Are Makeup Wipes Really That Bad?


Are_makeup_wipes_bad_for_your_skin

In the pass few years makeup wipes have had a bad rap on beauty blogs, I've even been guilty of saying I'm above them due to the collective agreement that wipes are pretty rubbish for your skin. 

However recently I was enticed back into purchasing some Yes To Cucumbers Facial Wipes* due to liking the brand and them being on offer at the time. This got me back into using wipes to remove my makeup a few times a week and when I didn't see any ill effects it got me thinking... Are makeup wipes really that bad? 

Yes, grant using makeup wipes to solely remove makeup isn't going to benefit the skin and there's a good chance you won't be fully removing all the grime. But for lazy evenings when you don't want to properly cleanse or as a super quick pre-cleanse to remove a good amount of makeup before using a more effective cleanser, I really cannot see the harm in it.

*They aren't that great at all... pretty dry and can be irritating on the eyes when removing eye makeup. 
 
Best_makeup_wipes 

Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Cleansing Wipes (£12.00 - Look Fantastic here), Amie New Bloom Gentle Cleanse Face Wipes (£3.49 - John Lewis here or Waitrose), Johnson's Baby Gentle Cleansing Wipes (£2.55 - Boots here), Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Wipes (£3.25 - Boots or Superdrug here), Good Things Raspberry & Cranberry Face Wipes (£3.49 - Boots here).

Makeup wipes will never contain any beneficial ingredients but you can opt for more simple or natural/organic wipes and avoid ones that aim to treat oily/blemish-prone as they can be majorly stripping to the skin. Also it really is about seeing how your skin responds to them and giving them up if you feel your skin is becoming tight or red etc. I'm been using makeup wipes to remove my makeup a few times a week for the past 3 weeks now (plus everyday whilst on holiday) and I have yet to see any negative changes to my skin. Though I am still maintaining my normal skincare routine with toning and moisturising. Makeup wipes alone would be a no-no! 

Current favourites are Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Cleansing Wipes - so refreshing and beautifully Orange-y and Amie New Bloom Gentle Cleansing Face Wipes - surprisingly 'moist' and non-irritating. 

Do you use makeup wipes? How do you feel about them? Let me know in the comments! 

Fee xo.

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My Top Blogging Income Streams


Top_Blogging_Income_Streams

In a previous post on blogging I mentioned how it can be an amazing hobby but a tough job. This sparked a few requests to talk about how I make an income from blogging.

As I previously mentioned most full-time bloggers also work freelance and/or have outside streams of income (e-books, mentoring/talks, online workshops, Youtube) as blogging alone isn't generally a sustainable income. This is the case for myself with 70% of my income coming from blogging and 30% from freelance work with online brands. 

Building an income from a blog takes time, a long time, but if you start off with low expectations you will see progress and results. Whether you're blogging as a hobby or considering taking it part-time or even full-time hopefully sharing my main income streams will be of some help.

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1 - Google AdSense 
In the early days of Makeup Savvy when I was blogging purely as a hobby I decided to give Adsense a go. It was easy enough to setup, I didn't have to maintain it and it would pay monthly if I met the £60 threshold. I had low expectations so was pleased even if I made under £1 per day! Since 2011 to 2013/2014 my monthly earnings had only increased but then started to level off. This is when I decided to play around with my ad sizes and the position of them, making sure there was one above the fold (upper part of the website before scrolling down) and near to popular links. Doing this made me realise just how much I'd overlooked the position of my ads as I instantly saw an increase in my daily revenue. I now make an income each month that I'm fairly pleased with, though I'm always trying to improve on my monthly page views to increase my click-through percentage. 

Whether you're blogging as a hobby (and want to earn a bit of money for your efforts), as a part time job or your career, Google Adsense should be your first port of call. In the early days you probably won't meet the £60 threshold but don't let this deter you. With regular content and time most people do see revenue/clicks increasing.
Do's & Don'ts - Always set ads to display both text and images. NEVER click your own ads.

2 - Affiliate Programs 
If you are unfamiliar with what Affiliate Marketing/Programs are you may want to head over to this post I wrote forever ago, it's a tricky thing to summarise so I don't want to just ramble on and on in this post to explain what it is.

Affiliate programs were the next thing I looked at when I became more serious about blogging. This was more trial and error than linking up Adsense on my blog as I joined a few programs that just didn't have an array of brands on board and for that reason I failed to meet their payment thresholds even after months and months. Then by chance Skimlinks actually contacted me with a generic email introducing themselves. Instantly I realised they had so many large brands/merchants on board (Feel Unique, eBay, Look Fantastic, Selfridges, Debenhams) and had an incredibly low payment threshold of only £7! Fast forward from my first payment of £19 back in November 2011, I now make between £100-250 each month. Not a huge amount but a stable and reliable income source that contributes to a full-time wage. I also recently decided to sign-up to Amazon Associates as Amazon originally were with Skimlinks but they parted ways at the end of 2013. So far I've been pleased with the revenue I've earn and would 100% recommend. 

 Over the past few years I've heard a few negatives comments in the beauty blogging community about bloggers that use affiliate programs, I feel this really is confined to beauty and fashion blogging for some reason. Affiliate programs definitely aren't frown upon as a whole as long as you remember to disclosure it somewhere on your blog. Personally I feel I am already linking to products I recommend/review for the convenience of anyone that wants to purchase the product online and the link being an affiliate one doesn't change the price of the item for the buyer. However it does mean I benefit with a small percentage of the sale which literally is pennies, but pennies do add up!  
Do's & Don'ts - Any blog post with lots of product links has a better chance of receiving sales (therefore making you potential revenue) wish list style posts, hauls and top picks from specific websites all work well, however this doesn't mean you should link to products you don't actually like! Also mentioning and linking to sales or offers is a good way to gain revenue.

3. Advertising Network 
Once I decided to go full-time as a blogger (as well as blogging freelance) I knew I needed other income streams that were reliable. I had little knowledge of advertising networks but knew they provided larger ads that could pay considerably more than the average Adsense ads. I first joined an advertising network that provided me with some good high revenue campaigns but payments were slow coming and eventually the company were offering less and less advertising campaigns. This was when I decided to apply to join Mode Media (previously known as Glam media) - a popular ad network for a lot of beauty & fashion blogs in the U.S and US. Mode Media provide the fairly large wrap around ads that you see on my blog and give sponsored posts opportunities (I haven't participated in these so far due to the high criteria that needs to be met). The size of the ads may not be for some however if you are looking to make a living from blogging then it may be an avenue you want to go down. 

Other (less reliable) income streams to consider - Sponsored post (always make sure to give no-follow links to stay in-line with Google guidelines), private ads (commonly placed in the sidebar), blogger ads (giving fellow bloggers advertising space at a lower rate).  


If you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the comments!

Fee xo. 

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NOTD - Barry M Superdrug 50th Birthday Limited Edition Nail Polish


BarryM_Superdrug_50th_Birthday_swatches

Superdrug have recently been celebrating their 50th birthday and to do that they have teamed up with a selection of their bestselling brands and released some limited edition products! 

The one thing that caught my eye from the array of limited edition products was the special Barry M Pink Glitter Nail Polish (Superdrug online here, also included in the 3 for 2 offer) which I knew instantly I had to get. Not only because it may be the girliest nail polish I've come across, but because I love special limited edition products that won't be around forever, plus it was a bargain at £2.99. 

Barry_M_Superdrug_50th_Birthday 

 As you can see the nail polish packs some punch in the glitter department, consisting of a fine shimmery base, small white glittery pieces and pink, purple and white larger matte sequin glitter. This combined with the vivid pink jelly base gives such glittery girly nails that really stand out. Also I love the layered look to the nail polish, with the first layer of glitter being still visible through the finished nails

Application is a breeze taking a standard 3 coats, though you could definitely get away with 2 coats that would give a lighter pink finish or even apply just a single coat over a solid pink base. 

This really is a unique glitter nail polish in the Barry M range but I also really cannot think of a similar nail polish by any other brand. 

Without a doubt worth picking up if you love the look of it and want a girly pink to adorn your fingers this summer. 

Fee xo.

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Fast Face Favourites


Fast_face_favs

I'm one of those people that whether I have 5 minutes or 2 hours I will take that amount of time to do my makeup, no standard 20 minute routine here. This means that most of the time I take forever (which I enjoy!) but I have the advantage of being able to do my makeup in a flash if needs be.

Below are products that help me achieve a speedy makeup look (we are talking under 3 minutes here!) without looking like I've just rolled out of bed. These are products that apply with speed and ease, requiring no makeup brushes or extra products such as eyelash curlers and powder that would hinder my 3 minute routine.

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Max Factor Xperience Weightless Foundation 
£7.99 - Boots/Superdrug
First up, foundation. When in a rush applying foundation with a brush is out of the question so going for a foundation that is easy to blend with finger tips is what you're looking for. BB Creams would seem like the best option but they can be hit and miss I've found as they can be quick thick sometimes. So instead I like to go for a light but good coverage foundation. My favourite has to be Max Factor Xperience which is beyond light but does give coverage, enough for me to even skip concealer. I also love the colour range with some super light shades that are fairly neutral, giving a very natural finish. I also highly recommend Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (£9.99 - Boots here), again a light foundation that is so easy to apply and blend with just your fingers.

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Bourjois Shimmering Shine Eyeshadow -  £2.99 Amazon here 
Rimmel Colour Mouse Eyeshadow - Under £3 from eBay
Bare eyelids for me is just something I can't do even when in a rush. If I'm wearing makeup my eyes need to stand out, especially as I'm a glasses wearer. Powder eyeshadow that require blending is out the window here as it would of course take too long and there's a risk of fall out and not blending it enough. Which is were liquid eyeshadow comes in! Above are two of my favourites that take seconds to apply and blend with fingertips. I also find that due to their metallic nature there's no need for a crease colour as the natural shadows that come from the metallic finish are enough and really do look pretty. If fact whenever I use a liquid eyeshadow when time is of the essence I also wonder why I don't use them more often as they are simply stunning. 

Benefit_Gimme_Brow_review

Benefit Gimme Brow (in light)
£17.50 - Look Fantastic here
Next up is brows which is normally a 5 minute affair with multiple products for me. I put this down to having super fair brows but again it's just because I like to take my time when I'm applying my makeup. Multiple products and excessive faffy are definitely a no-no here, you simply want to brush through your brows with something that will give them definition and keep them looking neat. This is were Benefit Gimme Brow comes in and does that job in seconds. The tinted brow gel can be easily brushed through the brows with the handy tapered brush to give a groomed effect in seconds. This is also great for giving the appearance of fully looking brows so other products just aren't needed. 

Loreal_miss_manga_review

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara
£8.99 - Boots here
Mascara is without a doubt a personal choice especially as everyones lashes are different. But my main suggestion when in a rush is to go for something that you find easy to apply! This isn't the time for poking yourself in the eye with an over sized brush or getting a nice blob of mascara on your eyelid due to an over-wet formula. It's also definitely not time to be giving a new mascara a try, something I realised last month with a mascara that seemed to take forever to dry and then I went and sneezed *facepalm*. At the moment my go-to mascara is L'Oreal Miss Manga which is a surprising choice for me as I'm not generally a fan of even medium sized brushes however the tapered shape really works with the not too dry or too wet formula. 

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Revlon Baby Sticks
Discontinued but can be found for £3.45 (free p&p) on eBay here!
Last but not least, lips and cheeks. This is an ideal time for picking a multi-use product. This saves on time but also I feel ties in the look that bit more. Revlon Baby Sticks are a great foolproof way to get both jobs done in seconds, a swipe along the cheeks which needs to be dabbed out to look natural and the same with the lips to give a hint of colour. Alternatively a matte lip crayon works just as well with Models Own Lip Stix (£5.00 - Superdrug here) being my favourite to use for this purpose. 

What are your own fast face favs? 

Fee xo.

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Ciate Beach House Collection Set


Ciate_Beach_House_collection_review

With summer just around the corner (fingers crossed) Ciate have gone and done it again, creating an irresistible seasonal gift set for nail lovers. Much like Ciate's Doll's House Collection - here, launched in February this year, this is a set of 5 mini Ciate nail polishes housed in an ultra cute beach hut which is hands down the most creative packaging I have seen in a long while! 

Dare I wonder if there will be a Christmas Log Cabin Collection to create a little row of magical nail polish houses?!

Ciate Beach House Collection is an exclusive to Selfridges costing £20.00 here, containing 4 mini summer shades and a mini glitter top coat. These can of course be worn alone, mix and match, with an accent glitter nail or with the glitter top coat, making this quite a versatile set. Plus the mini sizes are ideal for summer getaways!

Ciate_Beach_House_gift_set 

Polishes include - Pepperminty (see above), Knickerbocker Glory (fuchsia) , Hopscotch (vivid orange), Amazing Gracie (light pink nude) and Party Shoes (seen above).

 As with all Ciate nail polishes the five shades apply evenly and require only 2 coats. For how long they last before chipping I generally start to see tip wear first and that is without a top coat which is pretty good.
Unlike Ciate's Doll's House Collection, were I wasn't keen on the porcelain finish to the nail polishes, this collection corrects this. Glossy finishes for all polishes plus a glitter top coat to transform all shades and Ciate have even gone and fixed the awkward lid/door fastening by using a magnetic close this time round.

However I do get a slight sense that Ciate are re-using a few minis with this collection as shades such as Pepperminty and Party Shoes could be seen in the Ciate Christmas 2013 Mini Mani Month Calender. Which is fine as all the shades are summer appropriate but unlike the Doll's House collection I really don't feel all shades could be worn at the same time for a mismatch effect that would look good.


All round a nice treat for summer that will update your summer nail polish wardrobe and look great displayed on a shelf or desk! 

Fee xo.

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Currently Loving...


currently loving

May has been an amazing month for loving so many products - new and old. From trusty re-purchases to getting my hands on lots of raved about products that I've fallen head over heels in love with. 

No doubt this will mean a two part Beauty Favourites at the end of the month so I thought I'd minimise the length of it now by talking about four products I'm currently loving.

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L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer in Light 
£8.49 - Boots here 
Finally a pretty close dupe for YSL Touche Eclat that I can use till my heart's content and not have to worry about the price tag! This beautiful rose gold pen-style concealer hasn't left my makeup routine for the past 3 weeks now as I discovered it to be the best and quickest way to highlight my face before I contour with bronzer. In a way I feel the title of 'concealer' is incorrect as it really doesn't cover much though it does illuminate under the eyes well and can be used over a high coverage concealer. Which is why I started to use it as a highlighter pen over the high points of my face. This literally goes everywhere - cheekbones, down my nose, under my eyes in a triangle shape, along my brow bones and the smalled dab on my cupid's bow, then I simply blend it all out with my finger tips or a fluffy brush. The effect this gives is so brightening making it the perfect non-shimmery highlighter for anyone with a dull or red complexion.


Bourjois BB Bronzing Cream 8-in-1
On Offer £6.99 - Boots/Superdrug here
 To make the most of my foundations I've long since discovered a  staple white foundation and a liquid bronzer are needed to make any foundation shade lighter or darker. Now that we're into spring I'm back to adding a touch of bronzer to warm up my foundations which is working perfectly. However I've also been using the Bourjois Bronzing Cream on foundation-free days as I have found it to even out my skin tone and adds a subtle warmth to my face as it's such a light gel/cream that soaks into the skin plus is gives SPF15 coverage. This may seem daunting in the bottle but I've been amazed at how lightweight and versatile it actually is.
 
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L'Oreal EverRiche Nourishing & Taming Shampoo
£5.10 - Feel Unique here 
This is a shampoo I have mentioned countless times but I really can't help myself! Over the past few years I've made more of an effort with haircare and stopped picking up whatever shampoo is on offer or Buy One Get One Free. This initially made me believe I had to spend a lot more on shampoo to avoid Sulphates and other nasties but I then discovered this shampoo which really rivalled all the high end shampoos I'd tried. Unlike most shampoos this is a white creamy gel that lathers up a treat with an amazing scent and instantly leaves the hair feeling hydrated even before conditioner! A must try if you have dry/damaged hair that you want to correct over time.

HealGel Intensive 
£37.50 - Feel Unique here  
When it comes to skin care I'm very much about keeping things affordable but after finally achieving much clearer skin with some great high street products (I swear by Superfacialist, Organic Surge, La Roche Posay and Avene) I decided to concentrate on clearing up old scarring from spots. This is where HealGel came in and after 2-3 months of directly applying it to my chin and nose I really can say it has faded all the little marks so much, in fact I now feel I can skip foundation somedays! Yes, pricey but if this removes most of the scarring I've had for the past 6 years it is worth it's weigh in gold to me! 

Loads more beauty favourites to come at the end of the month! 

Fee xo.

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Catch up - Holiday Ramble, Personalised Makeup & A New Blog!


Catch_up

I'm back, I'm back! 
To ease myself back in to blogging, as it seems like I've been gone for way more than just a week, I thought I would write a rambly catch up post. 

Holiday
  First up my lovely holiday! This time last week I would have been either eating breakfast al fresco or already sunning myself on the beach with a book. This gives me a serious case of wanderlust as it was all over too quickly, but it was just what I needed. For the first time in my adult life I managed to fly without anxiety... in fact I even enjoyed the flight (giving myself a bit of a pamper mid-flight and watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) which started off my holiday on such positive note. Lanzarote (specifically Costa Teguise) is a perfect holiday destination and one I will be returning to next year.

Treats to me.... from me! 
 A holiday isn't without a few treats and even though prices for cosmetics/fragrance are generally slightly higher in the Canary Islands I manage to pick up Roberto Cavalli Just Cavalli for €20: a fragrance I've wanted to pick up for the last year. Truly tacky bottle but such a lovely scent.

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Personalised Hoola 
 Just before going on holiday I received a wonderful parcel from Benefit containing my own personalised Hoola Bronzer?! I may have stared at it for a good 5 minutes.... I mean seriously, how cool? This of course went on holiday with me and got used daily. I've had so much love for matte bronzers recently so I'm sure there will be a post on my favourites very soon.

 A Week in the World of Beauty 
On arriving home I realised just how fast the beauty industry moves at. I missed the launches and sell outs of two incredible beauty boxes - the Selfridges Beauty Product Box and British Beauty Blogger's 3rd beauty box with Latest in Beauty. Models Own launched two new shades in their Fruit Pastel collection - Peach Melba and Coconut Cream here and a new top coat to the HyperGel collection here. Plus I also came home to discover Makeup Savvy had made Look Magazines Top 20 Beauty Blogs?! Whaaaaaaaaaa! Month, made.

Book Savvy
  
Feeling motivated and a new blog!
  Whilst on holiday I was laptop-free which actually encouraged me to relax and indulge in my love of reading. It also made me want to jot down ideas with an actual pen... anyone else nearly forget how to write because typing 99.5% is just so much easier? For up coming posts on Makeup Savvy and new projects. Just writing down ideas motivated me so much and after speeding through 3 books in 7 days it seemed the right time to create the book blog I had been umming and ahhing about for the past 6 months. So as soon as I got home Book Savvy was created!

  I have quite a bit to do on it but you can see the bare bones of it here. I'm so excited for this but also nervous as grammar/writing aren't my strong points but I absolutely love reading and discussing books so I'm not letting these niggles hold me back. I'm hoping Book Savvy will be a place for mainly contemporary fiction and bestseller reviews plus lots of book related posts! 

I think I'm all caught up now. Beauty posts back on track as of tomorrow! 

Fee xo.

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Off on Holiday!


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Tomorrow I'm off on holiday! So I thought I'd write this short post just in case anyone wonders why there is a lack of blog posts next week.

For once I decided to not try to be wonder woman and schedule blog posts a head of time but just prepare for my holiday and not go away too stressed - I can get quite anxious if I have too much going on and I don't love flying/travelling. So I'm putting health and happiness first which I'm sure you will understand! 

I'm going on a beach holiday so I've stocked up on sunscreen like a crazy woman and I'm taking 3 books for 7 days! eeppp. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Paper Town by John Green and The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer. I'm a book junkie at the moment so if you have read any of those please let me know how you got on with them in the comments... a summer book post will be coming shortly I'm sure. 

Back soon with lots of new posts! 

Fee xo. 

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New Makeup Storage from Tesco!


Tesco_flower_storage

Last month I randomly discovered some pretty stationary storage boxes in Tesco for only £12.00 each (Tesco Direct - here) and instantly decided they had to be my new makeup storage solutions instead of the Muji Drawers I was planning on purchasing.

The pretty navy floral storage box consists of two deep drawers and even though constructed out of cardboard are super sturdy, so I knew I would be able to store quite a lot in them. Still this didn't stop me purchasing two as I wanted to be sure I had enough storage... and finally I do!

Tesco_fredricks_storage

Instead of stacking the storage boxes likes my Muji Acrylic Drawers I decided to place them side by side as it looked better that way and easier to reach. As I had 4 large drawers to fill that could be messy as I liked I decided to fill the nearest set of drawers to where I sit and do my makeup with makeup products and the right hand side of drawers with skincare. 

Top drawer - Lip products
For the top drawer I decided to storage some of my favourite high end lipsticks - quite a few Clarins, MAC and others. Then on the other side a selection of lip crayons as I really can't get enough of them at the moment! Lip crayons/sticks are a product that I really don't think you need to pay a lot for so these are all high street ones.

Bottom drawer - Bronzers/Palettes
 More of a full drawer that houses a lot of my favourite palettes and larger bronzers. This made buying the storage drawers so worth it as finally I have somewhere to store larger palettes, even the large Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. To the front of the drawer I have 2 amazing products from the Kiko Life in Rio collection - the large bronzer is amazing (I'm sure I will be featuring it soon), palettes from NYX and Laura Mercier, plus my trusty HD Brows quad palette that is so multi-purpose. At the back of the drawer I have both the UD Naked 2 palette and Naked Basics palette, a Kiko eyeshadow palette I love and Bourjois Bronzing Powder which is another favourite.

Tesco_Rose_storage 

For my skincare drawers these are nearly packed full but hold everything I need and more! Skincare products have always been something that didn't fit in my Muji clear drawers so I was sadly storing it all in multiple mismatch beauty boxes I'd collected that always looked messy. But finally I have somewhere to hide it all away!

Top drawer - Daily Skincare
This contains all my skincare favourites that I use in my daily skincare routine. The main bulk of the drawer is taken up with serums and moisturisers - No7, Bioderm, Heal Gel, Kiko, La Roche Posay and The Body Shop. Then to the back I keep eye cooling products, my favourite gel eyedrops from Lumecare, a sample pot of eye cream from Benefit and randomly some Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix pads. Then in the left corner I have a few of my favourite spot treatments. 

Bottom drawer - Extra Skincare
My skincare junk drawer here that I will dip into when I want to use something different or my skin requires something more moisturising. This contains mainly serums and moisturisers, a few eye creams and targeted skin care pens for pigmentation and fine lines. 

The storage drawers have really transformed my makeup desk and I'm finding it so much easier to keep it neat and tidy being able to store so much out of sight now. 

A purchase I'm really pleased with! 

Fee xo.

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Lifestyle Favourites - April 2014


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After last months Non-Beauty Favourites where I talked about all my random favourites of the past month I decided I would keep up these posts as I love so much more than just makeup! 

Again I have a random mix of things that cheered up a very rainy April.

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Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
£7.03 - Amazon here 
This was a book that I was hesitant to start because I just couldn't imagine loving it from the synopsis. But with all the great reviews I thought I had to give it a chance. Within a weekend I had fallen in love with both main characters and finished the book. The reason why I think I loved the book so much and why it's had such rave reviews is how realistic the characters personalities are and how their relationship naturally developed. This is a tender and heartfelt read that finished too soon for me and would recommend it to anyone that loved The Fault in our Stars by John Green. Also loved that the book was set in the 80's with lots of music band references, Eleanor's quirky style and without the internet in sight!

90's Movies - Mrs Doubtfire/ My Girl 
£3.00 each - Amazon here & here
One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday is to watch a retro film that I use to love when I was younger. Last month I watched both My Girl and Mrs Doubtfire, two films I hadn't watched in a long time and I loved them both just as much! Mrs Doubtfire is such a funny film that had me laughing out loud and My Girl was even my gut wrenchingly sad than I remembered. I'm now building up a collection of all my old favourites and the good thing is they only cost £3-4 on Amazon! Next on my list to watch/buy - Big, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and Beethoven.

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Primark Necklace 
£3.00 - In-store now 
Primark was a favourite in April as I managed to fit in three trips for lots of holiday clothes but my favourite buy was this necklace! I mean just look how pretty it is?! And it was only £3 - what a bargain. Primark's jewellery section I feel has gone down hill in the last year however there still are gems to be found, such as this one. I can never decide if I suit gold or silver jewellery so the mixed metal element of the necklace is great for me and it will go with other jewellery I'm wearing. This looks great over t-shirts and with vest tops and I know I will get a lot of wear out of it this summer. 

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Charbonnel et Walker Pink Champagne Truffles
£10.00 - John Lewis here 
Never did I think I'd have expensive taste in chocolates but then I tried a tiny box of 3 Champagne Truffles from Charbonnel et Walker in a heart shaped box (great to give as a gift) and it was true love! Ever since I have been asking for a box every Birthday and Christmas. However I amazingly came across a reduced box in Tesco for only £5?! I've never been a fan of alcoholic chocolates but these are just perfection and so rich. These only lasted two days but I savoured every single one!

King Velvet Crunch - Salt & Malt Vinegar/Cheese & Spring Onion
£1.59/6 pack - Tesco here or Asda
From indulgent truffles to healthy crisps! Since trying to lose weight normal crisp have been off the menu so I have been opting for my lower fat/carb favourites. Velvet Crunch crisps are the only low fat crisps I've found to not taste low in fat but like a normal tasty snack. My favourites have to be Salt & Malt or Cheese & Onion though there is a Thai Sweet Chilli flavour which are good. At only 83 calories a packet I really don't feel guilty reaching for them with either my lunch or as a snack... in fact I have a bag of these most days.

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Woman & Home Magazine 
£3.99 - Any Supermarket/Newsagent
In the last year I have really cut down on the number of magazines I buy mainly because have become more expensive (I'd rather spend £4 on a new book) and they contain more ads than ever! However Red magazine remains my favourite and now I'm also back to loving Woman & Home magazine. W&H is aimed at an older audience but I find the content is a lot more interesting and varied, with more pages on books, travel, food and interiors than other woman's magazines. Worth having a flick through when doing your food shopping if you like magazines with a lot of content to read.

Other random favourites - Spotify, new season of Game of Thrones, Fargo - TV series on Channel 4, Happy by Pharrell and Asos Rewards as I've already earnt £5 off in points! 

Hope you've enjoy my random lifestyle favourites for last month! 

Fee xo.

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5 Random Blogs Worth Bookmarking


Blogs to follow 

With near to 500 followed blogs on my Bloglovin' account it's sure to say I'm blog obsessed! I of course read a lot of beauty blogs but I also follow a huge range of other blogs from lifestyle, to food blogs and I'm forever on the look out for good book blogs to read.

So today I thought I would share with you some of the blogs I follow that really are bookmark worthy...

Bookswept 
Bookswept is a book blog with a simple and clear concept that I love. Taking quotes from books she has read, Yuri pairs them with a simple image to note down and remember each book she has read. I love the idea of this alone but as blog reader of Bookswept this gives a keyhole look inside each book that makes you either want to find out more and read the book or to more on and read another quote. I also find I always have Amazon open along side this blog!

Wonder Forest 
Dana, blogger of Wonder Forest, has to be one of the most creative people I have come across, she is literally creative woman wonder of the internet! This shines through each post on Wonder Forest whether it's a DIY project, a personal post or technology related. Dana just oozes creativity and somehow inspires me to be more creative through her posts. A beautiful blog to check out and enjoy. 

Nubby Twiglet  
Another super creative and interesting design blog that never fails to teach me something new. Nubby Twiglet is packed full of varied posts and great photography making it a blog I always check up on every few days. 

Katie Cakes
Much like cookbooks I read most food blogs without the intention of ever trying a recipe out! However Katie Cakes has been the only blog to pull me out of this cycle and actually cook some of the recipes I discover. With simple recipes that don't require a thousand different ingredients or too much skill there is always something I want to try from Katie's blog. Plus her food photography and baking skills are something to swoon and drool over.

Desire To Inspire 
My ultimate interior design blog here that is jam-packed full of inspiration. This is a blog I've been reading for over 4 years now and has provided me with so many ideas for my own home. My favourite series has to be 'Pets on Furniture' which my little dog Ruby will feature in one day! 

Hopefully you have discovered a few new blogs here! 

Fee xo.

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Beauty Favourites - April 2014


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I feel this post should be called 'Budget Spring Beauty Favourites' because last month I started reaching for so many products that felt perfect for the nicer weather. I also tried out a handul of new low-cost products and fell in love with them! 

A few gems not to be missed here... 

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Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Peach Lights 
£3.00 - Superdrug here and MR site here
After falling in love with the pretty MUA Highlighter last year I really didn't think I could love any budget highlighter more. But then Peach Lights Vivid Baked Highlighter from the recently launched brand, Makeup Revolution came in to my life and it was love at first swatch! This soft glowy highlighter has been an everyday staple for a few weeks now as the shade is just spot on.... not too frosty or too white, just soft and illuminating with a subtle tint of peach to warm it up. The packaging is also sturdy and the embossed finish as you can see is just beautiful. I really can't believe the price of it for how pretty it is. You can also find the highlighter in 2 other shades here.

Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heels
£7.00 - Topshop here 
When spring/summer arrives out come my cream products - blush, eye shadows, highlighters... you name it. There is just something about cream products that feels so weightless and light. So naturally the Topshop Cream Blushers started to see more love with Head Over Heels being my favourite last month. This is one of my favourite coral blushers as it adds subtle colour to the cheeks without any shimmer or being too bold. I've also enjoyed using the blusher due to the wonderful cream to powder finish which blends a dream and makes it last all day long on the skin.

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Kiko Exotic Shine Lipstick in Amazon Red 04 from 'Life in Rio' Collection 
£8.50 - Kiko here 
 A new lipstick here that ticked all the boxes for me and I'm sure will be a favourite every month through spring and summer. In general I'm such a fan of Kiko lip products but this lipstick is just beyond perfection for me. The product is described as combining the intensity and the ease of application of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss with the comfort of a balm... and I couldn't agree more! The pigmentation is just incredible with a finish that looks dewy. As for the shade itself, it is such a bold choice for me but due to the moisturising formula it just looks amazing on. The Exotic Shine lipsticks very much remind me of the Clarins Rouge Eclat Lipstick range, £19.50 each, in pigmentation, finish and even down to the luxe looking stylo packaging/lipstick. 

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer in Light 
£8.49 - Boots here 
My budget answer to the pricey YSL Touche Eclat. Unlike Touche Eclat I don't need to worry about how much I'm using and love to properly highlight my entire face when I'm wanting a radiant look to my skin. I apply this literally everywhere after foundation - alone my cheekbones, under my eyes in a 'V' shape, down the bridge of my nose and the smallest amount on my cupid bow and brow arches. I then blend this out with a small fluffy brush to give a such a brighten look to my skin. If you are blessed with minimal darkness/veins under the eyes then this would work as a lovely brightening concealer however for most this won't cut it, but makes an extremely nice brightening highlighter without any sign of shimmer.

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Kiko Sun Show Nail Lacquer in Quindium Gold 467
£5.90 - Kiko here 
Maybe a little early for this shade but once I tried out for the first time last month I loved it so much I wore it for a week solid, which for me is a long time! Unfortunately my nail swatch above doesn't show off the duo chrome finish to it's best, but this is such a interesting gold/rose gold shade that catches the light beautifully. I could also imagine this looking even more amazing with a tan.

Revlon Colorstay Nail Polish in Buttercup 
£7.99 - Superdrug here 
Sunshine in a bottle with Revlon Buttercup! This is one happy nail polish that has been my favourite spring shade to wear lately. Creamy and smooth the Colorstay formula applies a dream making the lemon shade appear glossy and soft but with enough pigment to look bright and sunny on the nails.

Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely 30ml EDP Perfume 
£9.95 - Amazon here 
Lovely by SJP is one of my main scents I associate with Spring so it felt only right that I treated myself to a small bottle come the end of March (though I'm not sure why I didn't go for the 100ml option for only £5 more?!). To me this is a powdery floral scent that feels very feminine and delicate and a fragrance I really would describe as 'lovely'. This has been my go-to scent most days and I've just been enjoying wearing it so much lately. Also love the elegant bottle and of course the amazing budget price! 

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Lavera Basis Hand Cream 75ml 
£6.33 - Amazon here
Another product that I pulled out come nicer weather, which may seem odd as it's only hand cream, but this has to be the freshest smelling and feeling hand creams I've tried. When I use this I strangely realise how in need of moisturising my hands were as my skin instantly feels better and almost awake feeling! I may not be making a lot of sense here but this specific hand cream is the only one I've had this soothing feeling with, which is why it's such a favourite. Slightly pricey for a hand cream but worth it if you do get dry hands.

The Body Shop Shea Butter Body Butter 50ml 
Full size 200ml £13.00 - The Body Shop here  
With summer and my holiday fast approaching I have been using as many lotions and potions as I can on my skin for the past 2 months. The skin on my arms and legs generally gets neglected over winter so hard work needs to be put in to get it looking nice and soft and The Body Shop Body Butters are one of my favourite super moisturising products to use. This is just a small size from a gift set of the beautiful Shea Butter Body Butter that is subtle but yummy in scent and soaks in to the skin amazingly well.

Tresemme Keratin Smooth 60 Second Treatment Shot 
£1.49 - Boots/Superdrug 
Last but not least a quick pre-treatment I have been using on dry hair before getting in the shower. With dry ends this has been another added treatment that takes no time at all but smooths down frizz dry ends. This isn't a wonder product but a good deep conditioner that I feel I will keep up using when my hair is feeling dry.

Hope you have enjoyed my Spring themed favourites! 

Fee xo.

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Oh My Haul - Superdrug April/May 2014


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Superdrug isn't a place I often shop, mainly because when I'm shopping there seems to be a Boots closer by than a Superdrug. However after months and months of wanting a few products from MUA and the Sleek Contour Kit I decided to place an online order. 

I strictly only shop online where there is free delivery so I was glad to see Superdrug now offer free delivery over £10 orders! I filled my basket with so many great products that I thought I would share my online shopping with you. 

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Amazing Barry M Nail Polishes
Ahhhhh Barry, you have gone and done it again! I feel we need to take a moment of silence to just appreciate just how beautiful these three nail polishes are. I mean which is a girl to try out first?! The new Barry M Aquarium collection had me wanting them all but I decided to be savvy and look for swatches and then knew I only need Arabian (£3.99 here) and Treasure Chest (£3.99 here). These are just two unique polishes that I know I will be in love with over summer... I also adore the golden fish scale tops. 

As for the special Barry M Pink Glitter (£2.99 here) this is a limited edition for Superdrug's 50th Birthday, so I knew it would be hard to find in a few months, so I snapped it up as my free product in the 3 for 2 offer. This is like a jelly sandwich nail effect (where you sandwich a glitter nail polish in between a base coat and top coat of a sheer jelly nail polish) in a bottle that is super girly and fun!

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Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light 
£6.49 here 
After reading a post by Andrew from Beauty and The Boy on his favourite drugstore products and spotting the Sleek Contour Kit was one of this picks, I wondered how I still hadn't got my hand on it! I love Sleek products and contouring but many a time I have looked for the contour kit in Superdug and it's forever sold out. So I was more than pleased to see it in stock online. I really have high hopes for this especially as Andrew knows his stuff!

Palmer's Strong Roots Spray 
£3.49 here
I couldn't resist at least one impulse buy with a product I have heard zero about. This unique product is actually a spritz for your scalp once you have washed your hair which aims to aid circulation and energises the scalp. The scent of this is also really different with the traditional Palmer's coconut scent mixed with mint. I'll be sure to review this once I've properly tried it out.

L'Oreal Ever Riche Nourishing & Taming Shampoo 
£5.99 here
As I placing an online order I thought I would repurchase my favourite shampoo as I know I will be running out of it soon enough. This has to be the most perfect high street shampoos I have ever tried. Most importantly for me it is SLS-free but it's also so nourishing on dry hair, foams a dream and smells like a heavenly coconut/sensual fragrance. I'm always tempted to try the other shampoos in the same range but this is just so perfect I don't want to stray from it.

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MUA Undress Your Skin Illuminating Foundation in Porcelain
Reduced £3.00 here
 Finally a new MUA purchase! This has been a foundation that I have wanted to try for so many months now but again, on my rare trips to Superdrug it has always been sold out. So far I have just given it a quick try on one side of my face... I like to do this initially with foundations to compare how much better it makes my skin look and how different or similar it is to my natural skin colour. This thankfully is quite a good match for my skin which is fairly pale, it does have a yellow undertone but a lot less so than Bourjois foundations. The main thing I noticed was how this covers redness really well and is also quite similar to a BB cream but with a slightly higher coverage. I can see this being a winner! Review to come I'm sure.

MUA Power Pout Lipstick in Rendezvous 
£3.00 here
After being obsessed with two of the brighter shades in the Power Pout range I decided I needed more in my life and to try out the nude shade. However this may be the strangest lip product I have come across in that it is nothing like the colour of the product in the packaging. I was expecting a nude tint but on the lips this is most definitely a muted pink shade. I even looked at the tip of the lip crayon to see if there was a more pink tone revealed after using the top layer... but no. I wish I had swatched this now just to show what I'm babbling on about. Still a lovely shade but nothing like what I was expecting. 
 

Nail posts featuring the Barry M nail polishes to come soon! 

Fee xo.

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