Monday 11 January 2016

Review: Sleek | Face Form Contour & Blush Palette | 'Light'



The other evening I was organising my photos - does anyone else have multiple digital albums which are all a bit of a mess? Anyway, I came across loads of photos I had taken for the blog from ages ago which I had kind of forgotten about. One set of these pictures was on this lovely palette from Sleek that I use at least twice a week and still love as much as I did when I first bought it and have been using it loads recently. So it is high time that I wrote a review on it!

One of the best things about this palette is that it is so travel friendly. You are sorted with a blush, contour/bronzer and highlight that are amazing quality and go with pretty much any look you need - I used this exclusively in Stockholm and didn't feel like I was missing anything. Plus you get a good sized mirror, and the pans are a really good size too. For the price point the quality of these powders are so good - really highly pigmented, easy to blend and no chalkiness in sight.

The bronzer is great for contouring as it is matte and more on the cool side, although you do need to make sure you blend it properly as it is very pigmented. The highlighter I wasn't sure on at the beginning, but applied with a denser brush like the Real Techniques contour brush, it looks so beautiful across the cheekbones and centre of the face. It gives a lovely glow without being glittery or really obvious. Lastly the blush is a fantastic dupe for Nars Orgasm and again is just as pigmented as the rest of the palette and lasts all day without needing a touch up.

The only thing to keep in mind if you have acne prone skin is that it does contain talc so if you have acne prone skin this may aggravate it.

There is also 4 different shades for varying skin tones from Light to Dark - so a palette for everyone! you can purchase this palette in Boots or Superdrug.

What is your favourite product from Sleek? xxx


Wednesday 6 January 2016

My Top 5 Hair Styling Products


When it comes to hair, I'm not that adventurous, although I would like to try and step out my comfort zone this year. I have highlighted blonde hair that is easily damaged so I tend to use minimal heat and wash it about every 3 days. I'm also in a rush in the mornings so try and blow dry it relatively straight when I wash it so it will last the next couple of days without me having to use extra heat. Below are the top products I use to achieve this easy, fuss free style.

1. L'Oreal Elnett Satin Heat Protect Styling Spray: I love the smell of this product and also the bottle. The spray pump delivers a fine weightless mist to the hair so it doesn't feel weighed down or clogged with product. This version is meant to lock in your style for 3 days, but I'm not so sure it can live up to those claims but it does protect up to 230 degrees.

2. Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray: Texturising sprays can be a bit hit and miss with me, but this is definitely the best one  I've tried so far. I like that it is a dry mist so it doesn't mess with your hair style, it smells lovely and it adds grit and texture without being sticky or leaving a dirty feeling in my hair. I tend to focus it in my roots and and the mid lengths to add some volume although I don't use this every day.

3. Redken Straight Line Balm: I've been using this trusty product for years. My hair is naturally quite wavy so its useful to use a product like this to help smooth out any kinks. A 20 pence piece sized amount is all you need and I distribute it throughout the mid lengths to the ends of damp hair. Again, this is a non sticky or heavy product, and also helps to protect against damp/humid weather.

4. Kerastase Elixir Ultime: This oil has lasted me ages! I did a review of it on my blog about 2 years ago now and its still going strong, considering I use it on damp hair after every wash. Again I distribute about a 20 pence piece amount through the mid to end lengths of my hair. It helps to add softness, shine and smooth any frizz.

5. Redken All Soft Gold Glimmer Perfecting Shine Treatment: This is quite a thick and heavy product, so I try and use it sparingly. Normally it gets used after blow drying to smooth out the ends and any frizzy bits on top, as when I blow dry my hair it tends to get a bit poofy and unruly! When pumped out, it has a gel like texture that has glitter particles - but when in your hair it just makes it soft and a bit more shiny. Because of how heavy the product is I tend it focus it at the very ends of my hair where it needs it most and the remnants on my palms on the top to smooth fly aways if needed.

What are your top hair products? xxx

Sunday 3 January 2016

Video: Added Extras #3 | My Evening Pamper Routine



Normally these types of posts are blog posts, but as I was having a pamper evening last night, I thought it would be fun to film a different type of video than I normally do (a chatty sit down). It took me ages to film but is actually my shortest video ever haha, so I totally appreciate the amount of work it goes into videos like this!

I hope you enjoy this different style of video - please subscribe to my channel if you do. And if you have any other video suggestions let me know :) xxx

Saturday 2 January 2016

Lifestyle: Winter Weekend in Stockholm, Sweden


In December, I finally managed to get away for a well deserved holiday with Ben. We wanted to go to somewhere new we have never visited before in Europe, and preferably something that would give us Christmas spirit. Eventually we decided on 3 nights and 4 days in Stockholm, upon recommendation from a girl in my team at work who hails from the city. Its safe to say we made the right decision, as we loved the city and our time away.


The flight there was really easy, about 2 and a half hours from Gatwick, although the 5am wake up call was quite painful! We flew with Norwegian airlines, and their planes were really comfortable, with TV programmes showing the whole flight and free wifi, which I thought was pretty great for economy and a short haul flight.


Once we touched down in Arlanda airport, we got the Arlanda Express train to the centre of Stockholm, which takes about 20 minutes. We stayed in a hotel very near the centre called Miss Clara and it was absolutely beautiful. We chose this hotel mainly because the style inside was very Scandanvian and we weren't disappointed. Our room had lovely touches such as a chair back connected to the end of the bed so you can eat breakfast in bed comfortably, and fairy strip lights in the windows and ceiling which gave it a nice ambience. The bed was the most comfortable thing we have ever slept in, and the bathroom was incredible - the bath was so deep the edge came up to my hip when I was standing in it!


One of the main reasons I loved Stockholm so much was that although it is made up of about 4 or 5 islands, you can walk it very easily. There is loads of different public transport such as the tram, underground or bus, and there is even uber available there too if you wanted to use that, but we decided to walk most of the time during the day. The weather at this time of year was pretty cold though, I wore thermals every day, with a fur headband and gloves as we were outside most of the time.


The people were also so friendly and spoke amazing English which made us feel very at home. The only downside is that it is a very expensive city - we spent about £400 in total over 4 days on just food and drink. It is also worth noting that you can also buy alcohol over 2% in off licences as it is not available in shops and the rate of a beer is about £7-8 for a little less than half a pint. The Christmas markets were also a little bit disappointing but were still fun to explore.


All the food we had was absolutely amazing, we had the best burger in Stockholm at Flippin Burgers, a delicious first meal at Grill and traditional Swedish meatballs in the oldest restaurant in Stockholm. We also tried a mixture of Moose and Elk at the small Christmas market which was interesting and quite yummy, washed down with a cup of Glogg (similar to mulled wine).

Of course we did a little shopping while we were there, and I picked up a few make up items from KICKS, which is a bit like our Boots and they have their own brand make up line. Unfortunately the Sephora was tiny so I didn't buy anything there and there was also another drugstore brand I was recommended to try next time called Issadora.

Our Top Suggestions for Stockhom
* The Christmas Market/Village in Skansken situated on the island of Djurgarden - very touristy but there is also a zoo, food and drink and lots of craft stalls.
* Grill - a Tiki themed restaurant which had the most delicious cocktails and tasty food. Quite expensive but worth it.
* Miss Clara Hotel - amazing breakfast, service and rooms, I could not recommend this hotel enough!
* NK - big shopping mall similar to Selfridges in the UK
* Princess cake - you can get this pretty much anywhere but it is very traditional and yummy.
* Urban Deli - similar to Whole Foods but so much better and has a restaurant/bar inside. Delicious meals and snacks to take away.
* Weiners cafe - lovely for a glass of wine or afternoon tea. Super pretty inside.

Where is your favourite place in Europe to visit? xxx

Friday 1 January 2016

New Year, No Resolutions


2016 marks nearly 4 years of blogging for me. It's so great to look back at what is essentially an online diary for me and see so many memories of events and things I have loved. However, its also a bit sad because when I first started I was at uni, with plenty of time and was truly dedicated to this space. A full time job, a big break up, multiple house moves and a really tough year mentally have made me really neglect this space over the past two years, especially in 2015 so my blog isn't really how or where I want it to be.

Instead of setting myself multiple goals of where I want to be within life, the blog etc, I am making one goal and that is to be happy. How cliché but its true. I always set myself up for a fail with my whole life plan, my fitness, beauty, health, blog goals and the problem is I end up comparing myself to other people instead of focusing on the positive things about what I can do, lose motivation and then am unhappy with where I am again, so its like being stuck in a vicious circle.

So I'm not making any promises about these things to myself or others, but have decided to carry on the positive lessons and mindset I have learnt over the last few months and hopefully that will trickle down to lots of other areas of my life.

I'm truly excited for a fresh start and I hope this year brings lots of happiness, positivity, health and loads of new experiences and memories. 

Happy New Year! xxx

 

Blog Design by Bonjour Belle Designs