Autumn OOTD and Beauty Essentials Collaboration With Simplly Me

Hi,

This is Simplly Me from Simplly Me Blog! 

Today I’m writing a guest post for GingerSnapHattie’s blog!

I absolutely love her blog and it was really really fun collaborating with her because she is a wonderful and amazing person. Also this is my first ever blog collaboration and I’m so excited and Hattie this whole experience really fun and exciting.

But, before I start I wanted to tell you a bit about me and my blog:

My name is Simplly Me and I’m currently in school, I spend most of my time writing and photographing for my little section on the internet, Simplly Me Blog. When I’m not busy blog writing I’m probably baking, reading, watching YouTube, hanging out with friends or doing homework. (Ugh!) On my blog it is based on Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle. If you like those genres then hopefully you’ll enjoy my blog!

Anyway, for my part of the collaboration I'm doing an Autumn OOTD and an Autumn Beauty Essentials. I really hope you enjoy this post and remember to keep reading GingerSnapHattie's blog it's brilliant!

Autumn OOTD:

This burgundy checked flannel shirt is from New Look. I think this top is perfect for Autumn because Burgundy is my favorite Autumn color so I really like to wear this to feel really nice and Autumnal. I don't know the actual price of this top but I bought it for £1 at New Look on sale. Bargain! I know right?! This top is also perfect for Autumnal weather because it’s not too thick but not too thin so it keeps you warm but not boiling hot. I also like how it has this really cute collar which I think is a nice touch.

To pair with my top I wore a Black A-Line Skirt from New Look. I really like A-Line skirts because I think that they just really suit me and my figure. Also I think that these are a real wardrobe staple because you can easily dress this skirt up with a classy shirt or wear it more casual with a sweater so I think it’s a very versatile piece.

When I wore these two pieces I tucked my top into skirt. I think this is the best way to style this because this top is quite long so in my opinion to have it untucked may look a bit weird. If it’s a colder Autumn day then I'll just add a pair of black tights. And then finally for the shoes I’ll just wear a pair of black flats or some black boots.

Autumn Beauty Essentials:

So now onto the beauty part of this blog post. I’m a real beauty lover so of course I had to include a few of my Autumn faves.

Wild Argan Oil Hand Cream 

My hands are literally always dry but, when in its Autumn/Winter it doesn’t make the situation any better... Sooooo, to solve this I bought The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Hand Cream. I absolutely love this product! After I apply it it keeps my hands all nice and moisturized and removes all the dryness from my hands. Also, the product smells AMAZING! I absolutely love this scent, at first I just picked it up because it was quite a different scent but I’m different going to picking more products in the Wild Argan Oil Range.

Clean & Clear Dual-Action Moisturizer 

I use this product all year round because it’s part of my skincare routine but I wanted to include this because I think this product is vital for Autumn/Winter. The product I’m talking about is the Clean & Clear Dual-Action Moisturizer. I use this in my skincare routine because I have combination skin so my T-Zone is oily but the rest of my skin is quite dry. Sooooo, to solve that issue, I tried this moisturizer and absolutely loved it! Also this is oil-free so if you have oily skin then it’s a good moisturizer to have.

The Body Shop Born Lippy Strawberry LipBalm 

My lips are unbelievably dry so always have to have lip balm with me at all times of the year and especially at Autumn/Winter. I normally use the Born Lippy Strawberry Lip Balm from The Body Shop which I actually love because it keeps my lips very soft and keeps them to not be as dry as a bone. Also this is only £2 which makes it really affordable as well. (In the photo I included my Primark Lip Balm instead because I couldn’t find my Born Lippy.)

I really hope you’ve enjoyed this collaboration and I hope that you’ll carry on reading Simplly Me and GingerSnapHattie. 

What’s your favorite thing about Autumn?

xoxo

Surprisingly Summery Scents

Hello everyone! 

Sadly my holiday is almost over! I don't want to leave and get back to the real world, but we all have to at some point. While I have been away I ran out of my current Sephora body scrub, it's so invigorating with its green tea essence. It's a hard act to follow, but as it was a weekend I couldn't just nip out and buy another. Instead I had a little rummage in my Mam's beauty stock, she keeps a few of her favourites stashed at the house for when she gets time off work and can come for a bit of rest and relaxation :-) 

Anyway, in her stash is her favourite festive exclusive from the Body Shop. The Frosted Cranberry collection is only available around Christmas so every year I get her some as a little treat and she manages to make them last for months! Now I can hear you all groaning at the mention of cranberries so out of season, but I swear it is such a summery scent. 

The scrub in this collection is divine, the scent is musky and warm and the sugar beads melt into your skin really well as you scrub. It left my skin feeling soft and lightly scented. As far as those pesky little red bumps on my arms go, it wasn't amazing and I still prefer my Soap and Glory scrub. However, for skin invigoration and freshness it is wonderful. It would make a nice all over scrub, not being too harsh for sensitive skin. 

The moisturiser is actually my favourite in this, it has a slight shimmer to it which is perfect for enhancing that tan for an evening out! I would suggest using this sparingly as it can make you a bit glittery... I mean, there's nothing wrong with glitter, but it would have looked a bit odd in the nice restaurant I went to! 

Finally, the Body Polish :-) This product is slightly misleading as you could think it is another scrub, but it is actually a simple body wash for in the shower. Although it makes a lovely bubble bath too! The scent is slightly lighter in this, so you don't feel too overwhelmed by it. 

Overall, I think cranberry works really well for the summer. It's fruity and fresh toned, without being too floral. I enjoyed the lingering scent on my skin much more than I was expecting to given the season. I know these products are currently unavailable, but I wouldn't rule out other cranberry scented products this summer :-) 

What do you guys think of this scent for summer? Have you been surprised by any other products? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

June Favourites

Hello everyone, 

June has been quite a busy month for me, I moved back from Paris and started the next stage of my course as well as planning summer placements. It has been all go for the entirety of the month. This shows itself in my favourites, they all follow a more relaxing trend. When you are rushing around it is more important than ever to take time for yourself. If you don’t you’ll end up burning out and feeling rubbish. I know, I know, the whole “remember to take me time” thing is easier said than done, but I promise you it is worth it! 

A key part of this month for me has been pampering. Once a week I have been making a real effort to have a full on pampering session. This goes from head to toe, I’ll do a mask on my hair, do loads of wonderfully girly treatments for my face and body and paint my toe nails. If anyone would like a pamper routine post then let me know in the comments below :-)

I know it says La Main Verte, but I bought it in Paris :-) 

The Handy Gurugu Lush cream has been my saviour. With what I do I end up washing my hands a million times a day with some harsh products, particularly hibi-scrub. It is great for disinfection, but leaves my skin disgustingly dry and dehydrated. To counteract this, I have been using this cream twice each day. Once when I come in from uni and again as I sit up in bed reading, blogging, working or watching videos. It has the most lovely peppery smell, making me think of summer gardens. It’s very rich and takes a while to soak in, but it is so worth the wait. 

I know I have mentioned this product as a favourite so many times, but I just have to add it in again. The Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in 02 Raspberry is beautiful, you should all try it. Enough said on that one! 

Spending time with my housemate is also very important. When you both have busy schedules it can be hard to find time to catch up on the day, but it is vital for maintaining a happy house vibe. With this in mind, we have several Netflix programmes we watch together. Our favourite has to be Once Upon A Time. I freakin’ love this show! We have been trying to watch an episode each night and it has been fabulous. I am a little late to the party on this one, but better late than never eh? 

Sorry this has been a bit of a short favourites! Hopefully I will have many beauty related posts for you in the near future. Let me know what you have been loving in June in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

April Favourites

Hello everyone! 

Where did the last month go?! I swear I only started March a couple of days ago. Well, never mind let’s get cracking with what I was loving through April. Let’s split it into hair, body, makeup and general life :-) 

Since I’ve been in Paris I have been going out more in the evenings to explore and meet new friends. It has been fabulous! However, the last thing you need on an evening out is flat hair. My favourite remedy for this is a good old texturising spray. Usually I like a sea salt spray, but this time I’ve been trying a mineral powder fixing spray on fluffed up hair. The L’Oréal Wild Stylers spray by Tecni.art is so lovely! I flip my head upside down, brush back my hair and then spray this in and I’m good to go. It doesn’t make my hair sticky or dry, but it lasts for hours! 

For body there are two products I have been really loving. The first is a new one to the Body Shop, they have out a new range of spa type products called Spa Of The World. They have three different scents, of the three I prefer the Hawaiian Kukui Cream smell as it is so heady and luxurious! The body lotion is so creamy and buttery on my skin. It applies super smoothly and soaks in incredibly quickly. My skin feels so soft and hydrated since I started using it. 

The second product is a kind of a group really. I have never seen the Ushuaia shower gels in the UK so I have been making the most of trying different scents while I’m here. So far I have tried three, but this pomegranate hydrating gel is my favourite. Pomegranate is my favourite fruit, so of course I would love it! The products have a neutral pH and have no parabens, making them very gentle on the skin. I feel so refreshed and awake after using these. 

Now onto makeup, that classic red lip from Charlotte Tilbury has to make an appearance! So Marilyn is a repeated favourite. It is so wearable, for both day and night, and the creamy texture makes it a joy to wear! I have featured this many times, so I won’t waffle on any more about it. 

Lately I have been doing a lot of night shifts and working very long hours. I think my eyes would have been suffering a lot more if I hadn’t been using Benefit’s Puff Off before I apply my makeup in the morning. The smooth gel and cooling iron tip have had such a soothing effect, reducing any soreness or puffiness just as the name suggests! 

Finally, I have been loving spending free time outside in the sun either reading or listening to music. If you were wondering about my deeply fabulous sunglasses…they are vintage, I picked them up in a little store in Bastille called Tilt Vintage a couple of months ago! 

What have you been loving this month? Let me know in the comments below :-) P.S. Check out my Facebook here.

xoxo

Feeling Youthful and Bouncy

Hello everyone, 

I had heard so much about the Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask (phew what a mouthful!), and I know I’m late to the party, but I really wanted to try it out. Having ran out of my usual face moisturiser I went on the hunt for a new one. I read so many reviews and thought they all seemed quite one off, this lead me to want to get a fuller idea of how I would rate it. Writing is my thing and you know how much I love to share with you, so here it is, my week in goo. 

Day 1: 

This product smells so soothing! I actually can’t wait to try it. I almost don’t want to dip my fingers into it. I found a solution to that and I have used the residual bit on the lid of the pot. It feels quite sticky and tacky, a bit like silly putty actually. It does go on nicely and smooths into the skin really well, but I can see why it is a night-time product as it makes your face quite shiny and gummy. So far it feels refreshing. I love the packaging, the weightiness of the pot and solid lid make it feel very luxurious. The colour scheme of bottle green and deep mahogany make it feel like I bought it at an expensive spa. 

Day 2: 

Well I woke up with lovely smooth skin, all stickiness had gone. My face did look quite glowy and the redness of my two break out spots had gone down dramatically. So far so good eh! I’m glad it didn’t go kind of flaky like some other moisturisers do. Don’t you hate that feeling when you rub your face and the moisturiser goes all peely and you end up with little flakes on your fingers? Gross!

Day 3: 

Last night I still didn’t need to dip into the pot and could use the lid again. It seems that a little goes a long way with this. There is a surprising amount in the pot so I have a feeling it could be good value for money. So far so good on the soft, rejuvenated skin feeling too, but I feel you need to trial a product for a week at least before you can get an accurate idea of how it will affect your skin. Some things only work at first and others take a bit longer to show their effects, it really is trial and error.

Day 4: 

For the first time I used the little spatula to scoop out some cream, it’s amazing how little you need to apply it to your whole face. I have a feeling this product will last a long time! I have started to find that it makes my skin a little pink after I apply it, but that could just be because it makes you shiny? According to the packaging it contains Edelweiss stem cells which help to rejuvenate your skin, there is quite a bit of information online about this, but it is still quite anecdotal without any in depth studies. A good site to check out for the science behind these products is Beauty by the Geeks! 

Day 5: 

Still loving the smoothness of my skin in the morning. I have found that instead of an immediate awake look to my skin, I look more refreshed for longer during the day. Normally I look super tired at the end of the day, but not at the moment! 

Day 6: 

I am definitely starting to believe the hype around this product. I have to say my skin is so much nicer, any blemishes stand out less and seem to be healing quicker, this could just be wishful thinking, but I have a good feeling about it. I have learned to live with the stickiness, it’s worth it in the morning when my skin is smooth as satin. 

Day 7: 

It’s the end of the week and I feel I have given this cream a good enough trial to know if I like it…the verdict is I love it! I will definitely buy it again when this one runs out, thought by the looks of things that could be a long time away. My skin feels more bouncy and has a better glow to it, it’s the perfect prep for spring with more pastel and warm makeup looks. My foundation goes on so much nicer after a night of this. 

I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago and forgot to post it, it got lost in the depths of my hard drive! I just quickly wanted to add that I have carried on using this product daily and I honestly do love it, keep an eye out for it in my Feb favourites...yep it is that good! Have you guys tried this? Wowed or disappointed, let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo