Maybelline Color Show in Chalk Dust

Hey guys! This nail polish has been one of my go to's for a while now, it adds so much interest to your nails in just one coat. Because the sizes of the confetti are different, the polish looks really layered and interesting. I think when Christmas comes around it'll be great as everyone needs sparkly nails at Christmas! It can be a bit of  a job to remove, but i recommend using this technique for a speedy and easy removal.

The packaging is nice, secure and simple. It does the job and that's all you need really! The only thing I would say is even though it's black and white, it doesn't actually go with everything so have a look at the colour polish you want to wear it with (as it will show underneath) just to make sure. I think this colour would look nice over clear nails though, and also layered so the confetti is all that shows. It also looks stunning over ombre and other nail art. Another great thing about this polish is that it comes in other colours too. You can collect them all, mix and match or choose your favourite!

Elegant Touch Nail Polish Remover

Yo! 

This is the nail polish remover I have been using at the moment, and I like it very much. It works really quickly, which is my main thing I look for, and it's less harsh on nails, which is of course super important. It's really good value too, I've found varied prices, but you can get it as cheap as £2! I bought mine in Boots or Superdrug, I'm afraid I can't remember which!

Another thing I like about it is that as it is a dual base formula, there are two layers to the product. Before use you shake it, this brings both parts together. Before you shake it it looks like so...

And once it's shaken it looks like this! Cool huh?

Elegant Touch Moisture Balance Nail Polish Remover

BUY HERE

Hawaiian Tropic After Sun

Hey! Today I have a review on an amazing product that has got to be one of the best products I have tried, ever. Ever, ever, ever evereverver. It's Hawaiian Tropic's after sun lotion and holy moly I lurves it.Of course sun cream is the obvious summer essential but sun creams aside, this would be my number one summer recommendation. 

This product makes my skin feel so soft and luxurious. After using it for a while, you will definitely notice the difference! Your skin just feels so much softer! Hydrating your skin is so important after being in the sun as it can do a lot of damage. This will make your skin feel tip top right away! 

I bought this for half price in Boots (mwahaha) but the full price in Boots is £9.99 which is not cheap, of course you can buy ones cheaper but I really do think it's worth the price and there are a lot more expensive ones out there. If that does seem a little pricy online often sells things cheaper and I found one that sells it for only £5.99! I'll leave that as the link at the end. 

 I know that using body lotions and butters can be a bit of a hassle to some people and no one likes waiting for their skin to dry but this absorbs super fast so there's no waiting around. I'd say it takes 30 seconds to a minute, tops. It has a very pleasant smell too. A lot of fruit smells are overpoweringly sweet, berry smells but this is a much softer tropical fruit smell that doesn't really smell like any one fruit in particular, but it sure does smell good! It has a hint of that sun cream smell which I personally love but if you're not sure, give it a whiff before you buy it. You can always go to Boots and then buy it online! Naughty but necessary. Haha! 

Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Moisturising Lotion in Tropical Fruit 200ml

BUY HERE

Weekly Inspiration

Hello everyone! Today I was cruising my Bloglovin' feed when I found a blog called Stolen Inspiration. It is a beautiful blog that I definitely recommend you check out! Just click here. It gave me the idea to use pictures I find that inspire me and share them with you! I though I'd try and make this a weekly thing (wish me luck) as it wouldn't involve me taking and uploading any photos so it will be a lot easier to do regularly. Anyway here's a pic I pinched from Stolen Insperation's blog that I thought was just beautiful. 

I hope you love it as much as I do and look forward to more of these in the future! Don't forget to check out Stolen Insperation's blog it really is lovely!

See you in my next post xoxo

Roomspiration - DIY Magazine Collage Wall

Hey guys! Today I have some roomspiration for you. This blog has been mostly beauty so far but never fear more fashion and lifestyle is all on the way. Now for this DIY!

This is a super easy way to add some personality to your room and get it all jazzed up! Really hope you enjoyed this super simple decoration idea, please let me know in the comments if any of you try it out! 

For this DIY all you need is a magazine, I used my favourite magazine, Company. Of course you can use all sorts of things for example tickets, stickers, posters, photos etc etc all that good stuff. 

I just tore out pages I liked and used blu tack to stick them up onto the wall above my mirror. Using blu tack is a much better idea than using glue or sellotape as when you want to remove anything glue and cellotape can leave marks or damage the paint. Blu tack is really easy to remove and if any little bits stay just use a blob of blu tack and stick it to them, when you pull it away it should take the little bits with it.

If you want it to look kind of scrap-booky then my tip is to layer the pictures (or whatever it is you're using) over one another. This gives a more messy, free look than if everything is stuck next to each other. 

Garnier Eye Make-up Remover

I don't no if I've mentioned it before, but I get my eyelashes tinted. This means that I have to make sure I use make up and make up removers that don't work a little too well and rub off the dye so I don't use this one every day, as it's one that does work too well! I use it on days where I've done something extra to my eyes and also when I'm doing winged liner. I use a cotton bud and wipe where I want to remove a line I did wrong or any mistake and it works perfectly. It claims to remove even waterproof makeup, and I feel certain it could. I can promise it doesn't feel harsh on my skin or sting or irritate at all and I have pretty sensitive skin. Just so you know, it smells absolutely amazing too.

Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Make-up Remover

BUY HERE

Gold by Giles Lipstick

 This lipstick is my all time favourite lipstick! The formula is so smooth but it also lasts. I find that when I put this on it has a creamy feel but after some time it kind of becomes one with your lips and tints them so it doesn't wear, does that make any sense?! As it is such a natural shade it doesn't really notice when it does rub off a bit which is great. The packaging is really lovely. It has an indication of the colour on the top and is all black and gold. At the moment I love anything black with gold hard wear, it's just a perfect combo.  It's also my perfect colour, I won't say no to a pillar box red or a soft coral but I always find dusky pink-reds are my most worn. 

This collection of lipsticks are sold in New Look for only £2.99 which is a complete bargain. Even better, this colour is only £1! STEAL! I bought this for £1 not really expecting much and was amazed. I didn't think it would still be reduced but apparently so, even more reason to nab one if you ask me! 

                                                                         

    This colour would compliment a bold eye very well as it's very gorgeous but natural. I also think it looks really nice with a fair skin tone like mine.

    

The colour is a bit darker than this photo shows, but it is still a very wearable shade.

Gold by Giles Dusky Pink Lipstick - Shade Crush

BUY HERE

L'Oreal Super Liner Ultra Precision

I know many a beauty blogger has raved about this liner and it's no new face but I can't not blog about this liner! It's absolutely amazing! I'm very new to liner and since this was raved about by literally everyone I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm so happy I did because it really is effortless!

The nib allows you to create fine, delicate lines or thick, sultry wings. I can get my wings sorted very quickly and I don't use liner a lot so if you're new to it too this is perfect. It dries straight away and I've never had it smudge. Liquid liner last longer than gel and is more precise than felt. It really is the one to go for if you're not confident. The only thing I would say is when you're doing your eyes to close the bottle and shake it up because I find as you go along the end stops picking up as much product. It's currently £5.49 in Superdrug which is definitely less than I remember paying for it so grab it now!

L'Oreal Super Liner Ultra Precision 

BUY HERE

Garnier Moisture Match - Start Afresh

If you've been reading my blog you will know from this post that I struggle to find moisturisers that don't irritate my skin and that I've been using Enchanted Eye Cream by Lush all over my face as it is very gentle. Now I use Start Afresh from Garnier's new Moisture Match collection and I loves it. It makes my skin fell super soft, fresh and hydrated. 

It's formulated with normal to dry skin in mind so if your skin is a different type this wouldn't be for you. However Garnier has a four other moisturisers in the Moisture Match line which will be more suited to your skin. If you have normal to dry skin like me I highly recommend this. It is really creamy to apply but absorbs super fast. It makes my skin feel so so soft and hydrated. I use it twice a day, in the morning and in the evening and I haven't had any break outs or problems with it even though I have very sensitive skin.

It costs £5.99 which is a good price but I warrn you the bottle is tiny! Mine is still going strong though and like I said I use it twice a day.

Garnier Skin Naturals Moisture Match Start Afresh Light Softening Cream 50ml

BUY HERE

You Must Be Blushing!

This is actually a Tesco's own product which is absolutely amazing as it's soooo good! The whole section of Along Came Betty make up (which I'm guessing is Tesco's own line) was on offer so I had a looksy and was immediately caught by this gorgeous duo blush. 

There are two shades and formulas, Pinch (cream) and Squeeze (powder). Left - cream. Right - powder. Both are absolutely stunning and great quality. I use the cream blush on a daily basis because it's a very natural shade and super easy to apply. I just pop it on the apples of my cheeks with my fingers, blend a little and vwallah (how the hell do you spell vwa-la?!). The powder blush is actually much brighter which it definitely doesn't look in the pan but trust me, it is! Again though it is a beautiful colour and I love to wear it for a bit more of a bright colour, it's very sweet and youthful. 

The duo costs 5.99 at full price which is pretty good me thinks.

This is a swatch of the cream blush. As you can see this is a much more natural looking blush and a very pretty shade.

This is a swatch of the powder blush. It was hard to get this to show up on camera so it may look a little heavy! 

Along Came Betty - You Must Be Blushing Duo Cheek Colour

BUY HERE

Essie Nail Varnish

I bought my first Essie nail polish quite a long time and didn't really get all the hype. Yes, Essie has amazing colours and the names are always very creative but the actual formula inside the bottle didn't exactly blow me away. I'm not a fan of thick, gel like nail polishes so since I found this particular one thick and gel like it's understandable I suppose that I wasn't a big fan. I much prefer thinner nail varnishes. Not so thin it takes a billion coats (if it takes more than two it's bye bye) but just more manageable. I love flat brushes but because the product is so thick I still found it hard to use. My problem was that I would end up with too much product on my nail and it would almost always get ruined before it had dried or it would look crappy because it was sooo thick.

I know I won't be able to walk past the Essie stand without wishing I could love them. I won't be able to resent the colours because of the formula. In fact, I'm sure I'll end up buying another at one point. If you like thick nail polishes then I'm sure you'll love these, when applied correctly they actually dry very quickly. I loved it when I first bought it but in very little time we have grown apart. They are also verrry pricy at I think round about 8 pounds so if you're getting one just make sure you know what you're getting into! 

Essie - Blanc

Rimmel London 1000 Kisses Lip Stain + Balm

The Rimmel London 1000 Kisses lip stain and balm is a recent repurchase of mine. I love the natural lip colour it gives but with a more intense colour and smooth balm finish. One of the reasons I like this so much is because it is not a lip gloss nor a lip stick, but somewhere in between. 

The first end is a  pen which you use to draw on the colour. It makes me think of using a felt tip on my lips! I have the shade Nothing But Nude which is a great your-lips-but-better colour. It is a nice subtle red which makes your lips darker but on an everyday scale. I really like those kinds of colours as they can be worn day or night and can be a statement or just a simple day to day lip.

On the other end is a balm that makes your lips smooth and a bit shinier without making them glossy or sticky. I makes your lips a lot more moisturised as I find the lip stain can be a little drying.

All in all I think this is a great product that I will continue to use!

Accesorize Nails - Metalized One Coat

I am a big fan of Accessorize nail polishes in general, but these are particularly amazing. The 'Metalized' range has gorgeous colours and they're super speedy to apply as they do literally need one coat and they are fully opaque and smooth. At £4 they are the same price as the normal Accessorize nail poliches and are completely affordable.

The colour range is full of fantastic metallic shades including gold, silver and bronze. The metalized formula creates layers of the colours all merging together which isn't completely lost when you paint it onto your nails. You can still see the pattern of the colours all swirling together which makes the nails much more interesting. I don't really feel the need to make my nails match my outfit so I wear these on a day-to-day basis but you could really make these nails attention grabbing as they are so interesting. 

Because these nail polishes are fully opaque in just one coat, they are great for if you are in a rush or if you don't like taking lots of time to paint your nails. Sometimes basecoat, first layer, second layer, (sometimes more!), topcoat can be a bit of a drain. However with these one coat and you're good to go! 

Accessorize Metalized One Coat nail polishes - available in Accessorize shops and certain Superdrug shops
Colours pictured: Grey - Lolite, Blue - Aquamarine

Accessorize Eyeshadows

I currently have two accesorize eyeshadows and I love them both. The colour payoff is absolutely amazing and they stay all day long. I really recomend them as they are only £4 for a very full duo. 

The first one I received as a gift and it's Zoria. Zoria is the light golden and blue. I especially love this one and the golden colour is my all time favourite eyeshadow. As I said above, it has great colour payoff and lasts super long.  This shadow will not budge until you remove it. I put this on at around 8:00 in the morning and it will still be perfect when I get home apart from some minor smudging around the crease area. I love it so so much as it is such a subtle colour but really brightens and opens up your eyes making you look more awake. It makes it look like you put so much effort into your makeup when you just put on some eyeshadow! The second colour in Zoria is a blue. When you buy it it is a baked colour which has blue green and purple all merging together but when you swatch it it comes up mostly blue. I don't use this as much because I'm more of a nude eyeshadow girl, but I do love it for a pop of colour under my eye or at the corners especially in the spring/summertime.

My second one is called Freya. I went back to get another one since I love Zoria so much and this one is just as good in staying power and pigmentation, however I prefer the colours in Zoria. The copper colour in Freya is actually more orange toned, which I don't love. `I think when you use the browner parts it comes more copper but still not quite as I expected. I don't hate it but I just don't use it all that much. The light golden colour in Freya is nicer. It's similar to Zoria's light golden colour but more sandy and less bright. It's a very nice, wearable colour for everyday eyes. 

In terms of packaging it is very pretty, much nicer than other packaging some other Accessorize makeup products are in. As you can see my Zoria shadow broke :'( but this was mainly my fault as I took it on the long car journey from where I live to Somerset without really protecting it. So as long as you take care of them, they're fine! They cost £4 each which I think is a complete bargain for a duo that has so much product in and is such good quality. These are available in Monsoon Accessorize and in some Superdrug store's.

Laurel xoxo

Sorry I have not posted in a while but I have had all my exams and last days of school. Today was my last day ever! 

John Freida Healthy Attitude Nourishing Spray

Now and then the ends of my hair start to feel and look a bit shabby. Time to whip out this bad boy! It turns my ends from dry and wispy to soft and smooth, and they smell good too. I end up using it once or twice a week depending on what I've been up to and it does a great job, making my hair light and tidy again. I don't recommend doing this every day as it will probably start to weigh your hair down buy it's perfect for when your hair needs an extra lift.

How I Use: 

I shampoo and condition my hair just s usual. Then I wrap my hair in a towel and let it dry for about 10 mins.  I have quite long hair so if your hair dries quicker you won't need to leave as long, just until it's damp rather than dripping. I remove the towel and part my hair into two sections. I then spritz some John Frieda Healthy Attitude Nourishing Spray into the plam of my hand and start to comb it through the first section of my hair whilst drying with a hairdryer. I do the same to the other half of my hair and then finish drying. 

How to pump up your room ready for Spring!

I know it may seem a bit early... especially as there was SNOW here only a day ago (!) but today the sun peeked through the clouds and my preperation for Spring is well and truly in motion! 

First things first, change your bedsheets! It can be a chore but it will make such a difference to your room and who can resist that freshly washed smell! Mine are from Ikea about five years ago so I doubt they are on the website but any floral or spring inspired duvet that gets you in the mood will do just fine! Take a peek at Ikea here or you can buy this and similar ones on ebay here 

Next. CANDLES! Sorry for the caps lock, but it does seem candles are all anyone talks about anymore! There are tonnes of gorgeous smells out there by heaps of brands so finding that perfect spring candle can be a bit of a chore. However, you have me. ;) hehe. In all seriousness though, this candle is the bomb! It smells like sweet strawberrys and as Spring/Summer is a time of strawberry picking it's just perfect for me. This is from the Candle Orchard in London Covent Garden. There are lots of other smells there and I think all of them (I'm preeeety sure there's only one size) are £11.50. Somewhere around that anyway. Quite alot but they do smell amazing and last absolutely forever. I've been using this on and off since April. Enough said.

Now find a part of your room you want to transform! I chose to pimp my chest of draws area as it's manageable but also quite a central part of my room. Jazz it up with some bright bits and bobs to put a 'spring' in your step! See what I did there?

I found this gorgeus little notepad (padblocks.com) buried away in a draw from some long forgotten Christmas and couldn't beleive it. It's perfect for jotting down notes and pinning to my pinboard as the backing isn't sticky like a post-it. Instead they have a thin stripe of glue so you just peel them away and your ready. I didn't even mention the best part... just look at that design! I'm a sucker for watercoloury, sketch like patterns and these tea pots literaly make my day. I know it's sad but they do.

I also popped a pot of tissues up there as they had flowers on and made me think of Spring. Also I've had a bit of a runny nose recently. 

This is another Christmas gift (hence the Christmas design that you might just be able to see) but it was such a good jar and you can't waste a perfectly good jar! It has been re-born as my pins and paperclips holder. The bright colours are great for the season and it's super handy too!

If you don't have a pinboard I really recommend you get one. Not only are they great for jazzing up with pictures but they are a great place to put up things you need to do or remember. Mine was actually handmade by my amazing Auntie who does something arty for us every year. All you need is a cork board and some fabric to create one for yourself, it's really easy to do. You can buy them as well (obviously haha) so definately get one especially if, like me, you need reminders. 

Also on my dresser I have my pile of favourite books. (The reason Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson arn't there is because they are constantly being read by everyone in my family and if I had them all there the pile would probably topple over. I'm a sucker for fantasy. Sue me. ;D) These are books I have read recently and loved, so they have earned their place on the dresser. They are lovely and colourful too so I feel like they can be included in this hehe.

 From top to bottom they are: Urban Knits; Quidditch Through The Ages; The Perks of Being A Wallfolwer; The Road Less Travelled; It's Kind of A Funny Story; Breakfast at Tiffany's; The Picture of Dorien Gray; Grimm Tales. Phew, that's a lot! Links on all of the titles if you're interested. Right on top is a post-it book from Jack Wills and a notebook from Paperchase. 

The photo frame was a gift but there is an email on the back so here's that: tracy.carpenter@btinternet.com

I have a border of photographs from a disposable camera along one wall. It's not finished yet but it's coming along nicely and I really love it. It's especially nice around now because it's almost time for our annual holiday to Cornwall and most of the photos at the moment are of last year.

Last but not least, change your desktop background. A super easy change that'll add Spring to your gadgets!

That's all from me but I really hope you enjoyed this post. Bring on Spring!

What are you looking forward to most about Spring? How do you get your room in the mood? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Laurel x