Review | MUA Lipsticks

Hey Everyone!

Its probably well known to most of you that I absolutely love the brand MUA and my absolute favourite products from their range are the lipsticks. Since discovering them, I have grown quite a collection, and at only £1 a pop, I plan to expand it.

The packaging is a very simple, classic black and silver case. I like how the glass bit at the top has some of the product in it so you can see the exact colour before you buy. Because it is so cheap, I have had some problems with MUA packaging in the past but so far nothing except the lettering disappearing has went wrong with the lipsticks.

The formula of the lipsticks is amazingly creamy and long lasting, with super colour pay off. There are a huge variety of colours on offer- so whether your looking for a bold red or my-lips-but-better shade, there's a colour for you.

I currently own 9, with one double (shade 9, a really subtle everyday browny/pink which I wear a lot). The lipsticks were originally numbered but as MUA bring out more shades I think they're beginning to name them too (eg the new orange one: shade 16 is called 'NECTAR'). 

Instead of rambling on about how much I love these, I thought I'd do a little swatchathon and let you see for yourself. Warning: prepare to want!

Shades from left to right : 9,7,6,3,16,13,8,11

Flash 

No flash

Argh I love every single on of these- I would literally wear them all at once if I could!

The vast array of shades make them the perfect combination of everyday shades, bold statement shades and downright daring shades. What I particularly like about the price of these is that if I fancy experimenting, with for example a scarlet, I can get the MUA one knowing that if I don't like it (which hasn't happened yet!) I haven't wasted a lot of money.

Have you tried the MUA lipsticks? Would you recommend any shades I don't have?

Review | St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse in Medium

Hey Everyone!

In general, I'm not a big on fake tan. I think that for day to day, the performance of application simply isn't worth the time and tend to embrace my pale complexion. However, once in a while, I enjoy having a fake tanathon night and waking up in the morning all bronzed and glowing. This year, I decided to go all out with fake tan for my holiday as I'm more of a factor 50 all over kinda gal than laying out sunbathing for hours one.

I bought St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse in shade medium for £2.99 a few weeks ago. Having used it before, I have found that for best results you should shake the bottle well before use, put a few pumps onto a fake tan mitt (which gives a more even application than bare hands or plastic gloves) and apply it to skin in circular motions.

For me, 5 pumps per leg and 2-3 per arm will leave a lovely colour that's far enough from my own skin tone to look bronzed but not fake. What I love about this fake tan is that it has green pigmentation which I think combats the orange so there's no oompa loompa side effects. 

Because it is instant, you can see the distribution and colour as soon as you apply- which makes life easier for those who tend to miss patches.  

The tan is wash off- which is ideal if your just looking for a bit of colour for a night out, as long as its not going to rain! If you apply it every night/ every few nights though, the colour builds up and leaves more long lasting results. I put it on every night or so for a week and I would say it took me another week for the colour to fully wear off (including exfoliation and daily showers).

My only complaints about this tan are the tell-tale fake tan biscuity smell which intensifies overnight as you heat. The colour does also tend to cling to dry areas (especially knees) which I tried in vain to combat with exfoliation. 

In addition, as I mentioned, the colour basically runs off if it comes into contact with water- I had a bit of a mishap with a unruly tap which resulted in green drips running down my leg and a small white patch. Finally, if your using this, be careful not to fall over (yep, only me!). I had yet another mishap involving very high heels and uneven grass- I kind of collapsed to the grass and got back up and the tan has mysteriously disappeared. But as long as you can stomach the smell and are stable on your feet you shouldn't have a problem.

Me wearing St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse-apologies for the horrendous mess in the background :( 

St.Moriz is definitely my favourite fake tan- it is extremely affordable and gives great colour pay off.

Have you tried it before?

Shopping My Stash | Decor & Miscellaneous

Hey Everyone (and a special hello to my 11 new followers woop!)

Typically, thoughts of summer bring to mind relaxation, sun and doing nothing. My summer consists of productivity, organisation and clear outs. Although its nice now and again, to me a lazy day is a wasted day, so when I've not been out with friends or the gym so far this summer, I have been tidying through and discovering long lost possessions- otherwise known as shopping my stash. 

Whilst sorting through all my old stuff and clearing out, I found a number of cute things I thought would be perfect decor additions to my room. The storage boxes are so pretty, though I'm not entirely sure about them yet as they're not really in keeping with the colours of my room (pink and green). However, the rose print trinket box, candle and alarm clock definitely are! The little rose box was a little present from my mums friend when I was a flower girl at her wedding, the candle was a purchase from Ikea a while back (it smells amazing by the way) and the clock was a present from my cousin in New Zealand. And of course the cute little frog trinket box (I think every girl in the country bought one like this from Claire's when they were younger) matches my room perfectly. So after finding all this, I am in desperate need of a few display shelves- any recommendations of where I can get sturdy ones? I'm thinking B&Q or Ikea. 

I also found a couple of random bits and bobs that I thought I would include.

So there's some cute keyrings that will soon be making an appearance on my key and some books that I want to read. I've read the Lauren Conrad one before and really enjoyed it and I actually got the other one ages ago and never read it. I was determined to read lots this summer and I haven't skimmed one single page so I just need to get reading! I just find reading blogs or watching YouTube so much more tempting.

Have you shopped your stash lately?

New Purchase | Dolly Bow Bow Darcie Vintage Floral Print Dress

Hey Everyone!

As some of you may know, I am a massive fan of anything floral. Add a touch of vintage to the mix and I'm pretty much sold. So, a couple of months ago whilst having a little browse on the web, I stumbled across the amazing online boutique Dolly Bow Bow. I literally could have ordered every single dress but I managed to narrow it down to this cute floral number for £26. A few days later, this pretty parcel arrived.

I think this is the cutest parcel packaging I've ever received. I was literally so excited when it arrived- taking care not to rip the paper even slightly. 

The dress itself is beautiful- a really lovely weightless fabric and a nice quality. It is the ultimate girly dress- soft colours and a flattering shape. I also like the cute white belt which accentuates the smallest part of the frame- the waist. I also really like the zip at the back- its a really prominent gold one which I actually prefer to concealed ones. 

This has already become one of my favourite dresses and I am so excited to get lots of use out of it. 

Have you ever bought anything from Dolly Bow Bow?

Skincare | New Products & Routine

Hey Everyone!

Like most people my age, my skincare routine isn't up to scratch. Heck- I barely even have a routine! On a daily basis, I will remove my make up with baby wipes and use a face wash in the shower then moisturiser after. Then once a week or so I use Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed. 

Since being immersed in the beauty blogging world, I have learned that baby wipes just don't cut it and they don't remove your make up properly. So, I have decided to try and implement a consistent skincare routine to try and improve the condition of my skin.

I've always been a big fan of simple- I think its great for sensitive skin like mine and for those who are just looking for straight forward and basic products. Therefore, when it came to choosing what I thought would work best for me, I went for this! I have bought:

Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

Kind To Skin Replenishing Rich Moisturiser

Kind To Skin Pore Minimising Toning Cleanser

Kind To Skin Eye Make-Up Remover

And I already had Clinque Liquid Facial Soap.

The plan is to remove eye make up with the Kind To Skin Eye Make-Up Remove, then cleanse and tone with Kind To Skin Pore Minimising Toning Cleanser. Then in the shower use Clinque Liquid Facial Soap before applying a mixture of Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser and Kind To Skin Replenishing Rich Moisturiser. 

To me, that is actually quite a performance and I expect I will struggle trying to stick to it religiously. However, I believe doing it consistently will really improve my skin so I need to just make the effort every night to fit this in. I will let you know how I get on as begin using them.

What does your skincare routine consist of?