July Beauty Favourites!

Hey beaut's!

Hmmm how can I sum up July....Oh I know, hot, sticky, sweaty oh and did I mention HOT!!!! Wow this never ending heatwave is actually insane, we did finally get a storm and a little bit of rain in Norfolk over the weekend but literally it's been steaming hot! 

Firstly this month I've been using my Barry M Mist & Fix Makeup Setting Spray like it's going out of fashion, as I said the heat has been crazy and this little beauty has kept my makeup in place and looking fresh for a lot longer in the heat! Honestly beaut's if you haven't tried this setting spray then I urge you to treat yourself to one, it's my all time favourite setting spray and I even prefer it to the expensive ones I've tried!

The Too Faced Sweet Peach Eyeshadow Palette has made it's way into my monthly favourites AGAIN!! I just cant help but be obsessed with this palette, the quality is phenomenal and those peachy vibes are so pretty! I've been using the shades Just Peachy, Candied Peach and Nectar all together to create such a summery peachy look and teamed with winged liner...oh my I just cant cope! 

Keeping with the heatwave theme is my sun protection of choice, I've been using the Hawaiian Tropic Ultra Radiance sun cream in SPF 30 everyday when I've been out and about because I cant stress enough how important it is to use sun SPF! I particularly like this one because it contains shimmer particles within the cream so it leaves my skin so glowy and radiant and a major plus is that it doesn't feel sticky or greasy, woohoo!

Next up is the Revolution Soph Lipstick in the shade Cake! I have a full review on this HERE if you fancy it but I've basically been using this lippie so much since I bought it, it's the perfect pink toned nude which works with any outfit, makeup look or occasion and it has a super creamy satin finish which is so comfortable to wear, I love it!

My final favourites this month is this little nail polish duo by Barry M! The shades In A Heart Beat and Pinktail go hand in hand with each other, In A Heart Beat is a gorgeous pinky-coral perfect for the summer and Pinktail is also a pinky -coral bit it has a stunning gold duo-chrome shift to it. Pinktail takes a lot of building up to get full opacity but popping it over the top of In A Heart Beat makes it look fully opaque after one coat, arhh I love it!

What have you been loving this month beaut's? I'd love to know!

Revolution Soph Nude Lipstick In Cake Reviewed & Swatched!

Hey beaut's!

You might have seen a few weeks ago I did a mini haul and first impressions on a couple of bit's I bought from Revolution (Makeup Revolution or Revolution Beauty, I seriously cant keep up with what their calling their selves these days lol). Within that haul was the Soph Nude Lipstick in the shade Cake and seeing as I've been using it a good month now I thought I'd do a proper review on it! 

The Soph Nude Lipstick in Cake in one of three shades that Soph has launched with Revolution and boy it was hard to track down, I actually went into three Superdrug stores to get mine because it was constantly out of stock so it seems to be the most popular shade out of the three Soph has launched! The lipstick itself is so nice, it has an extremely creamy satin finish which almost melts onto the lips as you apply it and feels very soft and nourishing as you wear it too. The colour is right up my street, it's a pink toned nude and definitely the best shade for me out of the three because I cant do beige or brown toned nudes at all. I get a good 3-4 hours wear time out of this one before I could use a top up which I think is pretty good for such a creamy formulation. The packaging is gorgeous, it's rose gold and cream which works really well and looks so pretty on my dressing table and I love the fact the lipstick bullet has 'Soph' etched into it, I'm all for those little touches! Oh and did I mention the lipstick is only £4.00, I mean what an absolute bargain! 

Overall I'm super impressed with this Revolution-Soph lippie collaboration, the pigment is great and doesn't need building up at all, it wears and lasts well on my lips, the colour go's with pretty much any look and the price is super affordable, if your into your nude lips then this collection will definitely be for you!

You can find the Soph Nude Lipstick in Cake for £4.00 HERE.

Hempz Pomegranate Herbal Body Wash Review!

Hey beaut's!

Has anybody else practically been living in the shower for the past month or so because of this never ending heatwave we seem to be having in the UK at the moment, literally being in the shower or sat by the fan are my favourite places to be right now he he! Anyway with the endless showers I've been having it was the perfect time to put a new shower gel by Hempz to the test! Hempz is such a lovely brand, back in June I tried their haircare range and their shampoo is literally one of the best I've ever tried so I had very high hopes for their body wash! 

The Hempz Pomegranate Body Wash* is Paraben-Free, Gluten-Free, 100% Vegan, THC-free and made using 100% organic natural hemp seed oil. It also contains Vitamins A, C and E which help protect the skin from natural and environmentally triggered oxidants as well as Shea Butter and natural extracts which help calm, soothe and condition the skin, these where all huge tick boxes for me because I have quite sensitive skin and I really have to take that into consideration when it comes to body washes. The body wash also claims to help provide skin with hydration and nourishment, this statement really drew me in because I'm forever using body washes that leave my skin feeling dry and tight, and to my utter delight I can confirm that this little beauty really does leave my skin feeling super duper soft and nourished! The constancy of the body wash is quite thick and very luxurious feeling, it foams up really well when used with a loofah and the scent is heavenly, just like pomegranate with a hint of citrus making it perfect for those morning showers when you need a bit of waking up! As I said before the body wash does leave my skin felling super soft afterwards and the scent lingers on my skin a good while after showering which is always a brucie bonus! 

If your looking for a natural, good quality body wash to add to your shower caddie I really cant recommend Hempz enough, it's so gentle on my sensitive skin, smells incredibly good and my skin always feels nourished afterwards, it's literally never felt dry or tight once since I've been using it which is pretty huge for me!

You can find the  Hempz Pomegranate Herbal Body Wash for £16.99 HERE.

Glowing Skin On A Budget With Essence!

Hey beaut's!

It's Summer, it's super hot and it's time to ready, set glowww! You cant beat glowy makeup during the Summer months can you and Essence have made it very easy for us to glow this season with their super affordable glow-worthy products!

Glow To Go Highlighter Palette* £4.50

If your after a radiant sun-kissed look then look no further because this little palette has two highlighting shades and two bronzer shades that will do just that! All four powders within the palette are metallics, the first two are highlighting shades going from a yellow gold to a classic champagne then theres two bronzer shades the first being a warm toned glowy bronze and then the second is a stunning rose gold which I think works better as an eyeshadow or highlighter personally! The texture of the shades is slightly firmer than I'm used to with a metallic but they all pick up on the brush well and blend with ease revealed a blinding glow, all of the shades do contain some ever so slight shimmers but nothing too OTT! If you want to be a bronzed goddess then this palette will definitely be for you, if I was going on holiday this would be a definite 'must pack' for me because using these shades on freshly tanned skin would look so beaut!

Glow To Go Illuminating Setting Spray* £3.30

Setting spray is pretty much a makeup essential especially during these super hot summer days that we are having in the UK right now, and when I saw that Essence had launched an illuminating setting spray I was chuffed to bits, I just love to glow! The spray itself is really good and does keep my makeup set into place a lot longer than if I didn't use it at all, it leaves a pinky radiant finish to the skin which isn't glittery more holographic which I'm obsessed with! The only thing I will say is you must give the bottle a very good shake before use and hold it at arms length as you spray, if you don't your left with highlighter splats across your face rather than a radiant mist! The spray also smells divine, really fresh and light! 

Holo Wow! Dewy Lip Shine in Scarab Wings* £2.80

The Essence Dewy Lip Shines can literally transform any lip look, they have a glossy 

 light-reflecting, holographic shine which look awesome worn on it's own or over your favourite lippie! The shade I have is Scarab Wings which is a translucent purple with thousands of blue, green and yellow glitters suspended within it, it's so pretty!

Holo Wow! Prisma Jumbo Eye Pencil in My Little Fairy* £2.80

I have so much love for eyeshadow sticks because their so quick and easy to use, you can simply scribble the colour on your eyelids and either use your finger or a brush to blend the colour out and your ready to go! Essence have a new selection of jumbo eyeshadow sticks in their Holo Wow collection, I have the shade My Little Fairy which is a baby blue shade with a holographic pink shift to it, it's so nice! These work well as an eyeshadow base, as eyeliner liner or as I said before you can just wear them alone to as a pop of colour to your lids! One major plus I noticed with this was just how well it lasted, it doesn't claim to be waterproof but it doesn't budge with water or soap and it takes a good makeup remover to get this bad boy off so bare that in mind!

3D Dewy Look Stick £3.50* and Holo Wow Sparkle Stick* £3.50

The 3D Dewy Look Stick is unlike anything I've ever tried before, it's a wet-look balm that emphasis's the cheekbones without any glitter or shimmer particles, instead you just look naturally dewy! The balm itself is enriched shea butter which pampers the skin whilst you wear it and it isn't heavy, thick or sticky in the slightest, I think it looks great on the eyes too if your going for that super trendy wet look to the eye. The Holo Wow Sparkle Stick is literally my new favourite thing to highlight with, it has a cream formulation which blends in beautifully and again isn't sticky at all. What I love the most is how pretty it looks on the skin, it has a glowy pink shift with minute gold sparkles - perfect for jazzing up those cheekbones on the daily or for festivals, my swatch does it no justice at all! 

All Essence products are available from Wilko stores or online HERE.

The Skinny Bakery Review! Tasty Treats That Keep Your Waistline Happy!

Hey beaut's!

If you've read my blog for a while now you will probably know by my endless baking recipes that I have a super sweet tooth, the only problem with having a sweet tooth is that you crave everything naughty and it's never good for the ole waistline! However I was recently introduced to The Skinny Bakery and instantly I feel like all my sweet-toothed prayers have been answered... cakes, biscuits, gingerbread men.... all lower in calories...yup I'll have a lorry load please he he!

The Skinny Bakery was founded in 2013 by passionate home baker Mariella Forte! The Bakery sells guilt free, handmade treats which contain alternative healthier ingredients such as beetroot and sweet potato too quark and tofu making them a 'not so naughty treat' and they typically only contain 30-40 calories per piece! Theres so many yummy treats to choose from too, theres brownies, flapjacks, biscuits, meringue cookies and mini cake bites in so many flavours, they call the mini cake bites 'pearls' which is so cute. All of the baked treats come packaged really well, the biscuits come in little clear bags and the pearls come in grab and go style packs perfect for at home grazing or if you on the go their not too bulky and fit into your picnic basket perfectly!

The treats I received where...
Skinny Mini Gingerbread Men* £2.99 - These are the cutest little gingerbread men, you get three in a packet - each one contains just 36 calories! Their super tasty with a real ginger kick and a nice amount of sweetness, their also a dairy-free!

Skinny Choc Orange Cookies* £2.99 -  These are basically like a Terry's chocolate orange but in biscuit form, you get five little cookies in the bag and again they are a dairy-free recipe!

Skinny Chocolate Pearls* £2.99 - A pack of five little chocolate sponges filled with a tofu-chocolate frosting, these are so moist and tasty in fact I found all of the pearls super moist and are 42 calories each. Don't forget to store these beauties in the fridge though!

Skinny Beetroot Pearls* £2.99 - A pack of beetroot sponges pipped and filled with a quark based low fat cream cheese frosting.

Double Chocolate Meringue Cookies* 2.99 - A pack of six chocolate cookies made with egg whites and dairy-free chocolate. Just like meringue's they are crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, yum yum yum!

Skinny Carrot Cake Pearls* £2.99 - A pack of five carrot cake sponges made with real carrots and piped with a quark based low fat cream cheese frosting and are only 39 calories each, what's not to love.

You can shop the skinny bakery by either buying anything you fancy separately or theres some really good multi-buy deals that are pic'n'mix style and such good value. Theres also vegan and dairy-free options on the website too. If your looking for a sweet treat that isn't too naughty them I cant recommend these enough, they where all tasty, super fresh, not dry or hard and kept perfectly in the fridge for 7 days! I think my favourites would have to be the gingerbread men and the chocolate pearls, I'm a sucker anything chocolate-y and the gingerbread men just make me think of all things Christmas and Autumn he he!

You can shop The Skinny Bakery HERE.

Amazing Eyeliner Alert!! Flawless Eyeliner By Loreta Reviewed!

Hey beaut's!

If you know me then you'll know I don't go anywhere without my trademark winged liner on, I literally don't feel like myself unless I'm sporting a winged liner look so when the Flawless Lashes by Loreta Flawless Eyeliner* recently dropped onto my doorstep I whipped that out of it's packaging to try quicker than you can even say the word liner!! 

Flawless Lashes by Loreta is a brand pretty new to me, after a little investigating it seems that they are best known for their professional lash extension products and have recently launched the Flawless Eyeliner to go hand in hand with their extensions! The liner itself is by far one of the easiest liners I've used to date (and I've tried a lorry load, trust me), the handy felt-tip style fibre tip is perfect at delivering smooth, precise lines whether you want them thick or thin, it isn't too hard or too soft and has the right amount of flexibility to create wings/flicks with absolute ease, I would highly recommend this liner if you do struggle with creating liner flicks as this shape makes it so easy, I certainly wish I had this when I was perfecting the art of liquid liner as it would have been so much easier for me to learn.  The point of the fibre tip is so sharply precise though, I can literally draw the smallest of lines right into my tear duct area which is usually so difficult but not anymore he he!

The formula of the Flawless Eyeliner is fantastic, it claims that it lasts all day with no smudging and has even been tested in extreme conditions such as a humid climate and 30 degree temperatures without budging...This claim had me shook! Lucky for me we have been having a never ending heatwave here in the UK which meant I could really put this baby to the test and I have to say it bloody works a treat! It doesn't smudge, run or flake all day long, it honestly looks the same late at night as when I applied it first thing in the morning. The worry then turned to 'bugger, how will I get this liner off' but fear not it comes off just like any regular liner with a makeup wipe or your normal cleanser, I didn't have to rub my eyes to get it off or anything which was good!

If your looking for a new liquid liner to try I really cant recommend this one enough, it stays put like no other liquid liner I've tried before, it's so easy to use and as you can see in the picture above it's so precise and smooth looking. The only negative I have if I'm being picky is that it is £19.99 however it is on offer at the moment for £14.99, I'd still say that's more on the higher end side of things but when you take into consideration the quality the price is quite justifiable I guess!

You can find the Flawless Eyeliner for £14.99 HERE.

Stronger Nails With Leighton Denny!

Hey beaut's!

I haven't been blessed with the best natural nails in the world, I take after my Dad having funny sausage fingers with super short squared off nails that are quite brittle, thanks for that Dad lol! I'm also quite heavy handed at home and at work and my nails really suffer with breakages and little nicks here and there, their always in need of a helping hand so these Leighton Denny polishes couldn't have arrived at a better time really, especially the strengthening treatment.

Leighton Denny's Rock Solid* (£12.00) is a one coat strengthening treatment for all nail types but especially for fragile, soft, sensitive nails that are prone to damage, just like mine. This lovely stuff can be used as a base coat before your normal polish or you can apply it to bare nails to start getting that growth and strength back. I always use Rock Solid as my base coat and it really does work well, it forms a protective coating that instantly bonds to the nail bed, rebuilding with fibres so that my nails look and feel strong and it creates that perfect smooth base for nail polish to sit over. I've been absolutely loving this stuff since I got it, I've noticed a huge difference in my nails since using it, their definitely not brittle or thin like they was and the ends of my nails used to be quite flimsy and bendy but now their super strong and sturdy and don't break like they used to. If your having trouble with nail breakage, weakness and lack of growth I cant recommend Rock Solid enough!

The Leighton Denny Nail Polish in Just Perfect* (£12.00) is literally the perfect Summer shade, it's a stunning coral-apricot cream which is warm and so easy to wear on fingers and toes. As usual the formula of this shade is lovely, it's opaque after two thin coats, it isn't streaky and doesn't bubble up at all and it's dries pretty quickly too which is always a bonus. Lasting power was really good too, like I said before I'm really heavy handed at work and at home with housework and what not and this shade kept up really well and didn't start chipping away until 3-4 days of wear which is really good for me.

You can find the Leighton Denny Nail Polishes for £12.00 each HERE.

Degustabox Review + £5 off Discount Code!

 
Hey beaut's!

I have a subscription box review for you all today but it's a subscription box with a difference.... it contains yummy food and drink, so say hello to Degustabox*. Degustabox works very much like how beauty subscription boxes work, for £12.99 a month (postage included within the £12.99 price) you will receive 10 to 15 surprise food/drink products, many that are completely new to the market! So if your a bit of a foodie like myself and you love subscription boxes your going to love this beaut's! 

Firstly this month we have a Mighty Fine Salted Caramel Honeycomb Bar (£1.00),  this was soooo yummy and if your a fan of Crunchie bars and salted caramel then you will love this because it tastes quite similar!

I mean who doesn't love a jelly bean or two, I know I bloody love them! I'm a real sweetie lover so when I saw this packet of The Jelly Bean Factory jelly beans (£1.25) inside this months box I was a very happy bunny! 

I love dunking a biscotti or two in a cuppa and these Great British Biscotti's (£1.30) where delish, these ones actually contain white chocolate, cranberries and pistachio's which is such a yummy combination together!

 Theres quite a few drinks in this months box starting with two bottles of Orangina (£1.20 each), I used to love Orangina when I was little, it was always such a treat drinking out of a heavy glass bottle however...Orangina now have plastic bottles which are so much better for those lunch boxes or when your on the go! 

Theres also a bottle of Frylight Cooking Spray with Avocado Oil (£2.99) in the box this month, I often use Frylight when cooking but I don't think I've ever tried the avocado version so I'm keen to give this one a go and see what it's like!

We also have two cans of FYRE Fruit Drinks (2 x £1.29), FYRE is a super sweet sparkling drink which has an added kick of spices, it's quite bizarre really and I've never tasted anything like it but they are really refreshing!

This months products of the month are the Capsicana Cook Sauces (2 x £1.99), these are perfect for mixing with your chicken for fajitas, they are quite spicy though and really do have a kick so just bare that in mind if your a little scared of spice like me he he!

Next up is a bottle of no&more spring water which has been funked up with raspberry and blueberry, I love flavoured water so this didn't last long, it doesn't contain any nasties either like sugar, sweetener or artificial ingredients, it's all round yummy-ness! 

For cider lovers we have a can of Rosie's Pig Raspberry Rolle (£2.00), this is a raspberry and cucumber flavour sparkling cloudy cider, with a refreshing berry flavour with citrus notes! It's perfect for these hot days we've been having in the UK recently!

 These Brioche Pasquier Pains au Lait (£1.79) are a staple for your BBQ, we used ours when we had hot dogs at our BBQ and they went down an absolute treat!

 I think my favourite thing in this months box was these Peckish Rice Crackers (£1.79) in tangy barbecue flavour, you get five snack bags which are perfect to throw in your bag and their so yummy, I'm going to be buying some more of these that's for sure! 

Finally this month we have this Idahoan Gratin Bake (£2.30), all you have to do with this is add milk and butter and voila... you have a yummy cheesy potato oven bake, this was soooo good!

If you like the look and sound of Degustabox you can grab your first box for just £7.99 with the code 039DB HERE.