August Favourites

As I only made a few new purchases last month, there are only five products that have made it into my August Favourites, but each one is amazing and some are definite contenders for holy grail status.

My favourite base of the month, and possibly of all time (ooh!) is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal Foundation. I've raved about this foundation here and here and the more I use it, the more I fall in love with it. It gives me the most natural-looking, smooth complexion and a beautiful lit-from-within glow without looking shiny. This is perfect for daily use or for nights out as it can built up for higher coverage. Basically, if you want your skin to look healthy and flawless, you need to try this. I've also tried the Healthy Mix Serum from the same range, which is more of a gel consistency, but the foundation just completely blows it out of the water. This is definitely the best highstreet foundation I've ever tried.

On my cheeks, I've been loving the Illamasqua Androgen Cream Pigment, which is a multi-use cream colour that can be applied to cheeks, lips and even eyelids (though maybe not this particular shade). Androgen is a beautiful peachy pink shade, and as it's a pigment the colour pay off is amazing - a small amount of this on a stippling brush creates a beautiful flush of colour and can be built up for a more intense look. Considering I struggled with applying cream blushes in the beginning, I'm now their number one fan and they are dominating my makup drawer.

My favourite lipstick of the month has been Mac Ravishing, a peachy coral with a creamy formula packed with shine. This is a beautiful lipstick that looks great with pretty much any makeup look. The lasting power isn't amazing, as with most of the cremesheen formulas from Mac, but I'm never one to complain about pulling that sleek black bullet out of my handbag to reapply!

In terms of skincare, I've been loving using the Origins Ginzing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer as my day cream. This moisturizer contains panax ginzing and coffee beans to really wake up the complexion and works really well with the Healthy Mix Foundation to make skin look revitalised and luminous. My favourite thing about this cream, though, is the gorgeous orange scent which is one of my favourite ever smells. 

Now my final favourite product of the month only made the cut in the last few days of August. For the last three weeks, I've been having a nasty breakout on my chin (mm, sexy I know). No matter how long I waited, it just wouldn't clear up, until I started using the La Roche Posay Serozinc morning and night and my breakout cleared up considerably within a couple of days! This is a zinc sulphate solution spray-on toner which cleanses and soothes the skin, helping to prevent and heal breakouts. This has made a massive difference to my skin after only a few days and I think this toner will be a staple in my routine for months to come.

What was your favourite product in August?

Holly xo

Let's fly away, drive away, take a holiday

Hiya girls, sorry I've been a bit AWOL recently. I think I've been suffering from a little bit of blogger's block! But I am back with a vengeance (and a long list of posts I am dying to get written for you lovely lot).

So to kick off the blog revival, here's an outfit post - I know it's been a while, my blog has been very beauty-focused recently, but my love of fashion has well and truly returned this month thanks to browsing a lot of fashion mags and blogs, as well as the highstreet churning out some seriously stylish pieces (I can feel a haul post brewing..)

One such amazing Summer piece has to be the now iconic Zara mini skorts - the skirt-shorts combo that has catapulted Zara to the top of the style charts recently. They look incredible dressed up or down, I was so smitted I accidentally bought it in two colours. Oops.

The orange pair are the focus of this outfit which I wore whilst on a mini-holiday in Spain last week with my dad and sister.

Mini Skort: Zara // Cami Top: New Look // Sandals: Primark (old) // Clutch Bag: New Look

Toe Nails: Collection Fruit Salad with Barry M Papaya and Matt White

These lightweight sheer cami tops are everywhere right now and I thought this white one from New Look would be pretty as well as practical (got to keep cool when it's pushing 36°c), though I couldn't decide whether I wanted it tucked in or left out as you can see ha. These floral Primark sandals were totally neglected when I first bought them and I have no idea why as they're so feminine and summery, this Summer they've rarely been off my feet. I'm really loving this tribal clutch bag at the minute too as it's totally unstructured and fairly big so I can fit all my night out essentials in it without struggling to close it. Score!

I used my Amazon dotting tools to do the simple flower design on my toenails.

What are your thoughts on the Zara mini skorts? 

Fashion fad or a style with staying power? 

 

Holly xo

Holiday Scrapbook

Hi everyone, I'm back from Gran Canaria and suffering from a serious case of the post-holiday blues, so I thought I would share some of my favourite photos that I took on the trip with you. I know this isn't a typical beauty/fashion post from me but hopefully some of you might like a little lifestyle post for a change :)

My boyfriend Sean and I stayed at the Lopesan Baobab Hotel in Meloneras in Gran Canaria. It was literally the most beautiful hotel I have ever seen - every inch of the design was African-themed, from the river full of fish and turtles that ran on the floor beneath our room to the intricate bedroom furniture and balcony railings. I was so impressed and would definitely recommend this hotel whole-heartedly to couples looking for a romantic break in a seriously idyllic setting. The food was also fantastic - we've never been so well-fed in our lives, all-you-can-eat buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner are not the ideal way to keep your bikini body trim, let me tell you.
We had such a great week tanning by the beautiful pools, visiting a wildlife park, watching a film at the moonlight cinema, watching the turtles in the hotel and getting rather drunk!

 

*VERY PHOTO HEAVY POST AHEAD!*

 

 

 

my gorgeous fella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so much amazing food!

 

 

and amazing cocktails...

 

...which led to this drunken mess

 

Palmitos Park

 

 

I really love tortoises!

 

Amazing dolphin show, that would be my dream job

 

Nemo

 

 

 

Crazy afro bird

 

 

 

Grand Italia, the restaurant on the seafront which we visited two nights in a row

 

The Moonlight Cinema where we watched Django Unchained until 3am with blankets

 

 

 

Sean making fun of my photo pose -_-

 

 

 And my favourite photo of us on our last night

 

Hope this wasn't too boring and I hope you're all having a lovely Summer so far!

 

Holly xo



The Summer Series // Makeup Essentials

Well ladies, here is the last post in my relatively short Summer Series. This is my holiday makeup bag (the clear bags featured in this series are from Superdrug and cost £5.99 for a set of 3 in different sizes), and I'm going to give you a quick run-through of all the products I am taking with me to Gran Canaria on Monday - yes there are quite a lot but I'm a beauty blogger so it's allowed, don't you agree? Let's spit this into face, eyes and lips to make things easier!

 

Face

I decided to go for mainly highstreet/drugstore products as I'm a little wary of taking expensive things on holiday with me since an incident when I was younger in which my family's case was broken into whilst travelling and our digital camera as well as all my jewellery were stolen! So I'm taking my Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation for a not-too-heavy, illuminating base, as well as the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder which will be essential for keeping shine at bay on hot evenings. For cheeks I'm taking one powder option - the YSL Blush Radiance 02 and one cream option for a more radiant, dewy finish - the new and already much-loved Bourjois Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet. Both of these blushes are a gorgeous peachy pink colour which is my favourite shade for cheeks at the minute. I'll also be taking the Nars Laguna Bronzer for evening contouring (although I may skip this step as I haven't been into contouring so much recently), and my new favourite highlighter - Mac Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle - I think this is the perfect Summer evening highlighter, it adds a stunning golden toned shimmer to the cheekbones. And of course, I purchased a new Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 02 Light to cover pesky blemishes and dark circles - and who knows, if I'm having a good skin week, I might skip the foundation and opt for concealer only! (Yeah right, if only...)

 

Eyes

I've really been loving cream eyeshadows recently, so I'll be taking my Mac Paint Pot in Bare Study, which is a stunning champagne shadow with shimmer, as well as the highstreet's answer to paint pots, the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze, which I'm sure you can tell is a bronze/gold shimmery shadow. These are perfect for a fuss-free eye makeup look or as a base for a more detailed powder eyeshadow look. To create the latter, I'm taking this L'Oreal Color Riche Quad in E2 Nude Lingerie which contains four versatile shimmer shades in champagne, gold, pink and taupe. This will save me taking my bulky Urban Decay Naked Palettes and contains enough colours to create at least three different looks should I feel the need for a smoky eye. I'll also be taking a trusty brown eyeliner (still haven't switched back to black kohl girls!), my eyeliner of choice is the Bourjois Kohl & Contour 16h in 78 Brun Design because of it's silky smooth application and the fact it does not budge as well as the Barry M Shimmering Eye and Lip Crayon  in 4 for a pop of colour on my lower lashline. Finally, I'll be taking my all-time favourite mascara YSL Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils (false lash effect) but this time I'm trying out the waterproof version. I'm so excited to see how this compares to my beloved original faux cils and I'm expecting great things from one of my favourite high-end brands!

Lips

Ok ok I know this amount of lip products for a week away may seem extensive but I've rediscovered my lipstick obsession recently and I just can't cut out any of these lovely picks! If I was going somewhere in England I would be taking my favourite Mac lipsticks, but since they are notorious for melting and I'm going to be in a very hot country, I didn't want to chance it. So I went searching for a highstreet dupe of my current Mac favourite 'Vegas Volt' and decided on Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish in 110 which is a stunning coral shade, extrememly pigmented and also rather creamy for a matte finish lipstick. I also wanted a pinky-nude shade so decided on Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish in 03, which is the perfect 'my lips but better' shade for me. For a touch of peach, I chose Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Barely There which I just love as it's a totally opaque true peach colour on my lips which is perfect for brightening up the face. Of course I needed a pink shade and the glossy Topshop Lip Crayon in Wave Goodbye is perfect and finally, for a full-on red pout which I think will look great paired with my cream lace sundress, I'm taking the Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Rosy Red. And of course I couldn't go without a lip balm, so my Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rosé will be a welcome boost of hydration.

So that's that! I hope you enjoyed this peek inside my holiday suitcase. I'll be sure to post some photos of my trip on the blog when I get home for you all to peruse if you're interested! :) I'll also try and schedule a couple of posts to go up whilst I'm away.

Have a fantastic week girls!

Holly xo
 



The Summer Series // Fashion Haul

Hi girls, I don't know about you but it's really starting to feel like Summer to me now! We had a couple of gorgeous sunny days earlier this week, I actually wore shorts and applied sun cream - I don't recall many days last Summer when I was able to do that and considering it's only the first week of June, hopefully things are looking good for the rest of the season!

I'm off on holiday on the 17th with my boyfriend, we're going to Gran Canaria for a week and I absolutely cannot wait, especially since I didn't go on holiday last year. I've also got a 5 day holiday next month with my dad, his girlfriend and my sister so I've been in desperate need of updating my wardrobe with Summer clothes and new bikinis, so I thought I would show you all the things I've been buying recently for my holidays in a series of posts that are imaginatively named 'The Summer Series', starting with the fashion bits and pieces I've acquired over the last month or so.

 

Playsuit - New Look £16.99

I better point out that I work at New Look as a sales assistant (or customer care expert as we're now known) and we are lucky enough to get a very generous 50% staff discount so I did get this playsuit for only £8.50! It looks quite red on the pictures but it's actually a gorgeous burnt orange colour and I think the elephant print is adorable. The drawstring waist makes it so flattering too as it emphasises curves, I think it will look gorgeous with a tan belt and some wedges.

 

 Maxi Dress - Primark £10.00
From the front this looks like a plain but pretty black maxi dress, but from the back it's a lot more than that. It's hard to tell from the pictures but the back of the dress has two large panels of cut out floral detail which just adds something different to the dress. This could be dressed up or down and I know I'll get a lot of wear out of it. A total bargain at £10.00 too!

 Dress - H&M £14.99
This isn't the kind of thing I usually buy, it's very girly and cutesy but I just loved it when I tried it on. The flying horse print is a bit quirky and the capped sleeves and loose material make it so comfortable and easy to wear. This will be a gorgeous day dress paired with some sandals or it could be dressed up with heels and a slick of bright lipstick for a day/night in a beer garden.

 Dress - H&M £19.99
I bought this dress quite a while ago now but I've been saving it for my holidays. I just think it's the most beautiful sun dress. Stunning mint green colour and the lace detail makes it so feminine and pretty. I'm normally an 8-10, but I actually bought this in a 6 and it fits perfectly. This is definitely one of my favourite purchases, I can't even explain how pretty it is - so pretty in fact that I went back and bought the cream version... And so did my sister...

 Dress - H&M £19.99
The only thing with these dresses is that the skirt is slightly see-through so a pair of nude knickers is a must!

Maxi Dress - New Look £19.99
I already had this dress in the beige and cream striped version from last year and it's still one of my favourite maxis for nights out so buying this stunning teal and turquoise version was a no-brainer for me. It has splits up the sides which make it a little more dressy than your average maxi dress and I just find the fit to be so flattering. It looks gorgeous with some chunky heels and a necklace (p.s. who can spot the beautiful Ian Somerhalder on my wall - my boyfriend bought this calendar for me for Christmas reluctantly ha, I LOVE a bit of the smolderhalder)

 Dip Hem Dress - New Look £22.99
It got a bit dark while I was taking the photos for this post so I had to use the flash for this dress ha! It's a lovely paisley print dip hem dress in a chiffon material (obv with a cami dress underneath to avoid unnecessary bum flashing). This was a total sell-out when we got it in a month or so ago so I'm not sure how easy it would be to get hold of now, maybe they will re-stock it since it was so popular!

Playsuit - New Look £16.99
I thought this Aztec print playsuit would be a great cover-up to wear around the pool during the day as it's elasticated and stretchy so it will be easy to whip on and off as well as being comfy and not too hot. The neon pink colour is on trend for the Summer season too so that's an added bonus!

Now for bikinis..

Bikini Top - H&M  £9.99 // Bikini Bottoms - H&M £7.99
This bikini is fairly simplistic with a triangle shaped top and a three-toned pink pattern.

Bikini Top - River Island £15.00 // Bikini Bottoms - River Island £10.00
River Island bikinis are a little bit more expensive but I always think the styles are so pretty. I have a gorgeous red one from last Summer that I'll be taking away with me too. This one has quite a sporty feel to it, with bronze zip detail and shimmery silver and coral colours. I love the shape of the top and the fact that it comes with detachable straps - I prefer a strapless bikini top on holiday to avoid unsightly tan lines but sometimes it's nice to have a bit more support.

 Triangle Bikini Top - H&M £3.99 // Strapless Bikini Top - H&M £3.99 // Bikini Bottoms - H&M £3.99
This bikini is so stunning and SO CHEAP that I had to buy both styles of the top - which is great as it means I kind of have two different bikinis to wear! I'm sure these bikinis must have been priced wrong as they were from the new Beyoncé swimwear range and were so much cheaper than all the other styles - yet I thought they were the nicest ones! They have a beautiful green and white tie-dye pattern and silver toggles. So pretty, I'm in love with this bikini.

Just realised how much H&M stuff I have bought! I never normally buy much from them but they've had some great Summer bargains recently! And obviously it's hard to resist New Look clothes when I get them half price ha.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my recent purchases and I hope you're all enjoying the warmer weather!

Holly xo