My Holiday Makeup Bag 2015

*Products listed from left to right as shown above*

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Real Techniques Powder Brush

Sleek MakeUp Face Contour Kit in Light

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara in Black

Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Face Brush

Sleek MakeUp Blush in Rose Gold

Revlon Colorburst Laquer Balm in Whimsical

No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil in Brown

Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious Waterproof Mascara in Black

Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Peach Glow

Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory

Real Techniques Cheek Brush

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As I am soon to be venturing off on a lush summer holiday and have been preparing myself over the last few weeks, I thought, to get myself even more excited, I would share what cosmetic products will be travelling with me for the evenings when I want to look a little more glamorous for dinner. 

First of all, I will be taking all my makeup in this adorable Beauty Bag from Zoella Beauty (mentioned in my last Fave Five!). This is the perfect size to fit not only my makeup products but my brushes too and the washable, plastic material makes it even better and more durable for travel. As you can probably see, I have been quite reserved with my choices for this holiday, my bag not carrying an abundance of the same products. Even here in the UK, where the weather isn't exactly off-the-scale scorching, I still find wearing a lot of face makeup quite uncomfortable out in the summer heat and find it just doesn't last on my skin. With this in mind, my facial makeup routine will most probably consist of a dusting of pressed powder and some blusher to add colour and shimmer to my complexion. For these I have chosen the Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder and the gorgeous Sleek MakeUp Blush in Rose Gold, the perfect shimmery, golden coral shade. The blusher I have included I have absolutely fallen in love with! It gives my cheeks a beautiful, healthy glow, adding shimmer to suit any occasion. If you visit Boots or Superdrug, have a little look at this shade, it's so pretty! I've also slotted in my Sleek MakeUp Contour Kit, mainly for the gorgeous highlighter to add a beautiful glow to my complexion, but also if I want to bronze myself up for a summer evening by the pool. I have also included the Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer, which I am not actually the biggest fan of, but purchased due to the fact my holy grail Collection Lasting Perfection concealer was out of stock every time I visited Boots or Superdrug! It is quite a light coverage concealer, alot better suited for summer weather, so it'll be coming with me just in case I want a little more coverage than just my powder. 

In terms of eyes, I have kept my selection very simple. You'll probably notice I haven't included any eyeshadows, which is very unlike me! I know that in the hot weather, any eyeshadow will just slide off my eyes and, as much as I love adding a splash of colour to my makeup with my eyeshadows, I don't want purple and pink powders half way down my face! I've stuck to just a brown eyeliner - I'm taking the No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil. I most probably won't wear this everyday but I'll smudge it across the top lash line for a more dramatic look some days - a quick, easy way to give my eyes a bit more depth. In terms of mascara, I'm taking my favourite mascara at the moment, the Maybellline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara as it makes my lashes so long and fluttery, perfect to compliment a subtle and simple makeup look for my evenings. I know that this will primarily be my go-to mascara on the trip but I am also packing a waterproof mascara - the Revlon Lash Potion By Grow Luscious Mascara - just in case.

My makeup this holiday will be all about the lips! With such simplistic eye and face makeup, I want to add a more glamorous feel with bright and colourful lips to compliment any outfit. If you know me, you'll know I stick to nude lips on an everyday basis. Both the lipsticks I have chosen will push me to be more daring with my lip colour and dress up any look. First is the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake. What I love about this product is it keeps your lips hydrated but it's also really buildable, perfect for someone like myself who isn't used to seeing strong colours on the lips. This bright, 'Barbie' pink is the perfect holiday colour and will give a lovely sheen to the lips too. I have also chosen the Revlon Colorburst Laquer Balm in Whimsical, a shimmery fuchsia shade. This is a really glamorous shade and compliments my complexion really nicely too. I know it will add a pop of colour to my simple makeup and always makes me feel confident and pretty when it's on my lips!

Finally, the brushes I will be taking with me are all, to no surprise, by Real Techniques. The Real Techniques Powder Brush is just amazing at applying soft and even powder across your face, perfect for building, depending on how much coverage you want. I know this will be the best brush for applying my powder on holiday as well as blending out blusher and bronzer. My other brushes are the Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Face Brush and the Real Techniques Cheek Brush, both of which are from the Nic's Picks Collection (Read a full review here!). I will use both for either bronzer or blusher application; the Duo-Fibre Face Brush giving a lighter touch and the Cheek Brush for a more defined and dramatic look, all depending on how I'm feeling! 

All in all, my holiday makeup bag doesn't look like that of the average 'makeup fanatic', but I know I love each and every product I will be taking and I won't have to worry about spending so long on getting ready and enjoy soaking up the sun! 

Are you off on holiday this year?

- Becca x

*prices listed in order of products above*

- RRP £10.99

- RRP £6.49

- RRP £7.99

- RRP £7.99

- RRP £29.99 (for whole 5 brush set including 'Cheek Brush')

- RRP £4.49

- RRP £7.99

- RRP £7.50

- RRP £9.99

- RRP £3.99

- RRP £5.49

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Smock Dress and Sunnies | Outfit of the Day

Blue Floral Patterned Smock Dress | H&M 

~ Dress Link ~

White Ballerina Pumps | BHS

~ Shoes Link ~

Brown, Half-Frame, Round Sunglasses | New Look

~ Sunglasses Link ~

Limit Floral Strap Watch | Limit at Argos

~ Watch Link ~

NYC In A Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish in Rain Drop | Superdrug 

~ Nail Varnish Link ~

With clear, blue skies and sunshine to accompany an official welcome to June in style, my family and I held our first BBQ of the year with the company of my grandparents. I got all dressed up in my spring outfit for the day and thought I would share what fashion pieces I put together on such a gorgeous day.

I purchased this smock dress from H&M not too long ago, but the weather has been a little too windy to wear such a fluttery outfit. Printed with white little flowers all over and T-shirt-style sleeves, to emphasise a causal feel to the outfit, this fitted perfectly for a relaxed day with my family, yet giving more of a pretty feel to the outfit without going too over-the-top. If you have a petite figure like me, the idea of a smock dress might seem strange - I know I always thought they would appear too big for my shape. However, I find the design of the waist line, positioned slightly above that of my own, seeks to make your legs appear long and flatter your small figure without clinging to it like a skater dress might. I wish I had tried this style before!

Teamed with cute ballerina pumps, easy to slip on and off for a day in the garden, and a pair of big, round glasses, a glamorous, summery outfit was shaped perfectly to fit the more causal occasion. I fell in love with these sunglasses from New Look. I have quite a challenge finding glasses that don't swamp my small face. With the half-framed designed, there isn't a big chunky frame to cover my face and what's more, the way the corners appear to flick upwards really suits the shape of my face, emphasising my cheekbones and framing it perfectly. This vintage look was also incredibly affordable at only £4.99!

This outfit is definitely a salute to spring and summer and I know each element will become a staple for my wardrobe as the months roll on to summer. Thanks for reading!

- Becca x

♡

Fave Five: April and May 2015

I'm back with my Fave Five for the months of April and May! I have saved this post for when I knew I had products I loved to feature, rather than ones that were ok but didn't 'wow' me and therefore, have accumulated my five favourites for the last 2 months, instead of the usual one. I have had such a busy time over the last couple of months. My birthday was at the beginning of April, at which time my friends returned from university for the Easter break. I have also been primarily occupied with work, with my hours changing too. I have, however, got a variety of my favourite things to talk about, many of which have been staples in my body life over the course of April and May!

My first favourite is a makeup product I'm certain will be a staple for me over the spring and summer months. When it comes to eyeshadow, although I wear it every time I do my makeup, I have never been too adventurous in terms of colours. I know that browns and golds suit me, that purple is perfect to make my eyes pop and a grey/black smokey eye compliments my eyes on a night out but, that's all I dare to use! I saw this beautiful eye shadow quad, the L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Smokey Eyes in Eau de Rose, and instantly fell in love. I went out on a punt and bought the quad hoping it wouldn't be a weird pinky red tone, looking as if I had an eye infection and look really pretty and pink over the summer months. First of all, the packaging is really well presented, each shade shaped to almost mimic an eye, with gold framing the lid to make it look even more beautiful. The lightest, pink shade is gorgeous all over he lid by itself for a light, shimmery look or even just as a highlighter under the brow or in the inner corners - this is probably my most used of the four. The second colour is a beautiful yet subtle pink, perfect when blended with the first shade. It suits my pale complexion and adds a shimmery, pearlescent effect that I love to wear with a winged liner look. The third colour I'm definitely not the biggest fan of, as I find it to be the only colour in the quad that either doesn't suit my skin tone or my eye colour. It is the only pink shade that although looks less vivid to the others, with almost silver undertones, comes out a lot darker and pinker than I'm willing to adventure to! Finally, the smokey, plum shade, with brown undertones to compliment my eye colour, is gorgeous and really adds depth to an eye look as it's so different from the other shades. I have loved giving a soft, smokey effect through the crease with this shade that can look subtle or dramatic, depending on how you choose to blend and build it! All the shades are so versatile for daytime or on a night out, be it on their own or blended to create soft and smokey eyes and I know I will get a lot of use from this little quad!

The second product I actually purchased a while ago but only properly integrated into my routine in the last few months. The Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructer Deep Conditioner is the best conditioning treatment I have used on my hair and I have been reaping the benefits of it ever since. My hair had become very damaged, dry and worn out from a variety of things from too much straightening to stress from exams. As it started to regain a bit of life, I decided to help it on it's way to the gorgeous flowing locks that I desire by adding a treatment into my haircare routine. I tried a couple, but nothing really left my hair feeling better than a regular conditioner would - I wanted something to really show it's worth! After reading reviews online, I thought to give Aussie a go, a brand I had no experience with before. Not only does this conditioner leave your hair smelling gorgeous, I don't think my hair has ever felt so soft! I have naturally wavy and frizzy hair yet my waves are defined using this conditioner, just without the frizz that tags along. I use this product once a week and have noticed my hair feeling so hydrated and soft as a result over the last few months - even my hairdresser commented on how much healthier and softer my hair has become. If your hair is in need of a rescue, this is definitely the product I would recommend to bring it back to life!

Next, is a product I am so lucky to have discovered, as it's rescued my pamper schedule. I have always heard about 'sheet masks' as a simple, quick way to pamper yourself but was never able to find them in a store. On my last visit to Superdrug, (click here to read about that haul!) I picked up a selection of the new sheet masks that they had available as part of their range. I tried the Superdrug Deep Cleansing Facial Sheet Mask back in April and was so pleased with the quality and how amazing it left my skin feeling. I am a huge lover of face masks in general but I must say this is the best I have ever used. The ease of placing the sheet over my skin rather than applying a product makes it perfect for a quick, little, mid-week treat and is a lot less messy to clean up after. What's more, even though you aren't actually putting a product in itself onto your skin, your skin still feels the 'tingling' sensation so you know it's working it's magic. After a 5 minute mini facial, my skin felt so fresh and clean. I have already gone back to purchase more of these and would recommend them to anyone whose skin is screaming for a treat on a budget!

As it was my birthday in early April, the next few favourites to conclude this post were presents I received and have absolutely fallen in love with! First of all was an item I held back from buying just in case I opened it on my birthday. As a big fan of Zoella, when her beauty range was released, I thought the products looked gorgeous and knew they'd sit happily in my collection. In search of a new makeup bag, I liked but didn't love the designs of the Beauty Bags from Zoella's range. The size, material and everything else was perfect for what I wanted in a travel makeup bag, which is what I hoped to use the product for, I just found the designs cute and maybe a little too young for me. When the 'Just Say Yes' makeup bag was released slightly after the others, as a lover of all things spotty, I knew this was the one for me. I have used this makeup bag for taking away with me when I'm not staying at home with my usual makeup and brushes. It fits a good selection of makeup as well as brushes and some palettes, without being too bulky. Also, the colour and design is really pretty - a sublte nude pink with shimmery, gold spots and Zoella's classic quote 'Just Say Yes' printed on the side, adding Zoe's stamp and setting it aside from other, normal makeup bags. I would definitely recommend this bag as it is affordable for such a great size, with a plastic, washable outside, perfect for in the home or travel!

Finally, is a gift that sums me up and I have worn everyday since my birthday! Anyone who knows me will acknowledge my love for all things Disney, in particular The Little Mermaid, which has been my favourite film for as long as I can remember. This pyjama T-shirt, printed with a picture of Ariel and the quote 'I Woke Up Like This', was given to me by my boyfriend Oli. It's such a lovely, soft material which makes it so comfortable when sleeping and the baggy style means it doesn't cling to anywhere or feel tight, perfect as the months become warmer in particular. I absolutely adore this T-shirt and know I will get so much use out of it - he knows me so well!

That concludes this edition of Fave Five and I know I have honestly fallen in love with every item mentioned! I have had a busy but great last couple of months and can't wait to try out some new products and discover some old gems for June. Have you tried any of these products and loved them just as much?

- Becca x

L'Oreal Color Riche Smokey Eyes in Eau de Rose - RRP £7.99
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Deep Conditioner - RRP £4.99 (for 250ml)
Superdrug Deep Cleansing Facial Sheet Mask - RRP £1.29 (for single sheet)
Zoella 'Just Say Yes' Beauty Bag - RRP £8.00

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