Oxford Street Lush Haul!

So after a morning of excitement at the My Chocolate Bloggers event myself, Charlotte (with love, Lottie) Hannah (hannahtalks) and Hayley (the Glasgow Girl) decided to brave a London bus to Oxford Street and the newly opened Lush store!

I am a total sucker for anything Lush so you can understand why I would be so excited to go to the worlds biggest Lush store!

Like most Lush stores you can smell them before you see them and Oxford Street was no exception!
The new store features 3 floors of dreamy Lush products, some of which are exclusive to the Oxford Store and there's even a spa in the basement! What more could a girl ask for?

I decided to treat myself to some old favourites and some new beauties.

My fav picks were:

Think Pink - my trusty favourite and a gorgeous smelling bath bomb!

A French Kiss Bubble Bar - I love anything that is lavender scented and I hadn't discovered this one until my recent Lush trip ..I was so on love I bought 2! Lavender is perfect for when you're feeling a little stressed or finding it hard to sleep, it really is my go to for all of those long days!

Sunny Side Bubble Bar - this little beauty caught my eye is it's COVERED in gold glitter!! It also smells amazingly fruity making it perfect for summer!

MMMelting Marshmallow Moment Bubble Bar - this is also one of my favs I previously bought at the Lakeside store so I couldn't resist this little pink bar of floral bubbly-ness!

Now all that's left to decide ..is which to use first!

Younique 3D fibre mascara - does it actually work?

Does the Younique 3D fibre mascara actually work? That is the question everyone is asking - I have shared my experience with the product to help answer this question and any other questions you may have....

Anyone that has read my Trich post from a few months back will know that getting amazingly long and thick lashes is a bit of a challenge for me.

I'm happy to say that over the past month or so my Trich has died down and allowed me to grow my eyelashes back but they are still short and a long way off the huge, fluttering eyelashes I would love.

So I did some research on different mascaras/serums that would give me the results I longed for but many of them were pricey with no proven results. I started wearing false eyelashes every day in hopes that my eyelashes would look normal again but let's be honest putting fake eyelashes on every morning for work when you're still half asleep is no easy task so one day when I was scrolling though twitter I had seen the Younique 3D fibrelash mascara and thought I would give it a go!

At first I found it hard to get find honest reviews of the product as everyone who was posting reviews turned out to be a Younique presenter! So I thought to help other girls out there like me or just anyone wanting to try the product in general I would write an honest review.

The product features two different tubes in a cute little case - one is the tiny black fibres used to add length to lashes and black glue used for sticking fibres to the lashes.
First of all can I just make it clear that at first creating amazingly long lashes is not as easy as it's made out to be, this really is a case of practice makes perfect but doesn't mean it can't be done!
The black glue applicator looks like and can be applied like a normal mascara then the little fluffy fibres are brushed onto the glued lashes - here are some useful tips for getting perfect luscious lashes:

- The glue dries extremely quickly so ensure you have the fibres tube already unscrewed and ready to use as soon as you have applied glue, this also helps avoid clumps.

- Trying to glue/brush on fibres to your all of your lashes on one eye can be messy and create clumpy lashes that are stuck together. Work on a few eyelashes at a time to keep lashes separated and looking longer.

- Once a row on lashes has been glued and the fibres added apply a layer of mascara, even if you're planning on adding another layer, to prevent rogue fibres falling into your eyes - they are extremely irritating and almost impossible to get out!

- When applying mascara wait at least 2 minutes to make sure the glue and fibres are dry to stop the mascara pulling the fibres back off. Apply mascara lightly to ensure fibres aren't pulled off or moved.

- Use tweezers to delicately separate any lashes stuck together. Do this while the glue is still relatively wet.

- When filling in areas with shorter lashes (I have to do this a lot) focus on those areas first until they reach the length of the normal lashes then start to apply the glue/fibres in sections as normal.

- To achieve the best results I personally use at least 2/3 coats of glue/fibres/mascara (in that order) for beautifully long lashes. I find any more that this can cause lashes to touch under my brows and cause the lashes to bend.

- Have patience! It may seem a tad difficult at first but it does get easier with every use!

Over all once I had practised the art if applying the 3D mascara I am happy to say it's not an over hyped product that fails to deliver and that it REALLY DOES WORK! I will definitely continue to use this product in the future and would recommend to any girl looking to achieve long, natural looking lashes.

I hope I have been able to answer your questions about the 3D mascara but if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask :)

Thanks for reading xx

How to get the perfect tan

Being an Essex girl I love to be tanned even in the Autumn/Winter months but getting that beautiful bronze skin is easier said than done especially when you live in cold, rainy England.

Us English girls cursed with ghosty complexions have to find alternative ways of catch a tan when sunning it up on the beach isn't an option.

There are various ways one can achieve the bronzed babe look from sunbeds and fake tan to more extreme ways such as melanin injections.

Sunbeds and injections carry with them a whole host of dangerous side effects from risks of skin cancer to possible infection - anyone who truly cared for their skin would run for the hills if offered either of these.

So what about fake tan? There are what seems like 1000s of fake tanning products available on the high street, in beauty salons and online these days ranging from rub on wash off gels, creams and wipes and gradual tan moisturisers to professional spray tans. Choosing fake tan can be a bit of a maze, especially for a tanning novice.

What will give the best results and won't cost the earth? Everyone's opinion is different but trying a few different inexpensive products that take your fancy is a good place to start.

Spray tans are also a great way to achieve a holiday glow when done properly but can become a bank breaker if you're having them done often like I do. At £15-£25 a pop for a few days of looking like a goddess the costs start to stack up.

After debating buying a pricey spray tanning machine and all of the equipment myself I stumbled across what I would describe as a god send.

A fake tan off the high street with the effects of a spray tan ..is this even possible? Apparently so!

I was shopping Primarks new PS beauty range in search of some new spring nail colours and a big pink bottle (I love pink!) caught my eye ..Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter. I had heard good things about this tanning range so decided to give it a go ..at £6 what did I have to loose?
I have been through hundreds of tanning products and spray tan brands and this is by far the best I have ever used!

It is applied as a mousse (use a tanning mitt to avoid tango hands) use a small amount of mousse for each section of your body eg feet, lower leg, thigh etc etc and ensure you have rubbed all tan in properly and evenly to avoid and streaks or pale patches, if need be get someone to check for you if you have missed any areas then leave for 1-3 hours and voilà! Fresh off the beach tan ready for your night out! For a light glow leave on for an hour then shower off and pat dry gently with a towel. For a deep tan I would suggest leaving it on over night and washing it off in the morning just like you would do with a spray tan - only do this if you like a medium/dark tan!

No more orange streaky messes here!

Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter - £6 Primark

My New Years Resolutions 2015

My New Years Resolutions 2015

So I never normally do the whole 'Resolutions' thing as all I ever seem to see is other people fail with theirs but after having not the best of years in 2014 I thought maybe it would give me some positivity and something to aim for!

After thinking about this for a good few days I have decided on 2 ..enough to keep me occupied but not too many that I lose the will to live!

My first resolution is to blog more! Having been an absolute fail on the amount of blog posts I've done in December (I only posted twice the whole month) and never posting as regularly as I would like to I have made this my number one resolution and I intend to stick to it as I have 10000 things to blog about! (Not literally but it feels that way)

My second resolution is to get fit. I know literally everyone says this every New Years and it gets very boring very quickly with 99% of these people are pigging out on McD's in front of the TV after two days as they have no motivation.
I have wanted to take up healthy eating and regular gym trips for over a month now but let's be honest ..Christmas is the worst time to do this! With constant parties, dinners and work do's it's near impossible to keep to a clean diet and find the time to exercise, so what better time to start than New Years! I will also be back on the Bootea weight loss teas as these were such a big success for me the first time! (Please see previous posts for details!)

I will post updates on my fitness challenge alongside my second Bootea experience and of course keep the blog posts on beauty and fashion coming too!

Wish me luck!

Sexy Mother Pucker Review

Every girl dreams of the perfect pout ..but few are daring enough to inject the lethal cocktail of chemicals into there lips, that are hit and miss at the best of times.

We ask ourselves, what can I do to get perfect pout?

So there are usually two common way to achieve this picture perfect pout - the first being the old layers of lip liner and gloss trick and the second being the miracle that is plumping lipgloss!

Plumping gloss is usually the easier option for girls on the go, being easy to apply and reapply in a few seconds, but which 'plumping' glosses really work?

I have had my eye on the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker for quite some time now but being a little pricey I had been hesitant purchase it in case it was a complete failure like other brands I have tried but honestly it may be one of best beauty products I've ever bought!

I chose the shade 'Candy Gloss' as it's a pale pink shimmer (my fav) and can be used on it's own for daily wear or over lipstick for an red carpet worthy evening look. I pair it with the MAC matte lipstick In the shade 'snob' but I will do a separate post for that one.

The Sexy Mother Pucker gloss can be applied like a normal stick gloss but the effects become clear quite quickly - within 30 seconds my lips were tingly and were noticeably plumper. The tingle is quite intense, which can be a little alarming at first but after roughly 10 minutes the tingle sensation dies done leaving you with the picture perfect pout you've always dreamed of.

I know some girls are put off by the 'tingle' but I beg all you girls that are worried to be persistent for 10 short minutes to see for yourselves the amazing effects off this lipgloss and I can promise you will never use a normal gloss again!

The Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker plumping gloss can be purchased in makeup stores in both the UK and the US and is also available online.

Thank you for reading and please leave comments and share! Much appreciated ❤️

Sexy Mother Pucker in Candy Gloss

Before using the plumping gloss 

10 minutes after use 

Beauty Buys of America

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while, packing for a holiday really does take up all your time!

But .. I'm finally here, across the pond in Florida!

Even though I've only been here a few days I'm already drooling over all makeup brands out here that we don't have at home like Covergirl, Wet'n'Wild and my favourite NYX.

So I thought I would do a little blog on my favourite American beauty buys so far!

First up is the Wet'n'Wild 5x megaplump mascara at the 'value for money' end of the beauty spectrum - being so well priced (at 3.97$ to be exact) I wasn't sure what to expect, I've always had good experiences when using the Wet'n'Wild brand so decided to put this mascara to the test!
I can safely say it did not disappoint, especially for a cheaper drugstore brand. The brush is a perfect thickness for capturing both long and short lashes without leaving clumps, keeping the lashes separated while adding extra length and volume. Even when using the mascara on my bottom lashes where things tend to get messy, it worked like a dream.
I would suggest using two coats as this adds to the length and makes the lashes look extra dark without looking extra clumpy! I would recommend this product to all of my blog readers.

The second product I would love to share with you guys is the NYX Set it Don't Fret It matte finishing powder.
I Love NYX products but the can be difficult to get your hands on in the UK with some products only being available in the US so I jumped at the chance of a few cheeky NYX purchases while in Target of all places!
In this post I would like to share my review on the matte finishing powder - my makeup daily makeup routine usually consists of a little concealer, liquid foundation, finishing powder to set the concealer and foundation then blush/bronzer and to finish -mascara and sometimes eyeliner if I have the time!
I have always had trouble finding a finishing powder that will cover the foundation without making my face look orange! I have tried what seems like hundreds of different powders, all of which have the same outcome - an awful orange face!
I've read some reviews on the NYX powder and thought I should give it a go as it is praised all over the internet.
The product is a superfine translucent powder that can be applied easily with powder/kabuki brush - tip a little powder into the product lid to make sure you don't end up a mountain of powder going to waste, then dab the brush lightly into the powder in the lid, you only want a tiny amount on the brush to avoid the powder caking over your makeup or flicking the powder all over the place (I learnt that the hard way) then softly brush the powder over your face, avoid applying pressure as this can brush away foundation and give it a streaky look.

I would suggest this powder is more something you would use as well as foundation/concealer, as coverage is quite minimal and will not cover any blemishes, although if you're lucky enough to have perfectly clear skin and are just looking for a light powder to reduce any shiny patches then this product is also ideal.
So if you're tired of orange, cakey powders I would definitely recommend the NYX Set It Don't Fret It Matte powder - available in various stores in the US and available online for the UK and other counties.

I hope you enjoyed my little reviews of beauty products from across the pond! Comment below ❤️

Wet'n'Wild Megaplump Mascara 

NYX Set It & Don't Fret It Matte Finishing Powder

Here I have used both products :)