July Favourites

Hello everyone! 

I hope you guys are all enjoying the sun as much as me! I don't think I can count the sun as a July favourite, but if I could then I definitely would. This post was hard to write as I have had so many good things this month, but I had to narrow it down so you wouldn't end up being here all day. 

To kick things off I have been loving Alice in Wonderland retellings this month. I don't know what it is about that story that never fails to fascinate the world. Of course I love the original tales and they are unparalleled in the children's classics genre. However, I also love a good, dark retelling, the kind which the author could never have imagined. In July I read Alice by Christina Henry and loved it so much that I pretty much started Red Queen immediately afterwards. I will soon be putting up a full review of the series (when I finish it) so check that out :-) 

I have also been really enjoying the colour pink... not to wear as I am not a pinky girl, but I have been loving pinks in my makeup routine. All the rose gold eyeshadows, dusky pink lips and peachy blushers have been making an appearance! They are super pretty and feminine for summer. They also provide quite a fresh, barely there makeup look so you can feel a lot more natural without having totally naked skin. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I love a no makeup day as much as any girl! 

My final favourite is a scent, everyone needs a good summer scent. I have been reaching for this Ted Baker body spray a lot recently. It came as part of a set with bath foam and body lotion. The scent is lovely and fresh with hints of rose and raspberry, with an overtone of sandalwood to balance it. The floral notes mixed with the more woody scent is perfect to throw on in the summer. I just love it! I feel pretty when I wear it and almost like I could be in a surfing advert, that's how fresh it is :-) 

What have you guys been loving this month? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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Ransacking Rimmel

Hello everyone! 

Who else is on holiday now? I'm away on a jolly holiday in the south of France with Mr.Gingersnap, but I thought I should keep posting while I'm away, plus it is quite fun :-) Today I thought I'd share my new summer make up with you. I have been surviving on tinted moisturiser for the last 3 months while I decided what new foundation to try. Foundation can be quite a commitment if you don't have the budget to try multiple ones at once, being a poor student this is the case for me...

Bearing that in mind I turned to the high street stores. I haven't used a high street foundation in years! So I had a little look online at what people rave about and thought the best fit for me would be Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation in 100 Ivory. The formula for this sounds ideal, it's anti-fatigue, skin brightening and has vitamin C to help re-vitalise your skin cells and give you that perfect flawless skin glow. It also has SPF 15 which is not amazing, but better than nothing. 

I have been wearing this for about a week now and really love it. The formula is thin, without compromising the coverage. I'd say it's semi to full coverage and does actually give me a lovely glow. It lasts all day without dehydrating my skin and is super easy to blend in with a brush. My one slight issue is the big jumps between shades in this product, it took me ages to find one to match my skin tone! I think after holiday when I have a bit of a tan I may have to mix it with a slightly darker foundation to match my skin completely. Nobody likes a ghost face! 

I can't really say much more to praise this powder, it does what it says on the box and has a lovely peachy finish to it. 

I was planning on repurchasing my trusty Benefit powder, but what kind of beauty blogger would I be if I didn't trial new products from time to time! Rimmel's Stay Matte powder hasn't really had much hype around it, which is a shame as it is a truly lovely product :-) It's a long lasting pressed powder to smooth and set your foundation or for touch ups of oily zones throughout the day. I went for the shade 002 Pink Blossom because it is a super pretty peachy tone that goes really well with the pink/rose golds I've been going for this season. I was very impressed with the range of shades in this product as well as how nicely it applies. The packaging is fairly standard and easily portable. Some say that a powder is a powder, but to me I think it is a key part of any makeup routine. 

Finally, as it was 3 for 2 I picked up this gorgeous pastel/dusky rose nail varnish in 405 Rose Libertine. Also from Rimmel by the way! This nail varnish is perfect for summer, I am loving all things pink at the moment and this fits in so well. The only small problems are that the formula is quite thin so needs multiple coats to avoid the dreaded patchiness. This then means it isn't a 60 second dry as it claims to be. Yes it is super shiny and beautiful, but if you want it to be batter proof and smudge proof then wait 30 minutes to dry it! Worth the wait though :-) 

Have you tried these products? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

YSL and Benefit Mini-Haul

Hello everyone! 

The other day I was browsing in Sephora, as you do, and oops some treats just fell into my basket! I had actually been eyeing up these two products for a while, so why not? It's all for the good cause of providing reviews for you guys :-) 

I had heard rave reviews of the YSL Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks, so many people love these products and I have to say I can see why. It would be so easy to go mad and buy them all. The packaging alone makes them collectible. I think it is actually the best lipstick packaging I have ever seen. The classy gold bullets with the YSL wrought chain around them is simply beautiful, add to that the way the coloured band around the bullet reflects the colour of the lipstick and you have pure perfection. They aren't just a lipstick though, they are also an oil based lip treatment which nourishes the lips with 6 essential oils as well as having fantastic pigmentation. I have definitely fallen in love with these, just look at this colour! Y'all should go get one, right now! I went for the colour 41 Corail à Porter, which is a lovely peachy, coral pink, perfect for summer and so wearable as an everyday girly colour. 

I really struggle with eyeshadow primer, my eyes are so sensitive that all the cult classics like the Urban Decay potion primer make them puffy and sore! Which is such a shame, as it is a much raved about product. I tentatively tried some samples of Benefit Air Patrol and it worked like a dream! Maybe it's the BB cream element that makes it more gentle on my eyelids? Since I've been using it my eyeshadow stays on so well. The only thing is that it is quite hard to start using the product. Normally you turn the bottom part once for each eye so you have the perfect amount of product, but the first time I had to turn it so many times to get it to work! You have to be patient and wait for the product to start appearing out of the sponge tip, which is not great if you are low on patience. 

I love the packaging, with the old school US army pin-up theme, it looks so sleek and pretty. However, they have done the whole extra sticky out bit of cardboard on the packet again, which is so pointless! Never mind, it's the product that counts and I honestly couldn't recommend it more highly! 

Have you guys tried these products? Let me know in the comments below :-) P.S. Follow my facebook here.

xoxo