Imats LDN 2015 Wish List

Hey lovelies,

Today I thought I'd do a post featuring some of the things (warning some = a hell of a lot) of products I'm hoping praying to get at IMATS. When this post actually goes live I will actually be there! But, don't you lot worry there will be more posts surrounding IMATS coming up afterwards - including my experience and of course, a haul!

The Wishlist:

1. Nars Illuminator in Copacabana | £23: I'm a massive fan of illuminators and highlighters, especially during the warmer months. I love using these on their own or mixing them in with my foundation and ever since I've been dying to give Nars' offering a try!
2. MAC Lipstick in Flat Out Fabulous | £15.50: I adore MAC lipsticks and the pigment payoff they have, and this lovely bright, raspberry shade is next on my list!
3. Zoeva Face Paint 109 Brush | £11.50: I love ding a strong contour at the moment and I believe this brush will be the perfect tool for chiseling out those none-existant cheek bones. 
4. Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Banana | £16.85: Everybody who's anybody uses this now-a-days, and I'm ashamed to say I'm currently not one of them. I'm hoping to get my hands on this to use it for aiding my contour and highlighting my under the eye. 
5. Kryolan HD Living Colour in Copper | $16.50: I adore loose pigments at the moment to make my eye make up that bit stronger and more professional looking. But, sadly the only loose pigment I've tried is MAC's and even though that is amazing I'm eager to try other brands. Especially, this copper shade looks stunning and will most definitely make my blue eyes stand out.
6. Milani Rose Powder Blush in Tea Rose | £5.99: I'm a massive fan of Milani cosmetics and whenever I'm in the States I always stock up on their products. These beautiful blushers have been on my wish list for a while and for such a reasonable price I cannot think of one reason why not. 
7. Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo in Pink Beige | $39: One of my favourite Youtubers constantly recommends this and features it in their tutorials, so every since I've been eagerly waiting for an opportunity to purchase my own.
8. Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer | £17.50 and Foundation | £27: This collection from Urban Decay has been raved about by so many makeup artists and beauty gurus that I feel like I'm honestly missing out. 
9. NYX Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam | £7: As stated further above I love highlighting products, and I really want a cheap one to use for everyday days. And I'm hoping NYX will deliver that lovely glow. 
10. Make Up For Ever HD Powder | £22: I've desperately been needing a new setting powder after finally giving up on Rimmels' Stay Matte powder after numerous times it's left me looking cakey.
11. MAC Strobe Cream | £24.50: Yet again, another highlighting product but honestly can a girl ever have enough?!
12. MAC Loose Pigment in Heritage Rouge | £16: This is a beautiful shade and the loose pigment by MAC is also so beautiful and is unalike anything else I own - so is a must have for this IMATS trip. 
13. YSL Baby Doll Kiss and Blush in Shade 9 Rose Epicurien | £28.50: The packaging of this is so beautiful, the colours look so gorgeous and natural, and the fact it's a 2 in 1 product makes me even more excited to purchase. 
14. NARS Highlighting Blush in Albatross | £23: A cult product among the beauty blogger world and something I still need to purchase.
15. YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation | £31.50: My friend and a few other people I know are a massive fan of this and recommend it to me all the time!
16. NYX Pore Filler Primer | £12.50: I've ran out of my most recent primer of which I didn't really get along with, which you can see in my Battle of The Primers 1 | Link and 2.0 | Link, so I'm hoping this one may be better suited for me.
17. Nars Dual Intensity Blush Duo in Craving | £30: Ever since these released and Wayne Goss raved about them, I've been dying to purchase a few!
18. And last but not least is NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Milan | £7: I already have a few of these and absolutely adore them, so I'm hoping to build up my collection. 

Thank you for reading,

I hope this gave you some ideas of a few products to treat yourself too!

Battle Of The Primers - Round 2.0 {Review}

Hey Lovelies,

I thought I'd finally get round to reviewing a second set of primers as they are one of my all time favourite beauty products! I find they make such a difference to your skin and your makeup! Furthermore, my Battle of The Primers Round 1 | Link, is one of my most popular posts on my blog so I was dying to revisit the post! Also, if you are confused on what a primer is, how to use it or any other questions they will most likely be answered on my first primer post, but if not feel free to comment below!

Also if you're wondering why there's a lot of Seventeen products I'm not sponsored by them, I find they're just really cheap and was recommended to try both of them.

Primer 1 - Seventeen Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter £5.99

This is described as "Use to prime, add to your foundation, or apply onto cheek bones to lift, lighten and wake up your skin with a luminous glow."

I normally use this either under my foundation or mixed in with my foundation and I adore how lightweight it feels on the skin! I also find it doesn't add to my oilness - although I normally steer clear of applying it to my t-zone and use a mattifying primer there instead. It leaves my skin with a lovely, natural glow that is perfect any time of the year and the fact you only need a tiny amount for how cheap it is, is perfect!

Although, the only issues I have with it, is beginners need to be super careful with how much you use as if you end up pumping/applying too much it can leave your face looking like a disco ball.

But besides that slight issue which can easily be resolved with time I adore this primer!

I would recommend it to anyone and everyone - especially someone with dull skin that desires a quick pick me up!

4.5/5

Primer 2 - Seventeen Flawless Poreless Primer £5.99

This is described as "Apply with fingers allowing the silky primer to create a smooth canvas ready for foundation to glide onto".

Sadly this one didn't live up to the expectations I had built it up to, as even though it's extremely cheap like the other Seventeen primer and did leave the skin smooth, soft and silky I found it didn't help foundation apply any easier than usual.

I also found it didn't help enhance lasting time of my make-up, and my t-zone only remained matte for a few hours. It also didn't really hide any of my pores and I found I had to use quite a lot of the product to see an actual difference. Furthermore, I felt it left quite a similar feeling to the Benefit primer which I reviewed previously | Link, it also reminds me of the new YSL primer that has just been released. Even more so, I didn't like the fact you have to put your finger into the product to apply it, as I find it becomes quite unsanitary and it definitely isn't great for acne/sensitive prone skin.

I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone unless you have simple, normal skin and just want a cheap, easy to use primer to help aid foundation application.

2/5

Primer 3 - Nivea Daily Essentials Hydration Primer Normal/Combo £4.99

Nivea describes this primer as being "An even and smooth base for effective make-up application; helps your make-up stay put, absorbs instantly thanks to its light texture and uses an effective hydrator for lasting moisturisation."

Overall, I really like this primer and tend to use it around the more drier, dehydrated areas of my face - e.g. my cheeks. It leaves my skin much smoother, softer and supple which prevents cakiness and has a pleasant smell all nivea products have. I also like that it has built in skincare benefits as well.

I also have pretty much 0 negative comments to say about it besides the packaging, as the fact it's a jar makes it quite bulky and heavy to carry around and also it's quite unsanitary instead of something like a squeezey tube.

Besides that, I would recommend this product to pretty much anybody, especially as Nivea has also released one for people with sensitive/dry skin types. The only type I'm not sure it would suit is extremely oily skin types.

4/5

Primer 4 - Becca Line and Pore Corrector £14.99

Becca explains this as a "non-oily primer prior under-eye concealer, eye shadow, lip-liner application. Gives soft focus effect to minimise lines and refine visible pores. Free of paraben, preservatives and fragrance."

I normally use this as a normal, all over face primer - especially focusing on my oily areas (the dreaded T-zone), as I wasn't aware that it could be used specifically for other things so I'm definitely going to give it a go in other areas. But, for what I have been using it for I've had very mixed feelings about it.

As I love that it keeps my skin matte and oil/grease free for a decent amount of time. I also like that Becca doesn't put any nasties in their product, this is especially great for me as I have sensitive skin.

But, the feel it gives is extremely silicone-ey which I don't honestly love and I also feel it doesn't do anything for my pores. If anything, I feel after a few hours they're more visible than if I hadn't used the primer in the first place. I also find its pretty expensive for how little it does.

If I were to recommend this primer to anyone it would be more normal - combination skin types, especially anyone with sensitive skin that is trying to find a primer that won't upset their skin but still does something.

3.5/5

Overall, my favourite primer this time round was the 'Skin WOW' by Seventeen and I'm still loving using the Smashbox primer from the previous Battle of the Primers. 

I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions or recommendations don't hesistate to comment! Please also don't forget to follow me on social media - I follow back!

Love,

My Current Beauty Wish List

Hey lovelies,

Today I thought I'd do a quick post featuring the current things I've been dying to purchase. I'm trying to stick to making wishlist's and then only buying products off of those, to prevent me splurging on things I may desire at the time but 10 minutes later realise I didn't even really want!

1. Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum | Link - I've been dying to purchase my first ever serum and this one seems like the perfect choice. So many people rave about this and the effects it gives on the skin.
2. LUSH Eau Roma Water | Link - I love spray on toners and the refreshing feel they give - so this is next up on my hit list. This is also perfect for when the days start to get a little hotter and you need something to cool and calm your face down.
3. Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask | Link - I've already tried the 10 minute version of this and absolutely adore it, so I'm excited to compare this one to the quicker version.
4. The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner | Link - After all the harsh conditions of winter are finally starting to pass, my skin has gone into complete breakdown mode. Therefore, I'm hoping this calms my skin down and helps with the daily redness I struggle with.
5. Benefit Gimmie Brow | Link - Everyone constantly raves about this and after trying a few drugstore brow gels I'm highly optimistic that this will be as good as the hype surrounding it suggests.
6. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion | Link - I have an awful collection of blackheads around my nose and no matter what I use they always seem to stay, so I'm hoping this may win the battle of the blackheads (sorry I couldn't help myself).
7. Soap and Glory Trick and Treatment | Link - I've been dying to try this out, due to it covering my awful dark circles and hopefully treat/improve them at the same time.
8. Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash and Body Scrub | Link 1 and Link 2 - I adore the smell of this product and have previously used both of these and loved them! 
9. Nip + Fab CC Cream | Link - I adore a good CC cream especially for a light coverage for days I'm not feeling like wearing much makeup. They're especially great for when I'm on holiday and I don't need as much coverage as I do back home, without a tan. It also has SPF 30 which is great for a drugstore product, especially as lighter skins need a higher SPF coverage. 
10. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation | Link - I've been dying to try a Bobbi Brown foundation and this particular one has received such great reviews. 
11. Chanel Tan De Soleil | Link - This has been on my wishlist for so long! Especially, after trying the Bourjois drugstore dupe for it I'm eager to get my paws on this one and compare the two!
12. Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara | Link - I'm on the final end of all the mascaras I own and one of my all time favourite mascaras is the original Max Factor False Lash Effect and I love it! So, I'd love to try this new and improved version!

Thanks for reading lovelies!

Please don't forget to follow me on my social media,

Drugstore Haul featuring Kiko Cosmetics

Hey lovelies!

Today I thought I'd change up my blog posts a bit and instead of doing a product review I'd do a mini haul of products I've recently bought! This year I'm trying to limit how many new beauty items I buy, so I can limit how many products I actually own!

The Haul

So, the first place I went was Kiko, which has recently just opened in the past 3 months in my city centre so I was super excited to visit them after all the positive reviews they've been receiving over the past couple of weeks. I bought myself a highlighter stick, as even though I do own highlighters none are this type and it seems like a really easy and simple way to apply highlighter. It was called the 'Radiant Touch Creamy Stick Highlighter' (which is a hell of a long name), and was only £8.50! Which is amazing considering the Benefit 'Watts Up' is £24.50! I bought the shade '101 Rose' which is a pinky highlighter, and I only own one type of highlighter in the pinkish shade (instead of champagne) which is my Benefit 'High Beam', so I really wanted to give it a go as I find these type of shades look a lot more natural on me instead of the champagne shades.

The second thing I bought from Kiko was three of their 'Smart Lip Pencils' which are only £2.50 each! (Honestly amazing!) I bought the shades; 710 'Rouge Noir' which is a berry/wine colour and perfect for these winter months, 711 'Light Plum' which is as the name suggests a light plum, mauve-y colour and finally the shade 712 (honestly I didn't intentionally buy them in order) 'Rose Mauve' which is a mix between MAC's 'Soar' and 'Whirl' lip liner - perfect for that Kylie Jenner look. So far I've loved them! A review will be upcoming soon of the lip liners so look out for that! Also, if you scroll to the end of this blog post I did some swatches of the products!

From top to bottom: 711, 710, 712

The final few things I bought we're just some bits I'd mainly run out of. I repurchased my La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] | Link,  which I honestly adore and have come to realise I can't live without. Then, I bought some Duo Striplash Adhesive white clear | Link, I haven't purchased this before but I hear so many positive reviews on it and there's been plenty of times I've bought lashes and come to realise it doesn't come with any lash glue! So, I'm then stuck with an open box of unused lashes but have no way of sticking them to my eyelid! Next, I bought some Tanya Burr Bambi Eyes Lashes | Link, as I haven't tried any of them yet! (Review upcoming). And finally, I bought myself my alltime favourite false eyelashes, Ardell Fashion Lashes Demi Black 101| Link.

Swatches

Thank you for reading lovelies,
please don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts or on any other of my social media which you can access on the left hand side of my blog,

Winter Must Haves

Hey lovelies!
Today I thought I'd do a post featuring my winter essentials. These are items I seem to use all the time throughout winter and honestly don't think I could survive without during the colder months.

1. Warm Scarf, mine you can purchase here for £19.99. Even though I am considering doing winter fashion post, I couldn't not include my favourite purchase this year which is my cape from New Look. I believe a winter scarf is a must, it adds so much to a look and keeps you super warm. But, this year I decided to mix it up and buy a cape - and honestly I can't remember the last time wearing this I felt cold.
2. A nourishing, repairing hair conditioner, I recommend the TRESemme 'Platinum Strength Deep Conditioning Treatment', purchase here for £5.69. A product I always float towards during winter is a deep conditioning treatment. I find my hair during winter seems to easily knot itself together and form a frizzy, tangled mess due to the rain, wind and freezing temperatures. So, once a week I like to use my TRESemme deep conditioning treatment, as I feel it really improves the health of my hair but doesn't weigh it down nor leave it feeling greasy or waxy.
3. A moisturising, medium coverage base product, I recommend Jouer 'Matte Moisture Tint' for £29, mine is in the shade 'Porcelain'. I adore this base as it keeps my skin hydrated and healthy looking during these colder months, but still gives a lovely medium amount of coverage and is matte a.k.a oil free and no shiny t-zone for me! This also contains an SPF 15 which is perfect for the winter months when lets be honest there will be zero sun in sight. Furthermore, this feels so lightweight and is so easy to apply that you can slap this onto your face in a rush during those mornings where you chose to spend an extra few minutes in your warm, toasty bed instead of getting up.
4. Reliably, hydrating lip balm, my recommendation is the Nuxe 'Reve de Miel Baume Levres Ultra-Nourrissant Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm', for £9.50. Honestly, this must be the longest name for a lip balm in history, ever. But, this is worth the steep price! I recently just purchase this and it has blown me away! I always get awful, cracked, sore lips that usually only Elizabeth Adren can fix but this has to come to my rescue! Furthermore, it smells delicious! Reminding me of oranges, which is a perfect pick-me-up during these cold months.
5. A hair oil, of which I recommend the obvious 'Moroccan Oil Treatment' for £13.45. This is amazing! It keeps my hair healthy and soft throughout any type of weather! This can also be used on the skin but I use it mainly for my hair. The smell is also absolutely delicious.
6. Moisturiser, mine is the Nivea 'In-Shower Moisturiser' for £3.55. I love this moisturiser purely because you apply whilst your showering and then after a few minutes shower it off. This means I won't have to stand shivering, naked in my room while quickly trying to rub in a moisturiser so I can put my bathrobe back on.
7. A good, hydrating mask, my utter favourite and most loved is the Origins 'Drink Up 10 Minute Mask' for £23. This is amazing and I love to use this once a week, especially after a clay mask! This is also perfect to apply before getting ready for an event, if you want fresh, healthy, glowing skin! Even though I have oily-combination skin this doesn't make my skin any oiler, just leaves my skin, especially my dehydrated cheeks, lovely and soft. A perfect treat to use during Winter.
8. A berry lip, for example Too Faced 'Mood Swing Gloss' in the shade 'Pink Shimmer'. I love this lipgloss as it isn't sticky, helps hydrate and maintain my lips and gives my lips a lovely natural berry colour. Especially as there is more than one type of colour this lip gloss gives it's always exciting to use and is applicable in many situations!

Thank you for reading lovelies!
I'd love to know what your winter essentials are, and please don't forget to follow me on BlogLovin!
Victoria Louise x

Samples Review

Hello lovelies!

First of all I'd like to say a humongous apology for not updating my blog. I had a lot going on in the last few months, from university to exams! But now everything has calmed back down I feel I can finally devote my time back to this! A while back I received a tonne of free samples and have been meaning to do a review on them. I no longer have every single piece of packaging as once some had emptied I ended up throwing them away - so even though you can't see them they did exist!

A bulk of samples I received were from Kiehls - a brand that does pretty pricey skincare and I haven't really tried much from. But, previously I'd only heard raving reviews so was ultimately super excited to try anything and everything they threw at me. The first thing they sent me was the 'Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser', which is designed to eliminate toxins and reduce the appearance of pores. I absolutely adored this and have already purchased the actual size. This didn't irritate my sensitive skin and left it unbelievably smooth; I used this as a morning cleanser. Second item I received was the 'Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream', which I used nightly. I obviously don't have any wrinkles yet but I still really enjoyed using it. This is supposed to strengthen the under eye area, which is perfect for me as I have extremely bad dark circles - so hopefully after a more prolonged use it could reduce it. The third and final product by Kiehls was the famous 'Skin Rescuer', a moisturiser I used/use every night. This is honestly amazing and would recommend to anyone with dry or dehydrated skin, or just patches of redness. I'd heard multiple YouTuber's raving about this so was nervous about testing it, but after applying it at night and waking up in the morning all the redness has either gone or been extremely subdued on my cheeks! I repurchased this straight away after using the sample and believe this has now become a staple in my skincare.

The next sample I received was Sunday Riley's 'Good Genes', which is supposed to be a brightening, anti-age treatment/mask. I used this as a mask and found it left my skin red, really dry and tight. Also, it tingles quite a lot so for people with sensitive skin like myself, beware. So for the jaw-dropping price it is, I would not recommend it.

Philosophy was the next in line to be tested and I'd luckily received the much talked about 'Purity Made Simple' cleanser. This is a pretty simple cleanser that can be used for both the face and eyes, and doesn't actually irritate my eyes. I'd recommend this to a beginner to cleansers/skincare and any type of skin type - it worked lovely on my sensitive skin. I found this worked best applying to a cotton wool pad, rather than applying it directly to the face. But, ever since trying this out with my Clarisonic I've realised it's true potential! Furthermore, it smells lovely and you hardly need a large amount so even though it's quite pricey for how simple it is, it will last you ages.

Next up was the Body Shop with their 'Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter', which is supposed to leave hair soft, glossy and tangle-free. Unfortunately, for me even though the smell was a lovely fruity/foresty smell the product just didn't do anything for my hair. All it did was leave my hair heavy and waxy.

And last but not least, I tried the GlamGlow 'BrightMud Eye Treatment', that is designed to basically make your eyes look super awake and reduce your dark circles. As soon as I saw the claim on reducing dark circles I was instantly excited about trying it out. But sadly it didn't follow through, I found it stunk and product was awfully awkward to apply. And then after all the hassle of sorting it out and dealing with the stench it then did absolutely nothing, so for the price I most certainly would not recommend.

Thank you for reading,
Victoria Louise x

Mane 'n Tail Shampoo + Conditioner Review

Hey lovelies,

I thought I'd do a review on a new shampoo and conditioner I've been using for the past three months. Now, this isn't any ordinary shampoo and conditioner as this can also be used on horses! Weird, right? Now, when I first purchased the shampoo and conditioner I didn't actually realise it could be used on horses, I just thought they were marketing it that way, silly me. So, once I got over the craziness of using hair products that could also be used on a horses mane I got round to using it properly and not freaking out everytime I lathered the product in my hair.

The Background Basics

Just to make it clear to anyone reading this review; I have very thick hair that's slightly dry at the ends and can get tangled pretty easily. My hair is also pretty long and has recently been dyed - but when using this product my hair was all natural. I washed my hair with these products about 2-3 times a week as normally the third time I would swap a few of them round for either a deep conditioning treatment or a cleansing shampoo.

The Original Mane 'n Tail Shampoo, buy here for £7.00

Mane 'n Tail states the shampoo is supposed to help to

maintain and achieve fuller, stronger, longer, healthier-looking hair.

Now, I already have long, full hair so I didn't notice a major difference with the fullness of my hair but surprisingly my hair has grown quite a bit using this (and the conditioner)! I've had multiple people comment on how long my hair has grown and quite a few people ask if my hair is my own, natural length or if I've got extensions in. I also have quite a sensitive scalp and surprisingly this product hasn't irritated my sensitive skin - which is great!
But, I must admit it hasn't made a major difference to the strength nor health of my hair. Unlike the 'Lee Stafford Hair Growth', see review here, products that I could notice a massive difference after the first use. Especially, as price difference wise the Lee Stafford product is cheaper, only by 1p, and therefore surely you'd expect the mane 'n tail to have similar effects. But you do get a truck load of more product. Furthermore, I don't really enjoy the smell of the shampoo which for me is a massive must with hair products. I find it smells a tad floral-y, but if anything it smells of pretty much nothing. So, if you enjoy unscented products then this is it for you. but for me I wanted something you could actually smell!

The Original Mane 'n Tail Conditioner, buy here for £7.00

 Mane 'n Tail claims the conditioner is supposed to

promote stronger, fuller, moisturised, healthier looking hair.

Now, out of the two products this is definitely my favourite. I feel it is lovely and moisturising and like both products is suitable for any, and all hair types due to it being so gentle. I'd say yet again it's a pretty simple conditioner and doesn't have any magical properties that would lead me to repurchase. My only major downside to this product is that it's not brilliant at detangling which is quite a big issue for me, especially as I comb through my conditioner whilst in the shower and do not enjoy ripping half my hair out.

Overall, I wouldn't massively recommend this product due to the fact it's pretty pricey to say it doesn't really do much. But, this is definitely safe for any hair type so if you've got a sensitive scalp or are struggling to find a basic shampoo and conditioner that does the necessities then this is it, as long as you can get past the horse part.

Thank you for reading!
Please don't forget to subscribe/follow me on BlogLovin and also don't forget to make the most of the link on my side toolbar where you can get £5 off your Feel Unique purchase!
Victoria Louise x

June Favourites

Hey lovelies,
It's finally time to showcase my monthly favourites! Now I realise the last time I did a favourites was way, way back in the bitter days of February, check out here, but I've managed to narrow down my much-loved products to my top five.

From L-R: Clean & Clear Wash, Kiehls Moisturiser, Jurlique Serum,
Botanics BB Cream & The Body Shop Shower Gel

Skincare

My first major favourites at the moment have been in the skincare category, purely because during the summer months I wear less make-up so I like my skin to look it's best as easy as possible.

1. Clean & Clear 'Morning Energy' Daily Facial Wash. Now, I adore this for multiple reasons; it's cheap, smells lovely - like oranges, definitely wakes me up in the morning and doesn't leave my face feeling tight like most face washes. It claims to contain bursting beads which I can honestly say aren't harsh or abrasive, if anything I barely notice them. Furthermore, the product is oil-free which is great for my combination skin, especially in summer. Even more so, I really like the packaging as it's easy to dispense just the right amount of product and you can easily see how much you have left, so I know when to go buy more. I've also enjoyed using another face wash previously which has also featured in a monthly favourites here.
2. Kiehl's 'Skin Rescuer'. Even though this is pretty pricey it is definitely worth it! It is purely amazing and removes nearly all the redness from my face and leaves my skin feeling so soft I have to restrain from sitting and stroking it, weird I know. I normally apply this to my face at night purely because I like to have a moisturiser during the day to be more light-weight and contain SPF. I would recommend this to anyone with dry, dehydrated, sensitive or combination skin!
3. Jurlique's 'Herbal Recovery' Advanced Serum. Now, yet again another pretty pricey skincare product but is most definitely worth it! I'm not going to go into much detail as a full review will be coming up shortly on my blog but this is amazing and everyone should definitely check it out.

Make-Up & Body Care

Now I don't have many make-up favourites mainly because I've not been wearing any apart from when I go out at night so I thought I'd merge my body care and makeup category together.

1. Boots Botanics 'BB Radiant Youth Cream'. Now, this stuff is amazing for how affordable it is! It's got an SPF of 30 which is perfect for summer and has quite a creamy texture but feels lightweight on the skin. It also leaves my skin looking healthy, glowy and dewy and I find it lasts a good 4/5 hours on the skin before I start having to touch up with powder. I have it in the shade 'Light' and my only slight letdown is that I wish they did a lighter shade as I find this is a bit too dark for me at the moment.
2. The Body Shop 'Raspberry Shower Gel'. This is just a really nice shower gel that smells amazing and leaves me feeling ready for the day. Definitely will be repurchasing!

Thank you for reading!

Please don't hesitate to comment with your monthly favourites and don't forget to follow me on BlogLovin!

Victoria Louise x

High-End Haul

Hey lovelies,

A while back I ended up buying a hell of a lot of high end makeup {Disclaimer: I didn't purchase it all at once, I'm no-where near rich enough for that}. I noticed that at the moment my blog is quite full of skincare so I thought I'd mix it up. Quite a few of these will be having a review coming up soon, so keep a look out. I purchased my products from Space NK and Sephora.

Space NK:

1. Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, in the Shade 'Light 1 - Finland'. I purchased this as I only have one other tinted moisturiser, which although is my all time favourite (the laura mercier one), it's sadly the wrong shade for me at the moment and the Nar's one is cheaper so I was hoping this would do the trick. 
2. Nars Contour Blush in the shade 'Olympia'. I've finally got into contouring and this small palette seems the perfect product to up my skills with both a matte bronzer and highlighter!
3. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. I've got to admit upon opening the box this was smaller than expected but due to all the hype surrounding this I've been dying to try it and since it's back in stock I couldn't resist. 

Sephora:

1. Pro Precision Powder Brush #59. I've been dying to purchase a more precise powder brush to use in the eye area and for powder based highlighter products, and this had fairly decent ratings.
2. Laura Mercier High Coverage Concealer for Under Eye, in Shade '2'. I had this used on me recently at a Space NK event and wow is this high coverage. I'm hoping to use this to cover up my awful, genetically inherited dark circles as my current concealer sadly creases by midday. 
3. BeautyBlender Pro. I bought this due to the fact my much loved cosmo beauty sponge has pretty much fallen to pieces due to the excessive use of it being that good! So, I decided to splurge on the original sponge and see if there's much of a difference {A review/comparison post shall be up soon}.
4. Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection. Another neutral eye shadow palette you scream, yes I agree I'm obsessed. But, how can you deny something as beautiful as this?! 
5. Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner, in the Shade 'Trooper'. I purchased this last year when I went to America and ever since this has been my favourite eye liner! It is truly amazing, pigmented, long lasting and super easy to use. As it's nearly ran out I thought to stock up on it to prevent the day where I go to use it and end up going into a mental breakdown due to it having completely ran out, sad I know.
6. Smoothing Translucent Setting Powder. My previous pressed powder has finally come to an end and I finally decided to try out some loose, translucent powder being as I've never tried it before - a first impressions post will definitely be coming up!

Feel Unique Offer

Hey Lovelies!
Today I have an amazing offer to share with you guys!
By clicking either the link on the side of this post or this image below. All you do is have to sign up to their new beauty subscription service which hits you up monthly with the latest beauty products to keep you up to date with the ever changing beauty world.



I personally love Feel Unique as you it's such an easy to use website that has great service and contains nearly every product I've desired to purchase. Furthermore, watch out for their own sales and offers because they are always worth paying attention to! Even more so, if you are a student and have an account with Unidays you can get even more discount with student discount! What more could you want?
Previous products off Feel Unique include, the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquer, the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo + and much more.
Here is a mini wish list of products I'm intending to buy off Feel Unique:


Thank you for reading lovelies and hopefully you're all enjoying that £5 off!
Please don't forget to comment and subscribe/follow me
Victoria Louise x

Dupe for Bioderma: L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution

Hey lovelies!
Today I thought I'd do a review on a skincare product I've been using for a good three months now - it's the L'Oreal Paris Purifying Micellar solution.

Now for those of you who don't know what micellar solution is, it's pretty much water that removes and breaks down your make-up. It's similar in aspect to eye make-up remover but normally has additional benefits, such as it's also a cleanser and is normally extremely lightweight and gentle.

The L'Oreal solution claims to:

1. Dissolve make-up
2. Unclog pores and remove impurities
3. Tone and soothe skin 
4. It also states it's suitable for sensitive skin

I've used this at night to remove my make-up, especially my eye make-up by soaking it on a damp cotton wool pad and then lightly rubbing my face. I then go in after with a cleanser, twice (once to fully remove my make-up and the second to get into all my pores).

Now, firstly I agree with the fact it dissolves make-up as it does break down my eye make-up fairly easy but I wouldn't say it completely removes it. I definitely have to go in with at least a cleanser once, possibly twice after using this with make-up on. Furthermore, it's unscented which is great but I still find it stings my eyes every so often but that's as far as it goes for upsetting my skin. I've found it hasn't made any difference to unclog my pores nor toning my skin - especially as I use a separate product in my skincare for both of those things. I would say it doesn't soothe my skin either but ultimately it doesn't upset nor aggravate it. The one thing I love about it is how quick and easy it is to use for the cheap price is is. I love using this when I've come back from a late night out and I'm too tired, and possibly not in the right state, to remove my make-up properly. I would recommend this to the lazy skincare girls out there - this will be your lifesaver! Another thing I love about this product is the packaging (odd I know), I just really like that the packaging is so simple and you can see how much product you have left. Furthermore, how it's dispensed is great as it's really easy to control the amount you want, so you don't accidentally waste half a bottle on over soaking a cotton wool pad. 

Now, is it a dupe for the Bioderma? I'd say no. From the limited uses I've had of Bioderma, I'd say it doesn't compare. Although this product is fairly average if you're looking for a cheaper substitute I would try looking somewhere else. Although, if you're done with splashing out and wanted to settle for something that isn't as amazing as Bioderma than I'd definitely recommend giving this a go. I'd also say this is suitable for any and every skin type so do not fear in using this product. (Unless you're obviously allergic to a certain ingredient or are extremely sensitive then be careful)!

You can purchase this here.

Thank you for reading!

Please don't hesitate to follow me on BlogLovin, or subscribe to me on here!

Victoria Louise 

Spring/Summer Daily Makeup Routine

Hey lovelies,

I thought I'd do a quick post on my makeup routine at the minute. This is what at the moment I've been swaying towards during the day, I obviously wear different makeup when I'm going out somewhere special or something longer wearing for work but this look is just so quick and easy that I'm sticking to it! I've listed what I use with the brushes I use them with and a link to buy each thing. Most of my brushes are from the brand Sigma, and as you can't buy the brand officially in the UK, I bought the beginners/essential kit here.

Here's a photo of the makeup look:

1) Firstly for my base I applied using my fingers my Seventeen Flawless Poreless Primer, I like this that it's skin coloured and I'd say it's similar to the Benefit one but for me doesn't quite come to par with my Smashbox primer.

2) Next, I applied my Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in the shade 'Ivory' with my Cosmopolitan Beauty Blender. Now I find this is sadly still a tad bit too dark but I can get away with it. I adore how light this feels on the skin but I wish it would be a bit longer lasting but it does have SPF 15 which is a major bonus! Then to cover up any remaining spots using my fingers I applied my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in the shade 'Fair'. I just apply this under the eyes and on any spots, this doesn't need any comment as it is truly raved about in the beauty world and I can fully see why being on my 3rd tube.

3) Thirdly, I lightly dusted my face with ELF's Tone Correcting Powder in the shade 'Cool', using the Sigma Powder Brush/F20. I wouldn't say this is anything special but I like that it doesn't leave my makeup looking cakey.

4) Then I filled in my brows with Maybelline's Brow Drama in the shade 'Medium Brown'. I love how easy this is to use, and highly recommend anyone to try this who either is considering adding a brow product into their makeup routine or are thinking of purchasing Benefit's gimmie brow.

5) Moreover, I then filled in my crease with the bronzer from ELF's Contouring Blush and Bronzer Powder Duo in the shade 'St Lucia' using my Sigma Tapered Blending Brush/E40. Ultimately, leading me to curl my lashes with the Shu Uemura Lash Curler and then flick on some Maybelline Great Lash mascara.

6) Finally I applied some bronzer from the ELF duo to my cheek bones using Space NK's Cheek Contour Brush and lightly dusted on ELF's Blush in the shade 'Pink Passion' with my Real Techniques Blush Brush.

Thank you for reading lovelies!

Please don't hesitate to comment or follow me on BlogLovin!

Victoria Louise x

Massive Haul {Inc. Lush}

Hey lovelies,
A while back I was shopping in Leeds and ended up doing some major damage to my savings! Sadly my laptop ended up getting a virus and I lost all my photos! But I linked everything I bought so if you want to look at it just click the link I've put on the price!

LUSH:
American Cream, £4.50 for 100g.
Jackie Oats, £8.95
Tea Tree Water, £7.50 for 250g
The Comforter, £4.50
Rose Jam, £3.50
Fluffy Egg, £2.95
Blackberry Bath Bomb, £2.95
As you can probably tell I'm a massive fan of sweet smells.

ARK:
Tartan Peter Pan Collar Dress, £27.99

Boots:
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Shade #100 Ivory, £6.99
Rimmel Apocalips in shades #500 Luna and #101 Celestial, £6.49 each
Barry M Nail Polish in shade #341 Cappuccino, £2.99

Superdrug:
Bourjois Bronzing Primer, £9.99
Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl in Black, £3.99
Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in shade #110 Coquette, £5.99
Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in shade #205 Elusive, £7.99

Thank you for reading! Sorry this post is awfully dull and just full of text but my next post should hopefully have pictures in! Please don't forget to follow me on BlogLovin or subscribe to me!
Victoria Louise

What I've Been Up To

Hey lovelies,
As my posts at the moment have been few and far between I thought I'd do a quick update post on what I've been up to!


The first thing I've been up to is baking this beautiful creation here with my friend, Lucy (check out her blog here). This is basically a cookie/cake with marshmallow and galaxy chocolate and it pretty much tastes like a Millie's cookie! We will be uploading a vlog on us making this on our YouTube channel, T'n'L (view here) later so check it out for the fab recipe!

The second thing I've been up to is trying one of the bath bombs I bought from Lush, featured in my haul post here. Especially this one as I'm trying to decrease the amount of stress in my life and this particular bath bomb, the 'Blackberry Bath Bomb' for £2.95. I'm not a massive fan of this as I find it is a bit plain and boring for me, but it has definitely helped me de-stress at night and allowed me to go sleep a lot easier!

I've also been reading a new book which is 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak. Now, undeniably this is a massive book but so far I'm enjoying it! I do understand this has now been made into a film but I'm adamant to read the book before I watch the film. Here's part of the blurb for anyone interested:            HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE 

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.

Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when
the bombs begin to fall.

I've also been trying on summer clothes and trying to get into different outfits because I always stick to the same stuff! Here is a jumpsuit I tried on from Topshop, can purchase here.

And last but not least I've just celebrated by Dad's birthday of which I finally got to wear my favourite dress, featured in my haul post here, and my all new favourite shoes from Select, can be purchased here!

All of these photos can be viewed on my instagram, which can be found here.

So I really hope you enjoyed reading this lovelies!
Please don't forget to follow me on BlogLovin or subscribe,
Victoria Louise x

Worth The Splurge: Lee Stafford Hair Growth Review

Hey lovelies!
Today I thought I'd do a review on the Lee Stafford Hair Growth collection. I've been wanting to try this for a while, especially since my younger sister uses it and it has made her hair look so healthy and luscious! Now, undeniably my hair is pretty long as it is, reaching just below my boobs but in Year 9 I went through an indie phase where I had my hair hacked and chopped into resulting in short, choppy layers. Resulting in, due to my thick hair it looking frumpy and uneven. So I was hoping using these hair products it would help grow my layers out.

Now I got the shampoo, conditioner and leave-in hair treatment for Christmas so I didn't have to pay for it but ultimately I will definitely buy them again. Both the shampoo and conditioner are £6.99 for 200ml, which doesn't sound extremely expensive but how little product you get does leave it to be pretty pricey. The leave-in hair treatment is as expected more expensive at £11.99 for 100ml. Now, my only let down with these products are the fact you get so little product, the shampoo and conditioner have lasted me from the start of January till the start of March - using both twice a week. Luckily, the leave-in treatment is still going strong even though I do use that two times a week. Obviously, people with shorter hair will most likely get more uses out of the product than someone like me with longer, thicker hair.

The product claims to

"help hair grow faster and reach its maximum potential length!"

Now I feel this product walks on a very thin line as I don't fully agree with my hair growing any longer but I feel it would have a much greater impact with people with shorter hair, as obviously their hair will take to it much easier. But I do love these products, especially the conditioner and leave in treatment as they're amazing at detangling. I love the smell of them and how amazing they've improved the health of my hair leaving it looking so shiny and glossy! I also love how there is a visible difference between when I use these products and when I don't.

So overall, I definitely recommend these products to pretty much anyone that wants their hair to look healthy and shiny - which should hopefully enhance the growth rate of your hair.