February Favourites

I had a few favourites this month, as you can see. By accident they all happen to be high end, but I can imagine there will be a few months purely based on drugstore products. These are all items I've had for a while and have posted about before, but they all happen to be my monthly faves. Firstly, I have the Nars Creamy Concealer in Vanilla that matches my skin tone perfectly, covers up under eye bags and spots like a dream and I'm already planning on picking up the same product in Chantilly for a lighter concealer/highlighter from Sephora next month. I've always been loyal to my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer from day one but this, as it should be for the price, tops it. I only started using Nars products last year and I think I love them even more than I love Mac...
Speaking of Mac, the two lipsticks I've been loving this month are Up The Amp and Brave. Whilst I do have some really bright colours, I've been into more subtle colours for the whole of Winter. I've failed to use my berry colours when I said I would and have been opting for Brave the most as it's the most beautiful rose/mauve pink. Up The Amp leaves a light hint of lilac on the lips but can be worn with almost anything as it's still quite subtle.
At the moment I've not been enjoying really shimmery blush shades and have been using Benefit's Hervana blush which does have the tiniest bit of shimmer in but looks mostly matte on the cheeks. I think part of the reason I enjoy using it is because you swirl your brush through the different shades in the box and up with cheeks that look lightly flushed. It happens to be the only blusher that 2014's Christmas Blush box had in it, so I have a fair few to choose from, however they are all more shimmery than Hervana.
I've been really experimenting with brows over the past few months, and most days I'm setting them in place with the Mac ProLongwear Waterproof Gel which coats the hairs in a lovely blonde-brown shade and can help them look a bit more natural once I've already used a pomade and pencil etc. I picked this up from my local McArthur Glen outlet out of chance and it was the only shade available which was lucky considering I find it difficult to get brow gels that really match my brows.

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The Makeup Brush Washing Chore

As every beauty blogger and makeup lover will know, it's so important to wash your makeup brushes. Now don't get me wrong, washing the little eyeshadow brushes is a dream and even therapeutic at times because they clean so easily. It's the liquid makeup brushes that take an age to clean properly and leaves you wondering whether it would just be easier to buy a new brush every time it needs washing. Some have claimed that baby shampoo does the trick, but if you're using a high coverage foundation, for me it doesn't work. At all. I use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to work my foundation into my skin which means that it's well used and needs a deep cleansing every time.
I also found that just swilling the brush in the palm of my hand did next to nothing either and for someone with sensitive skin it's not ideal when you have about thirty brushes to wash in one go. I bought a little makeup brush washer thing from Primark for £2.50 over a year ago which turned my life around when it came to washing those stubborn brushes. It got into the brush and meant that they were washed so much quicker than they used to be. As much as I want the Sigma cleaning mat or the new Real Techniques tray thing I'm not forking out for something that works just as well as a silicone oven glove that you can buy for about £4 from ebay.
To properly cleanse my brushes I use the Mac brush cleanser or the Real Techniques version which isn't as good. You can tell that the Mac one is exactly the same as the Estée Lauder one - the bottles are almost identical, as is the liquid inside. I mean you'd expect that since Estée Lauder owns Mac Cosmetics so some products will overlap, and the Mac one is cheaper so no point wasting extra money for the same product. You know what my secret is though? Egg cups. No word of a lie. In September 2014 I moved into my third year flat with my boyfriend and the previous tenants had left behind some almost new egg cups in a drawer. The idea shot into my head - soaking the brush upside down with the bristles in the egg cup with the brush cleanser and a bit of warm water in would help dissolve some of the makeup. Sometimes you'll go to wash these stubborn brushes and they don't wash through on the first time. Soaking them upside down with the bristles covered in the cleanser means that you can leave them there for an hour and come back to wash them and it will halve the time you're sat swilling it around in trying to get it all off. I mean this would work the same with a tall tupperware box as long as you don't fill the cleanser and water higher than the neck of the brush as this has a high chance of wearing away the glue and leaving your brushes thin with bristles falling out.
I know there have been systems invented to wash and dry your brushes but I'm not forking out for something so expensive when I can use my little egg cups and still get the job done in an hour. I only use the egg cups for stubborn brushes - so for foundation, concealer, and anything else liquidy. I'm not going to come out and say it's revolutionary because I'm sure everyone has their own ways of washing their makeup brushes, but it does stop it being such a chore.

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Wen by Chaz Dean Healthy Hair Care System Review

Every so often I accept hair products to review on the blog. I have naturally ash blonde, curly, frizzy hair which aside from afro hair can be one of the most difficult hair types to treat. On top of that, I dye my hair so it's a beautiful light blonde colour, and tint the roots more of a honey colour. I always change my mind with my hair and have had all different types of colours in it so it's vital for me to look after it and keep it healthy. Today's post is focused on the Wen by Chaz Dean Healthy Hair Care System* (£39.99) which includes everything in the Introductory Kit plus some extra products additional products that claim to take your hair care regime into the next level. The additional products are included to help hydrate your hair and make it more manageable.

The scent of the products is sweet almond mint which is refreshing and gives the impression that your hair is clean and healthy. For almost three weeks I tested these products through four hair washes so can only give a rough impression on how well the products worked. The first and main product in the set is the Cleansing Conditioner which is used both as a shampoo and a conditioner. It claims to cleanse the hair without lathering and won't cleanse the hair of their natural oils. To me, this is just a conditioner. With such thick, curly hair this doesn't give me the clarification my hair requires. My hair was left moisturised but this wasn't my favourite product out of the bunch. 
The Anti Frizz Styling Creme came next which is aimed to encourage moisture and shine to the hair whilst replacing the need for a gel based product to hold your style. This was one of my favourite products since it did what it said on the bottle. I do worry when using new products for the first time, especially once I've straightened my hair but it worked well and added a hint of shine to my hair. For a different hairstyle I used the Nourishing Mousse which excited me since I do have frizzy hair, especially when I leave it to try naturally to keep my natural curls in tact. The main issue I have with mousse products is that it leaves your hands left sticky and your curls almost crispy which creeps me out. I found that whilst it doesn't have a sticky residue and didn't make hair feel fragile like others, it did last for slightly less time than those products. If you prefer this over durability then this is the product for you.
I was dubious about testing out the Replenishing Treatment Mist since it basically seemed like a leave in conditioning spray which don't tend to do much to my hair. Wen claims that this can be used to replenish hair in between washes whilst hydrating hair and taming frizzy hair. As much as the smell is divine and makes me hair smell as if it's just been washed, I think the claims are a little far fetched. To me, this is a leave in conditioning spray and left my hair feeling slightly silkier when before it was a little dry. Making my hair wetter doesn't help with frizz since I straighten my hair the majority of the time, but it may work for those whose natural hair is mostly straight. The Straightening Smoothing Gloss was something I was looking forward to since I have to used my GHD's to ensure my hair is pin straight. It is designed to reduce frizz and to help straighten your hair. I tried this out after simply blow drying my hair which is a nightmare unless you're a professional hair dresser and to be honest it left my hair softer but didn't help it smooth my hair out. I think this product is left for people who can have gorgeous hair by blow drying it themselves who don't tend to have frizzy hair. I think my hair out-frizzed this product.
The bonus product out of the set was the Re-Moist Intensive Treatment which doesn't have the most glamorous name but most definitely does the job. I enjoyed using this as a hair mask to add a bit of extra moisture into my hair, especially after using curling tongs which dry out my hair and make it fragile. Since my hair is quite dry, hair products like this work really well as it absorbs a lot of the moisture and keeps it looking healthy again. I'd purchase this product alone in the future once I've gotten through the whole box of hair masks....
Overall, I was impressed by the Anti Frizz Styling Creme and the Re-Moist Intensive Treatment but think that the set as a whole would suit someone with naturally straight-ish hair with little frizz. For someone with a full set of curly locks that frizzes up at just the mention of humidity, nothing that claims to clamp down on frizz works well for me, but I'm used to that. For now I will continue with my usual hair care routine and use these two products when I require them.

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Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette Giveaway & 2 Year Blogging Anniversary

This little blog turned 2 today! I knew I wanted to celebrate it somehow so thought I may as well do a giveaway so you can celebrate with me. I discovered my love for Too Faced when I received the Chocolate Bar Palette for Christmas and fell in love with how creamy and pigmented the shades were. The logical thing to do was to whilst buying myself the new Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette was to buy one for you too, right? So I did, and here we are. Without even trying it out I know I'm going to enjoy using it so much, and it comes with a guide that includes how to perfect three different looks using the palette, detailing every shade and exactly where to put it.

The packaging is so cute and usually I'm one for darker packaging but the pink is such a nice touch considering there is a pink in the palette such as 'totally fetch' which wouldn't normally be my cup of tea but would look so beautiful next to some warm shades. I like the addition of 'earl grey' which adds something different to the palette - one of the most stunning midnight blue shades I've ever set my eyes upon. The shade 'black currant' is another addition that could be worn everyday or for the most pretty smokey eye going. I've uploaded a few photos of both palettes over on my instagram so you can see the difference between the two palettes.

It's been such a good year for this little blog and I've had so many amazing opportunities, especially in comparison with the year previously. I won a trip to Los Angeles which still to this day makes me so excited to go and explore all the American makeup. I've worked with a long term favourites of mine such as  L'Oréal Paris and Benefit Cosmetics who continue to amaze me with their beautiful makeup. I bought my Olympus Pen E-PL7 and my photos both on here and on instagram have improved so much and I'm so proud of myself for it. I was hoping one day I'd get my photos to a standard I'm proud of and whilst I'll improve in the future, I'm definitely at that point right now.

Obviously there has to be a few terms and conditions. There are a few compulsory entries that all need to be met to qualify and before you can unlock the extra entries. The giveaway will end a month from now, so 11.59 on 6th March and the winner will be notified the following day. It's open internationally and the winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Perfect Travel Palette - Freedom Makeup

When you're travelling it is sometimes difficult to pack lightly in the makeup department. Finding a palette that can cover the majority of your face is also hard considering there are a ton of different skin tones and types. Freedom Makeup have created the House of Glam Dolls Vintage Doll Look* palette that includes your blusher, lipstick, eyeshadow, highlight and brows. You could probably get away with using the lightest two brow colours as a bronzer to contour too.

I love multipurpose palettes as I know that if I need to grab something quickly it will have me covered. I enjoy using this palette on other people too, as friends and family often ask me to do their makeup, hence why the darkest brow shades have been used too as I definitely don't have black eyebrows. To buy it for yourself you can be safe knowing that the colours are universal so there will be something to suit you, no matter what colour your skin is. With plenty of colours to play with, it might even encourage you to try something new. I don't really use purple eyeshadow, but having a purple shadow in the palette definitely makes me want to try it out.

The only downside is that there are lip products in the palette. As soon as you use those and the eyeshadows, there is the inevitable that loose product will get stuck to the lipstick, hence why I haven't touched the lipsticks. I do however, like that there isn't a brush in the palette. I am loyal to my Real Techniques brushes and hate the eyeshadow pad brushes that come with a lot of palettes, although this is getting less often as most beauty lovers tend to use their own brushes. For £8.00 you can't complain with the Vintage Doll Look palette considering it has over 20 different products inside it with a large mirror too.

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Fitness Goals for 2016

Aside from the whole "new year, new me" resolutions, I've decided to set myself a few goals for the year. To help me along, Workwear Express kindly sent me a few items to help me get started, including this motivational hoodie that even has my blog address on the back. If you liked the look of it you can design your own on their website which is such a good idea if you want to give yourself a kick start back into getting fit.

Walk more

The NHS and other institutions recommend you do 10,000 steps a day. It's hard to keep track considering pedometers and the health app on the iPhones aren't all that reliable. I went to Manchester this Monday and kept my phone in my pocket and it tracked 11,265 steps and when I checked my boyfriend's phone his was slightly less (he is a foot taller than me so won't do as many strides as I will) so I know roughly that I achieved at least 10,000 that day. Having EDS does make it hard to do certain things but walking is okay as long as I take breaks.

Start Swimming

When I was on holiday I was messing around in the pool every day with my boyfriend, brother and father, but starting to swim as an adult is a different kettle of fish. Firstly recognising that I have to actually go in the lanes to swim in a pool is daunting enough. I think the main reason I don't swim more is the fact that a swimming cap is a pain to put on, especially with my naturally curly/frizzy hair. If I don't wear a cap the chlorine completely dries my hair out. I guess it is a vanity thing, but swimming can help tone up your muscles and let us be honest, it isn't that hard.

Use my exercise bike

I have had an exercise bike for just over a year but at the moment it's collecting some dust. After about fifteen minutes on the bike I get bored but as it's the only thing in the house I need to make us of it. If I dedicate a few nights a to go on the bike whilst watching a programme I can do an hour each time and I won't even realise I'm on it after a few goes. Using the planner that Workwear Express kindly sent me, I can write down which days I'm going to go on the bike and try to stick to it.

Lose weight

This is an obvious one and it seems like everyone and their wife wants to lose weight and tone up. I've found it really hard to lose weight in the past year and it doesn't seem to come off whatever I do. I'm going back to the doctors for more blood tests to see if there is a cause, but I'll continue to eat as healthy as possible and do some core exercises to tone my muscles up.

If you have any fitness tips, feel free to share them in the comments below, or over at Twitter where you can use the hashtag #WEFitnessGoals.

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