Review: Rimmel | Fix & Perfect Primer |

Rimmel - Fix & Perfect Primer - Boots - £6.99

If you watched this video, you may remember my first thoughts on this primer were pretty so so. In fact, normally I am not a fan of primers at all, and view them as an unnecessary extra step and layer to my make up routine on a day to day basis.

However, due to Autumn turning quickly into Winter weather-wise, central heating and pollution amongst the usual culprits, I've noticed a definite change to my skin in terms of hydration and therefore how make up sits on my skin. Having combination skin that is also dehydrated is a difficult thing to tackle. Make up started to settle in weird places, and look dry and cakey, so as well as tackling this with skincare, I decided to pull out the Rimmel Fix & Protect primer as it is much more smoothing and moisturising than other primers I have. 

Turns out this was an excellent choice as it has made such a difference not only to the look and feel of my make up but also its longevity. The reasons I love it now are why I didn't like it before funnily enough, but I guess that is because my skin is a lot different to in the summertime.

 This is very smoothing with a silicone like texture and definitely feels hydrating, yet not greasy (just). I don't see much difference worn alone, but all my foundations have looked instantly better when applied on top. Even my most matte of foundations are looking more skin like and glowy than cakey and dry. Not only does it help bases to not settle in pores or weird lines, it locks make up into place for a full working day, and gives my base a more airbrushed and even appearance.

In terms of oil control, I wouldn't say it aids in anyway, but at the same time it doesn't make me any more greasy which is a win. I've totally changed my mind on this product and would urge you to try it for yourself as it is a bargain at £6.99 at Boots.

Are you for or against primers? xxx

Video: Current Favourites: Beauty & Fashion!

Today's post is my new video! I decided to film a current favourites/super early December favourites after accumulating quite a few products and items I was enjoying. Let me know if you love any of these products and what your favourite things of the moment are too. There is a mix of skincare, make up, lifestyle and fashion this time.

If you enjoyed, please do like and subscribe :) xxx

Event: La Roche Posay | Effaclar K + Launch

Earlier this week I dropped into the Effaclar range event by La Roche Posay, which include the launch of a brand new product to the line: Effaclar K (+).

I couldn't stay too long due to another commitment, but I had a great whistle stop tour of the entire range to learn more about each product and their uses. I've tried and tested a few before including the mattifying moisturiser, Serozinc and micellar water which I love and was excited to learn more about the newest addition to the range.

Effaclar K (+) is a moisturiser formulated for combination to oily skin that is prone to blackheads, irregular texture and shine. Unfortunately, my skin is all those things so this seems like a fantastic product for me to test out. During research, La Roche Posay found that external factors such as pollution cause oily skin to oxidise which in turn causes excess sebum production and therefore more imperfections. Effaclar K (+) aims to target and tackle all these problems and leave skin mattified and purified, feeling clean and he

althy rather than stripped.

It can be used morning and night so I am going to be testing this religiously for the next few weeks to see if it makes any difference for me - so keep your eyes peeled for a review coming up in a month or so!

Have you tried any of the Effaclar range from La Roche Posay? xxx

Craft & DIY: 5 Cheap & Easy Halloween Pumpkin Ideas

I had the week off from work this week and couldn't wait to start getting into the Halloween spirit. Each year, I enjoy this time of year even more and it was fun to experiment with some new ways to decorate our house. Halloween can still be cute if you want it to be! 

If you try any of these pumpkins, please let me know and tag me in social media :) All links at the side of my blog! xxx

Glam Purple Autumnal Make Up

Autumn brings brisk sunny days, crunchy leaves and burgundy and cranberry make up, which is my absolute favourite. I originally filmed a tutorial for this look, but unfortunately the lighting was terrible and it just wasn't the quality I wanted to put out. It's quite a full on look as I went heavy on the eyes and lips, so great for a night out this season.

Base

I mixed together By Terry Light Expert Click Brush Foundation in '2 Apricot Light' with  Soap & Glory Hocus Focus Liquid Highlighter to give a bright base. You can read my full review here of the foundation, but I just love the texture and how it blurs out imperfections like my pores. Covering dark circles and brightening up the eye area is quite important because the eye shadow is so dark and heavy. I used Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in '2' as a colour corrector, then blended in Maybelline The Eraser Concealer in 'Light' to conceal with a beauty blender. For any blemishes and redness Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in '52' did a great job as it is very blendable, long lasting and good coverage. To highlight under the eyes further and down the centre of my face, I used one of my staple products - L'Oreal Lumi Magique in '1 Light'. You can read in more detail about my 3 favourite concealers mentioned here.

To set everything in place, I used an old favourite Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 'Translucent', then added some colour back into my face by way of a light contour with Benefit Hoola Bronzer. As the rest of the make up is quite heavy, I wanted a neutral blush so used Benefit Rockateur Blush and finished with MAC Lightscapade MSF to highlight my cheekbones and centre of the face.

Eyes

I always start with brows and used my every day products - Anastasia Brow Wiz in 'Taupe' to define the shape, the lightest powder shade in the Revolution Eyebrow Shaping Kit to provide more density and colour and finally set everything in place with Maybelline Brow Drama in 'Medium Brown'.

To act as a transition shade, I used a fluffy brush to buff in a warm toned light brown shade, this time it was 'Force of Nature' from the Tartlette palette, before applying Maybelline Color Tattoo in 'Metallic Pomegranate' with my finger as a base for the eye shadows. This cream shadow is so beautiful on its own as well as a base. I used the burgundy shade from my Estée Lauder 'Rasins' palette which has a subtle shimmery finish. To my outer corner I buffed in 'Sexy' a matte burgundy shade with a MAC 217 brush and then deepened the outer corner with 'Serious' a matte black, both from The Balm Nude Tude palette. Starting from the inner corner of the lid to the middle I pressed in Bellapierre loose pigment in 'Cinnabar' that is a shimmery more pink toned cranberry colour. To finish off the look I used 'Super Mom' from the Tartlette palette to highlight my brow bone, drew a thin line on my top lash line with L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim in 'Intense Black' and used lashings of Mascara Terrybly Growth Booster by By Terry. This look is quite dramatic, so I used Eyelure Naturalite Lashes to add volume and drama to the eyes.

Lastly, my favourite product for my lips at the moment. Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 'Shameless' provides a deep intense matte purple, without being drying as the formula is really creamy yet still very long lasting.

Do you have a favourite Autumnal make up product? xxx

All Used Up #14 | Skincare Edition |

Once again, I seemed to have accumulated alot of empties over the past few weeks. A large proportion consisted of skincare items so I thought it would be fun to do mini reviews on those types of products I've used up recently for all you skincare junkies out there. Let's start with the cleansers:

- L'Occitane Shea Cleansing Milk: I used this up in my travel bag and it is pretty inoffensive and gentle but not the best for removing make up, so would be more suited for a morning cleanse rather than an evening. I prefer gel cleansers for first thing however, so I wouldn't repurchase. I did like the travel size and the bottle though.

- Tropic Organic Hot Bamboo Smoothing Cleanser: This was included in a set I was given at Christmas and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked the products. This was good at removing make up and was gentle with a clean smell. However for a cream cleanser, I like something a little bit thicker (think Liz Earle C+P). I liked the pump dispenser too but there are other cleansers I enjoy using a lot more. This is a good choice for people who use Vegan and natural products.

- The Body Shop Skin Clearing Facial Wash: Featured in my recent What's In My Shower video, I finally used up this giant bottle of face wash. It was a sad day as I loved this. Normally my skin doesn't react to Tea Tree but this was great at treating any blemishes that cropped up, smelt really nice, and did the job in the morning without being too harsh or stripping. I would definitely repurchase and love the toner too.

- Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (Oily/Combo Skin): My favourite Micellar Water I've tried, you get a lot of product for your money and it does a great job at taking off the majority of make up (although not the best at removing mascara) without irritating or making you tug at your skin. I don't feel like the formula is any different to the original though so I would repurchase either types.

- Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Treatment Pads: A surprising favourite which was featured in my updated skincare routine, I wasn't sure if glycolic acid did much for my skin before using these as I was left disappointed by Ren's Glycolactic Radiance Mask. You get about 60 pads in each tub, which are soaked in product and I tended to use them every other night as a toner. These really evened out my skin tone, made me look more radiant in turn and aided in healing both active blemishes and marks. I would definitely repurchase, but at the moment I am testing out Pixi Glow Tonic.

- L'Occitane Fresh Face Water: From the same Shea range as the above cleanser, I really enjoyed this product too. It is quite inoffensive and gentle, similar to the Liz Earle Skin Tonic, but for a reason that I can't quite put my finger on, I prefered this. I think the addition of the Shea made it quite 'soft' and left my skin refereshed without feeling tight. This is a great morning toner and I would repurchase.

- Vichy Normaderm Moisturiser: Last year I attended a Vichy event and this was featured in my goodybag, I have only just used it up after putting it on my face every morning so that shows you how long the bottle lasts! I loved the formula, it was hydrating yet not heavy, helped to combat oil without drying out my skin and was a great base for make up. I liked the pump bottle too and I would repurchase now if I didn't have a million other moisturisers to use up!

-Lush Mask of Magnaminty: One of my favourite products from Lush, I have just repurchased a new pot, but this time the self preserving version (you can see it in this video). This is great at treating blemishes and evening out oil production. I also like that as it isn't a fresh mask it lasts a lot longer than the other Lush masks.

What is your favourite skincare item? xxx

Video: Huge Lush Haul | Oxford Street Branch |

Two weeks ago I visited the huge Oxford Street Lush store and had a lot of fun walking around every floor, smelling nearly every single product and deciding on new things to try. In the end I picked up quite a few bath products and some face masks, although sadly I just missed the Halloween and Christmas ranges. I'm going back in the very near future though to pick up some more so there may be another haul video coming your way!

What is your favourite Lush product? Have you visited the Oxford Street store? xxx

Review: By Terry | Light Expert Click Brush Foundation |

By Terry | Light Expert Click Brush Foundation | 2 - Apricot Light | £48 | Space NK

As you may have already seen, I went to the relaunch of the vamped up By Terry Light Expert Click Brush* (long name!) event and it was awesome. I was over the moon to be able to test out and review the product, especially as it is my first item from the brand. I've been using it pretty much every day for the last few weeks so am now ready to give you a thorough opinion.

Lets start with the pros. The packaging feels and looks high end, and is perfect for travel due to the no leakage click brush pump at the bottom. There are 4 holes within the dense kabuki brush where the product is dispensed, to give a more even coverage and finish and the brush can also be unscrewed and washed so is hygienic. I love that you can also take a look at how much product you have left too while doing this.

The elastic formula of this foundation is different to anything else I've tried. It is super light weight and buffs out to the most incredible natural and flawless finish while blurring out my pores, even though the coverage isn't very high. The texture is also great for touching up before a night out or generally on the go as it doesn't even go cakey or unnatural looking, instead it just builds really nicely. One of the most surprising features of the foundation is how long lasting it is. Considering how lightweight the formula is, I thought it wouldn't last too long but it lasts all day and on my combination skin I only needed to powder once during the day, which is amazing! Like all foundations I like to mix in a liquid highlighter, but to be honest this doesn't need it as the finish is luminous enough by itself. 

Onto the cons - firstly I don't really like the brush it comes with. It is so dense and small that I find it really hard to buff in the liquid evenly. Instead I like to dot it on my face and use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush instead. The shade range is also quite small, and they are all quite on the warm side so unless properly blended it can look a little orange (I have the shade 'Apricot Light'). However, with a tan it will be a great shade and the lead make up artist at By Terry explained that the reason they do not have a bigger shade range is because they have not been able to perfect the formula yet. I think this is a good reason and at least they are not putting out a product they are not 100% convinced by. It is also worth bearing in mind that the foundation has quite a strong scent - I quite like this and it smells high end (if that makes any sense) but those with sensitive skin may want to take note. I would also like the coverage to be a bit higher as I do have blemishes and dark circles to conceal!

All in all, this is great for all skin types and ages. Although it is quite pricey, I think it feels luxurious and is great for more natural make up days by giving a flawless texture and tone to your skin.

Have you tried this foundation yet? What is your favourite product from By Terry? xxx

Review: Yardley London | Bluebell Perfume |

Yardley London English Bluebell - £9.99 EDT 50ml - £14.99 EDT 125ml - Deodorising Body Spray £2.49 75ml

You've probably heard of Yardley London before as their Lavender and Rose scents have been popular for years with the older generations. I have of course heard of the brand but had never tried anything as it did seem like the products were focused for an older market. However, Yardley have recently rebranded and refocused on the younger woman, signified by their latest English Bluebell fragrance launch.

English Bluebell Eau de Toilette* is the latest addition to the Contemporary Classics floral collection that launched earlier this year (including English Lavender, English Rose, Lily of the Valley and April Violets) and has a light fragrance that is reflected in the pale blue colour of the perfume.

The packaging is sleek and pretty yet still classic and light enough to pop into your handbag. In terms of scent, the top notes are of bergamot, green notes and cassis and the heart contains bluebell, jasmine, lily of the valley, peony and peach. These sweeter scents definitely focus the perfume to a younger market but the addition of base notes of musk, sandalwood, cedarwood, amber and vanilla give the scent more of a grown up edge. The fragrance is light and sweet, perfect for all occasions in the day.

The Deodarising Body Spray is a great addition and perfect for younger women on the go - I like mine for freshening up after the gym. I found the scent of the spray is actually stronger and longer lasting than the perfume and at only £2.49 for 75ml its a bargain.

You can purchase the new launch at Boots, Superdrug, Lloyds and Sainsburys - coupled with price points of £9.99 for 50ml and £14.99 for 125ml, this perfume is easily accessible for the younger market.

I really enjoyed this perfume and consider it a fresh, light alternative for Autumn than heavy muskier scents. Also do you like my terrarium? We made them at the launch event and I love it!

Have you tried any Yardley London products before? xxx

VIDEO: What's In My Shower 2015

Last week I popped up a new video, featuring the current products I'm using in the shower ranging from body care through to hair care and tanning. I love these types of videos, so I hope you enjoy taking a peek into what I'm using at the moment. There are a few favourites but also a few disappointing products!

Products featured:

- Kerastase Resistance Bain Force Architect Shampoo £17.50 for 250ml.

- Macadamia Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo £15.75 for 300ml 

- Redken Blonde Idol Custom Tone Blonde Conditioner £21.50 for 196ml 

- L'Oreal Elvive Nutrigloss Crystal Conditioner £3.99 for 400ml

- L'Oreal Ever Pure Colour Care Intense Mask £7.30 for 200ml

- Tangle Teezer The Original in Pink Fizz £9.75

- The Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Wash £5.50 for 250ml

- The Body Shop Shea Shower Cream £4 for 250ml

- Champneys Mini Citrus Blush Body Scrub £2.50 for 50g

- Champneys Distant Shores Body Scrub £10 for 200g

- Dolce Dreams Coconut Macaroon Body Scrub £18 for 200ml - Read my review

- Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter £8 for 250ml

- St Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion £14.50 for 200ml

If you enjoyed the video, please do like and subscribe :) xxx

Review: Fake Bake At Home | Dolcé Dreams | Coconut Macaroon Body Scrub |

Fake Bake At Home | Dolcé Dreams - Coconut Macaroon Body Scrub - £18 - Available at www.fakebakebeauty.co.uk

Did you know that Fake Bake have diversified and now do beauty products including make up and body care? Neither did I until I went to the Fake Bake Beauty at Home event a few weeks ago, and was pleasantly surprised about the array of products on offer - you can see some pictures from the event on my Instagram. 

One of the products I received to test out was the Coconut Macaroon Body Scrub* from the Dolcé Dreams collection. Everything about the product is great and pleasantly surprised me. I think the packaging is sturdy and cute, and the actual product is packed full of sugar to exfoliate, which means a little goes a long way. There is also enough slip due to the addition of coconut and shea oils, which leaves your skin soft, moisturised and smooth but it doesn't leave any oily residue which is a massive plus for me. The scent is also so good - it is sweet and reminiscent of holidays, but isn't sickly or over powering.

This would be a great scrub for exfoliating skin before tanning, which shouldn't be a surprise considering its manufactured by a tanning brand. I would definitely repurchase once this runs out and its become one of the favourite scrubs I've ever tried.

Have you tried anything from the Beauty at Home range? What is your favourite Fake Bake product? xxx

EVENT: By Terry | Light Expert & Autumn 2015 Launch |

When the email inviting me to this event popped into my inbox, I literally screamed with excitement. I have loved By Terry from afar, lusting after everything from the Baume de Rose to the Hylaronic Hydra Powder, but unfortunately have never actually owned anything from the brand.

This changed on Wednesday, when I popped down to the Space NK store in Chelsea to view the new Autumn launches, the star of the show being the revamped Light Expert Click Brush Foundation, which is available from September and retails at £48.

Myself and the other bloggers who attended were treated to purple macarons (what else for a blogger event?) and pink champagne, whilst having a chance to browse the range and have a chat with the make up artists that represent the brand.

We were also treated to a demonstration which showed three different looks you could create with the Light Expert Click Brush - a very natural, super easy and quick look for the busy working mum, the social butterfly who needs to take her look from day to night using contouring and the super busy woman who needs to top up throughout the day. Alban Laloy who has been the lead make up artist for By Terry for 5 years, talked us through the product and the looks while they were being demonstrated.

After the demonstrations I had a make over by the lovely Alessia who used the Light Expert Click Brush in the shade 1 Rosy Light as a highlight over the make up I already had on, the most beautiful blush duo in 400 Rosy Sculpt and my new favourite lip product which is now top of my wishlist Palace Garnet 10.

I will most definitely be doing a full in depth review of the product in the new future, so keep your eyes peeled for that, but in the mean time I will give you a quick low down on the new product. It is a light weight and buildable liquid foundation, which is dispensed via a click brush system and instead of having just one hole, there are 4 places in the brush that product is dispersed. Replacing the flat foundation style brush is a kabuki brush head which is super soft and very sturdy so amazing for blending the product seamlessly. You can also unscrew the brush head to clean it thoroughly and you can also do this to check how much product you have left.

Everything about the packaging and product is well thought out, user friendly and beautiful! I can't wait to test it out more and let you know my thoughts.

Have you tried any By Terry products before? xxx

All Used Up #12 | Product Empties |

Hi everyone,

Long time, no see! This year has been crazy with a new job, new home and new life! Some things haven't changed though such as my love for Reuben and passion for beauty blogging. I have been itching to have more time to start writing and filming again, so when I found old footage on my hard drive one evening from a month or so ago I got back into editing and popped it onto Youtube this morning.

I am hoping to relaunch my blog in the new future, with potentially a new name, moving everything onto Wordpress and buying my own domain. This is all tentative but I think it will give my blog a new lease of life and get me invested again.

I hope you enjoy the video and hopefully I will be back soon! Thank you for sticking with me xxx

New Skincare Additions

Over the Christmas period and my birthday I was lucky enough to accumulate some new skincare products that have been on my wishlist for far too long and I also took the opportunity to shop my stash when certain items ran out.

In December I got an amazing facial at Matt's Mum's salon in Exeter and the beautician used all Tropic skincare which is natural, vegan and animal cruelty free. I adored the products and was so happy when she got me a big basket of the range for my birthday. At the moment I've incorporated the Eye Refresh roll on, the Face Smooth scrub and Smoothing Cleanser into my regime and I am thoroughly enjoying all of them. Look out for more in-depth reviews in the next month or so once I have tested them further. Spoiler: the scrub is so different to any others I've tried and the Eye Refresh is amazing!

I still love The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner but for days where I don't have any blemishes I like to use something soothing and gentle. This Fresh Face Water from L'Occitane does just the job. It smells like a spa and is so refreshing. It's strange because I much prefer it to the Liz Earle face tonic even though they are quite similar.

In terms of radiance boosting products I purchased my first product from Nip + Fab after finishing up my REN Radiance Renewal Mask (see my All Used Up video) I've heard good things about the Glycolic Fix Pads and have enjoyed using them so far. The pads are soaked in product and you get 60 in a pot so quite cost effective considering they are just over the £10 mark. 

A cult product I've been after for a while is the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. Matt got me the large pot which will probably last me a life time as it is huge and you only need a teeny tiny bit! I've been using this in the evening as it is much more rich and takes a while to sink in.

A day time serum I've been using is Hydraluron from Indeed Labs which is a moisture boosting and hydrating serum. This sinks in really quickly but I am holding back judgement for a few weeks to see if it really does what it claims too. Lastly the Clear Difference serum from Estee Lauder. I love an Estee Lauder serum and this now brings my total to 3, so I am hoping to do a comparison post in the near future of what I have tried. I've used it a few times and the formulation is lovely and light, but I will have to report back with how it aids blemishes.

Have you got any new beauty favourites? Let me know in the comments below! xxx

All Used Up #11/#12

So I thought I had done 10 of these posts/videos... turned out I was one short and this should be number 12 in the series not 11, woops! It's been nearly 6 months since I last filmed a video so I hope you enjoy my mini reviews and the format of this post. 

Please subscribe if you like my channel and thank you for watching xxx

Hangover Heroes

As seen from my previous post it was my 23rd birthday recently. I went out with a few friends to celebrate last weekend and I must say that heavy drinking is just not for me anymore. I don't seem to have a middle ground in between being slightly tipsy and full blown drunk and always end up feeling terrible the next morning, with a hangover that seems to last the whole day. An arsenal of super effective skincare on these occasions not only makes me feel better but also look a lot better too.

I am pretty good at taking off my make up before bed even when I'm totally sloshed and my skin always looks so much better in the morning if I remember to apply Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Serum (which I didn't this time doh!) It honestly makes you look like you've had a good nights sleep and helps battle the dullness, dehydration and blemishes that all arise from a late one.

The first thing I do in the morning is wash my face and apply a good clay mask, my favourite at the moment being Una Brennan's Pore Purifying Clay Mask, to mop up the oilyness in my skin due to dehydration and clear the pores from the extra layers of make up. It makes me feel a lot more awake and clean once I've properly cleansed with a good clay mask and makes my pores less obvious and my skin looking refreshed, balanced and more even.

I tend to not wear make up the next day so will put on a layer of Origins Drink Up Intensive mask which is so hydrating and soothing. If I do have to be somewhere and need to put on minimal makeup then I will normally reach for Una Brennan's Rose Radiance Day Cream which is deeply hydrating while giving a very nice glow and radiance to the skin. This stuff really works and looks lovely by itself or underneath make up. I've also been trialing Hydraluron from Indeed Labs which is a thin serum that sinks in very easily before your moisturiser and helps to lock in hydration as pure hyaluronic acid holds up to 1000 times it's own weight in water.

To soothe sore and achey eyes, I have been reliant on the Eye Refresher Roll On from Tropic Skincare. The roller ball is ridiculously cooling and soothing and also helps to depuff the eye area while nourishing with a thin formula.

Lastly I pile on the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm, an old firm favourite that is more of a lip mask than a balm. It's super thick so protects your lips as well as hydrating them deep down.

What are your hangover heroes? xxx

My 23rd Birthday | An Instagram Diary

The other week it was my 23rd birthday and I wasn't happy about it. I've always loved birthdays but since reaching 20 (bar my 21st) I've always felt a bit sad about them because I feel so old!! Which is probably ridiculously over dramatic but you can't help the way you feel.

Anyway, I had a lovely time celebrating and was very much cheered up by this. The Sunday before my birthday I went to my parents house where we had a big lunch with all my extended family which was really lovely as I hardly get to see them now we have moved to the SW of London. I opened a few presents early and got to blow out some candles on my monster of a chocolate and raspberry flavoured cake.

My birthday was on the Tuesday and I was surprised the night before by Matt when he presented me with something in bed...It was an envelope! It said my first present was a lie in - which I thought meant at the weekend as Reuben wakes us up super early to be fed so I was quite happy with that. He actually went one step further though and had contacted my boss earlier in January (before I had even started my new job!) and had asked for me to have the day off. Luckily for me he said yes! Then I got to open the itenary: Kew Gardens, afternoon tea at Bluebird Chelsea and then dinner at Petrus in the evening.

We didn't manage Kew Gardens as we ended up having that lay in and then was treated to breakfast in bed while watching the final episodes of The Killing (you need to watch it!) I put on my party dress after opening the rest of my presents and then we were off to Bluebird, which is one of my favourite restaurants and the food did not disappoint and neither did the unlimited pots of tea. We had a selection of sweet and savoury treats and I even got a little surprise birthday brownie.

In the evening we went to Petrus in Belgravia and I'm not exaggerating when I say it was the best meal of my life. I've been lucky enough to go to some beautiful restaurants but this was something else. The restaurant itself was quite small and low lit with no background music, which made the atmosphere very cosy and intimate. I really liked how you were seated next to each other rather than across the table so you could talk quietly and really enjoy the experience together.

The staff were incredible, so on the ball without being too fussy and made us feel at ease. They even had a velvet cushioned stool for my handbag to sit on!! I will for sure be judging every restaurant on whether they have a stool from now on haha.

We went for the tasting menu which had 9 courses, including canapes and petit fours, that enabled us to taste the best of what the restaurant had to offer. Everything was so different in texture and taste as to what you would expect but all of it was absolutely divine! For once I didn't take copious pictures of the food as it really wasn't the time of the place but meant I enjoyed the experience a lot more.

The next weekend I had a few friends round and we went out to our local club, which was so much fun but not so much fun the next morning! I loved putting on heavier make up than usual and playing around with my palettes - I went with a smokey eyes and Faux lipstick.

What has been your favourite birthday party? xxx

Take 3: Highstreet Concealers

Maybelline Eye Eraser in Light £7.99 - Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in 52 Medium Radiance £7.99 - L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer in 1 Light £8.49

When it comes to drugstore concealers, I find it so hard to find the right shade and texture for my skin type. This means I tend to have to use different concealers for different needs and parts of my face, but I think with this trio I might have cracked it! I know 3 concealers seems a bit excessive but luckily these last for ages and they're all under the £10 mark and all have different uses.

Let's start with under eyes. Maybelline's Instant Anti-Age Eye Eraser in 'Light' totally lives up to the hype for me. Yes I might not need anti-aging underneath my peepers but the consistency, applicator and effect it gives is fabulous. You twist the product up so you can get the exact amount you need out the sponge as well as being able to see how much you have left which is a massive plus for me. The sponge applicator aids to softly pat the concealer into a V shape under my eyes and the texture is creamy yet light so gives great coverage without looking cakey at all. Blended in with a damp beauty blender this stuff looks airbrushed and skin like, whilst still covering dark circles effectively. My only niggle with this product is that I would like the shade 'Light' to be a tad lighter to give a more highlighting effect but in terms of coverage this is great and you could even use it on other parts of your face as a 2 in 1.

For all over concealing I've been using Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer in '52 Medium Radiance'. I didn't get on with the foundation as it oxidised badly on me, but I really wanted to give the concealer a go after reading good things. You get so much product in this tube and the dispenser makes it easy to get just the right amount you need in a hygienic way. I tend to squeeze a little out and apply with my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush and buff it over blemishes and any redness around my nose. It is relatively thick and quite creamy making it easy to blend and cover well. This lasts all day and I do not have to reapply at any point. I wish I had got a shade lighter as it can be a little dark depending on my base but with proper blending it isn't an issue and it doesn't oxidise like the foundation did.

Lastly the concealer I use for highlighting is L'Oreal's Lumi Magique Correcting Pen in '1 Light', which I have repurchased numerous times. This is basically a dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat, although the texture is more pigmented and thicker. I use this in the inner corners under my eyes most days to brighten the area up and if I'm going for a more sculpted or radiant look I will pat some in down the bridge of my nose, my brow bone, cupids bow and middle of my forehead. It is easily blendable with a light texture and although it is definitley highlighting it isn't stark or unnatural looking for every day.

I still want to try high end concealers but I'm pretty impressed with these 3 from the drugstore. What is your favourite concealer? Have you tried any of these? xxx