Halloween 2015

My best friend and I love Halloween and try our best to out-do ourselves each year, or at least choose just as good an outfit or idea. I wanted to challenge myself creatively this year and decided to go as a cracked doll! A popular choice, but one I have never thought of before and I loved experimenting with looks and ideas. 

I really enjoyed creating a make up look and drawing lines on my face to make the cracked look, as well as coming up with a cute outfit to wear! 

I am already planning my costume for next Halloween! 

Laura Elizabeth xo

My tips to a healthy glow all year round.

I do love the Autumn and Winter months, but I miss the glow my skin tends to have during the Summer. I have combination skin, but in the colder months the drier areas of my skin definitely take over. I have put together a few tips and tricks that I have been using to retain and recreate that glow. 

I don't self tan all that often as I find it too much of a chore, but when I do I use the Cocoa Brown tan by Marissa Carter. This tan has been my favourite for a while now as it works efficiently. It doesn't have an of putting or pungent smell and is easy to distribute with the mitt. The tan is not too orange, but gives a natural and healthy looking sun kissed glow to the skin. 

To bronze up my face I like to use the W7 Make Up and Glow Bronzing Base, which is a great dupe for the Soleil Tan De Chanel. It's a cream based product and is easy to blend out. I apply it to my cheekbones and forehead - the places the sun would naturally hit. 

Before I apply the tan I always ensure to moisturise. A few months back I picked up this Garnier Body product mainly as it claimed to be suitable for dry skin and non-greasy and non-sticky. When looking for skincare products these are the factors I look for, and I was not disappointed with this moisturiser. It has a nice smell, and leaves my skin feeling soft all day. 

For a fresh looking face I use the Clinique liquid facial soap every day as well as the Garnier Moisture Match Protect and Glow that illuminates the skin and gives a natural looking glow. A plus of this product is that it also has an SPF of 20. These products from Garnier are suitable for everyone as they cater to every skin type and are super affordable. 

I try to drink as much water every day as I can, and when I want something a little more interesting I like to add a few slices of either lemon or cucumber. These not only make your water a little more tasty but they have great health benefits. Cucumber water is great for your skin, the antioxidants help it to stay clear. Lemon water helps to cleanse your system and flush out the toxins as well as decreasing blemishes. I like to use this cup as it makes it more exciting to drink from! As nice as it is to be able to use products to make your skin look healthy on the outside, it's so important to look after your skin from the inside by eating and drinking well and getting ll the nutrients you need to stay healthy. If you need any help or inspiration on healthy recipes then I highly recommend you go and check out 'ALOHA' as they have a great variety of ideas. 

So these are a few of my tips for achieving a healthy summer glow all year round. If you have any tips or any products that you like to use to achieve a healthy glow then let me know! 

Laura Elizabeth xo 

Dupe: W7 Hollywood Bronze and Glow - Charlotte Tilbury Dupe

I was immediately drawn to this product before I even knew what it was or which brand it was by. The fact that it looks so similar to Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze and Glow made me purchase the product without any second thoughts. As amazing as the Charlotte Tilbury product seems to be, I haven't tried it as I just cannot fathom spending that much, and at £4.95 I just had to try this obviously inspired dupe. 

I like everything I've tried from W7 and was really excited when I discovered this product. I am not overly fond of the packaging; the mirror is quite pointless as it isn't big enough to be able to use when applying the product, however I like how the powders are displayed inside. 

The powders themselves are pigemented enough but can also be built up, and they both have a shimmery finish to them. The bronzer is fairly orange but I can make it work with my skin, and the highlighter is a lovely champagne colour. I don't own the Charlotte Tilbury product, and so I cannot effectively review this in comparison to it, but this is a great bronzer and highlighter duo for a really great price. 

Laura Elizabeth xo

Amphora Aromatics: Lavender and Tea Tree Moisturiser

This is the second product from the AA Skincare range that I am reviewing on my blog, (see here) and once again, it has been a pleasure using this product. I have a lot of respect for this range; with a combination of essential oils and natural ingredients this skincare range creates effective and affordable products.

Lavender & Tea Tree Moisturising Face Lotion
I have never been fond of the scent of lavender, particularly when used in products that are applied to the body, and so before I tried this I was slightly curious about whether that factor would have an input in my use of this face lotion. I was pleasantly surprised and found that the scent was not too overwhelming, and that I've become to like the scent of lavender. I am also a fan of tea tree and the benefits it has and have found that the mix of these two together creates a calming and soothing lotion that also helps to refresh and clear the skin. 

The cream is light and absorbs easily and quickly and it does not make my skin feel sticky or greasy at all. I am not 100% certain as to whether this lotion clears spot prone skin or blemishes, as fortunately I have been having a good skin month! I hope to be able to test this theory in the upcoming weeks. 

I really like the packaging of this product, the easy to use pump is great for distributing the cream, and £6.96 for 100ml is really not bad going at all.

I am happy to be able to give my readers a 20% discount: use BLOG20 at their website! (Link below) 

I hope to review more products from AA Skincare in the future. Visit them on social media Facebook / Twitter / https://instagram.com/aaskincareuk/ or visit them at their website http://www.aaskincare.co.uk/

Laura Elizabeth xo

Physicians Formula - Shimmer Strips Natural Nude

Physicans Formula is a brand I have been wanting to try for quite a while now but unfortunately it is not sold, or widely available in the UK. Amazon have a few products with quite a hefty price tag, and so when my best friend recently visited America, she very kindly bought me an item back. 

The first thing I noticed when I found this brand was the very pretty and photogenic packaging, which is dangerous territory for me when purchasing products, I get drawn in by attractive packaging and products sometimes before necessarily knowing much about the product itself. 

I wanted to try the Shimmer Strips Custom All-in-1 Nude Palette for Face and Eyes. This is a multifunctional, versatile product, which states that it can be used to accentuate cheeks and enhance the eyes. All 12 shades differ in colour and are all beautiful natural colours. The strips are pigmented, and can either be blended together or worn separately; the whole box provides the essentials to a natural face. I use this product as bronzer, highlighter, eyeshadow and it can also be used as eyeliner. The colours aren't too shimmery but still provide a lovely glow, it can also be built up to give a really intense highlight. 

A mirror, appplicators and directions are all compactly fit into the small, pretty packaging. The product doesn't irritate my sensitive skin and it has many purposes, overall a really good, versatile product. 

August Favourites

First things first; where on Earth has August gone?! I feel like I have blinked and here we are on the cusp of September, nearing Autumn and saying goodbye to another summer again, way to soon for my liking. 

My august favourites are very brief, but they have been the products I have been applying everyday I have worn make up during August and tools I have used to do so, and while the UK hasn't had the best weather this summer, with these products I have been able to achieve  bronzed and glowy skin, making it look like I have been on a tropical escape to the Caribbean!

Also, all the products are super affordable but do just as an amazing job as high street brands would do. 

Make Up Revolution Baked Bronzer Really easy to blend, buildable and has some glitter in it, I like to add this to certain areas of my face to add a bronzed glow. 

Make Up Revolution Golden Lights Highlighter Super pigmented, a white-golden shimmery shade, perfect for cheekbones as well as eye brow highlight. 

W7 Make Up and Glow Bronzing Base Easily blendable, gel based bronzer, isn't too orangey, perfect dupe for Soleil Tan De Chanel. Great for contour, all over bronzer or under foundation to even skin tone and add a bronzed base.  

Real Techniques Stippling Brush Versatile brush, love using it to apply the W7 Bronzing Base, it helps to distribute and blend the product. 

Ebay Fan Shape Make Up Brush Also in last months favourites, this brush is soft, really affordable but good quality and is the perfect shape for applying highlighter. 

What have you been loving this month?

Laur Elizabeth xo 

Favourite Concealers

Concealers are literally my life savers when it comes to make up. I have always struggled with dark circles and now I even know which ones work best for me when paired with a particular foundation. Some I prefer to use as under eye coverage and others for any blemishes or red areas. 

NYX HD Photogenic Concealer - Great for under eye brightening and concealing. It doesn't crease or go cakey, it blends beautifully, particularly with a damp beauty blender and is a great price! 

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - This concealer is also good for tired eyes, but I think it works best to cover any red areas and when set with a powder it stays in place all day. 

LA Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer - These concealers blend really well, and I also use a darker shade as a contour at times. I love using this one under my eyes, and it also works well as a highlight for different areas of the face. I just wish they would change the packaging!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - One of my favourites. Although it is on the pricier side I think it is well worth every penny, light, creamy and easily blended, this one also works lovely with a beauty blender. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - Another great one from the drugstore. I don't find that this one covers any blemishes as well as the Collection concealer, but I do enjoy using this one for under my eyes when I'm going for a lighter make up look. I also love pairing it with the Wake Me Up foundation. 

MAC Studio Finish Concealer - A thick consistency, works well to cover blemishes and also is good for under eye coverage. I always use it with a small brush though, as I find when blended with fingers it takes away the coverage. 

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer - I like using this to cover my dark circles, it blends well and although it doesn't give as much coverage as some other concealers in my collection, it does do the job of covering up my under eye circles and any problem areas. 


What are your favourite concealers?

Laura Elizabeth xo