The best mascara | Maybelline Rocket Volume

Hi everyone!

Today I thought I would tell you about the most amazing mascara I have ever used, the Maybelline Rocket Volume. I'm now on my fourth tube of this because it honestly is my perfect mascara; if you want heaps of volume with no clumping this is the one.

I've been wearing this for months now, but just before Christmas I got the Benefit They're Real mascara and was using that. I thought it was amazing and loved it but after trialling both for a good while, the Rocket Volume definitely wins for me. I'm so glad to be back to this mascara and will be continuing to use it for a long while I'm sure.

I've tried mascaras from all different brands and prices and never found anything that I completely fell in love with. My last mascara love was mixing the Natural Collection LashBuild mascara with Maybelline Colossal. I liked the NC formula with the maybelline brush, but doing this was wearing thin and becoming kind of annoying. It also didn't last as long as I'd have liked, despite loving the look it gave.

Until one lucky day when I forgot to bring my mascara to work, when I was going out straight from there. At the time, I of course did not see this as lucky and was having a bit of a panic when my friend let me borrow her mascara, the Maybelline Rocket Volume. I applied one coat on top of my existing mascara and it was love. It looked like I had fake lashes on and completely transformed my look.

I have had so many people think I'm wearing false lashes when wearing this mascara. In the day time, I will wear 2 coats, as shown in the photos above. However for nights out I'll add an extra coat or two and it adds incredible volume with zero clumps. This is the product which has allowed me to feel comfortable on nights out without fake lashes, I never used to go on nights out without false lashes. In the above photos, I would say my lashes look slightly messy and more natural, but I find it really easy to make them look really neat and more perfect, like a good pair of falsies would do.

I don't have crazy long lashes, but they are fairly long so I can't really comment on it's lengthening properties. It does lengthen my lashes, but I can't compare it to other mascaras as I've never particularly tried to lengthen my lashes.

I'm also going to make a quick comment on the packaging, because I really do like it. Packaging is never really something I talk about too much as I'm more interested in the product itself. (Unless it's totally gorgeous, think YSL lipsticks..) However, I'm just going to quickly say that I love the fact that it is a kind of stream lined rocket shape. Simple things, simple things... I love the colours and just think it's designed really well, it's super easy to hold and use and I love the brush.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, go and buy this mascara!! It is definitely now a holy grail item for me and I could not live without it. I honestly urge you to try it, for £7.99 it's absolutely worth a go and if you like a good fat lash look like me you'll be in mascara heaven. Mine is now coming to an end so I'll be popping out tomorrow for my fifth tube.

Let me know if you've tried this mascara, I'd love to know what you think! Do you like it? Would you like to try it?

Emily xxx

Valentines Day outfit ideas | Missguided

Hi everyone!

I originally planned on forming outfits with items from different shops, but on my first stop at Missguided, I realised they actually had everything I needed. They had so much lovely stuff to choose from I decided to make these outfits purely from Missguided items. 

Now I will not actually be celebrating Valentines Day, I'll no doubt be working or sitting at home with my pretend boyfriend Dairy Milk. All the single ladies, put your hands up. Never the less, I thought it would be fun to put together a few outfits that would be perfect for Valentines Day, unless you're having a picnic in the park. Then you may want something a bit warmer.

Emily xxx

What's your skintone? | How to find out

Hi everyone!

Today I've teamed up with House of Fraser to bring you some tips on how to figure out your skin tone and what shades will suit you best. Being as pale as I am, it's quite a battle to find a foundation to suit my skin tone. I find it hard enough to find a formula I like in the first place, let alone finding a good formula that caters for casper the ghost skin types like me. If i'm lucky enough to find a great formula that is available in a light enough shade, I also have to think about if it's pink or yellow toned. 

For years upon years I found it hard to understand skin tones (warm, cool, neutral) and never knew how to figure out which one I fitted in to. To be honest I still do find it a bit confusing and hard to tell which undertones someone has and which category they fit into. I finally discovered that I'm cool toned when I got foundation matched at Estee Lauder, which means I suit a foundation with pink undertones. 

Now, don't mistake knowing what tone I am for understanding it. I still don't get it. Bad beauty blogger over here. I could stare at my skin all day and not get whether it's pink or yellow or cool or warm or neutral. And I'm sure I'm not the only one, so carry on reading for these great tips I've kindly been provided with which make it super easy to figure out which one you are.

''What’s your skintone?

Finding the right foundation to fit our skintone can seem like an endless battle, not to mention picking out the perfect makeup palette to suit us perfectly! So to help you lovely readers on your beauty quest, we have come up with some beauty tips for identifying your skintone and what shades will help to bring out each feature!

First of all, to help ensure you are choosing the right foundation and shade, you can do a simple DIY test to see what your natural skintone is. If you look at the veins on the inside of your wrist you will notice that they are a particular colour. If they appear blue then you have a cool skintone and if they are a greener shade then you are warm toned. Don’t worry if you think you have a mix between both, this means that you have a neutral skintone, which is arguably the most versatile!

Once you’ve identified your underlying colour, you can then find makeup shades that suit you best!

Warm
Those with warm undertones (aka greeny veins) tend to have brown, hazel or green eyes with brown or red hair. Although, this isn’t to say that blonds can’t also be warm toned! The shades we recommend are warm and earthy shades such as bronze and brown with a yellow based foundation and a peachy toned blush. 

Cool
Those with a cool undertone tend to have blue, grey green or black eyes. They can have blonde, dark brown or black hair that suit jewel coloured makeup shades. They also suit a pink based foundation and blusher to bring out a rosy glowing colour. Again, this can vary between the individual so don’t fret if you don’t fit into this description!

Neutral
If your vein test proved inconclusive and you have a mixture between blue and green undertones, this can actually work to your advantage! A neutral skintone is the most versatile as you suit both the shades of warm and cool, giving you the best of both worlds. Also, you could have a mixture between any hair and eye colour!

Although, you may experience difficulty in finding a foundation that has the right undertone to suit. As this can vary between each neutral toned individual, it is best to seek advice from an expert at a makeup counter. Or if you want to have a play around then you can start mixing foundations to find the perfect finish for your skin!

So if you’re warm, cool or one of the lucky few with neutral, there’s a whole range of shades out there to suit you!''

For reference, my veins appear blue, indicating that I'm cool toned which is correct. I also fit perfectly into the above description under cool toned. I was amazed by this as I've never heard of such a simple test to figure out which skin tone you are and it really did work. I hope it worked for you and if you were clueless like me, you've now got more of an idea about skin tone and what will work for you!

Still don't know? Pop to a beauty counter like I did and they'll be happy to find out for you and help you find the right foundation for you. I use the Estee Lauder Double-Wear foundation in the shade 1C1 'Shell' which I think is the very palest shade and as indicated by the C, is for cool toned skins like me.

 I hope you found this helpful, I certainly did so I'm so glad I have this to share with you!

Emily xxx

V05 instant oomph powder

Hi everyone!

Now it's not often I write a negative review as I do like to be positive, but I also feel that it's just as important to warn you of the not so wonderful products as well as raving about the good ones.

I was really excited to buy this product after hearing lots of good things about it and also similar types of products. I couldn't wait to use it and when I first applied it I did think 'wow'. I only had to use a tiny bit in my hair and when I rubbed it in it went invisible whilst giving me tonnes of volume. So you're probably wondering why I really don't like it right?

This stuff makes your hair feel absolutely horrible. Where I had applied this in my roots felt dry, stiff and hard whilst also kind of sticky/tacky. Very hard to explain, but basically the worst my hair has ever felt. It was virtually impossible to put my fingers through my hair and a nightmare to brush out. If I had then wanted to tie my hair back or put half of it up, I would not have been able to pull it in any other direction.

For the amount of volume it gave me, I would have been able to look past this and dealt with not being able to move my hair until I washed it the next day. If only the effects actually lasted for at least half the night. I used this for a night out clubbing, I'd curled my hair and wanted some volume in the roots. I always do my hair after my make up, so somewhere between finishing my hair and getting dressed ready to leave, all that volume completely went missing. It lasted about ten minutes, even with a bit of backcombing and my favourite hair spray. I had turned my hair into what felt like candy floss gone hard, for no reason what so ever.

So on I went with my night out with flat hair that felt gross. I feel like all those good things I'd heard about this had been based on first impressions, as mine were actually very good. However, once tested properly this product is a complete regret. The silver lining being that it isn't an expensive product, phew!

So, sorry for a negative review and a bit of a rant but it really is a terrible product and I felt the need to keep you away from spending your money on it this pay day! Money that could be better spend on those big bags of mini eggs that have recently hit the shelves for Easter. Mmmmm.

Emily xxx

MAC Viva Glam Nicki lipstick

This picture does NOT represent the colour at all, I have only included this to show the texture, finish etc.

Hi everyone! 

I've actually had this lipstick a while now, however I've put off reviewing it because I can never capture the colour on camera. So please, please bear in mind that the photo above does not show the colour. I've included it in the post as I thought it would be helpful to see the the other qualities of the lipstick. It's much more similar to the other photos of the actual lipstick and of the swatch on my arm, however I would say it is brighter and slightly fleuroscent. It is a very 'Barbie' pink.

I'd say this isn't the easiest lipstick to wear thanks to the colour, but for a night out paired with the right outfit and make up I love it! I personally think it's a lipstick that makes your teeth look less white than they are but when I wore this on a night out, apparently my teeth were glowing haha! But you definitely need fairly white teeth to wear this. On the outfit front, I'd say you need to be careful with what you wear this with to avoid looking trashy and I'd also be careful with the make up, no other bright colours! I put this on for 'Glam rock' fancy dress paired with blue eyeshadow and it made me look quite like a porn star.. Not the look I was going for, hence changing it to 'Impassioned'.

Glam Rock fancy dress - this shows the colour perfectly!

Moving on to formula, it's amazingly pigmented, super creamy and has great staying power. It glides on to the lips with ease and there's no need to build up the colour, a quick swipe and you're good to go. I don't find it drying at all, it's super moisturising considering how well it stays put. It's a satin formula so I don't find it as pigmented or long lasting as a matte or amplified lipstick, but it is still pretty damn good.

If you're not afraid of the colour and you love a bold lip, this is great! It is one of my less worn lipsticks for that reason, however I love wearing it and feel great when I do. Yet again, another amazing lipstick from MAC! They never let me down and if you haven't tried a MAC lipstick please give one a go! My other favourite shades are Russian Red, Impassioned and Please me.

What's your favourite MAC lipstick? Always room for one more ;)

Emily xxx

Please check out my brand new YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4MPeiDaqxEnsGh5X3_z47w

ASOS new in picks

Hi everyone!

I've been spending my Sunday morning relaxing and having a browse through ASOS and decided I simply have to show you some of my favourite things from their new in section because I am loving it. I have actually put my self on a spending ban in a bid to save some money for holidays and general life savings but who says I can't have a look. Although it may end up in a break of the spending ban, because if you know me well you will know I can not hold up a spending ban. Expect a haul in the next two weeks.

Above are my six favourite items which can all be found in the new in section. I love the v-neck on the fluffy jumper, makes a nice change to the typical round neck you can find everywhere else. The blouse is just super cool, almost as cool as the floral print jumper. The grey items are simple basics but I love styling up simple things and grey is one of my favourite colours to wear. Along with black and white, which leads me onto the amazing striped dress. I have another black and white striped dress and it's one of my favourite things to wear. So obviously I need an even cooler back up version.

If you're not on a spending ban like me and still have a few pounds left from Christmas, I suggest you hop on over to ASOS and buy something that will make you feel amazing.

Emily xxx

Christmas haul | New video

Hi everyone!

If you'd like to see what I got for Christmas and what I bought around/after Christmas check out my new video over on YouTube! It's my second ever video so I'd really, really appreciate it if you'd like and subscribe if you like my videos and want to see more! :) 

Emily xxx

My favourite moisturiser

I am so, so glad I have found this moisturiser or 'day cream'. I had never heard about it, never seen it before and wasn't planning on buying it. I was using the Clarins Daily Energizer cream but I had completely scraped out every last bit before I had a chance to get to John Lewis. I needed something to use meanwhile so when in Asda, I picked up 'any old cream' that didn't cost too much to use for a few days until I could repurchase my beloved Clarins cream.

Little did I know, this £5 cream would impress so much it has permanently replaced Clarins. First off, I love the smell of this, it's not too strong or overpowering and just has a subtle, natural scent which doesn't make me worried to put it on my face. It sinks in immediately and a little goes a long, long way. As you can see in the above photo, I still have about half left and I purchased this about 3 months ago. Compared to the one month my Clarins lasted me, for a quarter of the price? Amazing!

The main reason for my love of this cream, is simply that it agrees with my skin perfectly. I do have sensitive skin, so the fact that this is 95% natural is a huge plus for products I'll be applying to my face. I've always had red cheeks, however since using this the redness has reduced so much. It completely soothes my skin and makes it look and feel so fresh. My skins texture and redness has improved a lot since using this so I think I've found a little gem here.

It's always the the unexpected products that impress you the most right?! If you're on the look out for a new moisturiser, I would definitely recommend trying this one. Considering the price, you've really got nothing to lose!

Nivea Pure & Natural day cream | £5.34 Boots (currently on offer for £2.67!)

Emily xxx

YOUTUBE!

Hi everyone!

If you hadn't guessed by the title of this post, I have finally thrown my fears aside and started YouTube. New year and all that haha. I've wanted to do it for so long but I was too scared and also my camera was only good enough for photos really. Now I have a new camera I decided to just go for it and despite being in the 'this is really awkward talking to a camera' stage, I'm loving it.

I would love it if you could check out my first video and if you like it please, please subscribe! 

Emily xxx

Updated skincare routine

Hi guys!

So I thought I would do an updated skincare routine because it's had a total overhaul since my previous version of this post, which to be fair was quite a while ago. I also wanted to do it because I am really happy with skin at the minute, so it must be happy with these products! (touch wood!) It's a bit of a mixture with high street, high end and even prescription but I would definitely say it's affordable considering how long the products last. My favourite thing about this skincare routine is that it's so quick and easy for a lazy skincare girl like me!

First things first, I use the Garnier micellar solution on a few cotton pads (I particularly like the Boots ones!) to cleanse my face. In the morning i'll only use one to freshen up my face, night time i'll use maybe 3 or 4 depending on the amount of make up i'm wearing, including my eye make up. When I think I've got everything off, i'll go in with one more just to make doubly sure that every little bit of dirt has disappeared. This stuff is so gentle on my sensitive skin, even on my eyes which are ridiculously sensitive. Before this, I had only found one eye make up remover which wouldn't irritate my eyes.

Continuing on with night time, I'll then apply a thin layer of my Dalacin T lotion which is actually a prescription item. Obviously, this isn't readily available but if you have problems with your skin I urge you to ask your doctor for this as it completely resolved my skin issues. My skin was never that bad but I was unhappy with it and I also scar easily so every spot would scar me. This sorted me right out and whilst my skin is now fine, I like to use this still to prevent it from getting worse again. Again, this is super gentle and doesn't irritate my skin or give me any dryness what so ever.

If I can't be bothered to mess about and just want to be in bed, I'll then just apply my Nivea pure & natural moisturiser and that will be the end of my night time skin care routine. If I'm feeling motivated or fancy a bit of a treat I'll use Bio-oil to massage my face. I bought this after my spinal operation to use on my scar, but I never used it because I couldn't touch my scar and still can't. It just creeps me out and makes me feel all panicky and ugh, maybe one day. Facial massage is one of the most relaxing things ever, obviously more relaxing when someone else is doing it for you, but still relaxing done for yourself. I learnt this at college but i'm sure there must be tutorials on the internet. It's super relaxing and makes my skin look so bright and fresh the next day, I used this every night for a few weeks and my skin looked so much more fresh and awake. I need to get back into it! However I would not recommend applying this in the morning as it is an oil and you will look like a sweaty disco ball.

Moving back to morning skincare, after I've cleansed my face I use the Clarins Daily Energizer wake-up booster as a toner to remove any more dirt and brighten up my face, which I definitely think it does. I'm sure it actually makes me feel more awake as well! Oh and it smells amazing. I'll then apply a thin layer of my Dalacin T lotion and wait for it to sink in a bit.

Then comes another Clarins product, the Clarins eye contour gel. Sometimes my eyes can get red and a little sore and dry in the mornings if I'm really tired so I bought this in aid of that. As soon as I apply this they feel so much better and almost completely back to normal. Puffiness and redness is greatly reduced and I can totally hide a hangover. ;) Also lasts forever ever.

Last but not least, I'll finish off with my Nivea pure & natural moisturiser which I actually bought to use when I'd run out of my Clarins one, before I had chance to get to John Lewis for a new one. I'm SO glad I bought this because I actually prefer it and it is a loooot cheaper and lasts me a lot longer. I'll be doing a full review of this soon because I have a load of love for this one.

And that is my whole day and night skincare routine. Mornings, this will take me all of 3 minutes. Evenings, 5 minutes or 10 with a quick facial massage added in. This makes me very happy, finally a skincare routine that takes me no time at all, means I don't have to even leave my bedroom for a sink, doesn't cost me too much and has made my skin very happy. Yippee!

I hope you enjoyed this post and didn't get too bored with all that writing up there! Feel free to ask me any questions about any of these products in the comments, twitter or you can always drop me an email and keep an eye out for a review of the nivea moisturiser. If you're interested in the Garnier micellar solution, check out my review of the L'oreal one because I compared ingredients and they are exactly the same. The only reason I use the Garnier one is because it was bigger, cheaper and I prefer the bottle!

Emily xxx