colour, a 'pink blush' shade which gives a pinky nude effect to the lips. It definitely creates a 'my lips but better' look. I am drawn to shades which lighten my naturally pigmented lips (which I really dislike), think similar to MAC hue (LM is slightly pinker) and Natural Collection Rose Petal (LM is less drying) - both of which are two lipsticks I rate highly. I do think this shade suits my light/medium skintone but as with other light nude shades it may wash you out if you're skin is darker.

Not only is the colour beautiful the application is so creamy and moisturising I feel like i'm applying lip balm rather than a lipstick. The product glides on upon application and leaves a similar finish to MAC's cremesheen lipsticks - slightly glossy. The lipstick is not particularly longlasting, I would say it lasts about 3 hours which I find is typical of most brands.

 Excuse the quality of the photo and the messy hair (getting the roots done on thursday - much needed)

This is the only Laura Mercier lipstick I own and i'm determined to get more. Have you tried this range? Any recommendations??

This Week #3

3 for 2 on the new Barry M Gelly Nail Paint - lovely colours and last quite a long time without chipping.

My neighbours posted this through the door - Nothing better to do.

My valentines meal out (with my single friends) meant we were forced to eat heart shaped food.

Cup of tea, two sugars please

 

My friday night - rock n roll.

Quite a quiet week, the calm before the storm. The rest of the month will be spent celebrating my birthday and going on holiday to Iceland. Exciting.

How was your week?

x

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner

 

 

Clarins is one of my favourite brands for skincare. Every one of their products I've tried I have loved. I have never used a toner in my daily routine before so thought I'd head to Clarins to make a purchase. The lady at the counter advised me that this toner was not for daily use but for use twice a week to brighten and exfoliate the skin. After recently running out of my Alpha-H Liquid Gold, I thought this may be a good match - something which would help to clear my skin as well dealing with dryness.

 

I decided to ignore the advice I was given and use the product every day, after all it does say 'gentle' exfoliator. I use after cleansing every night by swiping over my face with a cotton wool pad. The toner is a clear liquid which smells quite chemically - not spa like (which is what I expected) but don't let the no frills put you off, after a month of use every night my skin is much smoother and brighter! I wouldn't say this toner is an alternative to Liquid Gold because it is MUCH more gentle on the skin - my skin seems to love it.

 

Clarins claim that the brightening toner contains;

 

'Tamarind for gentle exfoliation - eliminates impurities and dead cells. Boosts the skin's natural exfoliation process. White nettle to refine enlarged pores - smoothes and refines skin texture with its astringent benefits...revives complexion radiance and increases the effectiveness of skin care applied afterwards'

 

This exfoliator contacts alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which I feel has helped clear my skin and reduce my acne scars. After application my skin feels smooth and soft - flakiness disappears and it helps to even out my skintone. Although I use the toner every day, I wouldn't recommend this if you have sensitive skin, but for me daily use works well - I just need to ensure I wear a good sunscreen underneath my makeup.

 

This has become a staple in my routine, I will 100% repurchase. You can pick it up from Clarins for £25.

 

I've been thinking of booking myself a Clarins facial for my birthday but having never had a facial before i'm quite hesitant. Have you had a facial at Clarins before? Would you recommend?

Sleek Pomegranate 923

Blusher is an item of makeup which I can't go without, as long as i've got some blush and tinted moisturiser i'm good to go. Since going blonde i've found that I can look quite pale and washed out if I don't have blusher on - so I love my blushers to be quite pigmented. Sleek products are very pigmented and you only need a tiny bit of product to give a flushed look to the cheeks.

 

One of my favourite Sleek blush shades is Pomegranate. This colour is a berry/wine shade, perfect to wear during the colder months.

Sleek describe their powder blushes as 'Highly pigmented blushers to brighten and define cheekbones, available in 10 shades. These silky-fine and long lasting blushers create a subtle and radiant glow and suit all skin tones.'

 

I would agree that their blushers are long lasting and give a subtle glow. This shade looks quite shimmery in the pan but once applied to the cheeks you are left with a slight shimmer but nothing which shows up your pores. I find that with Sleek blush colours I can skip the highlighting stage on the tops of my cheeks as these products give a similar effect.

I love Sleek packaging. I have had this blusher for a few months now so unfortunately mine is starting to look a little tatty. I always have a sleek blusher in my bag, not only for the product itself but for the big mirror inside, it's perfect for touch ups throughout the day. Sleek's packaging as always is very simple but effective. If you're unsure about which shades may suit you, head over to Sleek's website as they give swatches of each of their products for fair, medium and dark skin.

 

Sleek blushers are £4.49

 

 

Skincare Saviours - Diet

My skin hasn't been having the best time lately after a few months of overeating and drinking. I recently moved into my own place which meant I have been eating out alot and all the wrong things. A few housewarming gatherings have meant I have consumed a few too many bottles of wine too. Although I am happy with my current skincare routine (post to follow soon), no matter what creams/lotions I used I had many big/painful spots that didn't seem to budge. I decided to try to work on my diet to improve the appearance of my skin. For the last four weeks I've changed 3 things in my diet which I believe has done wonders for my acne.

1. Replaced cows milk with non dairy (Soya / Almond) milk: 

I've read many articles which connect milk and acne, something to do with the hormones in cow milk creating more oil....now I don't know if I fully believe this but thought it was worth a try. I don't drink much milk anyway but whenever I fancy a cup of tea/coffee/ bowl of cereal I've been using an alternative. Non dairy milk also has a longer shelf life too, which is useful. Both Soya and Almond milk have their own health benefits too;

SOYA MILK - Made up of plant protein and essential fatty acids.

ALMOND MILK - Full of calcium and vitamin E.

2. Drinking green tea:

I've begun to enjoy the taste of green tea. It took some getting used to because I love my English Breakfast Tea with milk and two sugars. I discovered this blend of green tea with lemon and love to drink a cup every morning. The health benefits to green tea are endless, in skincare terms; it is said to help to fight inflammation, rejuvinate skin cells and fight free radicals. I have at least one cup a day.

3. Fish Oil Capsules:

I started taking fish oil supplements after reading Caroline Hirons blog - link On her acne cheat sheet she recommends taking fish oil to improve the appearance of skin....so I did. I take between 1 to 3 capsules per day with a meal. If you struggle with swallowing tablets you may not enjoy taking fish supplements, look at the size of these bad boys below.

Within the last four weeks the appearance of my skin has improved dramatically, the only problem is I can't pin point exactly which thing is reducing my acne or whether it's a combination of all three. I've also been using a new exfoliating toner so it also may be something to do with that! I'm just going to stick with what I'm doing, my scaring has faded and my blemishes have significantly reduced. I'm not saying these three items will get rid of your acne but they've helped me, so maybe worth a try!

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Backcomb In A Bottle

A few years ago when I was a brunette and addicted to clip-in hair extensions, my hair could never be 'too' big. I would backcomb my hair to no end using a small comb, not only was I damaging my hair but the result did not look as great as I thought - think messy and fake looking. Nowadays I still love volume but not the frizzy look that backcombing tends to give. My hair is naturally quite fine so I do need in some help in gaining a little oomph!

Backcomb In A Bottle certainly does what it says on the tin, providing 'instant miracle volume and sexy texture'. I use this product after i've curled my hair with a conical wand to give that extra bounce and volume.

The product comes in an aerosol bottle which you spray into your hair like you would any hairspray. I tend to spray onto my hair from the middle to the ends - i'm careful about piling too much product onto my roots (to prevent greasy hair). I then use my hands to scrunch the ends of my hair to let the product work its magic. I dont use BCIAB on a daily basis but I find it an essential when I'm going out and decide to curl my hair. I've nearly come to the end of this bottle now and will 100% repurchase - i've found nothing like it for creating texture and volume.

Despite the volumising effects this product gives there are a couple of cons; 1 - The smell is quite overpowering, it constantly makes me cough after applying to my hair. It's quite a chemical smell (I can't describe smells?!) I'm just not a fan. However I can live with this because the smell does not linger on the hair after use. And 2 - The product can cause the hair to look and feel quite crispy and clump parts of the hair together if too much is used - A reason why I don't use on my hair when I wear it straight, it just doesn't work so well.

For me the pros outway the cons, Back Comb In a Bottle has become an essential product in my haircare collection and now I wouldn't be without it. If you want big, voluminous hair without the damaging effects of backcombing then this product is for you, you can pick it up from Boots / Superdrug for about a fiver.

Do you have any other recommendations for products which will create volume on my naturally fine flat hair?

This Too Shall Pass

 

source:link

Sometimes life just takes us by surprise, our mind responds to the things that happen to us and most of the time we have no control. I'm talking about stress and anxiety. Personally I am a worrier, if I'm not worrying about the situation I am in, I worry about things that may happen in the future. 

Although sometimes I feel like life is getting on top of me, I try not to let my anxiety affect my life. Here are a few hints and tips I try to remember when I begin to overthink things;

- Keeping Busy

Negative thoughts seem to come to the forefront of my mind when i'm having a night in on my own. It helps me to have plans or if not to keep myself busy eg, taking up a new hobby, cleaning, phoning friends. By doing so it keeps me focused and prevents me from overthinking by taking my mind off negative thoughts.

- Talk

Rather than bottling everything up it helps me to talk to someone about my worries. I find that usually it's a case of getting something off my chest, and the people I speak to tend to give great advice. I also find that if my worries are caused by one person and they are bothering me, it helps to just tell them rather than letting them get me down. 

- Positive Quotes

Keep a journal or create a Pinterest of motivational and uplifting quotes (Here's mine - link). When i'm feeling low, they instantly pick me up.

- You have a Choice

Remember, you always have a choice. 'If things around you don't change, then change the things you're around'. If you find you are always worrying about the same thing or are unhappy about the situation you are in then make efforts to change it. (Hate your job? Get a new one or quit (I've done this). Relationship problems? Talk things through or end the relationship. Money problems? learn how to budget, get a second job. There are ALWAYS solutions and there are ALWAYS other people in the same situation. 

- Get Up, Get Dressed, Get Out

For godsake get out of your pyjamas, have a shower and put some makeup on. Then get your ass out of your house and start living. Nothing good can come from moping alone in your own dirt all day when you're feeling down.

SOURCE

Another thing which helps to improve my mood is by making a list of things that have made me happy each week (remember my Monday Blues post - link). Below is my list for last week;

- I've had the flu all week - I forced myself into work until friday when my parents stepped in and told me to rest. They let me stay at their house, looked after me and made sure I went to the doctors. I am feeling much better this morning.

- Sun shining through my bedroom window in the morning means i'm getting excited for summer - beer gardens, holidays, sunbathing.

- Payday yesterday YAY!

- Enjoying healthy food. My favourite meal of the week being salmon, cous cous and roasted veg.

- Planning the interior design of my new house, my room is still a blank canvas so i'm looking forward to filling it with beautiful bedroom furniture.

- A customer at work saying to me 'What's your star sign?' me: 'Pisces, why?' 'Because I like to know the star signs of people I get on with' - awww bless.

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These are just a few tips that have helped me. How do you relax or deal with anxiety? What things have made you happy this week?