Sephora Haul from America

One of my absolute favourite things about visiting America is the shopping. I especially love makeup shopping (anywhere in the world ha!) and my first stop is always Sephora. It baffles me why we don't have one in the UK yet, but maybe its a good thing as my makeup collection would grow and my bank balance wouldn't.

I bought a few things on our most recent trip and have been using them for a couple of weeks now so thought I'd share.

Makeup Forever Ultra HD Foundation

I've had this foundation before and remember loving it so buying this was pretty high on my priority list. It was a while ago that I used it for the first time so maybe my skin has changed slightly since then because this time round, I'm not diggin' it. The formula seems really thick and I feel like I need at least 3 pumps to get a decent coverage. It is a buildable, high coverage foundation but I don't think it gives my skin a nice finish and I always feel a bit cake when i wear it! I'm going to keep using it though and might fall back in love with it again. We'll see!

Nars Radient Creamy Concealer//Shade: Vanilla

There's a lot of hype amongst the makeup bloggers surrounding this concealer so I was excited to try it, especially since their Sheer Glow foundation has become my new favourite. Sadly, I don't think it lives up to its rep. Its a nice concealer but I've used cheaper ones that give the same coverage/finish.

Tarteist PRO Glow Highlight & Contour Palette

This is probably my favourite purchase but disaster struck a day after I bought it and 2 of the highlighters are now cracked and loose and the mirrors inside are smashed. Devastated!

This palette has 4 gorgeous highlighters and 2 contour shades, one powder and one cream. I've yet to use the creamer bronzer but I adore the powder contour! I've used it every single day since I bought it! Gorgeous packaging. Just a shame I ruined it! Tarte is definitely up there in my all time favourite makeup brands!

Origins Make a Difference Plus Rejuvinating Moisturiser 

I've also had this before and it is for sure my favourite moisturiser. I love the brand and have my eye on a few other things I want to try out. Its a little pricey compared to some skincare bands but I'm a believer in investing in your skin. You won't regret it when you're older!

This moisturiser is best for normal/dry skin which is what I have (although i do get oily too! I suffer with it all!) I'd describe it as an alsmot gel-like formula so its not heavy on the skin at all. They also do the same moisturiser but for oily skin too, I just feel that my skin needs more hydration so is why I chose this one.

Jo Malone Perfume "Nectarine Blossom & Honey"

I really wanted a new perfume at Christmas so asked Josh to pick me one from Jo Malone but ended up getting one by Paco Rabanne. When I asked him, he said he didn't like any of the Jo Malone ones as he thought they were more suited for older ladies (which I don't agree with!) When out luagge didnt arrive in America, I was using my sister in law's toiletries and she had this perfume which I fell in love with so went out and bought straight away. The best way I can describe it, is being fruity and peachy. Its so fresh for the spring time which is lovely too. Do yourself a favour and go spend some time in a Jo Malone store or counter, sniffing away! There is so many to choose from and you can even layer different ones to create your own unique scent. Will definitely be buying the full size bottle when this is finished (Tip: buy the smallest bottle when trying out a new perfume just incase you don't like it!)

Thanks for reading! Where are your favourite places to buy makeup?

SLC x

(by clicking on the bold text, you will be redirected to another site where you can find the products I've mentioned in this post)

Bodycare favourites for pregnant skin

I have always been a bit lazy when it comes to moisturising my body but when I hit my second trimester, my belly and lower back started to get really itchy which triggered red alarm bells in my head. I've tried a few different products these last couple of months and thought I'd share a round up of my favourites. I don't really know if these products (or any product targeted specifically for stretch marks for that matter) actually do anything to help reduce the possibility of getting them while pregnant, but I use them because it makes my skin look and feel a lot softer. I've had mixed responses from people when I tell them that I've been using stretch mark oils and creams because some are adamant that stretch marks are hereditary and there is nothing you can do to prevent them and others have sworn by certain products being the reason they didn't get any. So I've figured that the best thing to do is to look after my skin regardless of the fact that its probably inevitable.

My favourite type of product to use on my bump is oil so I'll start with them:

The first oil I used when I was still in my first trimester was Palmers Skin Therapy Oil, which was given to me by a friend when she found out I was pregnant. This is my second bottle of this but they have only been the small ones so don't last ages. This has a rosehip fragrance in it which is lovely and  I like the little pump dispenser (because trying to screw a lid back on with oily hands is a lot harder than you'd think!)

The first product I bought myself was Bio Oil and have been using this most days. This is the oil that people told me to stock up on and I use it everywhere, not just on my bump (tip: putting this on my face once a week before bed has made a massive difference. My skin looks and feels lovely in the morning). Its probably the thinnest consistency out of them all, which can leave you feeling a bit wet and greasy, but I got used to it quickly. Adding a few drops to my baths also made a difference to my skin too!

This Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil is the priciest of the lot but the one that has the best reviews online. A handful of people told me to get this and I put it off for so long because of the price but finally caved and I'm glad I did. I live by the saying that you only get what you pay for and this is no exception. It's by far the most luxurious oil out of the three and smells like you've spent an afternoon in the spa after you've used it. The consistency is quite thick so a little doesn't really go a long way, so I only use this in the mornings after my shower when my skin is still a little damp. It says on the bottle to then take a cool shower after applying (who has time for that?!) but I skip this step and get dressed pretty much straight away. Because this is so expensive, I want to make it last as long as possible and so only use it on my bump and lower back. Absolutely lovely though!

For creams, I feel like I have tried them all (even before being pregnant) but these two are the ones I always reach for:

Again, Palmers get points for their convenient pump and although it says on the bottle that its specifically for stretch marks I use it all over. I used this a lot when we got back from Dubai and I feel like it helped me keep my tan longer, but was also great when it started to fade and dry out.

My second favourite cream is the Vaseline Intense Care moisturiser. They have a few different ones in this range and have tried and love them all, this just happens to be the one I'm using at the minute but I would recommend the Aloe or the Coco butter ones just as much. This isn't as thick as the Palmers but I like having a lighter one as it dries into your skin quickly so it good for those mornings when you're in a bit of a hurry to get dressed.

Obviously there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with getting stretch marks on any part of your body, pregnant or not. I have some from my teen years and honestly, they don't bother me at all. My husband even has a few. So in my mind, everyone has at least a few knocking about somewhere. Even though I'd rather not get them all over my tummy or thighs or back, its not the worst thing that can happen and I try to keep a level head about it. At the end of the day- who cares?! In my mind, its just important to take care of your skin regardless if you're pregnant or not. I love the difference in my skin since getting myself into a proper routine of moisturising and would recommend anyone take a few minutes after their shower or before bed to do it!

SLC x

NYX Lips

1. "Push Up" // 2. "Bedtime Flirt" // 3. "Creme Brûlée" // 4. "Fortune Cookie"

Being a bit of a beauty tutorial addict, I have watched and listened to various makeup gurus online talk about NYX over and over, rating it of the best drugstore brands out there. So being the sucker that I am, I decided to finally give these lip products a try and anxiously waited for them to arrive on my door step. 

Its been about a week since I've had these and I have worn a different one every single day- I haven't left the house without at least one of them in my handbag. The lip butters, although glossy, are true to their name and feel super soft and buttery on your lips. Both are great colours and last a while before the need to reapply. The liquid lipsticks are really lovely too and stayed on my lips even longer. Im always a bit weary of matt lipsticks as they tend to make my lips looks dry and shrivelled (not quite the look I want) but these felt more conditioning than most in my collection. I loved these two colours and feel as though they're bang on trend right now thanks to Kylie Jenner. 

Priced between £5-7, you'd be silly not to give these a try. I ordered mine online which can make choosing a colour a bit tricky but pick ones you know you're going to wear often, and maybe choose  one colour you wouldn't normally wear. You'll be surprised at how amazing you feel wearing a lip colour that makes your lips stand out! I'll definitely be trying out more colours and maybe some of their other cosmetics too!

SLC x

Makeup favourites!

 

(Please ignore the poor lighting of these pictures! Bathroom lighting isn't always the best)

I have wanted to do a makeup related post on the blog for a while now but have struggled to whittle down my makeup collection to talk about my absolute favourites until now. I love to try lots of brands and experiment with different products to see what I like and what I don't like. I am such a sucker for makeup products and always find myself lingering the counters in Boots or Selfridges unable to resist the well rehearsed pitches from the sales assistants. I'm always reading about the newest makeup releases or watching Youtubers chat away about their holy grail products, only to find myself with the exact same products a few days later. It only takes one person to rave about something for me to want to try, but even though my makeup collection is forever expanding, I do find myself reaching for the same few products day after day so thought it was about time that I write about them. I also have to absolutely LOVE something before I recommend it to friends or family, so you can be sure that the products below are some of my must haves!

FOUNDATION:

Revlon Colour Stay // £6.49

I have about 15 different bottles of foundations that I like to use for different days or different occasions but almost all of them are medium to full coverage as I have really oily skin so need something that will last all day. My go-to everyday one is the Revlon Colour stay for a few reasons: the price, the colour selection they have and the finish on my skin. This is really similar to Estee Lauder Double Wear but a fraction of the price as just as good! I apply my foundation with either a flat top foundation brush (I have the Zoeva one) or my trusty Beauty Blender (which I HIGHLY recommend. Worth every penny!)

POWDER: 

Mac Mineralised Skinfinish // £24.00

Because I have such oily skin, a good powder to set my base is an essential in my makeup bag! Ive tried the cheaper ones and I've tried the more high end ones but this Mac one ticks all of my boxes. It isn't chalky or cakey and stays put all day.

BRONZER:

Chanel - Soleil Tan De Chanel // £32.00

This is hands down the best product in my makeup collection. I think I will forever repurchase this bronzer. Pricey, yes, but its Chanel. There is something I absolutely love about high end makeup, even though I don't own a lot of it. Don't get me wrong, there are SO SO many "drugstore" products that are just as good, if not better, than some of the more expensive options out there, but buying something high end gives me such a buzz (sad I know). I have had this bronzer for about a year now and there is still a fair bit of product left in there, so worth the splurge if you ask me. I could go on and on about this until the cows come home, but if you really need convincing about this then just type it in on youtube and listen to people rave about it. Good for all over bronzing (face and body) and great for contouring. I put it on the areas of my face I want to warm up and use my damp Beauty Blender to blend it out. You can even use this without foundation if you're on holiday and want to up your glow! Its great. Best bronzer out there in my opinion.

BLUSH:

Mac Powder Blush "Melba" // £18.50

Described on their website as a "soft coral-peach", this blush is the one I use every day as its a really neutral colour. I'm not keen on pink blushers and tend to go for more peachy ones so this is the perfect shade for me. You don't need a lot of this on your brush as its really pigmented so it lasts ages which is good! If you go into Mac to buy a new blush, I'd recommend that you ask one of the girls to test a few shades out on you so you can get the right one for your skin tone, although I think this shade would look good on most skin tones!

EYESHADOW:

Tartlette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette // £33.00

I got this palette about 6 months ago and have probably used it every day since. All the shades are matt so its ideal for everyday use. I also use one of the colours to fill in my brows! The shadows are really pigmented so you don't need a lot and are all warm-toned which are my favourite! I got this palette from NYC but you can order them from their website as they ship to the UK! They have also just released a new palette which I can't wait to get my hands on!

MASCARA:

Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara £7.99

This is by far the best "drugstore" mascara I have ever used. Its everything I look for in a mascara- makes my lashes thicker, longer and jet black. I only ever buy mascaras with rubber wands and this one is perfect at separating your lashes. Nothing worse than clumpy lashes that are stuck together because the brush doesn't separate them properly! And this is really easy to remove at night which is a plus as I hate mascaras that are so long wearing you have to tug at your lashes to take it off at the end of the day. Its pretty much gone after a few splashes! 

So there you have it! All my favourites right now. Let me know if you have any recommendations that you think I should try! Any excuse to go makeup shopping ;)

SLC x

Casual Waves

You know when you lust after someones hair but can never seem to master it no matter how hard you try? Well that was me. I literally had thousands of screen shots of girls who had the most amazing hair but no matter what approach i took, i just could not master the casual "undone" look with my straighterners. Every Youtube tutorial i watched featured some sort of curling wand so I decided to part with my cash and bought the Babyliss Boutique wand which changed everything!

Ever since i bought it I've worn my hair in the same style pretty much every day and have had lots of different people ask me questions about how i style my hair. Its super easy to use and the waves last a few days, which means i don't need to use heat on my hair everyday. If you want to join the my-hair-looked-like-this-when-i-woke-up club, then i'd highly recommend this wand!

Since a few people have asked how i do my hair, i thought i would blog about it! I also thought i'd tell you guys about a few Toni & Guy products i was given a few weeks ago after being picked as the "Casual" face of their new campaign that will roll out in Superdrug stores towards the end of the year. So exciting!

Flexible Hold Hairspray // Sea Salt Texturing Spray // Radiating Tropical Elixir // Sculpting Powder

 Boutique Soft Waves Wand 

1. Since my hair was already a couple of days old, I started with the Sculpting Power which helps mattify grease and gives a boost of volume to your roots. Be careful not to use too much, you only need a few shakes! If you've just washed your hair, massage 1-2 pumps of the Tropical Elixir into the ends of wet hair to smooth it out and help combat frizz.

2. Next, I split my hair by running my fingers along my head just above my ears to create the first section.

3. I divide my hair into two and split each side into three more sections. The bigger the chunks of hair, the looser your waves will be.

4. Point the wand down and wrap the first little section around the wand, leaving a 2cm piece of hair uncurled at the end. This helps give a more "undone" look. I hold the wand for about 15 seconds, but if i want them to be looser i'll only hold it for 10! 

5. Lift the wand up to release the curl and let it rest in the palm of your hair for a few seconds. I've found that if you tug the wand free from your hair, the curl will drop almost back to straight. Letting some of the heat escape while its still curled up in your hand holds the shape better.

6. On the top and final section of my hair, I only leave my hair wrapped around the wand for 8-10 seconds to give more of a casual look.

7. Once you've curled your whole head, rake your fingers loosely through your hair to break everything up so it looks nice and messy.

8. To give the ends more texture, I like using the Sea Salt spray (which also smells incredible!) 

9. To finish everything off and to hold it all in place, i give my hair a good spray all over with the Flexible Hold Hairspray. The best thing about this is that it doesn't make my hair feel stiff or crunchy (and it also smells just like the Sea Salt Spray).

And thats how i do it! Super easy and really quick. Let me know if you try any of these products- all Toni & Guy products are on offer right now at Superdrug so make sure to snatch them up! 

SLC x

Holiday Prep: Getting body beautiful

I think we'd all be lying if we said that we were ready for the beach all year round. I've been prepping myself for the last week or so to make sure every inch of me is holiday ready! 

So first things first...

1. Prepare your skin : This should start a couple of weeks before you jet off on holiday. The last thing you want is to be stepping onto the beach with dry, flaky skin. Taking care of your skin is so so important all year round but especially if your heading to sunnier climates. I have been regularly exfoliating in the shower maybe 4/5 times a week and moisturising every day. This will serve you well if you want a good tan that will last! 

I have been using Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub, Palmers Coco Butter and Peppermint Foot Rescue cream from The Body Shop. I can't recommend these products enough and love them all equally!

2. Spray tan : This one is totally optional and not something I have done before going on holiday but I feel much more sun conscious than ever before after reading a few scary facts about sun damage. I'm not saying I'll be sat in the shade for the rest of my life but I have never been a sun worshipper (which I hope will pay off when I'm way into my 40's!) Its possible to enjoy the sun, as long as you protect yourself from the damage it CAN cause. Having sun kissed sun isn't a crime and some people obviously tan better than others. I have to lay in the sun for hours on end to get even a hint of colour so for me its better to be safe than sorry.

3. Mani/Pedi : I haven't had the time to book this in before I go but making sure your nails are in tip top condition for holiday is a must in my eyes. I can be terrible at keeping my nails neat and it drives me crazy when I let most of my nail polish chip off as I think it just looks awful! If I had my way I would have gotten a gel polish so it would stay put the whole time. Bright fun colours are perfect for holiday so will be sure to take a few with me!

4. De-fuzz : Lets get real. We are all the same when it comes to unwanted body hair! Hands up if you wish you were bald from the neck down? haha. Although unpleasant and painful, book yourself in to visit someone who knows what they're doing with hot wax. And about those eyebrows... get them threaded and tinted before hand so you don't need to worry about makeup. I only recently started this and will never ever go back to plucking them myself. So much better!!

5. Hair : Speaking of hair... Its a good idea to visit the hairdressers to give your hair a little boost before you go. If your lucky enough to have gorgeous natural hair and it doesn't need colouring, its still wise to get a trim and a good conditioning treatment. I had my appointment booked weeks in advance but had to pull the plug a few days ago as I have way too much going on at uni to justify spending 2/3 hours getting my hair done (Is this what it feels like to be a grown up?!) I'll be sure to get it down as soon as I get back though!

And there you have it! If you are one of those people who don't need a beauty routine because you roll out of bed looking like a goddess then this post probably isn't for you! (lucky things!!)

Hope everyone is having a good week so far! 

SLC xxx

Neutral Nail Polish

(L-R : Revlon 168 "Temptress // Barry M Gelly 423 "Coconut" // Maybelline Super Stay 130 "Rose Poudre" // Barry M Gelly 305 "Lychee" // Rimmel 60 Seconds 500 "Caramel Cupcake")

I will admit that I'm not one for painting my nails really bright colours. If you looked in my ever-growing nail polish collection, you would find a coral shade that probably screamed the loudest. Boring? Maybe. I am definitely a neutral kinda gal.

Above are my 5 favourite pinky nudes that i have been reaching for over an over these past couple of months. I have to give props to the Maybelline Super Stay. The brush/applicator is a dream and glides perfectly! I went out and bought a few more in different shades because of how easy it was to apply. I'm also having a bit of a love affair with white nails at the minute and the Barry M one in "Coconut" is perfect because its a slight off white shade which i love!

Let me know if you have an favourite nudes that i need to try. You know i'm a sucker for a recommendation!

SLC xxx

BODY SHOP BRUSHES.

 (L-R : Face & Body, Foundation, Blusher, Eyeshadow Blender, Slanted, Eyeshadow, Lip/Concealer, Brown & Lash Comb)

One of my favourite christmas gifts from my hubby this year were these little beauties from The Body Shop. For some reason it took me a good week to actually take these out the box and USE them because i didn't want to ruin any of them. But i got over it and used them for the first time last night whilst doing my makeup (obv) for NYE. My verdict - i'm in love.

Ever since becoming addicted to Jaclyn Hill's Youtube video tutorials, i lusted over Sigma brushes but never actually got any because they're not sold in the UK (not that i know of anyway, if you know different then pleaseeee let me know!). Then came along Tanya Burr and the Real Techniques brushes so i went straight to Boots and bought a few. I have nothing bad to say about any of the RT brushes i have in my collection so far even though i've not got them all yet. I would like to get some more eventually though!

So its fair to say that my brush collection was a bit sparse. But not anymore. Oh no. I now have 8 new full size brushes that are so soft and lovely. I spent a good 40 minutes doing my makeup last night (and never took a picture stupidly) and i enjoyed every minute of it thanks to these brushes. I am particularly happy with the eye brushes, the slanted one being my favourite. That teamed with MAC Omega worked wonders for my brows!

I'm not sure if The Body Shop are still selling this set or if it was more of a Christmas gift thing but if you see them on the shelves, i highly recommend you grab them! Such a bargain. I cant comment on what they're like to wash as i've only just used them so haven't got to that yet.

So thanks a lot babe. My collection is growing (finally).

If you have any "must have" brushes in your collection then let me know! I am a sucker when it comes to beauty recommendations.

Shelley x