May Non Beauty Favourites

Summer Dresses
As the weather has been getting a bit better (huge emphasis on the word 'bit') I have dug out all of my summer clothes and made a transition into my wardrobe. Obviously my favourite piece of clothing(s) to be retrieved for the summer has got to be my summer dresses. I have to admit, I am a slight hoarder when it comes to dresses, obsessed may be the word?! Anyway I have been loving throwing one on to go and meet friends or just to run about town getting jobs done. The only thing is now I'm going to have give fake tanning another go *scared face*.

Prison Break
How have I not seen this programme before?! I love it! A friend recommended it to me, and I haven't stopped watching it since! The idea behind the series is the main character (Wentworth Miller ;)) is trying to help his brother escape from Death Row by being given a prison sentence and hatching an escape plan. The twist is, is that he effectively helped design the prison so therefore has a huge advantage (he has the blue prints of the prison TATTOOED on his body). Each episode has been amazing and the series is incredibly addictive. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Yes, there are some gory and gruesome parts but just have a pillow handy and you'll be fine.

YouTube
Man, I have been loving YouTube this month. It has become not just a habit but a routine to climb into bed about an hour before I want to sleep and catch up on all my fave YouTube channels. I watch mainly beauty videos but also love vlogs and health/fitness videos too. I am planning on doing a Top 5 YouTube Channels' post soon so keep an eye out for that to see exactly who I love watching!

Diet Coke
So this is very naughty of me! I used to drink 2 litres of Coca Cola everyday however I gave up about 3 years ago when I realised the damage I could be doing to my body, plus I knew that was preventing me from losing weight. However this last month or so I've been partial to the odd Diet Coke when I've been out for a meal or sat in the garden enjoying the sun. Naughty I know, but I have also been drinking copious amounts of water to make up for my treat.

Music
Another random selection of songs but these songs seem to be going perfectly with the nice weather, I have had Sigma on constant repeat in my car when driving around with my shades on and the windows down.
Rascal Flatts-Life Is A Highway
Sigma-Nobody To Love
Boyce Avenue-Speed Limit
Rita Ora-I Will Never Let You Down

So there we have it, my non-beauty faves! I like doing these posts, every now and then its nice to do a non-beauty-related post. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy creating them.

Does anyone else do these types of posts? I would love to read them so feel free to leave any links below!

Barry M Silk in Pearl

 This collection of 'Silk' polishes was released a couple of months ago. The polishes come in a range of pastel shades and are of a matte finish with a slight pearly sheen to it. I picked up the shade Pearl as I don't have any white polishes and I find white can tend to look a bit tacky with just a matte finish.

 

Like most Barry M polishes, this polish is easy to apply, with a not-to-watery consistency and quick drying time. I also found with this polish that it only required one coat to achieve the opaque look however I usually apply two coats to prevent chips etc. anyway. The finish is exactly what the bottle promises and is unlike anything I have worn on my nails before. Do I like it? Well I'm not sure about that really. I'm not sure if its the shade that doesn't work for me or the odd finish, but for some reason I can't take to this polish very well. I also find with this type of finish it can look very similar to polishes aimed at the older generation which, although looks lovely, isn't really the look I am going for.

 

I think this one is very much down to individual taste as the finish is quite different to any of the other offerings out there. I might pick up another shade just to give it a fair chance however I don't think Pearl will be gracing my fingernails much in the next few months.

 

Have you tried any of the Silk range from Barry M? I would love to know your thoughts! 

Huge Beauty Haul

So....I went shopping. To be fair to me, I haven't been shopping in a really long time and although I got quite a lot of stuff I actually didn't spend that much money. I went to Boots, Superdrug and Topshop and got a few things that I've been eyeing up for a while and a few others just because why not?!

So first of all I hit Boots and although I could have picked up a whole hoard of things, I was actually quite well behaved. So the first few thing I got were some tanning products. Now that summer is upon us I want to give my skin that sun kissed glow that we all spend the winter months dreaming of. Lucky for me Boots had some money off deals across the tanning section including the Dove Summer Glow Gradual Tan Body Moisturiser. I like gradual tans although they do take a lot of upkeep. I usual go for the Garnier Summer Body gradual tan but I'm mixing things up a bit and giving this one a go as its had excellent reviews. Another product that had money off is the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan Matte in Medium. This is a new release from Rimmel (they've had a bit of a relaunch for their Sun Shimmer range) and, again, I've heard pretty good things about this product in particular (not so much about some of their others) so thought I would give this a go too.
I don't actually own a tanning mitt so thought it wise to invest in one and picked up the Boots own Soltan one as its a bit cheaper than some of the others.

The next thing I got was the Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser and this is something I have wanted forever but have been waiting for it to be on offer and, hurrah, it finally was! This is a body moisturiser in an aerosol form so you can just spray it on and you're done. For me this will be perfect for summer as I find thick body moisturisers take an absolute age to absorb into the skin, plus I'm a bit lazy when it comes to moisturising (although I'm getting much better!).

The last couple of things I got in Boots were some makeup items. First up is the Barry M Matte nail paint in Copa Cobana. Barry M have released some new additions to their Matte range (which I absolutely love fyi) and there are some gorgeous colours. This a bright, coral shade which I am planning on using mainly on my toes to give them a bright splash of colour.

The last thing I picked up were three of the Revlon Shadowlinks. I have been after these ever since they started circling the Blogosphere-I think they are a genius inventon. In every eye shadow palette I get there is always a shade I will never wear or a shade I don't like however with these you build up you're own palette and can continue adding to it. I picked up three shades- Petal, Candy and Plum. Petal is a satin finish, peachy cream shade which I think will be lovely as a highlighter. Candy is a pale bubblegum pink shade with a pearl finish which is lovely for simple everyday makeup. Plum is a deep matte, purple shade which will be great for contouring the eye.

So next I went to Topshop. I have to say,I never venture into Topshop, ever. And on this occasion I only went in with one thing in mind, to check out their makeup stand. I wasn't too sure what I wanted to purchase but I knew I wanted to try something from their beauty range. After swatching some of their many lipsticks and blushes, I decided to go for their Magic Liner as this is one of their standout products that I have heard a lot about. It is in a felt-tip pen form and although I have a few of these, I'm eager to see what Topshop makeup is like so I'm quite excited to give this a go.

Finally, I ventured into Superdrug and, again, I had one thing in mind that I wanted to buy. This is something I have wanted ever since their namesake announced it in her Vlogmas series and I have heard nothing but amazing things about this product. That, of course, is the Tanya Burr lip glosses. She also has a range of nail polishes but I'm more interested in the glosses. Firstly, an amazing shade range and it took me ages to decide what shade to go for. In the end I picked up Picnic In The Park as I think that is a shade I will get a lot of wear out of. I'm so excited to try this lipgloss and I'm pretty sure the next time I'm in town (that's the store nearest to me to stock the Tanya Burr range) I will be picking up another couple of shades.

So there we go! I'm going to be reviewing some of these products so keep an eye out if you're interested, and I'm also thinking of doing a mini series on tanning at some point this month.

Have you done any shopping lately? Leave any links to haul posts/videos below!

V05 Plump It Up

Want big, volumous hair?! Then look no further! This is an amplifying blow dry lotion which is designed to add volume to the hair during he drying process. It also acts as a heat defence which is always a bonus with a hair product. The product claims to make hair feel and look thicker and healthy, calm frizz and static flyaways, and protect against any heat damage.

I spray this all over damp hair and then blow dry my hair upside down, as this is a good way of adding volume anyway. Once my hair is dry you can automatically see a difference. It feels lighter yet bouncier and has much more body to it than before. The spray is also very lightweight and doesn't leave a film or make the hair crispy at all.

I would say this spray is an absolute winner for me, it adds gorgeous amounts of bounce and volume and leaves the hair looking and feeling smooth. If you are a fan of big hair then this should definitely be on your shelf!

Has anyone else tried this product?

May Favourites

May has absolutely flown by for me! Is it just me who thinks time goes so fast when you're living on a monthly pay check?! Anyway, I haven't got many new favourites this month as I've been testing out some new products so haven't had a chance to commit to too many products. However I have a couple that I just keep reaching for...

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation
This was my go-to foundation last summer as it sits so well on the skin when the weather is warmer and doesn't feel too heavy. I have been using this on nights out when I need my makeup to stay in place all night as it doesn't melt off. It is light coverage but my skin is in quite good condition at the minute so I can get away with using a lighter foundation.

The Body Shop Moroccan Rose Body Butter
This was in my first ever monthly favourites last year and I have been rediscovering it this month. The scent, for me, screams summer and its one of the lighter body butters that I have so absorbs really well into the skin. The only thing is I have nearly finished this tub so I'm hoping The Body Shop are still stocking this range!

Soap and Glory Mist You Body Mist
This is a fairly new purchase. As you may or may not know, I love the classic Soap & Glory scent and so when I discovered I could carry a bottle of it around with me all day for a sneaky fix of the good stuff, well, I pretty much jumped for joy. Ok I didn't, but you get my gist. The scent is quite strong initially however quickly tones down and, as it is a mist, is very light on the skin.

Collection Sheer Loose Powder
Another new product to my collection! I find Collection is a real hit and miss for me. I love their concealer (obvs) however I can't get to grips with their mascaras which have had rave reviews! I thought I would give their loose powder a go as I was after one and this was an absolute bargain so, if it didn't work for me then no worries, but I adore it and have been using it every single day. I lightly dust the powder over my t-zone, and also use it to set my concealer. It leaves a lovely airbrushed finished to the skin and is brilliant at keeping concealer in place.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream
Ok so I have clearly been loving my base makeup this month! This is a fairly new release from Bourjois and as soon a it hit shelves I went out and got it. With colour-correcting properties and a very thin consistency, I have been loving using this for daytime wear as it hardly feels like you've got makeup on, yet makes the skin look flawless. I know CC creams have come under criticism recently and many have refused to jump on the bandwagon but I would seriously recommend giving this a go, it feels so much like a foundation but without the heaviness. Such a technical review there.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 16
This lipsticks has always been one of my favourites as I think it is the perfect pink shade but this month I have been loving it lots and lots. Its perfect for both day and night wear, glides onto the lips like a dream due to its lovely creamy consistency and its staying power is fairly good aswell. I have been teaming this with a gloss at times too to add some extra shine.

Have you been loving any of these products? Please leave any monthly favourites links below, they're my favourite to read!

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hour by Eye Studio

 

If you haven't heard of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo's then where on earth have you been?! They've been available in the UK for quite some time now, and I have pretty much most of, if not all, their collection. 

 

They are essentially cream eye shadows but their pigmentation and staying power is amazing and I have yet to find any better! They apply like a dream and can be used alongside other eye shadows, powdered or otherwise, on their own or as a base. The darker shades work brilliantly at creating a long-lasting smoky eye.

 

Light In Purple

This shade is completely different to the rest of the collection as it is very cool-toned and also has a slight effervescent effect to it. The shade is slightly purple-esque and works perfectly as a base for a smoky eye, or paired with a subtle eye shadow. I don't think this shade works very well on its own as it is very bright and eye catching but it is still lovely.

 

Pink Gold

This shade is perfect for daytime wear, epically during the spring. It is a metallic, pastel pink and works great on its own. I sometimes use it with Metallic Pomegranate too as these work really well together.

 

Permanent Taupe

This is my favourite out of the collection and is the only matte shade I have. As the name suggests, this a dark, brown taupe shade. I usually wear this shade on its own or with a highlighter just in the inner corners. Although this is quite subtle initially on the lids, with enough build up and coverage, it can create a lovely yet striking look which I love.

 

On and On Bronze

This shade is the perfect bronze shade and is perfect when creating a warm-neutral based smoky eye effect as it is a perfect all-over shade and blends well with so many other neutrals.

 

Metallic Pomegranate 

This is a dark purple shade and has gold glitter particles in it which, although doesn't sound like it works, actually gives off quite a good effect. I don't tend to wear this on its own as it is quite dark however looks beautiful teamed with either Pink Gold or another lighter eye shadow.

 

Eternal Gold

This is my least favourite from the collection and is the one I wear the least. I think this is probably because it is very shimmery, however now the summer is coming it could look lovely just gently swiped over the lids to create a shimmery sun kissed look.

Have you tried any of these, or any other shades? I would love to know as I highly rate these and they are one of my favourite products in my makeup collection.

The Blogger Made Me Buy It-LLYMLRS

Lily Melrose from LLYMLRS was, in fact, the first blog I discovered. She has an edgy, cool vibe to her blog and is a wise owl when it comes to beauty products and how to use them. I regularly check Lily's blog and YouTube channel for updates and new videos as I really trust her opinion on beauty and her reviews always seem fair and honest. A lot of the products reviewed on LLYMLRS are high end however she has mentioned her love for drugstore lipsticks and nail polishes.

After watching a haul where she spoke about her love for this lipstick I wanted to try it out. Beehive is a nude, glossy finish lipstick and as Seventeen isn't the most pricey of brands, its a real bargain! This lipstick is perfect for everyday wear and can add a bit of *something* to a simple makeup look. Whilst it isn't the most long lasting lipstick, it is very pretty and wearable. So thank you Lily for introducing this lovely lipstick to my collection, it is now one of my staples and something I religiously reach for!

Are you a fan of LLYMLRS? Have you tried this lipstick? I would love to know your thoughts!