My Cape Verde Holiday Experience

Hi everyone! If any of you have been reading my most recent posts you will know I have been on holiday, I've been away for two weeks and came back home on Tuesday and I am experiencing serious holiday blues! It's my first shift back at work on Saturday and I'm feeling very sad about it, never mind I am getting my university exam results tomorrow and I am so nervous I could cry!! I've definitely come back to reality with a bang but to make myself a bit happier I thought I'd do a post all about my holiday and how much I loved it!

Last year my boyfriend Matty and I went to Mexico on holiday and this year we really wanted another chill out all inclusive holiday and my aunty told us about Cape Verde, it's off the coast of West Africa, there is basically nothing there apart from amazing beaches and massive hotels that look like giant sandcastles so we had booked that last September with Thomson so we were waiting absolutely ages for it to come around! We had to fly from Manchester as the airport closest to us, Newcastle, doesn't fly to Cape Verde but it's an extra day on your holiday so it wasn't that bad. Matty didn't want to drive so we stopped over the night before we flew as we had a 9:15am flight and we stayed in the Radisson Blu Manchester airport hotel and it was amazing!! Couldn't put in to words how nice it was, the perfect place to go before you start your holiday. It even made me feel relaxed as I get so stressed before we go on holiday as I'm always panicking that I've forgotten something or worst of all, my suitcase with get lost. I am honestly so scared of it happening that I half and half all of me and my boyfriend's things into each suitcase, then if one gets lost you still have half your stuff (sad I know). Anyway we had a lovely night there and left the room about 6am to go and check in and chill out in duty free and have a look about. We boarded about 9am and the flight wasn't the best, Thomson have to use their smaller planes to go to Cape Verde as the airport is so small, meaning no entertainment on a 6 hour flight which made it quite boring. I bought the book 'Girl On A Train' and I was so bored I read the whole book on the flight there (that ruined my opportunity to read by the pool as I only brought the one book!). When you land though it is the craziest thing ever, literally looks like you are landing on Mars!

Sorry about the quality I just took this on my phone but you can see here how it actually looks like Mars, there is almost nothing there. Don't be fooled by the appearance though it is such a beautiful island and I will highlight this later with photos of where we stayed!

Anyway we got our transfer to our hotel the Riu Touareg and when it appears after literally driving through vast emptiness, there is a few goats roaming about and that's it this giant sandcastle hotel emerges out of nowhere it is so gorgeous! 

I didn't take this photo as I couldn't get a good one as we were driving up but you can see here how huge and pretty it is! It is such an amazing place to walk around you feel like you are in a Spanish town, they had this square where everything went on at night like the food and the entertainment and the architecture of the hotel is so gorgeous. The weather is perfect as well, it's around 26 - 29 degrees in June but there is a breeze all the time so you can sunbathe without feeling uncomfortable in the heat. We mostly just chilled the whole time we were there, we started going to the pool at first but all the really annoying people that go to the pool at like 7.30am were there as you couldn't reserve sunbeds and we started to get fed up of having to wake up so early just to get a sunbed so we went to the beach instead where there is always loads of them. Now I really am not a beach girl, I love the pool and I hate sand and how it gets everywhere and I don't go in the sea because I have always been scared of it after I watched Jaws when I was a kid but I was converted here! Seriously the most gorgeous beach ever, it's just soft sand, not that horrible sand with stones in that stabs your feet, just soft sand and in the sea there was no seaweed it was just so perfect! Also the waves were the biggest I've ever seen and I braved it and went in until I got wiped out by one and didn't venture in again after that! 

Matty on the beach on our first day there.

It really was the nicest chill out holiday, we sunbathed all day then went for food and watched the entertainment shows on the night, we had a couples massage in the spa as well. Anyone else think that massage time is the fastest in the world, just like a treadmill minute is really long, a 50 minute massage literally feels like 10 minutes because you're so relaxed! 

We always got a serious tan while we were there, so if anyone has any tips for prolonging a tan I'd love to know as mine fades so quickly and I need to keep it going as long as possible!

I'll put in some more pictures of totally random things, ignore the goofy ones we aren't good at taking nice pictures!

There was also cats everywhere and lots of kittens that the hotel feed I'm guessing as a form of pest control but this was my favourite thing ever as I love them and they would let you stroke them and I fell in love!

That's probably my favourite picture of the whole holiday even though we look like idiots! I'm so sad to be home I'm definitely missing the amazing weather and the little holiday bubble you get yourself into while you are away, not enjoying the real world now I'm back! I would definitely go back and would recommend to visit Cape Verde however bear in mind outside the hotel there is basically nothing to do as it is really underdeveloped however as tourism is increasing they are already working on developing the island. If you are into exploring and lots of adventure then it won't be for you but if you love chilling out in a gorgeous place then it's perfect! I hope you enjoyed reading this post as it's a little different from my usual stuff and a lot more about me, leave a comment on where you are going or have been on holiday even though it'll make me jealous! Thanks for reading xxx

Holiday Haul inc Triangl, Bare Minerals + Drug Store etc

Hi everyone! I'm going on holiday in 10 days as I write this (!!!) and I think one of the best things about going on holiday is being able to buy all those little things that you wouldn't normally let yourself buy, I've been using the "it's for holiday" excuse for about a month and a half now! So I went to the Metro Centre on Wednesday, for those of you who don't know it's a huge shopping centre near Newcastle and it takes my money off me everytime I go because I have 0 will power. Anyway I bought a whole load of stuff for my holiday that I'd like to share with you! Just keep scrolling for more pictures and info on the products pictured below and I'll put my new bikini at the bottom that I also just got delivered.

I have actually bought a whole load more than this clothes wise however I will be doing a 'what's in my suitcase' blog post before I leave where you will get to see all the new outfits I bought and am obsessed with!

I'll start with the Body Shop products, I'd heard so much about their vitamin E range from so many people so I thought I'd give it a try, especially the products in this range designed for dry skin.

1. Vitamin E Face Mist. It claims to give an instantly refreshing moisture boost and has rosewater in it to refresh. I love anything like this because it's quick and easy and ideal when you're out and about.

2. Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream. This is said to be for those with very dry skin, and it claims to continuously nourish, protect and lock in moisture. I've actually tried this one once already and so far so good! My nose is the biggest problem area for my dry skin and I put some on yesterday and it still feels quite soft now.

3. Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes. Claims it is a one-step cleansing and toning to remove make up, impurities and dead skin cells. This is for all skin types however I just wanted a fresh pack of wipes to take with me on holiday and this range in the Body Shop was actually on 3 for 2 so I picked this out as the free product.

1. Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue. I actually first saw this from one of Zoella's haul videos and I did some research on it and it sounded ideal for when you are on holiday, you've got a tan and you're skin looks nicer and it's also too hot to wear a higher coverage foundation. It is described as a tinted hydrating gel cream so more of a foundation than a tinted moisturiser but still very sheer. It's also apparently meant to be good for your skin as it is hydrating and has ingredients in it that energize skin. The woman who worked at the counter matched me in a darker shade than I am as I do tan a lot while I'm away, I will be posting a first impressions of this when I'm back so look out for that!

So I went a bit crazy with the lip products in Superdrug! Basically I am obsessed with liquid lipsticks and while I'm away with a tan I want to try more bold colours that I wouldn't normally wear now (constantly stick to pinks and nudes) and I'd been eyeing the Stila liquid lipsticks however they are priced at £15 each and I figured if I do get bright colours and don't like them then it is a waste of money. So I bought a few from Superdrug (aside from the MAC lipstick obviously) to see if I like them and they are all £3 each so if I don't like them then it doesn't matter.

From left to right

1. Makeup Revolution London Salvation Velvet Lip Lacquer in Keep Trying for You

2. Collection Cream Puff in Fairy Cake

3. Collection Cream Puff in Cotton Candy

4. Makeup Academy Whipped Velvet in Chichi

5. Makeup Academy Whipped Velvet in Ritzy

I also bought a lipstick from MAC as they had their MAC Is Beauty collection in the counter in the metro and I'd been eyeing this up for a while.

1. MAC Call The Hairdresser in Lustre finish

1. Gilette Venus & Olay razor. It's a bit weird to post your razor in a haul but I wanted to include it because Gilette's Venus range has been combined with Olay, this one has Olay moisture bars and a sugarberry scent, I also wanted to include it as they are half price in Superdrug and if anyone is like me and likes a fresh razor for holidays but they are obviously expensive then go to Superdrug and you will find loads of their products such as this on offer.

2. Topshop Sunglasses. I love these because I finally found sunglasses in this style that fit my face! They come with a free case, the ones in the shop I was at had holographic cases like the one I got in different colours and I got the pink one.

This is the one I'm most excited about by far! If any of you have read my previous post on Triangl bikinis then you know I'm obsessed with them, and about a week ago I was telling my boyfriend's mum about them as his sister wants one and I was like why don't I have a look on the website. Big mistake as they have their summer 2015 range out and they are amazing! They have a lot of new crochet style ones like the one I bought above. So being the sucker I am I had to order it as it was just too pretty! I couldn't get a very good picture of it so I put mine in anyway and I will put in the one of this bikini from the Triangl website:

I am in love with it, and it got delivered so quick! I ordered it either Saturday or Sunday and it came yesterday which was the Thursday. I love the crochet style and would recommend it to anyone they are perfect for the summer.

This has turned out to be the longest post ever, thank you if you sifted through the whole thing! Like I mentioned I will be posting a 'what's in my suitcase' post very soon so look out for that!xxx

MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance Dupe // Bourjois Happy Light Luminous Serum Primer

Hi everyone! I've been wanting to do this post for a while and I eventually got round to it, basically I've had the MAC Natural Radiance primer in the shade Radiant Pink for ages now and at first I wasn't loving it, considering it is expensive at  £29.50 so I was pretty disappointed. However as you do you go back to it a few weeks later and start to like it which I did! It is described on the website as a 'silky gel emulsion' that claims to give a 'beautiful glow'. I'm obsessed with a radiant glowy look and I think with a good foundation it does work really well. It has a bit of a mild glittery sheen to it (very mild!!) so if you don't like even a tiny amount of glitter then you won't like this but I don't mind it and I really like the feel of this primer on the skin and it does give you a nice glow. It's also great because you get 50ml in the bottle which is a lot and a little does go a long way so it lasts absolutely ages so if you are willing to pay the price it is a good investment. However I was in Superdrug recently and I saw the Bourjois Happy Light Luminous Serum primer which claimed to have a very similar effect and for £10.99 you can't really go wrong although it is in a smaller bottle and it has only 15ml which is a much smaller amount.

As you can see from the picture I have been using my Bourjois primer all the time and I'm nearly out so I may have to repurchase. Anyway I actually love the Bourjois primer as it's affordable and gives a really similar effect to the MAC primer, a nice healthy radiant glow and this one has no glitter in at all so a lot of people may prefer this down to that alone. 

In the swatches above the MAC primer is on the left and the Bourjois primer is on the right, you can see they are different in colour, whilst the Bourjois primer comes in one colour alone there is two shades for the MAC primer, radiant pink and radiant yellow, I have the shade radiant pink and I think this is the only shade that the Bourjois primer would work as a dupe for. The MAC product is lighter in colour whereas the Bourjois product is more peachy, however both are sheer so to me once blended into the skin there is no colour difference between the two. 

Again in the picture above MAC is on the left and Bourjois is on the right, you can see that when you begin to blend it there is a noticeable difference in consistency. I find the MAC primer a bit thicker and it rubs out quicker to be more invisible as you go on whereas the Bourjois primer is more watery. Once fully blended again they create a very similar radiant glow, I do find the MAC one is a bit better and I prefer the consistency but both do a very similar job. the Bourjois primer is a great dupe and it is much more affordable. I also find I'm reluctant to use my more expensive products on what I think are 'wasted days' for your make up, so if I am going to work or university and I still want to wear makeup but don't want to waste my more expensive makeup then products like this are great! 

I do think however it is really important to consider that although it is £29,50 for the MAC primer you do get 50ml whereas the Bourjois primer is £10.99 which is obviously a lot cheaper however you only get 15ml and you can see from the picture that I have nearly used all mine and haven't had it for too long whereas I've had the MAC primer for almost a year now and I've still got loads left! So it's definitely a factor that whilst the MAC primer seems more expensive off the bat it's definitely an investment as you will hardly ever have to repurchase. However if at the time you want something affordable then the Bourjois primer is great and I would definitely recommend. Hope you enjoyed reading this post, let me know in the comments any good dupes you've found I'm always looking for more!xxx

May Make Up Haul

Hi everyone! Sorry I've totally disappeared off the face of the Earth recently I've been so busy with exams and assignments but I finally made it to the end and I can not get excited for all the good plans I have this summer! I haven't gone too crazy this month with shopping as I honestly just haven't had the time at all but in between my last two exams I had a little spree to keep me going until I was done so I thought I'd do a little haul on what I got!

1. Benefit Fake Up hydrating crease-control concealer. I have been so excited to get this product, I was definitely influenced by the fact I was so tired all this month from all the work I've been doing that I had actual suitcases under my eyes. I use Nars Creamy Concealer most of the time but I've been having an issue with it creasing quite badly so I thought I'd give this a try and see how it goes!

2. Stila One Step Correct Primer. I am so fascinated by this product, I actually heard about it from Shaaanxo and I've got a bit of red pigmentation on my cheeks and on my jaw so I wanted to see if it could even out my skin tone. I was a bit wary at first as I always need my primers to be hydrating as I've got such dry skin but I did a little research and it also apparently nourishes the skin so I hope it's good! I might do a blog post on this after using it to see if it does do what it claims to.

3. Benefit Rockateur. I have wanted one of the powder boxes from Benefit for ages but I always thought they were really expensive but I eventually gave in when I wanted to treat myself so I got their most popular one to give it a try and I love it on first impressions! I know I'm late to the party but I got there in the end and I hope it's as good as people say.

4. Benefit World Famous Neutrals Easiest Nudes Ever. Benefit have three of these world famous neutral palettes and I'm absolutely obsessed with a neutral eye so I picked this one because I'm no good at eye shadow I find it such a chore so anything with the word easy in the name is good with me! I like these palettes because they come with the little tips and tricks books which are good when you aren't an expert like me! I'll post a picture lower down of the inside of the palette and what colours it has.

5. Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush. I already have one of these and I know this is so weird but I really wanted a new one for my holiday, brushes are just never the same even after you've cleaned them and in my opinion you cannot beat using a brand new fresh brush so I got this one as a little holiday treat for when I go at the end of this month. The quality of these brushes is amazing and they're so reasonably priced so I would definitely recommend this brush!

6. Benefit First Class Glosses travel set. I got this for free when I spent over a certain amount on the Benefit website I think it was £50. You use a code that they put on the offers section and you get 4 travel sized lip glosses for free when the set is worth over £24 so looking on their offers section before you buy anything is definitely worth it! Currently that offer is still on so if you're going to be spending that much money anyway then it's something for free. It includes Bella Bamba, Coralista, Dandelion and Sugar Bomb.

Literally obsessed with Rockateur it's so pretty and I wanted to show you the Stila One Step Correct primer because it looks crazy! The green is supposed to minimise redness, the lavender counteracts sallow undertones and the peach brightens and illuminates the skin.

The World Famous Neutrals Easiest Nudes ever palettes has two cream eyeshadows, the top shade is 'r.s.v.p' (my favourite one) and the other is 'no pressure!' The top two eyeshadows are 'call my buff' and 'thanks a latte' and the bottom two are 'pinky swear' and 'quick, look busy'. 

Thanks for reading and if you want any more info on any of these products then just comment below!xxx

Benefit Do The Hoola Beyond Bronze Kit First Impressions

Hi everyone! I've literally been so excited for this product to get delivered and I just got it about 15 minutes ago so I needed to do a post to tell you all about it! So last week I saw a post on Instagram about this bronzing kit that Benefit had come up with, kind of like how they do the kits like Go Tropicoral centered around a specific look. I had a look on the Benefit website and couldn't find it anywhere so I went back to the Instagram post and read it properly and saw it was exclusive to the QVC website. It also said about the brand new product in it called Dew The Hoola which is a liquid bronzer not available anywhere apart from QVC (I've heard it's getting released through Benefit in 2016). I am such a sucker for anything exclusive so I had to get the kit even just to try the new product, I've also never actually tried Hoola before either and you get a mini powder in this so I thought it would be good to try a smaller one before I commit and it is expensive. QVC currently have it on an introductory price of £23.16 and then £3.95 postage and it is normally priced at £25.50 and you can get that here: http://www.qvcuk.com/Benefit-5-Piece-Do-the-Hoola-Kit.product.208648.html

This is the contents of the kit (there's also a little brush but I forgot to put that in this picture however you can see it further down!) You get a Hoola lip gloss which is described as a shimmering golden nude lip gloss, a mini They're Real, a mini Hoola bronzing powder in a cute little travel compact and a mini Benebalm. It's such good value for money considering you get the brush as well and if you are wanting to try the products or just bronzing it self then I think it is such a good kit to get. 

That's the packaging that the box comes in and what it looks like inside, it's got a tips and tricks section which you fold out and it tells you how to use all the products and you can see the brush here. 

The best part about this kit is definitely the Dew The Hoola, the liquid bronzer, it is described as a sheer soft-matte bronzer that gives a seamless natural looking glow. First of all it smells amazing, I really like scented products I know a lot of people don't but it isn't too full on so I don't think it would bother you too much. I swatched it on my hand and I definitely agree with the tips and tricks book that says it gives a believable bronze, it is so natural and sheer but you can still see it. Not orange as well just the perfect bronze. There is also no shimmer in this at all so you can use it to contour as well, it just gives a really healthy looking bronze that is really natural, I'm obsessed with it! In the tips and tricks book it shows you where to apply it all over your face as well which is helpful because I'm not familiar with how to apply a liquid bronzer. You can see it on my hand below and what it looks like blended.

It looks quite full on here but you can see in the picture below that it is really sheer and natural.

The lighting isn't great on this picture but you can see it in the middle of my hand, also the lighting here makes me look grey (I'm not haha) but I think it would work for pale people as it kind of adapts to your skin, it's gives a really nice subtle glow to me and I'm not pale but not tanned either, I do think for darker skins you won't see much effect though.

I absolutely love this kit and it's such good value for money introductory price or not even at £25.50 I think that's really good but as I speak it is still available from the QVC website at the introductory price so 100% get it while you can it's so worth it! Also the Dew The Hoola isn't available till 2016 so get it while it's out now, I don't know if they are close to selling out or not on the QVC site. Let me know if you get this kit and what you think of it!xxx