May Lovelies

I find favourites posts quite hard to do as I try and use different products every day. This month though I’ve been all about the quick and easy slap. This is evidenced by my first favourite; and angled brush (this particular one is from Celia Birtwell). Instead of using my usual gel liner which is a faff and means you have to wash your brush every day I’ve been lining my eyes using whatever eyeshadow I fancy. It’s a much softer look and super quick to do. 

The Illamasqua Sirens palette has had a fair few uses too this month. The brown/ yellow gold shade are neutral enough for work but I line the bottom lash line with the bright blue and the top with the dark teal to make it a little more fun.

If I had time to sit for 5 minutes I’d be grateful, let alone fake tan. So I’m back to using my pale foundations now and my trusty Revlon Color Stay has been the foundation of choice. It lasts the work day (with blotting/ powdering) and the high coverage is definitely needed at the moment! 

The ELF Gotta Glow blush (highlighter) was a recent purchase and one that needs a proper review. I’ll just say here that I love it. 

Laugh all you want but the Katy Perry Purrr Perfume looks adorabubble and smells lovely. I’m not one for celebrity fragrances as I generally find them too sickly sweet but this is a little deeper and fruitier. Definitely worth a sniff!

What have you been loving this last month? Please feel free to leave a link to your favourites posts in the comments! xx

Blogger Interview With An Urban Belle

The lovely Stacey from Urban Belle agreed to answer a few questions for us. I love reading blogger interviews, it's always fun to hear what other bloggers think! If you would like to do an interview or if you have some suggestions for questions please do let me know in the comments.



Quick fire question – tell us something you love about blogging and something you’re not too crazy about!

I love the feeling that someone has come to my blog to check about a product possibly before they purchase, or to agree with my thoughts if they have purchased too. I love reading comments from readers, it's such a good feeling that someone has taken the time to leave a comment, and I always reply. I have met so many great people through blogging who I genuinely count as friends now, and I would never have known them if it wasn't through blogging, how amazing is that? Something I'm not too crazy about is the 'clique-ness' of bloggers, and the feeling that there are those who feel they are 'above' others because they have a higher number of followers. 

·         * Why beauty/ makeup? What made you decide you wanted to blog about it?

Make up and beauty products have always been such a big part of me, I'm obsessed! Ever since I've been old enough to earn my own money I've constantly hunted out new products, all promising this and promising that! For a long long time I would search blogs and read reviews on products before I purchased them and it was such a big help, I discovered so many new things, and stayed away from things that others were saying weren't very good. I thought to myself 'wait a minute, I could be doing this too - it looks such fun!' and so I did.... and it is! 

·         * You have 5 minutes before you have to leave the house. What items do you throw on?

Most definitely mascara and a bit of lipstick. And clothes, obviously! 

·        *  Are there any brands that aren’t available in your country that you would love to try? What ‘local’ brands do you think everyone should have a chance to try?

There are so many things available in other countries - we totally get the short end of the stick here! I love Sephora's mascara wardrobes where they have 10 (I think?) trial sizes of mascaras from all different brands so you can try them out - why do we not have that here?! I wish NYX was more readily available here too. Although not a particularly 'local' brand, I think everyone should purchase at least one thing from E.L.F Studio line, the quality really is fantastic and for such good prices. They do a lot of what other big brands can't seem to manage - regular promotions on their products, products that live up to the hype and super fast shipping teamed with fantastic customer service. 

·        *  What entices you to follow a new blog? What puts you off?

I like to read a blog that you can see the author has put some work into. I also like to see a mix between high and low end products, every one needs a treat now and then. I like to read something that is simply laid out, without too much 'busyness' or advertising going on. And products that the author is genuinely interested in, and simply not just another free thing that has dropped through the door!

Thanks again Stacey! x

Blogger Interviews

I hope you don't mind but I'd like to ask a favour. I feel like I need to mix things up a bit on here. Some of my favourite posts to read on other peoples blogs are blogger interviews. I've even had the oppertunity to do a couple myself which I have linked to before. I've already had two lovely ladies volunteer and I'm wondering if anyone else would be willing to answer a few beauty related questions on here? If so please leave a comment with a link to your blog and an email address. I promise to try and make the questions interesting!!

Thanks all xx

Simple Skin To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

I’ve long been a fan of Simple skin care. My fussy irritable skin just seems to like it. My bank balance likes it too. This 125ml bottle is just £3.26. I’ve been looking for a lighter moisturiser for my combo skin now that the temperature in Scotland is occasionally getting over 15 degrees c and this has been doing the job very nicely. 

The bottle is plain lightweight plastic. It looks and feels cheap which is fair enough, it is cheap. I like that it’s not a pot so you aren’t sticking your fingers in it which can be unhygienic. The moisturiser itself is a funny texture. It’s kind of a cross between a cream and a gel. It feels very lightweight and disappears into my skin within a few seconds. This means it isn’t too much for the oily bits and yet it provides just enough moisture for the dry bits. It probably wouldn’t be enough for my skin in winter but for spring/ summer it’s just right. 

That’s all I have to say really. It just works for me! I’ll be picking up another bottle when this one is done.

*Bought by me*

MAC 219 Pencil Brush

My brush collection isn’t huge so what I do have I like to get a lot of use out of. This is one of those brushes that has a few functions. I use it to add small amounts of dark shadow to deepen the outer corner, to smudge colour along the bottom lash line and to smudge out liner for smokey looks. For £18 it’s a well made, hard working brush. 

I *think* this is natural hair and when I first bought it it seemed more than a little scratchy. It took a few washes with a conditioning shampoo to soften it up but I haven’t had any problems with it since. It’s never shed on me and it’s held it’s shape well. I think it was money well spent! X

*Bought by me*

Estee Lauder Signature Blush in Peach Nuance

For some reason I saw the infamous MAC Ripe Peach Blush Ombre in store last year and didn’t buy it. It’s a decision I’ve regretted ever since. I’ve seen Peach Nuance being cited as a dupe on several blogs and decided that I needed it in my life. Unfortunately all is not well. I have no idea if this is a dupe or not but it’s certainly not holy grail blush material. At £23.50 for 7g I was expecting something really special to justify the price. Meh. 

The packaging looks rather good with its classic navy and gold. You even get a good sized mirror. It just feels cheap though. It’s all flimsy light weight plastic, it doesn’t feel as expensive as it is. 

In the pan it looks gorgeous running from like apricot to a deeper coral shade. It’s matte, always a good thing in my book. And yet when swatched the payoff is disappointing even on my pale skin. I’d had visions of this being gorgeous with a tan but I find it a little hard to get it to show on me without one. I can see this going a little chalky on darker skins. I’ve swatched it here with the lightest bit on the bottom, darkest bit in the middle and a mix on the top. 

Overall I’m not impressed and I won’t bother purchasing any of the other shades. I’m surprised as I’d heard great things about it on other blogs. Maybe I got a dud? X

*Bought by me with Boots points*

Sample Sunday - No7 Total Renewal Micro- Dermabrasion Exfoliator

As much as I enjoyed the sample of Clinique 7 day scrub this completely blows it out of the water. They say:

“No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator works against fine lines, evens out skin tone and leaves skin softer, silky to touch and more refined. 
*Hypo-allergenic 
*Dermatologically tested

Boots are skincare experts and you can rely on us to give you trustworthy and expert advice. All of our No7 formulations are developed by Boots skincare scientific advisors.

No7 is the No1 skincare brand in the UK and Boots is respected in the industry for its rigorous approach to product testing.

How to Use

1. Squeeze a small amount onto your hand and dot around your face. Use just enough to very thinly cover it when spread out.

2. Next, begin in the centre of your forehead and massage in small circles out towards your temples

3. Using both hands at the same time, massage gently in small circles, moving from your chin up to your temples. Avoid your nostrils, lips and the area around your eyes.

4. Finish with a few smooth downward strokes over your nose and chin. Then, close your eyes, rinse your face thoroughly with plenty of warm water and gently pat dry.”

The cream is very thick and absolutely packed with exfoliating grains. They are smaller and denser than the Clinique scrub and in my opinion do a much better job. I used it every two days and experienced no irritation. My skin just looked brighter and less congested. 

A full sized bottle of 75ml costs £11 but don’t forget to wait until No7 is on 3 for 2 or the £5 vouchers are out! I’ll definitely be picking up the full size x

*Sample received as part of a gift with purchase*

Beauty Blog Link Love!

Jellyminx presents a bronzer lovers paradise with her ultimate Bronzer Overview.


Missed out on the New York City Makeup Show? Have no fear, for Krasey Beauty has the scoop!


Over at The Pink Sith blog, Joeybunny brings you swatches of the new Dior Rosy Tan Eyeshadow Quint and makes a shocking confession!


Have you tried lining your eyes with traditional kohl/kajal? Kajal Couture did and she shows you how.


Can the cute and new Sephora Hello Kitty-Memoirs Of A Kitty Palette satisfy an ex-punk beauty junkie like Tracy at Beauty Reflections?


Amy Antoinette showcases the prettiest lip balms in her collection.


Beautywoome has found the best light alternative to foundation for summer!


Still a Sugarpill virgin? Beauty's Bad Habit shows you Lumi Chromalust, a pigment which will have you rushing for your credit card!


Lipglossiping falls in love with an eye cream that shows promising results... but like most things in life, it comes at a price!


The Lip Print faces her fear of orange to find this absolute beauty by Tom Ford - that man sure know's how to make a lipstick!


Looking for a perfect bronzer? Check the new Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder at Fleurissante.


Unique, unusual and different...find out what perfume Lady Gaga is currently wearing! Read Hellcandy's review of it here.


Tarte's new Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eye Shadows arrive just in time for summer. See how they make eyes shine at Prime Beauty!


Love Chanel Mimosa but not the price? Find out how you can dupe it for under $10 on My Lips But Better.


Are you ready for summer? Anita reviews Guerlain's Terra Inca summer collection over at Pleasureflush.


AOYV ponders if Vasanti's Magic Liner really magical?


Mariella at Musing on Beauty has a play with the new Becca Halcyon Palette and tells it all.

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Audrey Dao is giving away 3 Julep Jennifer Mani Care Sets, so you can get the perfect manicure!

Head on over to theNotice and enter to win Rae's "holy grail" face powder, a Canadian exclusive that's honestly just really, really lovely.