Current Favourites & Lust Items!

Just a quick update on what I'm using at the moment, & what's on my shopping list!

Current skincare routine:

Clinique 3 Step Skincare - Type 1 (Very Dry Skin)

Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Corrector - I use this to even out my skintone (fortunately I don't have dark spots yet at 24 years old!), & I can't believe the difference it's made!

I do all this twice a day & since I've started my skin has completely transformed from flakey, dull & dry to smooth, even & radiant! It's so good at the moment I'm confident enough to go out without foundation on my days off, but I still get dark circles (this product isn't safe for the eye area) so I usually pop a bit of concealer under the eyes. I am still on the hunt for my HG eye cream, having tried various ones from Clinique, Estee Lauder, & Clarins.

Current make-up routine:

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm - I use this about 3 days a week as any more than this & it loses it's effect. I find it smells gorgeous, feels smooth & lifts my complexion a bit. To be honest it just feels like a little pamper before foundation too!

Diorskin Sculpt Line-Smoothing Lifting Make-Up - I've only been using this for a week so far from a sample (Dior are giving away samples of foundation at the moment and ask you to challenge them to find the right one for you - if you weren't aware of this go & get one!), but I am absolutely blown away. I had been using Chanel Vitalumiere & classed it as my HG foundation, but it seems they have changed the shades & my newest bottle of the same shade I always get is considerably darker (I have checked & it wasn't a faulty :( !), giving me a different colour face to the rest of me - not a fan of this look! Unfortunately it's the lightest shade in the foundation, so I

had to look for something else. I tried various other Chanel ones but they were no good with my skin, then I saw this Dior offer & took the plunge. I am so glad I did. I've

tried different ways of applying it but my favourite is to dot it on my face & blend with a MAC 109 brush. It really fuses with my skin & gives me an even glowing look, I don't get any dry patches (my main concern with foundation), & it lasts all day. I really couldn't ask for anything more from a foundation & will be buying a bottle on my next day in work! I'm using the lightest shade, 010 Ivory. On my day off I'll either go barefaced or pop on some Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturising Balm in Extra Light.

Clinique Almost Powder - I swapped from MAC MSFN to this as a little experiment & I quite like it. It's similar to the MAC but more coverage. It's not HG material but it'll do for now! I'm looking to try MAC Careblend once I get to the end of it.

MAC Blush in Springsheen -gorgeous peachy pink with gold shimmer

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz to highlight

Bobbi Brown Gel Liners - really loving Denim Ink at the moment, I tend to switch between this and Black Ink

Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara - Really like the short handle on this & it's quite a compact brush too, which gives you a lot of control. Gives a natural look with plenty of length & separation.

MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Pink Fish (LE from Hello Kitty Collection) - I finally opened this & I am now so sad it was LE! I've been using it all day every day, kept it in my pocket. It's really moisturising and a cute bubblegum pink shade that really suits my fair skin. I'll have to explore the other TLCs once it's finished but after having a quick look I don't think there's a shade that similar :( !

Lust Items:

Enrapture Heated Rollers

Diorskin Sculpt Concealer - having seen how amazing the foundation is, I really want to try the concealer for under eyes!

MAC Careblend Pressed Powder

A good eye cream for dry skin, dark circles & fine lines

Something to get rid of lines on the forehead!

xo.

How long has it been?

So I haven't posted for 2 & a half years?!

Wow!

A lot's gone on in my life to be honest.

Quick summarised update: Finished Uni, got a full-time job managing a cosmetics counter (yay!), bought a house, got engaged (getting married in July!), got a dog!

So really you can see I've not had much time for blogging.

I also completely stopped watching YouTube tutorials for a while as I had no time & enough make-up inspiration in the outside world!

But I now get amazing discount on high-end cosmetics which means I buy more(!), & I am constantly surrounded by them and by other make-up people, so I am really excited about getting all this back into my blog.

So here's to a new start with the blog, I have a haul coming this week which I will post up with pictures, look out for it.

xo.

Lingerie

I have worked in lingerie for over 2 years now, & I felt I could share some common misconceptions with you as no doubt you will have heard or possibly believe any/all of these things.

• First of all - GET MEASURED! I can't stress how important it is to get measured for a bra, however well you think yours fit you, it's 90% likely that you're in the wrong size so get a professional to fit you.

• Getting measured - you don't take your bra off, it's not embarrassing & remember us bra fitters see about 20 boobs a day so we won't remember yours & they're nothing we haven't seen before! DO NOT get measured at a department store, this includes M&S, BHS & Debenhams (no matter how good your mum says they are!). The staff there are not trained properly & in my experience are likely to fit you into the wrong size. The best place to go is a specialist place, i.e. Bravissimo, La Senza (although I have heard mixed reviews but they fitted me correctly when I went), or the shop where I work (I will reveal more later), Intimas.
• If you get fitted & you were in the wrong size it WILL change your life. I thought I was a 34B & when I got measured found out I was a 32D. I have since changed to a 32DD but would still be in a 34B if I hadn't been measured. Wearing the wrong bra affects your posture & means no support for your bust which will make it sag (& no one wants that!!). You look slimmer & stand up straighter when you are in the right size!
  
• The most common mistake people make is to pick a bigger back size, when in fact what they need is a bigger cup size. People just seem to think 'theres no way I'm a D cup, that's huge!', when really it's not that big at all, they just don't know how big it is & because of the media etc there is this misconception that D and DD are large cup sizes. In fact the average cup size for the UK is D. Just as a general pointer, see below for how dress sizes and back sizes tend to compare.

Size 8/10 - 30 back
Size 10/12 - 32 back
Size 14 - 34 back
Size 16 - 34/36 back
Size 18 - 36/38 back

So, if you are in a size 10 top & wearing a 36 back size in your bra, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG SIZE! Please get measured! I saw someone yesterday like this, who was sure they were a 36C but when I measured them they were in fact a 32E.

• Measuring services are free - so please take advantage of them!!
• Intimas - we have stores in York Designer Outlet (where I work), Derby, Long Eaton, Braintree, & Castleford Junction 32 Outlet. We sell Lepel, Charnos, Discover Mademoiselle & Ted Baker underwear, nightwear & swimwear. Everything is really good quality & if you go to an outlet store we have at least 30% off everything. At the moment we have a sale with 70% off most items, our new season stock comes in 3-4 weeks. Every member of staff is trained to fit!! We have sizes from 28 - 38 back (& a couple of 40s), & from an A to a G cup.
  

That's all for now but please, as I find myself saying every single day of my life, GET FITTED!
Comment here if you get/got fitted & found you were a different size as I really want to stress how common (and shocking!) it is :)
xo.

8 followers away from a contest

Just to let everyone know, when I reach 50 followers I'll be doing a contest, it'll have a 1st, 2nd & 3rd prize so you have a 3/50 chance of winning which isn't bad, & to be honest I reckon you'll have an even better chance than that as not everyone will enter. The prizes will be make-up items, 1st prize will be high-end, 2nd & 3rd will be from good quality drugstore brands such as Barry M, GOSH, Bloom etc.
xo.

Top 5 Perfumes

One essay left which I have until tomorrow at 12 to finish, hopefully I'll hand everything in later today though & then my hiatus will be lifted! Although I haven't done too badly at keeping up!
Just thought while I'm eating my breakfast & before I put my uni head on for the day I would indulge in a quick post - Top 5 Perfumes. I've recently found myself drifting to the fragrance part of stores which is pretty new for me as I've kept to the same perfumes for most of my life - Anna Sui Dolly Girl / Thierry Mugler Angel. But I feel I've outgrown these now & there are better things out there so here's my top 5 of perfumes I've been wearing recently & will be wearing this summer (not in any order).

1. YSL Baby Doll
I saw this at YSL about a year ago, & while I was waiting to be served I smelled it for the first time. I then found it in an outlet shop of Perfume Point at £15 & with my extra 10% off for working in the outlet managed to pick it up for £13.50! Such a bargain as I absolutely love this scent. It's one you can wear day or night & is a bit stronger than some of the others in this list (people can smell it as you walk by, although it's not overpowering). Overall I'd say it smelt of sweet flowers. The bottle is such a cute shape as it's pointed at the bottom which makes it lean like a spinning top. Looks gorgeous on display. My only gripe is my boyfriend doesn't like it, but I'm working on him!
Notes: Almond Tree Blossom, Amaryllis, Amber, Mimosa, White Peony.

2. Paul Smith Floral
My most recent addition! I got this again at the Perfume Point, it currently has £7 off the price & with my 10% off was around £13.00 for 30ml. The bottle is nice looking & it comes in a cute tin although the size of the tin is really disproportionate to the bottle & you end up with this huge tin & tiny bottle! Really deceiving! As the name suggests it smells floral, I'd class it as a light everyday scent & it's the one I am actually wearing every day at the moment.
Notes: Top notes of orange, grapefruit, ginger, and water lily. Then blending into white magnolia, orchid, and osmanthus blossom, finishing off with woods, musk and tonka beans.
3. Chloe
First off, let me point out that this perfume is expensive. Unless you can find it discounted or duty free then expect to pay around £40 for the smallest size. But the smell is to die for. This is the one perfume in my top 5 that I don't actually own, which is completely down to the price. It's probably my favourite perfume of all time as well! Every time I go shopping I always make sure to find a tester of this somewhere & spray it on (which may sound a bit sad but remember I am a student! - although only until tomorrow! yay!). The bottle is absolutely gorgeous, silver plated with a ribbon tied in a bow round the top. The scent is light, fresh and clean and perfect for every day.
Notes: Fresh, Green airy notes subtly grow richer and more sensualrevealing the velvety interior of the rose. The base notes of warm amber, honey and elegant cedarwood create a smooth and comforting finish.
4. Vera Wang Princess
Now I know this perfume is worn by every teenager & their best friend, but I still love it. I first wore it when my Dad brought it back for me from Duty Free when I was about 17. It reminded me of Angel but has an extra dimension, you'll know what I mean if you smell it. Plus the bottle is 10 times prettier & the lid has a real ring that you can actually wear (although you'd be pretty lucky to actually get it to fit your finger as it's not the average size!). It's just a fun, sweet smell, one I probably wear more for going out than every day. Most of the scents I like at the moment are floral, as it's summer & I'm tending to lean more towards smells that remind me of outside & nature. But every girl needs one or two that are sweet & yummy & this is it. The bottle is gorgeous - purple diamond cut glass with curly writing & a crown lid encrusted with purple gems. They also recently brought out Rock Princess which is along the same lines but smells a bit 'darker' & has a black bottle & lid. Not sure of the prices of these but think they're around about £35 - £40 for 50ml, so mid-range.
Notes: Sparkling in a breeze of lady apple and waterlily... Sweeping into ripe pink guava and Tahitian tiare flower... Tempted to taste with dark chocolate and pink frosting, forbidden woods and chiffon vanilla.
5. Avon Tahitian HolidayThis is a perfume with a purpose - it's the one to throw in your suitcase & take on holiday with you. The reason for that is two-fold. Firstly, it's dirt cheap - I think I got it for £5 (full price it's £15 but Avon always have offers & if you wait you'll get what you want for half the price). This means it's no big drama if it gets lost, stolen, or broken. Secondly, it smells like what I imagine Hawaii to smell like - coconuts, pineapples & tahitian flowers. I don't wear this in the winter (coconuts are slightly out of place), & I don't wear it at home, but it's one I got last year & have just bought again this year as a holiday perfume & it does it's job perfectly :). There are also matching products in the range, this year I picked up a matching sun-protecting hair mist.

What are your top 5 perfumes & have you tried any of these?
xo.

Time to panic buy!

I have just heard the worst news in a long time, so I had to interrupt my hiatus & post it up on here.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouges are being discontinued in Summer Tan, Calypso Coral, Blushed Rose, Stonewashed Pink, Pink Raspberry, and Raspberry. Pink Raspberry is a must have! I am so disappointed & heading out now to stock up!!

Apparently they will be replaced by the new Sheer Colour Cheek Tints, which come in a stick & don't have such a variety of colours. There isn't a dupable colour in them for Pink Raspberry :( why are you doing this Bobbi Brown?!?!?! :(
xo.

Urban Decay Get Baked Palette

Back for a quick post in between essays! I am so in love with this palette, as far as I know it's not out in the UK yet but it's a definite for summer & taking on holiday! You get 4 shadows: Twice Baked, Half Baked, Flipside & Baked. You also get a travel size 24/7 Liner in Bourbon, & a mini size of the new primer potion in Sin.

GORGEOUS!
Swatches:EDIT 8th June - I saw this palette in Debenhams today for £15! What a steal! If only it had been payday I would've snatched one up! I swatched the colours on my hand & they are gorgeous - pigmented & creamy. Perfect palette! Definitely on my wishlist.
xo.