Drugstore Beauty Haul for Under £50!

I like to think I champion all beauty brands – from drugstore to high-end – but recently I’ve been hitting the MAC store and Esteé Lauder counter a little too frequently, so I decided that I needed to show Boots some love. With £30 worth of points saved up and lots of deals going on, I ended up turning my little shop into a mini haul. Here’s what I bought, and after trying and testing the products, I can’t recommend them enough:

I’ve never tried the Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Lotion before, so I grabbed this one as soon as I saw it, especially as it’s the Medium to Dark version. I’ve used light gradual tanners before and they don’t seem to do anything for me! I’d heard amazing things about this and it definitely lives up to the hype. I’ll use this on top of the fake tan I use to keep a summer glow throughout Spring.

I’ve tried samples of the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser before but never actually picked one up, so I decided it was time to try the full-sized product! It’s very similar to the Esteé Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer that I’ve been using but it’s a fraction of the price at £6.99! This primer gives a soft, satin feel and matte finish, and will really help your foundation to glide over your skin. I might advise choosing a more hydrating primer if you suffer with dry skin though.

I’ve been using the Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer for a few months now but I recently hit pan and had to replace it. This three-piece flaw camouflage kit is incredible and I cannot recommend it enough. At £10, the kit includes an under-eye brightening concealer and a darker blemish concealer, but it’s the translucent powder that seals the deal for me. It completely covers my dark circles and redness without looking cakey.

Who can resist a ‘Buy 1, get 2nd half price’ offer? Not me! I picked up this Maybelline Dream Pure BB 8-in-1 BB Cream with the Baby Skin Primer and it’s a great alternative to foundation at the weekend. I chose the oily skin variety as I never know whether or not a product will slip in my T-Zone (I’m normal-combination) and it is definitely long-lasting but the finished is definitively matte. I’d like to try the normal edition too.

As if Boots hadn’t tempted me enough, there were offers across all of the cosmetics brands, so I grabbed the Soap & Glory Solar Powder Mix-and-Match Multi-Shade Bronzer straight away. I’ve wanted to try more of the Soap & Glory products for ages and this bronzer only came to £5! It’s a gorgeous compact that opens to reveal two sun-kissed bronzers with the S&G logo embossed onto the product as an illuminator – perfect!

Lastly, I picked up my old favourite (and slightly more expensive) Vichy Dermablend Fond de Teint Fluide Correcteur in Nude 25. I started using this foundation as a concealer after I watched YouTube & No7 beauty guru Lisa Eldridge feature the product in her Acne cover-up tutorial. The high-coverage foundation gives great results for blemish cover-up and is also kind to your skin. I swear by this product and have been using it for years.

What have you been splurging on recently? Let me know of any wonder products you’ve spotted in your local drugstore!

Step into Spring in New Season Shoes

It’s not often that I’m restrained enough to worry about my ever-so-slight addiction to shoe shopping, but in the unfortunate case that I do consider my spending to be slightly out of hand, I just remind myself that my feet need some love too. After all, they have to carry me around all day.

Whilst a shoe addiction is troublesome enough in itself, the ever-changing nature of the high street doesn’t help either. As we’re transitioning into Spring, the usual suspects are cluttered with the new staple styles – I’ve seen pastel brogues, chunky pool sliders and patent bluchers everywhere. The only problem? The British weather is still rubbish! So if, like me, you’re finding it imperative to update your footwear collection but you strongly believe the ‘wet socks’ look isn’t about to be the next big thing, have a peek at the hottest new shoe styles you can grab in-store today.

(from l-r, top to bottom):

Heels: Kitten heels are back in a big way this Spring, so whether you love  them or loathe them, expect to see them everywhere. I love animal print shoes, so these Calf Hair Heels from Aldo, £65, are the ones I’ll be wearing with an all black office outfit. Don’t worry if they’re not your thing, though, as barely-there heels like these Monochrome Sandals from Missguided, £25, aren’t going anywhere this season! If you need something daring but don’t want to stray too far out of your comfort zone, try a pair of Cleated Sandals like Miss Selfridge’s nude ones – they’re a steal at £39 and are as comfortable as they are cool.

Sandals: Topshop’s new line of ‘cut-out boot meets sandal’ offers everyday chic with comfort and style, and these Nude Sandals are stupidly-good value at £35. Another Topshop favourite of mine, the Colour-Block Midi Heels, at £68, will help you nail the ever-trending Parisian vibe and are designed to suit everyone. No post focusing on shoes would be right without including a pair of chunky platforms, and these Stacked Boots in White, £45 at Monki scream 90s style – the decade is definitely here to stay.

Flats: Brogues are the epitome of everyday dressing, and what better way to see them into Spring than by updating the colour palette with pastels? River Island lead the way with these Mint Green Lace-Up Brogues – £45 for real suede sounds good to us (just don’t wear these in the rain!) If you want to add a contemporary twist on traditional loafers, try a Metallic Leather Pair like Office’s £65 ones to revamp your work wardrobe. Finally, I had to include a pair of boots for those of you that can’t quite ditch your winter favourites, these Leather Ankle Boots, £90 at River Island, offer a warmer alternative to black.

Take your Accessories Back to Black

As if the colour couldn’t get any cooler, the Kardashian’s famously posted that picture captioned ‘All Black Everything’ and suddenly we’re acting as if black came around just yesterday.

It might be that I channel my inner Morticia Addams too frequently, or that I took ‘Black Friday’ a little too literally, but I’ve been buying everything with one – and only one – requirement recently: it has to be black.

From L-R, these are the eternally-stylish black accessories I’ve bought recently that will upgrade my look in an instant:

• Zara Mini City Bag – £39.99, SOLD OUT
• Kate Spade Cedar Street Lacey Wallet – £145, Kate Spade (this was a gift from my boyfriend whilst he was in New York, so it worked out at £90!)
• River Island Studded Slipper Shoe – £28, SOLD OUT
• Zara Open Track Sole Booties – £39.99, Zara
• Comme Des Garcons Coin Purse – £95, Goodhood London
• Topshop Black Floppy Fedora – £35, Topshop

My 2015 Beauty Essentials

As a self-confessed beauty junkie, it’s fair to say I have an unceremonious amount of skincare and cosmetics products stashed in my foundation-stained boudoir. Whilst most people can go a day or two without obsessing over the latest edition to MAC’s exponential eyeshadow collection, I find it hard to get through an hour.

With this in mind, crafting my curated collection of must-have products for 2015 wasn’t difficult. The products shown above are my current lust-worthy favourites, but they haven’t yet gained entry into my exclusive ‘lifetime member’ club.

Let’s begin with the rose gold Zoeva make-up brushes; the brand has exploded onto the cosmetics scene and these brushes are by far my absolute favourite to date. Although I haven’t stacked up a collection of Sigma brushes (yet), these Zoeva equivalents can easily run rings around the likes of MAC and Real Techniques. You can also see that I’ve included Laura Mercier Foundation Primer and it really is a sensational primer. Think a silky finish with just enough texture to hold down your make-up for hours. Lastly, I’ve added in the No7 Star Nail Polish Bauble – a Christmas gift, this delightful polish lasts for hours and gives intense pigmentation in the finest cranberry colour. Love it.

Current favourites aside, I’ve included below the 5 products that I guarantee I’ll still be raving about in January 2016:

1. Forget having to endlessly powder your T-Zone throughout the day with this wonder product, Urban Decay de-slick Makeup Setting Spray will hold your face in place all day – perfect if you have combination skin like me.

2. Nobody ever dismissed a radiant and healthy glow, and you shouldn’t dismiss the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish cleanser based on its price tag. My skin feels smooth and deeply-cleansed and continuous use will offer serious complexion benefits.

3. Not one that I ever thought I’d fall in love with, Eyeko Skinny Liner in Black has become my a go-to in my daily make-up routine. It’s the easiest eyeliner to use and comes in the iconic ‘felt-tip’ style – pop it on with mascara if you wear glasses in the day for a sleek alternative to a kohl and eyeshadow combo.

4. I can safely say that Double Wear foundation has become a Holy Grail for me, but it’s the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in 2.0 that deserves its place here. Offering more radiance than its matte-finish superior, this light-reflecting version of the foundation classic is perfect for a natural look that still provides coverage.

5. A cult classic, Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse deserves a place in any beauty top five, let alone just mine. I run this through the ends of my hair for some much-needed TLC but you can apply this to your hands, nails and face.

New Year, New You: Revamping your Home for 2015

The start of a new year unpretentiously demands an overhaul in our daily lives. It’s mostly with thanks to the ritualistic phenomena of setting good-old New Year’s Resolutions, and then smothering our social media channels with the ‘new year, new me’ slogan, but it’s also because of our inability to settle. As women, analyzing and modifying our style, home interior and hairstyle is just all in a day’s work – and quite frankly, I love it.

As with anything, trying to achieve the perfect interior design space is about as reachable as being literally made of money, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to update our homes. Adding new textiles or changing fabrics is a quick way to update your living room or bedroom – choose new cushions and throws or swap your old quilt for a new duvet set. There’s a lot to be said for refreshing your decorations and ornaments too, and a set of fresh saucepans in the kitchen doesn’t go a miss either. If you’re not ready to spend your cash, try removing things from your current space for a budget take on minimalism, or simply move your furniture around.

Here’s what I’ll be adding to my home:

I like to switch up how I store my clothes, and these clothes racks start at an incredible £6.50 over at Ikea. They come in a muted colour palette and they’ll fit into almost any bedroom, just add your favourite outfits, bags and hats for a truly Parisian feel.

I won’t add a lot to my living room, but a simple wooden shelf ladder will add a modern twist on simple storage options. A pretty tealight candle holder adds light and personality too.

For the office, I like to keep things clean and minimalist for a no-fuss feel. These retro brass lamps are a chic addition to any work space. If you’re after something different, though, add one of these unique star terrariums from Urban Outfitters – I can’t imagine anybody else would have one!

Lastly, update your garden by planting some fresh flowers, or lining the outside of your home with plant pots and cute decorations, like this super-cute watering can.