Spring Beauty Essentials

Hi everyone! February has gone so fast and I can't believe it's going to be March in a few days! But that means spring is nearly here and the pastels and bright colours can come out :D here are a few of my beauty must haves for spring time, enjoy!

Beauty UK Review

Hi guys! Now, I was always a bit of a 'makeup snob', thinking that products are only worth buying if they cost at least £15. Anything less is going to be bad quality right? WRONG! You can find some amazing makeup and other cosmetics for a fraction of the price in the drugstore, and the brand Beauty UK (available in Superdrug) just goes to show this!

You can find their website here: http://www.beautyukcosmetics.com

I tried out the lipstick in the shade Cupcake and the eyeshadow/eyeliner palette in Amazon. I was so impressed at the quality of both of these products.

To start off with, the eyeshadow and gel liner palette (RRP £3.99) is an absolute bargain. Not only does this lovely set cost less than a fiver, but the quality is amazing too. All 6 eyeshadows are soooo pigmented! And the gel liners glide on really smooth too. I was even impressed with the double ended brush for application. So there are 6 shades, a shimmery bronze, a lighter bronze/gold shade, a deep purpley brown, a glittery white, an orange/rust colour and a dark grey shade. The gel liners are black and brown. All 6 of these shades are so wearable, especially for the holiday season because they're so shimmery and warm toned. They really bring out my green eyes so I tried a look using all the colours and I love it! 

I really love the lipstick too! Again, it's very pigmented which is great. I started off by exfoliating my lips with sugar so there was no dry skin on my lips, I then lightly dabbed the lipstick all over and blended it out with my finger. I really love this colour, a pale 'barbie' pink, as it provides an alternative to the classic red lip at Christmas time. It smells slightly minty which is a nice touch and lasted really well on the lips.

Overall, I am so impressed with the products I have tried and I will definitely be picking up some more makeup from their brand in the future!

Disclaimer- I was lucky enough to receive these products from Beauty UK to review, but all the views and opinions are 100% my own.

Jess x

TAG Beauty Talk- my responses

Hi guys! I've been having a bit of a long hard night and didn't know what to post, I'm in the process of writing a huge advice article addressing lots of common, teenage problems so if you have any questions you want answered, don't hesitate to ask!:)

So a lot of you have been asking for my answers to the tag I created and I haven't actually publishedvmy answers yet! Obviously I made the questions with products in mind, so if you want to know all about the particular products that inspired this tag, them keep on reading! :)

What products have stood out to you this year?

Definitely the maybelline colour tattoos, especially in on and on bronze! I have ridiculously oily eyelids so it's a miracle if something even lasts half the day, but these babies have all day staying power! I have also loved the origins zero oil cleanser because it takes away the excess greasiness on my skin with out over drying it, plus I got it for a discounted price at the cosmetics company outlet store :)

Which makeup items would you recommend for young girls or people who are just getting in to beauty?

The MUA undress me too palette is lovely for beginners because it has a wide variety of neutral shades both on the warm and cool end of the spectrum and is only £4 or £5- bargain! I would also reccomend my favourite concealer, the rimmel wake me up does it's job like no other, not only does it brighten up the eye area, but it covers blemishes, not stick to them which is great for someone who perhaps doesn't quite need a full coverage foundation, but needs a bit of something to hide redness!

Favourite high street and high end beauty brand?

From the drugstore, it has to be either Maybelline or Bourjois! Rimmel do some great foundations but the Maybelliene eye products can't be beaten for the price, especially the falsies mascara! And bourjois have outstanding face products, I would happily reccomend any of their foundations and I am currently loving their happy light foundation, plus they have the best bronzing products around :) for a high end brand, it has to be MAC! I just think the quality of their eyeshadows and lipsticks is unbeatable and they are definitely worth the bigger price tag.

Most disappointing product you've tried?

It would have the be the benefit they're real mascara because I just couldn't get on with it :/ it no means was it a bad product, but it just receives so much hype in the beauty community and I don't think it's worth it, especially for the price being around £20.

A beauty item you use everyday?

My body shop Chocomania body butter or soap and glory sugar crush body wash. I love really sweet smelling scents and these two together creates the perfect combination! :) the reason I didn't pick a makeup item is because I kinda pick makeup based on my mood for the day so I don't reach for the same things all the time, plus I like to try lots of new products :)

What are you essentials for winter?

A good conditioner for your hair! I use Tresemme total moisture everyday and my hair hardly ever gets frizzy or dry! Also a good makeup remover because I tend to wear more makeup in the winter so it's important you cleanse your face thoroughly afterwards, I use garnier rose cleaning lotion which brings all my makeup right off and it's a milky texture so it adds an extra bit of moisture to my skin to prevent it from becoming too dry!

Your favourite product for a dramatic, party look?

A dark, matching lip and nail! I just love berry shades right now and my favourite combination is either Topshop lipstick called up or Revlon just bitten kissable balm stain crush on my lips paired with Essie Bahama mama on my nails (and if I'm feeling extra sparkly, I have an accent nail using barry m yellow topaz)

What's on your Christmas wish list? (beauty wise....)

Well this year I have asked Santa for half of the MAC store haha! So we will just have to see what he brings me....

I hope you liked my answers :) this is such a fun tag to do because it covers many different aspects of makeup.

I tag you all to answer! Check out the #TAGbeautytalk page to find out more details :)

Jess x

The Lazy Day Post #2

I did a lazy day post 2 Sundays ago and it seemed to be quite popular in terms of page views so I was thinking I might make it a weekly thing? Just a general sum up of the week, what I've been eating, watching, wearing, doing and a bit of a chit chat?

I've had a pretty good week, it's been a little stressful for Christmas shopping but I'm all done now so I can really start to enjoy the festivities that come with this time of year. I only have 5 days left at school this year (thank god). Normally, my 6th form term is 6 weeks, but we have been at school for 8 weeks and I am so tired :( there are some great things coming up this week at school that I'm looking forward to like the carol concert at the church and the school talent show!

Right, so to begin with, my star purchase this week has been the Soap and Glory Yule Monty obviously! Down from £60 to £27 for 10 of their best selling products in full size AND samples AND a £5 voucher AND a beautiful Johnathan Sauders designer box?! You honestly can't go wrong with this bargain so I would definitely recommend picking up your own box before they sell out because they're going pretty fast; there was a huge queue at my local Boots yesterday. I have never really tried many Soap and Glory products before but I used the Sugar Crush body wash this morning and I can't even describe how amazing it smells!! :D

If you live in the UK and don't already own a pair of Primark Super Cosy Tights then what are you even doing with your life?! They are an absolute steal at just £3.50 a pair and they are perfect for cold weather. They are completely opaque and just look like normal, denier tights but they are fleece lined inside, hence the name 'super cosy' :P they slip on your legs so easily and you don't need to keep pulling them up all day like regular tights either, which is always a pain. I love them because they keep your legs warm all day and you don't have to worry about them laddering!

Something else that happened this week that I thought was pretty exciting was that I got tweeted by one of my favourite youtubers and bloggers, Anna from Viviannadoesmakeup! I got way too over excited but I'm new to this whole twitter thing so I thought it was pretty cool :p her blog is amazing and I have been watching her videos for like 2 years now and it's great to see how successful she has become :)

This week was also quite stressful because I have had my room redecorated, I had my old, grubby carpet taken up and replaced with a lovely, laminate floor and I've moved my furniture around too, put up a few new posters and fairy lights and had a general tidy up in my bedroom. This meant that my room was an absolute tip for most of the week, but it's finally all done and I will have a bedroom tour up sometime in the week!

Hope you've all had a really lovely weekend and I can't wait to share some of my new posts with you in the week!

Jess x

TAG Beauty Talk

So I decided to create a really easy, fun tag that any beauty lover can have a good think about and answer. My friend Alice from t4inted beauty has been the first to answer it!

You can see her answers here: www.t4intedbeauty.blogspot.com

I chose 8 of the questions I would most like to know about any fellow beauty lover because I am so nosy haha!

If you would like to answer the tag questions then here they are but please make sure you leave my link in your post if you decide to!

Send me the link to your post on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #TAGbeautytalk

What products have stood out to you this year?

Which makeup items would you recommend for young girls or people who are just getting in to beauty?

Favourite high street and high end beauty brand?

Most disappointing product you've tried?

A beauty item you use everyday?

What are you essentials for winter?

Your favourite product for a dramatic, party look?

What's on your Christmas wish list? (beauty wise....)

Jess x

Empty Products

It's not very often that I finish up products, maybe it's because I am always trying out different things (I know, I'm such a cosmetics slut). It's actually taken me 2 months just to collect 5 products believe it or not. The good thing about empty products is that you can talk about how long the product lasts, which you can't really tell in a shop.... So, let the beauty talk commence.

John Frieda Full Repair Mask

(This is the red tub in the corner with no label on, I get very bored in the bath sometimes :p) I really loved this product as a deep conditioner to repair my poor hair that has been bleached then dyed so many times beyond count. I used it once a week and I got 8 uses out of it and I have quite a lot of hair so great value for money here. I found that you got the best results by leaving this in your hair for about 30 minutes to an hour and rinsing out with hot water. After I used this, my frizz prone hair would stay silky soft for up to 3 days.

How long did it last? 8 uses!

Repurchase? Definitely!!

The Body Shop Chocomania Body Butter

When this range first came out, I didn't bother trying any of the chocolate scented products because I thought they would be too sickly sweet. But when I ran out of my usual coconut body butter, I decided to mix it up and go for chocolate and I am so glad I did!! This stuff smells INCREDIBLE and I know I've already talked about it in a few older posts, but seriously- every time I wear this I get so many compliments. In texture, it's quite hard but it soons softens as you rub it on your skin. It leaves my whole body feeling luxuriously soft and smelling like rich cocoa powder all day long.

How long did it last? Daily and all over my body for 2 months.

Repurchase? I already have haha!

The Body Shop Cherry Body Scrub

This is one of those products that I got as a present and although I liked it, I don't miss it now it's gone if you get my drift? It was very runny and liquidy in texture which made application difficult, but it had large exfoliating beads and smelt lovely on the other hand.

How long did it last? 3 months(ish)

Repurchase? Probably not, no :/

Benefit They're Real Mascara

I really do have mixed views towards this product. Although it separates and lengthens the lashes beautifully, the plastic applicator fails to add enough volume for me. I know mascara is a very personal thing so if you prefer the more natural look, then this would be great for you!

How long did it last? 10 months with irregular use before eventually drying up

Repurchase? No

Benefit POREfessional Primer

I know, another benefit product! These mainly got used up because I felt guilty for spending so much money on them and never using them!! Ok so I do quite like this product, it's skin coloured so gives a hint of coverage and smooths over the skin perfectly to create a great base for foundation. I have really open pores and this managed to reduce their appearance during the day and cleared out with my cleanser so it didn't clog up my pores. BUT (and this is a big but) I don't feel like it made my foundation last significantly longer, in fact, I felt like it made it slip off more. I know this product is mainly for reducing the appearance of pores, but what's the point when your makeup is going to come off anyway? Especially when you are paying around the £20 mark. This is only my personal experience and I have oily/combination skin so if your skin is on the drier side and you have rather visable pores then this will probably be perfect for you!

How long did it last? 4 months with daily use

Repurchase? No

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions and I hope this post helped if you were thinking about purchasing these products!

Jess x

A Guide To Black Liner

When it comes to winter, one of my favorite makeup looks it black liner and lots of it! From the sophisticated flick to a smudged grunge look- I just love it. Depending on what look you're going for, it can be really hard to find the perfect product, so here is a run down of my favorite types of eyeliners.

(From left to right)

barry m liquid eyeliner// mac liquid eyeliner// Estée Lauder pencil liner// miss sporty wax crayon// barry m pencil liner// topshop kohl dust liner// maybelline gel liner// bobbi brown gel liner

For a thick, retro black eye I would recommend a liquid liner, because although they may be wet upon application, they quickly set to leave an opaque, precise line. I have found that the application of most liquid liners is the same- a pointy nip that is attached to the inside of the lid. It may take sometime to master using these, but practise makes perfect and you can achieve a really neat, thin line with these, or turn the brush on it's side to create a 60's inspired flick.

I would suggest trying MAC liquid liner for a long lasting product that doesn't crease, or for a drugstore alternative give the Barry M liquid liner a go!

For a smokey, smuged look I think pencils or waxy crayons are the way to go. Depending on the consistency of the liner, they can be quite a pain to apply to the top lid as they are dry so can drag along the lid but I find by using your index finger to pull out your eyelid slightly, they apply much easier. They are perfect for using in your tight line or water line for a touch of definition, or use them along your lash line and then blend them out for a smokey look.

I like the Estée Lauder pencil liner for a really intense black look because it's really creamy so glides on easily and is so pigmented! The Miss Sporty Waxy Crayon is perfect for people who like maintainer free makeup or are just starting out with eyeliner because it applied really easily and can give a lovely, simple liner look. Another product I have always been a fan of is the Barry M Pencil Liner because I find that they last all day without creasing and they come in so many shades other than black if you want to experiment with colour during the holiday season.

For a thick, grungey liner definitely try out the Topshop Kohl Dust Liner. I have never seen a liner like this before. In theory, it's just blackish grey dust that is densely packed in to a tube with a thick, spongey but tapered tip. The product itself can be extremely messy so I would suggest holding a bit of tissue under your eye before application. This liner gives a very thick slightly sparkly intense look but I think it is perfect for a party because it is so effortless!

For the perfect cat eye I always use my favourite type of eyeliner; gel! The best thing about gel liner is the fact that the look can be changed by simply using a different brush. They are a gel like texture (obviously) upon application and quickly set on your eye. You can achieve a simple, thin line for definition or can be build up for a more intense, bold line. The best thing about gel liner is they create a perfect flick and don't smudge or crease all day.

My favourite gel liners are the Maybelline Studio Effect Gel Liner and the Bobbi Brown Gel Liner. They are both great products because they don't crease on my extremely oily eyelids. The maybelline liner is slightly more liquid in texture, whereas the Bobbi Brown one is more dry so needs a bit more pressure upon application.

I really hoped this helped if you were struggling to decide which eyeliner is right for you! Feel free to ask any questions below.

Jess x

Makeup of the day

I'm still not feeling 100% better so today I decided to wear some of my favourite makeup to make myself feel better.... Am I the only one who does this?!

-benefit hello flawless foundation believe in my ivory

-benefit benetint

-bourjois delice de poudre 52

-rimmel wake me up concealer ivory

-maybelline 24hr colour tattoo on and on bronze

-mua eyeshadow pallette undress me too

-maybelline studio gel eyeliner black

-estée lauder sumptuous extreme mascara black

-revlon colour burst just bitten kissable balm stain honey (that's a bit of a mouthful)

-essie nail polish chinchilly