Fave Five: June & July 2015

I have had a rather busy last few months. What with work, going on holiday, my friends all coming home for the summer from University and other adventures. As well as me, myself, preparing to adventure off in September to start Uni. Amongst the chaos, I have found time to squeeze in a few shopping trips and have really loved some new products recently. So, let's get started!

My first favourite is the prettiest, summery coral shade of nail polish, that has brightened my nails over the law few months! I had a vision of a summery, peachy pink nail look to rock as the days got warmer and my outfits got brighter. I purchased this colour from the Barry M Speedy Quick Dry collection in the colour In a Heart Beat and I think I have worn it the most out of all the varnishes I have ever owned! It has the complete package for me, with both speed and quality. The Quick Dry formula makes it easy to pop on during a lazy summer evening or even in the morning before you hit the shops or the beach. I often find with this style of varnish that they can be quite thin or streaky but this, with two coats, is good quality and lasts well on the nails too! Barry M have such an affordable range of these polishes and I know that if I love the others as much as this one, I'll never have bare nails again!

Secondly, is a repurchase of a product I have had in my collection for several months now; I find that this time of the year, however, is where it can really shows off what it does best and have made it a staple in my shower routine. I will start off by saying that I am a huge fan of the I Love... collection anyway, if you have read this Fave Five, you will remember I raved about their body butter too! This Shower Smoothie is another product that I think really deserves a mention! This product is almost the combination of a shower gel and a body scrub, infused with the delicious scent of Mango and Papaya, which is fresh and fruity. Being this almost hybrid of both a cream and scrub means that the formula is really creamy yet still has beads to exfoliate your skin. This is perfect for sensitive skin or people like myself who don't like to use harsh products on their skin. I have particularly loved this product as we have crept into summer; I have had my legs and arms on show and this leaves them perfectly soft and with a light scent too. I think this is an amazing, lighter alternative to a sugar or salt scrub for the summer and know I will continue to use and love this product, even into the winter months I'm sure!

Next is a fragrance I have been reaching for most of these summery days. Ted Baker released a new range of body products not too long ago and I fell in love with the design and the scent. With separate pink and turquoise-green themed lines in the range, the packaging for all products is so sophisticated and gorgeous, looking a lot more high-end than the price! I purchased the Body Spray from the pink line which has been the perfect scent for my summer so far. It's quite a light fragrance with a strong sense of dusty floral undertones. As fragrances are probably the hardest things to actually explain, it is described on the bottle with this: "This fragranced body spray entwines the soft floral notes of jasmine and neroli, whilst the base of patchouli, sandalwood and musk completes the scent". I first fell in love with the sophisticated design, a pretty, light pink bottle with rose gold detailing, and now have loved wearing this not only during the day but on evenings out too. My only wish is that the fragrance hung longer on the skin than it does, but for the incredible price, I definitely can't complain!

My forth favourite is a item I stumbled upon almost by accident but has been such an amazing addition to my makeup collection. I picked up this Bronze Glow Mosaic in Sunkissed from Collection as it came free in a promotion at Boots. I thought this product was right up my street on a first glimpse, being a shimmer, golden powder to give a gorgeous glow. I was, however, worried that I might overkill the shimmer in adding this to my makeup routine - I sport shimmery eyeshadows with pretty much every look I do! This being said, I found this perfect for those hot days where you just want a little dust of makeup to enhance your skin. When applied with a big fluffy brush and a soft hand, this gives a lovely shimmery glow, without looking cakey or overly-bronzed - perfect for a pale complexion like mine. What's more, this product I have found perfect to double up as an eyeshadow too! Each of the shimmery colours that make up the mosaic are gorgeous, golden colours to wash over the lid for an easy and quick gold-eye look. They are surprisingly pigmented and last well on the lids too. It was definitely fate this product fell into my hands and it is an amazing multi-use product at an affordable price that would be perfect for adding to a beginners makeup kit!

Finally, is a set of earrings that are, again, a beautiful accompaniment to the summer season. I found these in Accessorize and knew they were a must-have. The cute deigns mean the daisy detail hangs from behind the ear rather than in front. I fell in love with how quirky but dainty these little earrings are and know they will really compliment any summer outfit. The shape and style also means they aren't big and chunky for a petite face like mine too, while still making a statement.

That's all my favourites to complete this Fave Five, each and every one holding a drop of summer sunshine! What are you summer must-haves so far?

- Becca x

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Varnish in In a Heart Beat - RRP £3.99
I Love... Mango and Papaya Shower Smoothie - RRP £2.99 (for 200ml)
Ted Baker Pink Body Spray - RRP £7.00 (for 150ml)
Collection Bronze Glow Mosaic Powder in Sunkissed - RRP £2.99
Gold Daisy Ear Jacket Earrings - RRP £5.00

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My Pamper Night Staples | Bath & Shower

The next addition to my little Pamper Night Staples segment is sharing my favourite bath and shower products that leave you feeling relaxed and your skin feeling luscious! Of course a bath or shower could be had any day, but spicing your regular routine up with some special products or little extras to pamper yourself can turn a mundane activity into the perfect way to end a long and busy day.

For me, a bath is the perfect way to finish a busy day. I love just relaxing amongst the bubbles and really taking some time for myself to think and reflect on the day. Most of the days when I chose to have a mini pamper session, soaking in the bath allows for some quiet time, closing my eyes and enjoying the gorgeous scented bubbles that surround me. One of my favourite products to use after a long, stressful or busy day is the Radox Relax Bath Soak. This fills the tub with lots of light, fluffy bubbles and fills the room with the perfect lavender scent. I mentioned this products in a Fave Five a while back and I commented on how I find lavender quite a tricky scent to perfect. This bubble bath balances the strong scent with waterlily to make it sweet yet earthy and the perfect accompaniment to any pamper night. There are so many bubble baths on the market to choose from, even Radox have a vast range themselves, but sticking with natural scents, such as the lavender from the Radox Relax Bath Soak, I find to be the best way to complete a day where you've been stuck inside. I also adore everything Lush and find these the perfect little treats for a pamper night. Lush do such an amazing and vast range of bath bombs and bubbles bars to transform your bath into something colourful, scented or even glittery! My favorite for it's simple and sweet scent is the bubble bar 'Pop in the Bath' as I find it not too overwhelming or extravagant for a chilled out night in the tub. What's more, being a bubble bar, I can treat myself to several pampering baths, leaving my skin feeling incredible each time too.

If you don't have a bath in your home or are more of a 'shower person', there's nothing to say you can't bring this into your pamper night too! One of the best ways to turn a shower into something worth a space in your pamper evenings is to set aside a special, pampering body wash, different form the one you would use on an everyday or regular basis. This might be from your favourite luxury brand or filled with your favourite scent as a treat. I have used the Dove range of body washes before, including the Dove Deeply Nourishing Body Wash I have pictured above, and find they really treat my skin to a deep, nourishing clean, leaving it perfectly soft. This is the ideal type of product to feature in your pamper nights, a product with an affordable price yet reaches beyond others on the shelves to mix up an everyday activity such as showering and turn it into something special for your skin. Another option is to add a different product you wouldn't use normally in a rush in the shower, something to spend a little more time pampering yourself. For me, a body scrub is the perfect addition. I received the Strawberries and Cream Shower Smoothie from the I Love... range as a gift for Christmas and save it for my little pamper sessions. First off, the smell is so delicious and leaves my skin smelling fruity all day! Also, the little beads scrub my skin leaving it feeling fresh and soft after each use, the best thing to compliment the perfect pamper evening. This is only one of the little additions you can make to your shower routine to perfect your pamper session; you could always include shower oils and even in-shower moisturisers! It's all about bringing something new and special to your evening to set it apart and give yourself the treat you deserve, so why not try some different products?

If you are on a budget, there is the perfect compromise to complete your pamper nights in both the bath and the shower! Investing in products such as the I Love... Raspberry and Blackberry Bubble Bath and Shower Crème or the Zoella Beauty Soak Opera Bath Soak and Shower Cream mean you can have one pampering product, versatile to your preferred mood of a bath or shower. Building up a collection of pampering products, especially those more luxurious, can soon mount up price-wise. Having one pampering product can be the perfect solution to still treat yourself. Both these products have sweet and delicate scents and are gentle on the skin in both bath and shower use. I love the way they treat my skin and allow me to choose between a bath or shower and still reap the benefits of the product itself. And to be honest, I'd probably still buy them if they were separate products!

For me, a pampering bath or shower completes the perfect pamper evening, leaving me all warm and cosy ready to drift off to sleep. A shower or bath are so easy to fit into any schedule - we always need to wash! Adding that little extra something, be it a luscious body wash or gorgeous bath bomb, can transform that me-time from a 'must' to a 'love'! After the stress of the day, you deserve nothing more than to dream away the busy life you're living in the bubbles in your bath or scents of your shower gel, to leave you feeling special and your skin feeling just as wonderful! You deserve it!

What's your go-to bath/shower product?

- Becca x

Radox Relax Bath Soak - RRP £2.00 (for 500ml)
Lush Pop In The Bath Bubble Bar - RRP £2.95 (per bar)
Dove Deeply Nourishing Body Wash - RRP £3.99 (for 500ml)
I Love... Strawberries and Cream Shower Smoothie - RRP £2.99 (for 200ml)
I Love... Raspberry and Blackberry Bubble Bath and Shower Crème - RRP £2.99 (for 500ml)
Zoella Beauty Soak Opera Bath Soak and Shower Cream - RRP £5.00 (for 490ml)

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Fave Five: December 2014 & January 2015

Over December, I hadn't been buying a lot of new products to try because I didn't know what gifts I would get for Christmas! Also, I wanted to wait to see what bargains I could find in the New Year. I thought it would be silly to do a December Fave Five so waited until I'd fallen in love with some products over January as well to show you what had made the cut!

I Love... Strawberries and Cream Body Butter

The first of my favourites is one of my Christmas presents from my best friend Hannah. I'm a big fan of the I love... range, even buying some of their products myself to give to others last Christmas! This is the Strawberries and Cream Nourishing Body Butter, the perfect way to end a soothing bath or relaxing shower. Body butters can often be a bit of tricky thing to work with, their thick consistency meaning they take a while to fully absorb into your skin leaving you sat around feeling sticky! When I first applied this body butter after a bath, I was careful about applying too much, given that this may be the case. I was pleasantly surprised by how it absorbed into my skin and by the time I had finished from head to toe, it didn't feel sticky at all! Each time I have used it since, I am still so impressed with how easy and quick it applies and how wonderful my skin feels after. I haven't noticed extreme changes in the hydration of my skin but it definitely feels so much softer compared to when I don't use it and leaves my skin feeling velvety for days after too. Possibly the best thing about this body butter though is the incredible scent! It leaves my skin smelling sweet and delicious, the perfect accompaniment to make this a pampering staple for me from now on, without denting my bank account too!

Sleek MakeUp Face Contour Kit in Light

Next is a product I had been desperate to buy for months! The Sleek MakeUp Face Contour kit in Light had been on my need-to-buy list but I told myself I would wait until the No7 bronzer that I previously used had completely run out so I wouldn't waste anything. It was definitely worth the wait and has been particularly incredible in adding a little colour to my skin over the bleak winter months. In the kit you get both a matte bronzer for contouring and bronzing as well as a shimmery highlighter to balance out each other. On the left, the pressed powder bronzer is incredibly pigmented, it blends really well so the contour lines don't appear harsh. Thanks to it's matte finish, it looks natural and adds a subtle definition to your cheek bones, jawline or anywhere you choose to apply it. For those with pale complexions like me, you just need a little dusting of the bronzer to give you a natural effect, yet it's so easy to blend if you were to make a mistake, making it completely foolproof, perfect for those wanting to step into face contouring. I adore the highlighter, on the right, for the beautiful finish it adds to complete any makeup look I create. Before buying this product, I had been using a matte highlighter just under my brow. I was a little nervous to start using a shimmery finish, mainly due to the fact I always opt for shimmery eye shadows and didn't want to overkill the glitter! I couldn't have been more wrong and this highlighter has brightened and complimented my complexion perfectly! I now use this highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, anywhere to add a bit of a glimmer and a new definition, opposed to the contouring. I feel like my skin is glowing and I was scared for nothing! A lot people have raved about this Face Contour Kit and I can see why, from the amazing pigmentation to the beautiful defined finish, this is a makeup must-have! 

Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel

The Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel has been another favourite of mine over the past couple of months. I have horrible dark circles under my eyes which give me a constantly-tired appearance - not exactly the vibe I want to give off! My friend Katie suggested this, just to soothe and hydrate my eye area and hopefully combat the puffiness. I'd never really thought about my under-eye area being particularly 'puffy', so I never thought it was something I wanted to change. Since using this each night before moisturising, I have woken up and progressively seen the puffiness disappear. I'm not going to say it works miracles or is better than any other eye gel on the market but it has definitely made some sort of difference. My eyes seem brighter, more hydrated and although my dark circles are still there, I feel a lot more confident about their appearance since using this and will definitely keep it in my skincare routine for a long time. Even if you don't need this to combat dark circles or puffiness, this little bargain is a really refreshing and soothing treatment, cooling and hydrating the eye area and perfect for after a facial. 

No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush

Next is the No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush, a product I have used for a while but rediscovered in a new shade. I have always loved wearing blusher as I am naturally quite blushed and think it compliments my fair complexion well. This shade is a deep pink with subtle flecks of a silver shimmer through it. Although it looks like quite a bright and shocking colour, the formula means it is very light when applied and really easy to build to the strength of colour you want. It blends into the skin really well and what I love most is that it almost looks as though you aren't even wearing blusher. Some powders have a problem with sitting on the skin and can appear cakey. This blusher settles perfectly and blends to a matte finish that looks natural - people have asked me if I am in fact wearing blusher as it gives off such a natural effect. This deep colour could flush any skin tone to the perfect blush and, although it isn't as pigmented as others, this plays to it's advantage allowing for a build-able yet natural finish making it very easy to work with and lasts all day long!

Real Techniques Nic's Picks Makeup Brush Set

My final favourite favourite over December and January has already featured in a blog post of its own (Click here to read!) so I won't go into too much detail, but it definitely needed a mention. The Real Techniques Nic's Picks Makeup Brush Set is the perfect collection of brushes that cover every aspect of makeup from blusher to eye shadow to eye liner. This collection gives you 5 essential brushes in one simple purchase. They are all made and decorated beautifully, the bristles are amazingly soft and easy to work with, giving a soft and professional finish. This set also gives access to 3 exclusive brushes from no other collections! Real Techniques as a brand are very consistent with their quality and versatility of brushes. This little collection is worth every penny and the looks you can create with their help are endless! 

That's all from the last couple of months! What have you been loving recently?

- Becca x

I Love... Strawberries and Cream Body Butter - RRP £2.99 (for 200ml)

Sleek MakeUp Face Contour Kit in Light - RRP £6.49 

Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel - RRP £1.50 (for 15ml tube)

No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush - RRP £8 

Real Techniques Nic's Picks Makeup Brush Set - RRP £29.99 

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