BENEFIT OPERATION: PORE-PROOF BOX OF GOODIES

Today is the last day where I will be writing a blog post every day; as I told you at the beginning, to make up for not writing much on my blog over the last few months I wanted to write a post on each day during August. I have somehow managed to complete that and I have written 31 posts this month. The next time I will be writing a post each day will be in December! I will be uploading more often from now on but I haven't decided what dates I will be writing on each month. I always want to say a massive thank you because I hit over 5,000 views on my blog in the last month. This is a small number in comparison to some people, but it amazes me that so many people read my blog from all over the world and I am entirely grateful and I just want to thank you all for reading!

Now onto the product I am reviewing; which is Benefit's Operation: Pore Proof kit. This actually isn't for me but I bought it for my Mum to try and get her into using Benefit products but also to help her makeup stay on longer. I don't really suffer from oily skin (I am normal to dry skin) but my Mum does suffer from oily skin and I saw this little box of goodies and thought I would buy it for her. Benefit does quite a few sets like these and they are really sweet as presents and would even be perfect as little stocking fillers for Christmas. This kit is brilliant because all the products in it are based on fighting against pores and shine! Plus it comes with signature tips and tricks that will help you to achieve the most out of each product. I really like this because it is mini versions of some of Benefit's best loved products that fight pores and shine; therefore you can try out the minis and then if you like a couple of the products you can buy them in the full size. If you don't like the products then you have not wasted your money on a full size product that you don't like.

BENEFIT HOOLA ZERO TANLINES BODY BRONZER

Recently, I wrote a blog post on a fake tan that I had bought and I wasn't really a massive fan of it. I really struggle buying fake tan products because usually they are streaky, they are long-lasting (so the streaks stay for a long time) or they come out orange rather than giving me a natural tan. So I decided to give Benefit's Hoola Zero Tanlines Body Bronzer a go and see if that would work better for me. I love the Hoola range from benefit, and have been using the matte bronzing powder for a while now, plus I recently got the bronzing and contouring brush and Dew the Hoola Bronzing Liquid. Because I love those products so much I was hoping I was going to love this body bronzer as well.

This is a genius product from benefit; and I can honestly say this is one of my favourite products from Benefit. This is a gel bronzer that is to be used on your body (so is not to be used on your face). It comes with a sponge in the cap of the product, so that means it is completely hands free. This is something that really attracted me to the product because it is so annoying having to wear gloves or risk getting the tanning product on your hands. This is meant to blend instantly and you apply the gel bronzer onto the sponge and apply to your body in broad circular motions. This also is meant to make sure that your arms and legs aren't left streaky (which is something I suffer from with other tanning products). There is also the signature Hoola scent to it and it leaves you with a natural glowing tan; you will look like you have been on holiday after using this product.

URBAN DECAY ALL NIGHTER - LONG-LASTING MAKEUP SETTING SPRAY

When it comes to my makeup, I always want it to last. Usually I can get away with just wearing a primer and it will last most of the day. However, if I want to make sure that my makeup stays in place, I will always use a setting spray. There are so many times that I will use a setting spray; if I know it is going to be a hot day, if I have meetings in London, if I'm going to an event or even a night out with the girls. I have a few setting sprays in my makeup collection but my all-time favourite is Urban Decay's All Nighter - Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray.

L'OCCITANE ALMOND LIGHTER LEGS FOOT CREAM

I have recently been trying to do a lot more walking and jogging (which is something I did a lot when
I was at University) but since being at home I realised that I haven't been running as much as I use to. So in the last few weeks I have been completing a morning run plus been going to the gym at least three times a week. However, since becoming more active I have noticed that my legs are really suffering. They are usually sore after a run plus they just feel really tired and it does feel like I can barely walk in a straight line. Therefore, I was doing some research trying to find products that work predominantly for people who suffer from tired legs and I found this Almond Lighter Legs Food Cream from L'Occitane En Province.

MY HIGH STREET FASHION WISHLIST - AUGUST 2016

Last week, I decided to upload a post on my beauty wishlist for August 2016 (which is something that I want to do every month) but I also want to do a couple more each month as well, which are wishlists; one will be a drugstore wishlist and one will be a high street fashion wishlist. I am going to try and talk more about fashion as that is something that I absolutely love. Therefore, instead of doing another beauty wishlist I decided to have a browse online and look at high-street fashion and choose five items that I would like to get. When looking for items for this wishlist I decided to look at the New Arrivals section of each website because I am now going to be looking at Autumn wear instead of Summer clothing. I decided to choose the high street as that is wear I will usually buy my clothes from, I am also including some brands on the ASOS website but they will all be affordable items. This is hopefully something I will be doing every month and if I get any of the items I can then show them to you in a later post or on one of my social media sites. As I don't own any of the products (as it is a wishlist) I will be using the photos provided by the websites where I will be buying the products from; the links that I give you will take you directly to the website where I got the photos from. Now that I have mentioned the disclaimer, I want to show you the five high street fashion items that I want to purchase for August 2016.

YSL ROUGE VOLUPTÉ SHINE LIPSTICK

It is no secret that when it comes to high-end beauty, Yves Saint Laurent is one of my favourite brands to shop with. I already have a couple of pieces from YSL (they're Babydoll mascara and a couple of the Touche Eclat highlighters) but I have never owned one of the Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks. Everything I have tried from YSL in the past has been incredible and I feel like every blogger has at least a couple of the lipsticks in the collection, and you may see them in the background of some beauty YouTube channels. Therefore, I wanted to treat myself to a new lipstick, and I wanted to get a new one for my graduation which is just over a week away. I was in my Debenhams department store and I could not decide between three brands; Urban Decay, Chanel and YSL. However, it is obvious I chose YSL for my lipstick. I feel like this lipstick is honestly plucked from every girls beauty dreams and you do feel special knowing you have a YSL lipstick sitting on your dressing table.

CHLOÉ EAU DE PARFUM

Chloé was one of the first designer perfumes I was ever given and I believe I was 15 when I first started wearing this perfume. So I have been wearing this for around 5-6 years now and it has become my signature scent. Before getting Chloé perfume has a gift, I would wear cheaper perfumes or I would buy perfumes that celebrities had created because they tended to be less expensive. However, I now will usually only buy more expensive perfumes, they don't have to be ridiculous prices but I will buy a perfume that usually costs more than £50. At the moment, I have been wearing Tommy Hilfiger and Marc Jacobs Decadence perfumes, but I am so happy to have Chloé back in my collection.

I got given this perfume at Christmas when I was probably 15 (but I could have been younger) and I remember smelling it for the first time and being in love with it. From then on I have always worn this perfume and I think if I was to only wear one perfume for the rest of my life, I would have to choose this one.

GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER

For quite some time, the beauty world has been talking about Micellar water; and like most people I jumped right into this latest product and have been using Micellar cleansing water for almost a year. I did write a post about the Simple Micellar water way back when I first started this blog and I have also spoken about the Simple Micellar cleansing wipes. However, you might have seen that Garnier have also now brought out a Micellar Cleansing Water and it has been one of the most talked about products in ages. You might have even seen the adverts where they show bloggers and Youtubers talking about how great this product is. I decided to purchase the smaller version a while back and I absolutely loved it; so much that I went and bought it in the 400ml size. I actually got mine in Primark for £2.50 but it is available in other drugstores but it is more expensive (I would have linked the Primark one but Primark does not have a online shopping website)!

ST IVES APRICOT SCRUB

When it comes to skincare, I am always trying out new products because I really struggle to find skincare that works well for me; plus I am always trying new products for this blog. However, on a recent trip to Boots, I decided to try the Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub from St Ives. I heard about St Ives as a brand when I read an article about what Gigi Hadid uses for skincare and she mentioned that she used the Invigorating Apricot Facial Scrub (which is something I also want to buy from this brand)! You would expect if a Victoria Secret's model and famous supermodel are using this product then it is going to cost loads of money, but it is so inexpensive and only costs £4.19.

NEW RAY-BAN SUNGLASSES

Whenever I think of brands that sell sunglasses, I will always think of Ray-Bans; I have had a pair before but I lost them while on holiday one time. So I thought why not buy a new pair of Ray-Ban aviators, which are a pair that I have always wanted. When I went to Westfield in Stratford London last week, the first shop I went into was Sunglass Hut. If you are not aware of Sunglass Hut, then it is basically a shop that sells sunglasses (obviously!) from different brands like Ray-Ban, Prada, Michael Kors etc. However, I went straight past all of the other brands and went straight to Ray-Ban. I have always loved their sunglasses and I thought it was about time I treated myself to a nice pair of sunglasses that I could wear everyday. Everywhere I look, I always seem to see people wearing Ray-Bans, however there is a reason for that; not only are they well-known but the quality is absolutely amazing and there are so many styles that you can choose from and each style comes in a variety of colour options, so there really is a pair for everyone!!

YSL TOUCHE ÉCLAT SLOGAN COLLECTION

A few months ago, Yves Saint Laurent brought out a new limited edition packaging for their infamous Touche Éclat pens. Of course I had to buy one, as I have been a fan of this product for years; I loved it so much that I remember going into my Mum's makeup bag when I was in High School and borrowing it without her knowing. When I first bought this I wasn't going to do a review on it because I didn't know how long this would be in stock, however it is still available to be purchased from the YSL website and from Feelunique (links will be provided at the end of this post). I am going to specifically be talking about the collector's edition Touche Éclat, however you can get this in the normal gold packaging for the same price and that comes in 10 different shades and is available for £25 (here).

MINI BENEFIT HAUL

 I have just come back from a shopping trip in London with my Mum, where we spend two days in London shopping at Westfield in Stratford and in Shepherd's Bush. I actually was very restrained and decided to not buy that much makeup; mainly because I could not stand queuing for ages in MAC when I know I can buy it from their website and save a load of hassle. However, I did buy a few items from Benefit. I wasn't planning on buying anything but it was so quiet by the Benefit counter in Debenhams and the lady working there was so helpful, that I bought a few items; although one was a repurchase.

WHAT IS IN MY MAKEUP TRAVEL BAG?

Last week I wrote a post on how I pack my cosmetics bag when I am travelling, however I realised that I have never shown you the makeup that I will take when I am travelling. As you are reading this I am currently in London for a few days, so I didn't bring as much makeup and I brought mainly the essentials. Usually when I go abroad I will take maybe another eyeshadow palette and a couple more lip products but that would be it. I know when I'm travelling I can usually buy more makeup if I need to, so I don't see the point in taking too much and filling my suitcase with makeup when it is not necessary.

For my trip to London I really have not brought much with me and I have tried to bring products that don't take up much space, like I have not brought with me massive eyeshadow palettes that hold 15 eyeshadows. I have also brought with me a range of drugstore and high-end products with me as well. I will only bring one makeup bag with me when travelling, and there will be some people who will think that I still take too much makeup with me; but for me this is pretty reserved. I am going to tell you about each product and why I usually have them in my makeup bag when I travel.

REVLON HIGHLIGHTING PALETTES

A few months ago, Revlon bought out a collection of highlighting palettes, which reminded me of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compacts, that are available for £34 (here). I don't own any of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks, but I decided to see if I liked the concept by buying less expensive alternatives. Usually I won't buy a whole collection, but I decided to buy all three of the highlighting palettes from Revlon. They came out with three shades which are to help give a gorgeous, natural highlight for a soft, healthy and sun-kissed glow. The shades available are Peach Glow, Rose Glow and Bronze Glow. They look very similar to Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Brick, except it seems like Bobbi Brown has more shimmer shades in them whereas Revlon have a couple of matte shades in them. I actually bought all three of these because I thought they would also be perfect for eyeshadows as well as highlighters and bronzer.

MY FAVOURITE YANKEE CANDLES

 

I absolutely love candles, and in every room of my house there is probably at least two candles. I think it is so relaxing to have candles burning in the house (obviously I only burn candles in the room I am going to stay in!) and I find I cannot write blog posts without burning a candle. One of my favourite brands is Yankee Candles; I especially love their Christmas limited edition candles that come out every year. However, I recently went and purchased quite a few of my favourite scents in the tart wax melts. These are so good if you don't want to spend a lot of money on candles but still want your room to smell amazing. The large jar candles are often over £20, whereas these little melts are £1.49 each and they last for 8 hours. I will often buy a scent in one of the melts first so I can see if I like the scent  when it melts and then if I like it I will buy it in a larger jar candle. I also have a Yankee Candle wax warmer which can be purchased on the website as well. All you have to do is place the tart on the dish at the top, and light an unscented tea light candle underneath and then the tart will melt for 8 hours. If you don't burn it for 8 hours you can leave it to solidify again and then re-melt it another time.

MY TOP THREE MASCARAS

Recently, I have been writing blog posts on my top three beauty items in my makeup collections; I have already done this for foundations and for nude lip products. But I was sitting here wondering what is the one product that I always have to wear and it was obvious, it is mascara. I can go out without any foundation, blush or eyeshadow on. but I always wear mascara. I have quite a few mascaras in my collection(either drugstore or high-end) and I found it quite difficult to think of what are my top three mascaras. I usually rotate my mascaras every so often, because mascaras are the one thing that goes off quicker, however, I did manage to find three that I absolutely love and always repurchase. Two of these mascaras are high-end but I did find a drugstore alternative that I love just as much as the more expensive mascaras.

TED BAKER COLLECTION

I went into John Lewis and I always head to the Ted Baker section in my store first, before anything else. For as long as I can remember I have been in love with Ted Baker accessories, especially in the pastel floral patterns. So when I went in and saw that they had new stock I knew that I had to check out what they had. Usually I won't buy anything because I know I don't need it or it is quite expensive for what it is. However, when I saw these accessories in this beautiful porcelain rose print, I knew I had to get a couple of pieces. After spending 20 minutes deciding what pieces I wanted, I ended up buying this Travel Document Holder and Sunglasses Case.

LIZ EARLE CLEANSE & POLISH HOT CLOTH CLEANSER

When I think about one of the most well known cleansers, I automatically think of Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I have often seen this used by family and friend and I hear such great reviews about it. So I decided to see what all the fuss was about and I purchased a couple of the cleansers a few months ago. I must admit that I don't use this as much as I should because I use other skincare products and I often forget to cleanse or I will use other cleansers that I am testing out to potentially review on here.

HEALTHY CARROT AND ORANGE CAKE

I love baking, but recently I have been on a bit of a health kick and have been trying to eat a lot healthier. I have been trying to eat healthily over the last couple of weeks and I have definitely noticed a difference, but I still have a sweet tooth and I do still crave cakes every now and again. Therefore, I was trying to think of a recipe that I could make that wouldn't be as bad for me as some other cakes. Therefore, I adapted a carrot cake that I use to make all the time and changed it slightly so that it has lower amounts of fat in it. I'm not saying that this will help you lose weight at all, but if you are on a diet and still want to eat cake, then this is perfect as it is slightly more healthier.

WHAT I KEEP ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE ...

I was trying to come up with ideas for a blog post and I could not think of anything, especially as I have only just come back home after a couple of days away. However, I was looking at my beside table and I thought why not share with you all how I organise my bedroom and especially what I keep on my beside table. We are thinking of moving house in the next couple of months and hopefully then I will be able to do a detailed bedroom tour kind of post. I am the kind of person that likes everything to look really pretty and for everything to look aesthetically pleasing, and that is even the case for my bedside table. I have day bed in my room, which has rose lights round the metal frame, so I have tried to keep that going with the white roses in the vase and trying to make my bedside table look pretty. I currently have a pine bedside table, but like I said earlier we are thinking of moving and if we do I would probably try and get white furniture just so it goes with my bed and the theme of my room.

JACK WILLS HAUL

Fashion is something that I have been passionate about since I was little; I have always been the kind of girl that has to make sure everything goes together, even down to shoes and accessories. However, I don't blog about fashion as much (which will hopefully change in the future!) but I recently did a bit of shopping in Jack Wills and did some damage to my bank account. When I shopped before, I always use to buy clothes that I knew I would never wear or I would go into a shop like Primark and spend a fortune on clothes that I knew would not last me that long and I would be giving away a few months down the line. However, I have now decided that when I go shopping I am only going to buy items that I know I will wear and are great quality; don't get me wrong I will still go into shops like Primark but I probably won't spend as much as I use to in there. I have tried to pair tops with different skirts but they will all go with jeans, trousers, or even plain tops.

Jack Wills has been one of my favourite shops for the last few years and until now I have only purchased a few items from them. However, I am away with my family at the moment for a couple of days by the seaside, and I went into two different Jack Wills shops and purchased quite a few items. Even though it is a lot to buy in one shopping trip; I have chosen pieces that can be mixed and matched and have gone for the same colour scheme throughout, which is navy and white. Not all of these items were full price either as some was in the sale, however I know that these pieces will last and I will be able to wear them during the day and in the evening. Plus all of these items will go with other pieces that I already have in my wardrobe.

HOW TO PACK YOUR COSMETICS BAG ...

I love to travel, however one thing that I am not a fan of is packing. I always pack as if I am moving to that country rather than just staying there for a week or two weeks; therefore I now try to stay organised especially when it comes to taking makeup and toiletries.

When I am travelling, I am very organised when it comes to packing my cosmetics bag; this includes makeup and any toiletries that I think I might need. I usually overpack but in the last few months I have realised that when it comes to makeup and toiletries I should only take the essential items. Even though it looks like I take a lot, it really isn't because I will usually take mini versions of the product unless I can only find a full version. I am going to give five tips on how I pack my cosmetics and toiletries bag which hopefully you will find useful and might help you to stay organised and to help reduce the weight of your bags. I will usually try and keep my cosmetics bag down to two small makeup bags; I have this butterfly makeup bag that will hold all of my toiletries and any palettes and then I have this smaller Benefit cosmetics bag that will hold all of my makeup.

TAN-LUXE SELF-TAN DROPS

Summer is my favourite time of the year; due to the fact that it is when I see my friends and family the most, by having BBQs and going to the beach. Another reason why I love the Summer is because it is usually warm (and sometimes rainy in England!) and I love getting a tan. However, I am always concerned about my health when it comes to spending too much time in the sun, so I have recently been trying different self-tanning products, and I came across a brand called Tan-Luxe. Personally, I am not keen on going to a salon to get a spray tan or getting on a sun bed. I don't often write about self-tanning products, as I mainly focus on makeup when I talk about beauty, but this is a product that I have been using recently and I have noticed that for a self-tanning product it does work.

MY TOP THREE DRUGSTORE FOUNDATIONS

 

Recently, I have been trying to experiment with different types of foundations. I usually just stick to one and when I find one that I like, I will just keep repurchasing it; rather than testing out different foundations. My favourite foundation of all time is Nars Sheer Glow foundation; however at £31 it is expensive and I do go through foundation a lot quicker than any other makeup product. Therefore, I wanted to test out some new foundations that were cheaper and that I would like as well. I went into Boots a few weeks ago and picked up five drugstore foundations, and three of them have become my absolute favourite. I will alternate between these three and the Nars Sheer Glow, so I am not wasting too much of my Nars foundation. My top three foundations are L'Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation, Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation and Maybelline Dream Velvet foundation. I love the fact that these are all affordable alternatives to some of the high-end foundations and they are all different formulas so there should hopefully be an option for everyone.

MAYBELLINE VIVID MATTE LIQUID LIPSTICKS

If you were to ask me what my favourite makeup item is; I would say lip products (whether it is a lipstick, lip liner, lip gloss or a liquid lipstick, I am obsessed with lip products!) One lip product that I love the most is liquid lipsticks. Obviously Too Faced do liquid lipsticks and I have a couple from them but I am always looking for items that you can buy in the drugstore because Too Faced can be expensive, especially if you want more than one shade. So when I saw these Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipsticks, I knew that I had to buy a few of them to test them out. I only have four out of the available eight shades, but I chose shades that I knew I would wear the most.

The shades I have are 'Nude Thrill' (a gorgeous nude shade), 'Rebel Red,' (a bright Marilyn Monroe shade of red), 'Nude Flush' (a really pretty nude which is slightly more pink) and 'Possessed Plum' (a deep plum/purple shade). All of the shades in the range seem to be really wearable colours that would suit everyone's skin tones and you can obviously choose the lipsticks that would bets suit your skin tone if you wanted to. I love nude lip products, and even though I have so many lipsticks in this colour, I had to buy a couple more. 'Nude Thrill' is a really pretty everyday nude, whereas 'Nude Flush' is more pink. The red shade would be perfect for any skin tone and would look amazing with a natural smokey eye for a night out. I decided to buy the purple shade because I thought it would be perfect for Autumn/Winter, which is when I will wear the deeper red and purple shades. Overall the colour selection of these lipsticks are amazing and could be worn day or night.

TANYA BURR COLLECTION

There is no doubt that I love makeup and I already have too much in my collection, but I am always buying more and more. I am a sucker for pretty packaging, and my favourite makeup products have got to be eyeshadow palettes and lip products. Therefore, it would come as no surprise that when I decided to buy some products from Tanya Burr's makeup collection, I decided to buy one of her eyeshadow palettes and three of her lip glosses. I actually got these in April but was going to wait to do a blog post on them until I had brought a few more pieces, but I thought why not blog about them now as these are products that I grab the most. She has just brought out her new collection which is called The Soft Luxe Collection, which I am going to buy in the next few weeks as the shades she has chosen look amazing.

PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING JEWELLERY

Weddings are a special occasion for everyone involved; whether you be a bride, bridesmaid, mother of the bride or simply a guest. When choosing your jewellery, there are many things to consider: the neckline of the outfit, how you are having your hair and what types of jewellery suit you (whether it be necklace, earrings, rings or a bracelet).

Personally, I prefer wearing simple and elegant jewellery and will often opt for a pair of small earrings, a simple necklace and an eternity ring. My preference is simple is better, especially when it comes to jewellery for weddings. I have provided some options for jewellery that I think would be perfect for a wedding. Some of the options will still be available in stores, however a couple of pieces were purchased a few years ago, although there will be alternative options available from other brands. All of these options are beautiful and would work with any outfit. Also they would be great choices if you are a bride, bridesmaid or a wedding guest.

TOP 5 NUDE LIP PRODUCTS

 

L-R: Lunch Date, Nude Thrill, 43, Tantalizing Taupe, Ex-Girlfriend

I thought I would share with you all five nude lip products that I absolutely love  and find myself reaching for most of the most at the moment. I have a lot of lipsticks, lip glosses and liquid lipsticks in my makeup collection, but at the moment I have been obsessed with wearing a nude shade on my lips. It was so difficult to narrow it down to just five of my favourites but these are the ones that I carry in my makeup bag all the time and have been loving recently; three are lipsticks, one is a lip gloss and one is a liquid lipstick, so hopefully there is something for everyone.

All of these lip products apply smoothly, and are fairly last-longing and finish off any makeup look perfectly without breaking the bank. I have more drugstore lip products in my makeup collection, however I have included a high-end lipstick in my top five as it is a product that I have been loving since it was released in February this year.

L'OREAL NUDE MAGIQUE CUSHION FOUNDATION AND GLAM BRONZE CUSHION DE SOLEIL

I have been wanting to try Lancome's Miracle Cushion Foundation, but at £30, it is fairly expensive, especially as I rarely use cushion foundations. So when I heard L'Oréal were bringing out a cushion foundation and cushion de soleil I was eager to buy both and try them out; to see if I can get on with cushioned products and to determine whether I should buy the Lancôme cushion foundation as well. I purchased both the L'Oréal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation and the L'Oréal Glam Bronze Cushion De Soleil. These are only £14.99 each and therefore are half the price of the Lancôme foundation.