Sunday 30 March 2014

Yves Rocher






















I mentioned in my spring lipsticks post that I love trying new lipsticks as the weather gets brighter, so it was great timing when I received the Yves Rocher Grand Rouge lipstick*. This is not the type of colour I would usually go for, however it actually looks very nice on. It compliments my pale complexion and can be sheered out for a more subtle look. I can get quite dry lips, however this doesn't dry them out at all. It's not moisturising, but it's not drying either!
 
Along with this, I received the Volume Vertige mascara* which is fab! I love trying mascaras and I was so impressed with this one. Instantly with just one stroke, my lashes looked thicker and longer. It left them so black and they kept their length and volume all day, with no smudging!
 
I would love to try some more Yves Rocher products in the future. Let me know if you've tried any!
 
 

Saturday 29 March 2014

March favourites

I haven't been wearing makeup very often this month, so my favourites consist more of skincare and some other bits! Let me know if you have tried any of these products and what your favourites are this month.

 


Wednesday 26 March 2014

Gosh Flower Power blush



Gosh Flower Power blush had been a product I'd wanted to try for a while, so when I saw it in a blog sale, I snapped it up! It is such a lovely, rosy pink, that brightens and compliments my pale complexion.
 
The texture is amazing! It is so soft and creamy feeling, even though it's a powder, so it's lovely to use. I realised I have a high-end blush similar to this, so am planning to do a drugstore dupes video/blog post soon with other similar products I have.
 
Let me know your favourite product from Gosh! I haven't tried many. 
 

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Products I tried: March



At the start of March I posted my products I'm trying: March post. Now it's the end of March, so I'm going to let you know what I thought of the products. Let me know which ones you would like individual reviews on! I have already reviewed the Collection lipstick, so won't go into too much detail now.
 
I have already taken photos and swatches of the Liz Earle signature foundation, ready for a full review! I have really enjoyed using this, as it provides lovely coverage and seems to last well on my skin.
 
As I said, I have already reviewed the Collection deluxe lipstick, so for swatches and more detail you can read that. The formulation of the lipstick is creamy and soft, which I really like. The colour is not really for me though - it's a bit too bright and pink!
 
I have been loving the Bakewell Company multi-purpose pocket balm! I have only been using it on my lips and it works so well. The texture is lovely and leaves my lips feeling nourished, hydrated and so soft. It doesn't leave a greasy, horrible layer on my finger afterwards, which can sometimes be annoying with lip balms in pots!
 
The Percy & Reed dry conditioner is something I need to use a little more. When I have used this, my hair was left feeling a little weird in texture. It seemed to leave it very soft though, so I am going to test this some more and update you with a full review!
 
I have only used the H'Suan Wen Hua hair treatment a couple of times, so I may do a more in-depth review once I have used it more. It seems really nice though and I love the fact you apply it to dry hair. I like hair treatments that you can pop on before shampooing, as I find them more convenient to use.
 
Have you tried any new products recently? 
 


Saturday 22 March 2014

Illamasqua Naked Rose blush



This is the first Illamasqua product I have ever tried! This blush in particular has been on my wishlist for a while, so I bought it when it popped up in a blog sale. The shade is Naked Rose and one I think looks so pretty.
 
This is a powder blush and the texture is lovely and creamy. It's so soft and blendable, plus the colour is gorgeous. It's a neutral pink which looks so natural and leaves my cheeks looking healthy.
 
What's your favourite Illamasqua product? I would love to try some more.
 

Friday 21 March 2014

Collection Deluxe lipstick





As I mentioned in my spring lipsticks post, I am not one to wear lip products everyday. It's coming into spring/summer time though, so I thought I would try some new lipsticks!
 
I saw the Collection Deluxe lipsticks on a blog, so decided to try one myself. I picked up the colour Speakeasy, which is a true, bright pink. I'm not one for bright lipsticks at all, especially pinks so I'm not sure why I chose this one!
 
On my hand, it does look slightly red, however on my lips it really is a pure, bright pink. I have tried dabbing it to sheer it out a little, however the lipstick still remains a true pink and slightly too bright for me. I think I will try and wear this a bit more in the brighter months, however it's definitely not my kind of colour!
 
The texture of this lipstick is so smooth and creamy, so I may try another colour from the range.
 
These retail at £3.99 each which is pretty good!
 
What's your favourite drugstore lipstick?

 

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Bedroom inspiration







 
I have been in the process for a while of trying to get my bedroom to how I would like it. I've had new furniture recently which I love, so now I am just adding little bits and bobs to make it look extra pretty!


I take blog photos on my white sideboard, so I keep some little items there which I can have in the background of photos. I bought the little fake flowers quite recently and I really like them! I also have wrapped some fairy lights around a pretty, cream photo holder. On my side I also keep the love sign and white heart.

Bedding is something I love buying and currently I have this cute bird duvet cover on my bed. It was from Asda, which is somewhere I had never really looked for bedding before, but they had a pretty good range.

On my curtain rail I have attached some bunting, which I forgot to photograph! It's really cute and is just pink and cream, with some hearts on. As you can probably tell, I like heart items! They look so cute.

If you know somewhere to get cute homeware items then please let me know. There is a little Gifts & Pieces wishlist on Beauté Vie Mode and everything is lovely and beautiful.


Tuesday 18 March 2014

Spring lipsticks



Left to right: YSL Rouge Volupte, 02 - Chanel Rouge Coco Shine, Evasion - Jemma Kidd Gloss-stick, Holders - Rimmel Apocalips, Luna - Tanya Burr lipgloss, Afternoon Tea
 
I am not one to wear lip products everyday - a lot of the time I just pop on some lip balm and leave it at that. Once spring and summer come around though, I think lipsticks can just add something so pretty and bright to a look. I thought I would show you my top 5 spring lip products!
 
Starting with lipsticks, the YSL one isn't a colour I tend to go for, however if I am in the mood for a nude lip then this will be my choice. The formula is extremely creamy, whilst having fairly good staying power.
 
The Chanel Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks are my favourite high-end lip products. Evasion is my favourite for the sunnier, brighter months, as it's such a gorgeous peachy pink shade. It lasts so well throughout the day and is sheer but buildable.
 
My Jemma Kidd lipstick is one I have had for ages now. The colour is a flattering red/pink with some subtle shimmer, which makes it so pretty in the spring time. I love red lips and this is just a subtle, easy to wear pinky toned red.
 
The Rimmel Apocalips in Luna is a true peach colour. It's got a slight orange tone to it, whereas the Chanel lipstick is a more of a pinky peach. The Apocalips are a lipstick, lip gloss, lip stain hybrid, so have fab pigmentation and staying power!
 
Finally is my newest lip purchase - Tanya Burr lipgloss in Afternoon Tea. The formulation is so creamy, soft and not at all sticky on the lips. The colour is definitely my kind of colour - a gorgeous, natural pink.
 
I would love to know you favourite lip products for the brighter months!

 

Sunday 16 March 2014

Quantock hills








My parents and I found this lovely breakfast place a while ago and since, I have been several times with them and my boyfriend. On the way home we always have a walk on the Quantock hills, so last week when I went with Mike, I took some photos to show you!
 
A couple of weeks ago when Mike and I went, he stayed in the car because he is scared of horses. They surrounded it though and one of them kicked it! It was hilarious.
 
If you are interested, I may blog about the breakfast place in the future. It is delicious and somewhere we have started going very regularly.
 
I would love to know if you have any favourite places for breakfast around the South West area.
 
 

Saturday 15 March 2014

Soap and Glory Glow All Out




I mentioned in my Products to try: February post that I would write a full review of this highlighter, as I really like it.
 
I love highlighters that provide a natural, radiant glow, without being shimmery or glittery. The only ones that I had found to do that though were cream highlighters and I prefer powder highlighters, as I find they are easier to apply. I had read several good reviews on the Soap and Glory glow all out highlighter, so decided to give it a go.
 
This is my perfect highlighter. My skin is left with a subtle, radiant glow and is not at all glittery. It is a light pink shade and compliments my pale skin, whilst looking very natural. I apply this using my Real Techniques contour brush which I find the perfect size and it helps to blend this nicely.
 
I usually just apply this to my cheekbones and then dust any remaining on the brush down my nose and above my lip.
 
Let me know what your favourite highlighter is! This is £11 from Boots.
 
 


Friday 14 March 2014

The makeup mishaps tag


The lovely Becca has created a new tag which I thought was great, so started tapping out my answers straight away!

You're going to a high end beauty event - would you rather:

 

Have really thick, dark, sharpie eyebrows or a major neck/foundation line?
I think I would rather have dark, thick eyebrows. I am very pale, so a foundation line would just look ridiculously orange and horrible! Sometimes I think as long as your eye makeup is a bit more dramatic, darker eyebrows don't look quite as bad.
 
Have chipped nail polish or horribly faded lipstick?
Definitely chipped nail polish. I just hope nobody looks at my hands!
 
Have smudged all your eye make up or have lipstick on your teeth?
Probably lipstick on my teeth. I would hope it's just not too obvious! I don't tend to wear dark lips so maybe it wouldn't be that noticeable!
 
Over highlight - a la disco ball - or over pluck those brows and look constantly surprised?
I would probably rather look surprised all the time! My face can get oily enough as it is, so I don't think added highlighter would look great.

It's a typical working/school day, and unfortunately your beauty products have gone missing. You can only find a few things hidden at the bottom of your makeup bag, and have to use what you can find. What do you choose?

 
OTT unsubtle fake lashes or clear mascara?
Definitely clear mascara. My lashes are luckily fairly long, so I only ever used to wear clear mascara and it looks good enough.
 
A foundation five shades too dark or five shades too light?
Too light. I am pale anyway, so I doubt there is a foundation five shades too light! Ha but I definitely wouldn't want it too dark.
 
Hair-gloss (a beautifully sticky gloss: perfect for getting your hair stuck to in the wind) or gorgeous concealer lips?
Neither of these sound great, however I hate the look of concealer lips, so I would go for hair-gloss. I could always put my hair up so it looks trendy and sleek (ha the horror).
 
Finally, it's the middle of summer - you can have either a manicure or a pedicure. However, the other set of nails have to be bare - what do you pick?
I would definitely go for a manicure. I love having my finger nails painted and looking pretty. I'm never too bothered about my toe nails and I don't think people look at them as much.
 
 
Let me know if you do this tag. I tag all of you!

Also, I would highly recommend having a peep at Becca's blog. It's one of my favourites and she is such a nice girl.
 

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Maybelline Baby Lips




Maybelline baby lips are tinted lip balms that are meant to keep lips moisturised for 8 hours. After one week of use, lips are also meant to look visibly renewed.  I get fairly dry lips, so I love tinted lip balms as they add a nice wash of colour, whilst keeping my lips soft. I have the shade Pink Punch and there are 5 other shades to choose from!
 
I have been using this for a little while and love it. I don't use it everyday - I alternate between various lip balms, so can't say if this has truly renewed my lips. It definitely keeps them moisturised and soft, with a pretty wash of pink.
 
I would really recommend this. It smells lovely, the colour is gorgeous and it does a great job at keeping my dry lips hydrated!
 
These lip balms are available from Superdrug for £2.99.
 
 

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Lyme Regis

The weather has been brightening up a lot recently, so my boyfriend and I went to Lyme Regis for the day last week. I thought I would share some photos of our day out as I really enjoyed it. After Lyme Regis, we also popped to the donkey sanctuary and saw lots of cute donkeys!
 





I would love to know what you have been up to lately!
 

Sunday 9 March 2014

Depression

This is a post that I am pretty scared about writing. I have been thinking about it for a while, however it's quite personal and something I am currently going through. I'm hoping it may help some people though and you can join me on my little journey.

I was always the happy, smiley child and still am, however for the past year and a half I have been struggling a lot. Depression isn't always caused by a big trigger or event. Mine started when I was worrying about a presentation I had to do at college. Throughout the summer holidays in 2012, I was becoming increasingly nervous and low because I couldn't stop thinking about it. I went to my Doctor several times and she was and has been extremely helpful. The Doctor's were reluctant to put me on anti-depressants because I was only 17, however I was becoming worse so they popped me on St John's Wart - a herbal medicine which helps relieve low mood and anxiety.

I dropped out of college in February 2013 because I couldn't cope anymore. With how I was feeling, A-levels were too much for me and everyone agreed this was the best option. I had a Saturday job which I carried on doing, however this started becoming too much for me as well. I would cry pretty much everyday about it. I would cry Saturday mornings, during my lunch break and I had to try extremely hard not to cry on the shop floor. Then on Sundays, I would start crying thinking of the next Saturday and would cry everyday up to Saturday. I went on like this for a while and I left in August 2013.
 
During the week when I wasn't working, I would always kept myself busy through blogging and lots of walking. I had a little routine and a 2 hour route I would walk everyday. I think staying busy is very important. There were days I would wake up with a feeling of dread and couldn't face getting up, however I truly believe it helped to do things.

From August 2012 for about a year, I also had a slight eating disorder which made everything worse. I counted calories and they completely took over my life. I ate about 800 calories per day and would not even let myself go over by 1. If I ate something I considered bad, I would cry for ages and hate myself. I dropped in weight which caused my periods to stop for that whole year and I was generally unhealthy. I would not eat anything without reading the calories and adding them all up. I am definitely getting better with this now. I have put on over one stone which I am chuffed with. Sometimes I have a little slip up and don't eat a lot, however I can tell when I'm getting too obsessed with calories and immediately stop.

I started an apprenticeship in September 2013 which was the first time I was working everyday since college. I had picked up a lot during the 7 months since I left college and was starting to feel better. I was considering coming off my St Johns Wart because I felt so much happier. At the end of September my boyfriend went off to uni and then he became down. He was only there for 12 days because he struggled so much and during that time, he would Skype me being really upset, which caused me to be more down. It was a rollercoaster really. Ever since we started going out, I knew he was going to uni so was fully prepared for that. Then suddenly he was down and was home less then 2 weeks later. I started getting very low around this time and was prescribed anti-depressants. I was put on a low dose, however my dose has been increased once since then.

During February 2014, my Doctor signed me off work for about 3 weeks because of my depression. She seemed slightly concerned I was working full-time in my state. I went back once my sick note ran out, however struggled hugely so left. I handed in my resignation and my last day was 4th March 2014.
 

I am hoping things will start getting better. I filled out a depression form to start counselling. I have moderate anxiety and moderate/severe depression. Counselling is a 12 week wait which is really annoying, but my family and friends are all very supportive of me which is brilliant.
 
I have found talking to someone helps hugely. When I first told my parents how I felt, I immediately felt better because I had shared my feelings with them. Maybe they can't make it all better straight away, but I felt I had support. There is always someone to talk to, whether it be family, friends or a support line. Sometimes I just want to curl up in a ball all alone and hide, however for me at least, talking helps in the long-run.
 
Something that helps me is reading positive quotes. I have an album on my phone full of them and I read through some when I am feeling low. There are lots of holidays and fun trips planned this year with my family and boyfriend, so they give me something to focus on!

I hope this post may help some people, if you or anyone you know is going through something similar. This is a very personal thing for me to write about, however it's nice to feel like it may help someone and let you know there is help out there. I will keep you updated on how I get on if you would like.