No7 Beautiful Skin Review

Beautiful skin. Isn't that what we all want? It is definitely something that is high on my priority list. I love buying skincare products and I am a complete sucker for advertising and packaging so as soon as I saw an advert for this range on TV where the girl was still looking gorgeous in the morning after a night out I was sold. (I know, I’m that easily swayed haha.) Also with the name Beautiful Skin it’s gotta be worth a try on that alone!

Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser

The Claims: ‘Gently removes make-up and impurities and tightens pores – delivering in one step the same results other regimes offer in two – to leave skin clean, refreshed and feeling fabulous’.  

I really like this product. I use one pump all over my face and it leaves my skin feeling soft and clean afterwards. I do however tend to remove most of my make up before using this and also follow with a toner so for me it isn’t one step. It has made a huge difference to my pores though, before using this they were the biggest they had ever been and I can definitely tell a difference. I think it’s also helped with my blemishes, I usually get them around my chin and since using this they have really cleared up. Yay! The cleanser retails at £9, only £4 with a cheeky voucher. Will I be repurchasing this? Yes, probably when I have a voucher though, what can I say a girl’s gotta budget!

Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water 

The Claims: ‘Help control oil for an even complexion’ ‘Cleanse, refresh and balance skin for results that you can see and feel from morning to night’.

Oh my God this product was such a b*tch to get hold of! Every single Boots store I went into did not stock this; it’s also out of stock online and has been for some time. Being so hard to find I thought this product was going to be incredible. Finally it came into my local boots store and I snapped it up as quickly as I could. Well, I wouldn’t say it is incredible but I do enjoy using it. I tend to use this either in the morning to wake my skin up or at night when I’m at my boyfriends. It smells lovely and leaves my skin feeling lovely and fresh. I would purchase this again (if I can find it again) but again I would use a voucher as it also retails at £9.

Overall I’m really impressed with this range. It’s really well priced and it was worked a treat for my skin. Last weekend I also purchased the Purifying mask and will be doing a review on that after a few more uses. The Boots vouchers are around now and are valid until the middle of July so what are you waiting for!

Have you tried any No7 Skincare? What products have helped your skin for the better?

Food Porn: Mid Week Meal

So I am starting to see why my diet isn't going as well as it could be...

On Wednesday night my friends and I went out for a meal at our friend’s restaurant, Restaurant 26, to celebrate the fact that they had been open for a year. If you have had a read through my blog you will have noticed quite a few food posts, I just really enjoy socialising over a nice meal. The food was fabulous, 7 courses, needless to say I was ready to bust at the end but it was totally worth it.

What we ate:

Canapés and Prosecco

 

Cauliflower soup with bacon powder

Chicken and ham terrine with wholegrain mustard, chutney and granary toast

Seared salmon on a chilli, red pepper and crab risotto with chilli oil

Rump of lamp, sweet potato purée, fondant potato, green beans and bacon, red cabbage, red currant jus 

Peppered sorbet 

White Chocolate and Basil pannacotta 

So yeah...quite a lot of food. I think my favourite course has to be the lamb, but the canapés and Prosecco were also delicious, I had the best bit of Chorizo I've ever eaten.

Well I hope I have made you all hungry now, what have you been up to this week?

My Current Mascara Collection

♥ L'oreal Telescopic mascara is my current every day mascara. I use it in 'Brown' as I like to keep my work make-up as natural as possible. When I first got this I was a bit unsure if I would like it as the bristles on the brush aren't very long but that doesn't stop it from lengthening my lashes ridiculously. I think if I wore this to work in black I would look like I’m wearing some crazy false lashes so brown suits me just fine. This is a definite repurchase and would happily recommend it.

♥ Max Factor have always been one of my 'go to' brands for mascara and this one didn't disappoint. The Max Factor Xperience Volumising Mascara has a great brush and really lengthens and defines my lashes. I don't love this as much as Master piece Max but I'm not quite sure why because it still gives my lashes great volume. But I do know I can always rely on Max factor for a fabulous Mascara.

♥ Another L'oreal, this time it’s the Volume Million Lashes Luminizer mascara for Hazel Eyes (bit of a mouthful!). I was very apprehensive to try this product as when you open it you are greeted by a very deep plum colour and I just thought 'I'm going to look like a drag queen!'. I am very pleased to say this is not the case. This mascara is incredible for creating volume and length and is perfect for a night out. The purple colour is supposed to help bring out my eye colour, now I’m not sure if this really works but it does make my eyelashes amazingly long so would recommend this mascara for that reason alone.

♥Bourjois Volumizer. This took me a while to get the hang of it has 2 steps. The first is to lengthen and the second is to add volume. With step one the brush is so flimsy, because it’s so long it took me a while to master the technique but after a while it definitely does create volume. I'm not sure if I would repurchase this, it does the job but for the same price I'd rather get a trusty Max factor or L'oreal.

♥ I was so excited to try the Jemma kidd I-Glamour Volume mascara when I saw it in Red magazine as Jemma Kidd is a very popular brand amongst the blogging community. The brush is huge! And unfortunately that’s where my excitement ends. I'm not sure whether it’s just mine but this product smudges like a b*tch. As soon as I apply it it's all over my eyelid and under my eye and I know I've not used to much product, It could be the size of the brush but I can't be sure. This retails at £15 which is the most out of all my mascaras, and would i pay full price for it? No.

What’s your current favourite mascara? Do you prefer high end or is high-street the way forwards?

 

My Weekend Make Up

Face
MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Facebase

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation 53

Collection 2000 Concealer, Medium

Max Factor Creme Puff Powder

Cheeks
Bourjois Lilas D'or Blush
MeMeMe Beat the Blues Moonbeam Highlight

Eyes

MUA Heaven And Earth Pallet

Maybelline On and On Bronze Colour Tattoo

Maybelline Gel Eyeliner

Rimmel Exaggerate waterproof eyeliner

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Luminizer marcara for Hazel Eyes

Elf Eyebrow Pallet

Lips

(not shown oops)

But I wore Bourjois Lip Exclusif

Holiday Countdown 7 weeks

7 weeks today I will be off to Italy! I'm so excited, my cousin is getting married over there so it will be a big family event and I'm hoping to come back looking like a bronzed goddess.

I have however just realised that I am completely unprepared. There are so many things that I need From skincare to bikinis, I've not even got a suitcase yet so I'm not off to the best start! A trip to Boots and Primark are definitely on the cards in the next week or so (shame).

I also need to make a start on this beach body that I keep wishing for. My problem is I'm so easily distracted or so easily swayed to go out for dinner or go out for a cheeky drink. As the Holiday is now only 7 weeks away I really need to up my game. This morning I have made shopping lists of things I need for holiday and my food shopping list for the week, lots of protein salad and veggies, avoiding the chocolate hobnobs will not be easy!

This morning I came across a great post from Outside Beauty Inside Health for an abs challenge. This was supposed to be for February but I'm going to use it for the month of July, as well as going to the gym 3/4 times a week.

My 'Slimspiration'

Frankie from the Saturdays ♥ Exercising to be fit ♥ Miranda Kerr

 I'm finally in the right mind frame now so stick to my plan especially now I have a goal.

Do you have any products that you can't live without on holiday? Or any Bikini body tips? I would love to know.

And Happy Friday!

Charlie's Diary #4

Ladies that Lunch ♥ Curls ♥ Twister ♥ Green Nails ♥ Fajitas ♥ Nap Time ♥ Top Knot ♥ Cooking ♥ Hair Treat

This kind of sums up my life in general. Eat, sleep, beauty and pampering. Not necessarily in that order!

How I Curl My Hair: Babyliss Curling Wand

Long Glamorous hair has been a dream of mine forever; my hair was just not blessed with volume! So I thought I would do a review on a product that I really like using and gives my hair a bit of body.

The Babyliss Curling Wand has been a lifesaver for me, I can create gorgeous loose waves quick and easy, I also think its a great summer look.

What it is:

The Wand has a 13-25mm conical barrel for beautiful, free flowing curls. It includes a protective glove and has variable temperatures to give you ultimate control of your hair needs. 

If you want tight curls then wrap small sections of hair tightly round the barrel and leave to curl for a few seconds. For looser curls wrap wider sections.

The wand itself is very sleek and easy to handle. The heat proof glove is great for getting as close to the wand as you want without burning your fingers! The first time I did this I ended up with the most ridiculous ringlets but its all about trial and error. I like to use the larger end of the barrel and only curl half way up my hair. This gives a nice, modern, Lauren Conrad-esq look

My only gripe with this curler is that it is so easy to knock the on/off button and turn if off without even realising.

How I do it:

 

♥  To start off I have blow dried my hair. My hair is quite thick and a bit frizz prone so if I don't dry it I look like a cross between a poodle and cousin It. Always make sure you use a heat protection spray before you use hot tools. The one I'm using at the moment is just Superdrugs own brand.

 

♥ Next take your Curling Wand, I heat mine to the second hottest temperature which is about 180 degrees.

♥ Section your hair and start to wrap your hair around the wand and hold in place for about 10 seconds, or until you are happy with the look. I like to alternate the direction of the curls to give my hair a bit more volume and excitement. When doing the front sections always point the wand away from your face.

♥  Repeat the same process with the rest of the sections of your hair

(Please excuse the phone pics in this post)

♥Finish with a spray of hair spray to hold in place. For extra volume a bit of back-combing of the roots works a treat.

I really do like this wand. Overall it takes me about 15 minutes to curl my hair and I find they stay in place all day. I would definitely recommend this product.

I got this for Christmas but you can buy it from Boots and Argos etc for about £25.

What's your Hair Styler of choice?

Payday Wishlist #3

Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme ♥ barry m nail polish peach ♥ Cream lace shorts ♥ Black Strapless Asymmetrical Maxi Dress  ♥ Studded Cream Vest ♥ Coral blush box 

 

Just a small list of things I would like to treat my self too once I've been paid. All quite summery, in the hope that summer will actually turn up at some point! 

What are you planning on buying next payday?

Food Porn: Eat, Play and Eat more!

So this weekend I went to another taster evening at a local restaurant. 5 courses with 5 different wines! Needless to say the wine did tip me over the edge a bit but the food was delicious and I had a great night with my friends.

What I Wore:
Playsuit: AX Paris
Hair: Babyliss Curling Wand

What I Ate: 

Butternut squash soup with pumpkin seeds, chilli oil and creme fraiche

Smoked mackerel, celeriac slaw, grapefruit and horseradish dressing

British cured meats, pickles and granary toasts  

Nut crust baked trout, chicory, broad bean and tomato salad with basil yoghurt

Cherry jelly, peppered strawberries and soft pannacotta 

The next meal in July is going to be a Spanish theme and I can't wait!

This Weekend I've Been Wearing...

   ♥ Top: Topshop

    ♥Scarf: Topshop

          ♥Jeans: New Look 
♥Bag: Fiorelli

        ♥PlaySuit: AX Paris

♥Belt: Primark

♥ Shirt:Primark

        ♥ Skirt: New Look 

Mini Haul

This month seems to be so long and I still don't get paid for another week. That being said I still managed to find a little bit of money this weekend to treat myself to some goodies.

Superdrug

I needed some more Healthy Mix Foundation and in Superdrug it was on 3 for 2! I also picked up the concealer and a gorgeous blusher, Lilas D'or. An added bonus was if you buy 3 products you get some free sunglasses, score! Not sure if I will wear them much but I thought it was worth it for the cute glasses case alone.

Boots

 Boots have 3 for 2 of all hair care at the moment so I stocked up on my trusty Aussie. Time I went for Take The Heat as i have been using a lot of hair stylers at the minute. I love the 3 Minute Miricle Deep treatment, It really makes my hair feel so soft and makes me feel less guilty about the strain I put my Poor hair through!

Wilkinsons

A random find but this cute little set of draws were only £1! I can always use more storage and this will be great for storing jewellry, lipsticks, eyeshadows and any other little bits and bobs that currently have no home.

So not too much this weekend but enough to keep me happy. What have you been buying this weekend?

Summer Whites

Daisy broderie anglaise top ♥ Daisy laser cut vest ♥ Cut out lace dress ♥ Floral bodycon dress ♥ Lace Shorts ♥ Sheer cage shirt ♥ Lace waistband skater dress ♥ Studded Ballet Pumps

You cannot beat crisp white clothing for summer! And with summer just around the corner (once this rain clears up) I thought I'd show you some of my favourite pieces and looks that I'm hoping to rock when the sun comes back out. White is so simple and can easily be dressed up or down for a day shopping, chilling in a park or going out at night.

Daytime Look

Team a white dress with a denim jacket and cute flats of sandals for a perfect casual look

Nighttime Look

 

 Dress up white shorts with a pretty pastel top and killer heels for a great night look

(Pretty sure I think I'm Gok Wan Right now haha)

What's your favourite summer colours?

Happy Friday everyone! x