Estée Lauder's Liquid Lip Potions

I can't believe it has taken me this long to blog about these, because I discovered them right at the beginning of the year, but I have never been a huge lipstick wearer. I love the thought of it but honestly, i'm quite lazy when it comes to my make up. I apply it first thing in the morning and don't touch it all day, bar a little powder if really necessary so lipstick to me is just a bit of a faff. However, I love the way it looks and the way it can finish a look so I decided to go on the hunt for some lipsticks that were easy to apply, of the liquid variety and had some staying power, but weren't a pain in the butt to get off.

Enter the Estee Lauder Liquid Lip Potions, basically the lipsticks of my dreams. 

As the name suggests they are in fact a liquid lipstick, that you apply with a doe foot applicator that is just the perfect size for following your lip line and filling in too, especially as it's built to be double sided. One side is curved to go over the contours of your lips and the other is flatter to help line and fill. It's also great at not picking up too much product so that it gets all over the place, you have the perfect amount to apply. They are super easy to apply and glide on with ease, you only need to go over your lips once for fully opaque colour and I also love the finish. It's not a gloss but it doesn't dry matte either, it's probably in the middle as some sort of satin finish and although it doesn't set per say, it also doesn't get everywhere either.

The pigmentation is amazing, as I said you only really need one coat to get the colour opaque and that's even with the lighter colours, as well as the dark ones. The lipsticks are packed with skin benefiting oils such as sunflower, avocado and jojoba as well as antioxidants. Something you may want to look out for if you have particularly sensitive lips is that they have added extra fragrance so for those of you who look to avoid scents, then maybe these ones aren't the ones for you. They come in a wide variety of shades, however not so many if you look at other lipstick offerings, but enough so that they have one of every kind of colour. They have a nude or two, a red, a purple and some pinks, so definitely something for everyone. Now although i've said they don't really go anywhere, they do still transfer if you're drinking or eating so do bare that in mind and if you want perfect coverage all day then you will have to reapply but it's super easy to do, any I love them none the less.

They're all packaged in the signature navy and gold tubes we have come to know and love from Estee Lauder, in a sleek square shape which are easy to keep in your make up bag or your handbag. I'm sure there are plenty of longer staying, maybe glossier or matter liquid lipsticks out there but if you're just looking for something easy and pigmented then these might be an option for you.

K|xo

Batiste Stylist Shield My Locks Heat & Shine Spray

As I started to explain in my favourites post, more often than not i'm an evening shower-er. I like to come home from work and have a long shower so I can condition my hair, shave my legs, scrub my skin and frankly I just don't have time for that in the mornings. I also use a fair amount of heat and put quite a lot of strain on my hair day-to-day so, if i can, I usually let my hair air-dry and/or sleep on it wet ready to be styled in the morning. However, what I have come to find is that the majority of heat protectant sprays are made to be used on wet hair. This baffles me because I cannot be the only human to need a heat protectant for my dry hair in the morning. I've often thought about using one that's made for wet hair on my dry hair but I have fairly fine hair and it doesn't need weighing down any more than it already does.

I did find one which was made by Mark Hill but he's recently revamped his whole haircare line, and has discontinued my favourite Turn Up The Heat Extreme Heat Protection Spray in favour of one that has to be used on wet hair, again. Well, it seems that Batiste could sense my needs because they've just come out with their Stylist range that's made to help style and finish your hair. They're most well known for their famous dry shampoos in every scent and colour, so these styling products are a game changer.

Although i've bought a few of the other products in the Stylist range, this is the first one i've road tested so can only speak for this one as of yet - but if the rest of the range is anything like this, i'm going to love it.

It's an aerosol can similar to their dry shampoos and it comes out like a somewhat powder formula that makes the hair slightly damp but dries almost instantly ones brushed through. It leaves your hair feeling so super silky and smooth, almost like you've just had your hair done and it certainly does add some shine like it's name suggests. It seems to help my straighteners glide through my hair and I don't have any problems with dryness, just shiny, straight locks.

It really is quite the unusual product, i've never seen anything like it's safe to say it's made it's way into my permanent haircare routine. I don't know where i'd be without it now!

K|xo

How Face Masks Have Saved My Skin

My skin has been a bit of a moment lately, breakouts left and right, uneven texture and frankly just looking a little dull, and lacklustre. Going along side this, something I haven't really spoken about but it's on the cards, is that i've been dating someone new lately and with that haven't quite been looking after my skin as I usually do. I've been spending a lot of time with him so haven't been keeping up with my usual skincare routine.

Things were getting a bit much, so I decided to take some time out for myself, thoroughly triple cleanse, tone and apply a face mask. I initially used my absolute favourite, which is the Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Mask which just seems to help clear up anything that my face is struggling with, as well as smooth out any uneven texture. The clay pulls out the impurities and the Aloe Vera stops your skin feeling tight and dehydrated. It also contains rosehip and parsley seed to perk up your skin with plenty of antioxidants. It's amazing for oily/combo girls like myself, because as well as all of that it helps balance any crazy skin factors.

Later the same week I went for the Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask to Rescue Problem Skin, which is really minty and tingles slightly which always lets me know that it's doing it's thing. This one, again, is targeted for us oily skin ladies as it helps to get rid of excess oil and sebum. It aims to "sop up oily-shine, slough off sticky, dead cells, and sweep away irksome debris" as well as calm using Camphor and Salicylic Acid to shed away any problems.

Lastly, I used the Pixi Glow Mud Mask. You leave this one on for 15 minutes in order to purify your skin and let it draw out embedded impurities, to create clarity. This one contains "soothing aloe vera, rejuvenating rosemary, brightening ginseng and healing jojoba – to instantly ‘perk up’ lacklustre complexions and help to prevent dreaded breakouts." It's great for, not only, when your skin is having a mild freak out but it's also great for bring back some glow and life back into your skin. It's designed to soothe, decongest, plump and glow.

These three little beauties have really helped me reign my skin back in when, maybe, i'm not taking care of it quite as well as I should be but i'm busy living life and anything that's a quick fix is perfect for me right now.

K|xo

My New Holy Grail Topshop Jeans

For as long as I can remember I have been inseparable from my Topshop Joni Jeans. They've always been exactly what i've wanted; skinny legged, high waisted & have fitted like a dream. However over the past couple of months i've lost quite a lot of weight and they just started to not fit me like they once had. I tried going down a size in the Jonis but they were just that bit too tight that it made them uncomfortable to wear. It was starting to get me down because I feel like a good pair of jeans is a staple in any girl's wardrobe and although the I could wear my Joni jeans, they were okay on my hips but way too big on the waist and I was forever pulling them up.

So on a recent trip to Westfield Stratford, I decided to bite the bullet and try on some new Tall jeans. In my time of jeans wearing i've been through a couple of Topshop jeans styles, including the Jamies and the Leighs as well as the Jonis, so after reading about each style I decided to go for it and try on the Jamie Jeans. I took in a couple of sizes with me and came out a very happy bunny.

The Topshop Jamie Jeans are described as "versatility at its coolest. A must for the high-rise lover, these jeans have you covered for all occasions." They are very similar to the Joni Jeans in that they're high waisted and a skinny jean, but they don't come up quite as high and they don't have quite as much stretch but they're still super comfortable and these actually fit like a dream. I've gone down a size in these and they really do fit perfectly, although these are slightly thicker than the Joni jeans.

Please don't mind all the creasing, i'd literally just driven home! As you can see they come up high on the waist and fit really nicely all the way down the legs. I feel like this pictures makes the rips look like they sit really funnily on my legs, but I assure you they do actually sit on my knees. Here i'm wearing them rolled up at the ankles but I do also wear them rolled down depending on how i'm feeling that day.

Honestly, they just make me feel really good about myself and I love that i've actually got some jeans that fit me so well. I love them so much I went out and bought them in dark blue, light blue, and grey as well as this ripped pair. So, if you're looking for some new high waisted jeans the Jamie could be your girl.

K|xo

Current Favourites: July

I have not done a favourites post in so, so long. Probably mainly because they're my least favourite Youtube videos to watch, and at that time of the month I tend to just skip past them. However, i'm sometimes partial to reading about a few bits that people are loving at the moment. I don't know about you but I don't swap the products i'm using regularly enough to warrant doing monthly favourites but I have been really loving a few products lately so I thought i'd share.

Lee Stafford Original Heat Protection Shine Mist | Since dying the bottom half of my hair platinum blonde, i've really been trying to look after it and take care of my ends so they don't become too damaged. However, I am quite the heat fiend. I do blow dry my hair once or twice a week and straighten it every time I wear it down. I did have a Mark Hill heat protectant that I was in love with but, unfortunately, they discontinued it - on a side note, why do brands do that!? - so I was on the hunt for a new one. Although something I should address is that more often then not I want a heat protectant that I can use on my dry hair, and you would be surprised how difficult that is to find. I'll talk to you about one i've fallen for next but this Lee Stafford offering is perfect for when i'm fresh out of the shower, short on time, and my hair needs blow drying. I simply spritz this all over my hair, not directly on the roots as not to weigh them down, and then use my hairdryer to get everything styled. It is a bit of a strange one as after you've applied it and you start drying your hair, it does leave a sort of sticky feeling on the hair. This alarmed me, at first, but once your hair is completely dry there is no sticky or greasy feeling left behind, just soft, shiny hair. My locks always feel protected and not at all weighed down when using this, which is amazing for my usually limp, fine hair.

L'Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil for Coloured Hair | I actually used to use this oil probably three or four years ago when I was at university but i'm not really sure why I gave it up! I was browsing the Boots shelves looking for products to help protect my new blonde locks, came back across the Extraordinary Oil and remembered how much I loved it! I still love it just as much now as I did back then. It's such an amazing multipurpose product; I use it on damp hair before blow drying or I use it on the ends of my dry, styled hair to keep smooth and hydrated. Although it's an oil it doesn't feel at all greasy and doesn't weigh my dry or damp hair down when applied. I was a bit worried about using it on my dry ends, but actually it really smooths them down and helps them look a bit tidier, especially just before a trim. Plus, you barely need any product as a little goes a long way so that huge bottle lasts forever.

Batiste Stylist Shield My Locks Heat & Shine Spray | Now, when I do want a heat protectant that I can use on dry hair this new product is what I go for. More often than not I shower and wash my hair when I get home from work and sleep on it damp. So by morning I need a protectant that is super light and doesn't weigh down my locks. Batiste have recently debuted their Stylist range that also consists of a texturising spray, a frizz taming spray, a hairspray, an XXL volume spray and an XXL plumping powder. It's a pretty exciting release, I think, and I have bought a couple of the other products to test out too. So far, this is my absolute favourite of the bunch. Not only does it protect my hair from my straighteners in the morning, it also leaves my hair feeling super shiny and so, so smooth. It really helps to finish the look as well as create it, which I love because frankly multipurpose products always get my vote. It's super easy to spray all over the hair, leave to settle, brush through and then apply your desired heat.

Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Daily Body Lotion with Shea Butter for Very Dry Skin | I raved about the Garnier Ultra-Replenishing Body Lotion in my Getting Summer Ready post, which I still totally stand by, but I also just love this lotion for every day, all over. It keeps my skin in check during these warmer, Summer months when skin is more on show but I also loved it during Winter too, when things were a lot drier. It's just so hydrating and sinks in straight away. You can physically feel your skins hydration for so much longer than any other moisturiser i've ever used too, so I just had to throw this one in here to say that I am still absolutely obsessed with it!

Maybelline The Rocket Volume Express Waterproof Mascara in Very Black | Now I am not at all a waterproof mascara kind of girl. The nearest I get to waterproof mascara is using the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara in my everyday makeup routine, but never do I use an actual waterproof formula. However a few weeks ago I took part the a Race for Life Pretty Muddy 5k event which involved a lot of mud, water and getting down and dirty! The girls in my team and I decided to just go for wearing our make up and I took every precaution to keep it in place for the entire 5k, as well as going all out with a bright pink eyeshadow look! Despite getting shot in the face, twice, with a water cannon and soaked while crossing a ford, everything was completely intact at the end of the race - including my mascara. I was super, super impressed with the staying power of this as I know that being waterproof is it's point but I really did get soaked during the race, but my mascara stayed entirely in place, thank goodness. I also don't usually go for these plastic, short bristle sort of brushes but it really lengthened and separated my lashes which I actually really liked the style of.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm | This has been a staple product for me for a good year now, and i'm pretty sure i've raved about it repeatedly but I still absolutely adore this product! I use it every day that I wear makeup to get everything off of my face, and I don't have to tug at my skin to get anything off rather it just slides off after an application of this. It also leaves my skin feeling hydrated and silky smooth once i've flanneled the last of it off. I cannot recommend this highly enough, even for you oily skinned girls because it really does do wonders. 

MAC Frost Eyeshadow in Cranberry | A couple of months ago I had a major makeup clear out and gave a lot to friends, as well as chucking a lot of products that probably should have been binned long, long ago. One of the biggest things I decided to get rid of was all of my MAC products. I'd been thinking about it for a long time, but just never bitten the bullet. Now i'm not exactly an animal activist seeing as I openly eat meat and i'm sure many of the other beauty brands I use have sister companies who potentially test on animals, but MAC is a brand that are very open about the fact they test on animals - i'm sure we've all seen the horrific videos floating around the internet - so I decided that i'd just get rid of all my MAC products to friends or very old ones to the bin. I've been living a MAC-free life for a good three or four months but it wasn't until a recent night out that I actually missed a few products. I have repeatedly tried to find a dupe for MAC's Cranberry Eyeshadow but to no avail. There are similar shades out there but there is just always something off, whether it be the finish or the pigmentation, I just haven't found anything that matches up. So, i decided to go into store to purchase a single shadow in Cranberry because I just can't live without it. It hurts my heart and I know I should probably just live without it, but the selfish side of me needs that shadow in my life. The pigmentation is like no other, it blends so seamlessly into any base shadow that I choose and it's amazing for gliding along the bottom lashline too. For those wondering I also purchased Rebel Lipstick as i'm yet to find something I love as much too.

Micheal Kors Medium Selma Bag in Tile Blue | I bought this little beauty on my Orlando trip last August, so she's coming up to being a year old, and I still love her as much now as I did when I bought her. She was everything I wanted and in a very reasonably priced package too. When I purchased her, she was actually considered last season's colour so was on sale in the Micheal Kors store in the Mall at Millennia, in Orlando, Florida. That did not bother me, I fell in love with her as soon as i saw her and that was it, she was packed into her dust bag and was going home with me. The MK Selma bags are some of my favourite and I love it so much i'm hoping I might be able to find an equally beautiful one on my upcoming trip in September. I love how structured they are and although the medium looks quite small, you can fit everything you need in there - although I do like to take a smaller purse with me as not to make her too heavy or misshape her too much. She's wearing amazingly so far and the colour is absolutely to die for. I do keep her mostly in her dust bag when i'm not using her, but I wouldn't say I look after her particularly well and frankly she's still beautiful!

That, my lovelies, is what I have been loving lately. If there's anything you think i'm missing out on or that I simply need to try please do let me know!

K|xo