Micellar waters.

Every beauty blogger will have heard of Bioderma, at some point, but since it's not available to buy so easily in the UK many drugstore brands are creating their own versions. I've picked up two versions, one from Garnier and one from L'Oreal.

 Both of these micellar waters claim to cleanse, smooth and be suitable for sensitive skin. They're both suitable to use on your eyes, lips and face and are described in pretty much the same way, on the back of the packaging. I like to use one of these in the evening to remove my makeup with a large cotton pad and my face always feels cleansed and fresh. At first I thought I would have to wash my face after using it but they both do a great job of removing my makeup, even mascara and eyeliner. I usually use 2-3 large cotton pads just to ensure my face is completely free of makeup, so I'd advise you buy some of the large cotton pads or some facial cloths to avoid having to use an excessive amount of tiny cotton pads.

 So, which one should you buy? Well, strictly speaking, I don't think there is a whole lot of difference between the two, which isn't surprising as L'Oreal and Garnier are actually owned by the same company. If someone handed me two cotton pads with them on I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference. However, if you're wanting the one that's best value for money then go for Garnier's offering, as you get 400ml for £4.99 whereas with L'Oreal you only get 200ml for the same price. Overall, I think these are both worth the money as they both do a satisfying job.

What do you think of micellar waters? 

5 things.

After reading Laura's post about five things she had been loving/doing recently, I thought it was such a good idea so, I thought I'd start writing these type of posts myself. I always feel like my blog could do with some more personal things on it, so it isn't all beauty. I'm going to try and do this post weekly, although with exams and school work I might not always have time but I thought I'd give it a go.

1- First of all, I've been in love with Lush's new Easter products but basically just Lush in general. If you haven't already made your way to a Lush store and had a whiff of their new products then you're missing out. So far I've tried the golden egg bath bomb and I bought the rose bubble bar yesterday which I'm so excited to try as it smells delicious!

2- Secondly, I'm looking forward to mother's day next Sunday because I love spoiling my mum and I seriously don't know what I'd do without her. I'm heading out today to look for a few last bits and bobs and then I'll get started with the wrapping.

3- Revision. Need I say more? Yes, my blog has been a little neglected recently (thank god for writing posts in advance) but I feel like all my school work is just piling and piling up and don't know when it's going to stop. I think school in general is very stressful and I really think we should be given more time to revise for exams.

4- Treats! I don't think I treat myself enough and I think everyone should treat themselves a little more often. Whether it's something big or small, it doesn't matter as long as you're happy. I've been treating myself to a few sweet things recently and some new makeup.

5- Lastly I'm really looking forward to the warmer weather. The sun is shining as I write this post and it just gets me in such a good mood. It actually rained pretty bad during parts of the day yesterday but I didn't let it spoil me going shopping. I just want summer right now, the long evenings spent relaxing, the walks and ice creams and, of course, exploring new places, I can't wait.

Benefit gimme brow.

Whilst on a shopping trip in my local town centre I headed into Boots - surprise, surprise - and stumbled upon the Benefit counter. Of course, whilst I was there, I noticed their new product: gimme brow. After umm-ing and ahh-ing over it for a bit, I took the plunge and purchased it.

 It's described as a brush-on fibre gel that adheres to skin and hairs for fuller-looking brows. Simply, comb the brush through your brows to build up colour and shape them however desired. My eyebrows are quite fair and recently I've been leaving them natural but sometimes I've caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, whilst out and about, and noticed they could benefit from a bit of filling in. I went for the light/medium shade which is perfect for me and I have medium blonde hair. It retails for £17.50 which is a little pricey for what it is but compared to other benefit products it's quite reasonable and I can see this lasting me quite a long time, too.

 Well, I've used this a few times now and, it's fair to say, I absolutely love it. This type of product is so much easier than using a powder to fill in your brows because you simply just comb it through and you're done. So, if you struggle with other brow products or you simply don't have much time in the mornings, then give this a go.

March wishlist.

Polka dot shorts - forever 21

Black dasiy flatforms - new look

Grey lace hem skater skirt - topshop
Lilac bag - accessorize
Finger top ring - river island
Stay rosy printed t-shirt - asos
Marc jacobs daisy limited edition - boots
Clarins radiance-plus golden glow booster - clarins
charles worthington texturising spray - boots

Hello everyone! Today I thought I'd share my March wishlist with you as there's so many things out there that I'm loving right now. First of all, I've had my eye on tons of t-shirts recently, particularly floral ones so this one from asos is right up my street. I've also fallen in love with some daisy print flatforms from new look and I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy them next weekend because I can see them going with all of my outfits. Something else I've decided I want need is a pastel handbag and this lilac one from accessorize ticks all the right boxes for me, it's just stunning! I've also got my eye on a few bits from boots at the moment and their 3 for 2 offer isn't exactly helping, either. The Charles Worthington texturizing spray is supposed to be a great dupe for the Oribe texturizing spray and a lot cheaper too so I really want to give this a go and see what all the fuss is about. And, finally I could not leave out those black and white polka dot shorts from forever 21 as they're so cute. I could image wearing them with a plain blouse and those flatforms from new look in the summer. So there's my March wishlist, what's on yours?

L'Oreal colour riche extraodinaire liquid lipsticks | New in

L'Oreal is probably one of the last drugstore brands I'd expect to buy a lipstick from but after seeing these new liquid lipsticks, I just couldn't resist. They're very similar to the glam shine stain splashes which came out at about the same time last year but I think they're slightly more pigmented.

 The name liquid lipsticks could confuse you as they're not really anything like lipsticks. L'Oreal describe them as having the 1) colour intensity of a lipstick, 2) magnifying shine of a gloss and 3) softness of a balm. They're formulated with oils, designed to catch the light. They're enriched with lotus flower, argan, camelia seed and rose canina fruit oils which help to give the formula a nourishing feeling and silky soft finish.

 I picked one up in the shade 'Rose Melody' which is just my kind of colour. A rosy pink that's natural enough for everyday wear. Although I think the formula is quite gloopy, it applies easily and really does last a long time before I need to re-apply. It isn't too sticky and has a creamy texture that, once applied, makes your lips feel lovely and smooth. If you find lipsticks too high maintenance but don't get on with glosses then try these, as I think they sit perfectly between the two.Another thing I love about these is their smell, I don't quite know how to explain it but it's quite sweet and a bit fruity. These retail for £8.99 in Boots and come in an assortment of shades. I've noticed some brighter shades too, which I might have to pick up for Spring and Summer.

What do you think of these new liquid lipsticks?

Brighten up your makeup look.

There are so many products out there that claim to brighten, enhance and illuminate your skin, so it can be tricky finding the products that work best for you. As Spring is on it's way (it's currently raining as I write this, so don't get your hopes up) I thought I'd share some of my favourite skin brightening products that never fail to make my skin look glowy.

Base:
The Benefit "That Gal" brightening face primer has been a favourite of mine for a long time. I really need to purchase the full size, though, because this dinky miniature isn't going to last me much longer. This primer is great for those mornings when your skin is looking pretty dull and you want to make it look like you did get a full 7 hours sleep the night before.

Cheeks:
I don't even need to think about this one. The MAC mineralize skinfinish in "Soft & Gentle" is, in my opinion, all you'll need. Some highlighters can make you look like a disco ball gone wrong and some can just make your skin look radiant and lustrous and this is most definitely the latter. Sweep this along the tops of your cheekbones and you're good to go.

Eyes:
I have a couple of picks for this category, one of them being Urban Decay's eyeshadow in "Venus". I use this eyeshadow on a regular basis in the corners of my eyes and also it on my brow bone. It' a kind of off-white semi matte shade, which makes it the ideal shade to use as a highlight. The next product I love for brightening up my eye area is the rimmel scandaleyes waterproof kohl in "nude". Applying this on the inner corner of your eyes and along your waterline can really help to give your eyes a brighter appearance and this shade is much less harsh than white. It also helps to counteract any redness around you eye area and prevent them from looking dull. In my opinion, if you're aiming to cheat that wide awake look then the eyes are the areas to concentrate on.

What are your go to products that help you fake brighter skin?

Style edit | tartan & checks

Spring knitted check treggings - topshop

Red long tartan scarf - river island

Tartan print smock dress with collar - boohoo

Tartan oversized smock dress - boohoo

Tartan boxy sleeve shirt - asos

Velvet tartan skater dress - asos

Tartan and checks are becoming more and more popular, it's basically in every clothing store, from Primark to Topshop. My favourite pick out of these has got to be the smock dress with collar, I could imagine wearing it with tights and black creepers now. The tartan print scarf from river island would be great if you don't want to go full out but still want to join in with the tartan trend. I do already own a couple of tartan things but I'm still building up my collection, what tartan/check items do you own?