Beauty : Eye Candy Lashes Review!*

Today's post is very different from the ones I am used to posting! Over the past couple of months I have really been enjoying experimenting more with my makeup and using more of the products that I have rather than buying new. I was contacted a couple of weeks ago to see if I wanted to try some of the gorgeous lashes from Eye Candy, which of course I did! As soon as they arrived I knew exactly the eye look I wanted to create with them. 

The lashes I was sent were '004 Volumise Strip Lash'. Much like it's name, these lashes are perfect for given the impression of thicker fuller lashes. I will be honest, when I first saw them in it's box I thought they would appear a lot heavier and thicker than they actually did when being worn. The box states that they are a 'classic Style', 'Balanced Look' and 'Lightweight'. All of these statements are spot on in my opinion. In the box you also receive a small amount of clear eyelash glue. Personally, I have been loving using my Pinky Goat black eyelash glue instead, but the clear glue also works perfectly too. If you are looking for a pair of lashes that don't look natural and will give an impact then these are the lashes for you! 

To match the lashes, I thought that I would try out a few of the colours in the Too Faced Peach Palette that I have never used before. The photograph above isn't really showing off the colours that well, but they are much greener in person. I used the shades 'Bless her heart' all over my lid, and blended 'Peach pit' into the outer corner and in the crease. I then applied a little bit of 'Bellini' just above the crease to blend out the edges of the shadow. To finish the eyes I reapplied 'Bless her heart' with my finger into the centre of the eye as well as in the inner corner. It was at this stage I applied the lashes as close to my natural lash line as possible which I found easier than I thought to do. After applying the lashes I used my Makeup revolution black liquid eyeliner to hide the lash strip. Finally I used my favourite Benefit 'They're Real' mascara to blend the lashes to my own. 

Overall I am really pleased with how this eye look turned out! I am not used to wearing such a heavy makeup look generally, and usually stick with using more bronzed tones on my eyes so loved venturing out of my comfort zone to create this look. 

The lashes are also a big hit in my books. I love how they looked on my eyes, and although they aren't everyday lashes, they would make the perfect lashes for the right occasion. 

What do you think about false lashes? Have you tried any that you think I would like? Let me know in the comments! 

Until next time, 

*The lashes mentioned in this blogpost were kindly sent to me. Like always the photographs, words and opinions are 100% my own and are honest.

St Tropez gradual in shower tan review!

St Tropez gradual in shower tan review

I know what you probably think; yet another fake tan review from an Essex girl. However, I am probably as far from Essex in the beauty world than you would think!

I am not ashamed to admit that I have never applied a fake tan myself, and if I have used one then it has been applied at the salon by professionals. I will be honest with you; fake tan has never really been high on my priority list. Throughout the awkward school years my friends would tell tales of how they put fake tan on and have woken up with lines and marks where it hasn’t applied correctly. As a very pale person, I found the idea of having something orange lathered onto my skin a very intimidating aspect! Unlike some of my more tan friends, if the fake tan went wrong on me then you would definitely be able to tell!

A couple of weeks ago I began to get a bit fed up with being told that I must ‘hate the summer because of your pale skin’, so I went out and bought the St Tropez gradual in shower tan. (Actually, I didn’t mean to purchase the in shower formula at all, but I am certainly glad that I did!) St Tropez was a brand of fake tan that I knew was used in salons and I also read that it was good for pale skin so I thought I would give it a go. I am amazed with the outcome! As sad as it sounds, this product has given me a lot of confidence at a time where I think I needed it the most. So for that, this product is going to be an all time favourite of mine!

The idea of the St Tropez gradual in shower tan is that it takes away the waiting and worry of marking bed sheets, by having a quick and easy fake tan application. It also moisturizers the skin at the same time as tanning it, so it’s almost a 2-in-1 for me.

So applying the product is super easy! You shower as normal, wash your hair/shave your legs; basically do whatever you want to do before applying the product. (If you have washed your hair make sure you tie it up before applying the tan though, as water dripping could make it streaky!) Next you turn the shower off and put a generous helping of the tan in your hand. Then you simply apply it to the wet skin by creating a lather in your hands. Once you have applied it everywhere you wash your hands and then wait for 3 minutes. These 3 minutes are seriously the longest time in the world when waiting for it to absorb into the skin. I find it easier to listen to a song on Spotify as they last the right amount of time and give me something to do whilst standing like a muppet in the shower. When the 3 minutes is up you wash it all off and then tap the skin to dry it with a towel. Due to the ‘gradual tan’ nature, the tan develops over the day/night to give a natural glow. This tan really does work well and I haven’t had any issues with ‘streaking’. The best bit is there isn’t a horrible fake tan smell, which lingers for ages!

For me, the tan is perfect as it truly is natural, but I can imagine that for other more advanced tanners that this product probably isn’t dark enough for them after one application. But you can definitely layer up the tan by applying more frequently, or like me when I feel like it!

Overall, I find that this fake tan has really improved my life, and I realize how crazy that sounds! I love that I can apply this tan with no worries of it being streaky or turning orange. It is really subtle and I know I am going to be using this for a very long time! I purchased my tan on Amazon, but I know you can get it in lots of different stores too like Boots and Superdrug although prices can vary!

I hope you liked this post!

Let me know if you have tried out this tan and if you have what do you think of it?

Thanks for reading,

Lots of love,

(All opinions in this post are my own, and I am in no way affiliated or have been sponsored to do this post by the company!)

Natural Collection Beauty Box!

A couple of weeks ago I received a message which left me very excited! 

Natural collection was the first makeup brand that I ever tried and it saw me through all of the 'awkward' years when attending senior school. (So for that NC thank you!) 

Since then, I will be the first to admit that I had kind of forgotten about the brand, so when I was contacted I jumped for joy at experiencing the nostalgia all over again and I was certainly not left disappointed! 

Natural collection believe in keeping makeup simple with staple products to create an effortless beauty look. This can definitely be achieved with the selection of products I was sent to create 3 steps to a natural radiant glow! First of all, I love the packaging although I am a sucker for shredded anything as a decorative detail! I love the way it looks like it is in a little nest and it makes it totally Instagram worthy! 

So the first thing in the box was the classic Tinted Moisturiser in Natural. This was the first ever makeup product that I owned. It gives you a natural glow and has a sheer coverage. This is perfect for days when you don't feel like putting on a 'face' of makeup, but still want to have something on. It acts as the perfect base for products as well as it leaves the skin feeling really smooth and soft. It comes in three shades. I found applying this using my hands was a lot easier than applying with a brush, it also made the look appear more natural. It certainly doesn't hide any blemishes or freckles, but I think this is what I like so much about it. It truly is a no makeup, with a little bit of makeup look. I am also thinking this is a perfect 'on the plane' moisturiser for my holiday! 

 To go along with the tinted moisturiser was a Pressed Powder in Warm. This can be applied after the moisturiser to leave your skin feeling matte and shine free. I love this powder and after using it prefer it over my Rimmel one! It has a slight colour to it which doesn't necessarily show up on the skin, but could be used for a little bit of coverage if you would like it to. Again, this comes in 3 shades! I use my powder brush to apply this, although tap it on the top of my nose and under my eyes softly with my fingers. 

Next was the Sun-tint Bronzing Powder in Golden Glow. Now, I will be honest, as soon as I saw this product in the box I was a little scared. The powder looks extremely dark and a little glittery? However when applied its a completely different story. I think the idea of this product is that it is a 2-in-1 highlight and bronze, although I could be very wrong! I began to apply it softly in the contour areas and love the glow that it gave me. I love it and can see myself using this a lot in the future! This is a perfect drugstore version of my favourite Hoola! This product also comes in two shades. 

Now, I don't tend to use blush in my everyday makeup routine as I feel like I have a natural pinkness in my cheeks normally due to being pale, but I love how cute this little blusher pot is. This Blushed Cheeks in Pink Cloud, is a pretty pink tone that when softly applied on the cheeks gives a natural blush. This product comes in 6 shades. 

When swatching the products I was really impressed with how pigmented they are. Each product is worth £1.99 each which is really affordable for a lot of people who want to experiment and try out makeup for both first time and experiences users. I know that I am going to visit the Natural Collection stand next time I am in Boots thanks to these products. I am interested in trying out a mascara and lipstick to complete this overall natural look. 

 I hope this blogpost has changed your mind about trying a cheaper alternative to your high street favourites. I love the look that I created from these products and am interested in seeing whether the lipsticks, mascara and brow products are as amazing as the other products that I had tried. The Natural Collection products can be purchased at Boots in-store or online.

Thanks for reading! 

Let me know if you have tried any Natural Collections products in the comments below. 

Lots of love, 

*The products mentioned in this post have been sent to me to review and try out. All opinions and comments are my own.

21 things for my 21st birthday!

I am officially 21! 

Man that sounds so weird to say! 

So I turned 21 on the 24th February and was really lucky to spend the time with my family who made the day special for me. I got a really lovely selection of thoughtful presents which I know I am going to cherish for the rest of my life. 

One present in particular which meant a lot to me was from my mum and dad. (Although we all know when it says mum and dad it's really just mum!) Along with a beautiful tiffany necklace and GHDSs, my mum put together a box of 21 presents for my 21st birthday. Such a creative little idea. She included lots of presents which I loved as a child. All I can say is that she either knows me very well, OR I am just very predictable!

This is the box that my mum put everything in!

The surprise was tickets to see Ellie Goulding at the 02!