PS Beauty.

So I received an email the other day from the lovely Anne from PS Beauty inviting me to check out their innovative interactive website. So what will PS Beauty do for you? The aim of the website is to be an aid to shopping for your beauty products, saving you money and time. PS Beauty asks you to input information about you and your beauty likes/dislikes and then you can rate products that you've already tried. Based on all this information, PS Beauty then recommend a small number of specific products for you to try- basically, they do all the guess work for you! 

Here's an extract from their Beauty Story on their website:

"We began getting feedback from all over the world and it soon became obvious that PS Beauty was a little more than a niche beauty site. So we took it a step further and continued developing the technology powering the recommendations - we now call this technology Poppy!

Every time you rate a beauty product on the site, Poppy learns what you like and dislike, making your recommendations even more accurate! She even takes into consideration other factors like the latest trends or what your friends are using to make sure you find the absolute best beauty products.

With your help we’re making it easier to find the right beauty products for everyone. I hope you’ll join us on our journey and we’re excited to see you on the inside."

This website is super easy, quick and painless to use with multiple choice questions and pretty diagrams and illustrations. What I was most impressed with was the vast catalogue of products that PS Beauty has available for you to both review and receive recommendations for. The website claims to have over 2,000 brands and 92,231 products to review and recommend! I for sure think you should check out PS Beauty- it's great for a play around and to look at products that maybe you've never thought of trying before! Go over right now and find your perfect foundation. Thanks for stopping by x

MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation.

MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation in Porcelain (£5, from Superdrug). 

The world of natural/naked skin opened up to me when I first tried the Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation. I saw that the new MUA face products were on 3for2 in Superdrug so I thought I'd give some of their new launches a go. Their Undress Your Skin range claims to give a natural, glowing finish to your skin. I love the packaging of this foundation with the purple-stone coloured tube which is super easy for dispensing product in a controlled way. 

The foundation itself is quite a runny fluid and glides onto the skin, providing a light-medium coverage with a natural finish. It's one of those foundations that isn't matte but isn't super wet-looking either, it just gives that natural dewy glow. Now usually a bargain brand make their lighter shades too orangey for my skin but Porcelain is the most beautiful buttery ivory which suits my skin perfectly. I actually can't believe how good this foundation is considering it's only £5! It covers my redness, pores and blemishes and sets evenly without looking cakey. It lasts all through the day which I wasn't expecting for a bargain foundation- I literally couldn't believe it! This foundation feels super light on the skin and my pores don't feel clogged up with product. I'd definitely recommend this foundation for makeup beginners and beauty lovers alike!

In a nutshell: Beautiful, natural looking finish light-medium coverage foundation that lasts all day long and only costs £5!!

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (£9.99, available in Boots and Superdrug). 

I am a huge fan of Real Techniques (who isn't right?) and started my collection with the Core Collection last year; I became obsessed and quickly purchased the Starter Kit soon after. I never really looked at the individual brushes because I thought I already had all of the brushes I needed. However, my poor Buffing Brush is looking a bit worse for wear but it has been used a ridiculous amount and I don't think I've washed it quite as much as I should of *slap wrists*. Created by the lovely and super talented Samantha Chapman of the makeup guru duo Pixiwoo, these brushes are synthetic and are super easy to clean and keep their shape perfectly, no matter how often you use them. 

The Expert Face Brush is a beautiful soft, domed face brush that I've been loving using for applying my liquid foundations. This brush smooths and buffs the product into my skin evenly and gives great coverage with high-street and high-end products alike. So what's the difference between this and the Buffing Brush? Well, firstly the Buffing Brush has a flat top which is great for the larger areas of your face (cheeks, forehead) but when compared with the Expert Face Brush, it isn't that amazing for blending into smaller areas of the face (around the nose, upper lip and eyes). The Expert Face Brush can get into all those creases and contours effortlessly, blending just as smoothly as on the cheeks and forehead. Secondly, the Buffing Brush is only available in the Core Collection- now as much as I love the other brushes in that set, I don't need to replace them  so £21.99 is a lot for one brush. I'm not dissing the Buffing Brush at all, its amazing and up until purchasing the Expert Face Brush it was the best brush in the world, but this new brush is just that little bit better. 

My one small dislike of the Expert Face Brush is that the base of the handle is really wide, allowing it to stand up, but it doesn't fit into my Shu Umura brush roll like my other Real Techniques Brushes do. Nevermind though, I still love it! If you wanna get involved, I'd recommend running down to Superdrug as Real Techniques Brushes are currently on 'buy one get one half price' at the minute- bargain!

In a nutshell: This Expert Face Brush has ended my long love affair with the Buffing Brush; it's perfect for applying BB Creams and foundations of all coverage!

Sweet & Style.

Hey guys, 

just a quick one to point you in the direction of the lovely Gabriella's blog Sweet & Style. Gabriella commented on one of my posts, offering to feature it on her blog which is a compilation of posts from all different bloggers. She features posts on both fashion and beauty so if you're interested then I suggest you check out her blog! She's kindly posted my MaxFactor CC Cream review on her blog, thanks Gabriella! Hope you're all having a nice day, thanks for stopping by!

Look Beauty Fresh Cheeks.

Look Beauty Fresh Cheeks in Guava (currently £2.50, normally £5 from Look Beauty and Superdrug).

I'm currently on a cream blusher rampage wanting to get my lil mitts on all the high street offerings that I can find. When I saw that the Look Beauty Fresh Cheeks were half price at a bargain £2.50, I couldn't resist! Fresh Cheeks are available in three shades: Guava (a pinky coral); Lychee (a dusky nude) and Melon (a fluro bright pink). I went for Guava as I thought it'd be the shade I'd get the most wear out of. I love the packaging of Look Beauty makeup- somehow the tarnished silver effect plastic gives it a vintage feel. I buzz off the handy half-circle mirror on the back of this compact- it's super handy!

The cream blush itself has a really smooth consistency and gives a nice semi-opaque, blendable finish. I like how it gives a natural glowing finish, rather than a chalky matte one. The colour is perfect for summer and is really buildable so whether you want a super subtle flush or a hyper intense glow, you can get it all with this one product. It lasts all day without thinning or fading and doesn't really need to be touched up at all. I've been wearing this for both work and play- it's pretty much become my everyday blusher tbh. 

In a nutshell: This beautiful coral blusher will see you through from day tonight and is the perfect SS cheek colour for a bargain price!

MaxFactor CC Cream.

MaxFactor CC Cream in 40 Fair (£9.99, currently £7.99 in Superdrug). 

I sort of let the CC Cream revolution pass me by as I thought it was just another fad. I've also swatched the L'oreal CC Creams and I'm not a fan so I've sort of avoided them from that point. But then last week, I saw this MaxFactor CC Cream- now MaxFactor is a brand that I usually avoid because almost everything I've bought from them I've hated! However, I noticed that this CC Cream wasn't green or lilac and it actually looked like a BB/foundation type product. When I swatched the lightest colour, it looked perfect and the texture felt lovely so I thought I'd give it a go. Just a heads up though, this isn't available in Boots stores yet- as far as I can see.

So the main claim of CC Creams is that they do everything a BB Cream can do with the added bonus of colour correction- i.e combating redness, yellow skin and dark circles. As you can see from my swatch, 40 Fair is super pale without a hint of orange- hallelujah! This CC Cream has a wonderful light texture- it's not as running of moisturiser-like as the BB Creams I've tried have. It glides onto the skin and sets giving a flawless finish. It does cover redness and blemishes, better than a BB Cream but not as well as a foundation. It gives that natural 'my skin but better' finish which lasts well throughout the day. When I wore it without a primer, I found that my oily zones started to shine through later in the day but when I teamed it with the 17 Miracle Matte primer, the oil was kept at bay. Overall, I'm really enjoying using this CC Cream and would definitely agree that it's a step up from a BB Cream without the heaviness or coverage of a foundation. 

In a nutshell: This CC Cream definitely gives a 'my skin but better' finish and covers any redness or blemishes without being thick or heavy. 

Along Came Betty Eyeshadow Quad.

Along Came Betty It's Eye Time Colour Kit in Subtle Eyes (£6.99 from Tesco). 

I'm a big fan of the elf Brow Kit but I saw that Along Came Betty had a brow kit for sale- however, they only seem to have the Blonde/Fair shade in stock. Then I saw this eyeshadow quad which includes a dark brown eyeliner gel and I thought I'd give it a go as a brow/eye kit. The quad contains a silver-shimmer off-white powder; a light brown shimmer powder; a matte dark brown powder and a dark brown gel. It also has a double-ended brush with a sponge applicator and an eyeliner brush but I find this a bit cheap so I've not been using it. 

I've been enjoying using this quad as a basic eye and brow kit. I apply the gel using hair-like strokes with a gel eyeliner brush, then I set it with the dark brown powder. I've been loving using the highlighter shade on my brow-bone and on the inner corners of my eyes. The colours are pigmented and have ace colour-payoff. They're also long-lasting and don't crease or smudge through the day. Overall, I like this quad as both a brow kit and an eyeshadow quad. I think it's a great multi-tasking product and if you're quick you can get it on offer like I did for £3.99!

In a nutshell: Great multitasking product- perfect for brows and eyes too!

April Collective Beauty Haul.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush; NYC Nail Polish in Blue Sky; MaxFactor CC Cream in Fair; Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya; Barry M Gelly Nail Varnish in Greenberry; MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter; Avon Gel Base; MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation in Porcelain;  Avon Nail Dotting Tool.

Wowzers, I've not done a haul for ages! I think it's because I normally just buy a couple of things here and there but this lot I bought over two shopping sessions over two days so I thought I'd throw them all together to make a haul. Apart from the two Avon items, everything is from Superdrug. The store near me had some unreal deals on when I went on Tuesday!!! They had 'buy one get one half price' on all Real Techniques brushes so I got the Stippling Brush for myself and then the Expert Face Brush for a friend. They had £2 off the new MaxFactor CC Cream, which isn't actually available in Boots yet, and £2 off Revlon Lip Butters so I thought I'd try out one of their new shades. I wasn't that enamoured with my first Lip Butter purchase back when they launched in the UK last year but my boyfriend's mum has been wearing them religiously lately so I decided maybe my last colour choice was the issue. I've gone for Juicy Papaya which looks like the perfect summery coral shade. 

The final crazy deal that Superdrug had on was 3for2 on all new MUA face products so I thought I'd try out their new Undress Your Skin Foundation and Highlighter. I got two of the highlighters as I got one for a chum to try. I didn't fancy any of the concealer kits particularly but the foundation swatched really nice so I'm looking forward to trying it out. I hope you've had a nice week ladies- thanks for stopping by!x

Zara Messenger Bag.

Messenger Bag (£19.99 from Zara). 

Well, I've fallen in love with another handbag guys. It was bound to happen at some point as my love affair with handbags is beyond comprehension. But I didn't think it would happen this soon! I wasn't looking for a new handbag- I've been more than happy with my pink Zara-esque bucket bag from Sainsburys and my coral and grey bag from Very. But then I saw this and it was game over. 

I personally think that I like quite unusual handbags or bags with some sort of quirky feature. I lovelovelove my new Zara bag for this very reason- I've never seen a bag like it anywhere ever before! The closure to the bag isn't a zip or a envelope fastening- oh no, it rolls up like a paper bag and has magnets to keep it in place. The bag itself is made of super buttery soft faux-leather and has a detachable shoulder strap that would make it the perfect clutch. It's mega spacious inside with it's tan lining and two open pockets. The bag sits nicely at around hip-height and for £19.99 I just could not say no, I mean, look at it! I'm sure you're all bored of me drooling over my new bag but go check it out in Zara- it's also available in brown and a super cute pink/coral combo which I'm tempted by! 

Along Came Betty Wow! Mascara.

Along Came Betty Wow! Lashes Mascara (£5.99 from Tesco). 

So when I stumbled across Along Came Betty in Tescos the other week, I bought the Pure Pore Mask (you can see my review here), the Wow! Lashes Mascara and an eyeshadow quad that I've actually been using as a brow kit (review coming soon!).  I was more than happy with my beloved Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara but when I saw the size of the brush on this mascara, I just couldn't resist! 

As with the Pure Pore Mask, the packaging of Along Came Betty products are very Soap & Glory-esque with the black and white 60's style photographs, pink girly writing and not-so-serious names, which usualy contain a pun or double-entendre. I love the film-reel imagery on the box with the 60's style lady applying her mascara! The tube itself is really quite chunky which I personally quite like but I guess it is a little unusual. Just look at the size of that brush! It's a bristle style brush, none of this rubber or comb malarky for me thank you! The mascara itself is really easy to apply- it's much thinner than the S&G mascara which is more thickening, whereas the Along Came Betty number is more lengthening and volumising. It definitely gives a more natural mascara look whilst providing that length and blackness. It doesn't transfer at all- one of my pet peeves- and it is really easy to remove with makeup wipes or cotton pads. Overall, I really like this mascara and think it's got a pretty competitive price- I'd say it's better than most other high-street mascaras that I've tried. 

In a nutshell: This lengthening and volumising mascara definitely gives you WOW lashes without clumping or transfering. 

Thunder Skull.

Top- Forever 21

Jeans- Indigo at Marks and Spencer

Shoes- Primark (sale)

Jacket- Marks and Spencer (old)

Nails- H&M in Blue My Mind and Models Own Headkani in Ibiza Mix.

I wore this outfit for a lunch date with my chum and then out in the evening when I went out with my mum. I can't believe how amazing this top from Forever 21 is- it's mint green, has cats on it and has a cute collar, it's so amazing! I didn't really know what to wear this top with as I've not worn jeans for agggeeesss because I thought they didn't suit me anymore. I took the plunge and bought these jeans from M&S for £25 which is bargainous! They fit really nicely and have that elasticated feel to it- although I need a belt to wear with them because they kept falling down. I actually bought a new handbag when I went shopping from Zara, my first ever Zara purchase in fact! I'm totally in love so I'm probs going to dedicate a whole post to it. Hope you're all having a lovely week- thanks for stopping by! x

Makeup and Beauty Products Storage.

I've acquired a lot of makeup and beauty products over the past couple of years so organisation is key! Since I moved out a few months ago, I've not really managed to get on top of my storage so last week I spent the day sorting out our bedroom, focusing on my makeup and beauty products storage. I thought it'd be a good time to do an updated products storage post. My desk is from IKEA but I've had it for yearrrssss so I don't know if they make this exact one any more. The pink and teal roses drawers are from WH Smith but they're looking a bit worse for wear at the minute so I might replace them soon. The pink basket on top is from B&M's and that's where I keep my skincare and haircare products. The acrylic lipstick holder was from John Lewis and the white mini-basket is from Clas Olsen. I bought my mirror from a shop in Leeds somewhere but I can't remember what the shop's called! Finally, my spotty tin is actually a coffee caddy from B&M's but I keep my muslin cloths and cotton wool pads in here. 

I love the different sized drawers in this organiser. The top left drawer is for lip products that I'm not currently using on a regular basis- they're mostly lipsticks that I don't need out in my acrylic storage but I'm thinking of getting a bigger acrylic stand off ebay for my lipsticks so we'll see. The top middle drawer is for overspill lip and eye products, mostly lip glosses and lip liners to be honest. The top right drawer is where I keep my lip treatment and eye products- you can see my Lush Lip Scrub, various lip balms and some eye creams. 

The two middle drawers are really deep and you can fit loads in them! In the left one, I store my eyeshadows including my two Kat Von D eyeshadow palettes, my MUA palette, a Chanel quad and loads of individual eyeshadows. I keep all of my other high-end palettes under the shelf on my desk including my Benefit World Famous palettes; Urban Decay NAKED and NAKED Basics palettes and my Diego Dalla Palma Snow White palette. I also keep my eyeliners and mascaras in here, although I don't have many of them as I usually stick with what I know. The right drawer is for all my face products- foundations, concealers, primers, blushers and highlighters. I always think my blusher collection is vast but it's actually quite modest so I might have to expand on that soon ha! Finally, the bottom drawer is a mixture of back-up's, doubles and replacements. I hate the thought of running out of certain products so I usually buy them when they're on offer. I also keep my false eyelashes in here but I've not worn them in agesssss- I must get on that asap. 

This is my 'products to try/use up' basket. I usually just chuck any new products in here after photographing them. At the minute I'm trying out some Along Came Betty products, I've got a Bioderma cleansing water that I've been meaning to try for about a year now but keep forgetting! Then I have some products I want to use up or start using again like the V05 hair oil and Collection 2000 primer. 

This acrylic storage is for my current favourite lipsticks. In there is: MAC in Hue and Rebel; Maybelline Colour Whispers; Bourjois Rouge Edition in 02; Laura Geller Lipstick; Topshop in Innocent; L'oreal Rouge Caresses; Revlon Lip Butter (which I'm still trying to convince myself to like) and Urban Decay. 

Here lies my high-end lip products. I have two Clinique Chubby Sticks; some Chanel lipsticks and lipglosses and a Dior lipgloss. They're actually stored in a recycled Herbal Essences hair mask tub! Below are my high-street lip (non-lipstick) products stored in a metal cut-out tub. I've got four Rimmel Apocalips; four Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balmstains; two L'oreal Glam Shine Miss Candy lipglosses and some other bits and bobs. 

I hope you've enjoyed having a nosy at my makeup storage. Please link me to any of your makeup storage posts or give my any recommendations for storage! Thanks for stopping by x

TravelSupermarket Worldwide Wardrobe!

My friend put me onto the TravelSupermarket.com Worldwide Wardrobe Competition and I just had to get involved! I love these competitions where you put together outfits for different occasions. Each outfit must come under £200 and the winner will win a holiday and £200 to buy their winning outfit! Go check the competition out for yourselves here and please link me to any entries if you get involved! The themes for the outfits were: Clubbing in Ibiza; Shopping in London; Sightseeing in Paris; Cocktails in New York and Partying at a Full Moon Party in Thailand. So here's what I've but together. 

Clutch; Shoes; Earrings; Top; Skirt.

Ibiza is somewhere I've never been nor do I have the intention of going there. I'm personally not into dance music or such like and I don't drink so it's not really a good combo for me! However, I played the game and put together an outfit in the event that I did go clubbing in Ibiza. I found this outfit really hard to put together as I didn't want to go down the super-dressy look, I wanted to keep it wearable for the super hot climate of Spain. I saw this skirt and fell inlove! I love the rose gold lace band and the shape would flatter my figure really well. I teamed it with a simple lace crop-top and then went for contrasting neon coral accessories. I'm actually thinking of buying this clutch as I love the colour and the high shine patent leather look is super hot. I thought these perspex jewel earrings from New Look were really unusual and I think they top off the outfit nicely. I don't think I've done too bad in the end tbh! 

Dress; Bag; Shoes; Necklace. 

When someone says they're going out for cocktails, I immediately think they're going to a classy joint. So I wanted my New York outfit to be more sophisticated than party-girl. I want this bag so so bad- mint is my favourite colour at the moment and combined with studs and a really unusual satchel shape, I think I might be in love. So I built this outfit around the bag- starting with the monochrome body-con dress. Now I think I'd have to squeeze myself into some pretty unattractive control underwear to look good in this dress but I love the panelling and contrasting colours and fabrics. I like the chunkiness of these heels and think they'd be super comfortable and easy to walk in- plus they'll go with anything! I'm definitely not a blingy girl but this necklace is stunning. The gems are encrusted onto white leather and I love the white rope necklace- I think this pulls the outfit together. 

Dress; Holdall; Hat; Necklace; Creepers; Jacket.

Well, there's no surprises that the most casual outfit category was my favourite! It's actually extra exciting for me because I'm going on a shopping weekend to London with my chum in July which I'm soooooooo looking forward to. I love this jersey dress from Topshop but I've only ever seen it in store in the petite section so I've never got my hands on it. I'm so close to buying this holdall, you don't even know! I saw it last week when I went shopping and thought it'd be a perfect weekend/overnight bag. It is absolutely massive so I don't know when else I'd use it but who cares- its gorgeous! I'm a huge Drop Dead fan and I thought I'd rep the North in the capital with this super cute wooly hat- plus it's England, you never know what the weather will be like! I've added a black chain and leopard print creepers for some contrasting textures and this super versatile leather-look jacket will keep me warm but looking cool (see what I did there?). I want this entire outfit now please. 

Bra Top; Skirt; Sunglasses; Bag; Trainers; Lipstick; Cardigan.

I wanted to combine comfort with cuteness in this look. Paris is the home of fashion so the stakes are high with this outfit! I love the shape combo of this spotty bra top and denim-look skater skirt- I think it'd really suit my figure. I've gone for Vans-style white trainers for maximum comfort whilst I'm walking round the Louvre and climbing up the Eiffel Tower. I couldn't resist going all-out mint for my accessories on this one! How amazing is this bag?!? I love the mesh look with the granny-chic vibe but the mint green makes it oh-so modern. I thought this mint cardi would be a great cover up, plus it'd fit in my bag if it was nice and warm. 

Bag; Shoes; Dress; Headband. 

I thought this coral dress had a bit of a Thai-vibe with the embellished neckline. I also think it'd be nice and cool for the sub-tropical weather over in Thailand, which is a country me and my boyfriend have always wanted to visit. These M&S shoes are so on-trend, it's not even funny. I tried them on irl in the most beautiful mint colour but I couldn't justify buying them but I think the black version look suitably summery and dressy for a party. I love this River Island handbag (oh me and my bag obsession!) with it's coral croc-look and the tonal panelled look. I couldn't really find any jewellery I liked to top off this outfit so I went for a good old Crown and Glory floral headband in contrasting pastel pink, green and lilac. 

I hope you like my entries, let me know what you think! Now I'm supposed to nominate five of my followers or five bloggers I follow to get involved in this competition so I'll just tweet any bloggers I've got on Twitter with the link- but there's no pressure to get involved! Thanks for stopping by x

Soft Kitty.

T-shirt- Marks and Spencer

Skirt- River Island (with belt)

Leggings- Primark

Flatforms- H&M

Bag- Primark

Ring- (I honestly can't remember!)

Nails- both from Primark (Minnie Mouse Dupe) Collection.

So I went shopping on Thursday with my mum and then went out for a curry with my chums in the evening. I fell in love with this cat print skirt from River Island- I love the print, the button-up front, the shape, the cut-out design belt- everything about it!!! I teamed it with a plain black basic t-shirt from M&S and my super comfy H&M contrast flatforms as my feet were tired from traipsing round town all day! I used this Primark skull-embossed make up/wash bag as a clutch because I only needed to take my phone, purse and keys with me. I have had my hair purpled-ombred but you can't really tell in these photos. I'm currently waiting for a Crazy Colour delivery so I can try and make the contrast a bit greater- I want my ends to be more of a lilac/lavender shade but at the minute they're more of a red-toned purple. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Searching For Some Curve-spiration!

As much as I love clothes, fashion and bloggers, I often feel like I don't quite fit in. Not because I'm not into mainstream music, or have piercings and tattoos but because I'm not thin. I've recently felt like the pages of magazines and the bloggers on my screens are merging and melting into one thing. I'm not knocking girls for being skinny, in anyway at all, but I'd like a bit of variety please. So, this is why I've been looking for some curve-spiration. Bloggers with big bums, love handles and chunky legs like me but who totally own it and wear some stunning clothes. I want to look at women who like eating cakes and avoid the gym like the plague- just like me! I want to look at other women and think "I could look like that right now"; instead of "I could look like that if I stopped eating nice food and started running 50miles a day". 

I went on the hunt and found some super stylish ladies- who aren't necessarily calling themselves curve-spiration bloggers but I just love the way they dress and embrace their curves! So here's a few ladies that I think you should check out. 

Little Chief Honeybee- Kaelah has to be my favourite blogger of all times *stalker alert*. She is truly stunning and is covered in tattoos, and loves 1950's style pretty dresses and cardigan combos- a girl after my own heart! Deffo check her out. 

My Darling Faye- Faye's blog is a recent discovery for me. This is one hot lady with her raven hair and pale skin, she is Snow White incarnate!

Gabifresh- Gabi rocks a range of styles and fashion trends which has definitely inspired me to try new looks!

Curvy Girl Chic- This girl knows how to style an outfit! From a summer maxi look to a super sexy leather pencil skirt outfit, this girl is curvy fashion in all it's glory. Love. 

Cupcakes Clothes- Georgina was one of the first bloggers I started following. Her super cute, kitschy, hand-made approach to fashion brightens my mood every time I see her posts. I also love that she has pink hair! 

Let me know who your favourite bloggers are and who you find inspiring- curvy or otherwise!