guess who?

So I haven't blogged in what feels like, forever. When really it has only be around 6 weeks, but life has literally whizzed by & here I am wondering where on earth that time went...

Taking a blogging "break" wasn't exactly planned, it just sort of happened without me even realising to be honest. University has been crazy with deadlines & yes, I'm only a second year but my course is pretty intense so I had to try my best & focus because I kept feeling way out of my depth. I was practically drowning in lecture notes and coursework! It's almost the end of term now, with most major deadlines done & dusted I feel like I can get back on track with my little blog. I'm not really sure where I want to take my blog anymore, I'm going to go with the flow & see what happens! I can't promise I will be posting regularly as I'm about to start proper revision for my exams but I feel like I will manage a few every now & again. I don't want my blog to become one of those blogs that churns out a load of posts just for the sake of it, I could quite easily bombard you all with makeup & beauty reviews but I won't be doing. I want my blog to become more of a document of my life, with more personal posts and almost definitely more outfit posts. Lets see what happens...

It felt good to write this little post though, I've really missed writing, even if it is just simple little blog posts! I haven't even managed to keep up with all my favourite blogs much so I'm about to spend a few hours reading with a big cup of tea, leave me any posts in the comments below if you want me to have a look!

Oh & finally! I heard that GFC might be disappearing soon so there has been lots of movement towards bloglovin', if you wouldn't mind following my blog on there I would be so happy... click here (:

L x 

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soap & glory scrub 'em and leave 'em body buff

Soap & Glory Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em Body Buff - £7.50

Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em is a pastel pink scrub with notes of bergamot, blackcurrant, magnolia, freesia, vanilla and musk, apart from the Smoothie Star body milk scent I think this scrub has my favourite Soap & Glory smell. I'd never have guessed there was blackcurrant in this product, I'm pretty awful at describing scents but it smells really fresh, but very sweet and quite girly. I think this scrub is very gentle compared to the others that I have used, Flake Away & Sugar Crush, perhaps why it's labelled as a body buff instead. The darker pink particles are little sugar beads that dissolve pretty quickly when I buff it in small circular motions, which is unlike other scrubs that tend to leave you feeling a bit gritty until you've rinsed them away. It kinda feels like you're polishing your skin with this scrub rather than scrubbing it and having a proper exfoliate but it still leaves your skin super smooth and moisturised. 

Do you have a favourite Soap & Glory scrub?

L x

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barry m gelly hi shine nail paints | blueberry, prickly pear & pomegranate

(L-R Blueberry, Prickly Pear, Pomegranate)

Barry M Hi Shine Nail Paint - £3.99

Barry M used to be a firm favourite with me, I owned quite a few of their pastel "ice cream" polishes and got very excited when they launched their Crackle Nail Effect polish. I then got carried away with an array of other nail polish brands and Barry M got left behind until now. I was looking for a lilac shade as it seems to be the only colour I don't own in my ridiculous collection! I had a browse in Boots and noticed there was a 3 for 2 offer on the Barry M range. 

Blueberry grabbed my attention straight away as it reminded me of Essie's Bikini so Teeny and considering I've gone through over half the bottle I decided to pick it up as a sort of back up! Prickly Pear is a pretty lilac tone, just what I was after and Pomegranate, although showing up as more of bright red here it is actually a pinky toned red. The polishes apply nicely and the shine is instant, you could easily get away without a top coat. Blueberry and Pomegranate can be worn with only one coat, but prickly pear needed an extra one as it wasn't quite opaque. Overall I love these polishes, they're a decent price, the glossy finish is amazing and the wear time is pretty good too!

Have you got any of the Barry M Gelly polishes?

L x

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my real techniques brush collection

Real Techniques Brushes

Real Techniques brushes have been hanging around the beauty blogging scene for a good year now and I have my very own collection which I'm gradually building up. The brushes are made from Taklon bristles, meaning they are cruelty free as it's a synthetic material, yet they are still soft and not harsh to skin. The handle is aluminium making them lightweight along with the name printed on one side of the brush providing a quick reference point if required! The brushes are colour coded to highlight the steps of makeup application, although a lot of the brushes are multi-use and can often be switched around for various products. The orange coloured ones represent 'flawless base', purple 'enhanced eyes' and the pink ones can be used for a 'perfect finish'. 

Core Collection: These were the first RT brushes I heard about which lead to me purchasing them. The best brush from this set is the buffing brush, which I use to apply foundation. It 'buffs' in the product evenly giving me flawless coverage. The contour brush is what I use to apply my blusher, it's a good size to ensure the product only goes where I want it to and that way I won't end up looking like a clown! I don't tend to use the pointed foundation brush to apply foundation because I think it's way too small and would take me forever, however it is really handy for blending in concealer. The final brush in the set is the detailer brush, it can be used to apply lipstick or I use it to add eyeshadow along my bottom lashes if I want a smokey eye.

Starter Set: My Mum got me these for Christmas as I've started to get into wearing more eyeshadow and I wanted some brushes to help me get to grips with creating a smokey eye look! I have two favourites from this set, the base shadow brush and the deluxe crease brush. As the name suggests I use the base shadow brush to apply eyeshadow all over my lid and then swap to the deluxe crease brush for blending. 

Stippling Brush: Similar to the buffing brush it's amazing for applying foundation as again it buffs and blends the product in to achieve a perfect base. 

Powder Brush: This big fluffy brush is ideal for sweeping over a light dusting of powder to complete your makeup. The hand cut dome shaped bristles help to achieve a flawless finish, as the powder is spread evenly across your makeup.

I want to pick up the setting brush next, to apply powder highlight with and the expert face brush always grabs my attention too! I really don't know what I did before I owned these brushes, I actually get excited to apply my makeup each morning knowing I have amazing tools to use! Real Technique brushes are amazing value for money, especially if you compare them to other brands such as MAC where you can pay over £20 for one brush, but can pick up the core collection or starter set for just £21.99.

Have you got any Real Techniques brushes?

L x

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