Boots Botanics Cleansing Face Wipes

I'm sure we all know how important it is to take our makeup off at the end of the day. I'm going to hold my hands up and say that n more than one occasion, I've woken up in the morning with a couple of panda eyes. It happens to the best of us, but now that I've set myself an extensive cleansing routine, morning panda eyes are a thing of the past.

Obviously, I have my cleansing products which include the staples like Bioderma and Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, but these little miracle wipes are a lovely little edition which makes removing my makeup just that bit easier. I've been using these after my regular cleanser at the end of the day and then splashing my face with cold water, and they have been working a treat.

The first thing that I noticed about these was that they are more of a cloth than your typical face wipe. Being slightly thicker makes them more durable, whilst still being incredibly gentle on the skin. These remove any left over little bits of makeup that my cleanser didn't get and just overall refreshing my face. I've also noticed that my skin is much clearer and brighter since using these. They are perfect for just putting in my handbag and for everyday use. 

I will most definitely be purchasing these again and recommend them to everyone who is looking for clearer, brighter skin. 

These are available from Boots, although I can't remember the price and Boots website is down at the moment but I will update this post as soon as it is up and running again.

*Don't forget that there is still time to enter my giveaway here :)*

Sleek Matte Me Lip Lacquer in Fandango Purple

Another day, another lip product. I seriously have a problem when it comes to buying lip products, but this time this was well deserved!

I saw a few weeks ago that Sleek Makeup were bringing out some new lip products I was all over it. Then I saw that it would be some lip glosses and my heart sank a little. So, fast forward a couple of days and I saw that they were also releasing some matte lip creams! I've always preferred a matte lip in comparison to any other finish so I knew that these would be right up my alley. There are 6 matte lip creams to choose from and today I'll be showing you the very beautiful Fandango Purple.

Purple lips are always something that I've loved but very rarely wear, so when I tested this I was pleasantly surprised to see it was actually a pretty wearable purple and something that I can see myself wearing a hell of a lot over the next coming months. I can't really pinpoint this colour because I can't decide whether it's blue toned or pink toned, or whatever sort of tone it has. Nonetheless it is still so pretty. I think that this shade is going to see me right through autumn, but is still a strong candidate for the last of the summer sun.

The formula is nothing short of incredible. I must say that if you don't like a matte finish then this definitely are not for you. As soon as these dry, your lips lose every bit of moisture on them and your are left with this dry layer over the top. My lips did feel extremely dry when wearing these but it was a nice sort of dry, very similar to the Lime Crime Velvetines.  These apply with a little bit of shine to them but dry down to a completely matte finish that has absolutely no transfer at all. I even roped my boyfriend into letting me kiss him on the cheek (kisses are usually off limits when I have something on my lips), and there was absolutely no sign of transfer whatsoever! On first application, these were quite messy but I think that is because I had no idea what to expect from the formula and I was rushing. Now that I've played around with these, I've found it best to use the very tip of the doe foot applicator for the thinnest part of the lip and then bring the colour into the centre so that the whole lip is covered.

I definitely recommend this to every one of you and I know that the next time I go into Superdrug and pick up more of these beauties. At £4.99 each, they are more than worth it!

*Dont forget that you still have time to enter my giveway here :)*

It's Okay Not To Be Okay

Today's post is something a little different from my usual post's but I've been thinking about this for a while and think that it's so important that someone should say something about it.

I've always been a feisty person. I get that from my mum. I can certainly give as good as I get and I'm not afraid to speak my mind. With that being said, I am extremely emotional. I cry really easily and feel a pang of pain anytime I get a little upset. This brings me to my first point, I have often been in situations where I have been so unsure about what to feel or how to act, and I would usually blame this on my anxiety but it dawned on me that everyone at some point in their will probably feel like this. 

I wanted to share with you some of you some personal experiences of mine and tell you that it's okay not to be okay. 

When I was 15, I was invited to take part in a summer school for a week in which selected students from around the country were sent to University in July as part of a group where we stayed in Halls of Residence and took part in activities that were organised by the group leaders. I was one of those students selected and I was extremely excited about going and making new friends. My dad dropped me off at the halls and I was packed for the week ahead, and as soon as he left after I was registered, I felt this immediate sense of loneliness and like I didn't belong. I tried to relax and enjoy it and make friends but no matter how exciting the activity I just wanted to go home. I knew that I was feeling extremely homesick, but I had never felt like it before so it was a bit terrifying to be honest. Not being the type of person to quit, I stuck it out until the Friday, and when it was all over and my mum picked me up, I was so glad that I had stayed. At that time I was quite young and I thought I was being ridiculously silly about feeling the way I did, but I realise that as long as you have people to talk to and try to open yourself up a little bit, that feeling will slowly decrease.

 Everyone gets to that milestone point in life when their parents go away and leave them at home. When this happened to me for the first time, my boyfriend stayed with me but as soon as my parents left, I felt the same feeling I had a few years ago. Even though I wasn't alone, I felt it. Simply because the comfort and normality of my parents always being around wasn't there for me and for the next few days until their return, I constantly felt teary and just didn't feel right. That's when I first told myself that It's okay not to be okay.

I don't want to fill you with personal stories of mine because I'm aware that this is already an extremely long post but I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to feel like you have to be fine all the time. Sometimes, having an off day day can really do you some good as it can help you get back on top form. Things might not be going the way you want them to and for a while you might not feel like yourself, but honestly, no one will think any less of you, and it's completely normal to have days like this. Just don't be afraid to say that you're not okay instead of replying "I'm fine" when someone asks how you are. I guarantee that you will feel much better about yourself.

I know that this has been an extremely long post, but I hope that it has been helpful to some of you out there. If you have any tips on dealing with this then I would love to hear them as I think that the more the merrier when it comes to advice :)

Victoria's Secret Mango Temptation Fragrance

First of all, I need to apologise to all of you. I haven't been posting as often as I would have liked here on RL but sometimes life just gets in the way of things and unfortunately my blog has been nothing short of neglected. I have also just been offered a full time job which I'm starting on Tuesday, so I am unsure of when I'm going to be able to blog, but I will definitely fit it in somewhere. Anyway, apologies aside, lets get on with the post...

A few days ago I shared with you a stunning scent which was Love Spell from Victoria's Secret. Well, as I 

said in that post I couldn't choose just one and picked three, and have another to show you today. I won't go into all the ins and outs of picking the fragrance and telling you the story about the new store in Manchester as I wrote about it in quite a lot of details in my previous post which you can read here :)

Mango Temptation is one of those scents that I think everyone and their nan will love. Obviously the main thing you will smell is mangoes but it seems to ave a little more depth to it. I can't quite put my finger on it but it seems as thought there is a darker tone to it if you catch my drift. I think that this scent is perfect for daytime wear as it isn't over powering but is enough to be noticed. It's lovely fruity fragrance lasts all day and it was still detectable after around 7 hours wear, which is pretty bloody amazing for a body spray.

I would definitely recommend this to every single one of you, and even if this scent isn't for you there are plenty of others to choose from, and I have one more to share with you.

These are available from all Victoria's Secret stores, although the UK doesn't have a site where you can purchase items, the US does have a site so you can get them there if you don't have a store near you. They retail for £11 each, three for £24 or five for £30.

Victoria's Secret: Love Spell Fragrance

I'm sure by now that we have all heard of Victoria's Secret, especially all of the American lovelies. However, in the UK, we are not so fortunate to have an abundance of VS stores, and with no proper website to order from, we were just left drooling over all the amazing things they have and dreaming that one day they could be ours. Well dream no more ladies, VS is slowly making its way into the British market and the most recent store to open was the Manchester one. There are obviously the flagship stores in London on Bond Street and in Westfield Shopping City. but the North has been graced with three stores, in Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds. 

I dragged my boyfriend to the store on Sunday and literally could have spent all day in there. there are so many pretty items that I know it's going to be unhealthy for my bank account. However, I knew exactly what I wanted and that was some of their fragrances. I knew that there was a good collection but I wasn't expecting all of the different choices that there was. In the end I settled for three, and the one that I'm going to share with you today is Love Spell. 

The colour was the first thing I noticed about this was the stunning colour. I adore anything purple so naturally I was instantly drawn to this. I tested a tiny amount in the shop and it was love. It has a subtle yet strong scent which I know makes no sense at all but you'll know what I mean if you give it a sniff. It's described as a scent filled with peach and cherry blossom, which I definitely agree with. It's quite a sweet and girly scent, but the inclusion of Peach in it gives it an edge over the typically floral Cherry Blossom. I've sprayed this on in the mornings and still being able to detect it when I've arrived home 10 hours later, without the need for reapplying. That is pretty bloody impressive for a body spray.

I'm sure that you will have guessed by now that I love love love this and will definitely be purchasing more once I have used the three that I have. I can't wait to show the other scents that I purchased. 

Have you ever tried any of these scents? Which is your favourite?

P.S Don't forget I'm currently running a Summer Giveaway which you can enter here :)

#midsummermeet

On Thursday, I was so privileged to attend the #midsummermeet in Manchester. It seems that us Northern Bloggers have been very lucky recently as there are more and events being held up here. Firstly, I have to say a massive thanks to MyBag, LookFantastic and AllSole Social for inviting me to the wonderful evening that they had organised!

The event was held in the Walrus Canteen and Lounge, located in the Northern Quarter. Upon arrival we were signed in and shown to the basement where it was brands and bloggers central. Glass of wine in hand, it was so lovely to chat to all the different brands which were, Benefit, Burts Bees, Nails Inc MoroccanOil, Evo, and L'Oreal. I really enjoyed learning about the different products that the brands had to offer and speaking to the experts in that field. 

There were also demonstrations from many of the brands which were absolutely incredible, especially the contouring masterclass from the lovely ladies at Benefit. To add to the incredible hair and beauty brands, there were also some fashion brands that were showcased around the room. Just look at how cute those Grafea Rucksacks are, and an overload of pretty in the from of friendship bracelets.

Every little thing had been thought of, from a free drinks token to cute miniature cupcakes, which were heavenly. For me, the best part of the evening was putting a face to the blogs that I have been reading for a long time, and meeting some really wonderful ladies. I also have to add that the goodie bag was so, so generous, I am honestly so overwhelmed to have so many new products to try out.

Again, a massive thankyou to MyBag, LookFantastic, AllSole and the girls for organising it. It really was a wonderful night :)

Also, don't forget that I'm currently running a summer giveaway which you can enter here :)

The One and Only: Tag

A BIG hello to you all! I said on Twitter a while ago that I had lost my Blogging mojo. No matter where I looked, I couldn't find it, so posts on RL have been few and far between. However, I'm back now and am making more of a concious effort to post on here a lot more often. 

I thought that for this post I would do something a little bit different to usual and I saw this tag on quite a few other blogs, so that is what I'm going to do today. 

This tag is "The One and Only" tag and obviously it is based around the one item from different types of products that you absolutely cannot live without. Here it goes! 

If you could only have one_____ what would it be? And why?

Primer:

Definitely Benefits POREfessional! I have really obvious pores so anything that can reduce the appearance of them is a winner in my eyes. Even my very unobservant boyfriend noticed a difference the first time I used this.

Base Product:

This has to be MAC Studio Fix Fluid. It's such a great match for my skin tone, evens out imperfections and lasts all day long!

Concealer:

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Classic Beige. Hands down the best concealer I've used. This stuff covers like a dream without looking too cakey and instantly brightens my stubborn under eye circles.

Powder:

My beloved MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium is the definite winner for this category. I love this because it's not entirely matte but sets my foundation really nicely whilst adding minimal coverage, just to be on the safe side of things.

Blush (Cream or Powder):

This was a hard one for me but I eventually settled on the blush from Elf's Blush and Contouring Powder in St.Lucia. This is a beautiful rose gold blush that looks incredibly natural on my cheeks, and it's an absolute dream to apply.

Bronzer:

I would have to say its Bourjois Maxi Delight Bronzer. I think that this makes me look like I've been sat in the sun (I can dream) and it applies so nicely to the face.

Highlighter:

MAC's Soft and Gentle. I very rarely use highlighter as I tend to forget it but when I do, this is the one I reach for.

Makeup Brush (Single):

Real Techniques Stippling Brush. I have been using this every day since purchase and use it for everything from foundation, to cream blusher, bronzer and everything else. 

Eyebrow Product:

I really don't have a favourite because I alternate between so many different things, I'm still searching for the one.

Eyeshadow (Single)

Hands down, it's YDK from Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette. I use his pretty much everyday either as an all over lid colour, or on my lower lashline. Love!

Eyeliner:

Definitely Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Pencil in Zero. This eyeliner will not budge all day and its a true black. It's everything I need in an eyeliner.

Mascara:

Again, I alternate between so many but I would have to say Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara. I know a lot of people don't like this but it really works well for me.

Lipstick, Lipgloss or Lipstain:

My absolute favourite is MAC's Creme Cup: It's such a pretty colour that can be worn all year round, and goes with any makeup look, outfit, or occasion.

Lip Liner:

MAC's Cherry is the only lipliner I own that gets any use so I guess it will have to be that.

Lip Balm:

Malibu SPF30 LipBalm. This is the only lipbalm that I have found that helps my lips in the summer months.

Nail Polish:

I hate to be a blogger Cliché but it's Essie Mint Candy Apple. This is the perfect mint green shade that looks amazing with a tan.

So, that was the One and Only tag. I had so much fun writing this but it really was hard trying to figure out what my favourite items. I also realised that I have far too much stuff, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. I also tag everyone to do this!

If you have done this tag, I would love to see what your favourites are so feel free to link it below. Also, don't forget that I'm currently holding a summer giveaway which you can enter here :)

Birthday FOTD

Monday 12th August was my 21st Birthday. I absolutely, bloody love birthdays, I just think they're so much fun. I had done most of my celebrating at the weekend so Monday was a fairly quiet affair with just me and Olly going for a meal and cocktails in town, but I thought I would do a Face Of The Day, as I haven't done one in a while. 

Base:

Sephora Knight in Shining Armour Moisturiser

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Medium

ELF Bronze and Blush Contouring Powder in St Lucia

Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Naked Basics

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Look Beauty Brow Perfect

Lips:

MAC Lipstick in Creme Cup

MAC Lipglass in Underage

Hair:

Styled with GHD Original Flat Iron

Moroccan Oil

Aussie Hi-Hold Hi-Shine Hairspray

I didn't do anything too drastic as I wasn't going on a full on night out. but I still wanted a little more glamour than my average everyday look. I really like the look that I wore and think that I'm going to start wearing it more often :) 

Don't forget, I'm currently holding a summer giveaway which you can enter here :)

Summer Giveaway

Hello! It's giveaway time! In typical British style, the sun showed its face for all of five minutes and then disappeared, so I thought that a giveaway might inject  little positivity into the British Summer. It's also my Birthday on monday so I thought it would also be nice to gift something :)

The products that you can win are all items that I've really been enjoying lately and have been staples in my summer regime and are items that  I would definitely repurchase. I tried to pick something that everyone will enjoy or will get use out of, so I do hope that you like the products on offer :)

The Rules:

-Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

-Any false entries will be void.

-Please do not say that you have completed an entry when  you haven't as it's just not fair on others.

-If you are under 16, please get your parents/guardians permission before entering.

-Unfortunately, this is not an international giveaway.

What you could win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck :)

Gatineau Anti Wrinkle Radiance Mask

In 9 days time I'll be turning 21 and quite honestly, the thought of that petrifies me. It only feels like yesterday that I was in high school without a worry about getting old. I guess that most people will be thinking that worrying about ageing at my age is overly dramatic, but I honestly already have some fine lines under my eyes, something which all the women in my family suffer from. So I'm on the hunt for something that will help my skin look youthful for as long as possible. Well this is that product...

Gatineau Anti Wrinkle Cream is one of those products that I was so dubious about trying that I put it off for ages. One night whilst the boyfriend was at work, I thought I would have a pamper night and use this. The consistency of it is a strange one, as it's quite thick but quite thin at the same time. It does fell really luxurious though and as soon as I put this on my fingers, I knew that it would do some good to my face. As per the directions, I applied this around the contours of my face and around my eyes. I left it until it felt tacky (after about 10-15 minuttes or so) and then rinsed off with cold water. I instantly noticed my face looked tighter and brighter which was definitely something I was hoping for. However, I didn't notice an instant difference under my eyes, but the more I've used it, the more my fine lines have decreased.

I really have enjoyed this product and would definitely recommend it to those who want to slow the ageing process down. You can purchase this here :)