Saturday 19 September 2015

A LIPSTICK FOR CAT LOVERS?





I admit, you've had to wait a while to hear from me but I think it's been worth the wait.  Every time a Beauty Bay email pings into my inbox I can't help but have a browse.  However, being on a student budget and all that, I rarely buy anything.  However once I saw a tiny cat face peeking out of a MLBB lipstick shade, it took me less than 30 to place an order.

Introducing the Paul & Joe Autumn 2015 lipstick in 'Cafe Espresso 095'.

I have to confess, I hadn't heard anything about Paul & Joe before and didn't bother to research it before I placed my order, how unlike me!  Yes it's a risk (especially for someone who hates wasting money!) but it's a lipstick, with a cat in it.  What was I meant to do?
After a little bit of reading, I found that it's actually created using a Japanese candy making technique called 'Kinatro - ame'.  This is when layers of candy (or makeup in this case) are rolled together meaning that the cat face shape runs through the whole bullet of lipstick.
I've spent too long for my own good staring at this lipstick - the gorgeous case and tiny detailed cat face! And yes I was scared to ruin it and actually use the lipstick but when I did I was actually very impressed!
The lipstick has a sheer and creamy formula, it contains cocoa seed butter, jojoba seed oil, lavender oil, orange flower water and white lily extract which makes the lipstick very nourishing and moisterising.  However, this also means they do also have a limited wear time and need re-applying after 2-3 hours but the neutral shade and sheer formula make this very easy to do without a mirror.
This was definitely my favourite shade, it's the neutral pick of the Autumn 2015 collection and is a great everyday shade.  A little more brown toned but very similar to MAC Patisserie which is my current favourite lipstick.  If I had the money I'm sure I would try to get my hands on the red shade which also looks gorgeous!


Thursday 13 August 2015

THE DALMATIAN COAST - CROATIA

The more observant of you might have noticed I've been a bit absent on the blog recently, and that has been because I've been away in Croatia for a week.  I went with my family for the second time and still love it there!  We spent all of our time on the Dalmatian Coast which has lots of little islands on to explore.
Split is the main city on the Dalmatian Coast and although we didn't spend any time there, we spent a couple of days in Trogir, a nearby island accessible by car.  This tiny island has some beautiful views of the Dalmatian Coast and tiny, winding streets through the centre with cobbled streets and beautiful hidden churches around every corner.  However the area was very busy with tourists, most shops were very overpriced and it was rather loud in the evenings.  It's also worth adding that you have to pay to get into any attractions such as the bell tower and the fort and the small island limits how much you can do here.  I would recommend it but for a short stay only as there isn't much to do and no beach.














We then got a taxi from Trogir to Murter (more photos later) where we got our boat for the next week.  For those interested we had a Bavaria 46 yacht for 8 of us which was the perfect size for a week.


 One day we took a trip up to Krka National Park which is a huge waterfall with a swimming area. From Skradin, a nearby town, you can catch a ferry which takes about 20 minutes to travel up the river to the National Park. After a few days of swimming in the sea it was amazing to swim in fresh water, I want to find more fresh water places to swim!  Make sure you wear beach shoes if you plan to go in the water though because it's very easy to stub a toe on the rocks!  After swimming, we walked around the waterfall, although the walk doesn't take long there are plenty of steps but you get some amazing views and it's worth the climb!











These photos of the dragonflies were taken using a Tamron 70-300mm tele-macro lens which takes amazingly sharp close up photos, it's great if you like photographing wildlife.



One of the islands we stopped at was Zlarin, a very small island with only a handful of restaurants and no roads so there's not any cars.  It's beautifully unspoilt with pretty winding streets and flowers, pomegranates, dates, figs and apricots growing everywhere!  It was by far my favourite island which is why I photographed it so much!










And finally, I had to picture the beautiful Croatian sunset.  These photos were taken in Murter which is another pretty area with some great views and Hramina Marina, the nicest marina I've ever been to (if you sail you will really appreciate a really nice marina with great showers).







So there you go, a few photos from my time in Croatia.  I fully recommend sailing around the Dalmatian Coast if you're into that as it's the best way to explore islands and find beautiful little coves for lunch spots, go swimming and get a great tan!

I hope you enjoyed this slightly different post!

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Wednesday 29 July 2015

THE PERFECT FACE SPF?


Previously when I've looked into buying a facial sun cream any decent ones seem to be way out my budget and the cheaper alternatives still come with that greasy look which makeup just doesn't stick to.  But finally I've managed to find the middle ground, and it's fab!

The Eucerin Mattifying Sun Fluid for Face doesn't come with the greasy sheen associated with most sun creams but you can also pick it up in Boots for only £12!  I was a bit sceptical about this at first because I hadn't heard of it before, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Eucerin is known for being good to skin, catering for allergies and sensitive skin.  Not only does it have SPF 50+ and UVA and UVB protection due to it's UV filter system but it also helps with biological cell protection to help protect against sun-induced damage and contains licorice which is a well known anti-oxidant and protects cells in the deeper epidermal skin layers.  I like knowing that my skin is well protected, especially from the sun!

But possibly even better than that, the sun fluid has a very runny texture that melts into your skin easily and disappears!  There's no residue left, no weird white cast, and it doesn't look greasy!  It just looks and feels like skin, but with all that protection!  Because it looks and feels just like skin it goes well underneath makeup.  That brings me onto it's mattifying properties, I'm happy to report they got the balance just right here, no it's not shiny like a sun cream but it also doesn't take all the glow out of my skin either.
And just to top it all off, it comes in this handy little bottle which is perfect for travelling because, let's be honest, no one needs SPF 50+ in the UK. 


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Monday 27 July 2015

5 PRODUCTS I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT


As a beauty blogger, I feel like we are often asked about our holy grail, favourite products.  So I thought I would share my very favourite products with you, most of which have never featured on my blog before but are well worth a mention!
Benefit's Hoola Bronzer has been a staple in my makeup collection since I got it as a present a few years ago.  I genuinely don't think it has left my makeup bag since then!  No other bronzer I've tried has the same natural bronze colour which also works amazingly well as a contour shade as it doesn't have a warm undertone and it's matte too.  I've even used this as an eyeshadow!  Yep, I don't think I could live without this bronzer!

The NARS Sheer Glow Foundation is a more recent addition to my collection having only started using this at the start of the year.  I wont babble on about this for too long because you've probably already heard it all but basically; it's dewy, but not shiny - medium coverage but buildable - I love it - packaging could definitely be improved.


L'Oreal's Superliner Perfect Slim was one of my firm favourites last year and I wore it almost everyday!  Since then I've gone off eyeliner, but if I ever fancy a winged liner look this is what I will use!  It's very user friendly as it has a sharp felt tip aswell as being very black and longlasting!


A slightly strange one here but the Nivea Hydrocare Lip Balm is amazing! I've tried my fair share of lip balms over the years and this one is the best!  It has a lovely subtle scent, SPF 15, and is very hydrating but what wins me over is the perfect balmy texture - it's not matte but not glossy either, meaning it applies smoothly to the lips and sits perfectly under lipsticks!  And the best bit?  It's only £1.55.


And finally, if you haven't tried the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer you've probably heard loads about it!  So I will keep this one short and sweet; it packs amazing high coverage with easy application, long lasting superpowers and all for a mere £4.19!  This concealer can do no wrong and I couldn't be without it!



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Tuesday 21 July 2015

NOTD: PEACHELLA


Since I'm a bit obsessed with nail varnishes, I'm keen to upload more NOTD (Nails of the day) posts.
Peachella is a recent addition to my collection and I'm loving it!  Its part of the Rita Ora collection for Rimmel which launched earlier this Spring.  The collection features other bright and summer inspired shades but 'Peachella' caught my eye as a shade that would go perfectly with a tan.  As you can probably tell, I'm currently lacking in the tan department but once I've been on holiday and look a bit more bronzed I think this shade will be gorgeous!  However at the moment I think this shade looks a little bit odd on paler skin.  As usual, the Rimmel polishes are amazing quality for the bargain price!  I find this shade doesn't really chip for a good 3-4 days and it has a lovely glossy finish but does still require a top coat in my opinion.
Overall, I'm impressed with the quality of this polish and love the collection but I think this colour will be much better post holiday.  I will report back when I'm a bit more bronzed!

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Wednesday 15 July 2015

YSL ROUGE VOLUPTE SHINE





Let me introduce you to my favourite summer lipstick; YSL Rouge Volupte Shine - Shade 15, Coral Intuitive.

I was gifted this gorgeous lipstick at Christmas and was so thrilled with it, but now its summer and this lipstick has really come into its own.  Firstly, how beautiful is this packaging?  This is my first and only YSL product and lets just say I love carrying this around in my bag (as you can see from all the scratches) and staring at it because its just that gorgeous!  But anyway, aside from the shiny luxurious packaging, the product inside is just as stunning.  The range of Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks are the sheerer of YSL's lipsticks, they are designed to give a dazzling colour whilst also offering a luminous shine and comfort, and they don't disappoint.  This lipstick applies so smoothly and easily straight from the bullet and gives a wash of peachy pink/coral colour to the lips.  I'm obsessed with these sorts of colours, they look so natural but add a pop of pretty colour.  I'm also aware that these could be seen as just a glorified tinted lip balm, but what really separates them is the more pigmented formula and silky smooth texture as well as being very moisterising and comfortable.  However, you can expect with such a sheer, glossy formula that the lasting power of these isn't all that great and it has no chance of looking perfect after a burger!  But the amazing quality and sheerer finish means that this is no trouble to apply on the go and even without a mirror.
Yep, its fair to say I'm well and truly obsessed.  And rightly so!  If you've tried this or want to try it, feel free to leave me a comment, it would be nice to know I'm not the only one falling in love with a lipstick!


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