Collective Makeup Haul

Hello!!

I've picked up a few things over the past couple of months that I thought I would share with you all! Here they are!

 Boots Number 7: Left to right - Glistening Ray; Pink Pearl; and Gun Metal Grey.

 Left to right - Milani Baked Blush in Bella Rosa; Pound Land Makeup Gallery eyeshadows in Vintage Rose and Deep Plum.

 Maybelline Great Lash waterproof.

 Maybelline Color Elixir in Hibiscus Haven. 

 NYX Butter Lip Gloss in Maple Blondie.

 Maybelline Color Elixir in Raspberry Rhapsody.

Tanya Burr lip gloss in Sparkling Dew Drops.

So, that is my collective haul from the past couple of months.  I got the NYX and Milani products from Amazon, these were pretty reasonably priced!

Ciao for now!!

FOTD: Soft and Smokey for Work.

Hello!

Today's post is a quick, soft kinda smokey eye I've been wearing to work recently.  For me it's just dark enough without being too over the top and it only takes about 10 minutes for the whole face!

(MAC Lady Blush; MAC Studio Fix in NC 20; Urban Decay Naked Basics palette shade used Crave; Rimmel Brow This Way in 001 Blonde; Maybelline 24 hr Colour tattoo in Permanent Taupe; Bourjois Mega Liner 24 hr in 01 Dark Black; and Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles).

So, I started with concealing/highlighting with my Maybelline concealer.  I used this under my eyes, around my nose and on my chin.  Then I applied some of MAC Lady Blush just under my cheek bones and blended it up on to the apples of my cheeks.

I brushed some brow gel through my eyebrows and then applied Permanent Taupe over my eyelids and under my lashline and smoked it all out using Crave.  I lined my upper lashline with a Bourjois liquid liner and applied a lot of mascara (not pictured).

Finally, I used some Studio Fix all over my face and applied some more Lady Blush to my lips as a lip stain,

And that's that!! What are your favourite go-to make up looks for work?

Ciao for now x

Winter Skin Care Routine (Evening).

Hiya!!

With the changing weather, skin conditions change too, and with changing skin conditions, comes changing skin care!

I have dry, sometimes flaky skin, and also have Psoriasis.  In the Winter, my skin like other peoples' gets drier and so I change my skin care a bit to try and make it more moisturised and soft!

So, first of all I start with face wipes, I don't have any particular favourite when it comes to these, I just pick up whatever, at the moment I am using Primark's PS. Love Your Skin wipes for sensitive skin.  I try to take most of my make up off with these.

I then cleanse using The Body Shop's Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter.  I love this stuff, I think I bought it after Amelia from LianaBeauty and Gabby from Velvet Gh0st recommended it.  This is my second tin of it, and I don't re-purchase things often (actually thinking about it, nearly all of my repurchases are Body Shop).  I rub this together in my hands and then rub it in circular movements all over my face and rinse it off with hot water.  Now I know that all of my makeup is off and my skin is cleansed.

After cleansing I would either go straight to moisturising, or applying a face mask, which I do around 2 times a week.  I use The Body Shop Honey and Oat 3 in 1 Scrub Mask when I want to use a face mask.  This is for normal/dry skin.  I apply it wherever my skin gets dry and flaky, which is mainly my nose, forehead and around my mouth.  I leave this on for about 10-15 minutes and then wash it off with with warm water.  I will normally apply a lip butter at this time as well, at the moment I am using The Body Shop's Pink Grapefruit one.

(I know this seems a little bit Body Shop heavy, but this is just because these are my favourite skin care products at the moment.  I bought these products with my own money, and the opinions on these products are my own).

Finally, I moisturise with Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream, which is a nice, affordable product which I have used on and off since I was a teenager.

And that is my skin care routine!  My skin definitely feels less dehydrated and tight now that I have started this routine, and it is nice and soft too!

Ciao for now x

Under 600 Calories: Quick Comfort Food #1

Hi everyone!

If you regularly read my blog, then you will know that I am on an ongoing mission to be healthy, get fit and lose weight.  I'm not actually sure how much I weigh, last time I checked I was technically obese, according to my GP anyway.  I'm 5"7 tall and a clothes size UK 18, I'm going to weigh myself soon, and I am aiming on being brave enough to actually put it on my blog, with some pictures, so I can see how much progress I will have made when I eventually get back down to a healthy size,  My sister lives in Egypt at the moment, and she will be coming home, either for good or for a visit in February, and I want her to be able to see a positive difference in me on her return.

A few years ago I lost 3 stone in about 2 months, everyone will know how unhealthy this is, and evidently I could not keep this weight off because I went about losing it in such a fast and unhealthy way, so unfortunately, about 2 and a half years later I have now gained back over 5 stone (like I said I have not weighed myself in some time and so I don't know exactly how much weight I have gained). And so now, I am aiming to lose enough weight to feel comfortable with myself, but most importantly to be healthy!!

I thought it might be a good idea to post some quick, low calorie meals that I enjoy and feel just naughty enough to get away with being called "comfort food."  This post is number 1 in this possible series.

Scrambled Cheese, Ham and Mushroom Omelette on Toast:

544 Calories.
(All calorie information is taken from MyFitnessPal).

2 x pieces of low calorie whole meal toasted bread.
1 x Laughing Cow light triangle.
1 x large piece of ham.
2 x medium mushrooms.
A sprinkle (literally just a sprinkle) of low fat grated cheddar.
2 x eggs.
A dash of milk.
Salt and pepper to taste.

This really is as simple as it seems.  Toast your bread and spread half a Laughing Cow triangle on each piece.

Crack your eggs into a jug, add a dash of milk, chopped mushrooms and ham and the sprinkling of cheese to the jug and whisk it up good and proper.

Spray a frying pan with low calorie oil spray (I use FryLight) and pour your mixture in.  Allow the bottom of the omelette to harden a bit and then take a spatula to scramble the omelette up!  Leave to cook but continue to scramble for about 6 minutes, or until it is all cooked through.

Place the scrambled omelette on top of your toast and season with salt and pepper to taste.

And then enjoy!!


Now this recipe is hardly rocket science, in fact, it's hardly a recipe.  But it is a quick meal and is under 600 calories, for me that's a winner!!

What are some good low calorie meals you enjoy?

Ciao for now x

Face of the Day: Fast No Fuss Makeup.

Hello!

Today's post is my go to makeup for when I'm short of time, or only want to wear a minimal makeup look.  This can be for something like just popping to the shop or a day where I don't want too much on my face.  Today I'm going to the gym, and this is the type of makeup I would wear to the gym, or an exercise class.  I know a lot of people wouldn't bother with wearing makeup to the gym, however, I feel better when I wear makeup, and as I am bigger than average I find it hard to exercise in pubic because I feel like people would be judging me, although logically I know that this is not the case and is down to my own insecurity, makeup helps to give me the confidence I feel like I need to go to the gym.

(MAC Fix Plus; Cover Girl Clean Sensitive Skin in 225 Buff Beige; MAC Studio Fix powder in NC20; ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzer shade unknown; MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose; Soap and Glory Archery in Blondeshell; Bourjois Une Seconde Volume waterproof mascara; Essence XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss in 4 I love pink; NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk; and Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 01).

So, I started by moisturising my skin with Nivea Soft as always.  I then applied a thin layer of Cover Girl's foundation using my fingers.  I haven't used this foundation in a while and fancied pulling it out again, using it made me remember that I did really like it and so may be using it a bit more often again.  I then concealed my under eye bags with MAC's prep and prime in Radiant Rose, I love this, it's nice and highlighting and natural.  I used Collection's concealer to hide any pesky blemishes.

Whilst letting my foundation and concealer set in I filled in my eyebrows a bit, I didn't overly define them today, just filled in where they were a bit sparse.

After eyebrows I go back to my face.  This involves powdering my TZone and applying a bit of blush to the backs of the apples of my cheeks.  Although it didn't really show up on camera, the blush I used from Elf is actually a very pigmented light shimmery pink, and so I dust some off on to the backs of my hand before I apply it to my face.  I then spray so MAC Fix Plus all over my face.

For my eyes I just apply Milk all over the lid and onto the inner corner and blend it out for a bright eyed and bushy tailed look.  I then applied a couple pf coats of mascara to my top lashes only, I didn't apply any on my bottom lashes because I wanted my eyes to look more open and not closed in.

I finished by applying some lipgloss, which just has a light pink tint really, but definitely finishes the look in my opinion.

As you can see, this is quite a minimal natural look, which for me is perfect because it is just put together enough and took about 10 minutes in total, bare in mind it took 10 minutes whilst I was drinking coffee and watching YouTube and so would probably only take about 5 minutes in a rush!

Ciao for now x

Face of the Day: Autumnal Bronze.

Hello!

So I know that I am feeling Autumn-y when I have the urge to use a lot of liquid eyeliner.  I know some people like to use it all year round but for myself I just seem to feel it a little bit more at this time of year!  So my next few FOTD's will probably involve eyeliner!

Today I bring you Autumnal Bronze!

(Urban Decay Naked Basics palette; MAC Studio Fix in NC20; MAC Prep and Prime in Radiant Rose; Essence Soft and Natural foundation in 02 Sand Beige; Collection concealer; MAC lipstick in Peach Blossom; 17 eyeshadow in Statuesque; MAC blush in Seduced at Sea; Rimmel Brow This Way in Blonde; Soap And Glory Archery in Blondeshell; Jordana Best Lash Extreme; Revlon eyeliner in Black; and Bourjois Mega Liner Extra Large in Dark Black).

So, as always I started off by moisturising my skin using my Nivea Soft moisturiser.  I then Buffed some of the Essence foundation allover my face and down my neck a bit.  Since getting this foundation for my previous post I have really liked using it, it offers natural, light coverage and evens out my skin well!  I then concealed and highlighted using a mix of the Collection concealer and MAC Prep and Prime highlighter.

I then moved on to my eyebrows, I still like having a strong eyebrow, I can't ever see this changing to be honest!

After my eyebrows I went back and powdered my skin with my Studio Fix.  I still love this powder foundation, and I know I shouldn't use it to set another foundation but I can't help it, I just love the finish it gives.  Also I received it as a present last Christmas and still haven't hit pan.  It's amazing.  I then applied some of Mac's Seduced at Sea to my cheeks.

For my eyes I applied 17's Statuesque all over my lid and up to the crease, and then blended Crave onto my outer corner and crease.  I then applied a mix of these 2 under my lower lash line.  I then lined my tightline with a black pencil eyeliner, and lined my upper lashline in a kind of wedge like style with black liquid eye liner, and applied a few coats of mascara.

I finished the look off with some Peach Blossom by MAC on my lips.

And that's the finished look!  I hope you all like it.

Ciao for now x

Essence: Buy and Try.

Hiya everyone,

I know it's been a long time and I've been rubbish, but my computer broke.  However, now I am back and I have a post about Essence for ya!

Essence is a brand that has reached the UK this year, it has been big in Europe for a while and I would think the reason it is so popular is because of how much it costs.  When looking at the stand in my local Wilkinson's I couldn't see anything over £4, which is amazing!  But it does make me wonder about the quality, as often, when something is so inexpensive there is normally a reason for that!

The Essence stand that I went to didn't have a massive selection and to be honest they were out of stock on a lot of things, which shows they must be doing something right, and so I bought a few basic things to try.

(Essence XXL lipgloss in 4 I love pink; Get BIG Lashes Triple black mascara; Essence Quattro eyeshadows in Magenta and me; Essence Long Lasting eye pencil in Hot Scorch; Essence Stay Natural concealer in Soft Beige; Essence Soft and Natural long lasting make up in 02 Sand Beige and Essence Silky Touch Blush in Adorable.)

I used everything you see above as well as MAC Studio Fix ti powder, Soap and Glory Solar powder to bronze and Brow Archery for my brows.

The foundation is nice and light and does a good job at evening out skin tone, it is also quite moisturizing.  As the name suggests it gives a natural light finish, so if you like a fuller coverage this might not be for you.
The concealer is okay, but I would probably choose Collection's Lasting Finish concealer over this as it is only about a pound more expensive and lots better.
The blush is very pigmented, which is great and it looks pretty on the skin.  Use a lighter hand to apply this.
I used 3 out of the 4 eyeshadows in the quad, they feel quite nice and the pigmentation is alright. They are very good for the price.  As is the eyeliner and lipgloss.
However, the mascara is not brilliant, I didn't find it really did much to my lashes and I put a fair few coats on, for the price this is probably expected, however I have tried mascaras of the same price from Collection, MUA and NYC that worked a lot better.

This is what the products look like in action.  Over all, I don't think many bad things could be said about the products I bought just because they were so cheap, and I think that when I was at school and just starting to branch out in makeup this would have been right up my street, and so for young girls and beginners it's perfect.  Also if you didn't want to spend too much money on makeup it would also be amazing.
I think I would check out some more products from Essence in the future.
Also, I've had my hair chopped off, what do you think?

Ciao for now,