Review | bareMinerals Complexion Rescue

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue* - RRP £26

If you haven’t heard of bareMineral’s Complexion Rescue by now I honestly don’t know where you could have possibly been hiding. Over the past few months this little base has been hyped about by the beauty community nonstop and for good reason. When bareMineral’s kindly gifted me their newest base in April I couldn’t contain my excitement. I started using it straight away and it hasn’t left my face since! I’ve been dying to write my review for such a long time but unfortunately for my blog it landed on my doorstep in the height of the most hectic two months of my University life and all I could do was try to survive writing my dissertation and get through my exams. Part of this survival was made so much easier by the wonderful Complexion Rescue and it has honestly been my holy grail beauty product throughout the final months of my degree. This little tube has been my partner in crime (seriously, it’s helped me deceive endless amounts of people and trick them into thinking I was a healthy person and not the zombie-like creature I was turning into!) and it’s battled through so many early mornings and sleepless nights with me. Now, as University is finally over it’s my companion in Marbella and my go-to base for the heat. So, even though I'm ridiculously late with my review of Complexion Rescue at least I can guarantee my readers that this little product has been thoroughly tried and tested in all sorts of conditions throughout the past three months! 

A Little Beauty Haul

Even when I was really busy with University last month I still found the time to do a little bit of shopping and I've acquired quite a few random beauty bits I'm really excited to talk about! Today's haul is one full of firsts as I finally bought a toner and an eyebrow gel and I honestly don't know how I've survived all this time without these two steps in my beauty routine! I was really intrigued by Maybelline's Brow Drama which could be an amazing dupe for Benefit's Gimmie Brow, but as my eyebrows are thick and pigmented enough on their own I opted for the translucent shade so I can't really make a full comparison. Nevertheless, I can't believe the difference a brow gel can make! Even when I'm wearing hardly any make-up I always reach for Brow Drama as it tames my unruly brows perfectly and thankfully it isn't clumpy and it doesn't make my eyebrows feel hard either. And at £4.99 it's such a steal!

I've never really been interested in toner but after finding a £20 gift card for ESPA in a magazine a few months ago I decided to try the Balancing Herbal Spafresh Spritzer. I'll admit when I'm being lazy I end up missing this step out in the morning but on the days I do use a this toner my skin feels refreshed, looks more healthy and the smell really wakes you up! The toner is suited for all skin types but it's specifically aimed for oily/combination skin and I definitely notice a reduction in oil throughout the day when I use this. The toner contains a mixture of peppermint (to refine pores), witch hazel and elderflower (which combat outbreaks and blemishes). I personally love the smell and I'm currently on the look out for a small bottle so I can keep this in my bag and use it as a hydrating mist throughout the day as I've heard it works wonderfully when applied over makeup! 

After hearing so much about the amazing Tangle Teezer brushes and accepting the fact that my current brush was destroying my hair and snapping it all the time I picked up the Original Tangle Teezer in Lilac to replace my old brush. I wasn't overwhelmed when I first used this brush but after a while I realised that my hair was significantly smoother (I used to have so many knots in my hair!) I'm still not certain if I understand the hype but I'm glad I decided to pick a Tangle Teezer up! 

My next purchase is a repurchase, just in a different scent! I always have to have a Burt's Bees lip balm in my bag and after my beloved Coconut and Pear balm ran out I decided to try something a little different and picked up the Blueberry and Dark Chocolate version. The balm itself works just as wonderfully as all the other Burt's Bees balms I've tried (I really recommend them!) and it definitely hydrates my lips but I'm not a fan of the scent at all. I thought the combination would be lovely but it's just a bit odd and so overpowering.

Every season I always purchase one of the VS limited edition body sprays and I absolutely loved the one I picked up last year (which is featured in my July Favorites!) This year they released 4 limited edition scents - Escape, Paradise, Beach and Surfside - and I actually picked up the mini versions of the other scents in the VS Semi Annual sale last week! Surfside, however, was definitely my favourite. It's a refreshing mix of passion fruit and driftwood and it reminds me of the drinking cocktails on the beach! I can't stop reaching for this during the day time and it's now my go-to summer scent! 

What have you been buying recently?

Let me know if you've tried any of the above products in the comments! 

The Go-To Eyeshadow Duo

bareMinerals READY 2.0 Eyeshadow in The Nick of Time - £20*

This post has been on my 'To Write' list for absolutely ages and it is safe to say that this beautiful eyeshadow duo from bareMinerals no longer looks as pristine as it does in the photos above! Since I was kindly sent this a few months ago it has been well and truly loved and I don't think I have reached for anything else during the last few hectic months at University. Everybody needs a perfect matte brown and a neutral cream duo to put in their handbag and The Nick of Time* has become an absolute staple in makeup routine. 

The bareMinerals READY eyeshadows are serious rivals of my favourite Urban Decay shadows. The shadows are highly pigmented, particularly the darker shade Kismet, and they are so soft that they glide onto the lid and blend effortlessly. They have a smooth and buttery texture and they're just such a pleasure to use, especially when you're in a rush as there's never any need to worry about fall out. As for the shades, Chance is a lovely cream shade that I think would suit both warm and cool skin tones. It's primarily a matte shade but it has tiny, finely milled white glitter in it that adds a little bit of texture and dimension to a matte duo. For an everyday, subtle neutral eye I like to wash Chance over the lid, under the arch of my eyebrow and dab a tiny bit into my inner corner as a minimal highlight. The darker shade, Kismet, actually really surprised me. I didn't expect to love it as much as I do but it's truly one of the prettiest brown shades I own. I think I'm in love with the red, warm undertones of Kismet as it really makes my green eyes pop and there's just something different and unusual about it that sets it apart from the rest of my brown shadows. 

As for the packaging, it's just as sturdy and luxurious as the rest of the READY collection. The mirror is just the right size for touch ups and the little sponge applicator is actually quite handy and great quality. Usually I completely disregard the applicators as they fall apart but this one applies the shadows rather well. 

I've already added to my collection of bareMinerals READY shadows and picked up the Perfect 10 palette in one of their flash sales which contains 6 other eyeshadows that are just as lovely in formulation, pigmentation and application as The Nick of Time. I have my eye on The Hollywood Ending duo for its incredible green shade Dazzle and The Dream Sequence quad.

Have you tried any of the READY eyeshadows? Or do you have any of your wishlist?

I'd love to know in the comments below!

*contains a PR sample.

Summer Nail Polishes Collab with Anjna!

It finally feels like Summer! Exams are over, the weather in the UK is so close to reaching 20 degrees and everybody is hopping on a plane to go on holiday. The lovely Anjna, who I've know from the very start of blogging, messaged me the other day and asked if I wanted to write a collab post about our favourite Summer nail polishes and I thought it would be a lovely way to kick-start a series of summer themed posts! I'll be focusing on polishes I've found work well with fair skin and Anjna's post, which I'll link here when it's been posted, will be discussing polishes that work well on tanned/darker skin.

IPL Laser with Bellissima Exclusive | Treatment 1

 

(Photo credit: Bellissima Exclusive)

As promised in my previous Hair Removal post I've decided to document my experience with IPL Laser Treatment* at the lovely Bellissima Exclusive salon in Guiseley. If you've checked out my other post then you'll already be aware of my struggle with hair removal.  I'm a fair skinned girl with dark, stubborn hair and rather sensitive skin and after trying every other hair removal technique out there I've been wanting to try Laser for years. After spending a wonderful evening with Bellissima  Exclusive at their relaunch I was kindly offered a free treatment course of my choice and I knew instantly what I would choose! Removing the hair on my legs is such a chore and a huge worry for me during Summer and I'm so excited to share my results with you all over the next couple of months!

Balayage Hair for Summer!

Can you believe that in 21 years I've never let hair dye come anywhere near my head? I don't think I'll ever be one to completely change my hair colour - I'm simply too lazy to handle the maintenance that comes with it - but I've admired the ombré/balayage trend for years now. So, as a treat for finishing my degree and handing in my dissertation I decided to bite the bullet and I booked a hair appointment that was more than a regular cut and blow dry. And I have to admit I was a little bit nervous!

I've always been lucky enough to love my natural hair colour, which is a medium brown shade with a few tiny highlights, but in the summer I always think my hair is just too dark and flat. The salon I visited was called Renegade and if any of my readers live in Leeds and are looking for an amazing salon I can not recommend them enough! When I first moved to University 3 years ago I always waited until I went home to get my hair cut but after realising I wasn't happy with that salon I decided to do a bit of research and visited Renegade for the first time in November. The salon itself is really lovely and has such a cool atmosphere and all of the hairdressers have their own individual style and really know how to style hair. I've never left a hair salon completely happy until I visited Renegade and I had no doubt about where to go when I decided to colour my hair.

Initially, before I sat in the chair, I was going to ask for ombré but after speaking to my colour technician Dominique we decided that balayage was a much better look for me and what I was truly after. I'm much more into natural, sunkissed hair and I'm in love with the result. We opted for a caramel colour to avoid an artificial looking blonde and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. As for the styling I was booked in for a cut and blow dry with Josh who neatened up my hair, adding some long layers and gave my hair some natural, bouncy curls! I've never been happier after a haircut and I love my new look! Renegade also offer a 25% Student Discount (which I soon won't be able to take advantage of *sob*) which made the experience even more amazing!

What are your thoughts on balayage?

Let me know in the comments below!

Hair Removal 101 | Methods, Tips & Tricks!

There's no denying it, I absolutely love Summer. But, as much as I look forward to this time of the year there is one thing that really gets me down and gnaws away at my confidence. Body Hair. As a fair skinned, dark haired girl freeing my legs from their skinny jean prison is a daunting prospect and it honestly upsets me a lot more than people probably imagine. I suppose I'd classify myself as being on the hairier side of the female population, not in an extreme sense but my hair is definitely thicker and grows much more rapidly than a lot of women that I know. Of course, I've never had trouble getting those Cara-esque brows so it's not always a bad thing!

I've been thinking about writing a post about my experiences with different kinds of hair removal ever since I started my blog. I've tried so many methods but I've never found that miracle hair removal technique. Just over a month ago I was invited, along with two lovely bloggers (Simone from Married to a Geek and Dash from Mode Lily) to the launch event of a wonderful Beauty Salon/Skin Clinic called Bellissima Exclusive and they were ridiculously kind and offered me a free treatment of my choice. So, I jumped at the chance and I can't believe I'm finally getting to try IPL Laser Hair Removal (cue Hilary Duff's This is What Dreams are Made Of)! I've decided to document my experience with IPL Laser and, as an introduction to the series, I thought it would be a good idea to share my thoughts on all my previous attempts to banish those pesky hairs for Summer (because let's face it, we all slack on hair removal during winter!)