A Soap and Glory Haul

Due to the vast number of beauty blogs I read on a regular basis (post coming shortly sharing some of my favourites) I rarely go into Boots/Selfridges beauty hall to buy something that I don’t know in advance is going to be good/what I’m looking for.

I’ve been eyeing up a few Soap and Glory products lately, and when I saw that there was a 3 for 2 offer at Boots running at the moment which coincided with my pay day, I knew I had to make a little splurge. I never really looked at Soap and Glory make up before now, as I always just thought of them as a body products brand. So I thought I’d share the products with you, and give you my initial thoughts.

 

Skincare: Clarins Double Serum

For a girl who whimpered a little at spending more than £5 on anything skincare-related about a year and a half ago, my skincare collection has come on leaps and bounds (much to my bank balance's dismay). I only really properly got into make-up 3 years ago, and I started to realise in the last year that it doesn't matter how expensive or beautiful a make-up product is, if you're not applying it to the best 'base' then it's not going to look it's best. It's like using the best oil paints a man can find, and then painting onto toilet paper, ya know?

With that lovely thought in mind, for Christmas I received a special treat; the Clarins Double Serum.

 

Skin Saviour: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

My skin has been a little lacklustre lately.

I blame it on the cold weather which has finally arrived in London, and which appears to be staying for the foreseeable future (boo). Cold weather always makes my skin much dryer (it's already incredibly dry) and I genuinely feel as soon as I put some moisturizer on my face, my skin rejoices and drinks it up faster than I can down a shot in Infernos.

Charlotte Tilbury: Dolce Vita

Charlotte Tilbury has got to be the one counter that I have to visit every time I go to the Selfridges beauty hall. I'm like a moth to a flame. The girls on the counter are stunning (and their make up is beautiful, most importantly) and the displays and products just scream luxury. Unfortunately, so does the price tag.

 

However, I was lucky enough to have been gifted a Selfridges voucher for my birthday, and I knew immediately I had to buy something from CT. The only question was what.

Signature Scent: Elie Saab

Every girl has a 'signature scent.' That one smell that you hope that people associate with you. I personally think smells have the greatest power to evoke memories and reminders of people. Too many times I've smelt someone's aftershave and done a double take because it's the same one an ex-boyfriend used to wear.

NARS Laser Cut palette

A few posts ago I wrote about a beautiful NARS palette which had stolen my heart. Well it turns out that my nearest and dearest know me very well, and another very special someone bought me this baby for my birthday…

 

Enter the Laser Cut palette.

NARS Virtual Domination Palette

Last week I turned 24, and unfortunately I had to spend the day at work (boo). However, on my lunch break my friend Alice from work took me on a little trip to Space NK and bought me the most beautiful present imaginable in the make-up world. This.

My Holiday Face

One of the things I love most about going on holiday is that I can give my face a break from wearing make up. No man will ever understand the pleasure that taking off our make up at the end of a long day gives us will they? I tend to wear foundation and eye make up to work every day, so a holiday is the perfect chance to let my skin breathe and get back its glow. Plus, I find you don't need so much coverage when you're rocking a bit of a tan.

With that in mind, these are the products I wear during the evenings on holiday when I want to make a little bit of effort.

SKINCARE SAVIOURS

Now I know the title of this post may seem a little dramatic, but I am bursting with so much love for my skincare routine this week that I felt the huge urge to write a detailed post about it. Seriously.

How To Prevent / Cure the Dreaded Holiday Peel

Whilst Morocco was amazing, and being a sun-worshipper I absolutely loved a week in the hot sun, my skin didn't thank me. Despite being careful with sun cream and lathering on body moisturiser after my shower every night, I ended up with an awful case of the holiday peel. And I mean awful. Unfortunately Katie didn't escape it either. I think it was a combination of having the hammam, which meant all the skin exposed was fresh, new skin, and also the high level of aircon that we had to have which really dried our skin out.

Purple Smoke...

It is fair to say that despite owning a huge storage container full of make-up, I am someone who can get stuck in a make-up rut very easily. This mostly happens because every morning without fail I hit the snooze button one too many times and I end up running around the flat like a mad woman, trying to make myself presentable and get into work on time. Therefore, I rarely mix up my make-up and tend to just stick to what I know works.



However, a while back I bought the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pomegranate, because I know purple brings out blue eyes. On Saturday afternoon I had some time to kill and I sat and played around with my make-up. I ended up liking the look so much that I snapped a few photos and thought I'd share it with you!



As my face base I used the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation. This stuff ROCKS. It provides a gorgeous amount of coverage, makes your skin look like its glowing from within, and it's a crazy bargainous £6.99. What is not to love? I then used my Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer under my eyes to add some highlight and cover those dark circles, and then used a generous helping of the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer (you can never have too much bronzer. Well you can if you end up resembling an oompa loompa, but I think that's pretty hard to do with this bronzer.)

Onto the eyes. I used the Pomegranate Colour Tattoo as the base, and then added MAC's Antiqued eyeshadow on top. I have to say, I absolutely loved the finish. A purpley, reddy, smokey concoction that really made my blue eyes stand out. I then added a small amount of dark brown from my NAKED palette in the crease, and a little bit of highlighter in the inner corners of the eyes to ensure the eyes weren't too dark and looking too small.

After a good coating of the lashes with Maybelline the Falsies, and slicking on some of this pink MUA lipgloss, my face was complete. This has definitely encouraged me to experiment with my make-up more often and try and be a little bit more adventurous. Perhaps not for a client meeting, but definitely on the weekend!

What make-up looks have you been loving? I have to admit I've got a list of Spring-esque items to buy from Boots come pay-day…

Haircare Saviours

One question I get asked a lot by my friends is, 'Ellie, how do you make your hair look like that?' Now I have to admit, I am quite lucky in the hair department (a certain someone told me it looks like a lion's mane) but I am also quite lazy with it. I have naturally curly (read: frizzy) hair and I find it a real pain in the backside to manage. Therefore, any products which help tame it and make it easier to style are a definite win!



Shampoo/conditioner: With shampoo and conditioner I'm a bit of a floozy; I tend to decide based on what's on offer. I love the Tresemme ones as an affordable option, and the L'oreal Riche as a slightly more expensive treat. I try to change whatever I'm using after finishing up a bottle as I find then my hair doesn't get used to it and the effects don't stop working.

Hairbrush: The Tangle Teezer - every long haired gal's best friend. Since using this I rarely have a battle with knotty hair, and I therefore feel like I'm doing less damage to it. Only £12, and absolutely worth every penny. If you're looking for a pricier option, my crazy flatmate bought a Mason Pearson hairbrush which is probably even more delightful.

Hair Oil: The L'oreal Extraordinary Oil is a cheaper alternative to the Moroccan Oil, and in my opinion does almost as good a job. It seals the ends of your hair, keeps it looking shiny, and recently I've been using it on the little dry bits of hair near my face which have been over-dyed to give them some extra nourishment. Plus a bottle of this stuff lasts for AGES.

Hair Spray: You can't go wrong with the Tresemme hairspray. It keeps hold without making your hair crispy (no-one wants a boy running his hands through your hair and comparing it to straw). Super affordable, and keeps my curls in all day (and even into the second day.)

Dry Shampoo: In my opinion, for the money Batiste is the dry shampoo winner. I especially love the blonde one, as when I'm in need of a visit to the hairdressers it not only soaks up any oils and gives my hair more volume, but it also covers my roots!

Styling – surf spray: This little Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray came in a set from my besties as a birthday gift. I wasn't a crazy fan of the shampoo and conditioner as they were a little too drying for my already-dry hair, but this spray is perfect when you can't be bothered to do anything with your hair and you just want those sexy 'I just walked out of the sea' beach waves (even if you do live in the middle of a big city.)

Styling - hair rollers: The Enrapture Heated Rollers are the styling tool of the Gods. I love that you can put them in, and then do your make up whilst you let them work their magic. Take them out and voila, you have big, bouncy Cheryl Cole-esque hair. What more could you want?

So there's a round up of my current favourite hair 'stuff.' What else do my locks need in their life?

Pay Day Treats

So for most of us pay day is just around the corner and I thought I'd treat you and show you a few beautiful things to spend your hard-earned cash on. I plan to make all of these things mine by the end of Feb (Mum, if you're reading this, I'm sorry, one day I WILL save!)



First up are these loafers from River Island. I always tend to gravitate towards cheap flats from Primark, but find that they fall apart within a couple of weeks. I wish I could wear heels all the time at work but sometimes it just isn't practical, so some smart, comfy, good quality flats are a great investment.

Anyone who's anyone will have seen the Charlotte Tilbury make-up range when it launched. Ever since, I haven't been able to stop thinking about the Dolce Vita eyeshadow quad. It is so unnecessary, but so unbelievably beautiful. It must be mine.

I'm on the look out for a new bag. I love my Zara City bag, but some days on the packed tube in the morning I regret having what is practically a suitcase on the end of my arm. I love the mixture of leather and suede and the shape (Celine trapeze anyone?) and I just know I'll get so much use out of it. This is a definite weekend purchase.

The picture definitely doesn't do this justice, but I am absolutely dying to get my mitts on this white leather tee from Topshop. I love anything leather, and I think white leather looks so chic and expensive. I'm definitely a 'jeans and tee' girl at heart, so an interesting variation on the standard t-shirt is always a win in my books.

Finally is this dress from Missguided. I've wanted something in pale blue for a while, and as soon as I saw this dress I knew it had to be mine. I love that it has a sexy low V, yet also has lace to keep it feminine, cute and girly. Perfect with a tan (not that I'll be getting one of those any time soon.)

So there you have it, my pay day picks. What are you lusting after? What should I be adding to my never-ending online shopping basket?

Best of Boots

First of all, I have to own up to the fact that I haven't stuck to my NY resolution to blog. In fact, I've been an absolute fail. The truth of the matter is, moving into a new home and starting a 55 hour a week job has kind of taken it out of me (not mentioning the fact I didn't have internet for the first 2 weeks of January in the flat. I know, it was hell.) However, I have given myself a slap on the wrist and am back on the blogging scene, this time with a few of my favourite beauty products from good old Boots.



I am a firm believer that you don't have to spend a lot on make-up to get a flawless look. The problem is that amongst the gems there are also a lot of useless products. Therefore, it's all about doing your homework and buying something to suit your skin-type/colouring.

First up, I have got back into using the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in a MAJOR way. I have the shade 54 which is perfect for me. It provides great coverage, and has a kind of 'sheen-y' finish so your skin looks glowing without being shiny. I then use my Garnier roll-on eye concealer. I have to admit, I wasn't that fussed about this when I first got it, but I actually find it so brightening around the eye area, and it's really light so doesn't feel 'caked on.' Now I'm up early every day it's an absolute staple!

Now comes my Holy Grail item - the Sleek Face Contour Kit. Now I know this is kind of cheating because you can only get it from Superdrug, but oh god, I can't even describe my love for this product. Even writing about it gets me excited. The bronzer is the perfect contour/all over 'I've just been to Spain and I'm sun-kissed' shade. The powder is really fine and there is SO much product. I took this to Thailand with me, and Katie managed to have an accident and smash it all over the floor (it wasn't pretty.) I don't know how I survived without it - my face felt lost. Anyway...the highlighter and blusher are also beautiful, although the blusher has a lot of shimmer so you don't need both (unless you like the glitter-ball look - who am I to judge?)

Now I'm not a big blusher-wearer, but this MaxFactor cream blusher has converted me. I love cream products because I have dry skin, and I think they look more natural. This one literally transforms my face. I look more awake and my skin looks so much brighter. It also weirdly makes my eyes look more blue, which is never a bad thing!

For eyes I love the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze.' It's a beautiful colour, and once you leave it for 20 seconds it really does set and stay all day. I swatched it for my Mum in Boots yesterday and she even swooned and added it to her basket! As for mascara - there's only one. Maybelline The Falsies. Perfect voluminous long black lashes without wearing actual falsies. Need I say more.

Lastly, I'm loving the 'Notting Hill Nude' lipstick from Rimmel. Now it's Winter and I'm paler it's the perfect nude shade for me. The formula is quite moisturising, and it's a great 'handbag' shade i.e. you can throw it on and not worry you look like a clown.

So there you have it, a few of my top picks from Boots. There are SO many more products I could rave on about so keep your eyes peeled for more posts. In the meantime, what are your favourite Boots treats? I've got some points to spend...