Lush Review: Light Pink Colour supplement

This is the Lush colour supplement in Light Pink, it's basically like a foundation (tinted moisturiser), it's a light (+ a little bit, but not enough for medium coverage) coverage in my opinion but as it is from Lush, it obviously doesn't have any harsh chemicals in. This is one of my favourite everyday foundations and comes in at £8.95. So pretty average for the high-street.

"A multi-purpose mineral-free nurturing base for those with paler complexions with a pink undertone." - Don't let this worry you though because there are other colours and undertones available.

I have combination skin and I love this because the oily bits doesn't get greasy through the day and the dry bits don't look bad. This is also amazing for sensitive skin. I use the second lightest shade, and this is my rule whenever I got foundation shopping I tend to be one up from the lightest. On a day to day basis I like something that isn't too heavy, this gently evens out my complexion and redness, and still protects and nurtures my skin. By adding a bit of your daily moisturiser, this can become a tinted moisturiser for an even lighter base. All the bases are the same formulation so if you're a different colour there is no need to worry.
You can use your hands which is what I do when I'm on the go, but looks amazing when you use a brush or sponge. I'd advise using a buffing or stippling brush rather than a foundation brush just as it gets a little streaky if you do. One of the things you may be thinking is that 'That is a tiny pot!' you get 20g but trust me you do not need much! It'll last you a fair while.

Would you repurchase? - I'm about to run out of mine, so I'll definitely be buying another one,

It is rated 4.6 out of 5 on the Lush website. Have you tried this or are you interested in trying it?

S xo

My summer fashion wishlist

My summer fashion wishlist by xsarahxmx featuring leather bags

As we are strongly heading into spring, I thought it would be fun to show you what I plan to be wearing/buying this summer and what are my summer essentials!

• Cardigans - Let's not all get that excited we still live in England so it's still freezing in spring and summer, these are essential for keeping warm instead of freezing to death. (Can we all take a minute to appreciate that I spelt cardigan wrong on my collage, yes I am an English Language student. Would you believe, I am also far too lazy to go back and change it! :D)
• Skater Dresses - I have just splashed out on some lovely statements pieces to wear for the summer, so my plan is to keep the clothing simple and accessories well! I want fun and pretty colours and a comfortable style (which is long enough hopefully).
• Maxi skirts - (what I am currently wearing now) These are perfect for English summers, light and breezy yet they cover you up so you don't have to worry about being pale and keep you warm, because let's face it England never gets hot enough for hot pants. NEVER.
• Pretty sandals - I love sandals! I think they make any outfit summery, this year I really want to find some extra pretty ones! :D
• And of course, a Summery bag - Bags are my thing, I love them. I want a nice brightly coloured one for this year but I need to get a job so I can buy one first.

I'm also on the lookout for some swimwear for my holidays, but I doubt I'll be wearing any over here. What are your summer essentials? Let me know in the comments below! 

S xo

How I store my nail polish

Hey guys! Sorry I didn't post yesterday it's the first one I've missed in a while.

I was wondering round TKMaxx lately, and seen this lovely jar, I picked it up and started faffing with the cork lid and it give that satisfying popping sound, and at that point I knew I wanted it, so I looked at the price tag and it was £2.99!! So I got it, I had no idea at this point what I was even going to put in it, but never the less I bought it. 

I used to store my nail varnishes in a beautiful Ted Baker box type thing that I got for Christmas a few years ago, and I do love that one still but my lovely nail varnishes were hidden away so I thought it was prettier using this. So I still keep all my nail care stuff in that same box. 

I'm trying to keep only nice, pretty bright colours in this jar, and I also like the idea of having ones that I have a few of so they match, as you can see in the top picture my Essie nail polishes at the front. If you want to see more about what nail polishes I own, just leave a comment down below.

How do you store your nail polishes? 

S xo

Lush Review: Tea Tree Water

I frickin' love this stuff. I use this as my everyday toner, it is £3.95 for 100g, it's all natural and organic, so it must be good for the skin. It has no dramatic effects, because it's not full of chemicals, but it keeps my skin happy so that's okay with me. It just smells fresh and is clear in colour but I love that I'm nott clogging my pores with crap.

Lush says:

Made with antibacterial tea tree and grapefruit to keep the skin clear and refreshed. Tea tree is antibacterial, anti-fungal and antimicrobial; it will help keep away the bacteria that can cause spots. Grapefruit is rich in vitamins and is also lightly astringent on the skin, whilst juniperberry is antiseptic and will also help to stimulate the skin. Use this anytime of the day to keep skin refreshed, or to remove traces of make-up.

So does that sound good? I think so, give it a try and let me know.

S xo

Afternoon tea

                                  

This literally has to be one of my favourite things to do lately! :) I love it!

This is a tiny cafe in Liverpool called Cuthbert's Bakehouse up my John Moores University. I'll leave the link Here.

They also have a twitter: @Cuthbertsinfo and you can find them on Facebook here.

I love this place, I think it's amazing they serve an alternative Afternoon tea, It's a New York themed one, you can find mini menu's on the website.

It's the second time I've been and I can't wait to go back again! :D It's a small place so I didn't take to many photos coz sometimes it can get weird.

If you give them a visit tell them I said Hello! Hahah, not that they will know who  I am. 

S xo

Fragrance Friday: Ralph Lauren '2'

What I think?

This is one of my ultimate fragrances! Its so fruity and sweet and I just love, it's my perfect summer scent. I'm very close to being nearly all out and I can't wait to get my hands on more, but I guess I'll have to wait till like Christmas now. I'd say this is a very young smell, just because of how fruity it is, but I absolutely adore this.

What Boots says?

The sensual fragrance, with key ingredients of cranberry and tonka mousse, this fragrance is for an alluring flirt with a romantic spirit. Playful and irresitable, this modern woman follows her heart...and she might just break yours. The eye-catching pink bottle is complemented by a green oversized polo pony icon opposite a cool blue number 2. Floriental fruity.

It's £24.99 for 30ml on Boots website here.

S xo

Lip Care Collection

So some people would say I have a problem, maybe I do, maybe I don't. But Lip balms are one of my favourite products, in particular, tinited ones just do it for me, there's fuss, and you get all the benefits while you have great looking lips!

They float about everywhere, but I keep the majority in this draw, or in my handbag but that's a whole other issue.

I really don't want to write loads on this because you can see what I have with all of my pictures, so if you have any questions leave them below!

I probably should reduce my collection but I JUST CAN'T! I love them too much! What are your favourites?

S xo

My favourite places.

You know have you have those places where you just feel so content, happy and relaxed, well I want to tell you about mine, whether it's when I'm feling sad or very happy. Whether I'm about to share big news or I fancy a chat, these places are where I feel most comfortable! I'm going to share with you my top 3 favourite places, like ever!!

Thee first one is the most simple one of all. My bed. And although to you this may seem the norm, I now don't live at home, I'm at Uni, so when I'm sad it isn't as easy to coming running for cover (haha, puns make me laugh) It the place were I am me, no make up or fancy clothes, it's time were I can hide or be happy and watch my favourite film, or read or write ... I get the most work done when I'm in my bed because I'm happy.

The second is the Lake District, in Clithereo. It's called River Ribble, many happy days of my childhood were spent here, with friends or family. We would take a picnic and spend the whole day there, the kids running around and splashing in the water then come running back begging for ice cream. It was the perfect place, it had a park, a train that kids could ride, sweets and ice cream, and the water. Now that I look back it is more special to me for the memories and a place to reflect and be calm. But I will always remember the days we spent there, and one day when I have my own kids, I can take them there too. Funny that I'm talking about all the good memories, and yet the most memorable one was my brother slipping on a rock and breaking his wrist! Hahaha, he's okay now obviously!

This image was taken from google, as an idea of what I used to do.

The last and final place is Home, wherever that may be, but it's where my family is. Family and friends can make a home, it doesn't even have to be a house, I just like being surrounded with the people I hold closest to my heart and love the most. Uni life hasn't been all I thought it would be, I miss my loved ones more than I ever thought I would and I didn't even move that far away so I solute the ones who do. I find it hard.

Image from weheartit.com, and yes this is Hogwarts! <3 my true home.

What are some of your favourite places? Where do you most feel like yourself?

S xo

Travel minis?

Are you one of these people that saves your Minis for when you travel or do you buy them every time?

I save mine any time I get some for Christmas or as a freebie, I put them in this basket in my bathroom and when it's time to pack, I have fun pulling new stuff out to try. But lately I've been debating using all of these and just saving some of the bottle and de-potting some of my full size ones I'm using at the time.

Is this cluttering my bathroom? Or am I being clever and saving these for times when I need them?

I have everything from shower gel, hair products, skin care and bubble bath, from expensive brands to very cheap. 

What do you do? And what do you think I should do?

S xo

An ode to Soap and Glory...

If I had to chose one brand to use for the rest of my life I would use Soap and Glory.

Well, either that or Lush.

I know, I know, BOLD statement, but I am about to justify this to you.

This is my brand focus for Soap and Glory.

10 Reasons to love Soap and Glory:

1. They literally have everything! Bath and Body, Skincare and make-up. Even perfumes!
2. I have never tried anything I don't like.
3. It's quite affordable, most of the products are around the £10 mark.
4. It's usually on 3 for 2. (And I love a good bargain.)
5. Their gift set's are AHH-MAZZ-INGG! They're such good value for money, especially at Christmas, or in the sales after christmas ;).
6. It's all really good quality, and big sizes. 
7. The make-up it such high quality for the price.
8. The set pictured above I got for £20 when it should be that for just the powders, so look at all the excess you get plus that! (I know this is a cheat coz you can't get it any more, but check EBay)
9. I have literally have most of the collection and I still want more!
10. There's always something else/new to try!!!

So that's it, if you love Soap and Glory, let me know what your favourite product is, I think mine has to be The Breakfast Scrub.

I also have a wish list for Soap and Glory, so if you'd like to see that let me know.

S xo

Pale skin make -up!

Heyy guys! We are trying something a little different today! I'm trying to convince my friend Jess, to create her own blog, so I told her she could test trial on mine. Be nice! This is Jess, she's 18 and a student just like me. If you like this post and want to hear more from Jess, leave a comment down below!

Isn't she a beaut?!

Guest feature: Meet Jess!

Since Sarah has given me the wonderful opportunity to feature on her lovely blog, I thought I would take this as my chance to address a topic that I personally don’t think is spoken about enough. How to do make and how to buy make up if you are, let’s just say…pigmentally challenged. Yes, this one is for us pale girlies, the girls who struggle finding that ‘perfect’ shade for our skin tone, that doesn’t make our face look unnaturally  golden compared to our necks, and who never seem to  know how make our concealer blend with our foundation (because, let’s face it, we’ve all been there.) Being one of the palest people I know, I’ve got quite a lot of experience in this field of expertise, so although I’m not a professional, I thought I would share some of the tips, do’s and don’ts and the best products out there for girls on a budget.

Firstly, my big piece of advice is, know how much make up your face can handle!! For example, my face can take a hell of a lot of make, so lots of eyeshadow, eyeliner and dark lipstick are part of my routine, but this isn’t the case for everyone (my equally as pale and super beautiful sister doesn’t need a lot of make up to look very glamourous, so she’s a lot more toned-down than myself.) You probably can already judge for yourself how much make up suits you, but if not, just experiment and you’ll soon find what you’re comfortable with.

Secondly, I would never, EVER buy any foundation, concealers, tinted moisturisers etc online, (unless, you’re re-buying a product that you already have.) It’s just waaaay to risky, you could end up forking out money for a product which is not at all your shade, since a lot of company’s idea of ‘ivory’ is complete different from reality. Just going into your local boots, Superdrug or wherever you buy your make up and testing it on your skin is the only way to ensure that you’re actually getting what you’re paying for. Personally, my favourite way to test make up is on the inside of my wrist since my skin is quite translucent, I like to know that my make-up can cover the veins on my face. When buying your face make up, I definitely recommend one that gives a good SPF coverage (Sarah's input - although be sure to have a foundation without SPF for picture days, like special events), so it will protect fair skin in any weather, sun burnt noses are never fun!! In my opinion, Bourjois cosmetics are really good at providing foundation that is not only perfect for paler girls, but also protects and nourishes skin too, so you don’t have to worry about your face becoming dry or burnt in the summer months.

One of my absolute favourite products is Collection 2000’s (Or as it’s now called ‘Collection’) 'Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer’ in ‘Fair 1,’ it’s an absolute gem at £4.19 and has AMAZING coverage that doesn’t seem to fade during the day, especially not of you use a decent primer underneath it. I’ve always struggled finding the right concealer, because ever since I can remember I have always suffered with really awful, deep, dark circles under my eyes, so if it does the job for me, it’s bound to be just as perfect for anybody else. It is pretty heavy duty and matte stuff though, so use with caution if you don’t wear much make up!! I also use Collection’s basic ‘Pressed Powder' in shade 18 Ivory, it’s brilliant for just setting your make-up, and I usually just apply it throughout the day to freshen my face up a bit because I’m prone to greasy skin, it’s only £1.99, so it’s great just for everyday use.

As you can probably tell by now, I really don’t buy expensive make up…like ever. It’s because I go through A LOT of make-up, I am a self-confessed make-up fiend, especially when it comes to concealer, I probably go through a tube about every 3-4 weeks, so buying an expensive brand just isn’t worth it. However, I would recommend investing a lot of money in brushes, because cheap make up can go a long way if you use the right tools with them. My favourite brushes are by Lauren Luke (the line created by the make-up artist Panacea 81 from Youtube) which were a present, so I don’t really want to look up the price (Sarah's input - I did, a set of eight is £33.75 or they range from £3.25 - 6.50, pretty reasonable in my opinion, may have to try these out! You can find these here). I’ve had them for so, so long and I’ve only just had to replace my face brushes (I’ve still not go around to replacing my eye-make up ones.) I replaced them with Ecotools ‘Fresh and Flawless’ five piece complexion set which was only £12 in boots, they’re in miniature size (perfect for my little hands) and they’re amazing in my opinion. The blending blush that comes in the set is my new saviour, because being a pale girl, tide lines around my neck, and around my eyes where my concealer meets my foundation, always make me paranoid, so this completely blends them out to create a really flawless finish to my make up

.

I hope I’ve been a little bit of help to any pale girlies out there, and remember, a little flick of eyeliner and a bit of red lippy, and you’ve got yourself the perfect go-to vintage look that looks perfect on ivory skin!!

Jess xx

If you have any questions for Jess or myself make sure you leave a comment just below! 

S xo