New Years Resolutions

Good evening,

So as you are all aware, 2013 is coming to a close very soon (in less than 36 hours actually), so it's about the time to reflect on the year that has passed and look to 2014 with hope and excitement.  

2013 has been a massive rollercoaster for me, as cheesy as that sounds.  The start of the year was amazing, it started pretty average but went from strength to strength.  I started to make really good friends at college, I opened up, I moved on from my ex-boyfriend (finally, only took two years) and took part in some amazing projects.  Though around this time, I was generally happier I had a lot of stress about my weight.  In the summer, I had a very mixed time.  When I was still at college, there were two very stressful projects which had me extremely panicked, crying a lot and not able to sleep much.  Once these projects got out of the way, I relaxed.  We had smaller projects that were really laid back going on and as the sun finally started to come out, we all started to hang out at the new park which opened right across from college.  We'd all go there during lunchtimes and after college, even a few weekends and just chill. I got to meet so many people from my college who I'd never spoken to before who are now my best friends.  The actual summer holidays were a bit different though.  It became hard to meet up with my friends because when I was on holiday none of them were and when I wasn't on holiday there were all over the place.  My family went to Florida and though the holiday was incredible, me and my dad's relationship broke down.  Coming back, I really struggled with depression and panic and eating because I had gained so much weight and I didn't have any friends around, so it became really difficult.  I lost so much confidence I didn't even want to come back to college.  College was actually a great cure.  Though I found myself putting on a front most days because it was difficult, I've got a lot done and I've had a lot of time to think about myself, my limits, my boundaries and where I stand. Lately, I've been getting a lot better.  I've found my circle of friends and I feel confident most times, though I still find it very hard to trust people and my weight issues hold me back.  These issues and my panicking means I find it hard to know where I stand and feel confident in myself.

That brings me on to 2014, which is probably going to be the biggest year of my life, whether I like it or not.  I leave college in May and so that means I'm being forced into adulthood.  My goals for this year are...

1. Learn to trust people

2. Loose weight healthily

3. Find my feet 

4. Pass my driving test

5. Blog at least twice a week

6. Take control of my panic and anxiety

7. Stop biting my nails

8. Take more photos

9. Grab life by the balls

Those are the major general ones, I have lists upon lists of specific events to do over the year but I won't bore you with that.  I suppose the main thing is that this year I want to take control of my life, but be relaxed about it.  When I'm driving, it's always best when I'm relaxed and able to manoeuvre where I'm going and make decisions without stressing.  That's exactly what I want from life this year.

I hope you all have an amazing 2014 and I really wish you happiness and everything you want from this year.  Just remember to relax, stick to your guns and have fun with it!

Much love,

Rosie

-x-

'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars'

Bath Time Essentials!

Good evening,

Hope you're all feeling fabulous.  So obviously it is winter at the moment.  It is cold and the weather can have a huge impact on your mood, body and skin.  Therefore, girls will often resort to baths as a nice comfort blanket for making us feel good at winter.  That being said, I have discovered a few products in the process of having these little pamper nights.  Sometimes, I'll go OTT and use a one off treatment that I get in a special pack, but on an average weekly (or currently bi-weekly) bath night, this is how it goes down...

So, first of all you need a bath (bloody obvious) and your towel at the ready.

Oooh, raunchy, a running bath...

These are both essentials for my pamper nights.  If I'm just having a shower, I'll use regular towels.  The white thing is a towel dress from Primark and the pink thing is the Soap and Glory Turbie Towel.

Next I make sure all my products are on the weird little bath shelf (seen from a distance in the first pic):

This might seem weird to some, but basically I have a little sister and if I leave my products in the bathroom, she'll use them without asking and use them up.  So, as a solution I keep all my shower and bath stuff in this little basket and use it to transport all my products to and from the bathroom.

First up on the weird bath shelf is the Soap and Glory Foam Call Body Wash and the Soap and Glory fluffy sponge thing (legit what it's called).  This smells really nice and leaves your skin feeling great.

This is the kind of miscellaneous middle section.  On the far left is my Benefit refined facial polish (I don't usually keep this in the bath, I keep it by the sink and scrub my face there but I wanted to do pretty little displays) - this is the best facial polish ever.  It leaves your skin feeling so incredible and soft.  It doesn't smell too stong, just fresh and fragrant.  In the middle is a product I got for Christmas and will definitely repurchase.  It is the Rub Rub Rub Body and Hair Salt Scrub from lush, this one is in Sea Breeze I think (or something of that nature).  It works so beautifully as a body exfoliant but the biggest surprise came when I used it on my hair as it claims to act as a scalp treatment and to volumise your hair and that it did, it was amazing.  My hair never responds to 'volume boost' products but my hair was gorgeous, thick and voluminous for absolutely ages.  The final product is the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask, it is just a really good product (as always when it comes to Origins), it tightens pores and absorbs the oil.

Finally, my Tigi S-Factor Shampoo and Conditioner Set for coloured hair.  These are soooo friggin good and I'll be posting a formal review next week.  The other thing is my razor, which has a Venus Olay arm (if that's even what you call it), but a Spa Breeze razor head.  I prefer the smell, application and finish of the Spa Breeze over the Venus Olay.  I mean, it's a razor, there's not much more to say.

Next, time to make this a bubble bath.

This is the remainder of my Candy Mountain Bubble Bar from Lush.  It was a part of the Christmas collection and I'll really miss it.  The snowfairy fragrance can be too strong, but it is mixed with vanilla so it is softened and just such a nice, girly scent to relax in.  As far as possible, I will use a Lush product in the bath, but if not I have a stash of all spare bath bombs/bubble bars/bath floats/bubble baths in a cupboard in my room which I'll delve into.  My other favourite which isn't a Lush product is the Soap and Glory bath float.

Crushing it under the tap.

Next I grab a glass of cold water, open a window (because I like hot baths, but I don't want to overheat) and light some candles...

I don't know what brand this candle is because it's my mums, but its basically a big three-wick candle that smells of fresh linen.

These are my two favourite candles EVER.  The one on the left is Joeyeux Noel and the one on the right is Milan, both from Next.  The first is obviously very Christmas and festive, and the second is an amazing year round fragrance that kind of has hints of every season and just trust me it smells incredible.  The teeny candle at the back is a standard tea light in a Cluedo tin which I got in my Christmas Cracker this year and I thought it was cute.

There we go, bath is running, products are there, window is open...

...and water is being drunk.

Whilst the bath is running, I do my face scrub at the sink, rinse it off then apply the face mask.  Once it is applied, I hop into the bath with either a book or just my phone (my phone in this case, I'm going through an obsessive minion rush phase and I used the time to defeat my highscore). To keep my hair out of my face at this stage, I just use a standard crab clip to secure it in a bun. Once the face mask has set, I use a flannel to rinse.  Next I shampoo my hair, then condition it.  I leave the conditioner in my hair, clip it back up and whilst my hair is being conditioned, I wash my body and shave.  I then rinse my hair using the shower head attached to the bath, because I prefer to rinse my conditioner with a colder temperature because it apparently seals in the moisture and shine.  Next, I use the scrub.  I apply to the legs and arms, then rinse.  I then tried out (and will continue to do this for the rest of time I think) using that scrub in my hair.  It felt really weird but the second I rinsed it, I felt the difference.  It was voluminous and at first it felt a bit dry and almost like straw, but once it started to dry it was so silky smooth.

I get up and out of the bath, pop my towel on and tie my hair up in the turbie towel.  I then pack all my basket, clothes and candles up, take it all back into my room to sort out.  

The next step is to use the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream.  It smells so fresh and lovely and like all S&G body butters, absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving it beautifully soft and supple.  

I'll always then give my hair a quick blow dry to get it to damp because otherwise it'll make weird shapes and look horrific. Then, it's time for pyjamas, bed and a good film.

Hope you enjoyed the blog post guys!  Let me know some of your pamper night essentials in the comments!

Much love,

Rosie

-x-

'If you're going through hell, keep going.'

Christmas 2013!

Hello!

So it is Boxing Day 2013, which means obviously that yesterday was Christmas!

I hope from the bottom of my heart that you all had a great Christmas with your family and/or friends and it was a lovely festive day.  Thoughts and love going out to those who had a difficult Christmas this year, especially the people around the area of Surrey and neighboring towns/villages who have sadly been flooded out of their homes and spent Christmas day working in 4ft of water trying to recover what they could.  I was flooded out of my house a few years a go and it was horrible, I can't even imagine how much worse it is for it to happen on Christmas.

I thought it might be nice to share with you some of my favourite moments of Christmas 2013! So I started the day with a cuppa and letting the puppy out, then woke my sister up and we both woke our parents up.  We then went to wake up the grumpy teenagers that are our brothers.  It was easier to wake up my older brother, James, but my younger brother Alex was a lot more work. We had to strip off his duvet (that god he wasn't sleeping naked) and jump on his bed screaming 'ITS CHRISTMASSSS', which was lots of fun!  We opened all our stockings from Santa in my parent's room (big Christmas tradition right there).  Santa was very good this year, a couple of candles, coffee syrups, DVDs, chocolate, pants, socks, pyjamas, iTunes voucher and other bits and bobbles.  We then all got ready, opened a couple of our little presents under the tree and then the rest of my family went to Church whilst I was left to take care of the puppy, peel the potatoes and do some hoovering.  Alex's girlfriend then popped round to exchange presents and shortly after my Grandparents (on my mother's side) arrived from Devon.  We opened a few more presents, watched the Outnumbered Christmas Special and then got started with Christmas dinner.  After such a delicious dinner (my mum even made a vegetarian alternative for EVERYTHING it was so lovely and kind and thoughtful), we were all in a food coma and so all snuggled up to watch Home Alone in the lounge with the fire on and lots of blankets, opening a couple more presents.  After the end of the film, we got a skype call from my lovely Auntie Jenny, who lives in the US.  We got to talk to her, my cousin Bentley and see his daughter Joella who is only two months old.  I haven't seen her like that, only in photos, so it was amazing to see her - hopefully I'll get to meet her in person at some point! We then finished opening all the presents, then had some downtime to sort them out. My dad then called up his family to wish them a happy Christmas. We had some left overs sandwiches (YUM) and then did a Christmas quiz organised by my brother which was really fun.  By now, it was about 9pm and we were all exhausted.

My goodness, it was a busy day!   We had so much fun, Alex got everyone in the family onesies so we wore those all afternoon - mine was a super duper soft bunny onesie which is literally like wearing a blanket.  My sister Pippa got a panda one, my mum got a snow leopard, my dad got a Scotland one and my brother James got a darthfader one.  Alex got a union jack one from someone as well, so we all wore those together and took some rather amusing photos!  I got some amazing presents including a new Naked palette, some mac brushes, a little Lush gift box, some fur lined docks for the treks to college when it starts to snow, a 2014 diary, lots and lots of DVDs (including the Lion King trilogy and The Heat).  My goodness, I was such a lucky girl!  I can't believe how generous everyone was and I'm so greatful and can't wait to write and send out my little thank you cards to all my relatives.

I also managed to trek to Birmingham on Christmas Eve (despite the horrible weather which little old me nearly got blown over by), to see my cousins Adam and Hillary (who is currently studying in Japan, so I haven't seen her in ages) and their mum and her husband, who I haven't seen in about 10 years.  It was a lovely evening, we had coffee and drinks and had a fantastic catch up before I was forced to head home in order to get back in time (I actually got the very last train to leave Birmingham New Street that night!).

Here are a couple of photos from the day (I didn't get as many as you'd think), but it was really a fab day.

My brother snuggled up with our eldest dog, Bonnie, whilst opening the stockings 

Boo, the puppy, all tired out by 10am!

My bedroom full of candles all lit with the Lion King on TV, perfect place to be snuggled up

Caramel coffee

Caramel coffee

My Granny playing the basket head game!

And again!

The cutest and sweetest label ever

Granny handmade this cute village decoration

The snuggliest onesie

Cute little present from my sister

A cheeky selfie from Christmas Eve!

How my make-up looked yesterday, just about to do my hair!

Leave a comment telling me what you got for Christmas or what your favourite part of the day was!  And, as always, please like and follow!

I'd quickly like to point out that this isn't me bragging, I just thought it'd be nice to share what I got up to this Christmas and also this blog isn't getting many followers so more than anything it's a nice way for me to document this part of my life to look back on in the future.

Again, my thoughts and love and prayers going out to those who've had a rough Christmas in the UK with the floods or the recession and in all corners of the globe.  I wish everyone festive happiness and peace and I'll be doing a New Years blog post soon, so I can have a nice reflecting and moving forward post, and I'll wish you all Merry 2014s then - but if you don't manage to catch that, then here is me telling you now to have an amazing 2014 - stay positive and keep moving forwards.  And, if you have time, watch this space, I'm going to be a busy little blogger in 2014.

Lots of festive love,
Rosie
-x-

'The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege'

My daily skincare routine!

Hi guys!

I've waited a bit to do this because my skin changes with my monthly hormones so I wanted to give you guys the full review and intruction of my skin routine, knowing that it works for all times of the month and for a sustainable period of time.  I've done this exact routine for about a month and a half.  Some of these products might be a bit pricey for younger teens, but they are worth it if you save up.  I will do a cheaper high street/drug store skincare routine another time, if you guys would like to see that!

Pre Steps (not daily occurrences, but still important for maintaining my skin)
FACE MASKS
At the moment, my two favourite face masks are:
- The Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask (£22), I got this for my birthday (the only newer item on the list) and it is fantastic.  You can feel it working on your skin, minimizing pores and absorbing oil amazingly.  Perfect for a pamper night and a skin lift.
- The Soap and Glory No Cloggs Allowed Face mask (£13).  I've had this for around 4 months and am now finished with my second tube.  It's amazing!  It is self heating and has a few small beads so as you massage it onto your face, it goes from pale green to blue and gives your face a gentle scrubbing.  It really refreshes your face and you can feel the effects for a good while.  I've just run out of my last tube but a new one will soon be with me!

I love these both equally and I alternate the use of these unless I need them for a specific reason.  Like if my skin is really oily I'll use the Origins, or if it feels really dull I'll use the Soap and Glory one.  I usually do face masks once a week, but with it being the winter, more pamper nights occur and I can do a couple a week to treat myself.

FACE SCRUB
This is my absolute all time favourite Facial Scrub/Polish EVER.  It is the Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish.  It applies really easily, you can really feel the beads working their way into your skin, removing dead cells and smoothing over rough areas and helping to clear problem areas, but it doesn't feel harsh or itch at all.  It doesn't have a very strong smell, but I actually like that because it feels simple and it doesn't need the smell to make it fabulous, it just is.  It really leaves your skin feeling INCREDIBLE and I use this 3 times a week (twice during summer, but the winter has an effect on my skin). This is £18.50.

Daily Routine (in order)
CLEANSER
I have tried multiple cleansers, but I have used the Bioderma Crealine H20 Micelle Solution.  I got it off Amazon, and I ended up getting 2 x 500ml bottles for £24.84 (inc. postage and packaging).  This is amazing.  The formula is fragrance free and is really good on your skin.  It's for all skin types, I persaonally think that it is the best cleanser I have tried for combination/oily skin.  I have been using this for close to 4 months and it is just fabulous.  I'd definitely recommend it.  It takes your make-up off really well and leaves yours face clean and clear.  It has also lasted me ages.  I've only gone through 3/4 in 4 months, and I have two of them.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but that means I have cleanser for just under a year probably for £24.84!  What a bargain!  I use on a regular cotton pad and sweep over my face, making sure I get all the nooks and crannies, paying particular attention to eye make-up.

TONER
I decided to buy this after Tanya Burr raved about it and this was probably my first expensive skincare purchase, so it was a big deal, but I needed a new toner.  It is the Ila Hydrolat Toner.  At first, I thought I'd make a big mistake because it smelt sooo strongly of roses, that doesn't sound too bad, but at first it was actually a really overwhelming smell.  I got used to it after a few uses and I don't notice it now, but if you don't like rose scent, you won't like this.  Anyway, I decided that I would stick it out because it was actually doing wanders for my skin.  I use on a cotton pad and sweep over my face, and the results are so visible.  I didn't realise how dirty my skin was until I started using this.  It really leaves your skin clean and toned - everything feels just fab.  I literally never saw the need for toner until I tried this.  This was £37.

SERUM
There is only one serum for me - the Hydraluron Moisture Booster.  This was £24 from Boots and OH MY GOD this is an essential product for every female in the world, no matter how old you are or how good you think your skin is, this product will blow your mind.  I didn't think my skin needed hydration, but apparently it really did.  This serum leaves my skin plump, firm and super hydrated because it helps the skin to absorb moisture (it holds up to x1000 it's weight in water!!).  I've noticed such an improvement since I started using this and you will too!  Perfect for all ages - definitely go out and buy this!

EFFACLAR DUO
This doesn't feature in everyone's skin routine, but this product is sooo amazing and I couldn't think of any other title for this part of my skin routine.  This is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Corrective and Anti-Clogging Care.  It is £12.50 and such value for money.  Every girl has something about their skin's appearance they wish they could change.  For many, it's the breakouts at the time of the month or redness from the harsh winter weather.  This cream clears all of that within days.  I do use this day and night because if I don't, I genuinely notice a huge difference.  I have no spots at all, no matter what the time of the month is, and my redness is long gone.  I don't apply all over the face unless it really is a huge disaster, just on the blemishes or on the redness, mainly in the t-zone.

EYE CREAM
My current eye cream is the Una Brennan Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Dark Circles Eye Cream.  I had been searching relentlessly for an eye cream that would reduce the dark circles under my eyes and I came across this one in Boots and a month later, my dark circles are practically gone, except for when I have had a truly horrific night's sleep.  I use this under the eyes and around the tear-duct/bridge of the nose area and it is really fantastic.  A little goes a long way and it spreads beautifully.  This is £12.99 from Boots.

MOISTURISERS
My Day Cream is the Una Brennan Super Facialist Neroli Day Cream Spf 15.  I've used this for a month now and I'm not loving it.  It does the job and I've learnt to handle it, because if you put too much on (which is very easy), it leaves behind an obvious residue.  It smells quite herbal as well, which I'm not a fan of, but I'm going to stick it out until the end then go on a serious hunt for my perfect face cream.  It does the job as long as I'm careful with application, but I personally would not recommend this. It was £15.99 from Boots.

My Night Cream is the No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream for Normal/Oily Skin.  I finished my day cream of this ages ago (which was good, but not perfect), but the night cream has lasted ages!  This is fantastic and really skins into your skin, leaving it completely oil free and very smooth.  Don't really know what else to say about this, other than it is really just an amazing cream and they do all different types for the different skin types as well.  My mum also swears by the No7 Night Cream.  This was £13.50.

LIP CARE
I use the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant.  It comes in lip stick form, applies easily and has kept my lips nothing by incredibly soft through the last month, where the English weather has taken a true turn for the worst.  A must have for people with suffering lips who can afford the £20 (seems much for a lip balm but a great quality).

During the day, I don't carry this in my handbag, because I'm really scared I'll loose it.  So, during the day, I use the Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch, which is £2.99 and keeps my lips nice a soft during the day.  Sorry there is no photo, I seem to have misplaced this in my multitude of hand bags...

That is it for my skin care routine!  I hope it was of some help to you or gave you some ideas for your skincare routine.  Please leave comments about what products you use in your skin routine and please recommend a day cream!

Much love,
Rosie
-x-

'An obstacle is often a stepping stone'

Christmas Gift Guide for HIM

Hi!

So it is a week until Christmas and even though this is a bit late, I usually put off getting presents for men until the last minute because they are so difficult to buy for so I just bury my head in the sand about it.  A lot of these gifts I have either bought for family members, guy friends, ex boyfriends or know guys who own these and love them.

First is the Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau de Toilette 50ml Gift set from Boots, which is £39.50.  This is (in my opinion at least) the sexiest smell alive.  Any man wearing this is guaranteed some female attention.  The packaging is also gorgeous/luxurious.  An absolute must for me this Christmas.

Next is the Pacman Alarm Clock.  This is really cute and would be good for a younger teenage brother as it's fun, they'll definitely use it and it looks cool.  For £15.95, it is super cute and I can imagine a lot of boys would like this.

The big ticket item on this list for the boys has got to be the Bose SoundLink Wireless speakers.  At £169.95, it is a huge spend but oh so worth it and any guy will absolutely love these.  They have an AUX input as well as blutooth connection and they are really great quality.  My friend Josh has them and they are the ultimate speakers!   If you're looking for a big one, definitely go for this!

A nice new leather wallet never goes a miss, and this black one from Ralph Lauren is sure to be a hit.  It is a nice simple design, but with the Ralph Lauren logo, and plenty of card/cash/coin storage.  At £55, it is great quality, does the job and looks really nice.

A Grandpa gift that I've gone for this year is adopting a Dog at Dogs Trust on behalf of my Grandpa.  I found a black labrador retriever called Rosie and thought it would be perfect and he's an animal lover so is (hopefully) going to really love that.  I had the initial letter sent to me so I could wrap and sort the initial bits and all the updates can then get sent to him over the year.  It's a minimum of £1 a week, but doing that for a year adds up.

A fun gift for a lad would be this Desktop Air Hockey table (you can also get ones for pool, table tennis, etc).  It doesn't take up much room but getting it out will make them feel like their room might as well be a games room.  My brother has had a couple of things like this over the years and loves them.  It's just one of those boy toys which they love for some reason.  It's £16.73.

This is for those indie musical types (we all know one, whether it be boyfriend or brother) and it's a ukulele!  My friend Emily got one for her boyfriend and I thought it was a genius idea.  Everyone needs a New Years resolution and it can be to learn to play it.  It's a really cool, fun and easy instrument and quite a few would love it.  You can get the ukulele, a set of strings and a tuner for £37.85, plus a book to learn from for £5.73.

Those are just some basic ideas for men's Christmas!  I hope it has helped you if only just a teeny weeny bit!

Much love,
Rosie
-x-

'I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.' 

17th Birthday Shenanigans!

Well hello there!

Some of you might have gathered that a week or so a go, I turned 17.  It was an amazing birthday and I couldn't really have asked for more.  I was woken by a four year old family friend who was staying the night whilst her mum had baby number 2, had a relaxing day at college, went for a massive chinese buffet with my friends (one of them has the same birthday so we did that together), then went to the pub, went home, had a small takeaway, opened my presents then watched I'm a Celeb.  The day was great, I couldn't have asked for better! The blonde one in the Christmas hat pulling faces was the other birthday girl.... don't judge us please...

         

          

I had lots of lovely little surprises!  A family friend who was my 'boyfriend' when I was about 2 sent me a birthday card, which made me really overly emotional and also that family friend having her baby had it on my birthday and my mum has been named her Godmother, so it is now a doubly special day!  I got lots of amazing birthday presents!  I got the DVD of Now You See Me, a set of 2 purple candles, a Christmas candle, a cocktail shaker, a cocktail recipe poster, A MARAUDERS MAP IN A FRAME (OHHMYGOD), the Babyliss Pro Curl, a Freeview box for the TV in my bedroom, a photo frame, a lot of cat based bits and bobs (from my Granny), lots of Soap and Glory stuff, a face mask, a minnie mouse mug and toy and a few other bits and bobs.  I couldn't believe how much I got and how amazing it all was and I feel so lucky I got so much from friends and family.

Then came Saturday, the day of the girly night in.  Me and Sophie (the friend with the same bithday) had a couple of girls over and we had some cocktails, watched some films, had some emotional chats and more importantly had drunken dances and singalongs in the middle of the road.  Sadly some of our other friends had work or open days so couldn't make it, but it was still a really fun chilled night.  I love having girly nights in because it is such a good chance to just chat, cry, laugh and all the while being silly and feeling fun because of the fact you're shaking cocktails like a pro (at least in our minds we were).  I don't know why, but I don't really have any photos (at least any ones that I don't have 12 chins or look like a tramp in, and the rest are videos, so I'll leave that night up to the imagination...)

Much love,
Rosie
-x-

'Life should not be measured by how many breaths we take, but by how many moments take your breath away'

Top 10 Drug Store Beauty Products!

Good evening (or morning, or afternoon, depending on when you read this),

A couple of days ago, my good friend Aisha requested that I do a post on my top 10 drug store beauty products.  So basically, anything I could buy from Boots or Superdrug.  This was really hard to come up with a list of just 10, but I managed to narrow it down! Here you go, enjoy reading!

1. Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder: £3.99

This is just superb.  Even though my most recent one broke and has gone from pressed to loose powder (arrrgh, why?!), it is still an absolute essential in my make-up bag.  I use this just after foundation every day and then re apply as needed throughout the day, say if we’ve done some particularly sweaty work in acting or my skin is getting oily, it instantly stops the shining and makes the face look matte, but doesn’t take away the glow from my foundation.

2. Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters: £7.99

I have so many of these in my make-up collection now, they are so good!  They are the perfect blend between a lipstick, gloss and balm.  The pigmentation is really good, they last ages and are so moisturising.  They do lots of different shades, I wore some of the really nice pinky natural tones over summer but swapped to a crimson colour for winter.  These are an absolute essential.

3. Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzo: £11.00

This is probably the best bronzer I have ever tried.  The colour isn’t muddy or orange and it is so easy to apply.  You can easily dust it over your face for a natural bronze look or build it up to contour your cheek bones.  The application is so easy as it isn’t too thick so there’s no danger of putting too much on, which is what you should really be looking for in a bronzer because if you get it slightly wrong, you could look unnatural for the rest of the day.  The pigmentation is still good and you can build it as you want it for your perfect look.  This is a definite essential for girls who love their naturals.

4. L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Collection Privée: £8.19

I picked up this little beauty a few weeks ago and it is my absolute favourite nude lipstick ever.  It has a slight tingle to it, like the Soap and Glory Mother Pucker but not nearly as strong, which plumps your lips nicely.  It is really easy to find your perfect nude.  I didn’t go for an exact match as I might as well just wear Vaseline if I want my lips to be exact, I personally went for just slightly darker so it looks natural and neutral, but slightly noticeable that I have it on.  The pigmentation is really good, it does last quite a while (not as long as the Lip Butters though) and it is certainly moisturising.  I also adore how nice the packaging is, it looks and feels a lot less expensive than it is.

5. Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer: £3.99

This is a favourite for most girls I know.  The price is ridiculous in comparison to the quality.  For just £4 you get fantastic coverage that lasts all day without looking cakey or unnatural.  Using it under the eyes gives you an instant lift and it covers redness/blemishes effortlessly.  An absolute must for your make-up bag ladies, this is much better than any high end concealer I have ever tried.

6. Maybelline The Volum Express Falsies Flared Mascara: £7.99

Another essential for me.  This mascara is just gorgeous and I couldn’t be without it.  The formula of the mascara isn’t too waxy so you’re eyelashes don’t feel heavy, they just look gorgeous, long and full (especially due to the special wand which using one side will draw the lashes out and the other side will flare them for volume).  It is totally waterproof, but will come off without a fight in the evening when you’re removing it.  You can’t be without this, I promise if you buy it, you will not regret it.

7. Sleek Lace Blush Trio: £9.99

I actually completely ran out of my second one of these about a month ago and I keep meaning to go back but every time I do they are sold out because they are too damn good and everyone wants one!  It has three blushes in it, one shimmer (my favourite, a natural pink colour with a slight gold shimmer, perfect for party time or a glowing day look), one matte (slightly darker in colour, but still looks great for heightened looks) and a cream blusher (in a kind of orange shade).  All three are gorgeous, apply easily, have great pigmentation and there is a blush for every occasion in there.  Sleek also do similar palettes in different colours but this is my favourite.

8. L'Oreal Paris Infallible Foundation: £12.99

As you know, I’m a Nars lover now, but before that I used this foundation religiously and I’m sure when my Nars runs out and I’m waiting to get my next one, this will be back in use.  It has a very similar finish to Nars, but the consistency is different.  It is a lot sheerer, but still covers all blemishes, and leaves a nice natural glow.  I’d recommend this to anyone who needs a new foundation because it will never leave you disappointed.  However, maybe not the right one for someone with really bad skin as it might not be able to cover it all over.

9. Revlon Enamel Nail Varnish: £6.49

These are the work of an Angel, I swear to God.  For such good quality which doesn’t chip for at least 14 days, it is incredible.  Unlike some nail varnishes, you could get away with just one layer of this, two if you really want it to pop but it’s not needed.  The brush shape is different to most other brands and really gets into the nooks and crannies of the cuticle without it ending up all over your fingers.

 

10. Rimmel London Fix and Perfect Pro Primer: £6.99

I love the Benefit primer a lot, but before that I used this the most.  It is really quite cheap for the quality.  It absorbs quickly into the skin unlike most primers so you can start applying your make-up onto primed skin pretty much straight away.  It doesn’t cause excess oil or residue and is definitely better than the Revlon primer (which is around double the price).

Hope you enjoyed reading and that you found this useful or wanted to try out any of the products mentioned, or even that it helped to pass the time a bit.

Much love,

Rosie

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‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players’