eBay Bargains #24 - Autumn Beauty Edition

 

 Acrylic Makeup Storage 28 Holes (£6.29 here) - Okay, so this isn't very autumn themed at all... however come every September I seem to become obsessed with lipstick, both rich berry shades and deeper nude shades, so what perfect way to display my favourite shades than this tiered storage. What I especially like about this holder is that it contains both circular and square holes, meaning it will hold most lipsticks unlike storage holder I've used in the past. I just know this would look amazing on my dressing table filled with my favourite autumnal lipsticks!

W7 Brown Queen Eyeshadow Palette (£3.95 here) - So W7 have gone and done it again by releasing another amazing looking eyeshadow palette at a totally bargain price! This is of course a very Bobbi Brown inspired palette with the chic brown packaging and row of shimmering smokey eye neutrals and if past W7 palettes are anything to go by they will be buttery soft and blendable. This would be seriously perfect for Autumn!

Osmo Intensive Deep Repair Conditioning Hair Mask (£4.85 here) - As we come into slightly colder months my hair definitely requires more hydration and TLC, especially the ends! So my favourite deep conditioning mask will have to be purchased (I don't find I need it in summer) as it was a life saver for my hair last winter. The conditioner is much thicker than standard ones and really grabs onto wet hair instead of slipping over it and really moisturises the ends of the hair. It also smells of a heavenly vanilla scent and has an interesting iridescence to it - both nice touches. Favourite conditioner ever basically!

Sally Hansen Nail Polish (£2.50 each here) - Sally Hansen do nail polish well and so when I came across this listing I was pretty pleased to see lots of shades I'd never seen before. Here I've just picked out two of my favourite shades that would be ideal for Autumn - 'Pennies for Heaven' and 'Wine Not'. I love both the shade names and rich tones to these... just look at that wine shade! I will certainly be updating my autumn nail polish stash with these very soon.

Max Factor Smokey Eye Drama Kit in Sumptuous Gold (£1.50 here) - Another eyeshadow palette here that I instantly snapped up after spotting the bargain £1.50 price tag. This is normally £8.99 in Boots! With 4 shades that I know I'll use I just had to have it... I will of course be using it straight away but them middle two shades are screaming autumnal smokey eyes to me! Total bargain buy! 

I hope you've enjoyed yet another eBay Bargains post - the first series I've managed to keep up! 

Fee xo.

Unique Eyeshadow Crayons

Along side my love of eyeshadow palettes I've come to realise I'm partial to an eye crayon, or 30. Yes, I have quite the collection and love them all dearly. So the other day I thought I'd go swatch crazy, comparing them all and picking out the most unique shades I own... as who doesn't love a dazzling unique eyeshadow shade? 

Below are 5 eye crayons that made the cut that not only are great quality but offer something different in shade and tone and really do stand out on the eyes. Hope you find something new to snap up! 

 

Ciate Eye Chalk 'Marshmallow' - First up the lightest in shade of my 5 picks with this stunning frosted pink shade that has a subtle shimmer running through it. This is ideal for highlighting the inner corners of the eyes and as it has some grip when first applied it works well as a base all over the lid for metallic eyeshadows. This does have a slight shimmer around the eyes problem in the heat but on normal days it looks lovely to finish off and highlight the eyes. Yes, it is a little pricey for a single eyeshadow product but as it can be used for a few things I think it's worth it! (Available from the Ciate website here for £14.00)

Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadow 'Charming Champagne' - Okay, so I'm going to be highly annoying here and tell you that this product was actually Limited Edition and is no longer available. So please try not to look at the swatch for too long and see how beautiful the shade is! So for that reason I won't go in to detail about it... but what I will say is that Kiko offer so many high quality products and had a permanent line of Long Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks here for £6.90. These are some of the creamiest eyeshadow crayons I've come across and once dry they stay all day without budging!

Bourjois Colorband 2-in-1 Eyeshadow & Liner 'Mauve Baroque' - On to a beautiful and unique mauve shade now that you don't find very often on the high street. This is just a stunning shade that will suit all eye colours and skin shades, adding depth to the eyes. As for the texture the crayon glides over the eyes and is easily blended out with a fluffy blending brush or fingers. It also works well with other cream eyeshadows and stays put literally to the end of the day. This is certainly one to wear alone all over the lid for a easy but pretty eye look. However I'm not convinced it could be used as a liner due to the size of it! Aside from that I just LOVE this unique shade. In fact I love the entire collection! (Available at Boots here for £5.99)

Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick 'Golden Tail Star' - If you are looking for a true bright gold eyeshadow to really dazzle on the eyes then look no further than this little beauty. This has been one of my favourite finds of 2015 so far as it's unlike any other gold shadow I own in how bright and light reflective it is. Another shade that is perfect for dabbing and blending at the inner corners of the eyes, but also for all over the lid with a more natural brown shade to the crease. Plus it's a totally bargain! (Available on eBay here for £3.33 with free p&p!) 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick 'Trespassing Taupe' - When it comes to eyeshadow crayons the market is sorely lacking matte shades but thankfully Rimmel have quite a few that are absolutely perfect in every way! This is easily my favourite matte shade from Rimmel as it's one of those shades that looks amazing alone all over the eyes as a  rich wash of colour; smokey and ideal for Autumn. Though I also find it great as a base/eyeshadow primer for a true smokey eye as when it's first applied it has a tacky feel which grips eyeshadows, both powder and cream extremely well. Another versatile shade that I'd recommend to everyone! (Available at Boots here for £4.49) 

I'd love to know your favourite eye crayon from my picks/swatches and if you have any eyeshadow crayon recommendations for me - especially more matte shades! 

Fee xo.

My Top 5 Vloggers To Watch

 

Today I thought I'd write more of a lifestyle type of post on vloggers I love to watch. I love watching vlogs and getting a glimpse into people's lives and it's definitely part of my daily routine; I love getting into bed and catching up on a few videos before sleep. 

So instead of just naming the popular Youtubers I watch I thought I'd share with you a few vloggers that maybe aren't as popular so that you can hopefully discover something new! 

The Michalaks 

 Okay, so the Michalak's are popular, very popular! However I had to include them as they are my favourite Sunday watch. With one weekly vlog going up on a Sunday, detailing their week it's more like a series than a vlog, especially with the amazing editing and music to go along side it. Hannah and Stef are truly such a creative couple and their little family is a joy to watch. 

 

Georgie Lloyd/The Lloyds 

Another couple-y kind of vlog here but a bi-weekly one with the stunning Ghee (obsessed with her frequent hair changes!) and her husband. Another one that is well edited and a joy to watch as they are so happy and carefree. I also love their little dogs Millie & Milo - very cute! 

 

 

Monami Frost  

I came across Monami Frost last month is a Marie Claire article and instantly looked her up on Youtube. Originally from Latvia she now lives in Liverpool with her tattoo artist husband and little girl. Not only do they come across as super positive people there is just so much love and fun. A bit obsessed with their vlogs right now! 

Simone Scribes 

I first followed the lovely Simone through her beauty blog many years ago. She's since started a Youtube channel and vlogs about her life in Dubai as an expat (she's Irish). Simone documents family life, weekends, eating out and you can even get your 'Lollipop26' fix as Laura often pops up in her vlogs. With an interesting location and Simone's love of makeup I love to keep up with her vlogs! 

 

Lauren Curtis

 Sooo, Lauren is another popular Youtuber and one most of you are probably aware of for her makeup videos but I thought I'd still include her as I love when she includes a random vlog of her life in Australia with her oh so attractive boyfriend! Though absolutely stunning, Lauren is very down to earth and is enjoyable to watch. I'd also highly recommend her beauty videos if you haven't watched any. 

So there you have it, my favourite vloggers that are my main source of procrastination when I should be doing work! 

If you have any favourite not so popular vloggers I'd love for you to include their link in the comments for me to check out. 

Fee xo.  

 

Beauty Hacks - 5 Unique Uses of Beauty Products

Beauty Hacks are forever floating around the internet, mainly on Pinterest, and I'm forever reading them. I've picked up so many great tips and tricks over the years that I thought I'd share a few of my own for once. 

I'm sure a few of these you will already know but I've tried my best to be as original as possible. I hope you find some new uses for a few beauty products you already own! 

This is by far my favourite beauty hack, EVER! This little trick is so simple yet effective and means you can transform your favourite lip colours into something totally matte. I personally love to do this with nude shades as it looks great but I can't wait to mattify some rich berry shades come Autumn/Winter. 

Once you have applied any glossy or satin lipstick, simply take a translucent powder and an eyeshadow brush and dab the powder over the entire lip. I like to do this twice to really get that matte look and to ensure the lip colour will stay for most of the day. You can also do this over matte lip creams to make them even more matte. This really does transform so many lipsticks! 

Ever had one of those horrible under skin spots that creates a huge red lump? I know I have and it sucks! Of course concealing what looks like a mole hill is tricky but to dramatically reduce the redness before applying foundation and/or concealer, eye drops come in very handy. What you are looking for are eye drops that are aimed at reducing blood shot eyes or brightening the eyes. Just a small amount of the drops over the spot will reduce the angry look to it and do it no harm at all as eye drops are sterile. 

I've used this trick so many times before applying my makeup! 

So this is an oldie but a goodie and one hack that I've used for many years now, especially for my under arm area. Of course soap works fine enough to shave with and there's always shaving cream (I personally find it goes everywhere) but conditioner is almost the in between of the two. It's doesn't lather up but I've found there's no need for that, you simply want the razor to glide over the skin and conditioner is perfect for that. 

I've found any conditioner does the job and once you are done I find my skin is actually softer than when I use soap. A great hack for in the shower and on holiday when you want to keep toiletries to a minimum. 

Okay,,,, so this is a slightly strange one! But it's more for them emergency times when you are out and you're feeling sweaty and you don't have a mini deodorant in your handbag. It's happened to the best of use. 

Literally any Anti-Bacterial Gel for the hands will work as the aim of the gel is to kill bacteria and sweat and ergh, the smell of sweat is bacteria! So a small amount of this under the arms will totally freshen you up for quite a few hours and have you smelling of roses... or umm whatever the scent of the gel is! 

 

Last but not least a great simple hack for anyone with dry or dehydrated skin. Using any facial oil or moisturiser you have you can turn it into a face mask by simply not rubbing it in and leaving it on the skin for 10 minutes and then washing it off. This allows the product to penetrate and soften the skin and can be done with so many creams and oils! 

I'd love to know any beauty hacks that you do! 

Fee xo.  

Affordable Makeup Brushes, Reviewed

Today I thought I'd talk makeup brushes... because why not! And because I've recently acquired quite a few new brushes in the last month or so that I feel are worth highlighting/talking about! 

Firstly I should point out that I'm no makeup brush snob, in fact I don't own a single MAC brush. Shocking I know! The reason for this is because I truly believe amazing brushes can be found both online and on the high street for some pretty bargianous (yes, that is a word) prices. I'm talking under £5 here and if you take to eBay it's more like £1.50 per brush! You can actually read about some of my favourite bargain eBay brushes here, but for now here are a few brushes I'm currently enjoying!

Lottie London Best of Brushes Collection

£19.99 - Superdrug here (can be purchased individually) 

First up I have a lovely looking set from the brand, Lottie London. This is a brand I'm totally new to and if I'm right in thinking is exclusive to Superdrug and offers a range of nail products including nail polishes and quite a few makeup brushes. The pretty affordable set, though it is of a similar price to a Real Techniques Brush Kit, includes 5 brushes all of which are 100% nylon. The set includes - a powder brush, foundation brush, eyeshadow brush, eyeshadow blending brush and an angled liner brush.

 So I think I need to touch on the coloured tips first! I mean they certainly stand out don't they? Along with the super pretty pastel hue handles I think it works... though the red tipped brush doesn't fit in with the pastel theme (I'm picky, I know!). They also thankfully don't lose their dye when being washed which was something I was half expecting. The unique look gets a thumbs up from me! 

As for the quality of the brushes they are all soft with the powder brush feeling amazing brushed over the skin and as for shedding I haven't seen a single fibre leave them as of yet! Individually the powder brush, large foundation brush and long eyeshadow blending brush are all my favourites as they are great quality and soft and almost seem like an over-exaggerated version of themselves... which I know sounds strange but the powder brush is fuller and larger than you'd expect, the foundation brush is certainly wider than a normal flat foundation brush and the eyeshadow blending brush is longer in length than any other eyeshadow brush I own which makes it more flexible and easier to use. As for the other two brushes, the eyeshadow brush is possibly the let down of the set as I find it doesn't really pick up enough product to lay it down on the eyelid and when using it I've actually given up and used my fingers instead! Then there's the angled brush which I was hoping could be used both under the eyes and on the eyebrows but it's a little too stiff to be soften eyeshadow/eyeliner under the eyes but it works well for filling in the brows and I'm thinking it would work well with a gel liner.

Is the set worth it? Well it's definitely introduced me to Lottie London brushes and how lovely some of them are, but when you are purchasing a set you are hoping to get use out of all of them... which sadly wasn't the case for me with the eyeshadow brush. So truthfully if you are looking for a new set of brushes I wouldn't recommend these and suggest you opt for a brush kit from Real Techniques. However some of these brushes I'd say are worth buying individually, such as the powder brush (£7.99 here), foundation brush (£7.99 here) and eyeshadow blending brush (£4.99 here)... all very affordable and of great quality!

 

Crown Duo Fibre Shadow/Crease Brush  C491
£6.99 - Crown Brush here
On to Crown brushes now with a few double ended brushes that I find great value for money (you are essentially getting two brushes for the price of one) and ideal for travelling with. The Shadow/Crease Brush is the lovely medium sized brush you can see above, with one end ideal for applying eyeshadow over the lid and the other end for some serious blending out of either eyeshadow or even concealer. I personally love to use both ends on the eye area and find the blended end to work amazing well at softening the edges of a smokey eye without over blending shades together. This is a simple brush yet it does what it's intended for really well. It's also super soft! 

Crown Duo Fibre Blush/Blender Brush C490 
£11.99 - Crown Brush here  
Onto a slightly more expensive brush for the face, if you can call £12 for essentially two brushes expensive. With this brush one end is for liquid or cream foundation application and the other cream blush. Due to the duo fibre nature of both I find them to give such a flawless finish as they lightly buff over the skin, in fact the foundation application with this brush is just as good at giving an airbrushed finish as when I use my favourite Real Techniques Sponge slightly dampened. If you are after a brush that will give a flawless finish then this is it! Totally love it!

Syntho Brow Duo SS025
£3.99 - Crown Brush here
Lastly I had to include this not so interesting looking brush as it's really become an essential over the past month or so. I already own many angled brushes for applying eye liner and smudge out eyeshadow on my lower lash line but when it comes to an angled brush for the brows it has to be precise and stiff, which is why the Syntho Brow Duo brush just works. The small angled brush is perfect to use with a brow powder to give a precise application and the spoolie end even though it's nothing special means I will never lose it like so many other random spoolies that seem to have disappeared over the years... I suspect they go to the same place that socks go. So having it on the end of the brush means I always have it to hand and brushing through your brows surprisingly neatens everything up! 

I love talking makeup brushes so I'd love to know what your favourite affordable brushes are (aside from Real Techniques!). 

Fee xo. 
 

Current Beauty Favourites (all from Superdrug!)

Recently I've taken to shopping in Superdrug more. It's not that I've disliked Superdrug in the past, far from it, but my go-to has always been Boots. But with brands such as Makeup Revolution and B. in Superdrug, not to mention my favourite Colab Dry Shampoo, I've been shopping in there more than ever. 

Side note - This was actually just going to be a 'Current Beauty Favourites' post but then I realised all the products can be found in Superdrug/they're all exclusive to Superdrug. So yes... not sponsored in the least, it just turned out that way... because I'm clearly loving brands than can be found in Superdrug! 

B. Sweet Popping Candy Highlight Serum

£14.99 - Superdrug here

First up possibly the prettiest makeup product on the high street right now! Just look how lovely this product is... certainly one to display on your dressing table. For me this is a versatile highlighting cream as I use it in quite a few ways. Firstly when I'm wanting a light glowy coverage from my foundation I mix my foundation with a pump of this and apply it over my face with the Real Techniques Sponge, this not only glides on but gives such a light and fresh look to the skin. However when I'm wanting more coverage I apply this all over the skin as a base and then apply a medium coverage foundation, this allows the highlighter to still give the skin a nice subtle glow. Then you can also apply this to the brow bone, cupid's bow and the tops of the cheeks to add a more intense highlight. As this has a serum consistency I find it to be so lightweight and silky feeling. Just an all round lovely products! Also not sure if this is a solely online offer but selected products from the B. range are now half price on the Superdrug website, making the serum £7.49 - very affordable!! 

MUA Pro-Base Prime & Conceal Palette

£4.00 - Superdrug here

 This was a palette I received with the Latest In Beauty Pre-awards box and I will admit I was thinking it wouldn't be up to much! But I was wrong to judge so quickly as this has come in handy quite a few times. Now not all of the shades work for my personally but I've been enjoying using 3 of the 5 shades in the palette which isn't bad. My most favourite it the green corrector that neutralises redness, this has come in handy for around my nose and chin area and on my cheeks where I have some natural redness. The consistency it what I thought would let it down but it's actually quite a light cream that melts into the skin. I also like to use the middle shade to lighten areas of my face before applying foundation - mainly the tops of my cheeks and under my eyes. I wouldn't say that it's a highlighter as such but it definitely brightens. Then lastly I'm been enjoying using the lilac corrector that helps to mute yellow undertones in the skin, this is great around my mouth/chin area as my skin can sometimes look sallow which makes my foundation look darker in areas so this has helped! This really is a handy palette and definitely one you will find a few useful correctors with whatever your skin needs.

Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 Palette 

£6.99 - Superdrug here

Ahhh Makeup Revolution palettes, how I love you so. This wonderful palette contains 8 matte and 8 shimmer shades all of which are highly pigmented and very bendable. As a lover of a smokey eye I was instantly drawn to the warm toned shimmer shades which are just stunning, I mean just look at my little swatches above, that middle shade especially! I've also been loving some of the lighter shimmer shades as a base for eyeshadows and in the inner corners of my eyes. As for the matte shades there is a little more fall-out and you do have to blend them slightly more but the shades are truly lovely and so soft looking on the eyes.

 This is just such a versatile palette that you can create so many eye looks with and even fill in your brows with! You will also be blown away by the quality of the eyeshadows - buttery perfection! I have a feeling the Iconic Pro 2 palette will be purchased soon.

Gosh Foundation Drops - 002 Ivory 

£12.99 - Superdrug here 

Here's quite a new release and one I'm loving right now - the Gosh #Foundation Drops (don't like the hash tag thing). This is a wonderful very fluid foundation that slips over the skin a dream. Due to this it's very light in coverage but that can easily be built upon to a good medium coverage. Initially with the foundation slipping over the skin so lovely I imagined this would be for drier skin types but I was wrong... this works so well with my combination/oily complexion as it neither clings to dry skin areas or looks oily around my T-zone. This also stays well for most of the day. As for the little pipette dropper I really feel this was such a good idea as the foundation is far too runny to work with anything else and the pipette can be dropped straight onto a brush or sponge or even mixed with an SPF or moisturiser in the back of the hand.

As for the shade 002, which is the lightest shade in the range it does have a slight yellow undertone to it but as it's sheer I can get away with it and it's a pretty good match for my fair skin... though sadly maybe not in winter. The only let down here is that the range consists of only 5 shades?!

Colab Dry Shampoo - Rio 

On offer £2.32 - Superdrug here 

Last but not least another total favourite from Superdrug. I feel like I may be starting to sound like a broken record but this is truly one of my favourite hair products of 2015 and something I know I will be purchasing for as long as it stays around - hopefully forever! Unlike a lot of other dry shampoos this doesn't give me an itchy scalp or feel like there's a product build-up if I over do it. The range also comes with some really great scents, my favourite of which are Rio and Monaco, both are fresh and actually not too synthetic smelling! I know there are so many dry shampoos on the market now but this really is the one I'd recommend to everyone. 

Hope you've enjoyed discovering what my current beauty favourites are! 

What brands do you love in Superdrug? 

Fee xo.

The LIB Beauty Awards 2015 Winner's Box + 10% off code!

The results are in and the first ever Latest in Beauty Awards Box is here! 

Packed full of high and low end beauty products of which SEVEN are full size this is a box not to be missed. You can find the box here for £21.95, which is pretty amazing as quite a few of the products retail for £10+. You can also receive 10% off if you're a new customer with code: hello10, making the box £19.75!

Below are the full contents, plus my own favourites that I really feel make the box worth buying! 

 

The contents of the awards box...

Blogger's Choice Award - COLAB Sheer & Invisible Dry Shampoo in Monaco (mini)
Body Beautiful - The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil For Body & Hair (Full Size)
  Must-Have Makeup - Burt's Bees Lip Crayon (Full size)
Best Newcome r- Zoella Beauty Fresh Fizz Fragranced Bath Fizzer (Full size)
Green Award - Dr Organic Snail Gel Facial Serum (Full size)
Hottest Haircare- Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (mini)
Skincare Saviour - Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream (Full size)
Best Eye Makeup - Eye of Horus Brown Mascara (Full size)
Cult Classic - La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (+) (Full size)

My own favourites from the box... 

Firstly I have to say how pleased I am that my own vote for the Bloggers's Choice Award, won!! The wonderful Colab Monoco Dry Shampoo. I've said it before and I'll say it again... it's better than Batiste! So of course that is a favourite from the box. I'm also amazed to see a full size La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo in the box as it retails for around £15 alone! This is a cream that I've been using nightly for the past year to keep my oily skin blemish-free... it really does work a treat. I also love both Burt's Bees items in the box, the lip crayon is just lovely and the cleanser is great for oily/combination skin... also another product that retails for £10+. Then finally there's the gorgeous smelling Solid Argan Oil for Body & Hair from The Body Shop. I've mentioned this is a recent hair post that I like to use it on the very tips of my hair to smooth down split ends. But it's lovely on any areas of the body that has dry skin... it's also a product that lasts years! 

Products I could easily skip... 

Eye of Horus won best eye makeup and even though I liked the eyeliner in the previous awards box I'm just not feeling the brown mascara in this box. A black mascara would have always come in handy but brown is just a bit blah and the packaging is a bit rubbish if I'm honest. I'm also not too keen on the Zoella Bath Fizzer as mainly I don't have a bath in my house but it's a bit of a cheap item and if you are looking for a bath fizzer it's just got to be Lush! 

On the whole this is a superb box packed full of great products! I'm sure this will be sold out within a week so if you want it then make sure you snap it up! 

However I did spot that the Glamour Beauty Edit Box now has 20% off making it only £14.39 here. With a Bourjois Lip Crayon, Nails Inc Gel Nail Polish, mini Pixi Glow Tonic and the softest kabuki brush you can imagine, plus more, it's an amazing box (shhh, I may love it more than the awards box!). 

What do you think of the LIB Beauty Awards box? 

Fee xo.

ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand Review

Today I wanted to talk about my new favourite hair tool that creates perfect curls on medium to long hair! With a love of bouncy soft curls I own many a curling wand (5 in fact, oops) but this recent addition to my slightly unneeded collection really is perfection. 

The ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand (find this along with the full curling tool range here) is unlike other wands as it's a unique oval shape with it's own trademark tri-zone technology that allows heats to be evenly distributed to create even, long lasting curls. For me long lasting curls are certainly what I'm after along with shine and bounce. Below is why I love this curling tool so very much, plus how I like to use it with a few of my favourite hair styling products. 

A few features I've been really enjoying

 A very quick heat up time - I'm talking literally seconds here... I feel I should have counted but trust me it's seconds! This of course saves times waiting for the appliance to heat up (it heats to 185oC FYI) and you get a nice little tune when you turn the wave wand on and once it's heated up. The power button also illuminates whilst it's on which is a nice touch and handy for remembering to turn it off... though they do automatically turn off after 30 minutes if not used as a safety measure! 

 Ultra smooth barrel - Ahhh the barrel of the curling tool is just so streamline and with zero areas where the hair can be snagged on. This makes wrapping the hair around the wand and holding at the cool tip so easy and with the least damage to the hair. I also love the built-in stand at the base of the barrel that is pretty unnoticeable but means the heated part never makes contact with the surface it's placed down on or can roll/move around. 

How simple and quick it is - I feel with all the features and the design of the wave wand it really has been made for ease. It's as simple as sectioning off your hair and spending 5-8 seconds on each section simply wrapping the hair around the barrel and then moving on to the next section. This takes me around 10 minutes in total and in fact I've been finding it easier than straightening my hair.

I also received the wave wand with carry case that has an attached heat proof mat that can detach from the case (you can see how the mat rolls out below). For me this really is a nice extra and one of really great quality. I've actually been using the heat mat for my hair straighteners as well. Compared to other mats I've tried this doesn't attract stray hairs and is super compact as the mat magnetically wraps around the case. You can find the carry case with heat proof mat here for £19.95.

How I like to use the Curve Classic Wave Wand 

As you can see above from my hair picture the Wave Wand creates both large bouncy waves as well as more tightly formed curls. This is simply achieved by the size of the section of hair you wrap around the barrel. I personally love to create mainly large bouncy soft waves so I take large sections, wrapping them around the wand for around 8 seconds at the most. This literally takes me 5 minutes to do and then to the front I like to take smaller sections, wrapping them around the wand for 5 seconds to create a little more definition. I find my curls last all day without dropping out or turning to frizz!

For products that I use on my hair whilst using the wand I like to keep it minimal for that effortless bouncy look. First I like to use ghd Style Heat Protect Spray (£9.95 ghd here) all over my hair, this can be used on both wet and dry hair which is great and simply protects the hair from the heat of the hair tool. It also smells pretty nice! 

Then once I've finished curling my hair I like to spritz in a little of the OGX Kukui Oil (£7.35 - Boots here) over the length of my hair which is an interesting anti-frizz hydrating oil. This I find adds a wonderful extra shine whilst also ensuring the curls don't become frizzy throughout the day. I love all OGX hair products actually. 

Lastly after I've run my fingers through my hair to loosen all the curls I like to add a little of The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil For Body & Hair (£8.00 - The Body Shop here), this not only smells incredible (I love the smell of argan oil) but it's also a god send for the dry tips of my hair to smooth split ends and to hydrate. I also find this doesn't weigh the hair down at all. 

All in all the ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand is my best curling wand to date! It's easy and quick to use and the results are long lasting and just perfect! 

Currently over the entire curling tool range on the ghd website there's a great saving of £20 plus free delivery! 

Fee xo. 

*This post was kindly sponsored by ghd  

My Best Blogging Advice For You

2015 has definitely been the year of blogging advice and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Yes, I've wrote numerous blogging advice posts and ironically this is yet another, because I enjoy writing them and you all seem to enjoy reading them by my previous comments.

However I feel so many in-depth posts on how to perfect and grow your own blog has weighed down the beauty/fashion blogging world/community and has turned it in to something that is much more competitive and not as fun. 

So even though this is but another blogging advice post I wanted to share with you my own advice that I feel will most importantly keep you enjoying blogging and you may just find your blog grows naturally as a by-product of you enjoying it! 

Make your blog your own and never compare it 
Years ago I came across the quote "Comparison is the theft of joy" and to this day it's stuck with me, especially when admiring blogs and their success. When seeing blog posts of others daily on social media platforms it more than easy to turn admiration into comparison and jealously. However you can support other bloggers work without judging your own! The key to this is admiring skills of others whilst valuing your own. For example I admire amazing writing skills and unique blogs that really stand out, but I also value my own photograph skills and really make that the focus on my blog. Remember, comparison won't make your own blog any better and it may take the joy out of blogging for you! 

Focus on quality content over quantity 
Gone are the days that it seems acceptable to update your blog once or twice a week and now to stay on top, blogging 5-7 times a week is the norm! I don't know about you but I find that a hell of a lot! At one point I tried to keep up and did so for a few months but I found more and more I was writing filler posts just to meet my 6 posts a week goal. Not good! I realised this wasn't good for myself or my readers and have since dropped down to 4 posts a week (sometimes three if 'life' happens!). This has meant I can spend more time writing each post and making them more photo heavy. I've also found no filler blog posts have made there way into my blog for some time now - woop! Your readers will appreciate thought through quality content and so will Google!

Don't get wrapped up in stats 
With stats at your fingertips it can be easy to click on them weekly, if not daily! I know I've been there and it only led me to feeling I wasn't doing well enough. Growing your stats takes time, years in fact, and really it is now done through being active on social media and being friendly which is a natural thing that you can't over forced. Of course looking at your stats can be helpful, especially to find out what posts had been read the most and what has been searched for to find your blog to help with future blog post ideas. But getting wrapped up in pageviews won't make your blog grow any faster!

I have a million other bits of advice floating around my head but the above ones I feel really make a positive difference. 

Blogging it supposed to be enjoyable so ditch the rules and do what the hell you want!

Fee xo. 

A Whiter Smile with Listerine Advanced White + Giveaway!

Today I wanted to talk teeth, as Listerine are launching Listerine Advanced White multi-action mouthwash in August and I think we are all after that brighter whiter smile! 

I'll be honest... I don't like my teeth, or I should say, I didn't like my teeth. I opted to not have braces in my teens and as a result I don't have the straightest teeth! However without going down the expensive route of cosmetic dentistry something that does make me a lot more confident with smiling is having a white smile. Along with good oral hygiene, the new Listerine Advanced White mouthwash is clinically proven to give whiter teeth in just 2 weeks whilst also preventing stains from forming. Pretty great if you ask me!

Listerine have also teamed up with beauty expert and co-owner of Wild About Beauty makeup, Louise Redknapp to select lipstick shades from her brand that make teeth look even whiter. A few of which I have to giveaway (details at the bottom of this post on how to enter) with a bottle of the new Listerine mouthwash!

When it comes to my beauty/teeth routine I first brush my teeth with a fluoride toothpaste and my sonic toothbrush for 2 minutes. Manual toothbrushes have been proven to be as effective but I love how sonic electric toothbrushes feel!

I then finish off with the latest addition to my beauty routine, Listerine Advanced White mouthwash, to help me achieve a whiter smile! The mouthwash also contains fluoride to strengthen teeth and essential oils to freshen the breath.

Side note – The recommended amount to use, as stated on the bottle, is 10ml or 2 x5ml teaspoons and as you can see above it is quite a small amount - but that is enough to coat the teeth, making them whiter!

Of course lips also have a part to play in a powerful smile so I like to keep them smooth with a good lip scrub and use lipsticks that generally have cool undertones to help my teeth look whiter and compliment my fair skin tone.

Louise Redknapp, co-owner of Wild About Beauty has selected 3 shades from her makeup range that are great for helping the teeth to appear whiter. All the shades can be seen above.

Soft Pink with cool undertones: Wild About Beauty Nutrilips Colour SPF – Caroline

“This wearable soft pink is the perfect sheer shade to compliment any make-up look. It has cooler pink undertones, to minimise yellow tinges in teeth and helps them look naturally radiant while brightening your smile,” says Louise.

A high impact fuchsia pink: Wild About Beauty Nutrilips Colour SPF – Abby

“This statement fuchsia pink hue creates a dramatic contrast thanks to its blue undertones, which help frame the mouth and make the whiteness of teeth really stand out. When choosing pinks, always opt for cooler undertones and avoid shades with yellow or orange undertones as they tend to accentuate the yellow in teeth.” says Louise.

Berry shades: Wild About Beauty Nutrilips Colour SPF – Ella

“Deep colours work wonders as they reflect off your smile to really boost brightness and whiteness. If you’re looking for a dark colour, always go for a rich berry with cool undertones, over a brown as brown hues can bring out an unwanted yellow appearance in teeth,” says Louise.

GIVEAWAY - How to enter

To win one of the stunning Wild About Beauty lipsticks (worth £15) and a coupon to redeem against one bottle of LISTERINE® Advanced White 500ml or 1L, simply tweet me (@makeup_savvy) your powerful smiling picture along with the hashtag #PowerfulSmiles. Only one entry per person. UK only. Closing date - 18th August 2015. You can find the full terms and conditions of the prize draw here. 

Listerine Advanced White will be available nationwide from August 2015 in supermarkets and pharmacies and will be priced at 500ml £5.49, 1litre £9.49 RRP. 

Fee xo. 

* Listerine provided the product and sponsored the post as part of their marketing communications for the launch of Listerine Advanced White.

Beauty Gadgets & Gimmicks Put to the Test #2

After such a good response to my last Beauty Gimmicks blog post I've decided to make it in to a monthly series! However I decided to change the title slightly as labelling all the products I review in this post as 'gimmicks' is a little harsh as although some products may seem novel they may be in fact really great and handy to use. 

So here are five more unusual beauty items that I've been putting to the test over the last month!  

Bliss Fabulous Skin-Reviving Rubberizing Mask 

£35 for 6 masks - Bath & Unwind here or you may find single masks at TK Maxx 
This was a mask that I picked up in TK Maxx as it looked intriguing, plus I've always liked Bliss as a brand. When opening the packet and it's contents it was more like a science experient than a spa-like treatment as I had to add water to the powdery mixture until it was the right consistency. This was when I unfortunately smelt the foal aroma of the rubber mask - think a slight fish scent with burnt rubber... not pleasant in the slightest. However I applied the thick gloopy mask to my face and soon enough it had strangely rubberized! After 15 minutes it was time to the remove the mask but annoyingly I was only able to peel it off in small pieces and not as a whole mask as I'd imagine - too faffy and chalky residue was left on my face where I hadn't applied the mask thickly. My skin did feel smoother, much like with a lot of face masks, but no amazing results especially for all the effort and zero spa-like feel. 

Is it a gimmick? Sadly so! This wouldn't be a mask you'd want to use more than once as it's such a hassle to do and doesn't give any worthwhile results.

Starskin Instaglam Foaming Peeling Perfection Puff 

£6.99 - ASOS here
Whilst browsing ASOS last month I came across a new beauty brand to the website; Starskin. With a range of sheet masks and this interesting looking puff I was definitely intrigued. So I decided to snap up the affordable Perfection Puff to trial out for this post. The idea behind this product is that you have a foil pouch that your tear open and sprinkle in a small amount of water. You then squish the puff inside the pouch until a thick lather/foam is created, then it's ready to buff over the entire face. I found easy and novel to do and buffing my face with the foaming puff felt pretty nice. After around 2 minutes I simply rinsed my face and was surprised to see how much brighter my skin looked and oh, how soft the puff had made it! There really was a noticeable difference! Since then I've used the puff two more times - the maximum it suggest using it before throwing it away. Maybe slightly pricey for only 3 uses but this was such a treat for my skin!
 Is it a gimmick? As it can only be used 3 times I'm tempted to say it is a bit... however I know I will purchase this again if I have something coming up were I want my skin to look the best it can. I'm also tempted to purchase another puff to take on an upcoming holiday with me as a little pamper treat for my skin.

JML Ped Egg Power 

£14.99 - JML here or Wilko here (until 14th August, then back in November)
 When it comes to feet they are easily neglected. I try my best with foot creams but with a combination of wearing flats most of the time and having a condition that effects the circulation in my feet, I do need more than just a topical product. Which is why I was interested in trying out the new JML Peg Egg Power, a lighter and more portable option for keeping dry skin at bay from the heels and soles of the feet. Now I will admit this pretty much is a sander for your feet with the coarse fast moving attachment... but it works! This literally sands off dead skin with ease to reveal much softer skin to the heels of the feet. Then there's another attachment to smooth the skin even further that's a nice added extra, though not needed. This is a gadget I will definitely keep on using as it makes so much difference in the look and feel of my heels.
Is this a gimmick? No! I'm pretty sure most people develop dry skin to their heels and this remedies it with ease!

 

The Body Shop Facial Massager 
£6.00 - TBS website here or in-store  
After watching a video of Caroline Hirons on facial massaging many moons ago I decided to pick up this little tool. Since then I have shamefully used it a handful of times! However for the purpose of this post I decided to use it for a full week before bed. I used over dry skin whilst sat in bed (I found it boring) and over mid cleansed skin whilst using a facial cleansing oil which felt quite relaxing and nice. The idea behind this little tool is to help drain the skin in congested areas and to give a good deep tissue massage to help with anti ageing. Which is why I decided to concentrate on my jaw/chin area where I tend to develop blemishes. Although this felt nice I didn't see any difference in my skin and feel it would be something you would have to use daily for a prolonged period to see any kind of results. I also wonder if using your fingertips would do the same thing... I'm thinking so. 
Is it a gimmick? I'm sure this little beauty tool will be for some people but I personally couldn't keep up with using it daily. A bit of a zzzzzz item for me. 

Stylfile Emergency Nail File 
£4.49 - Amazon here or Tesco in-store
After so many occasions of breaking a nail whilst out and about I decided to pick up this handy little keyring nail file. With the clever little swirl holder the nail file can be attached to your keys without damaging items in your bag or getting lost - such a ingenious design.  Since having this in my bang I have used it on the go several times and I'm so glad I decided to get it, even though I've always felt the original Stylfile with it's 'S' curve wasn't necessary for a nail file. There is also a white and pink section to the reverse of the file for both buffing and shining the nails whilst on the go... this I feel is slightly unneeded but it makes sense that the other side of the file was used for something other than another grade of nail file. 
Is it a gimmick? Not in the slightest. If you have long nails then this will be a godsend to your handbag! 

I hope you've enjoyed this months beauty gadgets and gimmicks! 

If you have any products suggestions for next months reviews then please let me know in the comments. 

Fee xo.