What's In My Travel Makeup Bag? - July 2014

This weekend I am heading to Devon with my nan to stay in her caravan for a couple of days, so what better time to show you what is in my travel makeup bag!  I'm not going to go in to too much detail about these products because you have heard me bang on about them countless times before and this post would be ridiculously long if I did!

Palettes - Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette // Benefit World Famous Neutrals - Easiest Nudes Ever // Barry M Natural Glow Eye Shadow and Blusher Palette

Primers - Benefit the Porefessional // Mac Prep+Prime Skin // Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer

Face - Mac Mineralize Skinfinish - Soft and Gentle // Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush - Cherub // Nars Laguna Bronzer // Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation // Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream // Rimmel Stay Matte Powder // Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer // Mac Pro-Longwear Concealer

Eyes - Revlon ShadowLinks - sand, taupe and petal // Maybelline Color Tattoo - On and On Bronze //   L'oreal Colour Appeal Eyeshadow - Golden Rose // Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara // Rimmel Glameyes Liquid Liner // Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Liners - Black and Nude

Lips - Mac Lipsticks - Peach Blossom, Creme Cup and Coral Bliss // Nars Turkish Delight Lipgloss //  Collection Creme Puff Lip Creams - Fairy Cake and Cotton Candy // Maybelline Hydrate Baby Lips // Revlon ColourBurst Lacquer Balm - Coquette

Nails - Barry M Gelly Nail Polish - Papaya, Greenberry, Kiwi and Pink Punch // Chanel Quick Shine for Nails Top Coat

That is it! If you have any questions about any of the products, don't hesitate to ask!

Emily xx

July Favourites ❤

It literally seems like yesterday that I was writing my June favourites, and here I am writing my July favourites! This year is going waaayyyyy to fast! 

When I sat down to think about what I was going to include in my July favourites, my mind was pretty much blank and only a few things sprung to mind so it is going to be a pretty short one this month.

The first product is the Barry M Natural Glow Eye Shadow and Blusher Palette.  As I have mentioned before, it was my little sisters prom this month and my mum put me in charge of hair and makeup.  My sister is tanned all year round and has a completely different skin tone to me so I couldn't use any of my foundations on her as they are all ridiculously pale.  As I was rifling through her makeup to find a base that matched her skin, I spotted this and sort of took ownership of it.  I have used this every day since I "borrowed" it and for the price, it is amazing.  It has 6 shadows that are all dupes from the 3 Urban Decay Naked Palettes and a baby pink blush that is slightly iridescent and adds a lovely glow to the cheeks. I definitely recommend this palette!

The next is an oldie but a goodie.  Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle was my first ever highlighter and I absolutely loved it.  I stopped using it for quite a while because I was constantly trying different products and it was a bit neglected.  I spotted it in my drawer a few weeks ago and started to use it again.  I have definitely rekindled my love for this product and I don't know why I ever stopped using it!  I love that this is multi-purpose and I can use it as an eyeshadow as well.  Although this is expensive, you get a lot for your money.  I have had this since my birthday at the beginning of december and used it every day until May and every day in July and I haven't even made a dent!

Next up is a product that I mentioned in my Drugstore Haul that went up on Monday and it is the Revlon Lacquer Balm in the shade Coquette.  The hype surrounding these balms was phenomenal and I finally caved in and bought one!  I have worn this most days since I got it and it is the perfect hot pink.  It is very glossy, all day and the formula is just amazing.  The only thing I have a slight problem with is that it has quite chunky glitters in, so if you don't  like glitter, I would avoid this but its not overly noticeable on the lips.

The last beauty favourite is bright nails.  Seeing as I have no school, I can paint my nails whenever I please and I have been loving bright and vibrant summery colours.  My current favourites are the Barry M Gelly Nail Paints in the shades kiwi, green berry and pink punch.  I tweeted a picture of the colour I am currently wearing which is Pink Punch, so if you are interested, have a look at my twitter (@L1ttleEm - Give me a follow!).

The last two are accessories.  I finally got my Ted Baker Crystal Bow Bobble Matinee Purse and it is absolutely amazing.  I can fit everything I need to in it and it looks so classy and sophisticated!  The last thing is the Claire's White Lace Hair Bow.  I have worn this so much this month and you can wear this in so many different ways and it is so pretty and girly!

That is it for this month, short and sweet!  I am trying out a lot of new products at the moment so there should hopefully be a jam-packed favourites post next month!

Emily xx

Drugstore Beauty Haul ❤

If I'm ever not at home drinking tea and shopping online, you can usually find me loitering around boots with swatches covering both arms and a basket full of goodies.
This haul is mostly products from boots with a few Primark items that are amazing quality and cheap as chips!

 I had a slight heart attack when I came across the Yes To section, never have I been so excited by skincare! I had heard so much about the brand from American Youtubers and Bloggers and was desperate to try them! I wasn't actually aware that they had come to the UK until I watched Vivianna Does Makeup's Drugstore Haul.  I didn't actually realise how pricey the brand was, most of the products are over £10 apart from the two I picked up.  I got the Yes to Grapefruit Brightening Facial Wipes which are supposed to cleanse, exfoliate and brighten.  The reviews on the boots website are pretty poor but I wanted to try them for myself.  I have only used these twice so I don't really have a proper opinion on them, on first impressions, I definitely wouldn't recommend them to anyone with sensitive skin because they are quite harsh and so make my skin sting.  I also got the Yes to Tomatoes Daily Clarifying Cleanser.  This range is specially made for people with combination skin so I was immediately drawn to it.  Again, I have only used this a few times but on first impressions, I would definitely recommend them to those of you that have a problem with controlling oil and blemishes because my skin has been a lot less oily since using this and is a lot more balanced.  I also think it may be clearing up my skin a bit and it looks a lot more healthy.
I might do a whole post on this brand when I try a few more products because I think it is quite an interesting brand and I would like to try a lot more from them.

 Every time I go into Primark, I have to pick up a pack of their false nails without fail.  For £1, I think they are absolutely amazing and I can't get enough of them.  I usually just pick up the french manicure ones but this time I decided to go for something a little bit more colourful, so I opted for these turquoise ones and I absolutely love them!

 I have been wanting to try the Revlon Balms but had never got round to trying them and was unsure on what shades I wanted to get.  I opted for the Lacquer Balm in the shade Coquette.  It's a very vibrant, glossy pink and I have worn it most days since I got it.  In the clearance section I picked up the next 2 items.  I got the L'oreal Colour Appeal Eye Shadow in the shade Golden Rose which is a stunning glittery gold shadow with a hint of pink and it only cost me £2!  I have used this quite a few times since I bought it and I love it!  The next thing is the Seventeen Eye eye Crayon in the shade molten metal which is very similar to maybelline's on and on bronze colour tattoo. I am still yet to try this!

 I picked up a few eye bits from Rimmel as I love their products! I got the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara which I'm a little disappointed in if I'm honest.  I tried this because I absolutely love the original Lash Accelerator and I thought this was going to be just as good if not better but I think it is too thick and clumpy for me.  It has a strange mousey texture and it makes my eyelashes look really thick and it clumps up very easily.  I think I may have to try this out a bit more and see what I can do with it.  I also picked up the Rimmel Undercover Shadow Primer because I ran out of my urban decay sample and wasn't willing to part with £11.  It's not the best but it does the job and I can make do with this until I can repurchase my Urban Decay one.  Lastly I got the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in the shade black because I needed a new black pencil and I absolutely love the nude version of this particular one so I thought I would give it a go! I really like this and I think it is easily comparable to some higher end liners and it only cost me £3.99.

In Superdrug, I picked up a few more of my favourite nail polishes, the Barry m Gelly Nail Polishes in the shades Pink Punch, Kiwi and GreenBerry.  I absolutely love these and these shades are perfect for summer!

The last few bits are from Primark.  I picked up 2 of their makeup brushes, a stippling brush for £1.50 and a kabuki brush for £2.  These are amazing quality for the price and are easily comparable to Real Techniques for just a fraction of the price.  I also picked up a pair of their exfoliating gloves for £1 which I can use before I fake tan and also to remove it and stop it going patchy!

That is it for my rather large haul, feel free to share any beauty bits you have recently picked up with me and let me know what you think of them!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #10

I can't believe that little series has been going for 10 weeks! Oh how time flies!

This week has been my first week off for the summer holidays and its been amazing!

I went to my little sisters leaving disco on Monday because she left school and it was really fun, we had a laugh!

On Thursday I went shopping and went a little bit crazy in boots and primark (Haul coming tomorrow!) so I have plenty of new things to try out and let you know what I think!

This weekend is being spent at my caravan.  Today I will just be wandering round the market, popping into a few shops and just chilling in this lovely weather!

I hope you have all had a lovely week and are enjoying this lovely weather!

Emily xx

I've been nominated for a Liebster Award.........Again!

I have been nominated for a Liebster Award again by the lovely Sara. Here are the rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you   
2. Answer the questions they sent you
3. Nominate 11 bloggers to answer your set of questions (they have to have under 200 followers)
4. Contact them and explain the instructions

These are my answers to Sara's questions:

1. Who would you say is your style icon?

I wouldn't say I really had a style icon, I tend to take inspiration from various different people and put it all together to create something that suits me and I feel comfortable wearing.

2.What is your favourite place to travel or visit?

I really like Brean, I have had a caravan there since I was 7 and we go there quite a lot and I love it.  I have met so many nice people down there and I really enjoy spending time down there.

3. Your top blogging tips/makeup tips

For blogging, my most important tip is to take inspiration from other bloggers but don't copy them.  Keep your content somewhat original so all blogs aren't repetitive and it will make yours stand out and be unique compared to others.  For makeup, I have so many! I may dedicate a whole post to them in the future.

4. Your favourite high street foundation

You all know I am head over heels in love with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, it is perfect! I also love the Rimmel Match Perfection as mentioned in my last favourites post

5. Do you have any pets?

I don't, but I used to have 4 fish!

6. What is your occupation?

I am still in school so I don't have an occupation as of yet, however, in the future I would love to be an accountant or a lawyer.

7. Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Hopefully in a good job, possibly married as I will be 26.  Hopefully I would have moved into a good house and have my own money to do what I want with.  Hopefully I will still be blogging then!

8. Your favourite highstreet shops

I love Primark, Topshop, Boots, Superdrug, Debenhams, House of Fraser and any other place that sells nice clothes and makeup!

9. Do most of your close friends/family know about your blog, and where you embarrassed to start with?

Some of my family know and a few of my friends know.  I do find it quite embarrassing, I don't really know why, its just my little corner of the internet that I like to keep to myself.  

10.What made you start writing?

I had a huge obsession with makeup and I wanted to have some sort of outlet and share my passion with like-minded people.  I didn't have the guts to start a youtube channel (hopefully one day I will!) so I decided to write a blog. I find it so much easier to sit behind a computer talking to everyone rather than actually speaking to a camera!

I nominate:-

http://itsrainingdaisies.blogspot.co.uk

http://simply-s0ph.blogspot.co.uk

http://foreverscarlet.com

http://dandelionashes.blogspot.co.uk

http://heyitisjess.blogspot.co.uk

http://adolescentellie.blogspot.co.uk

http://prettypetalslj.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

http://www.peachykeenjellybean.com

http://weallthinkdifferently.blogspot.co.uk

http://walkthroughsarahslife.blogspot.co.uk

http://www.gracesmakeupcorner.blogspot.co.uk

Their Questions:

1. What is your favourite drugstore brand and why?
2. If you were stuck on a desert island and only had access to one makeup product, what would it be?
3. How long have you been blogging?
4. What made you start blogging?
5. Where do you most enjoy shopping?
6. What got you into makeup/beauty?
7. What are your holy grail products and why?
8. What do you enjoy most about blogging?
9. Who is your favourite blogger/Youtuber?
10. Do you prefer drugstore or high end makeup and why?

Thank you again Sara for nominating me and I look forward to reading everyone else’s post and looking at all your answers to my questions!

Emily xx

My Top 3 Affordable Summer Fragrances ❤

I haven't really mentioned anything about fragrances on my blog so I thought I'd dedicate a whole post to them!

In the summer I generally tend to change up my perfumes from the heavy, musky scents to lighter and more floral and girly scents.

The first one is the Body Shop Neroli Jasmin Eau De Toilette.  It is a more mature, florally scent that I wear all year round but it is particularly nice for Summer.  It's a very feminine fragrance and anyone would like it, regardless of taste.

The second one is another Body Shop one and its the White Gardenia Eau De Toilette.  This is a lot lighter than the first one and is a lot more girly.  It's very floral but its not like a grannyish kind of floral and is perfect for all ages.

The last one is L'eau Rose from Next which may have been discontinued as I couldn't find it online.  I got this in the sale at the weekend and I have been wearing it ever since.  It is a very pretty, floral fragrance and it is lighter than the body shop ones.  Its not very strong but is still noticeable and again, is suitable for all ages.

What are your favourite summer fragrances? let me know!

Emily xx

The Best Of: Rimmel London ❤

I'm going to be starting a little series on my blog called 'The Best Of' where I pick my top products from a particular brand or item of makeup.

I thought I'd start this series off with one of my favourite brands, Rimmel.  This brand offers amazing products at amazing prices and could easily rival some high end companies when it comes to quality.

I've been using Rimmel products ever since I started wearing makeup and these are my absolute favourites!

They have a wide range of base offerings, my particular favourite being the Match Perfection Foundation.  It is the only drugstore foundation that has a shade pale enough for my ghostly complexion, it gives the perfect amount of coverage and makes my skin look healthy, flawless and slightly dewy.  To set this, I use my trusty Stay Matte Pressed Powder.  This is probably one of the most raved about powders in the beauty community and it definitely lives up to the hype.  I have gone through 4 of these, nearly 5 and no matter how many powders I try, I always find myself going back to this.  It keeps my skin matte all day and controls oil, blurs pores and imperfections and keeps my skin looking flawless all day long.

Most people know them for their outstanding lip offerings.  My personal favourites are their Colour Rush Balms and their Apocalips Lip Lacquers.  The balms have an amazing moisturising formula and come in a wide range of colours to suit everyone.  For a balm, they are surprisingly pigmented but can be easily sheered out or built up to create an intense colour.  The lip lacquers have phenomenal pigmentation and are hybrids between a lipstick and a lipgloss.  Again, they come in an amazing range of colours, from nudes to brights and there is a colour for everybody.

They don't disappoint on the eye front, making some of my holy grail eyeliners and mascaras.  Their Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliners are by far the best I have ever tried.  They are creamy, pigmented and have amazing lasting power that could easily rival the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils.  I had their Glameyes Liquid Liner for Christmas and it is the only liquid liner I have used all year.  I will definitely be repurchasing this as it lasts all day, is easy to apply and is ridiculously cheap.  I have raved about their Lash Accelerator Mascara numerous times and it still remains my favourite mascara and is one that I will definitely be repurchasing! I also love their Day 2 Night Mascara because it is so versatile and you are pretty much getting 2 mascaras in 1 because each wand is so different and they do such different things.

Those are my top Rimmel products, what are yours?

I hope you enjoyed this and let me know if you would like to see more of these in the future!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #9

I'd first like to start off by apologising for the fact that I've only had one post up this week!  My posts have been quite inconsistent the past few weeks because of school work, but I finished school for 6 weeks on Friday so I am pleased to say that I can now focus all my attention on blogging regularly.

This week was my last week of being in year 10 which is scary! I can't believe I'm going to be in year 11 next year and be one of the oldest students in the school!  I had to say goodbye to a two of my favourite teachers this week as they are retiring which was quite sad as they have helped me so much and they are such lovely people.  I am so excited by the fact I have 6 weeks ahead of me to do whatever I please!!

I have got quite a few summery posts planned for you within the next few weeks so I am really looking forward to hearing your feedback on them soon!  If there is anything you would like to see more of around these parts, do let me know in either the comments or through social media and if you enjoy reading my blog, make sure to tell your friends and spread the word because I would love to have some new readers and some fresh ideas.

I have been working this weekend at the next sale so I am hoping to go shopping this week and spend by wages so look out for rather a large haul coming your way!  I have nothing that exciting planned for this week, tomorrow I am going to Dick Lovett with my dad to look at a car and then I'm off to my sisters leaving picnic and prom because she has her last day in Primary school on Tuesday! I may even do an OOTN tomorrow if I could find something decent to wear!

I hope you have all had a lovely week and look out for some summery posts this week!

Emily xx

Products I've Been Trying Out / Mini Reviews #1 ❤

Today I thought I'd share with you some of the products I have been trying out recently and what I think of them instead of doing a full review on each and every one of them.

The first product is the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in Light Matte.  I have been looking for a decent fake tan that gives a good colour, looks natural, doesn't go patchy or streaky and doesn't break the bank.  As mentioned in my June Favourites,  it ticks all of these boxes and I would definitely recommend this!

Next up is the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation.  Again as mentioned in my June Favourites,  this is an amazing foundation at an amazing price.  I got it reduced at £4.98 and although it doesn't steal the holy grail spot from my Bourjois Healthy Mix, this is a very good foundation and isn't far away.  It has light/medium build able coverage, looks natural, doesn't cake up and is the perfect mix of matte and medium.  The colour range of this foundation is amazing too and there is definitely a colour to suit everyone.

The next thing is the Batiste Dry Shampoos.  I have used their coloured one before and I thought I would try the original ones.  I mentioned the fresh scent in my favourites and am yet to try the blush one.  I am quite impressed with these as they give my hair a lot of volume and absorb oil really well, however, they turn my roots quite grey and are very hard to brush out and work in.

The next thing is probably one of the most raved about products in the skincare world and its the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (+).  I am unsure on this product.  I have been using it for around 2 weeks now and I have not really noticed anything change in my skin.  I have quite oily, blemish prone skin and suffer from a lot of blackheads.  I noticed a slight difference in my forehead after about a week of use but it was nothing really to speak of and I was expecting such wonderful things!  It just seems to have broken me out which I know always happens because it is drawing out all the dirt from my pores but I don't know whether its because I haven't used it for long enough or it just isn't the product for me.  If you have tried this product, let me know roughly how long you used it for before you noticed results.

A little bit of a disappointment was the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer.  I got 2 samples of this from sampleyes and because of the price tag, I was expecting something special.  I hated the texture of it because it felt very plastic and heavy and slightly greasy.  I felt very heavy on my skin and made my skin feel clogged and like it couldn't breathe.  My foundation didn't really sit right on it and it didn't do anything for the longevity, in fact, I think it shortened the wearing time of my foundation.  I don't know whether it is because it didn't like my skin or whether this is just a rubbish primer so if you have used this product, let me know what you think and what you recommend for me to do with it to make it work better!

The last product is the Tea Tree Facial Wipes.  I picked these up on a whim and I quite like them.  I don't use them to remove my makeup but I use them to help clear up my skin and they feel nice and cool on hot summer days when you feel all hot, sweaty and gross.  For a £1 for 2 packs, this is definitely something to look out for, I found mine in asda but I have linked something similar from boots if you would like to order them online.

I am going to do these posts more often because that way I can share my thoughts about products I am trying with you, without boring you with long endless reviews!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #8

I have been so busy this week! I had to catch up on all the school work that I missed when I was on Work Experience so I haven't had any time to write posts and get them up which is why my favourites post was so late and I apologise for that!

This weekend has been spent at my caravan.  We went out for a meal last night and had drinks with a few friends and watched the entertainment that was in the pub.  I have also made one hell of a lot of loom bands this weekend because I have the maturity of a 4 year old!

Today is going to be spent having a barbecue with some friends, making some more loom bands and hopefully prewriting a few posts! I finish school on Friday so I may be able to attempt daily blogging for a while because I will have a lot more time on my hands!

I hope you have all had a lovely week!

Emily xx

June Favourites 2014 ❤

This is a very long overdue post! I have been so busy with work experience and school work that I haven't had the time to sit and write this post but I was determined to do a favourites post so here it is!

The first thing is the Batiste Fresh Dry Shampoo.  I have always been a fan of batiste dry shampoo and this one is the best scent out of all of the ones I have tried.  It smells absolutely amazing and if anyone knows of a perfume that smells like this, please let me know!  It refreshes my second day hair and gives me a lot of volume and makes my hair look a lot healthier.

The second thing is the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation. I got this on sale for £4.98 which is an absolute steal and I am really impressed with this.  It is the only drugstore foundation that matches me perfectly and the finish is the perfect mix between matte and dewy.  It makes my skin look flawless and it lasts surprisingly well!

Next up is the 17 bronzer.  This one has been discontinued but they have recently brought out a similar one which I have linked for you.  This is a really good drugstore dupe for Mac's soft and gentle and can also be doubled up as eyeshadow.  I absolutely love this and I have used it every day since I got it and the quality is brilliant.

The last makeup item is the Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Under Eye Roller.  I have had this for a while and have recently rediscovered this.  It is really cooling under the eye and makes you feel and look wide awake.  I definitely recommend this if you suffer with quite dark under eye circles.

The last product is the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in Light Matte.  I have tried so many fake tans and this has been the one that has stood out the most for me.  The colour is perfect, its easy to apply, it lasts well and doesn't go patchy or streaky.  I also love how it makes you look really healthy and glowy, just like you have come back from somewhere really hot and sunny!

A non beauty favourite has definitely got to be loom bands. I have been addicted to these and I have made so many different things!!

I'm sorry its late but I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless!!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #7

This week has been amazing! I have been on work experience and I had such an amazing time! I enjoyed working and I met a lot of lovely people so hopefully I can go back in the summer because I throughly enjoyed it!

Post-wise, this week hasn't been amazing because I have been working quite late and haven't really had time to do anything. We are also on holiday at the moment and I forgot to bring my laptop so no post writing is going to be done today unfortunately! (I'm writing this post on my phone!)

Today is going to be a bit of a lazy day. I'll probably wander down to the newsagents to get my dad a newspaper and maybe treat myself to a magazine or two, then go for a stroll around the local market as they have a lot of good stuff at discounted prices........and I may just pick up a few packs of loom bands whilst  I am there!! Then I have a lot of homework to do that I haven't done this week and a lot of revising for my maths exam tomorrow.

I will try my best to get my favourites post up this week, hopefully tomorrow because I know it's extremely late but I have a few things I would like to share with you.

I hope you have all had a lovely week and let me know if you are up to anything interesting! 

Emily xx