I feel like perfume is on a lot of peoples shopping list, especially this time of year - Christmas is just around the corner and I know a lot of you are well under way with your Christmas shopping. I'm feeling very proud of myself this year as nearly all of my Christmas shopping is complete... yay. If you are struggling, a safe bet is picking up some fragrance for someone special. I know its the type of present I always appreciate unwrapping and who doesn't love displaying pretty perfume bottles on their dressing table? Recently I've been trying out the new fragrance from Michael Bublé - By Invitation Peony Noir* and I'm here to tell you it's definitely one that you want to be adding to your Christmas wish lists.
Thursday, 8 November 2018
Wednesday, 31 October 2018
Hello I'm Back | The Past, Present & Future
Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I've sat at my laptop and felt motivated and inspired to write. I know I've been missing in action for a long time, not just on my blog but across all my social media and to be honest I've needed the break. Before I disappeared my blog posts where few and far between and I think I just felt the pressure of blogging - As you all know comparison is the devil, especially within the online community and I found myself really stuck in a rut. To top it all off my nana who I'm really close with passed away at the end of September which completely zapped all of my creative juices. It was a really hard time for me and my family loosing someone so close and I've never experienced a loss of someone close in my adult life so it was a lot for me to deal with. I've just spent my time over the last few weeks being with my family and focusing all my energy on whats really important to me - Archie. Archie is definitely the best medicine and his little cheeky smile has not only helped me get through my own personal struggles but he is always helping me grow and improve as a mother, he really gives me so much more than he'll ever know. In the back of my mind I've always had that little niggle telling me that I need to get back into the everyday swing of life, but the time has not felt right until now. The break was just what I needed and I feel ready to pick up my camera again and getting those creative juices flowing again. Sorry for the really rambly start to this blog post, I'm really out of practice, but what I'm trying to say is that I'm back, sorry for being gone for so long and that I've missed you all.
Tuesday, 25 September 2018
My Top Three Transitional Palettes To Take You From Summer To Autumn
Sunday, 16 September 2018
The Best Lush Bath Bomb for Busy Hardworking Mums
Like most people out there I'm a huge fan of Lush! Actually I'm yet to meet anyone who doesn't like the brand - Lets face it, who doesn't love a company that not only make products that look and smell incredible but who also make the best bath products ever! I've loved Lush since my very early teens, before Lush even became a huge global brand. My aunt lives in Poole, which is the birthplace of Lush so whenever my sister and I used to stay there during the summer holidays, she would always take us to the Lush shop and treat us to a few bath time treats. One of my favourite products back then where the bath bombs and they are probably still my favourite things to buy from Lush almost twenty years later. Picking your favourite product from Lush is just as hard as choosing a favourite family member, so much so that I don't think I've ever tried a product from Lush that I didn't like or fall in love with. I'm always buying things from Lush, so I want to start sharing more of my favourite products from the brand. I thought the perfect way of doing this would be to start up a little mini series where I choose favourite products for all my different needs and today I thought I'd share my favourite bath bomb for us busy hard working mums.... Which of course is Twilight.
Wednesday, 29 August 2018
End of Summer Favourites
I can't believe August is coming to an end! Does anyone else think this year is just flying past? I was reminiscing the other day on just how good summer has been this year, I know a lot of us all complained about the heatwave, myself included...But I'm not going to lie, I kind of miss the warm weather. August has been a bit of a flop really weather wise and even though my heart is still clinging onto summer, I'm currently sat here typing this post up sat with a hot water bottle on my lap, which says it all really. Anyway, enough of me being a typical Brit and talking about the weather, what I really wanted to share with you all today is some of my favourite summer beauty items, ones that I've reached for time and time again. Over the last few months I've not really tried anything new, and makeup has been kept to a minimum because of the heat, so the things I have been using really have been must haves for me.
Friday, 24 August 2018
New In From Girls With Attitude | Luxury Faux Mink Lashes
Don't you just love it when your favourite brand releases something new! Girls With Attitude have been hard at work again and have brought us out a new lash range which I think might be their best one yet. You guys know me and that I love a good pair of falsies and think they take any makeup look to the next level. The only time I don't wear false lashes these days is when I know I'm just going to be have a lazy pyjama day at home. For everyday wear, I tend to wear lashes that just add a little bit more volume and length, but there are times in your life where you need your lashes to be full of sass and for those kind of occasions you need to check out the new Girls With Attitude Faux Mink Lashes.
Monday, 6 August 2018
How I Edit My Instagram Photos - My New Favourite Editing App
Do you remember the days where everyones Instagram theme was all white and we all used and abused the whitening tool on Face Tune just to get the right effect? Not to mention the most used filter on VSCO Cam - A5. I'll hold my hands up and say that I'm guilty and when I look back on this section on my Instagram theme I really hate it. Actually thats a little extreme, I don't hate it, but it's definitely not what I'm about anymore. Whilst some bloggers still work this theme AND make it look amazing, it's just not me anymore and I'm definitely more about injecting some colour into my feed. For the last couple of months I've been sticking to one consistent colour in my theme, which is pink and I absolutely love it. But over the last few weeks I've tried incorporating some more lifestyle photos in as I feel that this makes things look more personal and I can give you guys a bit more insight into my life. All these changes on the gram means I've been experimenting with different editing apps and seeing what suits my style best. Well, over the last two months the process of editing my photos has never been more fun and I can only put it down to my new favourite app - A colour Story and today I want to tell you all about it and how I use it to edit my Instagram photos.
Wednesday, 25 July 2018
What's In My Everyday Summer Makeup Bag
As much as I love makeup, I like to keep things to a minimum in the summer. Even though I live nowhere near a beach, I love that 'I've just walked off the beach' kind of look, so less is definitely more. Not to mention with this heat wave we are having, my makeup is just melting away by the afternoon so there really is no need to cake anything on. I thought I'd show you all the contents of my summer makeup bag, just to see what I've been loving recently and it might help you narrow down your essentials too.
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
EvyTechnology Sunscreen Mousse For Kids | The Best Sunscreen for Kids
Monday, 2 July 2018
3 Ways To Keep Your Hair Hydrated & Healthy This Summer
Tuesday, 26 June 2018
New Fantasy Palette from Girls With Attitude | Swatches & Review
Tuesday, 19 June 2018
A Little Tour of Archie's Nursery
Tuesday, 5 June 2018
Get the Perfect Summer Skin with GWA Liquid Glow Illuminators
Summer is just around the corner and I don't know if it's just me, but there seems to be a lot of hype and love right now for products that make your skin glow. I know my Instagram feed is full of beautiful products which will illuminate the skin and so many people are raving about the new Sol de Janeiro Ipanema Sunset Glow Oil which looks stunning, but with a price tag of £35.00 it's not at the very top of my wish list of things I need to buy. It got me thinking about cheaper alternatives and straight away my two favourite Liquid Glow Illuminators from Girls With Attitude came to mind. I've had the two illuminators in my makeup stash for a little while now, but have only really used them as highlighters - But it got me thinking about other ways that I can use them to achieve a really similar look to the more pricey Sunset Glow Oil and I thought I'd share with you my top tips on how I use these two GWA Illuminators to get the most gorgeous summer skin.
Monday, 28 May 2018
My Favourite Bronzers For The Best Summer Glow
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Trying Out Makeup & Skincare From Proto-Col | First Impressions
Wednesday, 16 May 2018
April Beauty Favourites
Can you remember the last time I got up a favourites post? Nope nor can I and I kind of feel like one is long overdue! I don't know why I don't try and make them more of a monthly feature as it feels like my makeup bag is constantly switching and changing around, especially now that spring is in full force, I pretty much have a whole new makeup bag. Today I've narrowed things down and picked out my stand out above the rest favourites for you...
Monday, 7 May 2018
Primark Bronze Range | Cream Eyeshadow, Highlighter & More
Now that spring is full swing and summer is just around the corner (I cannot wait!) it's time to start switching things around in my makeup bag. I am loving more natural looks, with plenty of highlight and I can't get enough of the golden glow. Which is why I was pretty excited to see a new makeup range on my most recent trip to Primark. Recently I've become a big fan of Primark beauty and I loved their Nudes collection, a few weeks ago you may have seen my review on some of their cream eyeshadows (here). As soon as I saw their new Bronze collection I knew that I had to take a few bits home with me. There's quite a few bits in the range to choose from and I could have easily picked one up of everything! I don't think I did too bad with the four bits I picked up, I've only had them for a few days, but already I'm loving everything...
Monday, 30 April 2018
Keeping My Skin Super Silky Soft With Soap & Glory
Before I had Archie I was so good at moisturising and did it on a daily basis, sometimes even twice a day... Crazy I know. But fast forward two years and this routine has disapreaed completly which has made my skin feel so dry and a few weeks ago I knew that I needed to take action. So naturally I turned to one of my favourite body care brands Soap & Glory. There's something about Soap & Glory products that always keep me going back to them time and time again; All the products are packaged so beautifully and smell divine! I made a quick dash into Boots before they shut on my way home from work a few weeks ago with the sole purpose of picking up some moisturiser or body butter - So you guys can only imagine my excitement when I saw that Boots had a 3 for 2 offer across all the S&G body and body care range... Yay! Whilst I love everything I've ever tried from Soap & Glory, I wanted to stock up on the products that would make my skin feel hydrated and silky soft, so I picked up one body butter and two daily moisturisers. These three products have changed my skin dramatically since I started using them so I thought I'd give you a little run down of the products that I love the most and have been using and my daily routine.
Saturday, 28 April 2018
Mini Makeup Revolution Haul
I love Makeup Revolution, when it comes to affordable makeup they are the brand you can always turn to and rely on. I'm pretty sure at one point a few years ago my entire makeup bag was all Makeup Revolution. Whilst I still love the brand, I don't really use their makeup as much as I used to, not because I don't like their products,but because when it comes to makeup there's always something new to try and I just can't help myself when it comes to discovering new brands and trying the latest release of a new product. It was only a month or so ago when it felt that everyone couldn't get enough of Makeup Revolution and word was that their new Conceal and Define Concealer was a pretty much like for like dupe of the Tarte Tape Shape Concealer, which got me really excited. I've always wanted to try Tape Shape, but I've always been put off by the price tag and knowing me I'd probably fall in love with it and that would be cause some damage to my bank balance every time I needed to repurchase it. For weeks and weeks my local Superdrug seemed to be permanently sold out of the Makeup Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer until last week, where they had my shade C5 in stock and I actually felt like jumping with excitement when I saw it. What made things even better was that Superdrug also had 3 for 2 across their makeup, so I decided to pick up a few other bits from Makeup Revolution and today I thought I'd give a little mini review of the things that I picked up.
Tuesday, 10 April 2018
New In From Girls With Attitude, Boujee Blush Palette | Review
If you've ever scrolled through my blog, you will see that there are a lot of posts and reviews from the brand Girls With Attitude and it would come as no surprise to you that they are one of my favourite online brands. I've been one of their biggest fans for a few years now and every time a new product is released I get way too excited because when it comes to branding and the quality of products Girls With Attitude have never ever let me down. A few weeks ago the first ever GWA blush palette came on the scene and I've been using it everyday since, so I thought it would be perfect to get my full review up of the gorgeous Boujee Palette.
Thursday, 5 April 2018
Sleek Matte Me Lip Cream In Shabby Chic | My New Favourite Lipstick
When it comes to lipstick choices, you guys know that matte liquid lipsticks get my heart fluttering every single time, I love them! I just love how easy they are to wear and that one application will last for hours and hours. I'm the kind of girl who doesn't like to reapply her lipstick more than twice a day, which is why this kind of formula works best for me. Not to mention the fact that I love the way a matte lip looks on, I much prefer it to gloss. For the longest of time, it felt that all I ever did way buy lipstick and as I have a pretty large selection of liquid matte lipsticks to choose from I decided that I needed a break from buying anymore, that is until recently. I was in Boots the other week and they had 3 for 2 across all their high street makeup brands (my favourite kind of deal). For my free item I decided to pick up a new liquid matte lipstick and treated myself to one of the new(ish) Matte Me Lip Creams from Sleek. I've seen a lot of bloggers rave about these lipsticks on Instagram, so after doing the usual selection of swatches up my arm, I took the shade 'Shabby Chic' home with me and I am obsessed. I think I have found my new favourite liquid lipstick formula and feel that I have a duty to tell you all about it.
Tuesday, 27 March 2018
My Current Obsession - Primark Nudes Matte Eye Cream's | Review
It had been quite some time since I popped into my local Primark, but last week I decided to quickly dash in on the last ten minutes of my lunch break and as usual didn't come away empty handed. Does anyone actually ever set foot into Primark and walk away with nothing? I'd love to know because its something that never happens to me. My main reason for popping in on a whim was to pick up some more of their false nails because I'm obsessed and when it comes to falsies Primark do the best ones. Right by the nails section I saw a little stand dedicated to their new Nudes makeup range. I saw quite a few people on Instagram positing on their stories about this collection a few weeks ago, but had completely forgotten about it, so I was quite excited when I saw the collection and just knew that I had to pick something up. As I was in a rush, I didn't have the time I would have liked to have a proper browse and do some much needed swatches, but I did decide that I needed to try the Nude Matte Eye Creams and as they only cost £2.00 each, it would have been rude not too. I have to say I was really impressed, so much so that I thought I would share my first impressions of them with you all.
Friday, 23 March 2018
Five Products From Style Freedom You Need To Try
It's been a long time since I typed up a haircare post on my blog, that's because I'm guilty; Over the last few months I've seriously neglected my hair, worn it in basic styles such as messy buns or sorted it with the hair straighteners. Needless to say, my hair has been feeling pretty poor and not in the best condition so I decided that enough was enough and introduced some new haircare and styling products into my routine. I don't know about anyone else but really struggle with knowing what haircare brands to choose from, especially when they don't have the cheapest of price tags, I feel like you have to take a bit of a gamble and hope that whichever product you choose works its magic for you. Since having Archie, I find that a lot of my spare money goes on him and so not wanting to spend too much on haircare I chose the brand Style Freedom which is exclusively sold at Superdrug and I've been so impressed. Not only are the products I've tried amazing, but they won't break the bank with the most expensive item costing only £7.99. I thought I'd give you a little run down of all the Style Freedom products I've been trying as I think it will be helpful for any of you who are like me and wanting to give your hair a little more TLC.
Wednesday, 14 March 2018
My Top Three High End Eyeshadow Palette's That Are Perfect For Spring
Spring is finally in the air and I couldn't be more happier! I love this time of year and it feels lovely to get outside again and not have to wear a million layers just to keep myself warm. You know that spring is almost hear when you see the daffodils starting to sprout, yesterday on my way to pick Archie up from Nursery, I even took my coat off because the sun was shining down on me and it felt wonderful. One thing that I really love with the change of the seasons, is changing up my makeup bag, for the last couple of months I've been on a beauty spending ban (the pain and struggle is real) and I've been shopping my current makeup stash. Although theres no rules as to what makeup palette you wear, I think some of my makeup is more seasonal, especially with the likes of eyeshadow and lipstick. So I had a good rummage through my eyeshadow palettes (theres a few to get through) and I picked out my top three high end ones which I think will be perfect for spring. All three are very different, but I love them all equally. So if you need a bit of inspiration for your spring makeup bag, keep on reading.
Tuesday, 6 March 2018
Five Makeup Items That Give Me That Instant Pick Me Up
I remember the days before becoming a mum, I used to enjoy and spend a good hour doing my makeup every morning. Now I know this sounds excessive and a little bit over the top, but I enjoy doing my makeup; Nothing beats the feeling of getting a new eyeshadow palette and having a good play around with the shades and creating new and different looks. This routine that I used to have set me up for the day and I love the confidence good makeup can give me. Don't get me wrong I'm all about the natural look too and I don't need makeup on to leave the house, but if I'm honest I prefer wearing it and it makes me feel a lot better about myself. Fast forward two years and I barely get five minutes to do my makeup, if you have a toddler you will know that it is no easy task. I do miss my eyeshadows (they only come out at the weekends or special occasions) and although I don't spend anywhere near as much time on my makeup, I still want to wear it and I still want that instant pick me up that I get whenever I apply it. So today I thought I'd share my top five makeup items that I use every morning and these are the staples that I couldn't live without and the ones that really make me feel good about myself.
Wednesday, 28 February 2018
My Spring Makeup Bag Essential | Girls With Attitude Aphrodite Palette
One thing that I really look forward to this time of year has to be spring, it's just around the corner and I always think it's the time of year where we start doing a little more and can get out of the house - Although saying that most of the UK is currently snowed in, what is that all about? One thing that I love to do this time of year is to change up my makeup bag; For me spring is all about less coverage and more natural looking makeup. I'm talking about soft pinks and shimmery rose gold highlights, matte lipsticks are put to one side and out comes the lip gloss and lipsticks with beautiful satin finishes. Over the last couple of weeks, I've been slowly switching things up in my makeup bag and one makeup item that has made its way in there is the Girls With Attitude Aphrodite palette*, which I think is the most perfect palette for spring. If you're looking to switch up your makeup and want something that won't break the bank then keep on reading as I have a full review for you on this beautiful palette.
Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Pretty In Pink | My Valentine's Day Makeup Bag
Monday, 12 February 2018
Everything You Need To Create The Perfect Pancake Day at Home with Asda's Pancake Range
Can you believe Pancake day is tomorrow? Pancake day has to be the most exciting day since Christmas and in my household we LOVE pancakes! We love them so much so, that we don't wait a whole year fill our tummies this scrumptious food, so as you can imagine we love going all out on a special day that is purely dedicated to eating pancakes. This year I've teamed up with Asda and have been getting some extra practice in before the big day and I've been trying and testing out the Asda pancake range so I can help you create the perfect pancake day at home too. So if you love pancakes just as much as I do then keep on reading and grab a pen and some paper as I've got your shopping list sorted.
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
My First Impressions of the I Heart Makeup Chocolate Elixir Palette
Last year I accumulated a lot of eyeshadow palettes, one of the many perks of being a beauty blogger. About a week or so before Christmas I had a surprise gift from the team at Tam Beauty which I was not expecting and I was pretty excited to see their new I Heart Makeup Chocolate Elixir Palette*. I know Tam Beauty might have quite a few chocolate palettes to choose from, but this is the first one I own and I was pretty excited when I opened the lid and saw some beautiful looking eyeshadows inside. My excitement continued when I realised that this was a very similar looking palette to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette, which has been on my wish list for so long. My reasoning's for never treating myself to the MR palette, is because I really do own far too many eyeshadow palettes, that combined with the price tag, I just don't know if I can justify it yet. So I'm more than happy to have something very similar looking in my collection. So if you're in the same boat as me or just want a palette that's just as pretty as the MR palette, then keep on reading.
Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Five Products From Urban Decay That Are Worth Investing In
When someone asks me what my favourite makeup brand is, I struggle to find an answer as there are so many brands that I love. However my makeup collection definitely speaks for itself and if you were to take a little look you would see that the amount of Urban Decay products shadows out the rest, so this can only really mean that Urban Decay is possibly my ultimate favourite. I was sorting through my makeup the other day and thought I would put together a post of my top five Urban Decay products, the ones that you really need and that are worth every penny. If you love Urban Decay as much as I do, expect to see some of your favourites in here, but if you're fairly new to the brand then hopefully you'll find my picks really useful.
Monday, 8 January 2018
New Year, New Makeup Brushes | Girls With Attitude Luxe Metallics Makeup Brush Set
Saturday, 6 January 2018
My Best Beauty Finds of 2017
One of my favourite things ever is discovering new makeup and trying new looks out. Every year I always add to my collection (even though I'm on constant spending bans) and I love taking a moment to reflect on the new discoveries I've made and share them with you all. One of the perks of being a blogger is being sent new things to try and I felt incredibly lucky last year with the things that I was gifted. I also managed to treat myself to a few things that had been on my wish list for sometime. So if you're looking to get a little inspired with your makeup collection this year, have a little read on...
Wednesday, 3 January 2018
My Plan For 2018 | Goals & Things To Look Forward To
Happy New Year everyone! How is it January already? Last year flew past and like most bloggers out there, I'm feeling fresh with ideas and ready to jump feet first back into the blogging pool. Unintentionally I took my a little break throughout December - As it was Archie's second Christmas I just wanted to enjoy every minute of it and we constantly had fun things planned throughout the month, so sorry if you missed me, I promised I miss blogging a whole lot more. I thought I'd kick start things off this month with a 'Goals' post. I never make new year resolutions as I always find it so hard to stick to them and only feel disappointed if I've failed at the end of the year. I think it's much nicer to just lay out some goals and things to work towards so if you're interested in what I want to achieve this year, then keep on reading.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
©
Miss Sunshine and Sparkle | All rights reserved.