Lottie London | A look at some of their products & my thoughts

Lottie London were part of a cruelty free Asos wishlist that I put together a little while ago which focused on beauty, rather than clothes as I felt their beauty section never got as much of a focus even though it's really great. I noticed Lottie London on there and instantly fell in love with a lot of their products, I think they're the perfect mix of high quality products with fun, cool packaging which reminds me of Topshop make-up a little bit.

I decided to pick up a few of their products recently as I was feeling like treating myself (when don't I) but also I needed a new powder so it worked out well. I picked up four items, I probably didn't need two primers but there you go.

Ready Set! Go Translucent Powder 
Insta Filter Pore Eraser Stick 
B.A.E Illuminating Primer 
Get The Look Palette #Selfie 

I have a few favourites within these items however I did also get the powder in the wrong colour, I got this colour because the other one was sold out however this one is too warm for me. I'm still gonna use it and when I'm slightly more tanned it'll be fine. I got this loose powder as I've been "baking" under my eyes and under where I put my bronzer recently to help set/enhance my make-up and it has been working really well.

Another product which I've been loving and using everyday is the #Selfie palette. I'm not crazy about the highlight or bronzer that they have included however the blush is my absolute favourite at the moment. It gives such a nice rosy glow to the cheeks and the shade works really well with my skin tone, its also quite pigmented so you don't need tons. I'm not that happy with the style of the packaging as the thin strips are so hard to get a brush into properly, but I can live with this. I'm not been using the eyeshadows too much lately as I've been wearing quite natural make-up however these seem quite pigmented and I really like the colours which have they included.

The last two things which I've been using all the time are the primers, one technically isn't a primer but a "pore eraser". I've been wearing these together as I feel like they do two different things. The Before Anything Else Primer is a nice, light pink colour which disappears into your skin, I've been putting all over my face. The Insta Filter Stick is a twist up, gluey type consistency which I've been using mainly under my eyes, down my nose and across my chin and forehead. I think that these two have really helped make my make-up last a lot longer and they work quite well together. I've also been loving mixing the illuminating primer and the Tanya Burr Face Illuminator for a really glory base.

I've enjoyed trying more of this brand and I think that they have some great products, which are a high quality and also a little fun. I'm really pleased with all the items which I picked up, I think they would make good additions to anyones make-up bag. Their foundations and concealers also look quite interesting so this these will probably be the next things that I treat myself to.

Have you tried anything from Lottie London before? What do you think of their products?
                 
                                                                                       Follow

Sleek MakeUP | Solstice Highlighter Palette

Sleek Solstice Highlighter Palette 

I picked this product up from Superdrug recently cause I've heard good things about this highlighter for a while now. I've heard people talk about how amazing it is however what I didn't realise is how amazing it also looks. When I got it in Superdrug, it was in a sealed black box and it wasn't until I got home and opened it up that I was greeted with the stunning gold packaging. I really think that this attention to the packaging and the little details makes it a really nice product to own, it's made it that little bit more special and it isn't "just" a highlighter.

Inside, as well as a massive mirror and a brush (which I have to admit I haven't used and probably won't but it's a nice touch) is four decent sized highlighters, two baked, one cream and a silky shimmer. They all have names:

Ecliptic: this is the cream highlighter and the first of the four, it is quite pink looking and very pigmented. A little of this goes a long way. I generally wear powder highlighters more than creams however I imagine this would be good in the summer. This with another of the highlighters layered over the top would look amazing.
Hemisphere: one of the baked variety, like Ecliptic it is quite pink toned but more of a soft lavender with iridescent pinks and silvers.
Subsolar: probably one of my personal favourites. It looks very yellow in the palette but once on the skin, it sort of sinks in and the yellow disappears. I would say that this one is the most natural looking, and would suit most skin tones.
Equinox: this is the second baked highlighter, it looks quite orange in the palette but isn't at all on the skin. This and Subsolar look really nice when worn together.

I don't really like to put tons of highlighter on as sometimes I think it can look quite fake and too sort of powdery? However these are so easy to use, wear and look really natural. They are the perfect buildable highlighter to just help enhance your skin and complexion. I would recommend this palette to anyone as I think it would suit all skin tones and because there is four highlighters and they're all different, it gives you so many options.

Have you tried anything from Sleek before?  What do you think of this highlighter palette?
                                                                                              Follow

Some of my Favourite False Eyelashes + Where I Buy Them

I thought I'd do a quick post on some of my favourite false eyelashes as I get complimented on them quite a lot and a lot of people ask if they're real! I used to be really into wearing thick, heavy and very unnatural looking lashes just because I didn't know any different. I used to wear the Eylure ones however after my recent eBay post, it's the only place I get them more now as it's cheaper and I think they're just as high quality.

I've recently started wearing a really fanned-out, natural but lengthening looking lash which is so good for everyday use, it just adds that tiny bit of glamour and really opens up the eye area. I've always been told that I have huge eyes so these lashes really play up to that. One thing that I will say is that you have to be careful with which ones that you get from eBay as some are really really long and even though you can trim lashes down, Ive never really been one for this. I buy from sellers who include good quality images so really pay attention to these so you don't end up with eyelashes that are six foot long! I've included some that I've worn below

Five Pairs False Lashes - Demi Wispies 
Vivi's Collection Fashion Lashes  (Lots of options but can be a bit long depending on which ones you get)
5 Pairs Natural Eyelashes - These are my personal favourites

I reuse lashes probably for way to long, but I do like to take care of them so they last. I think something that is really important is having a really good quality glue and the Duo one is honestly one of the best out there. If you ask anyone (who wears lashes lol) this is what they'll use because it just works so well. It's doesn't really smell (although some people will say that it does, maybe I'm just used to it), dries quickly and is so easy to remove. You can also get it in two different colours, either white (which will dry clear) or black. I get mine from Beautybay.com and they always have super quick delivery. I also think that you get loads for the price, it'll honestly last you such a long time.

Have you bought any beauty items from eBay before? Let me know what you think and where you buy your eyelashes from!
                                                                                        Follow

L.A Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer

I thought that I would share the concealer which is having a moment and that EVERYONE is raving about, the L.A Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer. If you go onto any video on instagram on the explore page of people doing mini tutorials, you'll notice that this is always their concealer of choice! 

So I ordered these three concealers off of beautybay.com at like half seven on a Saturday night with standard delivery (which was free) and they turned up the next morning! I was so impressed but anyway I decided to order three as I really wanted to try them out. They have tons of colours on the website but I ordered a red, green and then a colour that I hoped was my skin tone, it's really hard to tell off of a website. I've seen people use these concealers to do the whole colour correcting thing so I thought this would be a good time to try this trend out. I get quite red skin sometimes so I was really hoping that having a green concealer will come in handy. 

As you can see from the images, it's a decent size, maybe a bit on the small size but for £5 thats fine. It's got a bit of a weird applicator, you squeeze the tube to get the product to come out of the brush end which makes it quite difficult to just get a small amount of the product out. Not very good for touch ups but I wear a lot of concealer so this doesn't bother me. I use a slightly wet beauty blender to do both my foundation and concealer and it works well this way, they blend out really easily. It doesn't take forever to settle into your skin, it's also not drying and you've got time to blend everything out. The finish is quite glory and sort of light, not cakey at all. 

I think that overall this is the perfect "drugstore" concealer as it's cheap but also has a really good coverage. It's the type of coverage which is light at first, but buildable and doesn't get cakey which I love. My favourite concealer up until now is the Collection Lasting Perfection one however sometimes I feel this can look slightly cakey as it's so easy to use too much with that concealer. I've been enjoying using this recently and will continue to use it in the future to really try it out, I don't know if I love it yet or if it'll replace my Lasting Perfection Concealer, but we'll see. 

Have you tried this concealer or anything from L.A Girl before?  Let me know what you think! 

I would love it if you would follow me on Bloglovin!

                                                                                          Follow

New In | Tanya Burr and Zoella Beauty Products

Zoella Bath Latte
Zoella Sweet Inspirations Body Mist
Tanya Burr Face Illuminator 

I've wanted to try some of these products for literally ages! I've heard some many good things about both of their products as they are everywhere and it was about time that I picked some up. When I went into store to purchase these (Superdrug if anyones wondering), I noticed that they their display (which was together) was really well stocked and everything had been laid out nicely. I also thought that all the prices were really good for the items and because of the nice packaging, any of their products would make lovely gifts.

I picked up the Bath Latte as I've heard good things about it. A little goes a long way with this as it makes quite a lot of bubbles which I personally love, however I did notice that it didn't have much of a scent to it and I found myself adding something else to my bath as well which had more of a fragrance. Maybe this is something to bare in mind however it doesn't bother me.

As well as this, I also picked up the Sweet Inspirations Body Mist as they had different ones on display. As soon as I tried this I had to get it, it smells that good. Even my mum agreed and was both of our favourites out of the three on display. I love anything sweet smelling so this is perfect for me, I won't try to even begin to explain how this smells as I'm terrible at describing scents but if you're near a Superdrug, go and check it out as you won't be disappointed.

The last thing which I picked up is the Tanya Burr Face Illuminator, I've not followed her make-up line that closely however I have seen this in a video of hers and thought that it looked interesting. I've not had a chance to properly try this out yet however I have experimented by mixing it with my foundation and I did think that it had a brightening effect. I think this product would be perfect for the  Spring/Summer months and I look forward to using this more soon.

What is your favourite product from Zoella or Tanya? Let me know what you think!

Dancing Ledge - Ramble

Last Sunday I had a very rare day off so we (some family and I) decided to take a little walk/hike/ramble along an area of the Jurassic Coast near us, at a place called Dancing Ledge. Dancing Ledge is a flat area of rock at the base of a small cliff and at certain stages of the tide when the waves wash over the horizontal surface, the surface undulations cause the water to bob about making the ledge appear to dance.

Going for walks is something that we used to do a lot as children as it was free, something which would tire three kids out and because we had such active imaginations, any place that our parents took us could be fun. I love anywhere near the coast (Lulworth Cove for example). I think we're going to try to visit some of the places which we used to go to as kids over the summer.

It was such a nice day in the end, we did get a bit rained on (but saw the brightest rainbow) and there was mud everywhere but mostly it was sunny. There won't be a repeat this Sunday unfortunately as I am working however I'm so excited for the Spring and brighter, lighter evenings. 

How will you be spending your weekend? 

Pai Skincare | Free Samples

Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil 
Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser 

I was reading Elle Magazine recently when I saw a double page ad from Pai Skincare, stating that if you followed the web address, you could claim some free samples! Now I've had some samples from Pai before which were so good and I love anything thats free so I went ahead and got some. Pai are one of those skincare brands that everyone seems to have heard of recently and for good reason as not only are some of their products vegan, but they're also natural, cruelty free and gentle products which do so much good stuff for your skin.

I've tried the Rosehip oil before and it did seen to make a difference to my skin so I was excited to give this another try. It does smell very "natural" (I think it smells like tea) but this doesn't bother me at all. You only need a tiny amount of it cause it goes a long way. If you can only afford one skincare treat then I would recommend this oil as its so simple to use but can really nourish your skin, I always feel like I'm glowing after I've used this.

I also received their Camellia and Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser and a muslin cloth which goes with this. This cleanser is super gentle as it doesn't contain alcohol but can still exfoliate your skin. It has omegas 6 and 9, contains Vitamin E and replenishes your skins moisture barrier. I'm not had a chance to try this out yet but I think this would be a really good cleanser to use in the evening to remove make-up.

I think the whole branding of these samples has been done really well, they arrived SO quickly after I requested them and even arrived in a little drawstring bag which was just the nicest touch. I really like their own branding, everything has so much thought put into it even down to the colours that they use which are bright and refreshing. I love the fact that they give away free samples because it gives you a chance to try out the products before buying, not many brands do this.

Have you tried anything from Pai Skincare before? What do you think?

LoveLula Beauty Box | February

This is my first ever LoveLula box which I was so excited to receive through the post! To explain just a tiny bit, I was loving getting my Glossyboxes however I decided that I wanted to explore more natural and cruelty-free options within cosmetics. After some research, I found LoveLula and decided to get their subscription box for a few months! As well as being natural and cruelty-free there is also so many benefits from ordering from LoveLula, not only do they have their own website (not just a beauty box) they also offer free delivery and free samples! 

Each beauty box comes in a recycled box and unlike glossy box/most subscription boxes out there, you don't get an actual box, just what they post the products in. I thought this would be weird and not make it feel as luxury however it doesn't bother me at all and I haven't noticed not having a box. Many beauty bloggers actually complain about recycling/packaging so I think they've really thought about this and it fits in with their branding. As well as the products, you receive a card listing everything you've gotten in the box, how to use it, where it's from etc. This is pretty standard with beauty boxes however unlike some brands which include photos of the products, they've done theirs really simply and just listed everything. They have included the total value of the box though (which for this box is £37) this actually doesn't matter to me but I'm sure some people will like seeing the value for money.

Madeira - Micellar Water
Micellar water has always been my favourite way of getting rid of make-up since it became popular in the uk. I have super sensitive eyes/skin and this is just the best way of removing make-up for me. I was super excited when I saw this product in the box as I use it almost every day. I love the simple packaging of this product, it does everything that it claims to, is really gentle and leaves your skin make-up free. It doesn't have a harsh (or any) smell to it and you don't have to use too much of it for it to work. My only issue is is that there isn't much with a bottle of this size, this product won't last me very long.

Weleda - Skin Food
I have heard of this product before but I've never tried it, I think it's one of those cult products which has done the blogging rounds before however I never knew that it was a natural, cruelty free product. Although it says you can use this product in a variety of places (such as hands, feet, body etc) because it is a rich cream, I have only used this on my face. It feels a tiny bit greasy at first if you're not used to it but it soon sinks in and leaves your skin feeling very moisturised and healthy. It is ideal for winter skin however I also think that this product could be good during the summer as a little hydrating treat. I use this at night however if you were to use it in the daytime I would allow it time to sink in before applying make-up.

Ooh! Oils of Heaven - Marula Oil
This is a new and exclusive product to LoveLula. It is a natural macula oil which is fast absorbing and full of nutrients such as vitamin E and C, fatty acids and antioxidants. I don't have much experience with facial oils and this one also doesn't come with any instructions of how to apply but I have used this a few times sparingly over the last few weeks. This isn't the type of oil which would cause problems with my skin but anyone should be careful when applying oils as it can upset some skin. I have used a small amount of this and either mixed it in with my moisturiser or just applied it all over my face. Apart from leaving my skin moisturised I haven't really noticed any difference to my skin. This is something which I think you have to continually use to see results.

Maggie Anne - Nail Polish
This is a product which I haven't been able to use just yet however it is the perfect nude shade and would look really nice next to most skin tones. Maggie Anne is a toxin-free gel effect nail polish that offers high shine and a glossy finish. This sounds perfect for many people as it's exactly what you want from a nail polish however as I have my nails done, this is only ever gonna be used for a pedicure or I might gift it to my sister.

Greenfrog - Botanical Bodywash
I was really intrigued to see this in my box as it looked really interesting and the smell of it is incredible, it's so strong (in a good way) and smells very lemony to me which is a lovely fresh scent to definitely get you up in the morning! Apparently it is made from organic soapberries (I know, I had to google too) which are grown sustainably in the Himalayan Mountains. This body wash is the perfect product to treat sensitive or dry skin and will leave you clean and soft. It smells heavenly and although I haven't been able to try this out yet, I am sure that this is something that I'm gonna love!

I was really pleased with everything that I received in this box and although at this point I could compare it to Glossybox, I actually don't want to because they are both great in their own way. I'm looking forward to getting more of these boxes through the post in the future.

What did you think of this beauty box? Have you received anything from LoveLula before?

Flawless Nature Make-up Brushes | My thoughts

Flawless Nature Powder Brush 
Flawless Nature Concealer Brush 

When I was browsing Superdrug (again I know) I saw that some of their cheaper brushes were on offer and since I am always in need of brushes, I thought that I would pick some up as I wanted to see if they were any good. I was really drawn to the packaging as it is eye catching and fun. I also thought that the brushes look appealing as well as they are wood with a gold/copper handle, this is the only issue that I have with Real Technique brushes, they are bright orange which can look odd in some photos as I use them for props, it seems you can't get pretty make-up brushes that are actually good.

I selected the concealer brush as I thought that this looked like a good sized brush for either concealer or  eyeshadow and I also got a powder brush. I have used both these brushes and although I am really happy with the powder brush as it is perfect for what I need it for,  I'm not so keen on the concealer brush as it is too large for eyeshadow application but too small for concealer. I either like to use a sponge for concealer or the real techniques contour brush (which you get in a set) which is the perfect size for concealer and unfortunately the flawless nature brush won't be replacing it. The other issue that I have is that sometimes the metal on the brush would touch my skin which I really don't like but if you're careful this does not happen.

I think that you get what you pay for with these brushes, they do the job and look nice however I think there are better brushes out there. They are nice and soft and would be perfect for someone who is trying to build up their brush collection.

Have you used this range before? What are your thoughts?

Buying make-up on eBay | Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit & Modern Renaissance Palette

I wanted to do this post as I thought it would be interesting, I don't really know what gave me the idea, I think I was just in bed one night after Christmas, wondering if anyone had put unwanted christmas gifts on Ebay. I've never actually really bought much on eBay before this, I have a few reflectors for photography and other bits and bobs but I mainly buy stuff on Gumtree if anything but it can be great for certain stuff, my parents love it and are always on there. I mainly stick to selling on eBay, I've written a whole post about selling tips!

I decided to search for make-up on auctions, as I felt that this would be the safer route to go down, if you go on eBay, even on the homepage they have TONS of people selling make-up and you can just never be certain if it's genuine or not. I did research into this, trying to find other peoples tips and tricks and also their experiences. The good thing about buying on eBay is using Paypal to pay, this offers you protection and means that if anything does go wrong then you can get your money back. 

I was careful with what I decided to buy, I didn't want to try and get any skincare, mascara or any type of lipstick product, anything like that just felt too weird. I did notice that there was eyeshadow palettes on there though, which I thought would be the perfect thing to experiment with as even though it's going on my skin, I can just easily remove with a make-up wipe etc.

When I bought both these palettes, it was from an auction. The pictures were okay, I chose sellers with pictures which looked like they have taken them themselves and not just gotten screenshots off of the internet. I also didn't want to spend too much incase they weren't real, I think that both of the above items came to around £40 and that includes postage and packaging. The whole process was quick and easy once I had won the auctions, they arrived in good time, even before I expected them to and they were in such good condition. I've included a lot of photos above for this post as I think that they're a necessity.

Now, whether they're real products or not is the hard thing to decide, I just don't know. The Modern Renaissance palette is such good quality, everything obvious is fine such as everything is spelt right, there isn't marks or dodgy bits. The quality of the actual product is also really good, the eyeshadows are quite pigmented and seem to last for a long time which is a good sign however they are quite powdery, not caulky but it does seem to go everywhere. The Glow kit is also the same, quite well made however I definitely think that this one is fake as the quality of the highlighters is not right. They seem quite caulky and don't seem to last very long, also when it arrived, even though everything was in such good condition, the highlighters weren't in the correct order if that makes sense. Also on the packaging of the eyeshadow palette, there is a picture of the palette (which you can see above) this is very blurred which doesn't seem right. I think some expert or someone who knows their stuff would probably be able to tell you straight away whether these were real or not. If I was someone that was made of money, the easiest thing to do would be to buy these palettes from the actual brands website and do a side by side comparison.

If it doesn't bother you whether they're real or not then these are the perfect buys however you will always be forever wondering. Also I feel that you don't get the same type of experience buying off of eBay instead of straight from the brand, which I think isn't worth getting it slightly cheaper. I would say that Anastasia Beverly Hills is a high end brand and you want that experience that comes with that brand. You want the saving up and the excitement and you don't get that (at least I don't) when trying to get it cheap somewhere other than from them.

However, after saying all this, one thing that I really like to get from eBay is false eyelashes. I have included a little image of some of my favourite eyelashes which I have been wearing almost everyday recently. Again, you have to be careful who/where you buy them from as there is some cheap looking ones on there (all shiny and so so fake looking) but when you really take time to look, you can find some really nice, more natural looking ones like the ones above which are SO cheap compared to some places. I think over christmas I bought some reduced eyelashes from one of the leading brands, it was around £10 for three pairs, and the above eyelashes, I paid around £4 for five pairs! You don't get the glue included or anything but I think these were actually hand made and look so natural when on.

I think that you need to be careful with what you're buying but it's completely up to you what you do, I think that some things are totally worth buying from eBay and others are better saving up for and treating yourself with. It's completely up to the individual as long as you're happy.

Have you bought any make-up/skincare from eBay before? Let me know what you think.