March Avon Haul.
One of my colleagues at work drops an Avon catalogue on my desk every month and I am always tempted by it. Sometimes I indulge in a little treat and other times I try and stay as far away from the catalogue as possible for fear that I may blow loads of my money on make up products I probably don't need. The former applied to this month however as there were a few things that caught my eye and I really couldn't resist! A couple of items I had been looking for and the others just sort of jumped at me as I flicked through the pages. I like Avon, I really do. They are easy to buy from, their products are a pretty good quality and usually prices are purse friendly, with the odd exception. I do often find however that people assume Avon is a bit of an older woman's brand and so tend to write it off, but this really isn't the case! I've been receiving their products since I was a teenager as they make great christmas presents and stocking fillers and a lot of their products come in a wide range of colours so there will always be something you or someone else will like. Not to mention, the person who sells the product to you gets commision for doing so and so you can help a friend or colleague get a little extra cash each month! I think it's worth investing a little money in the company's products before coming to opinions about them and I would urge everybody to try them out!
Anyway, on to the haul! It's not a large one, just five products but I HAD to show them off to you all! We will start with the lip crayons. As you all know (especially if you follow me on instagram! - @lulabellelove) that I love my lipsticks! I was a bit of a red lipstick hoarder for awhile but recently I've moved on to pinks and I'm building up quite the collection, I even bought a glass sugar pot to put them in which you can see in the photos. I have one lip crayon from No.7 which is a really pretty pink and applies lightly to the lips, you have to build it up if you want really eye-popping colour or you can apply one coat for minimal effect. I really like that crayon as it's handbag friendly and super easy to apply due to the shape of it, you literally colour in your lips! So when I saw that Avon had bought out some lip crayons, I thought it was about high time I purchased some new ones. The big difference with these ones in comparison to my No 7 crayon is the depth of colour and consistency of the formula - The Avon crayons are creamy and come out extremely bright! They also contain little flecks of glitter to give them a shimmery finish and at first I was a little skeptical of this, but I've really started to love it. I thought it would be a bit much for daywear, however I have had the fuchsia crayon on today and it looks lovely. The wear of the crayon is really good as well, it takes a lot for the stuff to rub off once it's set in. I probably reapplied about 3 times today due to lunch and a couple of cups of tea and coffee, not bad at all if you ask me.
Next we have my Avon's version of a Beauty Blender - I GOT ONE!!!! I talked in my video about how I wanted to try out a beauty blender and now I can so I am super happy! In fact I used it today and I was really impressed with it! It certainly helps to blend your foundation and concealer in together. I used it to blend my highlighter in and you it had a beautiful airbrushed finish rather than the stroke lines that you often see when using a foundation brush. I want to try contouring with a cream palette and I feel that this tool will be an absolute godsend when I finally get round to it. I also purchased the highlighter pen that I just mentioned as I often use a pale eyeshadow instead or my Garnier eye roll on to cover bags and circles. I wanted to try an actual highlighter and this one works a treat! It has a slightly shimmery finish to it and covers up dark circles really nicely. The consistency is pretty light and whilst this does mean that it blends well, it also has a tendency to dry a bit fast which can be a bit of a pain. Once you get past racing the product against time to blend it in you can see that it works and is a pretty neat little bargain.
My final product to show you is this double ended eyeshadow and smudger brush and I'm currently undecided on my verdict for this one. I attempted to use it this morning to apply my eyeshadow, however the bristles don't seem to hold it very well and I ended up with a faint smudge of colour. I don't know if I need to build it up a bit more but it's not really working for me and I have other brushes that apply my eyeshadow perfectly. It may just be a case of getting used to it, so I will try it out a few more times and update you on my progress. I mostly wanted it for filling in the crease of my lid and I thought the smudger looked like a pretty useful tool (I've yet to try that!). Overall, I'm impressed with my recent haul from Avon and the products that I decided to purchase this month, especially my new crayons!
What do you think of Avon's products? Why not comment below!
Valentines outfit.
Hello everyone, I thought I wasn't going to be able to post for quite awhile as I accidentally spilt some hot chocolate on my laptop. The screen went white, I started bawling my eyes out and a long phone call was made to my dad (who works in IT) that mainly consisted of him trying to calm me down. A few days later and she is working like always, I just had to let it dry for a few days with the battery out and now it's like nothing ever happened (although there are sticky keys...). Anyway, I have another outfit post for you today in the form of my outfit for a lovely Valentine's evening spent with my boyfriend. All items are a few months old unfortunately but they are so basic that you will most likely be able to pick up similar elsewhere. The playsuit is Topshop and the shoes are Primark.
My makeup look for the evening consisted of Rimmel Foundation, The colour Experts Naked palette eyeshadow and lipstick by MUA in shade 3. I would write a lengthy paragraph about it here, but I'll put up a haul post in the coming days for you as I've gone a little beauty made recently. If you are wondering how I spent my evening, my boyfriend cooked me dinner and we went out for cocktails. It was actually really lovely to spend the evening with just him and we didn't get wasted or anything we just enjoyed each other's company and had a laugh.
I hope you all had a lovely day taken or single. Why not comment below and let me know what you got up to?
Roller Lash Mascara by Benefit.
Hello lovlies! I am doing another beauty review! I had to. I love Benefit and I was so excited when I went to the shop yesterday morning and saw that Elle magazine had a sample size of the new Roller Lash Mascara free with their March issue! Honestly, every girl loves a free beauty sample and when it is a Benefit beauty sample then even better!
So a little background is in order before I continue with the review - the product is Benefit's latest mascara offering and much like 'They're Real!' offers super lengthening quality but this one also promises to curl your lashes at the same time. So put down that eyelash curler ladies, because Benefit thinks they've solved the issue of those medieval looking torture tools! It's not available in stores just yet, so if you want to get your hands on it weeks before it's official release then pick up a copy of Elle UK in your local store for just a cool £4. A huge saving on the retail price of £16.50 (pricing from QVC) for the full size thing!
Anyway, on to the review. First off, I have to say that I love it! Much like the previous offering of 'They're Real!' once again Benefit gives their beauty fans some dramatic lengthening mascara, perfect if you have shorter eyelashes! Mine aren't too short but from a number of years of wearing makeup they are looking a little sparse and I find that this mascara helps them look fuller, longer and definitely has a romantic curl factor to it. The brush has a slight curve in it, which helps to separate lashes and curl the lashes upwards. I did find some clumping but it is only a sample size brush and I feel that the full size product will be much easier to apply.
The formula dries fairly quickly, which is perfect, however it does apply a little wetter than your average mascara so try not to get it on your upper lid (though I've not had that issue yet) or you'll be re-applying your eyeshadow. If you have longer eyelashes it may be a bit trickier to work with just because it does add some serious length and so I would wait a bit longer before applying a second coat or applying to lower lashes. The formula comes out very black which is fantastic for me as I love having dark dramatic eyelashes to compliment my eyeliner and give me more of a doe-eyed look. I wouldn't suggest it for those who are looking for a lengthening mascara, but want their lashes to still look natural, as this resembles false eyelashes more than anything else.
As for wearing it during in the day I found that it lasts pretty long, your eyelashes do begin to droop a bit more by the end of the day but this is only expected of a mascara. Think about how often you blink and close your eyes and the moisture in your eyes, it is bound to lose a little of it's effect by the end of a long day! It still looks great though despite this and it's very light on your lids, no heaviness that you find in some mascaras. It is a little harder to get off than other mascaras, but those that are used to Benefit are probably used to this. For those on a budget I find that these eye makeup remover pads from Asda work well and gently take it off without irritating your eyes.
The packaging of the sample size is cute and retro, a mixture of black and dusty pink (perfect for Valentines day), but the full size product looks even better and I am extremely tempted to purchase it when it finally arrives in store. I think I have some Debenhams points to spend on a card somewhere...So overall I am totally in love with Roller Lash and I think a lot of people will be too! The price is a little eye-watering and a bit more expensive than some good quality drugstore brands, but I think that it is worth it. I previously had 'They're Real!' and it lasted me a long time so I know what sort of quality to expect from Benefit and I would urge anyone to give them a try.
As you can see from the pictures it also came with frame to take selfies with and upload to instagram, a cool little marketing perk from Elle and Benefit! I couldn't resist taking some photos and my lovely sister helped me out, we had a lot of fun! Have you tried Roller Lash? What did you think?
January beauty favourites & tackling Winter skin.
I've never done a favourites post for you guys, so this is pretty exciting for me. I decided I wanted to post this as I have seen others do the same and what better way to pass on some good skin/beauty advice to people with the same skin type as you then through your blog? If you want to know, my skin falls under dry to combination and seeing as it's Winter and the winds are really harsh and cold it's veering more towards dry than anything else. The winter can be an absolutely awful time for your skin and just because you can't see the sun or maybe you don't venture outside as much does not mean you should stop taking care of it!
So let's talk dryness shall we? If you are just about anybody then you've probably noticed that your skin is drying out and that is a common issue in the Winter time, you aren't safe from the cold and don't naively think that you are safe from the Sun either. You are still very much exposed to UV rays within the wintertime and if you spend a lot of time outside then it is imperative that you treat your skin like you would the rest of the year. You don't necessarily need to slather on sun cream but you should certainly opt for at least an SPF15 BB cream (I have a great Soap & Glory one but I forgot to photograph it!) to protect yourself from sunlight. You also need to keep your skin well moisturised as you may have noticed that your skin has become slightly flaky around your cheeks, chin and nose and whilst moisturiser is a good antidote for this, a good skin regime will certainly tackle it better.
A mistake I used to always make was to use a light face wash or cleansing wipes and then moisturise in the morning and evening - thinking this was enough! Oh, how I was wrong, as I also thought I had oily skin thanks to the blemishes that seemed to be constantly appearing. After a trip to a Spa and a chat with a beautician there I was advised that I actually had very dry skin and where I was building up moisturiser on the surface of my skin, it wasn't able to do it's job as it was sitting on top of dead skin. This was causing my body to send natural oils to the skins surface in an attempt to re-hydrate it and causing blemishes to appear. Thankfully all I needed do to tackle the situation was to start using an exfoliator to remove the dead skin before starting the rest of my beauty regime. I now use this fantastic exfoliator by Neutrogena as it not only hydrates the skin it also stops breakouts and though I do get the odd blemish it is doing a pretty fantastic job! My next step is to use The Softening Cleansing Lotion followed by the Softening Toner by Garnier - both of which provide moisture to the skin and leave it feeling beautifully soft. I tend to only moisturise in the evening as I don't want to over do it on the products. I am in love with these Garnier lotions however as they aren't perfumey, are a light consistency and don't leave residue on the skin that takes an awful long time to dry! My skin feels so much better and refreshed for it and whilst my skin problems were year round, I would certainly recommend a similar routine for Winter skin.
My next three products I only came across over Christmas, we will start with the 'Puffy Eye Attack' by Soap & Glory. I have a pretty bad issue with puffy eyes recently and I am pretty sure it has something to do with lack of daylight hours and illness thanks to the less than preferable temperature outside at the moment. My eyes also seem to be dry and they are really suffering and I'm sure that in turn my sleep is too! So thank god for the Puffy Eye Attack and it's cleansing goodness! I may not have had this product long, but I already love it as it does the exact job that I want it to. Puffiness and dark circles are visibly reduced and my eyes feel more hydrated and awake. I'll have to wait a bit longer to see the longtime effects, but I've a good feeling about this product. Moving on to actual body products and another Soap & Glory contribution to this post, I present you with Orangasm! There isn't much to say apart from that it smells wonderfully citrusy and applies smoothly leaving your skin feeling soft and supple and you smelling good enough to eat! It's true! Plus it comes in a massive bottle that will last a long time. Next is this Argan oil body butter by The Body Shop - another softening and smoothing miracle to keep your skin in good condition throughout Winter. I especially like applying it my legs after a bath or shower as shaving can certainly contribute to irritated skin and this body butter will soothe those symptoms and leave your legs feeling gorgeous.
Finally I bring you onto a couple of beauty products that I am really rating at the moment - starting with this bright red lipstick by Kat Von D in Batchelorette. I just cannot stop wearing it at the moment, I even went out and bought a Barry M lip liner so that I could create one serious pout to show it off! I recieved this for Christmas as well from a friend of mine, I had never really heard of Kat Von D's makeup line until then and the lipstick is brilliant quality. It is super pigmented and creamy and applies like an absolute dream - i'm thinking I need more colours! Next is everyone's current favourite cosmetic brand, Makeup Revolution, I finally got my hands on one of their Iconic palettes! I decided to invest in Iconic 3 as it had pretty romantic shades of pink and gold in it and I thought that would work well with my eye colour. I am just as impressed with everyone else at the quality of MR's products and for just £4 this palette is an absolute steal!
So that is my favourites for the month of January, I hope you liked them all. What are your current favourite beauty products?
Revlon - African Tea Rose.
I must admit I am by no means a beauty fanatic - of course I like to do my make up and my nails, but I don't follow make up trends. I get very excited when new things are released on the cosmetics market however and a few weeks ago my friend and I stumbled across the Revlon scented nail varnishes in Boots. I had no money at the time but she bought a glittery mint infused varnish and once applied it smelt divine and so I knew I would be investing some money in the stuff soon. Flash forward a few weeks and here I am having bought African Tea Rose.
I am infatuated with the colour mainly due to the fact my favourite colour is pink, that being said I don't really own anything pink and so a little indulgence delights me. I started with a No7 base coat and then applied the varnish - you must note that it doesn't smell much until it dries! It dried pretty quickly though and then suddenly my nose was filled with the scent of wild roses, a rather calming flavour for a Wednesday evening. The colour is quite shocking in contrast to the smell, however that is true to the flower which, when it blooms pink, is quite a vivid shade. I imagine some will be hesitant due to the fact that fragranced cosmetics can be fairly overpowering and so you tend to get a headache after awhile. I can assure you however that the geniuses at Revlon have only added enough that you get a short whiff whenever your hand is near your face and even then it is mild. I would however recommend borrowing a friends first to check your tolerance with it though!
I'm not sure if it is the base coat or the varnish but it has quite a glossy finish which I particularly like and I personally think always elongates the nail. We will have to wait a few days to see how it fairs against my constant typing at work and the wear and tear my hands receive through out the day. I am also hoping that it is fairly chip resistant so that I don't use it up too quickly as the price tag does make my eyes water a little at around £6.50 a bottle! Overall with first impressions - I am extremely impressed. I may have to purchase more should my budget allow it and I recommend you all try it at least, it does leave me wondering though what they will think of next...?
Haul.
Obviously a major part of visiting your friends in another city is to go shopping! Especially when you've just been paid.....oh yeah. We were breaking our backs getting final pieces stitched together and after it was all shown to an industry panel we decided to take a little time to ourselves to go out and spend some hard earned money. Pretty sure we spent 6 hours trawling around every store we could find, but it was so worth it!!! Now one store that i need to commend for their current selection is H&M (two posts in a row!) there was sooooo much that i wanted, it was hard to just put it down to a few items otherwise i would have been busting my bank account. Regrettably, not all the money in there is for clothes, sigh. Here's what i bought -
Now you can probably tell i have a large soft spot, or maybe just a complete infatuated love for cats! I used to buy everything i saw that had a cat on it, however i have since trained myself to stand back and mull it over first. That being said i did buy two things that pay homage to our furry friends. The t shirt is far too cute to handle and i felt like i needed something a little more fun in my wardrobe and the bag came in a choice of black or leopard print. I went for the latter due to my collection of black items, i have far too many and i'm pretty sure my mother would disapprove at the thought of another black bag in our house. The blouse you can't see so well but it is sort of a snake print, i just thought it would be something sophisticated for work.
Moving on, we also took some time to look in some beauty stores where i purchased some new nail varnishes and also received a free No.7 gift set, yay! As well as some hair clips and some lipcote, which keeps your lipstick on fantastically. I spent so much money on everything i almost lost count but i'm pretty pleased with my new items, not so much getting them home however. My suitcase was already very heavy, oops.
