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Wednesday, 8 January 2014

My Current Everyday Make-up

I wear make-up more or less everyday. It is something I love and something that always makes me feel 100% better about myself as soon as applied (I look like a pale, tired child without the slap)!
 The only times I don't wear make-up is when I have a day off at home or maybe if I'm just popping to a shop. Most days I am at just at work at my normal 9 hour a day job and if I'm not there I'm just hanging out with friends, family or the boyfriend. And these all usually call for the same make-up look - my plain old, everyday, bog-standard make-up. 
This is a look that rarely changes and although I switch up products now and again it never changes drastically.  I could probably do all these steps in my sleep I'm so used to d0ing it! You might think this is alot for a daily make-up routine or you may think it is nothing but nevertheless here it is - my current everyday make-up routine.
I've split it into various sections to make it a little easier to follow!
First up - the base. For good make-up you've got to have a foundation to start  on (and I don't mean literal foundation!) These products create the best surface for my make-up and help keep it lasting all day.
Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer
I've been using this stuff for a good few months now and I love it so much I've just started my second jar! No need for a thick moisturiser every morning this is a day cream and primer all in one - keeps my skin hydrated and helps me avoid getting those horrible dry patches around my nose and chin. The perfect first step.
Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer (Review)
As we all know this stuff is a newbie to both me and my make-up bag, but it has flown straight into my daily routine with ease! This stuff reminds me slightly of Benefit's POREfessional which is a product I save for big nights out where I want to look my best (can't avoid to be whacking that on my face everyday... especially if I'm just going to work!) Great results and at a cheaper price - fab!
Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter (Review)
One of my top products from 2013. This is a gorgeous pink shimmery highlighter which I dab onto my cheek bones once my skin is primed. Very much like Benefit's Highbeam this stuff helps you get a gorgeous radiant glow in seconds! Highly recommended! 

Here's my favourite part - the part in which my dull, boring skin gets rid of those patchey red areas and bags and becomes fresh, bright and clear!
Seventeen Pwhoarr Paint Concealer -Fair
Recently I have had the most hideous bags under my eyes and this stuff has been a god send. I apply this to my under eye area and around my nose with my Real Techniques Expert Face brush. I originally bought it in the shade 'medium' back in the summer/autumn months but after a while as my tan faded I realised I needed to step down to 'fair'. This stuff is fantastic, heavy duty stuff - it really works! 
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - 52 Vanilla
For years I had been stuck using the same old foundation (L'Oreal True Match) too scared to try others as I never thought anything could compare! Well I can tell you now since the day I bought this my True Match has taken a back seat and I have worn this stuff everyday! Again like my concealer when Winter hit I had to drop down a shade (which is totes understandable!) but the next shade down matched me perfectly anyways - score! I dab this onto my face and then buff it into my skin with the Zoeva 102 Silk Finish brush.
Seventeen Miracle Matte Pressed Powder - Silky Beige
This is just a quick step I do to help set my foundation - Zoeva powder brush, a once over my face. Done.
Eyebrows are really important to me when it comes to my make-up, they frame your face and can either make you look alot better or alot lot worse!
I get HD brows done every couple of months so I like to keep them as neat and symmetrical as I can - although you always have to remember...... unless you are a fabulous celebrity your eyebrows are normally sisters not twins!
Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil -Hazel
Have used this badboy for years and years, same pencil, same col0ur - if you are looking to start penciling in your eyebrows this is the pencil to get -only £2.99 aswell, bargain!
HD Brows Powder Palette
I actually got this in a Glossy Box years and years ago! It was the first time I'd heard of the brand (as it had just come out) and I am so so glad I kept hold of it as it is the perfect eyebrow pallete for me! I use this after I've penciled in/on my brows and use an eyeliner brush from ELF to apply which gives them the perfect finish!
You can't do your make-up without adding a bit of colour. These products give me a healthy, glowing look - not sure how I live without them!
Sleek Contour Kit - Light
Another product which was new to me last year but I have used more or less everyday since it came into my possession!
 The bronzer is a fab matte colour and I use this on the hollow of my cheeks (you know when you do that sexy sucky-in face?) with my Zoeva Luxe Sheer Cheek Brush and then place the highlighter just above it. I then grab my powder brush from Real Techniques and blend it all in!
Fake Bake Bronze Shimmer - Light
This is a product I bought years and years ago (and it's still going) because I read that Billie Faiers had said she used it - and I am obsessed with her flawless make-up! I just pop this onto the apples of my cheeks with my blush brush from Real Techniques to give myself a gorgeous shimmery glow - I get so many questions asking what product it is all the time! I'm dreading the day this stuff runs out!
I have the shortest lashes and the smallest eyes so whatever I can use to make my eyes seem bigger - I do it!
Maxfactor Masterpiece Max Mascara
So far my favourite mascara of all time! I have used this for years and even though I tried out countless amounts of other mascaras - this is the one I always grab.
Lancome Hypnose Mascara
Along with my masterpiece max mascara I have been using the Hypnose mascara from Lancome which I bought in a gift set just before Christmas! This helps my lashes look fuller and thicker and I always use this after I've used the masterpiece max to separate and lengthen.
Maybelline Master Kajal Khol Eyeliner
Another fairly new product to me. Eyeliners are something I never really stick too - I'm always switching them up and trying all different makes, brands and styles. I apply this to just the outside of my lower lashline to help open up my eyes a little.


As for lips.... that is something which changes daily. Lip balms, lip glosses, lipsticks - I use whatever I feel like on that day, I don't have a staple daytime piece. ( I have so many I don't know what to do with them all really!)

So there we have it, my current everyday make-up routine! Are there any products there that you use? Do you think this is alot to wear on a daily basis? What do you wear everyday?

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Monday, 6 January 2014

The Body Shop Haul

So just before Christmas The Body Shop had a crazy good deal on on their website.
 I'm not kidding this offer was the stuff of dreams .... 50% off everything and free delivery over £5 - no-one could possibly say no!
The Body Shop is a place I haven't shopped at in years! Even though I love the products and know how fab the quality is, it is just a shop I never run to first... although after this little shopping spree I think that is going to change!
 Now the first thing I think everyone falls in love with at The Body Shop is the body butters and I think my love for body butters started with The Body Shop. So of course that was the first section of the website I headed to. Shea is one of my favourite scents for body products so of course this was a must! This stuff smells incredible and melts straight into the skin, body butter heaven.
 If you've read my blog before then you know I'm all about smells ... so when I saw the "ginger sparkle" Christmas range I had to pick at least one thing up! This is a yummy shower gel which smells delicious, I cannot wait to start using it and it being a 250ml bottle I'm sure this will last a good while!
Vitamin E is a classic, smells great and works great so at half price I thought I'd grab some. This stuff is great as a night cream, I apply this after my hydraluron for fabulously hydrated skin by morning!
I couldn't do a sale shop without getting make-up could I! This is one of the new Colour Crush lipsticks from The Body Shop! Half price this badboy was only £5 and this lipstick is such great quality! A great colour which lasts with a super moisturising feel - well done Body Shop I'll be buying more!
Not only are these soaps really pretty but they smell great too and were only just over £1 each! The ginger smells just like the shower gel I bought, this is going to go straight into my bathroom!
 Lip balms are something I cannot live without at this time of year and with the cute packaging and tiny price tag I decided one wasn't enough. Strawberry & Plum are the two I picked up and they both smell lovely! These are great for chucking in my handbag or coat pocket and keeping dry, chapped lips at bay!
Last but no means least is a mask. I love picking up things like this to check out and give myself a little pamper. This is a Vitamin E moisture mask and I thought it would be great to try out with the weather being so awful and miserable these past few weeks I think my skin needs a good moisture treatment!

So there we have it, my first Body Shop haul (and it only came to about £15!)....  I have totally fallen back in love with this brand - no doubt you'll be seeing alot more of it on here soon!

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Sunday, 5 January 2014

Seventeen Instant Glow Cream Bronzer Review

Another new product from that ever growing brand Seventeen? Why yes... yes it is!
I spotted this when I spotted the new Tan Liquid Glow Skin Wow (Review here) and thought it looked like a winner so picked it up!
It is the Seventeen Instant Glow Cream Bronzer.
Cream bronzer's are something I've had my eye on for a while but still were yet to pick up and try out!
I've really been loving Seventeen's products this past 6 months, they keep bringing out such fantastic new products which I haven't seen from other drugstore brands! (The skin wow! highlighter being my ulitmate fav!)
This stuff is a lovely warm tone with a slight shimmer in a neat square compact (although I had a bit of a struggle trying to get into it the first couple of times! - I blame my nails)
The bronzer is a fab lightweight creamy texture which is so easy to build up to your desired colour.
In the photo below this stuff looks a little orange.... damn my pale white skin! (To be fair I haven't seen proper sunlight in a good month or so I reckon, the joys of England!)
Once rubbed in this bronzer fades into a gorgeous natural glow - perfect to wear with or without make-up! 
I have been popping this on after my foundation to help contour my cheekbones and am loving it!
This, along with the skin wow instant tan, is an absolutely perfect product for spring and summer!
This bronzer is just £4.99 - and so so worth picking up! I'm hoping to go on holiday at some point this year (and hopefully sooner rather later) and this will be top of my make-up picks to take with me for a minimal make-up look in the sun!

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Goals, aims & changes for 2014

So we are a few days into 2014 already I know but, I've been thinking a lot about all the things I'd like to change and things I'd like to achieve this year! 
Cliche I know and it isn't so much resolutions as such and definitely none of this "new year new me" stuff (we've had enough of people shouting that around) - just 5 things I think will make my 2014 better and make me happier!



1. Read more : I love books and I love my kindle, but time to sit and have a good read has seemed to slip away from me over the last year or so, so I want to make more time for books - so instead of that extra 30/45 mins browsing online I want to get cosy and get into my books again, I have so many waiting to be read! ( Currently reading - Allegiant by Veronica Roth)



2. Be Healthier : I'm sure lots of you feel the same about this one especially at this time of the year after Christmas and New Years! I lost a fair bit of weight a couple of years ago and the last few months I have definitely been really slack and gained a few pounds back (booo)! I know that I need to be stricter with my diet and not eat junk food and snacks for the sake of it (I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this!) a chocolate bar should be a treat for me not something I want to buy at every break at work! I want 2014 to be the year that I really become confident with myself and my body  so it is time to be fit, be healthy and sometime soon I will wear what I want because I feel good in it! (Time for photos of Lucy Meck & Sam Faiers to hit my fridge & cupboards... oh and that biscuit tin!)




3. Manage My Money : I need to learn how to budget and save and not scrape through too every payday down to my last pound! Cutting back on random purchases and things I don't really need is at the top of my list!




4. Keep Blogging : I have loved the last 7 months so much and can't wait to keep up with blogging in 2014! I've met some lovely people through starting my blog up again and the comments and response I've had for A Yellow Brick Blog have been overwhelming! I went to try and post at least 3 times a week - although sometimes working full-time comes in the way of this but I am going to try my hardest to keep this blog exciting and updated! I would love to do some more fashion based posts like OOTD's and definitely want to carry on with my Travel Diaries series which has taken a brief hiatus! My next goal is to hit 1000 Bloglovin followers, I cannot believe I'm on my way there already!
5. Get Organised : I'm not the most organised or tidy person - this year I want to change this. I need to be tidier at home (before my boyfriend kills me!) clutter puts me in a bad mood, too de-clutter will be to de-stress! Tidy home - tidy mind, organised life - happy life.
So there we have it - 5 things to get me happier and motivated about 2014..... check back in 363 days to see how it went!
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Thursday, 2 January 2014

Boots Half Price Sale Haul Part 3

Here it is - the last installment of my Boots sale haul! You can catch up with Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
I've been loving all your comments and also loving the amount of you that say you are heading to Boots - there are so so many bargains to get!


 One Direction Our Moment 50ml Gift Set
WAS £28.50 NOW £14.25
First up... sorry about the horrific photo - majorly bad lighting here, I've been trying to fit in photo-taking before I go to work in the mornings - nightmare!
I have been spraying this on myself where I work for months and months - don't judge me but I just love the scent! I like 1D, not a huge crazy directioner but yes I do I like them (who doesn't?!)! But I do have to say I did buy this set due to the scent and not because it is by 1D! It is a sweet smell - my favourite kind, comes in a gorgeous bottle and the 50ml bottle sold separately is worth approx £28 - so why would I not want the whole set for half that price?! 

Soap & Glory I'm Your Manicure Set
WAS £14 NOW £7
Yup it is once again ANOTHER Soap & Glory product - I like them okay! This is a gorgeous manicure set ... we all know how much I love having my nails done and looking girly!
or just £7 you receive a full-sized Hand Food hand cream (worth £5 alone!), the Scrub + Happiness dry hand smoothing scrub (something I have never seen before so am super excited to try out!), a gorgeous baby pink polish called Pink Soda, a pair of pink moisture gloves to give your hands a fab pick me up, a buff and shine nail file and an orange stick! Amazing hands here I come!


Joules Fantastic Bath Fizzes

WAS £6 NOW £3
First up, how cute is this packaging! Joules stuff always looks so cute! I tried this brand for the first time earlier this year and fell in love so when I saw how cheap these were I had to invest. I don't have a Lush near where I live so bath bombs and fizzes aren't something I buy alot so these are an exciting treat I can't wait to use!

Fearne Eye Collection
WAS £12 NOW £6
I couldn't buy the lip kit and not the eyes... that would just be rude! Right? I love Fearne's stuff and these colours looked to pretty to resist! I love soft eye crayons like these, especially to line the eyes - they look gorgeous! You also get an eyeliner with the it - so 5 items for £6!

Boots Extracts Cranberry Collection
WAS £10 NOW £5
Once I'd bought one (Cocoa Butter) I couldn't just stick to the one. The saving on these sets are so great that I thought I might aswell just invest in a year or two's worth of body wash, scrubs and butters! These smell fab and love it when all three match! Lovely Jubley!

So there we have it my haul (in 3 parts) is done! Have you guys been rocking the Boots sale aswell? I'm keeping my eyes peeled for when everything goes 75% off aswell - might be able to bag an even bigger bargain! 

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Wednesday, 1 January 2014

2013 In Photos

Happy New Year you beautiful lot! 
2014 is here and I'm so excited for another year of life, laughs and adventures! 
I hope you all had a fab New Year's Eve whatever you may have done!
I thought I would do a quick post and share some of my favourite photos and memories of 2013! I've seen a few other people do this sort of post and I love looking through them so I thought why not do my own!

I've done so many fun things this year and looking back on these photos makes me so happy, Harry Potter Studios, an adventure to London, my best friend getting married,  getting my new puppy, Festivals - I had so much fun in 2013!
Bye Bye 2013 & Hello 2014

Keep your eyes peeled for lots coming up here at A Yellow Brick Blog in 2014!

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