REVIEW: LUSH ROCK STAR SOAP

Recently I've found out that I'm allergic to a very common preservative called Linalool. It's widely used in cosmetic products so I've had a great struggle trying to find something that doesn't contain it.

 I went into my local Lush a few weeks ago and asked if they knew of anything that didn't contain it, the lady was so helpful and I was surprised that Lush do have a few products that don't contain it (yay)! 

I decided to go with this soap as it smells amazing. The way I can describe it is like sweets, but it's not a sickly sort of smell, it's very pleasant. 

In the past I've been reluctant to use a bar of soap as they tend to be very drying on my skin, however this one is the complete opposite. I use it with a loofah to get a nice lather and then apply it to my skin. It lathers up really well and a little goes a long way. 

It's very kind to my skin and doesn't irritate my eczema at all. It's very nourishing to the skin and is slowly but surely getting rid of dry patches. My skin has honestly never felt this good! I've had it for about 3 weeks now and I've nearly ran out, but for £3.40 per 100g, it's certainly value for money.

THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY #3

As you may have seen in recent posts I've been concentrating on the happy things in life, so here's week 3.

01. Having my Grandma stay with us

This week my Grandma has been staying with us, she doesn't live that far away but it's been a while since I've spent as much time with her as I have lately. She's 89 and has a completely clean bill of health, which is amazing for a lady of her age. She loves talking about her past and my Grandad that I unfortunately never met. 

02. Baking

I love baking but it's not often I get the chance to, as my Grandma is with us this week I thought it'd be nice to make a cake. I stuck with a classic Victoria sponge with fresh cream & jam, topped with lots of fresh summer berries. 

03. Birthday planning

After realising that my birthday is in less than a month, I've finally got myself into gear and made plans. Me & my boyfriend have booked to go camping for 3 nights to a pretty seaside town called Caernarfon. I chose to go here as I spent a lot of time here when I was younger. I've never been 'proper' camping (in a tent with no electric etc) but I'm exited for a break from the world! 

04. Car passed it's MOT

It's been a year since I bought my car, so it's MOT was due this week. Although it's had no reason not to pass I convinced myself it wasn't going to, so when I had the phone call to tell me all is fine with it I was over the moon!

REVIEW: BARE MINERALS BARE SKIN FOUNDATION

 I've been in two minds whether to try this or not for a while but when I was in Manchester a few weeks ago I decided to treat myself. I've been using MAC studio fix for a while but when I realised that was part of the reason why I was having problems with my skin, I wanted to change straight away.

I'd definitely make sure you get properly colour matched as the bottles are very misleading, it looks a different colour to what it first seems once properly blended in. I'm the palest shade they do which is bare porcelain.  

The lady on the stand did advise me to get the brush but I thought I'd try my own first. I love the Real Techniques buffing brush and she said as long as you have a good, dense brush you should be okay. I'm happy with the finish I get from my brush so I didn't go for the Bare Minerals one. 

The consistency is very thin but the bottle has a dropper on it so you can measure it in drops, meaning no waste which is great. It's very pigmented which means you don't have to use a lot, but it does mean that you have to give the bottle a really good shake before applying, otherwise it comes out with a marble effect which is quite strange. 

I prepared my skin as usual with a primer. I placed one drop onto my brush and buffed it into my forehead, I then blended it down my nose and continued across my cheeks and down to my chin. I used a drop for each cheek and another drop for my chin & around my mouth. So 4 drops in total, I like quite a full coverage but if you wanted less you would get away with using 3, maybe even just 2 drops. 

The coverage is fantastic, it's a lot more than I expected yet doesn't look to heavy or like your wearing a lot of make-up. As it's a serum foundation it has a nice light feel on the skin which keeps your make-up feeling fresh all day. It gives a nice dewy finish that isn't too much but does look natural. I don't find that I need to use a setting powder however the lady said that if I do find I need to, it's best to use a translucent one. 

I really love the way it looks on my skin, despite me having a few red areas and blemishes it gives an almost flawless finish. It gives a nice healthy glow to the skin and most importantly doesn't feel heavy or like you've got a face full of make-up.

MY SIMPLE MAKE UP LOOK

My everyday make-up look is very simple. I like to wear minimal products so that my skin feels relatively fresh all day.

First of all I applied the Bare Minerals bare skin foundation which is a-m-azing! I don't want to say too much just yet as I'm going to write a full review on this. I used my Real Techniques buffing brush to apply and buff this in. It's a really lightweight foundation that can be worn alone without primer or concealer underneath and without a setting powder on top which is perfect!

Next up for eyes I applied the good old faithful Urban Decay eye shadow primer potion all over my eyelid. I then used the Naked 2 palette, first of all I applied  bootycall all over the lid, and then blended a small amount of tease on the outer half of my lid. I then blended YDK into the crease just to add a little depth & shimmer. I then finished the look using Rimmels scandal eyes mascara which is perfect for everyday.

Finally I warmed up my foundation a little bit by using the Bourjois bronzing powder. This is perfect for my pale skin and also contains a little shimmer which is nice. Finally, I kept my lips super simple and just used my Nivea lip balm.

RECENT FAVOURITES

I missed the boat with May favourites, so I'll call this one 'recent'. We're halfway through June and the year full stop which is just crazy. My favourites are mainly beauty products, I haven't experimented with much during May so they're mainly my favourite go to products.

Nivea Sooth Lip Balm

For some reason my lips have become really dry lately. I always use my EOS lipbalm but that didn't seem to be doing the trick with this dryness, so I decided to try this. It's got a very nourishing feel to it that doesn't disappear quickly. It really helps to hydrate my lips and soothe any irritation. It's also a handy size to I can take it everywhere with me.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara

I've had this for a while and tend to use it on and off in between using other mascaras. It's definitely my go to mascara, giving me the exact length, volume and curl that I want on my lashes. It lasts all day and doesn't crumble or smudge throughout the day. It also lasts a while so it's certainly value for money. 

S&G Kick Ass concealer

I don't wear concealer everyday but this is my go to when I do. It's got a nice creamy texture and almost melts when applied to the skin making it really easy to blend. It comes in 3 sections, a pinky shade for under eyes and a yellowy shade for blemishes and imperfections. They both conceal well without looking over concealed or caked on. The third part is a translucent setting powder. I tend to apply this once I've finished applying my make up. It sets make-up well which keeps it in place all day. I also like how it's translucent so it doesn't make a difference to the overall look of your make-up. 

F&F sandals

As the weather is slowly becoming warmer, it's time to expand my sandal collection. These were an absolute bargain at just £10 in Tesco. They aren't  the comfiest things in the world but I don't expect that for £10. They are perfect to throw on with an outfit on a sunny day.

What have you been loving lately?

DISAPPOINTING PRODUCTS

01. Elemis Hydra Boost Moisturiser

Usually I'm a huge fan of Elemis but I felt disappointed with this product. One thing I did love about this product was the smell, it had a fresh & fruity scent. It applied nicely to the skin but it went downhill from there. When applying this, it began to roll off the skin after being smoothed in a few times, I know not to rub a moisturiser in but I felt like this didn't apply how other moisturisers I've used from Elemis have. It then sunk into my skin almost immediately which left it feeling like there was no product there. It certainly didn't leave my skin feeling luxurious and didn't show an improvement in the condition and texture of my skin.

02. Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo

I decided to try this as a change from Batiste however I wasn't really impressed by this. Like the previous product the only thing I did really like was the smell. It has a clean smell that isn't too over powering like some dry shampoos can be. It did make my hair look clean for a short amount of time, but that look didn't last long in comparison to other dry shampoos that I've tried. The main thing I didn't like was how it made my hair feel dry and straw like. It also had the tendency to spray into my hair white, which obviously isn't a good look. This product was okay, but not something I'd buy again in a hurry.

03. Collection nail polish in 'Bare'

I picked this up as a last minute polish to go with an outfit I was wearing that evening. It was only £1.99 so I wasn't expecting anything amazing, but I wasn't impressed at the fact it didn't even last 6 hours without chipping. I painted my nails before getting ready like I always do, using base coat and top coat. I then went out for the evening and the polish was just peeling off, in the end I had about 5 and a half polished nails left. I absolutely love the colour of this polish but definitely wouldn't buy it again due to the quality.

04. Essence Crazy Volume Mascara

I received this product in a Glossybox a while ago but hadn't actually tried it until my everyday mascara ran out. The volume and length it gave my lashes was perfect. However it does bring too much product out on the brush, so I was finding myself scraping a lot off before applying it. It also doesn't last well, it crumbled off throughout the day and left me with black smudges under my eyes - not a good look! Overall I wouldn't use it again as I like to apply a product and wear it knowing it will stay in place all day.

THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY #2

Like my previous happy post, this week I decided to think about the positives and happy things in life. This week has been very busy but full of fun things. So it's ending positively. 

01. Exploring Manchester

I enjoy exploring new places even if they are relatively close to home. I loved exploring Manchester and watching the world go by, I was fascinated at how many different people passed and how many languages we heard. I felt quite overwhelmed by how big and busy everything was as the closest city to me is Chester - which is tiny in comparison! I did have a much needed shopping spree which is always good, and found a few items of clothing that I haven't seen in stores local to me.

02. Seeing George Ezra live

This was the reason for our trip to Manchester. We were supposed to see him live back in February however he cancelled due to illness which can't be helped. Luckily he rescheduled for 3rd June, which was Wednesday. He was absolutely amazing live, his voice is incredible. A lot of people sound different live, however George Ezra sounded exactly the same but even better! It was a fab evening and was definitely worth the wait! 

03. Warm weather

This week the weather has finally warmed up, it was so nice to feel the warmth and enjoy the outdoors. A bit of sunshine makes everybody feel better. 

04. Light evenings

I've been loving the long light nights lately. I love going for a walk in the evening or just being able to relax whilst it's still light outside. It's a good feeling to know that dark winter nights are behind us for a while. 

What has made you happy this week?

THE SIMPLE STRIPED DRESS

Last week I was delighted to be asked to work with Boutique of Molly again. In case you don't know, Boutique of Molly are an amazing online clothing store that stock a wide range of celebrity inspired items at really affordable prices.

I chose the striped dress as it's perfect for the Summer season - if we ever get any sun! The dress is made from a soft cotton material making it stretchy and super comfy. As it's made from a thin & lightweight material it will be perfect for warm Summer weather as it'll keep you nice & cool. I was advised to go a size up in this dress and I'm glad I did.

One of the main reasons I chose this was because of the colours, it fits right in my comfort zone as I tend to wear a lot of grey and neutral colours. The colours also make it really easy to style, I decided to go for a really simple outfit with this dress. I paired it with my white converse, I would also wear the cardigan that's in my hand with this, it's a loose pistachio coloured one from Zara. To add a little detail, I wore this necklace from H&M, it's probably my favourite and goes with just about everything. 

You can read my previous post with Boutique of Molly here. 

PINTEREST INSPIRATIONS: HOME

Whenever I need inspiration, I will go to Pinterest. Although I still live at home with my parents, I still scroll through my feed dreaming of what my future home will look like. I pin any pictures that I like so that when the time arrives for me to move out, I can look back and take inspiration from them. 

As you can probably tell I love warm, neutral and white colour schemes. I think they look clean but also cosy. I like lots of cushions and cosy blankets to add a homely feel to the place. 

I think a splash of colour here and there looks nice in a room as it looks simple yet well thought out. I also love finding different pieces of furniture or accessories that you wouldn't necessarily find anywhere else. One place I usually find something different is Home Sense, their stock changes with the seasons and styles so your guaranteed to always find something different in there. 

What your favourite colour scheme?

Check out some more inspirations of mine here.