Friday 24 January 2014

What's In My Shower?

I love seeing what shower and bath products people use, so these kind of posts always interest me. I love having my own little collection of products in my en suite at uni because when living at home before, I just used whatever my momma bought. I have to keep the amount down to a minimum as there isn't a lot of room where I can place it all, so these really are my 'holy grail' shower products.


Pantene Pro V Colour Protect & Smooth Shampoo - Link
I've had highlights a few times in my life but I haven't had them since about June last year. For some reason I don't have visible roots; the only issue I have with my hair is when the blonde starts to fade and my hair becomes an ashy colour. This products keeps your colour and also does the job of making my hair silky soft and un-damaged - it says up to 99% damage repair and that was what really caught my eye. I think Pantene is a really nice shampoo brand and my hair always feels really nice after using this. I also have another Pantene Pro V shampoo which is the 'Strength and shine' one and is also just as nice.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash - Link
Just as everyone says, this product smells amazing much like most of Soap and Glory's products, particularly the Sugar Crush range. It's super fresh and refreshing and slightly foams up. Not much else I can say about this really but it's just a lovely smelling body wash!

Murad Clarifying Cleanser - Link
This is the cleanser I use when showering as it's super refreshing on my face. It contains salicylic acid which is an ingredient that bursts into the pores and cleans them, therefore it's amazing for blemish and acne prone skin. 

L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist Hair Mask - Link
My hair is pretty damaged and is prone to getting split ends (I really need a haircut!) so I need a good hair mask. I tend to use this every time I wash my hair instead of a conditioner. As you can see there isn't a conditioner included in this post and that is because this is a replacement for one. I do have some John Freida Blonde Conditioners as well as one from Dove, but I don't tend to use them when this is around. It really nourishes the hair and makes it feel silky soft and truly amazing. 


I recently read an article how fragranced shower gels can actually make body odor and sweating worse, therefore I have bought the 'Refreshing' and 'Invigorating' shower gels from the brand Simple. Since taking photographs for this post, they have made their way into my little shower basket and I think they're wonderful. I obviously have a few disposable razors and things like that laying around in my shower section but they weren't there at the time. I do need a good shaving cream though, so if anyone would like to recommend a good one, it'd be appreciated!

Lots of Love,

Alice



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Saturday 18 January 2014

TAG: What's In My Bag?





I'm feeling really inspired about blogging recently (despite all the revision and work I have to do!), so I have decided to make a schedule of doing about two blog posts a week. Today I am doing the 'What's in my bag' tag which I know is a popular hit with the Youtubers and I know I love watching those videos. I recently bought this gorgeous basic black handbag from Zara; I love minimalistic handbags and it literally goes everywhere with me. Having being out and about rather a lot recently for hours on end, I've carried quite a bit of stuff round with me including quite a few make-up bits so I thought it would be great to show you all!

You can see in the third picture that I carry my purse, which is from New Look and it's great as it has a good amount of space for cards and notes as well as change, but without being too big and stodgy. I also have my white iPhone 4 which I literally cannot leave the house without! I also sometimes carry around a mini body butter or hand cream: the one in the pic is the Mango one from The Body Shop. I don't know where my beloved Soap and Glory Hand Food got to when these images were snapped. I also have a hair bobble because I'm always wanting to tie my hair up in lectures or when I'm eating as it's long and often gets on my nerves. I also carry my headphones around with me just incase I want to listen to music whilst I'm walking somewhere or even if it's cold I like to pop them in without music on (may sound weird), but it really helps stop the bitter cold air getting into my ears and head which is a big problem for me as it gives me severe headaches. I always like to carry a snack round with me, here I have a Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Chocolate Bar but I also put a packet of crisps or a banana in there if I'm trying to stay away from sugar. I always have my mints in there; these are just some sugar free strong mints which are really breath freshening. I actually have these as well as Smint's in my bag at the moment; no one wants funky breath after eating or drinking! I didn't picture a bottle of water, but that definitely features in there everytime I go out as I get such bad headaches and dehydration if I don't drink water regularly.

On to my make-up bag now and this was on a day where I was out the whole day and had to change my make-up a bit to go out for dinner, but I feel like this is a nice collection of products that does every purpose. I have four brushes here: the Real Techniques Blush Brush, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, the Real Techniques Powder Brush (which I use for bronzer) and my trusty Avon Powder Brush. I have my No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation, the Rimmel Stay Matte powder, the L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim, the Benefit 'They're Real' mascara, the NARS 'At First Sight' palette (4 eyeshadows, Laguna Bronzer and Deep Throat blush), the LUSH Bubblegum lip scrub and the Korre's lip butter in 'Guava'. I also threw a pair of tweezers and my lovely Molecule 01 perfume in there too. The make-up bag is from Primark a few months ago if you were wondering - I love it!

So there we have my 'What's In My Bag' blog post done and dusted! What are the essentials in your handbag, am I missing anything?

Lots of Love,

Alice

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Tuesday 14 January 2014

Best Of 2013: Moments/Memories

All my 'best of 2013' posts have being to do with make-up but I love doing lifestyle posts on here so I thought it would be nice to show all the best moments that happened in my life in 2013. I finished sixth form (college), got my A levels and started university so this year was a big change for me but I've loved almost every second! I properly started regular blogging this year from about Summertime onwards and have gained followers and experience and even bought a new camera so I can take lovely pics for you all. This year I've really let go of most of my anxiety too, which makes me eager to travel and do lots of exciting things this year and in the future. Yes, I have had a few blips here and there, but I have done things I thought I'd never be able to do (getting on a 10 hour flight, moving out etc) and have being quite spontaneous in some of my decisions. It makes me really determined to carry on beating the nasty thaaaang and do all the things I want to do.

Without further ado, here are some of my top moments of 2013!

1.) One Direction Concert - April


I don't seem to have any pictures from the actual concert, not too sure why! I think my sister took some on her camera and then deleted them for memory space which is a shame. I wanted to add this in as it's the only concert I've really being to this year and I gotta admit, I love a bit of 1D and fancy most of them! The show they put on was actually really good and you could tell a lot of work had being put into it both on their part and the crews. They mixed with the audience as well as performing which was nice. I'd love to see them again but unfortunately haven't got tickets for their stadiums shows this year!

2.) Sixth Form Prom - May


Not sure how my friends would feel about having their picture on my blog so I've just shown this picture of me and my bestie before we headed off to prom. I loved sixth form prom as it was so much more relaxed than my high school one and everyone got a *little* tipsy! It was nice to have a final event with everyone in your year and you could see what the teachers were like in their down time. 

3.) Holiday in Mexico - June






This was possibly the nicest holiday I've ever been on and it was definitely the nicest hotel I'd ever stayed in. It was a 5* right on the beach with gorgeous pools and even better food. The lobby was amazing; so spacious bursting with elegance and chandeliers. I would definitely go back to the hotel. if you're wondering where I stayed, it was called the 'Riu Palace Riveria Maya' in Playa Del Carmen. I recommend to anyone wanting to visit the Yucatan peninsular of Mexico! 
I also got to fly back on the Thomson Dreamliner; I was on one of the first Thomson dreamliner planes to land in the UK. Despite being in economy, there was so much room and the ceiling felt higher and just generally the cabin was more spacious. The flat screen TV's on the back of our seats were cool too. I'm not a huge fan of flying but I really enjoyed this experience.

4.) Holiday in Mallorca - July





This was my first ever 'girls holiday' and there were 14 of us girls that went. Yes, we stayed in the infamous party resort of Magaluff and it was nothing but fun! Despite staying out partying until 6am, I still managed to get up every day and have lunch in the pool bar, sunbathe around the pool and take trips to the beach. Every second was so much fun and it was possibly one of the best weeks of my life. Wish I could relive it!

5.) A level results - August

This was a big time for me as I knew that these results determined whether I got into university or not. I needed 2 A's and a B to get in to my chosen university and ended up getting an A* and two A's so I was over the moon!

6.) Starting University - September



Starting university sounds so scary and the pressure leading up to me moving in was quite intense. However, my experience wasn't as dramatic as I thought it'd be/heard stories about - I just found it to be really fun and I settled in super quickly! I think it helps that my uni isn't THAT far from where I live so I could just hop on a train home if needs be. I've loved uni so far though and cannot wait to get back there soon. The new style of learning is something I've only just got used to (it takes a while), but the social life is great and you meet so many people who I can tell will be friends for life! I also love cooking for myself and taking regular trips to the supermarket!

I hope 2014 will bring more exciting adventures. I already have a few plans made such as going to see McBusted and Miley Cyrus in concert as well as seeing the great comedian Lee Evans. I hope to take one or two holidays this year (I miss summer already!) and get a really good first year grade at university. 

This post is a response to the 'Moments That Mattered' prize draw which is run by Lloyds Bank. It's a competition in which you can win an iPad and you can enter! Go to the page on MissLucyLoves' blog here to read the details and enter :)

Anyway, let me know all your favourite moments in 2013, I'd love to hear about them!

Lots of Love,

Alice

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Tuesday 7 January 2014

Best Of 2013: Eyes


Eye make-up is one I usually go hard or go home with. Throughout the daytime I like to keep it quite simple; a flick of eyeliner and a bit of mascara, whereas when I go out in the evening I do love a good smokey eye. I have literally being using one eyeshadow palette for most of the year as I got it for christmas in 2012 which is the infamous naked palette (mentioned below).

The Urban Decay Naked Palette - Link
Everyone knows it's amazing so I doubt I have to say much about this or show any pictures. It's got a gorgeous mix of matte and shimmery neutrals which make both natural sweeps of colour and smokey eyes look effortless. I do love eyeshadow and have quite a few Sleek and MUA palettes, alongside LOreal and MAC individual shadows but this is the thing I use the most so thought it was only right to include in my best of 2013 series.

Other products in my best of 2013 include...

Benefit They're Real Mascara - Link
I admit this was a mascara that I have being using towards the back end of 2013 but it gives the lashes such a length, volume and curl. I don't know if it's worth the £20 price tag, as there are mascaras from Rimmel, Maybelline, Max Factor and L'Oreal (see next item) that pretty much do the same thing. Yes, this probably does it slightly better but there's not much in it. Despite this and the fact it dries up quite quickly (oh, I'm really selling it!) it really is the mascara to wear when you're going out!

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara - Link
I used this for most of 2013, in particularly in the summer. It's such a lengthening mascara that doesn't look too obvious, so is absolutely perfect for when you want a bit of mascara on by the pool or the beach. It's also great for those days when you're just heading to the shops or doing a workout. I wouldn't wear it on it's own on a night out, as the voluminous effects aren't amazing, but it's definitely one to purchase for those other times.

L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim - Link
When it comes to eye liner, I'm a bit of a beginner and going wrong can instantly stress me out. This is definitely the best liquid liner, if you can call it that, for people who aren't make-up artists. It's super thin nib is amazing, almost like a felt tip pen. It's one of those products where I would be genuinely upset if it ever got discontinued. I recommend this to anyone and everyone! 

Urban Decay Primer Potion - Link
This is the only eye primer I've ever used so I can't really compare it to anything, but I don't feel like I need to. It makes eye shadow apply so much smoother and reduces creasing dramatically. I use it every time I have a smokey eye and this 'bottle' of primer potion seems to have lasted me all year and beyond!! So it really is worth the money. 

Having being bought the Urban Decay Vice 2 palette and the NARS 'At first sight' palette (link to post here), I am sure my eye shadow favourites are going to change.
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Saturday 4 January 2014

Best Of 2013: Face

Here is the second post in the 'Best Of 2013' series where I choose 5 products from each category and discuss them. This wasn't as hard as the lips edition, as there are 5 holy grail products I apply to my face very often. You'll see that no concealer is mentioned here, as I haven't really being using it! Read on to find out how these products work miracles on my face.





Favourite Foundation: No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation - Link
I have used this foundation for probably half of 2013 and it's definitely my favourite out of all the foundations I've ever tried. I'd love to try Armani's Luminous Silk and NARS sheer glow when I have the funds, but as this one is only £12-13, I can repurchase it without feeling too bad. It gives a lovely matte finish and a great medium to full coverage. I highly recommend for those oily skinned gals and it's recommended by Lisa Eldridge too, so I must be right!!

Favourite Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte in 'Transparent' - Link
This £3.99 powder is incredible for the price! It makes my foundation look smoother and more matte as well as keeping oil at bay. This mixed with the no7 foundation is a match made in heaven for people with oily skin. I'd love to try the Hourglass powders as they're more finely milled, but this still isn't cakey or too obvious and does the job perfectly.

Favourite Bronzer: NARS Laguna - Link
I got this recently in the NARS 'At First Sight' palette (link here) and I know it may seem cheating to include it in my 2013 favourites but I knew the second I applied it that it threw all the other bronzers out of the water! I often used Bourjois's chocolate bronzer and liked it but never loved it like this one. I know it will be my holy grail bronzer throughout 2014 and when I hit pan on the palette, the full size will have to be purchased.

Favourite Contour: MAC Blush in 'Harmony' - Link
When I first got this I wasn't too sure about it. But ever since using an angled or contour brush, sweeping this under the cheekbones gives a lovely chiselled cheekbone effect. I think it may be a bit too muddy for a blush but it is definitely a great contouring product for those that don't want to splurge on sculpting products from the likes of Kevin Aucoin and Illamasqua.

Favourite Blush: NARS Deep Throat - Link
Again, I recently received this in the NARS palette but it is just the most perfect blush. It is so much more smooth and finely milled than my other blushes (think Natural Collection and Sleek) therefore gives more of a natural finish. It looks great paired with NARS laguna bronzer for day or night. I would also love to try the infamous 'Orgasm' blush from NARS as well as 'Gina'. Oh, how I give in to blogger hype!

Let me know if any of these would be in your favourites and if not, what would be?!


Lots of Love,

Alice

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