Top 10 High End Make-Up Products: 'Princess Products'

Hello Sweethearts!

After doing my top 10 drug store brand make-up products, I was inspired to do the ‘top ten’ idea again, but this time using ‘Princess Products’ (i.e. high end brands which are more expensive but so worth it because they are soooo amazing!)  Enjoy! 

WARNING: These products are well loved, and therefore look a bit beaten up or worse for wear.. oopsie.

1. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

This will be no surprise to you because you either have followed my blog so know how obsessed I am with it or know of multiple YouTubers and Bloggers who rave about it! A lot of people rave review about this one, but it is because it is so good.  The coverage is good (for my skin at least, I luckily don’t get blemishes a lot so it’s more about evening out colour), and the finish is just a gorgeous, natural glow.  Click HERE to read my full review of it.  Currently, I use a drug store foundation on a daily basis with a similar finish – the Rimmel Match Perfection, read the review HERE) but this would be my go to foundation for every day if it wasn’t expensive and I wasn’t a student.  But I love using this on special occasions.

2. Naked Palette

An essential for any naturals girl, by a mile.  There are a gorgeous mix of mattes and shimmers, ranging from pale beiges to golds to roses to forrest browns, with a couple of smokey colours thrown in.  The pigmentation is amazing, the finish is stunning and is great for natural every day looks, but also can be used with the darker shades built up for parties and nights out where you maybe don’t want to go too OTT with eye make-up.  I use this pretty much every day, even if only to do a wash of colour.

3. Mac Lipstick

I know everyone on the planet interested in beauty knows how amazing these are, but believe it or not these are a relatively recent discovery for me.  I got this on a mini make-up spree with my friend Aisha because she was so shocked I hadn’t tried them.  I picked up the colour ‘Hot Gossip’ because it seemed like a really good colour and for me, it is perfect.  It is a really natural colour with a pretty pink pop that looks great for daily wear.  I can’t wait to go back and get more shades!

4. Benefit Browzings

This is genuinely the most amazing eye brow filler.  I use it every single day and people are shocked that I fill in my eye brows because they look so natural (my brows are so much lighter than my hair and are really sparse but they look perfect using this).  I think I’ve got the light palette and this works whether I’ve just dyed my hair darker or have let it fade lighter, it still looks great.  The brushes (though small) work really well to shape natural looking brows and the tweezers are fantastic.

5. Benefit Porefessional Primer

You already know how much I love this, it is just perfection for my skin type and I know people with different skin who love it too.  It keeps make-up put for ages and gives your skin a nice soft, supple and clean feel.  It absorbs oil instantly and looks just so incredible and acts as a great base. Read the full review HERE.

6. Benefit ‘They’re Real’ Mascara

I, again, bought this in America as I’d heard amazing reviews about it and I’m now onto my third one.  I do go through waves with mascara as to which one is my favourite and currently I’m adoring this.  Usually, I hate mascara with plastic wands as opposed to fibre, but this really grips your lashes, giving them great length.  My Maybelline falsies is amazing as another layer for nights out but can sometimes give a little too much volume and look heavy on a daily basis.  This is just the right amount and looks really pretty.  It also does wanders and doesn’t smudge for my bottom lashes.  I have gotten consistent compliments on my lashes the past couple of weeks, all down to this. 

7. Lancôme Art Liner

I finally found a better replacement for my boots Natural Collection Eye Liner.  This is without a doubt the best liquid eyeliner on the market.  Applying it is so easy, from really thin natural lines to cat flicks to thick looks.  It comes out black (not grey like other liners) and stays on all day.  This is so essential to my make-up now!

8. Estee Lauder Raisin Duo

I picked this up in Florida as well after the influence of Zoella’s videos on YouTube raving about it.  This is a gorgeous little duo which is natural, yet noticeable and also girly at the same time.  The colours look so beautiful together and are really easy to apply and blend in.  The pigmentation is amazing and the packaging it so lush.

9. Benefit Rockateur Blush

I adore this blush because it isn’t stereotypical red/pink/orange, it is a more browny pink which just has a slight shimmer to give a really natural glow to your cheeks and looks great especially at this time of the year.  It is easy to apply and easy to build up for a more heightened look as well.  The packaging isn't particularly classy or nice compared to other Benefit products, but the blush itself is in quite a cool pattern.

10. Urban Decay Eye Primer

I don’t usually use eye primer, but when I do it has to be this one.  Granted, there aren’t that many around, but this is fantastic.  I used to find when I went out that my eye shadow would go stray and start fading and looking nasty after a few hours of dancing.  I used to use this just on nights out, but now I use it daily as I am doing a lot of physical work at college so I want everything to stay put.  My eye shadow stays put every time, without a single smudge or fade. 

So those were my top 10 ‘Princess Products’!  I hope you enjoyed reading and maybe have some ideas for your first (or next) high end brand make-up purchase!

Much love,

Rosie

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'Even miracles take a little time'

Passing Your Theory Test: Tips from a Teen

Hello!

So I passed my theory test on Thursday - yay!  In preparation for it, I was searching and searching the web for hints and tips from the opinion of someone who sat it and I found nothing, except a couple of measly lines on Yahoo Answers.  So I thought I'd share my experience with you!

First of all, it's really not that hard.  Being completely honest, I maybe looked at the highway code for about 10 minutes then did one mock test to see where I was.  A hell of a lot of it is common sense, for example there was one question about where to leave your car at night and the options were like 'in an ally way, behind a pub, under a shady tree or in a well lit area', and it's pretty damn obvious.  Obviously if you read the highway code you have a much greater chance and will be a safer driver.  I'm now at the point where I did pass but I'm still unclear about a few highway 'rules' so I'm having to go back over it anyway in order to feel confident on the road.

So yeah, if you really want to be sure, do a lot of revising and all that jazz but most of it is common sense and if you can't get common sense questions right, you shouldn't really be driving anyway.  Also, Hazard Perception doesn't need to be continually practised.  It is enough to play it live with your instructor or parents in the car.  If you get too into this part of the test you can start to get nervous and assume everything is a Hazard when it isn't.  I played it once when actually driving in the car with my mum and passed.  Also, in the test they show you a tutorial which points out what classifies as a 'hazard' so you know exactly what to look out for and if it's not shown in the tutorial, it's pretty obvious like a red sports car flying over a hill.  One thing I would say about the Hazard Perception is the camera used for it was clearly from the 90s when 1MP was considered 'HD', it is a little bit fuzzy but the shapes are easy to make out.  I only say this because at the end I did some 'trial questions' for DSA and they were both Hazard Perceptions and they were crystal clear which actually pissed me off a bit considering mine was so fuzzy.  Hopefully if you're reading this, by the time you take the test all of it will be HD.

Now a bit about the experience of going there.  When you sign in at reception, you need to bring your paper and card provisional licenses. When signing you in, they want to watch you turn off your phone and any other electronics so that when they're in the locker, they can't start going off and put the waiting room off and also probably for some high tech security reason. They sign you in, give you a set of 'rules and regulations' on a laminated sheet of paper and a key with a massive wooden spoon as a key chain that says your locker number.  You sit down, read the rules then go and put all your belongings (including coats/jackets - I was freezing as I was wearing a vest with my jacket and had to take it off, so I'd say wear long sleeves) into your assigned locker.  You also put your paper license in your locker and just take the card with you.  You then give the rules back to reception desk and sign to say you've read the rules.  You then proceed to the test room, taking your license and locker key with you.  Outside the room, a person checks your license as photo ID, checks your arms for cheating and your ears for ear pieces.  When you go into the room, it can be a bit scary because it is silent and looks almost clinical, but seriously it's not that bad so just find your assigned computer and begin. First is a practise to get used to the system and a tutorial to show you how to answer the questions.  The multiple choice section begins and you have 57 minutes to complete it.  Don't feel like you have to use the full 57 minutes, because some people will want to really check and double check or think through questions where as others will just power through.  When you press END (or when the time runs out), an optional three minute break begins - I didn't take this break but some people might find it beneficial.  Following the break is a Hazard Perception tutorial followed by the real thing.  When you've finished the test, there might be the chance to do trial questions which I did (they don't count towards your final score) and to fill out a customer satisfaction survey.  Once finished, you leave the room taking your licesnse and key with you and go back to reception, take your stuff out of your locker then hand the key back to reception.  As you hand your key in, they will print off your results letter and hand it to you.

The best advice I can give you is to seriously not panic.  It's really not that difficult and your more likely to mess up if you doubt yourself and freak out.  Put honestly what you think the answers are, don't second guess it and chill.

Hope this helped anyone out there looking for a bit of helpful advice or an overview of what the experience was like!

Much love,
Rosie
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'Oh yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it you can either run from it, or learn from it'

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation: Review!

Hello!

So one of my New Years Resolutions was to find drug store/high street alternatives to my high end products, especially with daily products because (let's face it), I'm a student and can only really afford this stuff on occasion.

That being said, I wanted to look for a great (and cheap) foundation for a daily basis.  I did a lot of looking around and I heard about the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation.  I picked this up on the way home from college about two weeks ago, opting for the shade 'Ivory'.  Though it is a wee bit too pale for me now, I can easily pass it as it is super bendable and I'm not wearing much foundation at the moment anyways.  Also, it's easy to warm up with bronzer.  Plus, give it a few weeks and a couple of snow falls, I will practically be transparent so I might as well have gone a bit lighter.

As mentioned it is super blendable.  It applies beautifully and is also very buildable.  It's easy to just pop a bit on for sheer cover, but also very easy to build up to full coverage.  It covers up scars and redness really well (two of my skin issues) and the tone of it looks great.

Another skin issue I have is that it is quite oily.  My current skin care routine helps a lot, as does my Benefit Porefessional Primer, but I haven't had a foundation in ages which I haven't had to touch up with powder during the day to prevent the oil shining through.  This really stays put, doesn't go oily or shiny and looks radiant/glowing rather than hot/shiny/sweaty.  I love it.

It's £6.99 which is incredible as I feel it has as good a finish as the Nars Sheer Glow (actually Nars is slightly better, but only in terms of a more velvet finish, however it doesn't work as amazingly with oily skin as this one...), which is £30.50.  The bottle feels really nice, it's a good size, it'll last ages and looks nice in your make-up collection.  From now, I'd only wear Nars on a night out or maybe on a more special day.  Don't get me wrong I still love it but it is expensive and not nearly as affordable.

That's just a basic review on the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation - I hope it has helped you in some way shape or form.  I'd really recommend this product to anyone, especially those with oily skin!

Much love,
Rosie
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'Your imagination is a preview of life's upcoming attractions'

Simple ways to lift your mood...

Howdy folks!

So, as you probably well aware due to the really cold, wet and miserable weather it is really moving thick and fast into the peak of Winter hear in England (and a lot of other countries too).  Though this season brings lots of fun things like snowmen, hot chocolate and snuggles in front of the fire (with my dog, because I'm a lonely single pringle), the cold weather, dark mornings and general atmosphere can easily leave you feeling pretty down.  So here are my tips for beating those winter blues...

1. Pop down to Lush, find a bath ballistic or bubble bar (either your classic favourite or one you maybe haven't tried yet but are curious about) and treat yourself to it.  Also, if you don't have tubes of face masks, go to Boots and get one of those £1 single back ones.  Run yourself a hot bath and give yourself a mini pamper.  I did this this evening at it was soo good, I even found some muscle relaxing bath oil which was amazing after the workouts we did today at college.  A refreshing bath leaves you feeling clean, pampered and just a lot calmer about life.

2. Grab a cuppa, a couple of biccies and pop on a good film.  Most nights, I just want to watch Disney movies in a constant stream, but some nights I want to watch a film I can sink my teeth into or a new DVD.  Whichever your choice, just pop it on and relax (with your dog, or your partner if you're lucky enough to have one).

3. Do some exercise.  It sounds weird but even the simple act of popping on a couple of layers and going for a brisk 20-30 minute walk burns a good few calories and releases endorphins, which as you probably know are natural hormones released when we exercise which are also in chocolate, they make you happy and lift your mood.

4. All else failing, have a bit of chocolate.  I'm personally avoiding this at all costs because of my health kick/diet, but I'm sure that soon the winter weather mixed with that time of the month will have me reaching for the malteasers...

5.  Read a good book.  Find that book you've 'been meaning to get round to reading' and read it!  There have been so many books I've been wanting to read, the most recent one being the latest Bridget Jones which I've now got on my iPad to read on the trains.

6. Write in a journal.  This is a new discovery for me, but it's a fantastic way to lift your mood, get rid of tensions and feel a bit better.  If you're feeling happy, those feelings are magnified as when you write the reasons why it makes you feel happier as you're reminding yourself why you're so happy.  If something is bugging you whether it be the awful weather or some bitchy girls at school, writing it down gets it off your chest in a non violent way.  Also, journals are always a good way to pass time and are always really fun to look back on.  One reason I'm really into keeping one at the moment is that this is going to be a crazy year and I have a feeling I'm going to make a lot of personal discoveries so I think it'll be nice to have a document of this change to read over in the near and distant future.

7. Do some internet window shopping.  Actual window shopping is a lot of effort, but chilling under the duvet with Asos, Topshop, Urban Outfitters, Miss Selfridge and wherever else all open in different tabs to have a flick through is actually quite fun and realxing.

8. Do some make-up experimenting.  Having a night in?  That's ok, in fact that's probably the best time to try out different looks.  If I'm in for a while and am bored at home, I might try doing either really weird make-up like an Alien or I'll try and get more creative with eye shadow looks or try out different ways of contouring my face.  It passes time and is actually really fun and you find some pretty cool looks.  You don't have to stress about getting it wrong because you don't have anywhere to be!

9. Similarly, have a play with your hair.  Figure out some cool hairstyles or ways to have your hair.  Go all out and do your dream prom hair or see what your hair looks like with a topknot in a scrunchie.  Have a bit of fun with it!

10. Have fun on YouTube.  I don't know about you, but catching up on YouTubers videos or going back and watching their first ones always makes me smile and passes hours and hours and makes me feel genuinely happier.

So those are ten quick tips to lift your mood and beat those winter blues :)

Much love,
Rosie
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'A goal is a dream with a deadline'

On a Roll...

Hi there!

So as some as you may know, one of my New Years resolutions was to loose weight healthily (a very boring one that a lot of people have), but in doing it, I have learnt a really valuable lesson.

Basically, at the moment I have no choice but to exercise because we're doing intense stamina training in acting at college, so we're working out every day.  Thanks to this, I'm already in exercise gear when I get to college so I end up thinking 'I might as well go to the gym, I'm on a roll'.  It's the same with pretty much anything I do.  For example, if my room is a mess and all I'm doing is sorting my brushes and make-up, I'll think 'I'm on a roll, I might as well tidy the whole thing now'.  Though it's a good thing that I can find that 'on a roll' motivation, it is very hard getting there.  So I've got to the point now where I will get it done, but only once I've gotten started.  I think this is the same for most people, but I've been trying to find ways to get started in the first place.

Way one is if your forced to start like this exercise at college, but now I'm realising its not that bad, I wish I'd started earlier.

Way two is to set aside the time to start and even if you start a little bit late, once you're on a roll you should be able to keep going!

What I'm trying to say is, think of a goal and go for it.  Don't wait to find the motivation to do it, just do it and go full force and it'll slowly unfold in front of you.  Also, don't give up at the smallest hurdle.  Like one of my resolutions was to blog twice a week, but a production was on and it got a bit busy so I couldn't do it, so instead of saying 'Screw it, I've already failed, I may as well not bother for the rest of the year', I've said 'that wasn't very good Rosie, so you'll just have to set a mini goal to have a huge blogging fortnight!'.  With exercise, you might only go once in that week and think 'oh well, I'm not fat yet, I'll just leave it', you could rethink and see if the gym really is the best way for you to exercise.  If the answer is no, start walking or jogging outside and if the answer is yes, just force yourself to go back and you'll get back into the swing of it sooner or later.

Let me know how you're new years resolutions are going and if you've managed to get on a roll with it all...

Much love,
Rosie
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'Sometimes it takes a kick in the crotch for a man to recognise his own mortality'

Tigi S-Factor Colour Shampoo and Conditioner Set: Review

Hello!

So, as you guys may or may not know, I do dye my hair.  I naturally have mousy brown hair and personally just thought it was actually very boring and I love it darker.  However, being a college student, I can’t be affording to go to the hairdressers to get it done and treated all the time, so I am always dying my hair with home dye kits.  The only dye I have ever had trouble with is Garnier Olia (a definite NO NO and I’ll tell you why in another post soon), but I've always had trouble finding a shampoo/conditioner set that will genuinely enhance the colour.  I've tried all the brands you could possibly think of and not a single one of them has even kept my colour vibrant past the three-week mark and I use permanent dye so this shouldn't be the case.

However, I have found my break-through product.  I am a massive fan of Zoella and when I had dip-dye hair, I watched her video on how to take care of Ombre hair.  She talked very very highly of the Tigi S-Factor Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner.  At the time, I hadn't finished my current shampoo so I wasn’t going to start buying a new one, but once I’d finished that one, I logged onto feelunique.com to do a little bit of research into the brand and I found a Tigi S-Factor Duo specifically for coloured hair!  It made me so happy and excited (that’s a bit sad really, that I get that excited by hair stuff, but I don’t careee!), that I made a bit of a spontaneous decision to get the massive, salon size, bad ass bottles! 

When they arrived, the first thing I did was open up the lid and smell them and OH MY GOD it was incredible.  I felt like my nostrils had died and gone to heaven.  It smells of almond and coconut, which sounds like it wouldn’t be anything special but it literally smells like a tropical party for your head.  It has quite a sweet, yet almost tangy, fragrance which is really hard to describe but it is literally just amazing.  The smell also retains in your hair for quite a while, even when I put my heat defence on my hair before blow drying, I can still smell the ‘tropical party’ right through until the afternoon, where it dies down a bit (sadly) to ‘tropical intimate gathering’, but I’ve never had a shampoo that retains the smell so beautifully throughout the day.

I dye my hair every few months and I started using this after the last time I dyed my hair in October and my hair has never been in better condition – EVER!!  The colour is vibrant, my hair shines, it’s really soft, it has good volume, it feels thick and the dry ends and the huge tangles are a thing of the past (I have hair that is seriously prone to knotting!) – this duo ticks every single box and smells/feels amazing whilst doing it.

Also, I only need two pumps of the shampoo and three pumps of the conditioner.  I have been using this probably every other day since the 4^th October and close to four months later, I am around a half of the way through them, so these really are lasting me well – it was around £35 for the duo which is well worth the money for the quality and quantity I’m getting out of it!

If you don’t have coloured hair, I’m certain the Smoothing one that Zoella talks about is just as amazing for your hair, just minus whatever ingredient you need to retain hair dye.  That one smells like strawberries though (mmmmm, I love strawberries!)

I hope this has been a fun little read for you, I’d definitely recommend going for this duo, especially with the nasty effects that the winter weather can have on your hair!

Lots of love,

Rosie

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‘I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.  Life’s a bitch.  You’ve got to go out and kick ass.’

Elemis Dreamy Sleep Night Time Moisturiser: Review

Hola!

So as you may have noticed, one of my resolutions to blog twice a week went out the window quite quickly.  I was in a production within the first few days of January and I really wanted to try to blog, but I was so so shattered!  To make up for it, I'm going to do a mega blogging fortnight!

To kick it off, I'm reviewing the Elemis Dreamy Sleep Night Time Moisturiser.  I bought quite recently, so this is initial impressions, but I'll update you if anything changes.

First of all, what I really like about this is that it is for young skin - I'm always trying to find creams that work well for my skin which aren't anti ageing, which most of them seem to be nowadays.  This is the best night cream I have tried and beats the No7 Beautiful Skin and Clarins one in my books for lots and lots of reasons:

- It leaves no residue
- It starts sinking into the skin immediately and even though it doesn't fully absorb quickly, it is a night treatment so it really does it's magic over night not instantly
- When you wake up in the morning, your skin feels soft, supple and fresh, unlike other moisturisers which can leave your skin feeling groggy or clogged when you wake up and not very radiant and fresh
- The scent is very aromatic and is one that really makes you feel like it is time to rest and sleep, which is a nice added extra
- It has a pump rather than being in a tub, so you don't have to put your grubby fingers in it and what you put on your face is clean and fresh

I hope those reasons made sense.  Really, this is an incredible moisturiser and I'm really really keen to try out more Elemis products.

Much love,
Rosie
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'If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission'