Best Highstreet Make-up Buys

Most of the make up products I use are from either Boots or Superdrug and are high-street brands, I only use one high-end product in my daily make-up routine, so I thought this would be the perfect post for me to do. The reason I only really use high-street products is because I don't see the point in spending loads of money on make-up when brands such as Maybelline and Revlon are just as good. 

A lot of the face products featured in the post are geared towards oily/sensitive/combination skin, so if you fall into that category, these should be perfect for you.

May have cheated slightly by using a Ted Baker make-up bag, but it was a gift, so no harm done!
Unfortunately, it's last season so it's no longer available.

Face Products

From Left to Right:
Boujois Healthy Mix Serum / L'Oreal Paris Infallible Mattifying Primer / Revlon Colourstay Concealer

L'Oreal Mattifying Primer:
Primer isn't a product I use every day. I use it when I know I'll be out a while and there'll be lots of pictures being taken so I want my skin to look flawless, such as special occasions or nights out. This primer is the best one I've ever used, I'd tried a few before this but they always seem to go 'bobbly' when I put my foundation on top. The reason I like this one is that it's very smooth, doesn't feel heavy on the skin and, best of all, it's mattifying. I've talked before about my oily skin and this definitely makes the oil stay away and keep my make up looking shine free.

Boujois Healthy Mix Serum:
I also don't use foundation every day, but this is definitely the one I reach for when I do. I'm sure a lot of you will have heard about this foundation before as it has been raved about a lot! This is a Gel Foundation, which is something I'd never heard of before I tried this, and let me tell you, I'm so glad I decided to try it, it is by far the best foundation I've ever used. Due to the gel formula it's glides on skin and isn't heavy in the slightest. It's quite runny when you first pump it out but then when you start to apply it, it seems to thicken and create a beautiful finish on the skin. I've used a large range of foundations in my time and never before stuck with one as long as I've stuck with this. My shade is '52 Vanilla'.

Revlon Colourstay Concealer:
This concealer is one of my everyday products (by everyday I mean when I'm leaving the house for longer than 15 mins!). I tried the Collection concealer that's mentioned everywhere but found it was too thick and didn't blend well, also the shades didn't match my skin well, one was too light and the other too dark. That's when I came across this beauty. I'm shade '02 Pale' and it matches my skin perfectly. It's light on the skin but easily covers blemishes and dark circles.

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot:
This is a translucent powder designed to get rid of excess shine and oil and mattify the skin. As use this powder as it allows for your skins natural colour to come through, I only use this in the summer when I have been on holiday and got a bit of a tan. In the winter I switch to a coloured powder to add a bit of warmth to my skin. This powder does what it says on the tin(?), mattifies the skin and gives a 'ultra-light, smooth velvety finish'.

Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit

Seventeen Contour Kit:
Next up is this Contour Kit by Seventeen. I started using this because I needed a new bronzer, saw this and thought I might as well try it out as Seventeen products are usually pretty good. This comes in different shades, mine is in 'Fair'. In all honesty, I don't often use the highlighter side, only because I tried it and didn't think it did much for me. As for the bronzer side, I find it is great for my skin tone as it's doesn't go on too heavy and is matt (no shimmer) so looks natural.

Natural Collection Blusher

Natural Collection Blusher:

This is probably the cheapest product out of all the ones featured in this post, at only £1.99, it's a steal! The colour I use is 'Peach Melba'. I use this all year round as it gives a very warm peach tone to the cheeks and looks extremely natural. 

Eye/Eyebrow Products

Left to Right:
Revlon Lash Potion / Soap & Glory Supercat Liner / GOSH Kohl Liner / Soap & Glory Archery Eyebrow 2-in-1

Revlon Lash Potion:
My eyelashes are very straight with barely any curl in them so I've tried countless mascaras to try and make my eyelashes curl and stay curled. This mascara does just that. It gives eyelashes amazing lift and volume, helps them to stay curled all day. The brush is quite big and has bristles (not plastic) so it grabs every lash.

Soap & Glory Supercat Felt Liner:

If you're a felt liner kind of person, this is definitely one you should check out. It stays on all day and dries quickly so it never smudges. The nib has a fine tip so you can create really thin lines or super thick ones, you only have to draw the line once to get a jet black finish.

GOSH Kohl Liner:

This liner glides on so smooth, it doesn't drag the eye lid at all. It stays on all night without transferring onto the upper lid, but if you wanted it's creamy enough to smudge out and create a dramatic smokey eye. I've used this for years and never found another eyeliner that lives up to it. 

Soap & Glory Archery 2-in-1:

As you can see from the image, this product is so well loved all the information has come off the tube. One end of this is an eyebrow pencil which is a twist up, so no need to sharpen, and the other end is an eyebrow brush. I use this very lightly to define my eyebrows and then brush out to make them look natural. The colour I use is 'Hot Chocolate'.

Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Pallette

Maybelline The Nudes:
I bought this last month whilst I was in the airport as I wanted a powder to use to fill my eyebrows and thought this would be perfect as I can use it for both my brows and my eyes. The reason I pencil and then also fill my brows is because my eyebrow hairs are quite thin and can look sparse, so I use both to create a fuller look. You can probably tell the ones i usually use for my brows are the two at the top right and the second one in from bottom left. There are also some beautiful shimmer colours to create a lovely bronzed eyeshadow look. These eyeshadows are very pigmented and have amazing staying power.

What are your favourite high-street beauty products?

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Becky
XO

Blow Away Your Holiday Hair Blues

I don't usually take travel sized hair tools with me on holiday, I just put up with the crappy hair dryer in the hotel and take my normal sized straighteners. However, just before I went on holiday a few weeks ago, I saw this set on offer in Boots and thought it was about time I invested in some travel sized tools.

Ego Trip Special Edition Gold Travel Set

This is the box that the items come in, it's a really sturdy box so I've actually kept it and now store other things in it. I believe it's Special Edition because it's gold and also comes with a brush, the normal one is red and doesn't include a brush.

Everything is really neatly packaged inside the box. As you can see it comes with straighteners, a hairdryer with two different attachments, a diffuser and a regular nozzle, and also a 'medium contours hair brush'. Both of the electric hair tools come in Gold and Black with an ombre effect.

Ego Travel Hair Straightener

The straightener is super easy to use, there's just one heat setting so you just flick the on switch and wait for it to heat up. It literally takes about 15-20 seconds to heat up (I timed it on my phone!), although there is no indicator as to when it is completely heated up, there's just a little red light letting you know it's turned on. I just figured that when it's really hot, it's ready for you to use! 

It features a 2.5m swivel cord, this to me is a really good length, it isn't too short or too long. There's also a little velcro strap so it is easy to wrap up ready to put in your case.

Ego Travel Hair Dryer

The 1200W hair dryer has two heat settings and you can also change what voltage you want it to be, either 230V or 120V, it comes set to 230V so I've just left it at that. As previously stated, the hair dryer comes with two attachments, I've only ever used the diffuser once but it seems to do the job, and so does the regular nozzle which is the one I always use. 

I think one reason I've often been wary of buying a travel hair dryer is that I didn't think they'd be any better than the ones you'd get in a hotel but this one is actually really good. I'd even go as far as saying it drys my hair just as well and just as fast as my regular hair dryer I use at home. 

The cord on the hair dryer is the same length as the straightener (2.5m) and also features the velcro strap.

Ego Medium Contours Hair Brush

Finally, we come to the hair brush, I don't usually use a hair brush and dry my hair at the same time (if that even makes sense). I part dry my hair, turn the dryer off, brush, then dry again, brush...etc etc until it's dry. I know you're supposed to use a brush like this one whilst drying to create volume at the roots and to smoothen your hair but, to be honest, I can never get the technique right and just end up with the brush matted in my hair. So I haven't really used this brush, I think I used it once but just gave up in the end because, unfortunately, I obviously don't have the knack for drying and brushing at the same time!

I hope you enjoyed this review of these travel tools, if you want any further information on them please don't hesitate to leave a comment.

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Becky 

XO

Is Epilation For The Faint Hearted?

I think epilation is a form of hair removal that is often over looked. It seems that shaving and waxing are the methods that most people gravitate towards. When I tell people I epilate they instantly ask 'does it not hurt?!' but I don't really see how it could hurt any more than waxing does. I first started epliating around 4 years ago I think, I only epilate my lower legs and under arms as I find the hairs on the tops of my legs are too fine to be grabbed by the epilator and my bikini line too sensitive.

I decided to try epilation as I saw a video on YouTube about it and how it helps to get rid of hair for a longer period of time and also reduces the amount of hair that grows back. I'm not going to lie, when I first started it was quite uncomfortable and took a while to get used to, but believe me, it's worth it for the results you get.

Braun Silk Epil 7 Wet and Dry Epilator (similar here)

The epilator I use is the Braun Silk Epil 7 Wet and Dry, this epilator comes with 3 interchangeable heads, a brush to clear out the hairs, a bag to store it in and the charger. Mine also came with some 'Pre-Epilation Wipes' but I'm unsure as to whether these are included as standard or they were an added extra at the time, I've only used the wipes once and didn't notice a difference so haven't used them since. This epilator has a light which comes in very useful for spotting really small hairs. 

Before Epilation 

It is advisable to exfoliate the skin before starting to epilate as this gets rid of any dead skin cells and will ensure the skin is completely clean. Any exfoliator with large grains will work, I use Soap and Glory's Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub, or some exfoliating gloves and just normal body wash. 

Soap & Glory Breakfast Smoothie Scrub / Exfoliating Gloves (The ones shown are 99p from B&M but you can find similar here)

Once you've scrubbed your skin you can select which head you would like to use and start the hair removal process. I tend to use the normal white head (shown on the epilator in the image above) as I feel it gets closest to the skin and, therefore, removes the most hairs. The black and white head has small 'massaging' nodules on it, but I feel this lifts the small tweezers on the epilator further from the skin so isn't as efficient. The smaller white head it used for the under arms and bikini area (if you're that brave!).

How to Epilate

Once you've selected your desired attachment it's pretty straight forward. All you have to do is turn the epilator on and use it as you would if you were shaving. My epilator is wet and dry so have the choice of using it in or out of the shower, but please check first to see if your epilator is water resistant. 

When you first start epilating it may feel a bit uncomfortable, that's totally normal and you'll soon get used to it.

After Epilation

Some people, me being one of them, experience ingrowing hairs after epilating. To prevent these you will need to keep exfoliating in the same way that was discussed in the 'Before Epilation' section and also make sure to moisturise. If you have dry skin, when the hairs grow back they will not be able to push through the top layer of skin so will become ingrown. Although these are not always difficult to remove, they can sometimes be painful so prevention is better than cure. 

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser / Tend Skin / Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter

The image above shows two of my favourite moisturisers. Vaseline Spray & Go is perfect if you're in a hurry as you can quickly spray it on, rub it in and it will be dry in seconds. However, if you have more time, or feel like your skin is really dehydrated, you can opt for a body butter such as this Soap & Glory one, this will leave your skin feeling moisturised for days but doesn't dry as quickly as the other moisturiser.

A product I recently discovered for ingrowing hairs is 'Tend Skin', this can also be used for razor burn/bumps as well. I haven't been using it for long but so far it seems to be reducing any red bumps on my skin and also the amount of ingrowing hairs I get. It's for both men and women and can be used on the legs, face, neck, bikini line and under arms.

The more you epilate, the slower and sparser the hairs will grow back. If you decide to go back to shaving for a while, which I did for about a year, don't expect the hairs to stay like they were when you epilated. They will most likely go back to their normal state and start growing normally again, so when/if you decide to epilate again it will probably be like starting back at square one.

I hope you enjoyed this post about epilation, although I'm not an expert, if you have any questions feel free to ask :)

Now sit back and enjoy you're beautifully smooth and hair free skin!

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Becky
XO

A Very Monochrome Summer Wish List

In two weeks time I'll be jetting off to sunny Santorini with my Boyfriend, but there are still a few last minute things I've been lusting after. 

1. Oakley Bikini from Asos (Top and Bottoms sold separately) - I've been on the hunt for a black bikini and this one is just what I've been looking for. It's simple but not too simple. I love the wet look material and how the small metal detailing makes it a bit more interesting. 
2. Leather Backpack from Accessorize - I really want a backpack to take on holiday with me as they're so easy to wear and having one with you means you don't have to carry anything in your hands. This leather one from Accessorize with silver hard wear is just the right size and is perfect for me. Also, it currently has £30 off.
3. '#Girlboss' Book by Sophia Amoruso - I've heard a lot about this book and all the reviews I've read seem to give it high praise so it's definitely on my list of books to purchase. I think I'll be taking my iPad with me on holiday so I'll be downloading it on that to read around the pool.
4. Striped Monochrome Pumps from TU at Sainsbury's - I'm loving the look of monochrome stripes at the moment so when I saw these textured pumps from Sainsbury's I really wanted them. Unfortunately, I went into my local store a few weeks ago but they don't stock them there. I'm hoping if I pop in again they'll have got them in so fingers crossed!
5. 'Cameo Rose' Gypsy Crop Top from New Look - I was out shopping a few days ago and spotted this cute crop top in New Look, I almost tried it on but in the end decided to leave it. However, since then, I've realised I made a mistake and thought of so many different ways to wear it. I think I'll have to take a trip to New Look and see if they still have it in. It also comes in Black so I'm not sure what colour I'll get but, for only £9.99, I could always get both!

I hope you enjoyed having a look at a few things I've been lusting after for my holiday. Are you going on holiday soon? Is there anything you've been wishing for? If so, leave me a comment below, I'd love to know :)

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Becky
XO

Free Your Mind With Birchbox This May

My May Birchbox arrived so thought I'd do a post about what goodies I got inside!

First off, I like the design and concept of the box this month. You can colour it in with the crayons provided, take a picture and enter it into a competition on Birchbox's website where you can win £500 worth of products from the Birchbox shop.

If you aren't familiar with Birchbox, when you first open the box there is a little booklet explaining all the products you have received along with some other info too. 

Underneath the leaflet there is a draw string bag, this is where all your goodies are hiding! 

The first product I pulled out of my box this month is this Moisturising Sea Salt Spray by Parlour. I'm always looking to try new hair products, especially ones for texturising, as many don't seem to work all that well on my hair as it's very VERY straight. I haven't had a chance to use this yet, but it says for an increased hold, spray on damp hair and then use a diffuser hair dryer. I'll probably use this technique and hopefully it will give me some sort of texture. 

Next up is this Stila Lip Glaze in the shade Glow, the image below isn't really an accurate representation of this colour (the lighting was bad, sorry!) it's quite a lot lighter. When applied to the lips it's very sheer and just has a slight pinkish tinge to it. It's quite shimmery so adds dimension to your lips, but the shimmer isn't over the top. It says in the information booklet that this has vitamins A, C and E in it, so should be hydrating on the lips. I'm not a huge fan of lip glosses, as I don't like the stickiness, but I'll give this one a try.

This is the Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser by Caudalie. I don't wear foundation on a daily basis but when I'm wanting a bit more coverage in the day I go for a BB cream or tinted moisturiser, so I was pleased to see this in my box this month. I'm quite pale and am often the lightest or second lightest shade in most products, so the shade Birchbox have sent me is '01 Light', which I'm guessing is the lightest shade they do. It seems to be an alright match for my skin, but I am yet to try it on my face. This has SPF 20 in it and can be used to moisturise and brighten skin as well as cover blemishes.

I am really looking forward to using this next product, it's the RMK Point Make-Up Remover. If you've read my last post you will know I have some favourites when it comes to make-up removers, but I'm always willing to give new ones a try. It states in the booklet that this is an all round make-up remover (face, eyes and lips), but I might just stick use this to remove my eye make-up as the liquid looks like it could be quite oily. 

In this months box we were able to choose which WAH London nail product we wanted from nail varnish, nail art pen and false nails. I chose nail varnish as I barely ever wear false nails (I think I've only worn them about twice in my 22 years) and a nail art pen just didn't seem appealing to me as I was unsure how often I'd actually use it. Anyway, I got the WAH London Nail Polish in the colour Love My Team which is a nice rich red. I've not used any WAH products before so I'm excited to give this a try as I love testing new nail varnish brands.

It says in my little Birchbox booklet that this Number 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Masque is an 'Extra Beauty Bonus'. It's basically like a leave in conditioner and it is supposed to give you smooth, strengthened and shiny hair. I'm always slightly dubious about using leave in conditioners or masques as I have naturally shiny (*ahem* oily) hair so I worry that they'll just make my hair greasy. I might give this a try if I'm feeling brave one day and have a spare 5 minutes after I've washed my hair.

Last but not least in May's box are the crayons needed to colour the box! If and when I finish colouring in my box, I'll most likely upload a picture of it to my Instagram (@Becee) as that's where I post most of my life, if I'm being totally honest. 

Hope you enjoyed having a look in my Birchbox this month! If you want to find out more about Birchbox you can check out their website and subscribe here.

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Becky
XO

Skin Care For Oily/Blemish Prone Skin

I've been debating with myself for a while what my first blog post should be about. I finally decided on skin care as in the past I've found it hard to find products that worked for my skin so thought I could give people, who have similar skin issues, some advice and suggestions of products to try out.

In this post I will showing you which products I use to remove my make up every night and also two of my favourite scrubs/masks.

Below are all the products that will be mentioned in this post and links to where you can buy them:

Soap & Glory's The Fab Pore / La Roche-Posay Effacler Duo [+] / La Roche-Posay Micellar Solution 

Simply Pure Eye Make-Up Remover  / Garnier Pure Active Gel Scrub  / Johnson's Face Wipes

Products Used Daily:

These are the products I use to remove my make-up at night. First I start by removing any eye make-up with the Simply Pure Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover, to do this I use an oval cotton pad. This is the best eye make-up remover I have ever used, it doesn't sting my eyes and removes every bit of make-up and, to make it even better, it isn't tested on animals!

Next I reach for my Johnson's 'Make-Up Be Gone' Wipes. There are two types of these that I find work well for my skin, the ones in the purple packet are 'for all skin types' and the green packet is 'for combination skin'. I'm not going to lie, I basically use these because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to wash my face every night but these do really get most of your make up off and are the only wipes that don't make me break out. There are also three other types of these; dry, sensitive and normal skin, I'm sure they used to sell one for oily skin but I can't seem to find them anymore.

I then go on to using my La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution, I apply some of this to an oval cotton wool pad then gently use it to remove any last morsels of make-up. I really like this micellar solution, it feels light on the skin and really does seem to clean your face. This does a good job of combatting any oils, but I wouldn't suggest using it after washing your face as it can then tend to dry the skin out too much. It says on the bottle that you can use this on the eyes as well as the face but I prefer to use a separate product for that.

Finally I use my faithful La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+]. I saw this mentioned in a lot of blogs and in YouTube videos a few years ago so after all the rave reviews it was getting I just had to give it a try. I have to say it is an amazing product! It does exactly what it says on the tube, it has evened out my skin tone and dramatically reduced the appearance of dark spots/marks on my skin. Also, it has stopped my skin from being over oily without ever drying it out. I apply this after taking my make-up off and also after being in the shower. The image below shows the consistency of this moisturiser, it is very light and a little goes a long way.

From Left to Right:

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] / Soap & Glory The Fab Pore / Garnier Pure Active Gel Scrub

Scrubs/Masks:

These two products are ones that I use when I feel I am 

having a bad skin day or my skin needs a deep clean

Garnier Pure Active Gel Scrub For Oily Skin Prone To Imperfections:

As stated on the tube, this scrub is specifically for oily skin and as it includes extracts of grapefruit, pomegranate and vitamin C it not only does your skin good but it also smells divine! I use this in the shower around 2 times a week as sometimes I feel my skin can start to look a little bit dull. This is described as an 'Energising Gel Scrub' and certainly makes my skin look fresh and 'awake'. As you can see on the image of the swatches above, the consistency is just as described, like a gel, which has really small little beads in it to help gently scrub the skin. This would be gentle enough to be used daily.

Soap & Glory The Fab Pore:

This is literally the best face mask I have ever used. Whenever I get a break out, I pop this on for 10-15 minutes and the next day my blemishes have started to dry up, it's a miracle mask in my eyes. This can also be used just as a face scrub but I prefer it as a mask as I feel it works best this way. It is suggested to use this no more than twice a week as it may dry the skin out too much. The image of the swatches above shows the consistency and colour of the mask. It is mint green in colour and has medium sizes beads in there to help really clean the skin and minimise pores. After washing this off, my skin feels extremely clean and very fresh, it's a strange feeling as it's like you can feel all the air on your skin. I know that sounds really odd but you'll just have to try it to see what I mean!

So they are all my basic skin care favourites for Oily/Blemish Prone skin, what are your favourites? If you have any recommendations for me please leave them in the comments below, I love trying out new products :)

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Becky
XO