REVIEW: BENEFIT BADGAL MASCARA

I have been meaning to do this review for quite a while- as you can see from the mucky mascara tube, this mascara has been well used! I actually won 9 mascaras from Benefit during their Roller Lash campaign, so I have been very lucky to have been able to try all of their mascaras over the past few months.

  Does it work?

Bad Gal has always been a favourite of mine as I find the issue with my lashes isn't the length- its the volume, and Bad Gal is just perfect for this. I would say Roller Lash and They're Real do both, so it really does depend on what look you want to achieve.

  The brush

The brush is a topic of huge debate when it comes to mascara- big, small, plastic, bristles, shape... the list goes on. This one has a medium sized brush with a simple shape, so although you may not be able to get right in the corners, it still does the job.

  Is it really waterproof?

Yes. 100%. Although many mascaras claim to be waterproof, lets be honest, the majority aren't. But as I wore this mascara on holiday whilst on a jet ski ride I was astonished to find my mascara stayed well put, I need no more convincing.

  How long does it last?

If I am honest, I do wear quite a lot of mascara- and this one has lasted me a month (daily wear). Otherwise I would say this mascara would last you 2-3 months, it really just depends on how often and how much of it you are applying.

  Price

Okay, Benefit isn't cheap- but we all know that, right? It retails for £17.50, although slightly cheaper if you buy it from Feel Unique, which is still hugely pricey for a mascara. However if you would like to use it for a special occasion or a holiday perhaps it is definitely worth the investment- as for me I use way too much mascara to even think of buying this on a regular basis.

    Overall I was pretty impressed, so if its in your budget, go for it!   What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment below!

ACCESSORIZE- MAKE UP RANGE

Is it just me... or did anyone else not realise that Monsoon Accessorize had a cosmetics range?... not just a little bit either- they have an entire range!

 

The range includes the likes of; eye shadow pallets, concealers, primers, nail polishes and lipsticks to name a few- and although on first glace I compared the range to the likes of something you would find in Claire's Accessories, I was very wrong!

 

I have always been a fan of Monsoon Accessorize as their products are less high street and something more quality and unique- I am a huge fan of their intricate jewellery, boho bags and purses and have now fallen for their makeup range! Having spotted the range in their window yesterday I have now picked out some firm favourites- including their Boho gem makeup palette , glass slipper nail polish, prime time primer and light me up lipgloss. This range definitely appealed to me not just because of their cutesy names and girly packaging- but the range literally covers everything for everyone.

 

In terms of price, the range is on the same level as the likes of Rimmel London and Maybelline- although I expected it to be cheaper, you do in fact get a lot for your money. I am so excited to try some bits and bobs from the range so if you have any recommendations let me know!

 

 

What are your thoughts?

 

REVIEW: MAC VELVET TEDDY

This post has kind of developed into a review of MAC's velvet teddy and pictures from my night out at the weekend- these were the only pictures I had of the lipstick for this post!

 

Velvet teddy is possibly one of the most popular and sought after of the MAC lipstick range at the moment, ever since the nude lipstick trend came onto the beauty scene- and its all down to Kylie Jenner.... I don't know about you, but I love the nude lip trend! It is so effortless to pull off and suits all kinds of lip sizes and skin colours. I think velvet teddy is also perfect for any occasion, and is also perfect to use as an autumnal shade as we leave the summer months behind.

 

Colour- As I said- velvet teddy has such a grown up feel to it, you could wear it on a night out like I did, for a special occasion or even just day to day as it stays well put even when your eating and drinking I've found. Be careful though, as this shade of nude has some orangey/ brown tones to it, and some friends who have paler skin than myself have had issues with how the colour looks against their skin tone- so always try before you buy!

 

Texture- Velvet Teddy is a matte lipstick. With some of these I find it is essential to apply a base coat of lip balm to avoid dry and crumbly lipstick, however with this one I haven't had any problems with it at all.

 

Appearance- As a nude lipstick, by adding a nude lip liner to he edges and cupids bow of your lips to add definition, you can really nail that Kylie Jenner lip.

 

Price- Ok, it goes without saying. The MAC lipsticks are over priced. If like me though, you only buy a few every once in a while, why not invest in a quality lipstick that will last you ages! I tend to find my other day to day MAC lippies have lasted at least 2 years... probably because you don't have to keep reapplying them!

    Asside from velvet teddy, other MAC favourites include crème sheen crème cup, viva glam 5, Milan mode, Cyber, Rebel, Ruby Woo, and pink pigeon. What are your favourites at the moment? Have you tried Velvet Teddy? What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment below!    

LUSH- WHAT'S NEW?

Some may say that LUSH is over rated- I beg to differ. I started shopping there around a year ago when I was living in Leeds... the LUSH store is fab!... I just think its lovely how you walk out smelling amazingggg. Lush differs itself from other cosmetic bands as their ranges of not only bath bombs, soaps, hand creams and hair products are made without animal testing, organic, smell divine, and are seriously unique.

 

My favourite LUSH product range is 100% the bath products- especially the bath bombs and bubble bars. There are new ones in all the time, I just love how creative they are! Although they come at a price, I have always had a positive experience with LUSH products considering I have sensitive skin... which is why I was very excited to see their new products in store this week.

 

Some of my favourites include the Rose Jam, Granny takes a dip, Frozen and Yuzy and cocoa which are all new. The Rose Jam in particular smells awesome, and I just cant resist a glittery bubble bar! Similarly, I can imagine 'granny takes a dip' and 'frozen' leaving your bath looking vibrant to say the least! That's part of the fun of it... making your bath water look like a Disney Princess just stepped out.

  I will most certainly be making a few purchases this weekend, I can't wait to review these!   Have you tried any of the new product range? Any recommendations?   Have a fab weekend! :)    

OOTD- A WEEKEND IN THE CITY

Ankle shoe boots, New Look (last year)/ MOTO Jamie ripped jeans, Topshop (Last year), Cross over cotton floaty cami, Topshop/ Michael Kors rose gold chronograph watch/ Teya enamel button necklace, Ted Baker at Fenwicks, £28/ Cardigan, Topshop (years ago). 

 

Okay it's not actually my outfit of today but it was my favourite outfit of this weekend...

 

I wore this outfit for Notting hill carnival, shopping on Oxford Street, and strolling through London's St James' park. Firstly... don't wear heels around London- even if you do claim that they are 'the comfiest shoes you own' because after walking miles to and around Notting Hill, and from bond street, down Oxford Street to the South bank, my feet were crippled! Even days later after I got home, my ankle feels so weak, but I guess it is a case of 'no pain, no gain'!

 

As for my jeans, I took a risk- I hadn't worn these before and also struggled to get them on last year, so yes they were a little snug... not fab for walking around all day! As we are coming out of the summer season now- since when did we even get a summer?... I felt it time to start transitioning my outfits into more of an Autumnal vibe, hence the very warm looking cardi...

 

As always, accessories are key. I tend to always wear two rings and my Michael Kors watch, and I also chose to wear my new Ted Baker necklace!

 

By writing this post I've actually noticed how old my clothes are... they were nearly all bought last year... I definitely need a shopping spree! 

 

What do you think? How are you transitioning your outfits from Summer to Autumn? Let me know below! :) 

 

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND- LONDON

I hope you all had a fab bank holiday weekend! Shame about the weather and how fast it flew by...

I decided to spend the weekend in London with my boyfriend which was so lovely! however our downfall was that neither of us planned anything ahead of going, I had ideas floating around of Camden market, Shoreditch, The Shard, Hyde Park and Carnaby Street... but in reality we missed out on two 2for1 vouchers, got lost on the way to Notting Hill carnival and paid double for a Madame Tussaudes ticket the day we went... did I mention the rain?

 

It wasn't all bad, in fact I discovered 2 amazing gelato shops, soaked up the culture at Notting Hill Carnival, got a selfie with Kim K at Madame Tussaudes and ate candy floss in the rain at London Zoo.

  Saturday

To kick off the weekend we paid a visit (reluctantly in Kyle's case) to ZSL London Zoo... if you read my blog regularly then you will probably be aware that this is my third visit to the Zoo this summer, I just love it there, I can't resist a visit each time I'm in London! Afterwards, what would usually be a lovely walk through Regents Park down to Oxford Street turned out to be a good drenching, however I did make it to Oxford Street in the end to have a browse in Topshop, River Island, Mango and Zara... although I must admit Topshop was a little disappointing, it's just that time of year when you can't even find anything you like to buy. After this we decided to go to Planet Hollywood, this is definitely the type of restaurant for a one off visit or special occasion... unless you're loaded. The food is divine and the atmosphere is fab, I just love seeing all the movie memorabilia while i'm snacking on spaghetti and meatballs....

  Sunday

Although we thought it would rain Sunday and so made other plans, we decided to go to the Notting Hill Carnival instead, this is definitely one for the bucket list, I have always wanted to go and heard its amazing so I was so impressed to see dancers, performers and floats, accompanied by a gorgeous aroma of jerk chicken... you could spend all day here but we were there for 3 hours... after struggling to even find the carnival! We then got the tube to bond street so I could pop into Victoria Secret... I don't even need to explain how amazing 3 floors of Victoria Secret is. Once again we then walked along Oxford Street to Selfridges and then down to Regent Street where we discovered the most amazing gelato shop. We then walked down through St James' Park which has the most beautiful scenery and then across to the south bank before heading back to the hotel, and of course, Nandos.

  Monday

Last day! Boooo :( We started by getting the tube to Baker Street to Madame Tussaudes... although I thought it would just be the wax works (which are ridiculously realistic), but you can also get professional photo opportunities, enjoy a London Dungeon themed experience (I say enjoy- I actually screamed...), a 4D Imax movie experience and a ride, themed a journey through the history of London, not forgetting the extra Star Wars experience. We then got the tube back to Charing Cross so that we could visit Covent Garden, home to some fab street acts (aka a fat man in his pants balancing his ladder on the cobbles whilst juggling 3 axes) and another amazing gelato shop- Morreli's Gelato. Finally we walked up to Oxford street to Bella Italia before getting the train home!

 

As you can imagine I have walked flipping miles this weekend, I am not only knackered, but also have strained my ankle through wearing heels the entire time... no pain no gain ey?

  What have you all been up too over the bank holiday? Leave me a comment below! :)