No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blush Stick in Classic Rose | Review

No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blush. £9.95. Boots

Ahhh the good old faithful Boots 3 for 2 got me again and I'm not even sorry. You can see my most recent collective haul here! To be honest, if there's a cream blush being raved about in the blog world, I need to own it ASAP! Cream blushers are my absolute favourite type of blush, mainly because they are so easy to apply and blend and mainly can be done using just your fingers (less brush cleaning = win win!). 

No7 recently released a new range of Pop & Glow Cream Blush Sticks in 3 shades (£9.95), along with an Instant Radiance Highlighter (£9.95) in the same stick form, which looks beautiful, by the way. After swatching all 3 blush shades on the back of my hand and going on to simply stand and stare at them for a good 7 minutes (that's precision right there), I finally settled on the shade 'Classic Rose', a deep pink, which I find is the perfect shade to take you through the Winter/Spring transition. I do feel that this shade in particular will suit most skin tones so I have no doubt in thinking this will go down very well.

True to cream blush form, this twisty-up, chubby-style stick is an absolute dream to apply. The colour payoff is highly impressive (in a non-scary way), so a little goes a long way. One or two swipes onto the apples of my cheeks and a quick blend with my fingertips and I'm good to go! I think this might even be the easiest and creamiest blush I've ever tried. It glides on so smoothly and almost feels like powder to the touch.  The staying power is pretty good considering it's a cream formula, but I would suggest taking it out with you for touch-ups as it doesn't stick around all day - but show me a blush that does!?

All in all, I can see me owning the other 2 shades plus the highlighter very soon as I've been really impressed.  Plus, No7 are always giving out vouchers for £3 off makeup so it's practically a no brainer!

Have you tried any of No7's recent beauties?

L'Oreal Paris Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray

L'Oreal Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray. £3.79

I've never been a huge fan of using too many products such as hairspray & mousse as they really don't tend to agree with my fine hair. I usually just stick to a light oil, a heat protection spray and a little bit of dry shampoo. However, texturising sprays (the newest kids on the block) really caught my eye as my hair always falls quite flat and too much backcombing just isn't that good for the hair. I had read rave reviews on the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray and the Bumble&Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish, but there was just no way in the world I was prepared to pay those prices just for a bit of texture and volume! £38 Oribe? REALLY? So you can imagine my face when I spotted the advert for this spray. I was aaaaaallll over it!

"Textured hair. Effortless style. No stiffness"  ...... SOLD

How can I describe this spray? You know when you've just washed your hair and it just won't go how you want it to as it's just too soft and smooth? This spray just gives it that grit it needs to behave and go the way you want it to. It's applies like a dry shampoo - without the horrible white cast you get from most of them. L'Oreal advise to style in the following ways:

1. Divide dry hair into upper and lower section.
2. Spray each section generously and scrunch hair.
3.Continue to spray until you reach your desired volume.

I have found it works well that way, but also just spraying a bit in the roots for a little extra boost works well too. I honestly really like this spray, as it gives a gritty feel to the hair without weighing it down and making it look dirty. It's an absolute godsend when I'm wearing my hair in a messy bun as it just goes exactly the way I want it to. The smell is an absolute brucey bonus aswell - diviiine! The one thing I will say is that it have the best staying power when I'm wearing my hair down. I do find I have to apply a little bit more after a few hours but that's not a dealbreaker for me!

All in all - I will definitely be repurchasing this spray again and again. However, a few other highstreet brands have jumped on the bandwagon and I don't think my self control stretches as far as not trying them out!

Have you tried any of the latest texturising sprays? I'd love to read your reviews!

Non-Beauty Favourites #1

Sooo I sometimes forget that I'm actually allowed to write about non-beauty/fashion related things on my own blog! Lol. After all, this is a lifestyle blog aswell, and I absolutely love reading other peoples posts about their favourite TV programmes etc. So here are my current non-beauty faves...

TV Programme(s)

Game of Thrones - The Hubby and I always like to have a series or 2 on the go and we have just finished watching Season 3 of Game of Thrones and I think it might actually be my favourite TV show EVER! I know, bold words! If you like fantasy mixed with a bit of blood, guts, backstabbing & tyranny then this will be right up your street. It's quite complex and requires FULL attention (no phones/laptops) as there are so many different characters and parts of the story to keep up with. It's just the most gripping TV show I've ever watched and I can't wait for Season 4 next month. Although we don't have Sky Atlantic at home so who knows what we're gonna do!

"Drinking and lust , no man can match me in these things. I am the god of tits and wine"
- Tyrion Lannister

Gossip Girl - I was browsing through Netflix one afternoon while George was having his nap, and I noticed that they had the complete box set of Gossip Girl on there - something I'd never watched even though I always wanted to. I put it on and I've been hooked ever since. Obviously I'm still only on Season 1 so please please don't tell me anything!

"XOXO"
- Gossip Girl

Music

Birdy (both albums) - I love this girl's voice! She's only 17 and is such an amazingly talented singer/songwriter. Both albums are beautifully written and I can't get enough at the moment. I urge you to check her out!

Food

Cadbury's Mini Eggs - Need I say more? I think I have some sort of serious addiction!! In my defence, they're only available around spring/easter so I need to make the most!

Blog

Autumn Leaves

Obviously there are a lot of blogs I follow on bloglovin, but there are some that really stand out and that I find myself getting lost in. Rebecca's blog, Autumn Leaves is one of them. I just love how well written her posts are and the attention to detail is wonderful. Her blog has really took off and is constantly growing and gaining followers and it's because of the huge amount of effort she puts in to every single one of her posts. Keep it up Rebecca, your blog is fab!! x

YouTube

VelvetGh0st

Again, I am subscribed to quite a few YouTube channels and I watch their videos religiously. I recently discoverd Gabriella from VelvetGh0st and I've been absolutely loving her videos - especially her makeup tutorials. (I'm a sucker for a good makeup tutorial vid!). Gabriella is so down to earth and not to mention stunningly gorgeous with possibly the whitest smile I've ever seen! Her videos are so funny and she does her makeup beautifully! I just wish I had the guts (& equipment) to do the same!! Check out her channel here and show her some support! x

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So there's my current non-beauty related favourites. Hope you liked them and I hope I managed to introduce you to some new faves!

What have you been loving recently?

ebay Wishlist #1

I needed to get involved in the whole ebay wishlist malarky! I always think of ebay as a place for people to sell their second hand gear! Where have I been? I had the most fun browsing for allsorts. Can't believe how cheap some of the stuff is! Turning this into a regular thing me thinks! Here are my picks for ebay wishlist #1!

Coffee/Taupe MK Style Handbag 

Deathly Hallows Bracelet (Any Harry Potter Fans will understand) 

Skater Tea Dress 

Globe Watch 

Vintage Floral Samsung Galaxy S4 Case

Floral Keds 

#need

Britney Spears Island Fantasy: The Perfect Summer Scent!

Britney Spears Island Fantasy. £15.45 per 100ml at allbeauty.com

I'm not gonna lie (and why should I?).. I'm a massive fan of Britney Spears' fragrances, with the original Fantasy probably being my 2nd favourite perfume EVER (DKNY Women being my number one). Island Fantasy was released in April 2013 and became the 12th fragrance in the Britney lineup, and the 6th member of the Fantasy family. However, it is the first Eau de Toilette of the lot, with the rest being regular Eau de Parfums, which I was a little disappointed about, as I always find that EDT's don't last as long! The bottle design follows the same path of the previous Fantasy fragrances, which I have to admit I quite like, even if they are a little bit tacky. ha!

"The scent is announced as a tropical island getaway, made of floral and fruity aromas. It opens with a cocktail of citruses, mandarin, clementine, red berries and watermelon. Flowers of jasmine, violet and freesia exceed the lower notes of musk and sugar cane".

The description above just says it all really. This scent just screams summer holidays and, whether you're going on holiday or not - it's perfect for the season! If you like fresh, fruity scents then this is for you! I have found that it doesn't last as long as the other scents in the Fantasy range due to it being an EDT, but that's not a deal breaker when it smells so nice, plus it's cheap enough to be one of those 'handbag fragrances'! 

Island Fantasy is currently on allbeauty.com at a fabulous price of £15.45 for 100ml (RRP £33)

Have you tried any of Britney's fragrances?

What's your favourite?

Collective Highstreet Haul

So.. I went shopping! But as the title gives away, I didn't buy this all at once. I picked these up over the past couple of weeks! Couldn't resist Boots' amazing 3 for 2 offer could I? I did get another item from Boots if you're wondering about the odd number - I picked up a Rimmel Apocalips in the shade 'luna' but it just didn't suit me at all, so I gave it to my Mam (she forced the money upon me, though)! So here's what I got...

L'OREAL HAIR EXPERTISE EVER RICHE MASK POT
I recently went back to blonde with a full head of highlights, and my hair feels slightly drier than it did before, so I thought I'd give this mask a go (maybe once a week) to put a bit of moisture back into the ends.

SUPER FACIALIST BY UNA BRENNAN TEA FLOWER PORE PURIFYING CLAY MASK
Well I've heard extra special things about this so I have been wanting to try it for a while. Apparently it is very similar to the Origins Clear Improvement Mask, only cheaper! Can't wait to give this a go!

RIMMEL MATCH PERFECTION FOUNDATION in SOFT BEIGE
Another product I have had to buy thanks to all of the rave reviews I've read. I have been using this ever since I bought it (about 2 weeks ago) and I am honestly blown away by how good it is. I think I can easily say it has become my new favourite foundation! Full review coming soon!

REVLON COLORBURST MATTE BALM in ELUSIVE
I do love a lip crayon!! The new matte balm collection from Revlon is everywhere at the moment so I knew one of them had to be mine! I chose Elusive, which is a lovely cool-toned pink! They also smell minty - which feels really fresh on the lips!

No7 POP AND GLOW CREAM BLUSH STICK in CLASSIC ROSE
I first noticed Kate from Gh0stparties talking about her love for this product and thought it looked right up my street! My favourite type of blushers are of the cream variety, so pair that with a twisty-up stick and you have an absolute winner! This is definitely going on tomorrow's FOTD!

MUA MATTE LIPSTICK in PEACHY KEEN
A £1 lippie? GIMME! I'm not expecting this to be awesome, but for £1 it's worth a try! I chose the matte formula in peachy keen as it looks like a perfect spring shade.

MUA BRONZED PERFECTION BRONZER
I asked on twitter for a cheap highstreet (matte) bronzer that's good for contouring and I got quite a few responses saying that the MUA bronzer was good, so for £3 I thought I'd give it a go!

Aaaaaand thats yer lot!
What have you picked up recently?

Beauty Scrapbook: Turning Magazines into the Ultimate Beauty Bible

Being a magazine lover, I always seem to have a stash of old magazines that just accumulate into a ridiculously huge pile, until one day I decide to just get shot of the lot.  The last time my magazines got to this sort of level, I decided I didn't want to just throw away all those wonderful pages of tips & tricks - that I wanted to tear out the pages I wanted to keep.  "But what can I do with them?", I thought.  I decided to make a beauty scrapbook, containing all of the best bits of the beauty mags - creating one massive 'Beauty Bible'.  I know it's the digital age, and people just use Google and Pinterest for things like this these days, but there's nothing more satisfying to me than an actual magazine to hold in my hands.  Even if I rarely refer back to it,  it will be lovely to look back on in years to come, and if nothing else, I've really been enjoying doing it.  I've never made a scrapbook before and I've really got the bug! I began making my way through pages and pages of my old magazines, tearing out anything that caught my eye. I wanted to separate my scrapbook into categories; Hair, Nails, Lips, Eyes etc. So I also tore out any pages with large lettering, so I could get a bit crafty (geeky) with organising and labelling my pages.

A snippet of some of my favourite magazines!

I wanted my scrapbook to contain helpful hints like this one!

I then needed somewhere to house these beautiful clippings (lol).  So off to WHSmith's I went, to pick up a pretty looking notebook/scrapbook.  I settled on this one...



I then separated the scrapbook into 7 sections: Skin, Face, Eyes, Lips, Hair, Nails & Other (such as health/exercise tips).







VOILA! My very own custom-built beauty book! I have really enjoyed this little project and I'll hopefully keep adding to it each time I get a new magazine!

What do you do with your old magazines? Would you fancy making your own?

February Favourites 2014

HELLO MARCH! I've got a lot of love for March, I know it can still be really cold in England, but the appearance of daffodils signals the beginning of Spring & I always get really excited. Goodbye winter, you nasty thing! Here's what I've been reaching for the most this month...



L'OREAL PARIS STUDIOLINE #TXT VOLUME SUPERSIZING SPRAY
My limp, flat hair is always gagging for a bit of volume, so when I found this I formed an instant bond with it! I've been using it pretty much every day since I bought it. It gives that messy, volumised look that I know a lot of people go for. I don't want to say too much as I've got a review coming up very soon, but I will say that I've heard it's similar to the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray - but for a fraction of the price.
MAYBELLINE COLOUR TATTOO 24hr EYESHADOW in ON AND ON BRONZE
I was really late jumping on this bandwagon, but I think I'm gonna need a few more of these beauties. I know a few of the other high street brands do some similar. I love how easy they are, which is why I've been reaching for it on a daily basis. I just sweep it on and blend it in using my finger and I'm good to go! Great for when I'm in a rush and I've got a pesky toddler trying to eat my makeup brushes or pushing me out of the way to kiss himself in the mirror! lol
HD BROWS EYEBROW PALETTE in FOXY
I got this palette way back in November in the Glamour Beauty Edit Box.  I didn't open it until early January and I've recently I've been reaching for this a lot more than my Gosh Eyebrow Kit, mainly because the colours suit me better.  The shades are so pigmented and I just love how it transforms my eyebrows. I don't think I'll ever go back to using an eyebrow pencil now.
BOURJOIS HAPPY LIGHT FOUNDATION in 51 ROSE VANILLA
I am constantly switching and changing my foundations so I don't get bored and depending on how my skin is behaving at the time. I liked this foundation when I first tried it, but this month I've been really loving it. I think it works a lot better when my skin is blemish free and well hydrated. It's sheer coverage and really lightweight, so perfect for everyday when I just want to make myself look a bit more alive.
THE BODY SHOP VITAMIN E FACIAL OIL
I know I'm probably boring you all about this as I'm sure it's the 275th time I've mentioned it (see my review here). But my skin adores this, which equals a very happy Kate! I've almost finished this one so I think a trip to The Body Shop is in order ASAP!
BOURJOIS COLOUR BOOST LIP CRAYON in PEACH ON THE BEACH
I am absolutely all over lip crayons at the moment! There's something so fun about a crayon as opposed to a lipstick! Just me? Anyway, this shade is the perfect handbag shade and it's been living in mine all month! It's so versatile and can look beautiful both day and night. Can't wait to get a little bit of colour in the summer as think this will look even better with a tan!

What have you been loving this month?

Wishlist | March 2014

Doesn't hurt to wish does it...



Topshop Joni Jeans. £36 - I've had my eye on the Joni's for a while and think they would be perfect for me. I live in Leigh's at the moment but these are super high waisted so can be dressed up or down and hide a multitude of sins! Yes please!
ASOS Cropped Cami Top. £8 - I know it will be a while until we can leave the house in summery tops, but it's nice to wish. I've been steering clear of tops like this since having my baby, but I think with a pair of high waisted numbers this will look lovely.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil. £12 - After using the much adored Vitamin E Facial Oil and LOVING it (review here), this cheeky monkey was released & I'm desperate to try it!
Escentric Molecules: Molecule 01. £65.50 per 100ml (Unisex) - I know this is something that I would never just randomly get for myself as it's not the cheapest of perfumes, but I just had to include it as I've heard so much about it! Apparently it works with your own body and smells different on everyone! The reviews of this perfume make it sound too good to be true so I'm dying to give it a try! I know a lot of bloggers/youtubers are loving this at the moment. See what Ruth Crilly has to say here.
LUSH Creamy Candy Bubble Bar. £2.50 - I love LUSH but I'm yet to try their bubble bars. I don't know why, as I love baths, and adore loads of bubbles. The Creamy Candy is supposed to smell the same as the Rock Star Soap (which I ADORE), and gives added moisturisation. It sounds lovely and looks really cute so think I'll be picking one up next time I'm in town.
Topshop GLOW Highlighter in Polish. £9 - I'm a sucker for a good highlighter, especially a cream one. I've swatched this a few times in Topshop but ended up putting it down and telling myself I don't really need it. How disciplined? Or depressing as I can't afford to just keep buying things for the sake of it? Hmmm. I have read lots of good reviews on this and it looks so pretty which is why it has made the cut this month!

What will you be wishing for this month?