Thursday 16 January 2014

Batiste dry shampoo | Review

Dry shampoo is one of those products that I just don't know what I'd do without. I always go for Batiste because I find it works best for me (I've tried others and they just aren't for me). One of the things I love about the Batiste dry shampoos is that they come in so many different scents/flavours. I have three different ones at the moment: Blush, Oriental and Cherry but there are so many to choose from and you can buy ones designed for different coloured hair too.

Batiste (from left to right) Oriental, Blush and Cherry

Dry shampoo is great for people who have oily hair and is quick and easy to use in between washes. Batiste is designed to target any oil and grease that's in your hair, making it feel and look fresher. Just spray throughout your hair (mainly at the roots), massage into your hair and then you're done. The only annoying thing is that it can leave a white powder in your hair so if you have very dark coloured hair you'll probably want to go for the ones that have a hint of colour in them. Aside from that, dry shampoo is a staple for me and I think it's worth a try if you hate that dirty hair feel in between washes.

Thanks for reading.
xxx

Friday 10 January 2014

2014 beauty resolutions.

As it's the new year everybody is talking about their resolutions. Let's be honest, we all make them but how often do we really stick to them? I've made some and I feel pretty confident that I won't be breaking them so here's a few of my beauty related resolutions...


1st resolution: save money on as many beauty products as possible. 
This is probably my main beauty resolution this year. What I mean by 'save as much money' is that before buying a product I'm going to check out it's prices in other shops and see which is best value. I'm also going to try and stock up on products when they're on offer and I'm not going to buy products that I simply don't need. Although, I got quite a few body butters, shower gels and body sprays for Christmas so I don't need to worry about buying more any time soon!

2nd resolution: clean my makeup brushes more.
Keeping your makeup brushes clean is very important because, when they're dirty, they can be a breeding ground for bacteria and germs which can then lead to breakouts. Yes, I find it such a chore and usually moan whilst I'm cleaning them but there's nothing better than clean, soft, makeup brushes, the next day. Just washing them with a shampoo/soap weekly will eliminate any dirt on your brushes and help keep your skin clearer.

3rd resolution: take better care of my nails. 
Painting my nails is, basically, one of my hobbies. At the moment I'm really into dark, vampy, shades but I've never been that great at taking care of my nails.  I bite them, when I'm bored, pick at them and just don't look after them very well. However, this year, I want to change that, so I'll be stocking up on nail files, cuticle creams and nail treatments to help keep them in shape.

4th resolution: try out new styles.
I think I can speak for us all when I say this. I find a style and stick to it, everyday I reach for the same old products without even considering using a different eyeshadow or lipstick. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to start sporting a bold green eyeshadow and neon orange lipstick on a daily basis, but I am going to try and step, ever so, slightly out of my comfort zone and opt for a lipstick I would normally avoid.

5th resolution: stick to a skincare routine.
This isn't very high on my list because I've, actually, been quite good at sticking to my skincare routine but it's so easy to slip. Some nights I haven't bothered doing anything (not even moisturiser) and sometimes I half-do my routine but now I'm sticking to it.

6th resolution: blog more.
I wasn't sure whether this really fitted in with my beauty resolutions but my blog is a beauty blog, so I guess it does, right? Anyway, I've decided I want to dedicate more time to my blog (if possible) so that I can post more frequently and I've also started recording when I post (again) so I can keep much more organised.

Thanks for reading! What are your new year's resolutions?
xxx

Saturday 4 January 2014

2013 beauty favourites.

Whenever it comes to monthly favourites and, in this case, 2013 favourites I'm never really sure where to start and, in case you haven't noticed before, they're usually put together a bit last minute. It doesn't feel quite right saying it's 2014 and I'll probably still be writing 2013 as the date for a while but I'm positive 2014 is going to be a good year.




So here's a round-up of my 2013 beauty favourites;

bareMinerals original foundation - Since buying the 'Try, believe, love' kit earlier this year I have been addicted to this stuff. This foundation provides more coverage than any other I've tried before and it's a powder. In fact, the only similar product I've found to this is Benefit's 'Hello flawless' powder but they're both around the £25 mark anyway. Aside from it's amazing coverage it also feels so lightweight on your skin and, in the Summer,  this is all I'd really need.

Batiste dry shampoo - I won't talk much about this product because I have a review of the Batiste dry shampoos coming up soon. However, what I will say is that this product has been a life saver at some points and really has helped my hair, not only, feel but also look fresher.

Bourjois healthy mix foundation - This is the best foundation I've ever found from the drugstore and I'm definitely going to carry on repurchasing it for years to come. This foundation is perfect for me because it provides me with a medium but build-able coverage and it's available in very fair shades.

Benefit porefessional primer - I've been using this as my primer on and off through 2013 but the thing I love the most about it is how lightweight it is. You can't even feel it's on your skin and after applying a thin layer your skin feels so velvety soft. It leaves you with the perfect base for the rest of your makeup.

Benefit 'coralista' blush - Another product I've been using on and off during 2013 but mostly in the Spring/Summer. Coralista will always be a favourite because it's a stunning mix of coral, peach and rose. It also contains some shimmer so, depending on how much you use, it can save the need for highlighter. I'm surprised I haven't hit pan yet, actually, but I can definitely see myself having to buy a new one sometime this year.

Essie 'mint candy apple' nail polish - This has been in quite a few of my blog posts already and, I promise, I'll try not to go on about it too much in the future but it's one of my, all-time, favourite Spring/Summer nail polish picks. It's the perfect mint green shade so, if you've been on the hunt, look no further.


Rimmel stay matte powder - Again, another product that I've mentioned a lot on my blog previously. It isn't often I hit pan and, if I do, you can tell it's a well-loved product. This is my favourite powder to help fight against a shiny/oily face and is super cheap too, what more could you want?


Soap & Glory peaches and clean face cleanser - This is great for removing any last traces of makeup left on your face and smells good too. I apply a couple of pumps onto my face and massage into skin, then rinse and my face is left feeling fresh and makeup free! Soap & Glory is such a brilliant brand with so many beauties to offer.

Dove leave-in conditioning and care spray - I try my best to take as much care of my locks as possible. I apply a heat defence spray before using any heat on my hair but the ends of my hair always end up feeling dry and spraying this on the ends has really helped. My hair is left feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Clarins instant light natural lip perfector - I'm not a huge gloss fan but, unlike other glosses, I find this so easy to wear and find it doesn't wear off too quickly. At first, I felt pretty bad for buying it (since I had a drawer full of lip glosses at home) but I'm glad I did.

Thanks for reading! What's your 2013 beauty favourites?
x