Soap & Glory Collection

Hi everyone! So I don't know if anyone else has this problem (not sure if it is a problem at all really) but I always get so much bath stuff at Christmas from friends and family that months later I still have the biggest amount of unused stuff ever! It is good because it keeps me going but the clutter in my room is getting insane. I thought I'd do a post on a brand that I get gifted for Christmas every year because people know I love it and that is Soap & Glory. I got given the Hattie Stewart limited edition gift set off my Mum so I thought I'd talk about that in this post and share the little stash I have going.

It's so shameful that the picture isn't even all of it but I use the box to keep the bulky bigger products in so they aren't making too much clutter. I really need to start working my way through it but I have so many other things that I'm using too! I didn't want to cover all of it as it would just go on forever so I picked out my favourite things to share with you!

To start with my two absolute favourites from this set are both body washes, my number one being the Whipped Clean shower butter. This seriously smells amazing, it reminds me of cookies or baked goods it almost makes me not want to use it since I think it's limited edition and I don't want to run out! It leaves your skin feeling so soft but the smell is 100% the best part and if you can get your hands on it then get it! The other body wash I love is Orangeasm, it smells so fresh and citrusy and I love the pump on it, I always prefer this to a squeezy tube, not sure why I just like it! I always feel so fresh after using this and it really does smell like oranges.

Some other products I love are the Sugar Crush body scrub and the Heel Genius foot cream. The body scrub is another citrus product which I love the smell of and I have the issue of dry skin especially on my legs so it's really nice to apply before a moisturising lotion to get rid of the excess dry skin. The foot cream I just love because I have an obsession with keeping my feet nice. who really wants disgusting feet? Also I love foot massages because I'm on my feet a lot at work so I force my boyfriend to give me them (he doesn't appreciate it) and making him use this, so if you want a foot massage or nice soft feet this is for you haha! 

I thought I'd put these smaller products in here as well that I love, the Off Your Face wipes are so good when you've got dry skin like me because they're exfoliating, the only issue I have is the scent. I do normally prefer scented products I know some people don't but this doesn't really work for me, it's lavender scented and I just don't really like it, but it helps with my dry skin so it's good for me! Hand Food is a really cute travel sized hand cream you can stick in your bag and it smells amazing! It's so hydrating but not too greasy. I also thought I'd add in the Thick & Fast mascara and the Sexy Mother Pucker lipgloss that came in this set. These aren't something I would normally buy however as they came in the set as a gift I thought I'd give them a go and I do like them. They are good if you are travelling somewhere or to pop in your bag however they aren't staples in my makeup kit. I know you can buy them individually though so if you are after something more affordable then I'd recommend them! Let me know in the comments your favourite Soap & Glory products xxx

April Beauty & Clothing Haul

Hi everyone! I thought I'd do a haul on a few of the things I've gathered over the last month. There's a lot of hair care stuff for some reason, definitely sub consciously trying to solve my hair problems, I also got it cut for the first time in 4 years (it's a long story) a couple of weeks ago so I'm still adjusting!

I'll start with the beauty products first:

1. Bed Head TIGI Elasticate shampoo. This is literally the biggest shampoo bottle ever! I bought it from TK Maxx where they had it discounted from £19,99 to £12.99 I think it was and I always buy strengthening shampoo since my hair is so damaged and I know this bottle will last me a really long time.

2. Bumble and Bumble Mending shampoo. This was definitely a luxury purchase but I had heard so many good things about this brand and in a lot of the Boots stores near me they have been getting counters for Bumble and Bumble so I thought I'd give it a try.

3. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, I've done a first impressions post on this foundation so if you want to know more about it then give this a read!

4. Bumble and Bumble All Style blow dry, I got this as a free sample when I bought some other products so I thought I'd include this, by the way it is the most amazing smelling hair care product ever!

5. Bumble and Bumble Thickening Serum, Thin hair is literally the bane of my life so I was talking to the woman who worked at the Bumble and Bumble counter so told me it creates the illusion of thick hair so I was sold!

6. Nip + Fab Dark Spot Corrector. I got this discounted from TK Maxx as well down to £4.99 which was really good, I've got slight red pigmentation on my cheeks and across the bottom of my cheeks so I thought I'd try this to see if it can calm it down.

7. MAC Lip Pencil in the shade Whirl, This had been out of stock for ages on the website and when it finally came back in I had to try, I've never actually used lip liner before this but I love the colour and even the smallest amount can make your lips fuller.

8. MAC Lipstick in Velvet Teddy. Again this had been out of stock for ages so when I was finally able to get my hands on it I did, I actually bought Whirl to go with this since everyone is raving about them together.

I bought some clothing stuff as well so I will picture that below.

1. Havianas Flip Flops. This might seem like a really weird purchase considering it is only April but I have been dying to get these exact Havianas for my holiday in June for so long and then I finally found them at their Carnaby Street store! I literally live in flip flops during the day on holiday and I normally just get really cheap ones and throw them away at the end of the holiday but I've wanted the navy blue havianas for a while and everywhere near me that sold them didn't have them in a size 4 but I finally got them! They are now being put away until June but I can't wait to wear them (comfiest flip flops ever).

2. Topshop Strappy Scallop Stripe Sundress. I got this as I thought it will be so cute for summer, just a quick outfit to throw on to wear with converse or sandals and it was only £24 which I think is really good for Topshop.

3. Topshop Little Mermaid Pajamas. I absolutely love the Little Mermaid it's one of my favourite Disney films so when I saw these in Topshop I had to get them. Plus I have a weird thing where I can only wear pjs that are t-shirt ones, long sleeves or vests is a no go! 

Thank you for reading!xxx 

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation First Impressions & Review

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while I've been so swamped with uni work but I thought I'd do a post on the new foundation I got while I was in London last weekend. I had ran out of my Estee Lauder Double Wear and I was so torn over whether to get another long wearing foundation as I think they're good to have and at the same time I thought I've got dry skin I may as well get one that is going to make me feel better long wearing or not! I went to Selfridges in London (the makeup hall is literally heaven) and at first I was thinking about getting the new Nars long wearing foundation but I had heard so many amazing things about the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation I just forgot about the whole long wearing thing and went for something to suit my dry skin!

I got colour matched while I was there because I feel like my skin tone is a nightmare to find a perfect match (pale but not at the same time if you get me?) and the shop assistant working there matched me to the shade 5. I didn't have the chance to try it until the next day but when I did I definitely agree with everything the website claims it to be!

First of all it comes with a pump (!!!) I feel like a high end foundation with a pump these days is sho hard to come by, it bothers me so much because you're already spending enough so you should at least get a pump! It's described as having a weightless silky texture which I agree with, it is better for people with dry skin I'd say however it still isn't full on dewy. I actually thought it would be a lot more dewy than it was, I'd say it was 70% dewy and 30%  matte, but it still gives off the luminous glow that it describes. The silk description is dead on, once applied if you run your fingers over it it does feel so silky, which to be normally makes my skin feel dry but it doesn't it's so strange the finish it gives but I love it! It is quite a runny foundation, I knew this before I applied it because the woman at the counter told me always shake it before use similar to Vitalumiere Aqua, but I always prefer a more watery foundation anyway.

Coverage is definitely light to medium, very buildable I put on another pump on areas that I needed more coverage and whilst it doesn't cover everything, for example concealer is still needed on blemishes it isn't sheer. It does have a slight scent, quite hard to describe but I always prefer this in foundations anyway but it isn't full on so for anyone who doesn't like scented products I still don't think you will be too bothered about this. 

So for anyone looking for a glowy foundation that isn't full on dewy I would definitely recommend this! Also for anyone who has to deal with dry skin like me you won't have any issues with this, obviously this is a really pricey foundation at £36.50, that's why I was so undecided but it does do what it describes and if you are after a nice luxurious foundation then this could be for you. However I do think if it is out of your price range you shouldn't spend ages saving up for it because it isn't a miracle worker and I think you could find something a bit cheaper that has a similar effect. This was a treat for me however and I do think it is worth the money so if you are interested in this I hope this post helped you out! 

Thank you for reading and I will be posting much more frequently very soon! Let me know what your thoughts are on this foundation in the comments!xxx

Benefit High Beam VS Nars Illuminator Copacabana

Hi everyone! Thought I'd do a post on two highlighters that I have which I actually feel are very similar to each other, Benefit High Beam and Nars Illuminator in the shade Copacabana and my personal preference out of the two.

 High Beam retails at £19.50 compared to Nars at £23 so slightly cheaper however both are still more high end luxury products therefore I felt like a post comparing the two would be helpful for people who are stuck on the highlighter for them rather than wasting your money. The swatch picture below shows how similar these two products are, Nars Illuminator is on the left and High Beam is on the right. 

Starting with High Beam I've had this product for a while now and I do use it quite regularly when I want a more natural dewy glow compared to when I want a more intense look. It goes on nice and is easy to blend, it is quite sheer when you blend it so it does come across as really subtle. I feel like you have to be careful however it can come out a bit messy if you aren't careful and look like splodges on your face if not applied correctly. The picture below is High Beam along my temple down just under my eye. As you can see it leaves a pinky glow definitely not too intense and it looks really pretty in natural light,

I think the main difference between the two products is that Nars Illuminator comes out much more metallic, it has a lot more of a shimmer in the product so a little definitely goes a long way as you can come out looking a bit too sparkly if you aren't careful. In my opinion it does stand out a bit more than High Beam, I think it's better if you want a less natural look, I tested this product on the other side of my face which you can see in the picture below. You can see it definitely shows up more than High Beam, and it gives a more reflective glow which is nice.

In my opinion however I think out of the two I am more inclined to use High Beam, they are so similar to me but I love the natural glow that High Beam gives however if I was doing something more exciting like a nigh out then I would be more likely to use Copacabana. The main issue I have with this product however is that it is very metallic and you need to be really careful when you apply. Since I am such a fan of the natural look I definitely do use High Beam more, at £19,50 it is quite a lot for a highlighter but worth it because you can get so much use out of it and it works with a lot of looks. Thanks for reading and let me know in the comments what your thoughts are and whether you have any of the other Nars Illuminator shades!xxx

Illamasqua Gel Sculpt Silhouette First Impressions & Review

Hi everyone! Last week I saw that Illamasqua had released a new product, their gel sculpt which is in three shades, silhouette, charm and fluster. Silhouette was described as a universal skin tone contour product and it claims to be 'a unique contouring gel that offers subtle definition to the cheeks with ease'. I saw a lot of people raving about it and I'm keen to get better at contouring so I thought I'd give it a try so I ordered it and it arrived today! 

The deep colour of this shade is quite intimidating at first and when I swatched it on my hand (picture below) I was a bit unsure but once blended it creates the most natural shadow on your face.

 It looks a little crazy like mud here but as I said when its blended it is like you've got a shadow down your cheek bone I was so impressed with it! It's great for a really natural contour as it is quite sheer but it is buildable if you want a more intense look. I also love it because I'm definitely not an expert at contouring, I've got the Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kit and I still find this more difficult to use, I can't seem to get it exactly right and I feel like it looks a bit full on sometimes but this makes it so easy to get a really nice defined structure to your face, so if you find contouring a bit tricky and intimidating like me then this is perfect for you! I feel like the best thing about it is that it doesn't look like you're just amazing at makeup it really does just look like that's how your bone structure is which to me is such a good quality. 

It is described as a cooling gel product which I would definitely agree with, it feels really refreshing and light on the skin and not cakey at all. It does have a scent to it which smells so good and I actually do prefer scented products however I know a lot of people don't like when products are scented but it isn't full on, just a nice refreshing smell. 

If you are looking for a really dramatic contour then maybe this isn't for you however if you love a natural sculpted look that's really simple to achieve then I would definitely recommend it, this product will allow me to contour daily without taking up lots of time and it's also really simple. I looked on Illamasqua's YouTube channel and they posted a video on the colours and tips on how to apply, they have a really good technique that they call 'heart of the hand' where you use the base of your hand under your thumb to apply the product onto your cheekbones, it sounds complicated but if you take a look at the video (I will link below) it's really simple and quick! If you prefer a different way to apply then there is lots of other techniques but I do find this way quite easy when you are first trying out a product. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YjuVKtYL5M - Illamasqua's video on how to apply the product.

Overall I would definitely recommend this product, it is priced at £22 on the Illamasqua website which isn't cheap however a good investment if you plan to use it a lot and to me it really is worth the money. Thank you for reading and I hope this gave you good insight onto this product, let me know in the comments what you think of this product!xxx