How I Get My Skin Summer Ready

If there is one thing that changes when the season changes it's my skincare routine. When it comes to summertime I focus more on my body than I do on my face to make sure it's smooth and glowing and ready for summer. So today I thought I'd share a few things I do to get my skin in tip top condition.

The first thing I focus on it exfoliating my skin. When I was younger the skin on my upper arms was quite bumpy and uneven but as I've grown older it's smoothed out and become softer, yet I always focus on them when I'm exfoliating. My body scrub of choice is the Soap And Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub. Not only does it smell ultra summery but it's also one of the most effective scrubs I've tried. It's one of the scrubbier scrubs on the market but the texture is more like a gel than anything else which I find leaves my skin feeling softer than others I've tried.

The next thing I focus on all year round but especially in the summer is moisturising. I tend to go for a lighter moisturiser during the day and a heavier one in the evening. At the moment my morning moisturiser is the Palmer's Rapid Moisture Spray Lotion. It makes moisturising so much easier especially if I'm in a rush. It's just a case of spray, rub in and then go. It leaves my skin feeling super soft and smells absolutely heavenly. For my evening moisturiser I go for one that takes a bit longer to sink into the skin as I'm not rushing anywhere. My go to one at the moment is the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Lotion, it smells divine, doesn't leave my skin as tacky as others and in the morning my skin is super soft.

Of course if I make sure my arms and legs are moisturised I've also got to focus on my feet and hands as well. Working in a very hands on job means my hands don't always look there best but I found smothering my hands in Soap and Glory's Endless Glove every night leaves them beyond soft and looking better which is a plus when showing customers the latest polish or lipstick at work. When it comes to my feet I'm not that worried as they're usually covered by my socks and converse but like everyone else in the summer I do like to wear sandals and flips flops occasionally. The only foot cream I can stand is Soap and Glory's Heel Genius. Not only does it work overnight miracles on my feet but it doesn't leave them feeling greasy and you can't feel the product on the skin.

We go from the bottom of my body back up to the top now. My hair is one of my biggest peeves in the summer. Being very dark haired means that sunshine turns my head into an oven on the best of days. And of course when it gets hot my hair stays as far away from my neck as possible which can be quite damaging to my hair. So to keep my hair soft and the ends frazzle free I use the Garnier Ultimate Blends The Strength Restorer 1 Minute Treament every time I wash my hair. This treatment contains Honey, Royal Jelly and Propolis which are aimed at reversing the signs of damage. And boy does it work, after the first use I found my hair was softer and the ends weren't as dry as normal. I highly recommend slathering this through your hair when you wash it if you're looking to give it some TLC.

I already did a post on how I change my skincare and make up to fit the season which you can find here. I'll keep this quick as the previous post talks about it as well. When it comes to skincare I focus on keeping my skin refreshed, grime free and hydrated. My two main products for this are the Vitamin E Refreshing Toning Mist and Clearly Youthful Hydrating Day Serum. I love spritzing a few sprays of the toning mist over my face when I've just taken my make up off or if I'm not wearing make up, spraying it whenever my face feels like it needs refreshing. The day serum makes a brilliant base for make up while leaving my skin feeling moisturised and even though it's a day serum I use it in the evening as well to give my skin that instant boost of hydration it needs when I've taken off my make up.

So that's how I get summer ready. How do you guys prepare for summer? Do you use any of these products? Or do you have any recommendations? Let me know in the comments below.

Review: Kate Moss Nude Collection

I've never really been much of a nude lipstick kinda girl but when I saw this collection from Rimmel my interest was piqued. And since I brought this lipstick I've become obessessed with mid toned pinky nude lipsticks.

I've got a few of the Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipsticks so I knew what they were like when I decided to buy it. I picked the shade 45 which is a really nice almost pink toned shade. It can be multi tonal though and depending on what colour I'm wearing depends on how it looks on. When I'm wearing my work uniform it looks more brown toned on me but when I'm not in my uniform it looks more pink toned.

As for the formula of the lipstick, it's very creamy and can applied very thinly for a sheer appearence or can be built up to an opaque finish. As a sheen finish lipstick this means it does need touching up every so often but it's no hassle and last longer than I thought it would on the lips. It can be very drying on the lips so I recommend wearing a lip balm underneath it.

If you're not sure if nude lipsticks suit you then I highly recommend you check this collection out. There are 5 shades in the range which means that will definitely be one to suit you. Sleek packaging, creamy in texture and inexpensive this is the perfect lipstick to try if you fancy giving nude lips a go.

Available from Boots and Superdrug

What's In My Bag?

This is a post that I scheduled to write ages ago and completely forgot about until last week. So please forgive me if the pictures aren't fantastic or the writing seems rushed, I hadn't planned this out as much as my other posts.

My bag is from New Look and I'd had my eye on it for a while before I actually brought it. Then I had something to take back and used the value of that item to get money off of it. It's not the most practical colour but the design just screamed for my attention everytime I saw it in the shop.

The front zips are for decorative purposes only but the small clasp at the front does come undone to reveal a small pouch that you could easily pop your phone into. Apart from the front pouch, it's just one giant compartment which is handy to pop any small shopping items into but a pain if you're looking for your purse in a hurry.

The biggest item in my bag is my purse yet I still have a hard time finding it sometimes. It's from Accessorize and I thought that paying a bit more meant it would last longer, it's already breaking on one corner. It's a vibrant turquoise colour and has two compartments. The flap opens up to reveal card slots and a zipped change holder. I keep everything in this section as I feel it's more secure. The back section is nearly the same as the front but without the card slots or zipped pouch. It's where I keep any store cards I don't use as much and stow any reciepts I don't have room in the front for.

The next thing I keep in my bag is something I make sure is always well stocked. The make up bag is from Primark and as soon as I saw the lipstick print I knew I had to have it. It only cost a few pounds but looks like it cost more. Inside the bag itself I keep only a few things.

The first thing I keep in there is a compact mirror, this one is a really cute flamingo print one from Primark and was only a £1. The next thing I've always got in my handbag is hand sanitiser. My favourite is Hand Maid from Soap and Glory, it has that scent that automatically reminds me of the brand and it dries on the hands quicker than most. My next essential is a lip balm. I have lost count of how many I have around my house and in handbags. The one I've got in there at the moment is the Nivea Essential Care balm, it's not my favourite but it's perfect for popping on when I'm out and about. I also have a refresher wipe from KFC but the less said about that the better.

The next thing I always make sure I have in my handbag is a travel pack of face wipes and a travel pack of tissues. The tissues always come in handy as I'm probably one of the sneeziest people in the world. However it's the face wipes that I'm always grabbing for but don't worry I don't use them on my face. As you've probably worked out by now I'm always down a cosmetics aisle of some sort and can occasionally get carried away when swatching so these come in handy so I don't end up with bright red lipstick stains on my nice white t-shirt. My favourite at the moment are the Yesto Cucumber wipes, they're gentle on my skin and have a lovely yet discreet scent to them as well.

This next thing in my bag is something that lives in there 24/7 but doesn't necessarily come out a lot. I keep my sunglasses on me at all times not only to shade them from any brightness but to keep them protected as well. Mine are from Primark and didn't cost the earth as I'm always losing them but I prefer the Ray Ban style that are slightly fuller in the frame compared to other styles on the market. I have these in black but do prefer them in this tortoiseshell as it's less harsh against my skin. As I haven't lost these glasses yet I decided to buy a case to keep them in. The print of this isn't very clear but I chose it because it had flamingoes on it and I'm having a bit of a thing for them at the moment. This is yet another Primark purchase but for it's price is sturdy, something I can see lasting a long time.

So that's it for What's In My Bag. What have you guys got in your bag? Do you think I'm missing anything? If so let me know in the comments

July Favourites

It's the end of the month and you know what that means. It's July Favourites time! This month I've found it really hard to pick my beauty favourites. It's not because I haven't tried new products that have made me go wow but I haven't stuck to using just one thing for the whole month.

My first new find of the month was this Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Lotion. I spied this in one of Caroline Hirons' videos and knew I had to have it. If anyone can remember the smell of those chocolate lime sweets that were around in the 90s then this is exactly what it smells like. I've always been a big fan of the original Soap and Glory scent but I've been converted. This is slightly thinner in formula than the body butter in the tub but still does an amazing job of moisturising skin without leaving it tacky. I wack a liberal amount all over both morning and evening and my skin has never felt so soft before. Definitely one to give a smell next time your in Boots.

My next favourite of the month is a purchase I made after hearing Khila from msbudgetbeauty rave about it. It is the Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk. I was a bit apprehensive to try this as she had said it made skin tingle and I can have sensitive skin occasionally. However I've been pleasently surprised. This is a very thin consistency but really works on the skin to break down my make up. A few pumps removes everything and leaves my skin feeling soft and ready for the rest of my evening routine. While it doesn't tingle on my skin it does leave it feeling tighter than normal which is a feeling I quite enjoy.

This is another new purchase for the month. I've never been one for lip liners having never really had a problem with my lipsticks bleeding or feathering but I've been trying to get into them a bit more. I've already got Eastend Snob but wanted to try a few more. I also wanted to try some make up from Primark so it was a win win situation. This red lip liner from Primark is easy to use, a perfect match for a lot of lipsticks and is quite a sturdy product for the price. I've been pairing this with MAC's Russian Red so that my lips look more defined than normal. It can be kinda drying to wear under a matte lipstick but found that as long as I have lipbalm on it doesn't become too much of a problem.

This favourites is an old favourite that I've actually had to repurchase this month. This is my holy grail face mask and I lost count of the amount of people I've recommended it to. Not one of the best smelling masks out there but it is one of the most effective. I've loved smothering this all over my face once a week to give my skin some loving after a week of work. It warms to my skin as soon as I apply it and leaves my skin feeling super soft after I rinse it off. A few days afterwards my skin kicks out any crap it may have lurking about but my skin always feels ten times better afterwards.

My last beauty favourite of the month is one that I've been meaning to get my hands on for a while but hadn't gotten round to. The Lasting Finish Primer from Rimmel has hands down beaten any other primer I own. More of a cream formula than most it smooths gently onto the skin and doesn't break down or ball as I apply it. It makes my make up last longer than it normally would which is brilliant because I work in quite a humid place. At the moment I'm teaming it with my Revlon Colourstay foundation and love that my make up still looks as fresh at night as it did in the morning.

My random favourite for the month has to be Strike Back. If you've never heard of Strike Back it's a action/military based tv show that centers around a British Intelligence Team called Section 20. I know it's probably not what most of you would chose to watch but if you love action and nail biting cliffhangers than I highly recommend you check it out. There are four seasons in total and I'm hurtling towards the 4th and final at quite a speed. It's an adrenaline packed show that I can't just watch one episode of, I have to watch two or three at a time.

So that's it for my monthly favourites. Are any of yours the same of mine? Do you have any product recommendations? Let me know in the comments if you do.

Make Up And Skincare Haul

As I do most Saturdays I popped into town to have a look round the shops and end up doing annihilating my bank balance. Today I picked up a few pieces that I was uber happy with so I thought I'd share them with you.

The first thing I picked up today which made me extremely happy was this little decorative mirror from Primark. I always have a look around the homeware section when I'm in there as they always have cute little trinkets. This mirror has an Audrey Hepburn quote written on it and that's what sold it for me. I love Audrey Hepburn and her era so I knew it would fit perfectly in my room. It has a more expensive look to it than it actually was and I can't wait to hang this on the wall in my bedroom.

My next purchase may be heading into the TMI department but I thought I'd share it anyway. I've had my eye on this Gilette Multi Blade pack for a while and luckily for me it was reduced in Superdrug this week. I needed a new razor and this one in my eyes is a money saver. You get one Venus handle and a choice of three heads. I've already tried the Olay head before and loved it so I'm intrigued to see what the others are like.

The next few purchases weren't exactly exciting but were necessary. The first of these is hairspray. I ran out at the beginning of the week of my favourite Elnett so thought I'd pick one up today. The Elnett hairsprays are some of my favourites as they give excellent hold but don't leave my hair crispy or sticky like some others on the market can do.

This is probably the fifth bottle of my Clearly Youthful Day Serum I've purchased. I love this stuff so much, it leaves my skin feeling ultra soft and hydrating and doesn't break me out. I go through these quicker than I probably should as I use it both in the morning and the evening. I've spoken a bit more in depth in my Morning Skincare Routine which can be found here.

Another repurchase for the day was my Clearly Youthful Resurfacing Night Serum. I go through these quicker than I do my day serum due to a fault in packaging design. When you get so far towards the end you can't use it anymore as it doesn't reach the pippet applicator. This is my holy grail night serum, I've lost count of the amount of bottles of this I've gone through. I spoke about it in more depth here if you're interested in it.

My last repurchase for this haul is the Olay Anti Wrinkle Eye Renewal Gel. My mum was the person that got me hooked on this. It's a gel formula that is ultra hydrating and cooling on the under eye area. I love using this in the morning, especially if I haven't slept well. It helps reduce any puffiness I have and my dark circles look less prominent after I use it as well.

I only brought one Soap and Glory item this weeks whereas previously it's been two or three a time. This is a purchase that Khila from msbudgetbeauty reviewed and said she liked so I had to try it. I'm slightly disappointed at the size of the product, I thought it would be bigger for the price but I haven't tried this yet. I'm going to give it a go tomorrow when I treat my skin to a make up free day.

This is probably my favourite purchase of the day. It's also the most expensive. I'm not going to lie as soon as I left Boots I did find myself having a bit of buyer's remorse. It's one of the new liquid lipsticks from Lancôme. I knew I had to have one of these after seeing Anna use it in her latest video. It's matte, it's red, it has shiny packaging, it was destined to be in my collection. I'm very excited to try this out and will post probably a thousand instagram pictures when I wear it.

And then we go from the uber expensive to the uber inexpensive. Primark's make up line PS Love have released some new lips products and as soon as I saw them I knew I had to get my hands on them. The first one I picked up was this matte long lasting lipstick in the shade Femme Fatale. It's a gorgeous berry/raspberry shade that I know suits my skintone. I'm looking forward to giving it a go as it looks like it could be an even better dupe for my Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick.

Then I spotted these Velvet Matte Lip Crayons. My Primark only had four shades so naturally I had to get all four. These remind me a lot of the Nars Lip Pencils packaging wise but I can't compare formulas as I don't own a Nars Lip Pencil. My favourite of the four is the berry toned one on the left hand side. It reminds me a little bit of Rimmel's 107 but I haven't swatched them side by side yet. I will be reviewing these once I've tried them all out.

And of course with the Lip Crayons I had to get the matching Lip Liners. I've already tried a couple of the PS Love lip liners and adore them. They're super creamy, super opaque and so easy to use. I grabbed myself a peachy nude shade, a mauvey purple shade and then an almost neon pink shade. I know that I'll get a lot of use out of these and at a £1 a pop you can't go wrong.

So that's it for my haul. I'm quite glad I'm back at work next week, I need to earn some more money to keep my shopping habit going. If you've tried any of these things let me know in the comments.

Summer Nail Edit

Summer means getting your feet out and that means toes have to be prepped and painted to perfection. Today I thought I'd show you my Top 5 Summer Nail Polishes for both my tootsies and my fingers. I will point out one thing about this post, it is not an ode to Barry M or sponsored by Barry M, I just happen to love their polishes and the majority of my collection consists of them.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Guava 
This is one of my favourite nail polishes to crack out in the summer. It's a stunning greeny blue shade that looks perfect on both fingers and toes. It is opaque in one coat but I always go in with a second to really get a depth to the colour. The Gelly Hi Shine Range really lives up to its name, it dries to leave a brilliant shine to the nail that only intensifies once a top coat is applied.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Kiwi 
If there is a shade of nail polish I own as much as neutral greige tones it's green polishes. This is my favourite however a mixture between an emerald green and an apple green this is another polish that is perfect for both fingers and toes. It is opaque in one coat but as I do with Guava I go in with another coat to make sure and to give a pop to the colour. I like the fact that these polishes dry quite quickly making manicures and pedicures less of a dreaded task.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Rosehip
If bright nails aren't your cup of tea then this next colour may be right up your street. Rosehip is very much a cheaper version of Essie's Fiji. A light pinky off white shade this is perfect if you're looking for a more neutral nail. This can be quite a hassle to apply but if you have the patience for it it will look stunning on the nail. It can take a good two to three coats to create a decent opaqueness and even then it can still look streaky on the nails. The only problem with having to apply so many coats to get the true colour is that it can cause it to chip quicker than other polishes.

 Barry M Speedy Quick Dry in Get Set Go 
This is one colour that only really works on my toes. A bright fuschia pink that is practically neon on the nails is too much for my fingers but perfect to brighten up any pair of sandals or flip flops. Two coats give a brilliant opaque pop of colour. It really does live up to it's quick dry name, both coats taking about five to ten minutes max. These don't have such a shine as the Gelly Hi Shine polishes so I do adviced popping a top coat over the top.

Barry M Sunset Daylight Curing in Do It Like A Nude
This is my most neutral pick for this Edit. As much as I love a good bright or pastel nail in the summer I do still like to bring out a neutral every now and again. This is one of the newer releases from Barry M and has quickly found it into the small stash of nail polishes I have on rotation. Do It Like A Nude is from their daylight curing range which is advertised as using the daylight to make the polish harder and longer lasting on the nail. This nude shade from the range is another product where you need a good two to three coats to get an opaque finish but when it's on and the top coat is applied it's a beautiful off white shade that gives a brilliant shine. The amount of coats along with the top coat means it can be prone to chipping before it should but that's just one problem that comes from formulas that are thin. It's still a stunning neutral shade though and if you have the patience will make a elegant nail look.

That's it for my Summer Nail Edit. Have you tried any of these? Do you have any recommendations? If so let me know in the comments.

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick Review And Dupe

When it comes to make up I'm not someone who purchases a lot of high end make up but always make an exception when it comes to lipstick. However I still take a good couple of weeks to make my mind up on whether I actually want to buy the product. I did that with this lipstick from Smashbox and I'm so glad I kept going back to look at it.

It's one of the Be Legendary Matte Lipsticks, a small collection of matte finish lipsticks that come in a stunning matte black packaging. I picked up the shade Punch Drunk, a stunning deep raspberry shade. It swatched more of a berry tone in the shop but when on the lips is a stunning yet bright raspberry shade that is perfect for people who want to dip their toe into pinkier shades but don't want to go for bright hot pinks.

It has a very creamy texture which makes it a dream to apply to lips and doesn't go streaky if you go over it repeatedly. When it's first applied there is a slight sheen finish to it but after a few minutes it dries down to more of a satin finish than a matte finish. It's one thing that lets this product down. While the satin finish is comfortable to wear it doesn't last as long as other matte lipsticks I own and even though it's not a true matte finish is quite drying on the lips. I would recommend maybe popping a light layer of lip balm on before applying this.

 And now onto the exciting bit that I stumbled onto the other day without realising it. If you like the look of the Smashbox Be Legendary Collection but don't want to part with £16 then Soap and Glory do an excellent dupe for a good £5 cheaper. It's one of Soap and Glory's Matte Lipsticks in the shade Pom Pom. It is a more brown toned version of the Smashbox lipstick but still translates onto the lips as a deep raspberry shade. It has a creamy texture that makes application easier than most matte lipsticks and dries down to an actual matte finish. Whilst there is a slight bit of transfer Pom Pom last longer on the lips than Punch Drunk and doesn't dry lips out.

If you're looking for a raspberry shade to try out or you just don't want to go down the hot pink road I highly recommend you check both of these lipsticks out. If the Smashbox Liptick isn't your cup of tea because of the price and the finish, the Soap and Glory one maybe the one for you. I love both of these lipsticks and will happily wear them continuously but if I had known that they were practically the same when I was looking at them in Boots I would have more than likely just gone for the Soap and Glory one.

Have you tried either of these? Do you know any lipsticks that are similar? If so let me know in the comments.