W7 Bronzing Base or Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base Dupe!


W7_Bronzing_Base

W7 seems to be the copycat brand of the beauty industry and for that reason I've always had a love/hate relationship with it. But now and then their prices and products do lure me in which is exactly what happened with the new Makeup & Glow Bronzing Base that jumped out at me as a much cheaper alternative to Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base. 

Much like Soleil Tan De Chanel (£32/30g), W7 Make Up & Glow Bronzing Base (£3.69/35g - Amazon here) is a solid cream that is best used with a buffing brush or kabuki and can be used under or over foundation for a bronzed look. This lightweight cream is ideal for matching your face with your body in summer or just adding a matte bronzed look to the skin, which is what I love it for. However much like the Chanel Bronzing Base only a little in needed to avoid that oompa lumpa effect as it is such a pigmented product!

Chanel_Universal_Bronzing_Makeup_Base_Dupe 

With quite fair skin this amazingly still works however a light stipple with a buffing brush is enough so I imagine the base to work well for fair-medium and slightly tanned skin and could definitely be built up without looking heavy at all.

In general I use powder bronzers for contouring/bronzing (favourites are Benefit Hoola and Sleek Contour Kit) however I feel a bronzing cream like this really does buff into the skin well making it last all day on the skin and can be blending so it truly looks like your own skin without a powdery finish. 

Overall for £3.69 - Amazon here, or £3.99 - eBay here I feel this is more than worth it to try out a different type of bronzer that I believe most will love.

I'm so glad I decided to try it and know it will be a staple in my makeup routine until Autumn.

Fee xo.  

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Sad Skin Saviours


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Finally back to blogging and sharing the first images from my new camera lens - so impressed with it (this is the lens I went for if anyone is interested)!

To get back into blogging I thought I'd talk skincare (and a bit of makeup of course) and how I overcame a recent 'skin blip' as I like to call it. Remember my "Are Makeup Wipes Really That Bad?" post? Where I was singing the praises of my favourite makeup wipes and musing how I thought they weren't bad for the skin in moderation. Well I didn't listen to my own advise and became ultra lazy with my skincare and yup, you guessed it, my skin went from clear and balanced to over oily and spotty! 

So here is a look into the products I used to get my skin back on track with not a makeup wipe in sight! 

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Skincare 
A good skincare routine is the most foolproof way to get your skin back in order. From past experience I opt for natural products that are effective when it comes to cleansing and treatments; too many harsh chemicals just strips the skin and make it produce even more oil. But then I do go for more astringent targeted products such as for my toner and spot treatment as I feel that is needed to speed up the skin recovery time for horrible blemishes.
  Unrelated to skincare I also always drink more water as that improves my skin no end! 

Superfacialist Vitamin C Skin Renew Cleansing Oil 
£10.99/200ml - Boots here
Cleansing is such a big deal when it comes to clear skin. So I went straight back to one of my favourite cleansers that is so lightweight but so thorough at removing all makeup. I also enjoy using it due to the orange-y scent and lightweight feel, making it a product I want to use rather than it feeling like a chore. On non-makeup days (which I tried to have more of) I also made sure to still cleanse my face with Organic Surge Daily Care Face Wash £4.36/200ml - Amazon here, which is free from SLS/SLES and gentle.

Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask 
£1.50/ 3 sachets - Amie website here (no longer at Boots arghhh)
When my skin is overly oily and spotty I feel clay masks work so well at removing excess oil from my pores and just making my skin feel and look better. The Amie Cooling Clay Mask is a lovely summer mask to use however I have a nasty feeling it's being discontinued as it's so hard to find both on and offline. However my next favourite clay mask is the Mudd Original Mask £4.27/50ml - Amazon here as it's the most amazing mask for removing oil from the pores and pulling out blackheads! When my skin is looking and feeling rubbish I make sure to use a face mask 2-3 that week. 
 
Bioderma Sebium H2o Micelle Solution 
£3.59/100ml or £7.99/250ml  On Offer - Escentual here
After cleansing I always like to follow-up with a toner/micellar water and I really feel this is a two-in-one product. This removes all cleansing oil residue plus any remaining makeup that is left on my skin, plus helping to reduce oil production. I love both the L'Oreal and Garnier micellar waters but I feel this just goes that extra step when my skin isn't at it's best. 

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 
£11.50/13g travel size - Beauty Cow here
This is a product that's been in my routine for years now and something I use more frequently when I have a breakout. This is basically a powder exfoliator that isn't abrasive to the skin but removes dead skin cells extremely well. I now rarely use beaded face scrubs as this product does the job but without making my skin red or irritated. Simply dust the powder onto wet hands and rub over the face - I like to use this in the shower at least once a week and more if I have blemishes to keep them from looking dry and flaky from using spot treatments. 

Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel 
£15.00/10ml - Boots here (or Origins stands in Selfridges)
Holy grail product here that I've mentioned so many times now, but trust me it's for good reason. This little pot is my saviour when horrible unsightly spots crop up. A day or two of using this over each blemish and they will be on their way out! Really do not let the tiny sized bottle put you off as this is worth it's weight in gold and really does last such a long time due to the little that is required. If you haven't yet found a spot treatment that works for you then really try this!

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Makeup 
Skincare does eventually sort out bad skin however in the meantime we do have to be seen by the world however bad our skin is! When I have just a few blemishes I make sure to concealer them as best I can then go light with the rest of my base/makeup to look fresh faced. However for my recent skin blip I just felt my skin looked overall 'bluergh' with more red pigmentation, oiliness and blemishes galore! So here is what I used to create a more high coverage flawless base... 

Seventeen Stay Time Foundation
£6.49/30ml - Boots here 
A true full coverage foundation that lasts on the skin all day long! This is a thick waxy feeling foundation that took some getting use to (I love my lighter than light foundations generally) but used sparingly with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush it gives a perfect finish that pretty much conceals all redness and blemishes. I reserve this for my worst skin days as it truly is full coverage and does the job over hiding my skins imperfections so well.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 
£4.19 - Boots here
Another holy grail product here and the only product I conceal my spots with. If you haven't tried this out yet then really, why not? This is a favourite of so many bloggers as it's such a great full coverage concealer that doesn't look cakey or heavy on the skin. I generally just blend this into the skin with my fingers but when my skin is looking not so great I use a clean fluffy blending brush so not to pick up any of the concealer and to give a perfect finish over blemishes.

Clarins Mineral Loose Powder 
£24.00/30g On Offer - Escentual here
To finish off my base I always make sure to set with a powder, generally it's a translucent powder to just prevent an oily T-zone but when I have blemished skin I always reach for my favourite Clarins powder that literally transforms my skin. The loose powder gives a diffused velvet finish that even feels velvety to the touch and just transforms the skin so much that I always end up buffing it over my entire face. 

So there you have it! All the wonderful products I use to combat rubbish breakouts. 
 
What products do you turn to when you suffer from blemishes/bad skin days?

Fee xo.

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Blog Photography Q&A #1


Beauty_Blog_Photography_tips 

One thing I love most about blogging is actually taking the images, there's just something about bright, interesting photos to accompany a post that I love! So today while my camera is ironically broken I thought I would answer some blog photography questions a few of you asked me! 


Q - What lighting setup do you use? 
 Claire & Nic - Agent Smyth
A - I can't actually say I have a lighting setup as I only use natural light from a window (occasionally outside in summer months) as you really can't beat daylight. I've tried various daylight bulbs (which give off a white light making them good for product photography) in winter which did work okay but I didn't like the harsh tone or shadows to my photos - probably with a better set up of two lamps with daylight bulbs in them would have helped but it's just not the same as natural day light. For really grey days I actually place a large piece of white card on to a window sill and photograph from there, also a mirror to the side with shadow can help. 


Q - I have the Canon 600d & I’d like to have the blurry background to my photos, how do I got about doing it?
A - The easiest way to get a shallow depth of field (basically a blurred background) on Auto is to change the position of the subject, bringing the object you are photographing farther away from the background. So if you held up a lipstick with the background quite far away the lipstick would be in-focus and the background would be blurred, or you could stand up products with a back drop (maybe your makeup storage) to get the same effect. But if you placed products directly on a surface everything will be in focus. Another simple-ish way to alter the depth of field is changing from Auto mode to Av/A mode - Aperture Priority mode, this lets you change the depth of field whilst all the other settings are basically still on auto. Just remember the smaller the number the more blurry the background will be - the photo of the cherries in this photography post here shows this well.


Q - What are some good backgrounds to take photos? My backgrounds are always boring!
A - I think the easiest non-boring backgrounds have to be wallpaper samples! So easy to get hold of and can be changed for each season (here is my one of my favourite wallpaper background for summer and my favourite one here for autumn). Another interesting background can be where you set up a scene, so as you have a book blog maybe photograph a book on a side table with a cup of tea and a bookmark or a book peeking out of your bag with other contents slightly showing. 


Q - Please could you elaborate on how you get that really white background without overexposing the thing you're photographing? 
 Sascha - Beauty Geek UK
A -  Personally I always create a whiter background when I edit the photo, I just use Photoscape and use the 'Bloom' tool, but I realise that Photoshop is miles better - you would probably be better of with that! Also I always make sure to photograph with a white background when I have the most daylight so that the background is as bright as it can be to help with editing. If you don't want to edit each background though (because it is pretty boring) you can actually light the background from either side, out of view of the frame. You would probably want to go for daylight bulbs to give a white/cold light and it would take a bit of playing about. Maybe Google 'High Key lighting/photography' for how to create a setup!


Q - Could you suggest some simple, foolproof decor that just tie the whole photograph together? E.g edges of plates and cutlery for foodie photos. I'm finding it a little hard to keep my beauty product photos + backgrounds interesting! 
 Anita - All Things Anita
A - I actually love your images as they are - really nice and clean and bright! I think adding texture and soft shadows is nice sometimes so using a scarf or throw ruffled up a bit can look really pretty. Or using your makeup setup blurred out as a background could be nice. But really I think your photos look great as they are! 


Q - If you're a newbie how important is it to invest in a decent camera? Can you get away with a point and shoot for a long time? 
  Kelly - The Vegan Taff
A - I think it all depends on how much you like photography and nice bright images. I've always loved photography so once I got into blogging I decided to upgrade to a Digital SLR within a year and was so pleased I did. I think if you aren't excited by the idea of buying a more expensive camera then that's a sign that it doesn't really matter too much to you, so I'd go down the route of learning to edit your photos a bit. I use Photoscape which is a free program I found on Cnet Download that is so easy to use for brightening and sharpening your images!


Hope this has been helpful! 

If you have any other questions just leave me a comment and I will answer them in a future Q&A post. 

Fee xo.

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Lazy Links #15


Beauty_Links 

Lately I've been...

Not blogging as much! - After getting over being ill a few weeks ago I was raring to get back to blogging, I then realised my camera lens wasn't working - arghhhhh! Since then I've been trying to still use it but what was normally a 30 minute job is now a 90 minute chore just to get substandard images. This has made blogging seem a lot more of a task and not as enjoyable! I quickly need to decide whether to spend on a new lens or a whole new camera - bad, bad Nikon.

Confused by the beauty blogging community...  The beauty/fashion blogging community is vast and with lots of people you are bound to get personality clashes and bad eggs from time to time. So while I think having a community is great I realise we all can't like we other, however recently I've been seeing bloggers I used to respect and like 'fighting back' against 'trolls' that are also bloggers. Yes, we should all stand up for yourselves but Twitter now seems the new school playground for bitching and getting just deserts. I don't fully know where I'm going with this but I feel it's time everyone realised we are all adults who don't need cliques or gossip and justice/fairness can be something that is sort without Twitter! 

Concentrating on eating healthy... I'm back on track and feeling more positive about my new way of eating then ever before. I'm someone that has always been tempted to go down the quick fix route that is crash diets or just restrict calories of my normal diet. But after so much research from the internet and books on nutrition over the years I do truly know what a healthy balanced diet is and I'm finally putting it all into practice! Since upping my vegetable and fruit intake, cutting out processed food, switching to complex carbs and enjoying a lot more protein I've found all my old craving disappear (a strange feeling!). For the first time ever I'm seeing how it is a sustainable way of living that I really want to embrace.

Enjoying some great blog posts...  Dear Blogger, It's Okay here (Tiny Paint Pot), Leanne's clever and witty response to them annoying emails we get as bloggers here (Do Not Refreeze), Overcoming Self Doubt here (Jenny Purr).

Avoiding the Space NK summer sale... With Rococo nail polishes only £3 and a mass of reduced Laura Mercier products I am doing my very best to say away but oh, how I'm tempted! You can find the sale here... I can't help but also think that so many products would make great Christmas presents. 

Hopefully back to normal blogging very soon! 

Fee xo. 

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NEW Technic Double Trouble Nail Polishes


Technic_Double_Trouble_Nail_Polish

Last week I came across the new Technic Duo Nail Polishes that very much reminded me of the Models Own Artstix's (£6 each) and with some amazing combinations and at a snip of the price (£2.99 - eBay here) I had to snap up a few to try out!

Much like the Models Own Artstix's the Technic Double Trouble Nail Varnishes come with double ended polishes - a solid base colour and a glitter top coat. I especially like that the glitter/colour combinations are thought out for you and they are so compact. Plus I can't believe each duo is only £2.99!

Each Technic Double Trouble is fairly fast drying and requires 2 coats of the solid colour with a great formula that I'd actually wear alone with the glitter as an accent nail on my ring fingers. Then just a single coat of the glitter top coat is required. 

Technic_Double_Trouble_Swatches

Technic Midsummer 
£2.99 - eBay here 
First up a lovely lilac base nail polish with a silver/green glitter top coat. I especially love the lilac nail polish and would wear it alone as with the glitter I think it would look great over a white or nude nail polish to show off the green glitter more. Together I don't love the combination but it's pretty enough and does look quite summery.

Technic Bollywood 
£2.99 - eBay here 
Love, love, love Bollywood! I knew I'd love this from the colour/glitter combo - mint green and gold glitter always look amazing together. But with the amazing creamy formula the base colour applied so smoothly and looked great alone. I also love how packed the gold glitter is so only a single coat is needed for even coverage. Such a lovely duo!

Technic Indian Ocean 
£2.99 - eBay here 
This was my least favourite of the three as the base was just too sheer for my liking and more of a jelly formula than a cream one. However I loved the blue glitter top coat which I know I can pair it with a more opaque blue base so it wasn't a total waste of a purchase. 

Technic_Double_Trouble_Nail_Polishes
In the Double Trouble range there are 3 other shades that I thought I would mention especially for the middle shade - Festival here. Festival I'm pretty sure is Technic's Carnival glitter which is my favourite glitter top coat from the brand (see my swatches here). I know the combination of the glitter with the pink base coat will look amazing so it's definitely now on my to-buy list! 

On a side note if you aren't one for online shopping you can find the Technic Double Trouble range in select Bodycare stores for a bargainous £1.99! 

Highly recommend these! 

Fee xo.

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Nailtiques Formula 2 Kit Review


Nailtiques_formula_2_kit

As most of you know I like to paint my nails, a lot. I'm also lucky enough to provide nail posts for the Avon blog here and generally show off new nail polishes here on Makeup Savvy. Meaning I try to look after my nails and cuticles as much as I can.

 But the thing is I generally only use a cuticle oil and whilst my cuticles looks healthy my nails have become bendy and soft with excessive nail polish use. Plus I'm also noticing my nails starting to peel at the tips as I'm getting older! So when the Nailtiques Formula 2 Kit came on my radar (as Escentual have reduced it to £9.95 from £22.90 here) I decided it was time to give a proper nail care routine a chance.

Fast forward a whole month I thought I'd share my thoughts on the kit as I think it's pretty great for the reduced price! First up, what's included in the kit - Nailtiques Oil Therapy 7ml, Nailtiques Formula 2 7ml and Nailtiques Cuticle & Skin Gel 7g.

On opening the pretty compact box I was initially a bit confused at to what all the products do. However after reading the instructions I realised the gel in a pot is basically an intensive treatment for cuticles/feet/any dry skin, the Formula 2 is a clear treatment polish that you apply to the nails daily to strengthen them and the orange-coloured Oil Therapy is a cuticle oil.

Nailtiques_kit_escentual 

To start off the treatments I decided to use the Formula 2 on bare nails for a week then just wear it as a base coat under normal nail polish . I also applied the Oil Therapy daily when I remembered (generally before bed) and used the Cuticle & Skin Gel on my toes as my fingers didn't require such an intensive treatment. I've now being using all the products on a regular basis and can see a notable difference in my nails with them feeling a lot stronger and no sign of peeling any more... also I feel I should add that I haven't broken a nail in over a month now! Plus my cuticles are in perfect condition! Below are some of my thoughts on the products in the kit.

Nailtiques Oil Therapy 
 This was easily my favourite product as I love a good cuticle oil but they can be hard to come by. A sign of a quality cuticle oil is how easily it absorbs into the skin and this one was amazing for that leaving the skin around my nails hydrated and neat. It also has an amazing apricot scent to it which is beyond yummy. Once I've run out of this I will definitely be considering buying it again.

Nailtiques Formula 2  
 This I think is what truly made a difference to my nails. Results weren't fast but within 3 week I realised my nails actually felt a lot less bendy at the tips and all peeling had gone! I will try to keep this up as a base coat as I still believe it does something even if it's not the suggested way to use it.

Nailteques Cuticle & Skin Gel 
 I kind of feel this is a bit of a filler item as the Oil Therapy is a similar product. However if you did have really dry cuticles then this would be the best product to use first. As I had no real need for it I decided to use it on my feet as my cuticles aren't great. For such a light feeling cream this really does moisturise and hydrate the skin extremely well and within days I noticed a big different in how my feet looked. A great product but not a necessary one for me. 

Overall at £9.95 this kit is worth it if you want to sort out weak, soft, bitten or peeling nails. It's almost like a first aid kit that restores the nails! 

Fee xo.

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An Honest Post about Anxiety plus 5 Ways to Help Yourself


Anxiety

For the past few months I have been deliberating whether or no to write this post. But as I kept thinking about it I decided to take that as I should. 

Personal issues aren't something I would normally talk about on my blog however I know a lot of people suffer from anxiety problems and it's something that needs to be talked about more often and a lot more openly. 

Anxiety is something we can all experience from time to time - from dreading a dentist appointment or working yourself up before an exam, to fearing small tasks such as shopping or going on public transport. Of course dreading 'none fun' tasks is normal and anxiety in these situations will always pass but the problem comes when our brain feels unnecessary fear which results in distress and physical side effects. 

Physical side effects from anxiety and panic attacks vary so widely, so I won't be listing them all here, but I would say that if you are feeling symptoms such as nausea, sweating/feeling hot, pins and needles feeling (generally in hands/neck/face), feeling a loss of control, changed breathing or feeling faint in different situations or even just over thinking situations, then you are probably experiencing anxiety. Also from a less physical side you might feel like you need to flee - looking for the nearest exit, or feel like people are aware that you are acting differently (I promise you 9 times out of 10 they aren't) or simply have a feeling of dread that is so hard to explain properly - even to yourself. 

Suffering from anxiety can be isolating as it's easy to think no one else is suffering from the same thing and opt-out of doing thing you once enjoyed. Plus I think we naturally try to deal with things ourselves as admitting any problem can seem like a weakness or a failing of some kind. However if you are suffering from panic attacks or anxiety the first step is to understand it isn't a weakness and the next step is to be open about it, I promise it is something that really helps! (Even if that means leaving me an anonymous comment or email if you have never spoken about it before - it's a step in the right direction!). 

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My own anxiety started over 3 years ago now from a few highly stressful events. Once time had passed and I felt I was moving on anxiety would appear if I had somewhere important to go or if I was doing something new. I bought Calms to take in case I had to do something but felt like simply avoiding different situations - going out for meals, travelling long distances, would fix the problem. Anxiety then started to creep into every day tasks, a bit like ivy I like to think, this was when I realised I properly had anxiety. Since then I've had periods where I've felt anxiety was totally taking over my life and even worried it would lead to a mental illness (looking back I should have forced myself to go to the doctors as no one should feel that way). However at some point I realised I could have more control of it and decided to relax more and help myself with some of the things I mention below. Right now I feel my anxiety is so much better than it was... I can now go on a plane and enjoy it, go to the cinema again and spot when anxiety is coming on and calm myself to some degree (most of the time!). I still don't feel I want to live with bouts of anxiety, so I'm now considering going to the doctors for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy but I do feel like I'm on the right road and I'm quite proud of that fact! 

So without anymore rambling here are 5 pointers that may help anyone suffering from anxiety. 

Confide 
 I personally feel like no problem should be taboo and feel like anxiety has made me a much more open and understanding person. So talking to someone that you know that has experienced anxiety problems or even mental health issues could be a great person to talk to and open up to about your anxiety. However if you don't know of anyone talking to someone you are comfortable with can also really help. This won't instantly reduce your anxiety but it can definitely take a weight of your shoulders and also get you talking and thinking about ways you could help yourself. Also letting someone you are often with know you get anxiety can make doing things more comfortable and it's great to feel like you have that support to rely on. 

Relax 
 Even after anxiety has passed life can seem very stressful and you can find yourself maintaining a level of stress, which eventually leads to more anxiety. To break this finding things that make you feel relaxed and happy is important. I now feel I don't often relax like I use to be naturally able to but I make a conscious effort to... lay  in bed watching a film then having a good night's sleep, I take the time to read a book and walk my dog (being outside and being active I've discovered to be so important!) these all bring me little pieces of joy and make me feel relaxed. Also whilst you are feeling relaxed sometimes note/be aware how your body and mind feel and accept that you are the one controlling that.

Distract 
When anxiety arises our minds like to think about what's going in our bodies (we become super aware of our breathing, rising body temperature, cramping stomach etc), whilst also thinking about the problems that could cause (I could breath too fast and pass out, need to go to the toilet), plus thoughts of how to escape or if people are noticing. So our mind is pretty much going at 100 miles an hour and actually making us feel a whole lot worse. Distraction may be to appreciate small details around you (more on that below with being mindful), listening to music, looking up at the sky, playing a game on your phone, even doodling in a notebook you keep in your bag (or if you have anxiety at home why not buy a colouring book... yes, they actually do them for adults on Amazon!). Realise that focusing on how you feel when you get anxiety is the worst thing you can do. Once you can learn to distract yourself you will notice your anxiety reduce.

Be Mindful 
 To be mindful is to be in the present moment which will quiet our mind and stop racing thoughts. I personally don't like to focus on how my body is feeling when I have anxiety so instead I pay great detail to everything else around me. If say I'm outside I sit down and look at the sky, I look at what the pavement looks like, I look at the people around me, I notice if I can smell anything. This may seem like a pointless exercise to do but if you make being totally present (not thinking about a million other things) an exercise you need to do gradually your mind will relax. I have also discovered focusing on a part of my body that isn't affected by anxiety to also really help. I simply make my hand into a fist and notice how my knuckles become whiter, my nails slightly digging into my palm, my wrist becoming ridged and the overall feeling of pressure building up in my hand. I hold this for 10 seconds then slowly relax my grip and stretch out my fingers enjoying the sensation of my hand being relaxed again. This not only distracts my mind (it can be done over and over until you feel more calm - great in public situations) but shows how I am in control of how my body feels and how it can be relaxed.

Be Your own Therapist 
 I know quite a lot of people now that have anxiety and most have never been to the doctors about it. This isn't to say you shouldn't go but I think it's in us all to try to deal with it first. However it's important to help ourselves (maybe trying the above tips) and then to also set tasks and check in on how we are doing once in a while. Anxiety can hold us back from things and avoidance can easily creep in, this may seem okay but the longer we avoid things the more intimidating they can feel. My last personal goal was to get back into going to the cinema, something I use to enjoy. But due to feeling closed in and having to stay put I would end up having anxiety and walking out, so I simply stopped going. I eventually decided to list the things that would make going to the cinema easier - going when it wasn't busy, going to see something light-hearted/funny, making sure I wasn't too hot or too full, not pre-booking tickets. My first attempt was pretty successful and this only made me want to try again but to go one step further I went at night which meant it would be more busy. This time I was aware I wasn't as relaxed but I still managed to watch the entire film without having anxiety. I'm even going to see 'The Fault In Our Stars' (a non-funny film) with my sister this Wednesday! I've also done a similar thing with flying and going on holiday because I'm aware that I need to set myself goals. You may want to start small and confront a situation that gives you the least anxiety and repeat that until you are happy to move onto something more challenging with the added knowledge you can do it. It's so easy to revert into yourself when anxiety develops but overtime realising you can be your own therapist can get your life back on track!

Anxiety can be super tough be we can all work towards a happier more relaxed mind. If you suffer from anxiety and every want to off load feel free to email me because I definitely understand how hard it can be! 

Hope this has been helpful to some.

Fee xo.

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Glamour Mag with Clinique Freebies Out Now!


Glamour_July_Free_Clinique 

 Just a quick post to start off the week to remind you about the wonderful Clinique freebies with this month's Glamour Magazine. 

My reason for reminding you 1. All the Chubby Sticks will be gone within 24 hours no doubt 2. If they aren't gone they will be stolen out of their packets, which is the same as gone I guess (really, who does that?). 

So this is your early morning warning to get to a shop a-sap if you want to get your hands on the free Chubby Sticks... well for £2 including a magazine with a peculiar looking Ellie Goulding to the front cover. Above is Super Strawberry which is a lovely light berry tint but there is also Woppin' Watermelon which I intend to get my hands on! The other two freebies include a miniature Clinique mascara (always handy for travelling or just trying out) and the Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion. 

There are lots of other great makeup freebies this month which you can find out about here

Fee xo.

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Other Summer Essentials


Summer_Essentials

More summer essentials today of the random variety! Still slightly beauty based but with a few non-beauty products thrown in there as I feel I love so many things come summer time. 

Also I realised the other day how much I enjoy writing summer related posts so if you have any ideas for summer theme posts let me know in the comments!

Crazy Rumors Bubble Gum Lip Balm 
£3.50 - Holland & Barrett here 
I'm such a fan of lip balms and with trying so many I discovered the most effective ones are ones with natural ingredients - they just work. Crazy Rumors is my favourite low-cost natural brand for lip balms (I have around 5 now) as they are effective at nourishing the lips but also come in so many amazing flavours. My current summer favourite is Bubble Gum as it's just so yummy. However when the sun is shining I always make sure to apply a lip balm with SPF, because that odd tight sensation that the lips can get is actually sunburn! My favourite lip balms with SPF are the Maybelline Baby Lips with SPF 20 that you can find in a lot of pound stores at the moment!

Summer_favourites 

Original Tangle Teezer 
£10.50 - Selfridges here 
I use my Tangle Teezer all year round every time I wash my hair as it's such a godsend of a product to tease out tangles. But come holidays where I'm swimming I literally couldn't be without it. This plus a detangle spray, I'm currently using a Disney Detangler (I maybe bought it because Ariel was on the front!), works such a dream on wet tangly hair. Both products reduce hair damage that tugging on tangles can do, plus the detangle spray works as a heat protectant as well. 

Kindle Ink Display Reader 
£59.00 - Amazon here 
As a lover of reading I went through 4 books on my last holiday which as you can imagine weighed down my suitcase - a lot (I actually had to leave some behind). So this summer I finally succumb to the fact that a Kindle in my life would be pretty handy. Initially I thought it would just be practical for future holidays however since getting it I've been obsessed with reading free samples and have discovered the joy of reading outside without the whiteness of a page blinding me! Also so many books are cheaper on Kindle, take my last read 'We Were Liars' (which I would recommend as an easy summer read) Paperback - £5.59 vs. Kindle - £2.99 here. This really has already been a summer essential.

Dove Maximum Protection Cucumber & Green Tea Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Cream 
On Offer £4.30 - Boots here or most supermarkets 
Since the dawn of time I have been an aerosol deodorant kind of girl but a year or so ago I was sent a PR sample of this deodorant and was instantly converted. I still use aerosol sprays but come summer months or holidays this is a must. Unlike other deodorants this literally gives the maximum protection it states. Apply before bed and the next day sweating just won't be a thing in your life. Also as so little is needed the 45ml tub lasts well over a month. Deodorant is a pretty boring pick I will admit but this actually impressed me and is such a summer essential of mine. 

Fentiman's Traditional Rose Lemonade 
£1.19 - Waitrose, Sainsbury's
Last but not least I had to mention my favourite summer time drink! I'm so not a hot drinks person so I'm all about finding amazing refreshing cold drinks, I love Lipton's Lemon Ice Tea but for something that bit more special I love, love, love Fentimans Rose Lemonade. The bottled drink is perfectly fizzy and with just a hint of rose... may seem odd but it just works, trust me. Also the small individual bottles are perfect for a picnic, albeit a posh one!

Hope you have enjoyed finding out what my summer essentials are! You can see my Summer Beauty Essentials here

Fee xo.

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Summer Beauty Essentials


Summer_Beauty_Essentials

Summer is my favourite time of year - long sunny days, tweeting birds, ice lollies, barbecues and weekends spent outside, reading.

 I also love how summer means a change of makeup products and new launches. So I thought today I would share with you my summer essentials that I've been loving over the past few months.

Calypso Dry Oil SPF 30 
£4.94 - Amazon here or select Bodycare/Matalan stores
Sunscreen is such an essential for me on a hot days as I have fair skin so I've tried them all pretty much! I hate traditional thick suncreams that leave a sticky film behind so after lots of trial and error with aerosol spray sunscreens and oils I finally found the one with Calypso Dry Oil. I re-purchase this each year and it lasts me all summer (aerosol cans run out so fast). It's hands down the easiest thing to apply as it's a pretty thin oil that requires minimal rubbing in. Also as it's a dry oil it doesn't leave the skin feeling at all greasy which is why I even use it on my face. I highly recommend this to anyone that is after a good easy to apply sunscreen!

Summer_Beauty_products 

Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner
£18.50 - Feel Unique here
  A fairly recent addition to my makeup bag in the last 3 weeks but one that has amazed me. I love winged out eyeliner but come summer all my favourite eyeliners seem to crease or melt away at the outer corners of my eyes due to either the heat or my eyes watering. No eyeliner has been so waterproof that it doesn't budge, that's until I tried the new Benefit Push-Up Liner. This literally doesn't move all day... like at all?! Also the flexi-tip nib is pretty ingenious as it just hugs the lash line as you apply it making application so easy and flawless. Yes, it does have a high-end price tag but if you want your eyeliner to look just as perfect at 8pm at night as it did at 8am then this will be sooooo worth it! Very, very impressed.

Kiko Essential Bronzer in Warm Melange 200
£16.90 - Kiko here 
Come summer I love a large pan bronzer that I can swirl a large brush into and apply to my face, chest and shoulders. Last year it was a bronzer by NYC (a good budget option) but this year I have discovered the most pretty and wonderful bronzer from Kiko. This is a great non-shimmer bronzer ideal for pale skin tones that just want to add a bit of colour. Also this is so finely milled and the marbling in the pan is very pretty indeed!

Ciate Mosaic Madness Nail Polish
£9.00 - Look Fantastic here
Ciate have gone and done it again and brought out an amazing new range of mosiac nail polishes. There are 4 polishes that make up the collection but Mosaic Madness is my favourite mix of shades - love the mix of matte and silver pieces. So far I've only been apply two coats of it over pastel and nude shades but it can actually be built up to give a true mosaic effect as well. Unique and perfect for summer! I've also been loving so many summer shades from Models Own at the moment.

Vera Wang Princess EDT 100ml
£24.99 - Amazon here
Lastly I had to include perfume as a summer essential as I become obsessed with sweet and floral scents come warmer weather. This summer I've purchased so many new scents but my favourite has to be Vera Wang Princess. I know this is a favourite of many as it's sweet but not sickly sweet and just perfectly floral, a great fragrance for summer. Also for a huge 100ml bottle it's very affordable!

What are your favourite beauty products this summer? 

Other more random summer essentials will be up tomorrow! 

Fee xo.

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Top 6 Models Own Nail Polishes!


Top_6_Models_Own_nail_polishes

As Models Own have an amazing mix + match offer of 6 for £20 on at the moment here (ends Thursday 3rd June at midnight) I thought I'd share my own favourite top 6 nail polishes from the brand! I'm also maybe trying to resist the offer myself as I definitely don't need any new nail polishes!

 Models Own are without a doubt one of my favourite nail polish brands. Aside from their affordable price tags and great nail polish formulas I find them to be such a creative brand and genuinely look forward to new launches. Below are my favourite six nail polishes from my extensive collection that I feel are real gems! 

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Models Own Gold Finger
Glitter Collection
Without a doubt my favourite gold glitter nail polish ever! This is a stunning packed gold glitter that reflects the light amazingly well. Unlike a lot of gold glitters I own this is easily opaque making it great to apply to the tips of the nails (seen above) or for a solid gold finish... though I prefer to just do this with an accent nail as like most glitters it's tough to remove! Also perfect for nail art especially at Christmas time.You can see just how pretty it looks worn opaque here

Models Own Pink Punch 
Ice Neon Collection
This is such a difficult nail polish to photograph as it's just so neon and can easily look more coral than it is. In real life this is such a perfect summer shade that suits all skin tones and brings out a tan so well. This shade has now been discontinued and brought out in the Ice Neon Collection which I don't love the finish of if I'm honest (a weird semi-matte) but a glossy topcoat does sort it out!

Models Own Flip Flop 
Polish For Tans Collection 
 An unlikely love for me as I don't have anything else like this in my entire nail polish collection and I definitely don't have a tan to show it off. However this is just such a happy shade and the most neon nail polish I own I think. One for fingers and toes on holiday!

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Models Own Magpie Green 
Speckled Egg Collection 
I loved the entire Speckled Egg Collection but the shade of Magpie Green for me was a perfect combination for the speckled effect. This really does remind me of a speckled duck egg and just looks so beautiful on the nails. One to go for if you like delicate and detailed looking nails.

Models Own Northern Lights
Wonderland Collection 
Wonderland was another collection I thoroughly enjoyed with the jewel in the crown being Northern Lights. Before this 'Juicy Jules' was my absolutely favourite holographic nail polish but the unique pink tone to Northern Lights won me over. Both polishes have an amazing holographic finish that you won't be able to stop looking at!

Models Own Apple Pie 
Fruit Pastel Collection
Last but not least my favourite pastel shade from Models Own. Models Own offer so many creamy pastel shades but Apple Pie is perfection to me, such a light creamy mint shade that looks smooth and glossy.

The mix + match offer is actually valid across most products on the Models Own website making it a pretty good deal. Aside from nail polishes I also love their Lip Stixs and modest range of blushers. 

What are your favourite picks from Models Own? 

Fee xo.

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