Thursday 25 July 2013

My go-to gloss: No7 BB Lips in 'Coral Reef'

No7 BB Lips are £8.50 from Boots

I'm actually rather surprised that I'm dedicating a whole 'go-to' post to 1) something from No7 and 2) a product that is essentially a lip gloss. It's not that I have anything against either of these things but until now No7 has been a brand that reminded me a bit too much of granny make up bags and glosses have never properly made it into my beauty regime before. It's true that I love the Benefit glosses if just for their smell alone, but there is something extra special about this new product. And it doesn't make me feel like a granny either...

No7 BB Lips is the latest product to jump on the BB bandwagon and claims to be more than just an average gloss because it provides soothing nourishment and UV protection as well as beautiful colour, making it a potential dupe for the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfectors. I picked this up a few weeks ago because No7 was on offer and I also had a voucher so it was a pretty bargainous buy as it was under £10 to start with! I obviously went for the peachy shade 'coral reef' because I actually have a problem when it comes to peachy toned make up, but there are five other lovely colours for those of you without peach addictions. Usually the most disappointing thing with glosses of this light shade is the poor colour pay off but as you can see from the swatch and picture of my lips this has a nice amount of colour in the product AND on the lips (although not to mislead you, I'm wearing a touch of MAC shy girl underneath because that's how I like to wear this product best). It still provides quite a sheer layer of colour, but in a really pretty and natural 'your lips but better' way which is just what I want from a summertime lip product. I do also think this is the most nourishing lip gloss I've tried as most of them just provide shine opposed to care, but this leaves my lips feeling soft, plump and moisturised and has the added bonus of SPF15 protection. And as if all that wasn't enough the formula of this product is amazing too as it gives the perfect level of shine, is not very sticky (no risk of hairy lips when it gets windy, hurrah!) and is also the longest lasting gloss I've given a go and if you layer this over a lipstick you'll find it'll make that last longer too! My only grumble comes with the packaging because as much as I love how the colour matches the shade inside, sadly the silver writing has rubbed off quite a lot on mine already and I also personally prefer a sponge tipped applicator, but I do know the type this has is more hygienic. Right, raving over. Just give my new go-to gloss a go yes?

I've been having a pretty lovely week that started with a trip to see The Worlds End at the Cinema which was hilarious, then continued with a delicious meal out at a cool tapas bar in Covent Garden with my old (sob sob) housemate Nick last night and is now finishing with a few days stay at my boyfriend's house in London whilst I finish my internship...now where did those 5 weeks go? I hope you're all having a really good week too!

Have you been tempted by No7 BB lips? What's your go-to gloss?
Monday 22 July 2013

Class of 2013: My Graduation Day & Outfit

Dress- Miss Selfridge
Heels- Dorothy Perkins
Bracelet- Tiffany
Nails- Barry M 'Lychee'

Just a few snaps from my lovely graduation last Tuesday. I had the most perfect time with all of my favourite people and it's very weird to think that me and my friends are all 'adults' now, scary stuff! If you don't know I got a 2.1 in English Literature and Theatre from the University of Sheffield and despite not missing the essays, I am missing living the student life and all my friends a lot right now, boooo. Although saying that we did go on a very fun studenty night out after our family meals- tequila slammers and 5am fast food did manage to get involved... Outfit wise I went for this duck egg blue lace Miss Selfridge dress. I really struggled to find something long enough, comfortable enough and a colour that wouldn't clash with our robes (easier said than done when your robes are pink, green AND furry!). I was so happy to snap this up from the Miss Selfridge website though as I love the skater/prom style fit and I don't actually own anything like it so it'll be a great wardrobe staple for more formal events. Although I do hope that the next time I wear it the weather will be a normal temperature and the look won't be accompanied by a black gown, it was boiling! The shoes were another cheeky new purchase courtesy of my kind Nan and I love them to pieces, every girl needs a pair of platform nude wedges and they also didn't trip me up as I crossed the stage in front of what felt like the whole university. Thank you trusty Dorothy Perkins shoes. I left my hair down and curly so I could keep that rather fetching hat on my head properly, adorned my nails with the Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in 'lychee' and a Nails Inc. glitter topcoat and was rather happy with the finished look and photos my kind dad took (which is good as they'll be plastered round the house and sent to all of our family friends by now). I'll be back later in the week to show you all the nice presents I was lucky enough to be given as some of them came in rather exciting gold packaging...but for now I hope you had a lovely weekend and have a wonderful week!
 
Love Meg
Friday 19 July 2013

'Feel Fresh' Beach Bag Essentials

Seeing as this gorgeous British heatwave is showing no signs of going anywhere and I'm sure lots of you have lazy sunshine filled beach/park weekends planned I thought I'd do a post on the products I pop in my beach bag to keep me feeling fresh throughout a day in the sun. Obviously you'll need lots of suncream and some oversized sunnies too but these are the things that will perk you up from beach to bar...

Deodorant- This is a given really, but never underestimate how hot and bothered you can get by just laying down reading magazines! I'd really recommend this Nivea deodorant as it doesn't mark clothes and lasts all day.
Tissues- Hopefully you won't need these for a cold right now, but they are great for ice cream spills, greasy chip hands and blotting 'slightly too sweaty to be dewy' foreheads. Also how cute is that Russian doll pattern!
Perfume- This may seem slightly extreme but I always carry a miniature perfume with me whereever I go as you can get a bit bored of smelling of salt and suncream and it feels very lady like to spritz yourself on the go. 
Hand gel- You may be aware there are quite a lack of wash basins and nice soap when you're out and about, so this nice smelling gel gets rid of germy hands. Important when the sea isn't looking like the blue Caribbean...
Lip gloss- I'm all for wearing minimal make up in hot weather, but I do like to have something sheer on my lips. You do need to protect them with SPF too, but this is good to put on when you move on for cocktails.
Face mist- This product has been popping up all over my blog recently as it's amazing for summertime. It freshens up a makeupless or makeuped face and keeps you feeling cool whilst also providing skin benefits.
Chewing gum- As much as everyone loves the taste of battered beach food whilst they're eating it, your mouth doesn't feel so nice half an hour later so gum is a must. And this Extra one gives you whiter teeth too!
Hairspray- I've been burdened with crazy frizzy out of control locks and once you add humidity, sea water and wind to that, I'm left with a birds nest on my head so it's best to carry some hairspray to tame the mane.

I had the most perfect couple of days at Sheffield Uni graduation this week despite absolutely roasting in my robes and worrying the whole time that I'd be the girl to trip over in front of the entire hall. I've been working the past few days so haven't had a chance to do posts all about it yet but there will be photos of the day, my outfit and exciting gold packaged presents coming very soon! I hope you've all had a lovely week too...

What are you're beach bag essentials for feeling fresh?
Monday 15 July 2013

My Makeup: Subtle & Summery

Base: Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer / YSL Touche Eclat Foundation / Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer / Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer / Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzer / Maybelline 'Apricot' Dream Touch Blush / Benefit Sunbeam / BareMinerals Brow Powder / Creme brulee Vaseline
Eyes & Lips: Benefit 'Birthday Suit' Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow / Urban Decay 'Chopper' and 'Tease'  Powder Eyeshadow from the Naked2 Palette / Maybelline Gel Liner / Next Volumising Mascara / MAC 'Shy Girl' Lipstick / No.7 'Coral Reef' BB for Lips / Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist

This is pretty much my go to summer face at the moment- glowy skin, a subtle shimmer on the eyes, peachy lips and cheeks and we're done (yes that's right, no thick liquid liner in sight. Shock horror!). I've found that since getting back from my holiday to Spain I've needed to use my neglected YSL Touche Eclat foundation to get my perfect tanned skin tone colour match and because it's just so beautifully lightweight and glowy, perfect if you still want a bit of coverage in this heat. As much as I love the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation and think it's a great drugstore dupe, the formula is a lot thicker and the shades are a bit too pink toned for this time of year so I'm putting it at the back of the makeup box until normal British weather- aka rain, rain, cloud, more rain- resumes. As I was typing out the list of products above I realised that there are soooo many which have constantly appeared in  my make up posts since the very beginning of my blog and don't show any signs of going anywhere soon (hello holy grail status)- the Collection concealer, Bourjous bronzer, BareMinerals brow powder, Maybelline Lumi Touch concealer and gel liner are just a few of them. I'd really recommend trying all of these out at once as well as the few new sunny additions such as Benefit Sunbeam highlighter and my new favourite peachy lip combo, MAC 'shy girl' and No'7 BB for lips in 'coral reef'. I'm not usually much of a gloss girl but I've been reaching for this new 'BB for lips' release nearly everyday since I bought it. Full raving review to follow!

Sorry for being a bit absent over the weekend, I had planned to do some blogging but I got a bit ill and decided to just chill out in the sun with my boyf and girlies and also took a trip to see Monsters University at the cinema (I also had a happy meal for dinner afterwards just so I could get a minion toy, big kid much) I was back at my internship today but tomorrow I'm off to Sheffield for my graduation! My Nan treated me to a new dress and heels for the big occasion so there will definitely be an outfit post going up later this week...

What's your go to summer make up? 
Thursday 11 July 2013

My holy grail green: Maybelline 'Mint for Life'

Maybelline 'mint for life' / £4.09 / Superdrug.

The hunt for my holy grail mint green nail polish is up there with the hunt for the perfect foundation and leggings which actually fit around the ankle. Short people problems... I've tried a fair few over my beauty obsessed years with Barry M 'mint green' getting the closest, but still there was something about that shade which made me reach for the nearest nail polish remover only minutes after I'd painted my nails. So needless to say it's with great pleasure I introduce Maybelline Forever Strong Gel Nail Colour in 'Mint for Life', my new favourite nail polish in the world (I'm still in shock it's not a peach or coral shade, or Essie 'Mint Candy Apple' for that matter).

This is one of the new releases in the rebranded 'super strong' range and after not really paying attention to any nail varnish that wasn't from Barry M, Models Own or Essie for years, a few rave reviews from the likes of Lily Pebbles led me to pick this up when I was at Superdrug a few weeks ago (Boots have a really rubbish selection!). The shade itself is minty perfection, so pale it almost verges on a cool blue and looks slightly fluorescent when paired with a tan. I've realised deeper green tones just don't look right on my skin tone so this subtle hint of green is much more wearable and I've struggled to keep it away from my fingers these last few weeks! One of the reasons being because it very nearly lives up to it's '7 day superstay' claim and may even go that long if you're nails aren't as chip prone as mine. The finish is nice and gel like too so you don't need to finish off with a top coat, however I still use my beloved Seche Vite on top because I do love a super glossy finish and it does help to guard against those pesky chips. Application is also a dream as the wide brush allows you to cover smaller nails in one stroke and the opaque nature of the formula means you can get away with one coat if you're in a rush. It doesn't have anything special going for it in terms of dry time, but no one minds frustratingly blowing at their fingers when they need to leave the house in five minutes when you're nails look this pretty and cost you under a fiver. Right?

What's your holy grail green?
Tuesday 9 July 2013

The Tantastic Trio: Tan enhancing Suncream, Oil & Aftersun

As I write this blog post I'm wearing sandals, a vest top and a floral dipped hem skirt...with no jacket or umbrella on stand by. No I'm not on holiday, it just so happens that England is experiencing a rare weather condition called sunshine this week! As this doesn't happen very often I thought it would be the perfect time to do a post on products that will enhance the natural tan you can go and pick up at the park tomorrow. I actually tried and tested all these products on my holiday to Spain and I owe them a lot of credit for the tan I'm sporting right now...

Nivea Sun Protect and Bronze- As much as skipping the sun cream may seem a tempting way to fast track a tan, we all know the reality is a lobster like complexion followed by scaly lizard skin. So instead you should buy a sun cream like this one from Nivea which contains a natural plant extract which helps support skin's own melanin production aka tanning ability. This means that over time your tan goes much deeper than it would on it's own and I really noticed I tanned incredibly quickly and deeply whilst using this every day on holiday. I did also do a bit of burning particularly on my chest area but that was because I got cocky and only bought factor 20. Silly Meg...This is also clear, easily absorbed and although it does cost about £12 I got mine half price.
Malibu Dry Oil Spray-I know the words 'sun' and 'oil' shouldn't really be put anywhere near each other, but this does contain SPF even if it is a low one and I'd only recommend using this on places you don't easily burn once you've already got your base tan. I did just this in Spain and it allowed me to get the most colour out of my last few days of sun and now I am pretty tanned it's what I've been using back in England. Aside from the fact this really helps you tan quickly, it also smells divine and as it's a dry oil you don't even have to rub it in once you've sprayed it making it perfect for on the go application (and sneakily spraying at your boyfriend's arms when he insists he won't burn). All this at only about £3 from Savers, this is a heatwave and holiday must have.
Garnier Ombre Solaire After Sun- A good aftersun is another tanning essential as there's no point spending hours on a lounger getting golden to have it all peel off again the next week. This one is brilliant (thanks to Beth for making me buy it!) as it contains a tiny bit of fake tan to help maintain and enhance the colour you've already got going on. I applied this everyday on holiday and am still using it pretty much everyday after I shower back home and after every application I notice it makes my tan deeper but without the usual smell, patchiness and orange tones of a usual fake tan. I've also had very minimal peeling and dry patches and any burn I did have now has a golden olive tone. This is now half price at £3.74 in Boots too, GO GO GO!

What are your summer skin essentials?
Sunday 7 July 2013

What's in my handbag?

Yes I know that it looks like I carry round everything but the kitchen sink in my handbag (and maybe even the kitchen sink too), but in my defence I do have a very big bag! The bag in question is the Zara shopper basket which I bought from Westfields last summer and totally adore. There's lots more chit chat about this bag and all the things I put inside it when I commute to London for my internship in the video above which I'd love you to watch :) Oh and please do subscribe to my channel if you enjoy it...

What's in your handbag?

I've had such a lovely sunny time with my boyfriend this weekend, yesterday we went to a big fete thing before eating fish and chips along the beach and partying at my friend's 21st birthday. Then today we've mainly spent time on the sofa at my families little Wimbledon gathering (here's my Wimbledon nail art if you're interested) wearing Andy Murray hats whilst eating strawberries and cream before dancing around the living room when Andy won- I feel so proud to be British today! I hope you've all had a lovely weekend in the sunshine.
Love Meg
x
Thursday 4 July 2013

The tribal crop: Holiday outfit

Crop Top- New Look
Shorts- Vintage Levis
Belt- New Look
Sandals- New Look
Bangles- Primark
Earrings- Peacocks
Nails- Maybelline 'Mint for Life'
Lips- Rimmel Apocalips in 'Stellar'

If you watched my holiday vlog or have been reading my blog for a while then you may know that I am absolutely addicted to crop tops. In fact, I have a whole drawer dedicated to them (Not obsessive at all, right?). You may think flashing the flesh is a bit of a scary night out only look, but if you have a fairly slim but curvy figure like myself then I'd advise you to champion the crop as much as possible because they highlight the slimmest part of your frame and let you wear flattering high waisted bottoms that skim over the kind of child bearing hips I have been 'blessed' with. This colourful tribal/aztec print crop is the latest addition to my collection which I found for a bargainous £7.99 in New Look just before my holiday. As well as loving how vibrant and summery it is, I also adore the fit because it's actually tight enough on my waist and big enough on my boobs which I assure you is something me and my assets usually struggle with. For this particular night out in Spain I paired it with my much loved over worn vintage levi shorts, my equally much loved over worn tan belt and new favourite £7.99 tan gladiator sandals from New Look. These took hardly any wearing in and are incredibly comfy so I'd really recommend them if you need some trusty, blister-repellent footwear for the summer months. And finally I'll just give a little nod to my go-to holiday beauty styling of beach hair and Rimmel Apocalips in 'stellar'. Commence the reminiscent holiday sun and sea day dreaming...

What's your go-to summer fashion staple?

I've had such a lovely week so far at my internship, I'm really glad I'm enjoying it as the travelling is quite hard to get used to and I also hate jobs where you clock watch! The only downside is missing all the tennis, but I did do a Wimbledon themed fashion post on the brand blog and I'll watch it at the weekend when my family hold our annual Wimbledon party complete with strawberries and cream and Andy Murray hats. Yes that's right, Andy Murray hats actually exist and my Mother actually owns one...

Love Meg
x
Tuesday 2 July 2013

The July Wishlist

1. Essie 'Fiji' Nail Polish- Now I'm the proud owner of a natural tan I finally get the hype around this nail polish because warmer toned shades are just not suiting my new skin tone well at all! So it only makes sense that I indulge in my very first Essie purchase and wear this beautiful pale pink on my tanned talons.
2. Topshop Coral Boyfriend Blazer- Now I've started my internship in London I'm desperate to get a bit more 'working woman' into my wardrobe. But not wanting to swap out my pretty things for grey suits just yet, I figured this bright coral blazer would be perfect for looking smart and fashionable at the same time.
3. Aldo Prue Nude Platform Court Shoe- Two weeks today I will have actually graduated and I'll need some nice classy but comfy shoes to do it in, like these lovely nude courts. Let's just hope the platform doesn't mean I fall on my bum in front of the entire university...
4. White i-phone 5- I know this might seem like a bit of an extravagant thing for my wishlist, but I've put up with my crashberry for almost two years now so am incredibly excited to become the owner of a white i phone 5 later this month! Just think of the instagram and snapchat opportunities...
5. Asos Jewellery Holder- Along with my ever growing make up and clothes collection, I also have an ever expanding amount of jewellery and now I have to leave the house at half 6 I really need a more organised way of storing it ,so this pretty wall holder would be perfect at organising it all.

What's on your July Wishlist?

I've had another nice couple of days living the London life, I've only got lost once so far this week (yes I'm aware it's only Tuesday but I really do have no sense of direction), done my first blog post on the brand blog and also enjoyed a lovely packet of Percy Pigs today. Now I need a nice pamper evening and a long date with my bed...
Love Meg
x
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