Monday 29 July 2013

This Week's Beauty Haul!

Hi Beauty Lovers!

Pay day has rolled around again, so that can only mean one thing- a new beauty haul! This one is just a mini-haul as I only had time for a quick dash across Oxford Street after work. But nevertheless, I think I still managed to pick up a few gems! 

In today's haul I got: Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation in Nude, Revlon Photoready Skinlights Illuminator in Pink, Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, Rimmel by Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 101, Korre's Lipbalm in Jasmine, Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Lemonade, Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse and Primark Beauty Makeup Sponges.


The whole reason for my quick Boots run was because I wanted to pick up the Dermablend foundation from Vichy. I read about this foundation in a blog recently and was keen to try it for its high coverage but lightweight formula. It is described as giving 'malleable coverage and no mask like effect' which 'gives 12 hours of coverage of uneven skin texture, dark circles and diffused redness'. I know it is a popular foundation for acne sufferers and those with uneven skin tone, and I can't wait to try it and see what it does for me. I am fortunate enough not to have ever had acne and my skin in usually clear, but I do have plenty of freckles and red patches which I am hoping this can help with. I will let you know how I get on!

The Revlon illuminator was a treat purchase and something that I've had my eye on for a while. I love the creamy formula and I can't wait to try this under my new foundation. It comes in two colours, pink or bronze, but as a pale skinned lass I went for the pink to compliment my (hopefully soon-to-be even!) skin tone.

The Kiehl's Hand Salve is actually a present for my boyfriend but I will definitely be trying it as well! He is a landscaper and suffers with terribly dry, cracked hands after a day's work. The lady in Kiehl's was so lovely and told me that her boyfriend is a plasterer and swears by this product. It is perfect because it is especially designed for 'active' hands and is fast absorbing too without leaving a sticky residue. At £19 it wasn't cheap but it is apparently one of Kiehl's cult products, and it is a big 150ml bottle so should last for a while. The sales assistant also threw in loads of sample products for me and my boyfriend so I feel like I got quite a good deal!

Onto the lip products now- I know I recently stocked up on Babylips so SURELY I don't need any more lipbalm, but still I found myself purchasing Korres' tinted lipbalm in Jasmine. This is a gorgeous product and the tint is nice and natural- I will definitely share some photos of this with you all soon! As for the two lipsticks, I have yet to try these but they are both easy-to-wear pink shades which I will no doubt be trialing to work this week.

The make-up sponges were a quick purchase from Primark to allow me to have a go at some Ombre nail art at the weekend. It was only £1 for 20, so I won't feel bad if I end up throwing most of them away! Finally, the fake tan from Cocoa Brown. I read about this product recently on a few different blogs and when I heard it was being sold in Primark I hot-footed it down there. Unfortunately they didn't have any of the 'Day and Night Tan' which my fellow bloggers have been raving about, but they did have the 1 Hour Tan on sale for just £6. This tan is meant to smell really nice and last for up to a week, so I can't wait to try it and share my thoughts with you all. I consider myself to be something of a fake tan expert these days, so I hope it lives up to my expectations!

That was it for my mini beauty haul today, but I will check back in with you once I've had chance to try everything out and reveal my verdicts. In the meantime, the lovely Emily Whitehead from What Em Loves has nominated me for a Liebster Award! I am really really chuffed about it so a BIG thank you to Emily, and I will get cracking on answering her questions in my next post :)

Goodnight all!

Rosie x

Friday 26 July 2013

Babylips Review!

Hi Everyone!

I am really excited about my post today, as I am reviewing my new purchases from the Maybelline 'Babylips' collection! I have heard so much hype about these little beauties from so many different bloggers that I had to try them out for myself and see what all the fuss was about.

I rarely bulk buy on new products in case I decide I don't like them but there was so much buzz around these that I invested in 3. I bought them from the Boots website at £2.99 each (although they are currently having a 3 for 2 offer on Maybelline products so I got one free!). There are six balms in the collection overall: Hydrate, Intense Care, Freshen, Cherry Me, Pink Punch and Peach Kiss. Maybelline say of the balm 'Our exclusive formula moisturises lips for a full 8 hours. Lips renewed in 1 week'. I am a bit obsessed with using lipbalms throughout the day but as yet haven't found a tinted balm that I really love for everyday use. I was really excited to try these and hoped that they would turn out to be the miracle balms I've been looking for!



I bought the Pink Punch, Peach Kiss and Hydrate balm from the collection. Pink Punch and Peach Kiss are two tinted balms with a 'passion fruit' scent and 'peach' scent respectively, whereas the Hydrate balm is non-tinted with a 'lemon basil' scent. I was especially keen to get the Peach Kiss balm for the peachy tint, which would probably most closely resemble the type of lipsticks that I normally buy.

Peach Kiss comes in a cute purple case with a clear lid- the packaging is fairly standard for a lipbalm but is perfect to throw into your handbag (which is exactly what I've been doing!). The tint itself is quite a brown peach with shimmering particles to give your lips high shine. The colour is really subtle and not quite as peachy as I was expecting, but it is nice for everyday use. If you are a lipstick fan then this one probably isn't for you, as I didn't find the colour particularly buildable and the overall effect is very natural. On the plus side, it did leave my lips feeling gloriously soft all through the day.



I wanted to pick up the Hydrate balm as I was really keen on the description of a 'lemon basil' scent. I haven't ever had a lemony lip balm before and the combination made me think of high end fragrances like Jo Malone, so I knew I had to try it. Although it isn't a tinted balm, it still has quite a high-shine effect to it which I really like, and again it left my lips feeling beautifully soft. It also has a high SPF (it is SPF 20) which is important in this heatwave we've been having!



Finally, the Pink Punch, which actually turned out to be my favourite of the three. All of the Babylips balms that I bought have a delicious, fruity scent and this one kind of reminded me of Fruit Salad sweets. The colour, although it looks quite vibrant, goes on as a beautiful pink gloss that is quite buildable and super shiny, without being overpowering. As with the others, the moisturising effect lasts all day and this one has already wormed its way into my current makeup bag favourites.
Overall, the babylips balms have been a hit. Although initially put off by the bright colour of the product itself, Pink Punch has certainly exceeded my expectations and I'm now keen to try the Cherry Me colour as well. The product has definitely made a difference to my lips which feel moisturised and full, although I will be interested to see whether their 1 week promise really works. In any case, at £2.99 each I would definitely buy Babylips again, although I think I'm fairly well-stocked for now!
Have you tried any of the Babylips balms? What did you think?
Rosie x


From Left to Right: Hydrate, Peach Kiss, Pink Punch




 





Wednesday 24 July 2013

Have I nailed it?! Simple Leopard print nails

Hello fellow beauty lovers!!


I firstly just want to say a big thank you to my lovely followers on Bloglovin'- as a new blogger it is pretty nerve racking when you see just how many bloggers there are out there in the blogosphere, but everyone has been so lovely so far and I'm thrilled that my followers have reached double figures! A small victory I know, but it's been a great start to my blogging experience and I'm loving reading everyone else's blogs and picking up some tips along the way! Any new readers, please feel free to follow me on Bloglovin' and on Twitter :)

Anyway, on to today's post. Tonight I have been having a play with my new Revlon Nail Art Expressionist polish. This one is called 'Jackson Polish' and is a hot coral red and an orange-bronze. The 'base' colour in the Expressionist range (here the coral-red) comes with a normal nail polish brush, whereas the 'art' colour has a thinner, more precise brush.

I love reading blog posts about nail art and am so impressed with the creativity and artistic ability of some of my fellow bloggers! I am a bit of a newbie to the nail art world and was never particularly artistic at school, so thought I'd start off with this simple, leopard print pattern. I hope you like it!



First of all I applied a clear base coat and painted my nails with two coats of the 'base' colour from my Revlon nail art set...

I then used the thinner brush to apply splodges of the 'art' colour across my nails- at this point I started to worry that the end result may be a bit of a mess!


Then, I outlined my now dry splodges in black (very slowly, might I add!) and applied a few little dots as well to pad out some of the empty areas. The photo below is of my right hand so not my best work (I'm right handed), but I actually was really pleased with the result! I must confess I used a waterproof, liquid black eyeliner for the outline rather than a proper nail art pen, as that was what I had to hand and I thought the precision applicator would make the results less sloppy.
Finally, I used a top coat to seal the whole thing and admired my handiwork whilst waiting for it to dry!


I was really impressed with this pattern- it's pretty easy to do and I think the final result is pretty cool. I love the colours of the Revlon Jackson Polish set, although I'm not sure that the set itself is anything to write home about. Although the thinner brush is helpful to an extent, it is still too wide to be suitable for precision application, and I'm sure if I'd attempted a more challenging pattern I would have struggled.

This is just my first foray into nail art, so I am really encouraged by today's effort and will definitely keep at it! I may even invest in some of the Barry M nail art pens, as I've had my eye on one of those for a while...

I was also planning to do a quick fashion post today on my new gladiator sandals from Boohoo which arrived yesterday. Unfortunately, when trying them on I realised that the shop had sent me two left feet by mistake! So, that post is out of the window, and back to the shop they go!

Have you tried any exciting nail art recently? Let me know if there are any patterns you think I should try!

Rosie x


Monday 22 July 2013

Skincare Tag!

Hi Everyone!


I read a great post yesterday on Ramblings of a Beauty Bird, which is one of the blogs that I regularly follow. This post was a 'Skincare Tag' and had some questions about your skincare regime and the types of products that you use or would like to try. I must admit I get a bit stuck in a skincare rut and don't change my products too often for fear of a breakout, so it's been really great to read about other people's favourite products and skincare tips.


Not to be left out, I have included my own Skincare Tag below. If you are interested in reading Beauty Bird's original post, here's the link and I would definitely recommend it!
Ramblings of a Beauty Bird- Skincare tag


Garnier Makeup Remover Gel, Clearasil Rapid Action Pads, Avene Eau Thermale, No.7 Gentle Toner, Blistex Medplus lipbalm, Deborah lipstick in No. 10


Describe your skincare routine in five words.
Quick!, Cleanse, Exfoliate, Moisturise, Lipbalm


What's your skin type?
I unfortunately suffer from oily skin which I have long been in denial about! I don't often get spots but need to exfoliate regularly to unclog my pores.


What's your favourite skincare product?
I tend to stick to 'drugstore' skincare products and don't often splash out on big purchases, but I really love Bliss' Peeling Groovy Facial Serum as it instantly brightens and evens out my skin- when I first tried it I couldn't stop staring at my skin in the mirror, I swear it made such a huge difference!


Top Blemish Zapper?
Hmm to be honest I don't often use specific spot-treatment products but have heard great things about Freederm Fast Track Gel- one of my friends swears by it. Personally I like to use Clearasil Rapid Action Pads every night before bed to exfoliate my skin and prevent blackheads. They are brilliant and leave my skin feeling squeaky clean!


Face Wipes Yay or Nay?
Nay! I use them if I have to, like when I am staying at friends houses or at festivals, but personally I don't like them at all as I find most brands are either too harsh on the skin or don't remove makeup that well. I would always try to cleanse with cotton wool and eye-makeup remover and follow up with my Clearasil Rapid Action Pads.


Toner Yay or Nay?
I used to be a devoted toner user and would never miss a night, but recently I've slightly lost my love for it. When I do use it I tend to choose No.7's Soft and Soothed Gentle Toner, which is really soothing and doesn't aggravate my oily skin (even though it claims to be for normal to dry skin types). I may try and alternate my toning with my exfoliating pads as I do love how clean and fresh it leaves skin feeling.


High end skincare or high end makeup?
Definitely high-end makeup! I watched a programme recently that investigated various high end moisturisers and cleansers and their ingredients. In most cases they found that the basic chemical ingredients were the same for high and low end products, but the higher end products just invested in more expensive fragrances and packaging. I don't mean to say that this is always the case or that the same can't be said for cosmetics as well in some cases, but in my experience I find that there is more of a noticeable difference between high and low end quality in makeup rather than skincare- please feel free to challenge me on this though!


What's the most unusual skincare product you've tried?
I'm not sure if this really classifies as 'unusual', but I really love Garnier's 2in1 Makeup Remover Purifying Gel and I had to mention it somewhere! This is quite an unusual product in that I haven't found any others that work in quite the same way. This gel you just splash on your face with water as you would a normal cleanser, and it does an amazing job at not only cleansing, but also removing all makeup (including waterproof mascara!). I was really amazed when I first tried this as it is perfect for late nights or days when you're too tired for a full cleansing routine, and not as fiddly as using eye make-up remover and cotton pads. I will do a full review on this soon!


You're in a French pharmacy and can only pick one item- what is it?
I would probably try and go for something from a French make-up brand that we can't get over here in the UK. When I am in Europe I like to pick up a few goodies from cosmetics brands like Deborah and Sephora, as I used to love their products when I was living in Madrid! I also really like French brand Eau Thermale Avene and I have been using their Thermal Water Spray a lot in this hot weather to keep my skin hydrated, so I would probably need to stock up!


Tell us your top skincare tip
Now this may seem really obvious, but make sure you know your skin! As I said earlier, I was in denial for ages about my oily skin, and now that I have embraced it and started buying oil free products it has made such a difference! I think the main reason it took me so long was because I haven't always had oily skin, and it's important to remember that your skin type can change- not just in the long term but on a weekly basis. No two people will have skin that behaves in the exact same way, so pay attention to your skin, give it what it needs and find trusted products that work for you- that's probably the best tip I can give!


If any of you fancy doing the same skincare post then consider yourselves tagged! I would love to read all about your favourite skincare products, particularly if you suffer from oily skin, so let me know if you do :)


Anyway, that's about it! One final thing before I go- I know that this is predominantly a beauty blog but I also love a bit of fashion talk, and so I thought I'd share a pic of my outfit for work today. I absolutely love these trousers that I bought last Autumn from Mango, and they're quite airy and thin so perfect for the hot weather we're having! I had lots of compliments from the ladies on these, but the blokes were mostly being sarky and asking why I'd come to work in my pjs... can't have it all I guess! 


Rosie x



Sorry for the blatent toilet selfie! Cringe...

Insanity or the Next Big Thing??

Hi Everyone!
I am not master at putting on nail polish, and for me there is nothing more annoying than trying to tidy up my messy application with a bit of polish remover and a cotton bud, only to discover I have cotton fluff stuck to my newly painted nails!
I was a little bit intrigued, therefore, when I spotted this product nestled amongst the MUA shelves in Superdrug:
Also available in other colours...

This is a product from MUA  released earlier this year that claims to be bang on trend by offering fluffy, textured nails (below- please note these are MUA's images and not my own).


The desired effect- see Anna's blog for a real review :)


Now, I am all for an exciting nail effect. I was all over the croc effect, loved the nail studs, confetti, sequin, magnetic, bejewelled etc etc etc.... But I feel that maybe this fur effect is an effect too far and bordering on just plain wrong (plus it looks like it would be reeeeally messy!).


I read a review of these 'fluffy nails' on this blog: 
Life of A Fashion Nerd Guest Post - Kel which further confirmed my fears that it is, indeed, super messy, and I am just not sure I have the patience to carry it off. Whereas Kel claims she liked the overall effect, I think I would be constantly picking at loose fibers and I would end up with threadbare, fluff-free nails.

Unfortunately, this is one trend I think I will be giving a miss!

What do you think of the fur effect nails? Have you tried the MUA product? Let me know!

Rosie x

Sunday 21 July 2013

Feeling lippy...

Hi Everyone!


Omg sorry to rant and rave but I am so in love with the Costa Chic lipstick from MAC right now!! I must have mentioned it in about 5 different posts but I think it is just the prettiest colour and will certainly get you noticed without being overly 'out there'. I have a huge collection of lipsticks at the moment, so think in my next post I will talk about some of my favourites and fail-safe shades.


I think this one will have to feature...!!! <3

More on this in my next post!


Rosie x

Holiday Beauty Post

Hi Everyone!
I've been wanting to do a post on some of my holiday beauty favourites ever since I got back from my trip to Italy, but just haven't managed to find the time until now- so here it is! These are some of the products that I took away with me and have been really impressed with- I'd love to hear about yours as well, so leave me a comment if you have any recommendations!



I am naturally quite fair-skinned and getting a bit of a tan whilst I'm away is a big part of my holiday agenda. However, I could never be a slave to the sun-lounger as I get bored too quickly, and also I always slap on plenty of sun-cream as I know how damaging the sun's rays can be in the long term. Before I went away this time I invested in sun lotion and after-sun from Solait which is Superdrug's own brand of suncare products. I was particularly keen to buy the two pictured below, as the after-sun contains a subtle self-tanner to enhance your natural tan, and the lotion itself contains 'tan activating' ingredients to boost your skins natural melanin production. I used the lotion in a variety of different factors whilst I was away, didn't burn at all and even managed to catch quite a good tan considering, so overall I was really happy with these products. I have since done some reading which suggests that Solait and Soltan (the own-brand suncare products) do not have great UVB filters in them which is slightly worrying, but all I can say is that they did the job really well for me on this trip and I definitely felt I picked up a better colour than usual.


As well as after-sun I also like to use a really nourishing moisturiser to rehydrate my skin when I'm away. I love this one from Garnier as it is a really light, gel formula that melts into the skin almost instantly and it smells absolutely divine and peachy. I have been using this product every day since I got home to prevent peeling and it has been working like a charm!


Finally, I also use this gorgeous shimmer oil from Champneys in the evenings to set off my tan. I use this product a lot and I am running a bit low at the moment so apologies for the tatty packing in this photo. This product gives a really nice, warm shimmer to the skin that perfectly complements a tan, and also feels very luxurious on the skin. I like to use it especially on my legs, shoulders and decolletage. It can be a little messy though so I always make sure I keep it well-wrapped up in my suitcase in case it leaks! I've included a photo of the product on, but this is without blending fully and it is actually much more subtle than the photo suggests.






As well as looking after my skin, I also am sure to use an oil on the ends of my hair whilst I'm away to prevent it from drying out. I really love this Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil from Organix (£6.99) as it is more of an oil-based serum than just being purely an oil, so is not as messy to apply and feels a lot nicer in my opinion. I use this on wet hair every time I wash it, or just on the ends during the day if they are feeling a little dry. So many products at the moment contain Moroccan Argan Oil but I have been using this product for years and I still think that it's my favourite. I also bought these eye makeup remover pads (£1.50) from Boots before I went away to help me get rid of any stubborn eye makeup before bed. I am not a huge fan of make-up wipes and much prefer to use a good cleanser, toner and exfoliator, but sometimes I find this isn't enough to get rid of all traces of make-up, which is why I got these. They are quite oily I found but are very gentle on skin and did a good job of removing all of my makeup (including stubborn mascara), so as a bargain product I would recommend them!



Makeup-wise I tend to wear very little during the day whilst I'm on holiday, and this Garnier BB cream was definitely my go-to product. It feels so light but actually gives reasonably good coverage, so perfect for me as I have an uneven skin tone and generally prefer a fuller coverage. This is the version for oily skin, which unfortunately I do suffer from, and I found that despite days spent in direct sunlight, on the beach and wandering around the town this BB cream actually lasted out really well.


In the evenings I would get a bit more dressed up and I love using the Estee Lauder Doublewear foundation. This is a fantastic product as it really does last out and gives a wonderful, matte finish. I have been a convert to this for sometime now, and I use the shade 'Tawny' in summer which is a bit darker than my normal colour. It's quite easy to get carried away with this foundation and apply too much, but in reality you only need a small drop and it goes a long way (which is just as well given that it's £28.50 for 30ml!). This is my foundation of choice in the evenings on holiday as the coverage is full but it still looks fresh and very natural.



I also have been using my Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder a LOT on holiday (£25) in Pale Yellow, as this is a great setting powder and useful for top-ups if you're getting a bit sweaty and your makeup is streaming down your face. This powder is very light in colour to the point of being almost translucent, which means that it never leaves your makeup looking cakey or overdone.









And of course, no summer makeup bag is complete without a good bronzer! I have raved about this Chanel bronzer before so will not go into it too much here, but this was a definite holiday favourite for me and the colour it just brilliant as it can be built up to be as subtle or Tamara-Eccleston-bronzed as you like!
I also loved using this shimmer brick from George at Asda no less! I have had this product for donkeys years and I actually think it is really nice for a bit of subtle highlighting- definitely not one for all over as it can be quite full on! I used this on my cheekbones and decolletage to add a bit of shimmer, and for £3.50 it is a great bargain product! 



My favourite holiday lip products would involve a protective sunscreen lipbalm during the day like this one from No.7, a bright, fun coral lipstick like MAC's Costa Chic (£14), and a subtle gloss that could be dressed up or down like this one from YSL (£22.50). The lipbalm has a subtle shimmer and also doubles up as sun protection for your eye area! My lips tend to get very dry in the sun and this does a great job of protecting them.


As for my lipsticks, I bought Costa Chic quite recently for the first time and it has fast become one of my favourites. The colour is quite a muted coral and not too in-you-face, whilst still managing to be wonderfully summery. I have been wearing it for work since I've come back from holiday and have received lots of compliments on it! The assistant in MAC told me it is one of her favourites to throw on when you're not really bothering with a full face of makeup as it feels like it's all you need and I would definitely agree with that! As for the lipgloss, this is a YSL Vernis a Levres in number 19 Beige Aquarelle- I love this as it is a really natural, pinky shade which just enhances your natural lip colour and looks great over a pinky lipstick or on it's own.








On my eyes, one of my favourites is this dual eyeliner in Black Sands from Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess collection (£21). These liquid eyeliners are brilliant because they are waterproof and really long lasting, with a precision tip applicator. There are two colours- a very dark black and a bronze-gold. I especially love the black as it is a very pure, deep black and won't fade like some of the others I've tried. These two colours work brilliantly together or individually and I've been really impressed by them.







Finally, no matter how great the makeup, you need the right tools to really make it work. I found this mini Kabuki brush in Topshop (£8) a few weeks ago and knew straight away that I just had to have it as it's perfect for my holiday makeup bag! The brush is about 4 inches long so will fit comfortably into most makeup bags. It is slightly angled, which is great for even application and I really like the pink colour of the handle and bristles. I have been using this pretty much permanently since I bought it and I find it every bit as good as my normal foundation brush (the Real Techniques stippling brush).



So, these are my essential beauty products for my summer holidays! Phew, it feels like this has been a bit of a long post so I hope you've enjoyed it.



Please follow me on Google or on Bloglovin' if you're enjoying my blog, and I'd love to hear your messages or comments so feel free to get in touch!


Enjoy the rest of your weekends, 

Rosie x

Saturday 20 July 2013

My Lust List!

Hi Everyone!


So it's the weekend, it's sunny and everything's looking good! I hope you all have lots of exciting plans. The only downer is that it's that time of month- no, not that time of the month, I meant it's the last weekend before payday. If you're anything like me then budgeting is not a word in your vocabulary, and you tend to live like a king for the first two weeks of the month, and then like a pauper until payday! So, seeing as shopping is not really an option for me right now, I've put together my Lust List to share with you the things I'm hoping to get my hands on when payday FINALLY rolls around!

Please note these are not my images!

Image 4 of Warehouse Jacquard Mixed Dress


Love this jacquard dress from Warehouse (£50)- with it being so hot at the moment I have been really struggling to find work-appropriate outfits that would also keep me cool, but I think this ticks all the boxes. During the day I would wear with my awesome new fringed sandals from Oasis (Oasis Sandals) and a chunky necklace like this one from ASOS:

Image 1 of Limited Edition Statement Snake Chain Necklace
But it could also be jazzed up for evening wear with a black blazer and these shoes that I picked up recently from New Look:
New Look Space Ankle Strap Wedges
I think monochrome is always a chic look but I would need a splash of colour as well, preferably in the form of this AMAZING YSL clutch and a red lipstick like MAC's Russian Red, although in reality it will probably be something more budget-friendly like this neon clutch from ALDO, which would look great with a coral lip like MAC's Costa Chic.



On the subject of handbags, I have been wanting to get a new handbag for work for a while- the one I'm currently using was a present from my boyfriend and is a gorgeous Michael Kors tote, but unfortunately it doesn't have a zip and I'm always nervous about travelling on busy tube trains with it. I think Michael Kors do such simple, classic designs and I really love this Selma tote with stud detail. It comes in a range of colours but for work I would probably stick with classic black, but at £330 it is one to save up for!




Finally, also on my Lust List is this Liquid Tanner from James Read. I am a regular fake tanner and have tried so many different products over the years, from Rimmel to Xen Tan. At the moment I am using Garnier Ambre Solaire's Wash Off Instant Bronzer Gel, which I really like for a bit of post-holiday colour as it is very subtle so just enhances my natural tan. I've never tried the James Read products but have heard so many good things, so this is definitely one that I would love to try once I feel in a position to spend £25 on a self tanner!

LIQUID TAN LIGHT


So this is my current Lust List, I'd love to hear what you are lusting after and if you've tried any of James Read's products!


Rosie x

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Liebster Award!

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday I got nominated for a Liebster Award by the wonderful Emily at What Em Loves and I'm absolutely thrilled! If you have been following my page then you will know that I am pretty new to this blogging lark, and it means so much to me to receive some recognition from my fellow bloggers and to feel like I'm not just sending my ramblings out into the endless aether that is the internet. Thank you so much to Emily for nominating me, and if you have not yet checked out her blog then you definitely should!

So, what is this 'Liebster Award' I hear you ask?

The Liebster Award is an award for young blogs with less than 200 followers. The nominees are chosen by other bloggers that have also been nominated for the award, and is a great way to share new blogs with the rest of the blogging community. There are a few rules though that all of the nominees must stick to, and they are as follows:

Rule 1) You must link back to the person that nominated you.
Rule 2) Post 11 random facts about yourself.
Rule 3) You must answer the 11 questions given to you by the nominee before you.
Rule 4) You must then pick 11 bloggers (with under 200 followers) to be nominated.
Rule 5) You must come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
Rule 6) You must let your nominees know that they've been nominated on their blog.
Sounds easy enough! Let's give it a go..

11 Random Facts About Me:

1) I've had a weird fear of seaweed ever since my brother pushed me out of a dinghy and into a load of it when we were kids.
2) My car is nicknamed The Cranberry.
3) I bruise like a peach- I rarely manage a day without finding a new one.
4) I sometimes bite my nails.
5) I am a total shopaholic, to the point that it's almost scary.
6) I was the Star of Bethlehem in my Reception year nativity play.
7) I passed my Grade 1 Fencing exam at secondary school (as in the sport, not the act of putting up fences!)
8) I dream pretty much every night- and they're usually pretty weird.
9) My favourite childhood toy was a cuddly killer whale from Seaworld called Shamu.
10) My boyfriend is probably a better cook than I am..
11) But I win hands down in the baking department!

Emily's Questions:

1) What is your favourite season for fashion?
This is an easy one for me- it has to be Spring/Summer. I love Summer clothes even if I don't get much of an opportunity to wear them, and always end up stocking up on loads of bold prints, bright colours and bikinis that will only get 1 wear and then spend the rest of their lives forgotten at the back of my underwear drawer.

2) Chocolate or sweets?
Chocolate every time (although I do love Haribo Tangfastics!). I'm the sort of person that will always choose the most sickly, chocolatey thing on the dessert menu.

3) Is there a beauty rule that you preach but don't practice?
Good question! I try not to preach things I don't practice but there are plenty of beauty rules I don't follow. For example, I am terrible at using toner and rarely bother with it if I'm honest! Also, I always pluck above my eyebrows- cardinal sin I know!

4) What is your favourite eye cream?
Clinique Even Better Eyes is great for evening out dark circles after a heavy night, or Garnier Eye Roll-on for eyecare with an inbuilt concealer. Benefit Erase Paste is without a doubt my favourite concealer for the general eye area though (sorry, not an eye cream I know!).

5) When do you feel most relaxed?
Probably at home with my feet up, a glass of wine and a bit of Eastenders. Actually, Eastenders is not particularly relaxing is it?! A good film maybe instead. I always feel really relaxed at my parents' house as well; preferably in the garden in the sunshine.

6) Where is your favourite place to shop?
This is such a difficult one! I love Zara, H&M and ASOS for clothes- if ASOS had a store I'd probably never leave. For makeup I love Boots obviously, or else just wandering around the beauty counters at House of Fraser or Debenhams. I allow myself 1 or 2 new Topshop purchases a month, and I love to browse brands like Sandro, Carvela, Reiss and Ted Baker.

7) How many make-up products do you use on a daily basis?
I did a post recently called 'How Much Does Your Face Cost' which showed me just how many products I use on a normal day! Today I'm using primer, foundation, 2 types of concealer, eyeshadow, bronzer, highlighter, blush, eyebrow powder, mascara, eyeliner, lipbalm and lipstick- phew! It sounds like a lot but I'm not someone who won't step outside without a full face of makeup on.

8) What are your favourite type of blogposts to read?
Another good question! My favourite type would be reviews of new products so I can plan what to get my hands on next, but I've also picked up so many great tips and hidden gems since I started blogging. I read a fantastic post about how to clean your makeup brushes recently- things like that are really useful. I'm also really into nail art posts at the moment.

9) How did you come up with your blog name?
I wish I had a great answer to this one, but I don't. I wanted something that reflected me, and the fact that these are my own thoughts and opinions. Everything that you read on my blog is a reflection of me, so that's how I came up with It's All Just Rosie.

10) What made you want to start blogging?
I'd been wanting to start a blog for ages but just lacked the commitment to see it through. It's quite tough at the start when you have no followers to keep that momentum going, but following other bloggers like Chloe Morello and Tanya Burr was so inspiring to me and I knew I had to give it a go or be forever kicking myself!

11) Would you rather... Never paint your nails or never wear lipstick/gloss?
I'd rather never paint my nails! I have a huge lipstick collection and the thought of never using any of them again doesn't bear thinking about. I often leave my nails au naturel (mostly out of pure laziness) but my lips?! NEVER!

I hope you enjoyed reading my responses! Now, onto my nominations:

By Lauren J - A blog that combines beauty, lifestyle and cooking- what's not to love?!
Lizzie at Lux Rose - An awesome fashion blog, love Lizzie's style!
Kat at Made Up by Make Up - Beautiful make-up posts and tutorials
Anna at The Life of a Fashion Nerd - Anna blogs about all sorts and her blog is so pretty!
Emma at The Brunette Beauty Blogger - A make-up and beauty blog for the best drugstore products
Pretty Gloss -  A lifestyle and beauty blog with loads of great reviews and gorgeous photos
Sophie at Miss Sophie Rose - Great lifestyle blog, I love reading what Sophie's been up to!
Sorry that there is only 7 but it took me sooo long to choose and unfortunately some of my other nominations had already received the Liebster Award.

So ladies, my questions to you are:
1) How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
2) What has been your best blogging experience so far?
3) What would be your perfect meal?
4) What would your 1 piece of advice be to other new bloggers?
5) What is your all-time favourite foundation?
6) Who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with?
7) What is your most prized possession?
8) Which do you buy more of- shoes or jewellery?
9) What haircare products do you use?
10) How would your friends describe your style?
11) What is top of your bucket list?

Thanks to all of my nominees for making such awesome blogs that I love to read, I look forward to checking out your answers!

Rosie x