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WEAR LIFE EATS

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WEAR //
I've been using my Sephora Pro Airbrush every day since ordering it online. I don't think it's quite as user friendly as the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, but for a lighter coverage I think it's really nice. The hairs on the brush are longer, giving it more movement and a lighter touch than the Buffing Brush. I find it to be a little messier and it takes longer to blend in product but the finish is really nice and natural. I'm definitely glad I picked it up and would recommend it as an alternative to the buffing brush if it's easier for you to get hold of or if you want a lighter, natural finish. 

LIFE //
If you watched my May Favourites video, you'll already know of my recent obsession with The Vampire Diaries. I've been watching it on Netflix and I'm somewhere in season 3 at the moment. It's completely addictive and it's all I can think about at the moment... It's driving Rich insane. 

EATS //
Last weekend I popped along to the Foodies Festival as you can see from this vlog. It's still early on in the tour as it makes it's way around the UK so I'd recommend looking at future dates and heading over. It was huge, with every kind of food you can imagine. The vibe was great so I'm really glad I went. 

Have a great weekend! 

SPLIT PASTEL NAILS

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You know when you just can't pick between two colours? Yeah that. I used Barry M Gelly Rose Hip first and then used Barry M Gelly Sugar Apple for the other side. 

I love how they work together and remind me of an old fashioned sweet shop. Nail art doesn't always have to be complicated so if you fancy doing something a bit different with your nails for the week ahead, try the split nail with your two favourite shades! 

Have a great Sunday! 

What's NEW IN MY BATHROOM

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Products come in and out of my bathroom pretty frequently. I love testing out new body and skincare products, but I can tell pretty quickly if it's something I love or hate. 

Watch this video to see what I'm currently testing out and what I think of all the products... 

Enjoy! 

FOR THE UNPREPARED LEGS

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The thing with the weather in the UK is if we do occasionally get a sunny day it is usually completely unexpected and comes out of nowhere after weeks of pouring rain. So this is usually what happens... I wake up, look out of the window, see sunshine, look at my legs, see hairy pasty pins and rush to the bathroom. 

If you are prepared and you've fake tanned then well done, but for those of you who haven't here are some products I use for preparing your legs for skirts, dresses or shorts. 

If your legs are looking a bit dull, give them a good exfoliation to get the blood flowing and all the dead skin off. It's good to exfoliate before shaving as it makes it easier for the shaver to catch the hairs (FYI I  like to use Venus shavers, they're my favourite!). My current exfoliator is the Rimmel Pre Tan Exfoliator for the body and it's been doing a great job. It's 'scrubby' enough that it works, but it also includes some nice oils that leave the skin on your legs feeling good. 

If you want a hint of colour in a rush these are the products that I find work the best. The This Works Perfect Legs Skin Miracle is a really nice light textured serum. It's easy to spread all over your legs using your hands and leaves an authentic, olive-toned tan. I find it also makes your skin look and feel smoother. Another similar product is the Caudalie Divine Legs, but this one is darker than the Perfect Legs and has a slight shimmer to it. It also activates your skin's natural tanning process so this would be a good one for holidays too! 

Both products give a subtle hint of tan, but really take the edge off if you have pale legs. They're perfect if you need a quick fix! 

Have you tried any of these? 

WHITE LEATHER & COFFEE

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I love spending sunny weekends by the river, strolling along the Southbank, visiting new exhibitions and taking in the amazing view. We ended up in a café called Albion, just behind the Tate and it was really lovely. We popped in for a cup of coffee (and chips!) and ended up coming back later for dinner. As well as the café/restaurant they also have a small shop with their own cereals and porridge as well as fresh juices, fruit and veg. We spent a good twenty minutes looking at all the amazing food and cakes before sitting down. For dinner we shared a huge crudités platter and some soup and it was delicious! 

Whilst Rich took his penny board for a spin, I was busy trying out my new River Island jacket. White leather is ridiculously scary and I was convinced all day that I looked like some kind of Michael Jackson tribute. I do like it though and it's the perfect way to transition into Spring whilst it's still little cold but too warm to wear black leather. I didn't get any funny looks so I guess that means it passed the test?

So what do you think? Can I get away with a white leather jacket? 

Blogging: Keeping organised & motivated

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I nearly scrapped this post out of fear of being misinterpreted but decided I still wanted to post it. So please don't think I'm setting any blogger rules, we all know there are no rules... 

I get a lot of tweets and emails though about how to stay organised when blogging so it seems like something a lot of people struggle with. It's taken me years to get into a routine and even now I still get overwhelmed with it all. I have a few tips though for those of you who want to put more effort into your blog without sacrificing other things. It's all about utilising the time you have and being prepared. 

So here are some of my tips... 

WRITE IT ALL DOWN //
Any idea is a good idea. No matter what time of day an idea comes into your head, no matter how basic or complicated it is, write it down. I keep a page on the 'notes' of my phone filled with random ideas. Sometimes I wake up the next morning and my notes page is filled with useless rubbish, but sometimes there will be a great idea for a post which I later go on to plan. If you're on the tube and you see someone with a nice pink lipstick on, write it down, if the tan on your legs starts to rub and go patchy around your sock line, write it down. I know it sounds ridiculous but the more you open your mind to new ideas, the easier it is to think of new ideas to post about. 

PLAN //
Blogging can be a time consuming hobby and I know how overwhelming it can feel, especially when you want to put more time into it than you actually have available. Try planning a bit ahead to give yourself more time to gather together everything you need. Plan what your post is going to be and write down everything you need for it. Do you need to pick up any products? Do you need to take any photos or do any research? Allow yourself some planning time and you'll feel less rushed. Alternatively, spend ten minutes pouring your heart out and just press 'publish', that works just as well sometimes. 

LISTS, LISTS, LISTS //
I'm a big fan of making lists, but it's important to set yourself realistic goals. If you work on your blog in the evenings then set yourself a list of things to do prior to that evening and make sure you have everything you need to be able to tick everything off the list. If you work on your blog at weekends, set your list on a Friday and work through it on the weekend. I like to split my lists into categories. Photos I need to take, text I need to write, links I need to add in and any social I might want to schedule. Lists aren't everybody's thing but for me it makes me feel calm getting it all out of my head and onto paper. 

SET REMINDERS & ALARMS //
If, like me, you have an embarrassingly bad memory you might want to set some reminders on your phone. If you feel overwhelmed with things to do and forget to check your to do list, I sometimes set a reminder on my phone and it really helps keep me to keep on top of things. 

SCHEDULE //
When working on your blog part-time learning how to schedule is really handy. If you're not able to put your blog posts live when you're elsewhere, most platforms allow you to schedule the posts. You can also schedule your tweets and Facebook status'. Noone wants to ruin the 'realness' of Twitter so I only ever schedule tweets promoting my blog posts. It means I have more time to focus on writing posts and writing 'real-time' tweets about what I am eating, because that is just too interesting to miss. It saves you sneaking out the office to tweet about your blog post that just went live and it'll put your mind at ease when you're not on 'blog time'. 


Writing a blog is meant to be fun, so take these tips lightly. The top priority is that you enjoy it, but if you like to keep organised then hopefully these tips should help. Let me know if they did and good luck with your blogs! 

Here are some other blog related posts I've written...

How to start a beauty blog 

BUDGET SKINCARE FAVOURITES WITH AMELIA LIANA

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For today's video I have a special guest with me... Amelia! We haven't filmed together for ages so it was lovely to get together and do what we do best, chat about beauty!

We compiled together a list of our favourite drugstore skincare picks for you to chose from. This is something we both get requests for a lot, so hopefully you'll find some good products to try in this video.

Don't forget to check out Amelia's channel and the makeup video we filmed together! 

CLINIQUE GRANDEST GRAPE DUPE

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Whenever I'm feeling a deep, berry lip I always reach for my Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in 'Grandest Grape'. You can see me wearing it in this post and although it might seem like an Autumnal shade, I actually think it works well all year round. 

It can be hard to wear a deep, dark lip but this one has enough pink in that it's easier to get away with. It might be a bit much though to invest in a high end brand for a shade that you won't wear that often, so I've found a dupe that's just as good but for a lot less money. 

The Bourjois Colour Boost lip crayons would be my drugstore picks because they're just as good as the Revlon ones but minus the funky smell! The shade 'Plum Russian' is a great dupe for 'Grandest Grape', the only difference being the opacity. The Clinique Intense formula is very opaque and rich and the Bourjois one compared it slightly more sheer. I do think though, that Plum Russian would be easier to wear if you're a bit scared of dark, bold lips. The plummy shade that lingers on your lips is really flattering and slightly grungy.

So if you're after a deep, plum lip but don't want to invest, head over to the Bourjois stand and try out Plum Russian!

Do you have either of these?

WEAR LIFE EATS

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WEAR //
If you watched this video, you'll know why I now have scars scattered across my torso. With a couple of summer holidays looming I wanted to get the healing process off to a head start. I have been using the Heal Gel Body and Heal Gel Intensive every morning and evening and i'm already seeing results! My red scare is starting to look lighter and less aggressive. I know it would probably heal naturally, but these products have been really enjoyable and soothing to use. 

LIFE //
I have been obsessed with Sam Smith's new album. I downloaded it last week and it's been on replay ever since. We drove all the way to Suffolk and back with it pumping through the speakers. He has an amazing voice and beautiful, catchy songs. I'd definitely recommend the album! 

EATS //
Last Sunday night my friends and I hopped from pub garden, to dinner to Samba Swirl. It's a new frozen yoghurt place that's just opened up in Camden as well as a few other places in London. It's self service so you can fill up your pot and put on any toppings you want, dangerous! I chose American cheesecake yoghurt topped with baby marshmallows, strawberries and mini flakes. It was amazing! There were loads of different flavours and after testing them all (thanks to the friendly guy behind the counter) I can confirm that they are all yummy. 

Have a great weekend! 

JESSICA NAILS IN BLOOM

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It seems like Jessica nails have been around for ever, but until now I'd never actually tried one out myself. It's known to be a salon brand, so it's likely if you've tried it than it was during a professional manicure, but you can actually buy the polishes to use at home too. 

Their new collection 'In Bloom' has a gorgeous selection of Spring-like shades. Coincidently the shade I've been loving all week is actually called 'Loving' and it's a beautiful soft pink. My other favourites include 'Whispering', the pistachio green and 'Enchanting', the light blue. 

Because it is a salon brand, the handle and brush reflect that and are quite traditional in their shape. I found the formula really amazing, it applied almost opaque with one coat and took much longer to chip than my usual polishes do. 

Jessica have 190 shades and all their polishes are enriched with Vitamin A and are formaldehyde, toluene and DBP free. I've seen them in John Lewis but you can also pick them up online here.

Have you tried Jessica nail polish before?  

Topshop, ZARA & ASOS HAUL

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So it seems I've been a big naughty over the past few months, but when the sun comes out I can't help but revamp my wardrobe! 

Some items you'll love and some I know you'll hate, but I hope you enjoy peeking into my shopping bags - enjoy! 


SHOP THE POST



A NEW TYPE OF LINER

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I love Benefit as a brand but on quite a few occasions they have released a product that has blown people away and become bestsellers, but for me was disappointing. The They're Real mascara is the number one bestseller in the UK but we didn't get on at all so I was a bit skeptical about their new They're Real push-up liner launch. I gave it a good two week test to find out what I think of it, so here goes... 

There are pros and cons to this liner, but it definitely hasn't wowed me as much as it seems to have wowed other bloggers. The idea is a 'lash hugging gel liner' but in a pen form. Usually gel liners are fiddly because you have to use a brush and pot but the great thing about gel is it lasts longer than kohl or liquid. So the packaging is great, an easy pen applicator with a twist lid so it doesn't dry out and the nib itself is angled and flexible so you can really push into the lashes. I found it quite difficult to get used to the amount of product that comes out and felt I wasted a bit having to wipe it on my hand first. Sometimes too much product would come out and sometimes not enough. 

Although I do like the applicator I don't think this actually makes applying the liner easier if it's something you find difficult. I personally find the Soap & Glory Supercat liner a lot easier to use. The formula of the liner is matte black so it looks great when you first apply it but on me I found it flaked a bit in places and throughout the day I found black flecks on my cheeks and parts of my liner had flaked off making it uneven. Technically it's long lasting because it's very hard to remove without a good makeup remover but because of the flaking, it didn't really last that long on me. 

This comes out at the end of the month and I have no doubt it'll become a bestseller and some people will swear by it, but for me, I still prefer the Soap & Glory Supercat liner. If it's gel you're after though, this is a good choice. 

YOUR INVITATION TO OUR NARS MEETUP!

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Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm so excited for today's post because Anna and I can finally announce a special meetup we're doing with one of our all-time favourite brands, NARS. To coincide with the launch of the new dual-intensity eyeshadows we're going to be hosting a meetup at the NARS pop-up store in our favourite Space NK branch. 

We'd love for you to come along and say hi, sip some champagne, enjoy some canapés and have your makeup done too! With every purchase on the night there will be a free NARS gift but even if you're not in the shopping mood we'd love to meet some of you and just hang out. 

Date: Tuesday 1st July
Time: 2 sessions between 6-7.30pm and 7.30-9pm
At: NARS Pop-Up, Space NK, 8-10 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 8HW

The event is free to attend but spaces are limited so email events@spacenk.com with your full name and your preferred slot time. 

Don't forget to use the hashtag #NARSISSISTXLILYANNA for the lead up and during the event! I'm so excited!











*this post is part of some sponsored work we are doing with NARS

GET READY WITH ME SUMMER EVENING BBQ & GIVEAWAY

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This weekend was spent celebrating my best friend's pending wedding. We call it a hen weekend but most of you call it a bachelorette party! We started on Friday night with a green themed garden BBQ. I filmed myself getting ready and whipped it all together on a pretty painful hangover on Sunday. So I hope you enjoy seeing what I wore and stay tuned until the end for a special giveaway! 

Enjoy! 



ME, MYSELF & MAKEUP

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Writing a blog for four and a half years means that sometimes it all feels a bit self-indulgent, but occasionally I like to remember that beauty reviews aside, this little space I have on the Internet is pretty much my online diary. I've had a diary since I was 10 and to me this blog is just an extension of those diaries that are now stored under my bed (don't tell Rich!). So with grammar and spelling mistakes included (as always), I'm going to write today's diary entry about beauty. I know, surprise surprise,it's always about beauty. But no matter how shallow or materialistic it may be, I love how beauty and makeup means something different to everyone and we all have our own memories and stories. So here are some moments and vague memories I have on my history with makeup... 

That time when Jojo presented mum with a fully made up 4 year old... 
It was no surprise that my sister ended up as a makeup artist. She used to give me makeovers all the time. It started when I was too young, she'd pile on the blusher, mascara and tie my hair up in a scarf. As I grew up she'd always do my makeup before parties, whether it was blue eyeliner, blue lipstick (yep, you heard right!) or face paint for fancy dress. For our year one school play we performed Noah's Ark and I was a ladybird. Jojo and my friend's mum helped with the face painting and I thought it was so cool. She had one of those MAC brush rolls and I used to take it out from the cupboard under the sink and lay it all out to have a look. I'd take some of the brushes out and just pretend to put makeup on, they were so soft! I also remember watching her wash them all... could this be the reason for my makeup brush obsession now?? 

The first time I attempted proper makeup myself... 
The year 6 dance. It was traumatic enough being turned down by the boy I fancied and having to go with "a friend who's a boy", but the whole outfit and look didn't help things. I wore a lavender Tammy Girl dress and wore my hair in a low, frizzy ponytail with a few flower clips in (I wasn't very good at special occasion hair). I wanted to give makeup a go though so I cracked out the purple glitter and clear lipgloss. From what I remember, the glitter went somewhere near the edge of my eyes and the clear, coconut flavoured lip gloss was reapplied all night - because it looked cool, obviously

Mum, I reaaaalllly want a juicy tube... 
You know that feeling of - oh my god I really want that product, I don't even know why but my life depends on it - well that all started for me with the Lancôme Juicy Tube. A small, colourful, delicious smelling lipgloss that all the popular girls at school had. I hadn't even heard of Lancôme but I saved up my pocket money (with a little advance from my mum) and picked up the pinkest, yummiest smelling shade. It was sticky but I didn't care, it was like gold! Apart from the odd trend here and there, makeup didn't really excite me that much at school. I had a black eyeliner phase but I think I was more into what I was wearing at this stage as my school had no uniform. Fourteen was the handbag age... That's when the handbag obsession started. 

When I bought my first MAC lipstick but didn't use it for years... 
The first MAC lipstick I ever bought was Saint Germain. The brightest, blue toned, bubblegum pink there is... It didn't suit me and it never will, which is probably why it sat in my room for a good couple of years before I actually wore it at Uni - big mistake. It took me a while to get into MAC as I found it all a bit overwhelming, but I remember loving their bronzers! I was all about the bronzer back then. 

The housemate that introduced me to Benefit... 
My housemate at Uni was very much into her beauty stuff and she was the one to first introduce me to Benefit. The first product I picked up was their Coralista blush and still to this day it's one of my favourite blushers. I had the most fun with makeup during Uni. All the fancy dress nights meant I could really get creative and I think that's when I really fell in love with it all. Let's just say my student loan would come in and go out very fast. 

Generations of women and their skincare... 
Despite having a mother and grandmother with strict skincare routines and impeccable skin, I fought the whole skincare thing for a while. My mum always begged me to ditch the face wipes and actually wash my face but I could never be bothered. Now I love my skincare and it's a pleasure to share the passion with the older generations of women in my family. Don't worry mum, I didn't tell dad how much you spent on that eye cream, your secret is safe with me... 


So that's my beauty story. Some key moments that really stick out for me along the way. Beauty is such a small part of people's lives but for some of us, it's one of the most enjoyable. I don't mind if that sounds sad, I'm happy I let myself become obsessed with it all because it's nice to feel passionate about something, no matter what it is. 

I'd love to hear your memories and stories, so if you've made it all the way to the end of this post, give yourself a pat on the back and leave me some comments to read tonight! 



GOOD OL' BEAUTY TIPS

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Let's have a quick look back down memory lane at some of the beauty tips posts that you guys liked the best... 

Taking passport photos is hard. At the time you don't think much of it but every holiday there after, when you have to show that same old photo, you wish you took more time to look good that day. Here are some of my tips for how to take a timeless, not-so-bad passport photos. 

So you've finished a beauty product and it's time to decide, do you repurchase or move onto something else? I created The Repurchase Test to help you make that decision. Wanna find out if you really need another one? Take the test here... 

Contouring is a part of makeup that can be really difficult if you don't really understand it and find the right products that work for you. In this post I talk through my favourite contouring products and how I use them. It's actually really easy and makes such a difference to your face shape. 

Having a skincare routine is great but actually sticking to it is hard work. Sometimes I need a reminder to guilt me into properly carrying out my whole routine. If you also need an occasional nudge, this skincare guide is just what you need... 

Something that always comes up when discussing makeup tips is how to do your eye makeup if you wear glasses full-time. I roped in a few professionals to share their tips, so check here if you're a glasses wearer! 


If there is anything else you'd like me to cover, please leave me a comment below! 

DISAPPOINTED PRODUCTS

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I'm always trying out new beauty products and things that catch my eye when I'm out shopping so inevitably I'm going to come across products that just don't impress or meet my expectations. 

I know it's helpful to hear what I didn't like and why so I hope you like this disappointed products video! 

WATERMELON LIPS

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With the Spring-like weather I seemed to have developed a craving for pink lips. Now that I've figured out how to wear one, it's all I've wanted to put on my lips for weeks. This is currently my favourite combo... 

MAC Lustering is a bright pink but with slightly red undertones so I find it easier to wear than fuchsia. The 'lustre' finish makes it quite creamy and easy to apply, but I find matte pinks can sometimes look quite ageing so I'm happy to risk a shorter wear time for a creamy finish. On top of this I layered the Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Gloss in Pink Shock which adds a bit of shine and prettiness to the lipstick. 

Together I think these look really fresh, bright and perfect for Summer! 

What do you think? 

WEAR LIFE EATS

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WEAR //
When I fall in love with a product, I obsess over it, so please excuse me over the next couple of weeks as most blog posts and videos will feature this foundation. I have been wearing the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder foundation every day for two weeks now and I can confirm, it's love. A full review is coming next week but in short, it's dewy, it's lightweight, it's light enhancing and it's the perfect foundation. 

LIFE //
Last week my best friend and I went to have our hair done at the Aveda Institute in Covent Garden. I always love it there as the attention to detail is amazing (and the head massage isn't too shabby either!). They used the new Smooth Infusion products and we both fell in love with the Style Prep Smoother! 

EATS //
For my sister's birthday my family and I went to one of my favourite restaurants in London, The Jugged Hare. This was my third visit and it was just as good as the last two visits! From the outside it just looks like an old London pub but the back of the pub has been converted into a really gorgeous restaurant. The menu is quite meat heavy but everything I've tried has been so delicious! If you love steak and chips, you'll love this place! 


I hope you all have a great weekend. I'm off to Malta next week so you can expect a Malta themed Wear Life Eats post next week! 

ESSIE MAXIMILLIAN STRASSE-HER

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For my friend's hen (bachelorette) last weekend, we all went to get our nails done which is something I rarely do because I like to do them myself. I'm always a little disappointed with the selection of shades at salons but amongst the reds and the pinks, I found Essie Maximillian Strasse-Her which is a shade I've never tried - shock horror! 

It's such an interesting colour and not like anything else I have. It kind of looks grey at first but then also has a muted down green tint to it. It matched perfectly with my dress for the evening and I've kept it on my nails all week. 

Now here's the big question... is this Essie shade still available? I've never heard of it before so maybe it's discontinued. Well I hope not because I need it! Beauty Bay have some discounted so I might be need to get my hands one one 

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