Budget beauty - L'oreal Kids tangle tamer

This is a budget buy that I actually cannot live without dramtic maybe but definatly true. 

L'oreal Kids is something my parents used on my hair and I still do today . 

My hair gets so unbelievably tatty and knotted that I need a little extra help ! cue L'oreal kids tangle tamer and a good going over with a tangle teezer. 

Firstly the sweet pear scent is beautiful. I find that using this does truely make the whole hairwashing process that much easier . 

It claims to banish tears and knots - which is music to my ears .

It may be purely placebo in effect but I love it, it also leaves my hair smooth, soft and healthy looking. 

Pick yours up from Boots , your local supermarket or superdrug for £2.19 

Wearable berry lips

It can't be denied that berry lips are a hit come winter time. They easily add glamour, interest and sophistication.

There is something about a dark berry lip that just screams sexy but they aren't the easiest look to pull off , especially for daytime. 

This post came about after some girlfriends and I were discussing how we love dark lips but they are defintaly hard to pull off without looking too 'done'. 

I thought I'd do a little post all about one of my favourite lipsticks and how I use it in the day time. 

So when wearing a berry shade I find it works best with everything else really toned down and glowing. I start my using the DIOR nude foundation  I then go in with the Rimmel wake me up concealor under my eyes, the Benefit erase paste to hide dark circles and redness. If wearing berry tones or reds you don't want any red or purple tones peeking through the skin as it causes you too look a little washed out and pap.  I also use the Smashbox Photo finish lid primer to hide any darkness in my lids and to give my shadow some staying power.

For the day time I keep my eyes simple but still use a little shadow to add interest and defination. I use the 'eyeliner' shade in the Benefit big beautiful eyes kit .  This is a really nice contour shade.
Then curl the lashes and pop on a good coating of YSL volume effect faux cils mascara . 
Brows are filled in with the Bobbi Brown brow pencil in ash .

When wearing a dark lip I usually skip on bronzer, as I feel it emphasizes my pale skin . Instead I try and match my blush with the lip colour.
So the nearest match I have to Beguiled is the in the Nars soulshine cheek pallette .
This is a gorgous grape shade with a finely milled shimmer and I love using it to contour the cheeks a little and add colour.
Anyone know the name of this colour?
I then pop a little bit of Topshop beguiled onto the lips and blot with a tissue.

There you go Bob's your uncle ! an easier toned down way to wear berries...

Sorry the pictures a little dodgy , still not used too it ! 

New skincare bits : OILS

My skin has been a nightmare recently , I think it's due to bad eating and Masters stress so I've re-vamped my skincare routine and picked up a few bits too clear those pores, inject moisture and restore radience.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Miracle makeover facial oil .

Intially I bought this as a moisturising oil to use during the day when my face needs an added boost but after doing some reading I found that this is infact a pre-cleansing treatment.  When I have a lot of make up on I use this instead of Bioderma .  I massage this into my face using circular motions and really work it into the skin. Then I wipe off with a warm flannel and go in with my usual cleanser. I do tend to use the Clarins extra-comfort cleansing cream so not to over do the oil factor.  I'm really enjoying using this pre-cleanser as it smells beautiful(can you tell I'm big on the way things smell?)  and it is a real luxourious treat - I even look forward to cleansing on an evening.

Nude- Perfect cleasning oil face & eyes.

Having used the Nude purfiying cleansing wash and loving it, I couldn't wait to try this little bad boy out. I was not disoppionted it is a delight to use.  Nude products don't use parabens,sulphates,synethetic fragrance, mineral oil and silcones, they really are nude eh? With a lovely slogan of 'You are more beautiful NUDE'.  The bad stuff is broken down and I do feel that  my skin feels so soft and definatly has it's glow back, it feels clean.
It does say to rinse clean but I would seriously advise using a flannel or muslim cloth to make sure you've truely removed the oil.
Now at £28 this isn't the cheapest cleanser but it certainly isn't the most expensive maybe one too add to the Christmas list?

Tea tree Oil. 

Not an oil you would use all over your face but an oil all the same and is fantastic when you get an unexpected breakout. Tea  tree has great anti- bacterial properties and can be applied directly to the skin.  You will often find tea tree in spot specfic treatments .
I use this oil by applying  a teeny bit on the breakout with a clean cotton bud before bed and leave it to do it's magic.
If you find that using the tea tree oil directly is a bit strong it can be diluted with your moisturiser or cleanser.

If your interested in a winter skincare read you can have a little peek at this article I did
http://thelinc.co.uk/2013/11/winter-skincare/

Winter warmer #2 - Hair needs moisture too!

During the colder months my hair really suffers, especially as I am blonde.

I just find that because of a lack of sun it just looks dull and straw like beautiful eh? 

Like skin your hair needs moisture too! So I find like my skincare routine I up the moisture and layer up those products. 

I've slected a few products which feed my hair !

The Thirst feeders - 

My all time favourite thirst feeder is without a doubt the Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme pre-shampoo treatment. I picked up this 75ml tube for Canada and it's still going strong so it's well worth the doller.   You pop it on for 10-20minutes before shampooing, whack on a shower cap and relax. Make sure you really rinse it out well , shampoo as usual and you will be left with bouncy,lustrous locks. 

Sometimes I find that as much as I love the above treatment it can be a little heavy so I'll use the Redken Extreme shampoo and fortifying mask  I bought this from my hairdressers as a set and I can't find it online. You can buy them seperatly from feelunique though !  

First things first they both smell amazing .

 They both contain an interlock protein network which helps to fortifty and protect weakend areas. 

The colour lock down- 

So I mentioned that in winter I find my blonde hair looks a little dull and I need to rely on a few little tricks. 

First up the Marilyn hair treatment from lush. Another pre-shampoo treatment which uses chamomile and lemon to ward away brassy tones and add brightness.  

For me this works at brightening my already very blonde hair I'm not sure if it would have the same effect on darker blondes.  

It does add a lovely hit of moisture too 

Now I don't mind the smell what I do mind is that the consistancy and colour is a little suspect... 

Next up is the TIGI Bed Head Dumb blonde leave-in conditioner . Like all Bed Head products this smells beautiful so sweet and delicious. 

This conditioner contains lock down technology which increases the vibracy of blonde tones. 

It also protects from UV and thermal damage and boosts hair stregnth. 

The MAC trio

When the days get colder I love to experiment with my make up a bit more. Recently I've loved mixing up my usual smokey eye. 

This is a combination that I've only just started wearing,even though I've had the shades since Christmas...OPPS!

I present to you ... The MAC trio ! 

L-R Cranberry , Soba and Handwritten 

I start by using a flat brush to pack on Soba which is a lovely golden shade with just a glimmer of shimmer . I put this all over the lid - it doesn't need to be the neatest job as it all gets blended together . 

I then pop a little bit of handwritten into the crease and do some serious blending. Really take you time with this so that it looks seamless.  I love handwritten it's a much richer matte chocolate brown. I like to smudge a little bit of handwritten just under the bottom lash line. 

I then pop a little bit of cranberry over the top to add a little bit of depth and colour. 

This gives an almost bronze effect which is perfect for Autumn/winter. This look is perfect for the day as it doesn't look too done but it can also be taken into the evening. 

My top tips for using mac Cranberry... 

Red/pinks are hard to pull off without looking a little bit like you have an infection, lack of sleep or worse punched in the face.

1) Use eyeliner to counteract any redness of the waterline - I like nude 

2) I like to mix it with other colour's so it's not too full on

3) Lashings of mascara!

Sorry about the dodgy picture ....

Winter warmer #1 : The cold busters

There's a definite chill in the air , the Christmas decorations are up and snows predicted for next week. Boys and girls Winter is defiantly under way . With this I decided I'd do a few weekly posts about my favourite season and the things that I love about it ...

A sign for me that winter has come is that I seem to have a constant sniffle - some weeks more than others... this week is one of those weeks. Yes I have filled the whole bin with tissues , not the most beautiful image? 

For today I thought I'd do a little run through of what gets me feeling half decent when I feel like a bag of poop ...

Before bed I like to run a hot bath and put a good few tbsp of the Burt's Bees therapeutic bath salts in the tub. This really does help de-congest the nose and clear the head. I then lie back with a cold eye mask on as I find that my eyes feel sore and heavy when I have a cold. The Origins no puffery roll on is great for relieving the eyes through out the day.
Instead of my usual moisturiser I use the Clarins Beauty flash balm  which brightens the skin and adds radiance. You can tell why this is a favourite with so many people it really does lift the skin.
Lanolips 101 ointment is perfect for relieving chapped lips but where it really shines is if you pop it on your nose. You know what I mean? when you've been blowing your nose so much that you look like Rudolph.

 For make up I like to keep it simple but I still want to look nice.
I use the Body shop moisture foundation in the shade 04. This foundation just doesn't get enough praise in my opinion, it has a nice medium coverage whilst still giving a beautiful and fresh glow. I use some of the Chanel Soleil tan de Chanel to perk up the skin and add a little hint of colour.

I then pop on the Rimmel wake me up concealer to perk up my eyes and cover those tell tale bags.
For me my eyes(and the rudolph nose) really give away if i'm feeling poop so I try and lift them so they don't look as rough.  I use the Rimmel scandaleyes eyeliner in the shade nude  to banish a red waterline, I then use Rimmel's Scandaleyes eyeshadow stick in bulletproof beige  to add a touch of colour. Is it just me or are Rimmel really coming out on top at the moment?
Finally I curl my lashes and add a good dose of mascara .

So there you have it how I disguise the "poop face" do you have tricks that you rely on?
Other notable mentions include a lotta lotta orange juice, Multivitamins and a good supply of tissues- I'd recommend the balsam ones as they don't hurt the nose as much...

Burt's Bees' therapeutic bath crystals

First things first I apologies I've been lacking a little on the blog front. 

I have a lot of deadlines looming so unfortunately the blog gets pushed away which really upsets me . The worst thing is that I had loads ideas for this week and just didn't get chance but they will be up I promise !  

Anyway onto the product in question...

Burt's Bees' therapeutic bath crystals 

So the idea of these salts is that you put a tbsp or two in a warm running bath and relax for at least 15 minutes. 

The idea is that the essential oils in the salts work to stimulate the elimination of waste products which allows the muscles to relax and feel as good as new. 

Burt's Bees' suggest using these bath salts after exercising to aide the release of lactic acid which can cause the body to ache . 

HOWEVER 

I find that although these salts are a great post-workout treat they have a lovely second use , especially at this time of the year.
Whenever I'm feeling a congested I pop a good sprinkling of these salts in the tub as they contain Eucalyptus which really helps to unblock.
The calming scent fills the whole room . It's a little bit like your own personal sauna which works to unblock and de-congest.
So there you go the perfect way to pamper and unblock your little red nose (I plan on doing this tonight)

Dolce Gusto Piccolo KP100640

Today's post is something a little bit different but it's got me just as excited ! 

James and I had been talking about getting a pod coffee machine for Christmas. We drink a lot of coffee and always want 'proper' coffee over granulated.

We saw this little machine on a late night shopping trip in Tesco's and snapped it up along with a box of chocachino and grand cafe crema. 

This little machine is cute and compact, has a 0.6 litre water tank and comes with a starter pack of 6 pods. You also get a £10 voucher to spend online when you register your machine - little word of warning you have to buy 4 drinks but you are getting 3 for free( what a mouthful). 

What I love about this machine is that it is so easy and simple to use , theres no faffing around with coffee and steaming the milk in the early hours . Rather you switch it on , fill the tank , pop a pod in and pull the lever to have hot or cold water .  

If you have something that has milk and the drink you need the repeat the last two steps. 

Within 2 minutes you have lovely coffee shop style drinks directly at home. 

The only big negatives about this is that the pods are a little pricey and that it doesn't stop by it's self rather you have to do this which is fine so long as you keep an eye on it! There's plenty of guidance on when to stop the machine so that you have room for the milk etc...
Generally though I am really happy with this machine, it's simple , compact and perfect for the two of us. I usually hate nescafe but I really love this coffee and it defiantly takes me back to France and Italy.
I was trying to cut back on my coffee intake but hey ho ... we have actually ordered some caffine free drinks. We got Peach ice tea, Chai late , espresso barista and skinny cappuccino. 

The machine is £44.99 and the boxes of pods are £3.68. 

You can get this here 

And lets just take a moment to marvel at my mug... and yes it says Chocolate: the lip balm of the Gods   

The Sunday face...

How cute is this moomin tealight holder?!?

If I'm not working and James is, my Sunday's tend to be rather relaxing and comprise of household chores and uni work . Bet your so jealous?  

This means that not much make up is required and the 5 product face rolls into action. 

I start by applying the Dr.Jart water fuse BB cream  which leaves a subtle glow to the skin , it's a fantastic product when you don't want much make up as it covers a multitude of sins. No concealer required.  I then use Nars laguna to add some definition and colour to my cheeks. The bronzing powder also acts to set the BB cream a little. 

For my peepers I want them to look bright and awake so I use the Rimmel nude eyeliner along the water line. I then curl my lashes and coat them in the  sublime de Chanel mascara. 
Lips then get a dab of the Korres lip butter in the shade pomegranate as it adds a hint of colour whilst providing a nice dose of moisture . I must remember to buy a new one of these .

So there we have it my Sunday face :)

A naughty purchase...

We've all been there had a bad day , agonizing tooth ache or generally feeling a bit pap so we walk into our favourite shop and buy something that is just a little bit naughty !  For me this shop or shall we say stand is Chanel . I usually go for bronzers or lipsticks at Chanel but this time I fancied something a bit different and picked up this lovely mascara. I mentioned in another post that I'd had a sample of the Sublime de Chanel waterproof length and curl mascara and absolutly loved it , I can't understand why it's taken me this long to purchase the full size. 

First up the packaging is so sleek and classic with the tiny hint of gold embellishment on the lid and the wand is a plastic comb wand which allows the lashes to look defined. The mascara it's self isn't clumpy at all and holds the curl beautifully whilst still looking natural .

Now for the naughty part this is not a purse friendly mascara at £24.00 . 

If this mascara has caught your eye you can pick it up from boots or House of fraser

Budget beauty #2 : Topshop beguiled and Topshop magic liner

For today's budget buy I picked two products but they are from the same brand and work beautifully together so I think this cheat is allowed. It's no secret that Topshop is one of my favourite places to shop - mainly for clothes but I'm also a huge fan of the make up range and have been for quite some time... Generally speaking Topshop and budget don't go together but the make up range is actually very credit card friendly! 

My sister bought beguiled last winter in London and I remember thinking that I must pick that up as it was a perfect winter shade. in typical me style I only picked it up last week but it was defiantly worth the wait... This deep wine shade is just perfect for autumn/winter and I find it's one of those colours that can be worn day or night. For £8.00 the formula ain't too bad either. Beguiled applies well and leaves a matte finish which can be a little drying but just make sure you have a decent lip balm at hand.  I am the most cack handed person in the world and really struggle to perfect the desired feline flick and yet with the Topshop magic liner it just works is that wierd? The felt tip 'marker' helps paint a precise flick. For me this is one of the best liquid liners I've used :)

I think I'm going to do one of these budget beauty posts every week for the next month? as I feel there's some amazing buys on the high street at the minute so if there's anything you fancy seeing a post on do let me know below !

Have a great weekend ! XO