The Holiday Preparation Routine

So, my holiday is very rapidly approaching and I'm a solid 10/10 excited. I've mentioned a bit more about what I'm doing in this post if you're interested in having a read, but I'm sure I'll be tweeting as and when I can, so if you're interested to see what I get up to, that's definitely the place to be. 

I always find myself doing the same sort of, albeit basic, beauty routine before a holiday. It's not the most complex of things, and doesn't take much time at all, but I end up doing it nonetheless. I like to make sure my skin is as smooth and soft as can be before I hop on the plane. You may think that sounds strange, but what's the first thing you want to do when the plane touches the ground in a hot country? Put on a bikini and head to the beach or pool. So prepping my skin way in advance definitely aids that happening, as you don't want to be hunting through your suitcase for a razor and body butter while everyone else is out having fun.

Another thing I like to do before I go away is tan. My boyfriend thinks I'm ridiculous for doing this, but where I'm so pale I do tend to stick out like a sore thumb and I'd much rather fake it than burn myself to a crisp.

My hair is always pretty dry, but spending a fortnight on the beach in the sun brings a whole new level of dryness. So, before (and while there) I like to apply a hella lot of hair mask and try and make my hair as strong and shiny as possible. At the moment I'm quite enjoying this Tresemme one, but I'll often just slather my hair in argan oil instead.

Finally, I like to redo both my fingernails and my toenails in a 'holiday colour'. This year I'm definitely into bright corals, and I haven't reached for a white or black polish all summer (these are my usual go-to's), which is pretty crazy for me. 

Do you have a holiday beauty routine too?

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Summer Bronzin'

I love the sun. The summer is definitely my favourite time of year, besides Christmas - I loooove December 25th. I love going to the beach, having BBQs, having picnics, getting a bronzey glow; the usuals. But, being the fair skinned girl I am, 5 minutes in the sun often results in a nice lobster 'glow' - think pillar box red - thus, faking a tan is often a lot easier than attempting the real thing. 

Now, don't get me wrong. with a good SPF and a couple of weeks in the sunshine, I do manage to turn a lovely shade of brown. I just want to take a moment here to appreciate the godsend that is Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Body Mist. We discovered this beauty while in Florida a few years ago and let's just say it's revolutionised the standing-by-the-pool-rubbing-in-copious-amounts-of-thick-white-suncream game. It's essentially just an aerosol. All you need to do is spray your entire body and you're good to go. Amazing.

However, for the majority of the British 'summer', I like to opt for a gradual tanner and use it as and when I please. Garnier's Summer Body is my current favourite (I have the darker one) and at around a fiver I cannot fault it. It sinks in very quickly and builds up a really even colour, even if only used a couple of times.

Bronzer, bronzer. bronzer... Bronzer is something I've been hesitant to use until recently as I wasn't sure that I'd ever find one that didn't make me look like a tangerine. That being said, NYC's Sunny Bronzer is pretty good at not doing such. I mean, I do use it sparingly, and with a light hand, but even still it gives a natural looking glow. In the summer, my face is always a different colour to the rest of my body. As Billy once said to me; 'your face looks like it's been in Scotland, while your body's been in Malaga.' I think that says it all really doesn't it. So thank you NYC, for saving me from ridicule from my friends

What are your favourite summer beauty products?
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Loving In June

What a busy month June has been. It's absolutely flown by. This month saw me finish my A Levels, and subsequently school, foreverrrr. Other things of note are of course the EU Referendum, which can I say is not one of my favourite things in June. To be honest, I'm just very disappointed, but let's not get into that now. In June I also attended a BBQ at my (now ex-) ethics teacher's house. Before I got there I really wasn't sure what to think of it all, but it wasn't awkward in the slightest, plus the food was really good. This month I also started attempting to 'workout' again, but more on that another day. Anyway, onto the favourites...

BEAUTY

- I recently picked up the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (veryyy late to the bandwagon I know) and I'm actually very impressed. It's less than a fiver and covers both dark circles and blemishes. Win win.

- I bought Milani Luminoso whilst on holiday in the states, and I still reach for it basically everyday. It's a shimmery peach colour, and I just love how it makes my skin look so glowy and healthy.

- Another recent discovery was this MUA Shadow in the shade Chamoisee, which is lovely lightly blended all over the lid. I haven't reached for this all too much this month, but it's been perfect when I've been in a rush eg before an exam when I've spent too long with my head in a textbook.

- Soap and Glory's Thick and Fast Mascara has been another of my most used products this month. Now that it's dried out a bit I absolutely love it, and am more than happy with how my lashes look after one coat. I certainly won't be switching to another mascara anytime soon.

- In June I really got stuck into my Mac Quad once again. I find I flit between this and my Naked 2, but this is the one I reached for basically everyday. You can read about the my quad here and here, but Satin Taupe is for sure my favourite shade in it, it's gorgeous.

WATCHING

- Love Island. I'm sure you're not surprised by that considering I confessed my love for it here. It's on everyday, and I just can't help but watch it. I genuinely don't know what I'm going to do with my evenings once it's over. (Saddoooo)

- The Conjuring 2. I watched this at the cinema after my last exam and I thought it was pretty good. I'm not usually once for horrow films, but I really got into this one and jumped at every jumpscare possible.

- Impractical Jokers. If you haven't seen it, do. It's always being shown on Comedy Central and I could quite confidently say it's the funniest thing on TV at the moment. I don't know what it is about it, but it always has me in stitches,

What have you been loving this month?
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Northern Lights Topcoats

Hello again, long time no see... I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and had great fun whatever you did. I had a lovely day and definitely ate far too much party food. Anyway, today's post is going to be on a couple of gorgeous nail polishes I've recently been using.

They're by INM, and they're the Northern Lights Topcoats* in Gold and Silver. My favourite of the two is definitely the Gold. It's so shimmery, and I love how it looks on top of a red nail polish. The topcoats dry really fast which is a bonus, as I cannot stand polishes that take forever to dry.

One thing I found with these, is that they need a really, really good shake before they can be used, as the glitter separates from the polish. These polishes currently retail at £9.35 each, and can be purchased here. Overall, I really like these products, and if you're looking for a new shimmery topcoat - I'd definitely recommend these ones.

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Florida Haul

I'd say I was rather well restrained when it came to shopping in America. I mean, I did buy quite a few things, but nowhere near as much as I'd anticipated. Yay. Before we left for Florida, I only had a couple of things in mind that I wanted to buy, and the rest was rather impulsive.

Okay, so the things I'm most excited about are definitely my new shoes. I bought white Converses, and a pair of limited edition Vans, and I absolutely love them both. Although it's fair to say the former were rather blinding when I first bought them.

I also bought lots of lovely bits in Victoria's Secret, including a Bombshell rollerball and the oh so famous, Pure Seduction bodyspray. I bought lots of underwear - but I don't particularly feel like going into too much detail aha.

I didn't go too crazy in the ol' makeup department. A notable purchase is definitely the Falsies mascara... How has it taken me so long to try it? I really like it. The only clothes I bought were; a grey top from Forever 21, a Rainforest Cafe tshirt and some Mickey Mouse pyjamas. Again, rather well restrained I think.

We also picked up the biggest box of Lucky Charms we could find. Oh my, I love that stuff. 

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Summer Ready Pins

Do you ever find a perfect combination of products, and just feel like it's your duty to share them with the world? Anyway, that's what I'm going to be doing today. If you hadn't already realised, summer is definitely in full swing here in England, which means one thing: leg shaving season is upon us. It's definitely one of the dullest parts in any beauty routine, but it's just one of those things.

However, with this Soap and Glory trio, I feel like the whole process takes half the time. Plus my skin always feels perfectly soft afterwards. I tend to use Scrub of Your Life first, then Clean on Me as a shaving cream, and then I moisturise with Righteous Butter afterwards.

On a side note, while in Boots the other day I smelt S&G's new range; Orangeasm, and I think it could be the first scent of theirs I genuinely dislike...

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Prom

To be quite honest, I can't believe how quickly the past week or so has gone by. I've now been to prom, and officially left school forever... Wow. Anyway, prom was so much fun, and I honestly have the best pals ever. 

As some of you'll already know, I did my own hair and makeup, which meant prom day itself, was both incredibly relaxing and incredibly stressful. I decided not to do anything with my hair, and I kept my makeup far more neutral than I'd originally planned. I didn't even wear any lip products. What?!

I've only just realised that I don't actually have a full length photo of just me in my dress, nor my shoes, oh well. My shoes were from Kurt Geiger, and I absolutely love them, despite now having the biggest blister I've ever had.

For our transport to prom itself, we went in the cutest VW campervan. It was decorated so prettily, and we sang and danced the whole way there. My best friend and I both had 'prom dates' so we went together as a four, and another friend came with us too.

The actual prom was so much fun, and I literally danced the night away. I was enjoying myself so much, that I didn't even take advantage of the buffet. Now that's a first. My pals and I were too busy doing some serious dad dancing.

It was so lovely to have the entire year group together, and I'm honestly going to miss most people. A highlight of the night was rapping to Macklemore with my Spanish teacher. It was hilarious. 

Once prom had finished, it was time to get changed and head to the after party. But I'm not going to go into too much detail for fear of humiliating both myself and every other person that attended... Let's put it this way, I didn't get a wink of sleep that night. I left having not slept for 40 hours and with a phobia of camping toilets...

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Prom Preparations 002

Okay, so prom is very rapidly approaching, and the final preparations are well and truly under way. To be honest I'm not sure what to expect for the big day, but one thing I know for sure, is that I'm honestly more nervous about prom than I was for any of my exams.

I'm going to be doing my own hair, makeup and nails. and I'm still not 100% sure how I want them. For my eye makeup, I know I want a smokey eye. I'm just yet to decide whether to go for a dark grey or golden brown look. I'm going to have nudey pink lips, as I don't want to have to worry about touching it up or the whole lipstick on the teeth drama.

My shoes are open toe, and I've decided to go with white toenails. Yep, it's certainly a first for me. Essentially, on the day of prom we have a leavers day - where everybody gets dressed up for photos etc - and I'm planning on wearing coral shoes, which I think will look lovely with a white pedicure.

I've been wearing my shoes around the house, in an attempt to make them a little bit easier to wear on the day. I went for some waxing yesterday, and today I plan on getting my tan on. I also need to decided what polish I want to have on my fingernails... I'm thinking either a french manicure or just plain white.

The thing that's causing me the most stress at the moment, is deciding how I want my hair. I like how it looks curly, and I know I want it curly, but to me it just seems to 'messy' for prom. I know I want my hair down, I'm just struggling to think of something I'll be able to recreate myself. So if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

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Eyebrow Grooming

Eyebrows. In my opinion, they can go one of three ways; wild and unruly, too thin and sharpie-d on or well groomed and maintained. Over the last year or so, I've definitely had a mix of the three. It started as the first type, obviously.

When I had them waxed for the first time, I thought they were the best things ever. But looking back, they were definitely too thin and sharp - not a good look. Almost a year on, I'm happy with how they're looking. I've let them grow back - within reason - and found a brow maintenance routine that works for me. Hooray.

Nowadays I only ever pluck stray hairs from underneath the arch of my brows. I feel like too much removed from either end, only leads to great difficulty making them symmetrical. 

As for filling them in, I tend to use either Mac's Charcoal Brown eyeshadow or a matte brown shadow from MUA, with an angled brush from Barry M. I tend to use very light strokes, focusing on the middle and end sections.

I used to use a clear mascara to set them, but I've since discovered that that's not really necessary for me, as my brows don't tend to move too much throughout the day...

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Making Hayfever Pretty

My hayfever has literally sprung out of nowhere this week. My eyes have been irritated, my nose has been streaming and don't even get me started on the itchy throat. It's fair to say I was rather unprepared for this sudden outbreak of pollen. So for today's post I thought I'd turn BF&L into an encyclopaedia for all your hayfever related needs.

Firstly, I'd recommend taking antihistamine even if you're not planning on actually going outside. I learnt that the hard way. Pollen can get through open windows you know. Waterproof mascara is a God send when it comes to watery eyes - not so much when it comes to taking it off, but that's another matter.

The relief of applying a cooling cream on sore eyes is incredible. I also love applying a toner (that's suitable for sensitive skin) around the eye area with a cotton pad, oh my it's great. Similarly, a cooling face mask is rather good - the gentler the better.

Oh, and if all else fails, grab a pair of oversized sunglasses. No one will ever know...

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May Beauty Favourites

It's time for another dose of beauty favourites, with this month's containing a whole array of different products. But firstly, I feel I ought to get that cliché sentence out of the way - 'It feels like only yesterday I was telling you my April favourites'. Anyway, my last exam is in 17 days time, and after that I have a summer full of fun things ahead of me!

I haven't bought any new beauty products in months, so for me, May was a month for rediscoveries. With the first being Maybelline's On and On Bronze. I love this cream shadow, and to be honest I'd completely forgotten how lovely it looked on. It's only £4.99 and is currently a real contender for my prom makeup!

Another product that I've been using a lot recently is YSL's Corail in Touch. It's such a pretty coral, and I can already tell it's going to be my favourite summer lipstick! I love applying highlighter to the tops of my cheekbone and Sheercover's Bronzer Brush*, has recently been my favourite brush for doing so.

A relatively new purchase is Garnier's 7 Day Body Lotion, and it's been the only body moisturiser I've been reaching for lately! It's really light, it sinks in quickly but also leaves my skin feeling lovely and nourished - perfect. Plus it's always on offer for only a couple of Pounds.

Finally, my skin's been playing up a bit in the last few weeks, and Origin's Clear Improvements Mask has been helping my skin massively! It leaves my skin looking - and feeling - far less congested, and for me there's nothing more relaxing than applying a luxurious face mask!

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Garnier Micellar Water - First Impressions

I've been using L'Oreals Micellar Water for what feels like months, and to be honest I'd got sort of bored of it. (Not that cleansing waters tend to be overwhelmingly interesting.) I've used this a couple of times now, and so I thought I'd take the opportunity to write a little first impressions post...

The only other skincare product I've tried from Garnier is one of their body lotions - which I really love - so it's fair to say my expectations for this were rather high. Unlike the L'Oreal offering - the cap is really handy. It dispenses just the right amount of the micellar water, plus it's pink... What can I say?

This 400ml bottle claims to serve around 200 uses, which considering it's usually around £4, is such a bargain. So far, I've only used this for light base makeup - which it removed perfectly, and my general day to day eye makeup. It does an okay job at removing eyeshadow, but my mascara always seems to get left behind - boooo.

But as I've only tried this a couple of times, I'm not going to completely rule it out of my skincare favourites just yet...

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Prom Preparations 001

Prom is officially less than a month away, and preparations are well and truly under way. My dress and shoes are sorted - hooray! But I'm yet to sort anything else out. At the moment I'm planning on doing my own makeup, so I thought it was time I had a little practice.

I'm currently debating between a goldey-brown eye and a good ol' dark grey smokey eye. I've recently rediscovered my Maybelline Color Tattoo, in On and on Bronze, and I really like it. It's such a lovely base shade - so I think it's definitely going to be a staple in my prom makeup bag!

Fake eyelashes... I've never tried them, but I think they'll be the perfect addition to the eye look. So if you have any recommendations or tips and tricks for me, that'd be fab!

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All Used Up 001

I never get round to using products up. I don't know why? They seem to last forever - which is great, but it means I never really get to do these sort of posts. But, this last week I really pulled my finger out with the ol' product finishing up, so I thought I'd let you know what I think and whether I'd repurchase...

Avon Skin So Soft - While on holiday in Venice last year, this was my holy grail. It contains deet - which is the reason we bought it - but it turns out, it's actually really moisturising. It's a dry oil spray, and leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft. I would definitely repurchase this - especially if I'm going on holiday... 

Herbal Essences Bee Strong - I have wildly frizzy hair, and this is one of the few products that I've found works well with my hair type. I've already repurchased this duo, as they make my hair look and feel lovely. Plus, they're super inexpensive too!

L'Oreal Micellar Solution - Everybody and their Mum has tried a micellar water, and I quite liked this one. At the time I bought it, it was far more accessible than the infamous Bioderma, and I really like it. I've since purchased Garnier's Micellar offering, so I'll let you know what I think of that asap.

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NEW IN: Mac Cosmetics

Is it me or is the Mac website rather overwhelming? I hadn't realised how many different shades and finishes there were for each product? Anyway, long story cut short: I was sent some Mac products as payment a recent for blog design. Yay! So had to hop on the website pronto, to pick a couple of bits and bobs!

I'm pleased to announce that I now own my second Mac lipstick. I bought Costa Chic last August, and have been desperate to get my hands on a more pinky shade since. I'm not the biggest fan of nude colours, as I'm definitely on the paler side, and the aforementioned always leave me looking a little 'under the weather.' The shade I settled on was 'Please Me' which is rather similar to Revlon's Elusive - my current favourite pink!

I received a Mac quad for my birthday in March, alongside Sable and Satin Taupe eyeshadows. Recently, I've been loving matte finishes, so it seemed only natural to fill my remaining slots with Charcoal Brown and Omega. Both of which, I'm glad to report, are beautiful colours! I love how natural and simplistic they look when blended together! Charcoal Brown arrived a little chipped - is there a way or 'resetting' it?

What is your favourite Mac product?

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Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean

After hearing so many gret things about this cleanser, I was desperate to give it a go. My favourite body care brand is definitely Soap & Glory, so it seemed only natural to give this a go - especially as my skin currently isn't as temperamental as it has been in the past. I've been using this cleanser more or less everyday since Christmas and it's fair to say, I really like it. 

Personally, I use this as more of a face wash than a cleanser. But anyway, in the mornings I splash my face with water (read: flannel, not like they do in the adverts) and then massage a liberal dollop of this, all over my face. I then simply wash it off with a flannel and voila - clean, refreshed skin. The pump makes it even more suitable for those lazy mornings, as it makes the whole process a little quicker - but that might just be me being lazy.

Obviously, as I use this pre-makeup I can't comment on its makeup removal abilities. But anyway, it has a really fresh, fruity scent which is why I like using it in the mornings. Texture wise, it's just a typical white cream, but I like that it sort of tingles on the skin - but that might just be me.

I love this cleanser, and at only £8, I'm sure I'll be repurchasing in the future!

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Hello Old Friends 003

If you're new to these parts, my 'Hello Old Friends' posts, are essentially for me to shop my stash. I think we're all guilty of neglecting certain products, I know I am! So the products I'm going to be trying to use more often are...

Elf's Pinktastic. I've accumulated quite a few highlighters now, and this is definitely the one I reach for least. But I don't know why? It's such a lovely shade, but it does require quite a light hand!

Naked Flushed Palette. The blush in this trio is quite autumnal in my opinion, but I really want to make a habit of using it more often, especially as we're now heading towards the summer!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub. One of those products I just never remember to use. If my lips are feeling particularly dry I just reach for a lipbalm, and Bob's your uncle. But I'm going to make a conscious effort to use this, as in the long run, it makes my lips feel so much better!

Mac's Idyllic. Another wintery shade, but I'd love to be able to combine this into my spring makeup routine... So if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them!

Soap And Glory's Sugar Crush. I have way too many body butters. Fact. And currently, this is the one I'm reaching for least. It smells incredible, feels lovely on the skin and I'm a sucker for anything Soap and Glory!

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If All My Makeup Disappeared...

If all my makeup disappeared, I'm not sure how I would react. I guess it depends how/when/why it disappeared... If it was eaten by a bear, that'd be pretty cool, but anyway, if for some reason I lost it all, I thought I'd tell you the products I'd rush out to replace.

The Naked 2 Palette. It contains 12 gorgeous shades, and I love its versatility. You can create so many neutral looks, and I'm yet to find a shade I feel like its missing.

Mac's Rubenesque is the first cream eyeshadow I tried, and I'm still obsessed with it. It's such a lovely formula, it's incredibly long lasting plus the shade is so pretty! At £15 apiece, it's definitely worth a try!

Revlon's Bronze Glow is great for those busy days when you're in a rush. It acts as a lovely blush, bronzer and highlighter, plus it's only £8.99!

I've used MUA's Matte Brown Shadow for my brows for such a long time, it'd feel unnatural to use anything else. It's a very buildable colour and lasts all day! Plus it's only £1. Perfect.

My go-to lip product at the moment is Revlon's Elusive. It's a gorgeous everyday pink, and I love that it's a matte finish. It's really versatile, but it does need retouching more often than some of my other lip products...

Bourjois' Nude Velvet is a gorgeous, peachy pink cream blush. I like using this with a stippling brush, and just blending on the apple of my cheeks and then up towards my temples.

I've used Natural Collection's Liquid Liner for quite a while now, and I think it's just great. It's really pigmented, relatively easy to apply, plus it lasts all day! Oh, and it's only £1.99!

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Garnier Intensive 7 Days

Moisturiser - not necessarily a glamorous product, but an important one nonetheless. After a shower, I love applying a good layer of moisturiser. However, what I don't like is waiting for it to sink in, especially f it feels greasy or slimy on the skin. No thank you.

When I spotted this I knew I had to give it a go, 7 days without needing to moisturise, wow. I don't think I've ever tried a garnier moisturiser, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This is the very dry formula, and it certainly doesn't disappoint.

 It feels really light on the skin, and literally takes no time to sink in. It smells really lovely and I think this bottle is going to last me ages! As for moisturising - it leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft and nourished. I'm yet to find a fault with this lotion - it just seems to tick all the right boxes!

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The Spring Lip Trio

I like coral lips, what can I say? But, I've recently also been rather fond of a good pink shade or two. Anyway, now that Spring's here I thought I'd share my trusty trio. (Read: The only lipsticks I reach for.)

I think this lipstick could be the only product I've ever tried from Collection, and I love it. I think the packaging is what drew me in, as it looks rather lovely. This is the shade Tallulah, and it's such a pretty everyday pink. The wear time for this beauty is amazing, and I'd definitely recommend giving it a go.

YSL's Corail in Touch. I couldn't not mention it could I? The packaging, the scent, the shade. Perfect. 

I only have one lipstick from Mac - Costa Chic, but it's definitely a good 'un. It's a frost finish - not something I tend to reach for, but I surprisingly really like it. 

What are your favourite lipsticks for this time of year?

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