Back To School | School Bag Essentials

Second instalment of this week's post theme - Back To School! These are things I could not live without having in my school bag all the time!

1.) My pencil case

I am incredibly fussy when it comes to stationery and hate borrowing things off other people - I like my pens, pencils and colours! Without this I also wouldn't be a responisble pupil for my teachers *geek*.

2.) An umbrella

I live in the UK and we're famous for our rainy days - they're spontaneous and so an umbrella is always needed daily for a light shower or thunderstorm.

3.) A book

 When teachers are  late for lessons or I have a bit of free time I like to grab a book - I'm loving Ken Follett at the moment - if you're not a reader the TV series(es) are great too!

4.) Water

Whether it's hot or freezing, keeping hydrated is essential for good skin and a healthy lifestyle - we should aim to drink a couple of litres a day!

5.) Beauty Kit

My beauty kit contains lip balm, wipes, paracetamol, hand cream and sanitiser, feminine products, a mini first aid kit and a concealer stick for touch ups. Having a little bag comes in handy - not just for you but for your mates as well!

I hope this helped you whether it's for your handbag or schoolbag!

What am I missing in my beauty bag? What do you carry?

Love, Lizzie x

The Liebster Award!

 

Hi everyone, big news: the fabulous Jemma from Tea and Lipsticks nominated me so thank you sooo much I really appreciate it! I always love reading blogs with less followers and sometimes they can be so much better than some highly followed blogs and have been blogging for a lot longer! This is such an amazing way to recognise bloggers who have under 200 followers but have really great blogs! *rambly*

So here are the rules:

Share 11 random facts about yourself

Answer the 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you

Nominate blogs with less than 200 followers and let them know they have been nominated

Create 11 new questions for your chosen bloggers

No tag backs

My 11 Facts

1. I am incredibly clumsy - I fall up stairs (not down)
2. I have no idea what I want to do at uni... or what I want to do at all, really
3. Contradicting my last fact but when I grow up I want to be Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup - I love her!
4.  I loove maths - a real mathlete + geek!
5.  I am approaching my GCSEs and know what subjects I'm definately dropping but not what I want to keep.
6. I have really bad eczema on one of my fingers but no where else (anyone know how to treat it?)
7. I really want a dog but my mother will not allow for pets
8. I am subscribed to over 130 blogs via bloglovin
9. I had braces for 2 years but got them off recently leaving me with pretty good teeth :)
10. I would love to chuck out my entire wardrobe and start from scratch but that would be impossible
11. Whenever anyone is chucking out a handbag I take it as I think I'll use it but never do and therefore have a wardrobe full of second-hand handbags

11 Questions from Jemma

1. What's your dream job? I'd love to be a mathmatician *super geek* but I'd love to work for a makeup line in a marketing position.

2. Why did you start blogging? I loved reading blogs and always loved makeup so after my 13th birthday I started a little beauty blog and never looked back.

3. What's your favourite blog post to write? I love writing reviews on products I truely love that no one else has mentioned - I feel like I'm in on a secret!

4. Hair brush or foundation? Foundation - I hardly ever brush my hair as it's not particularly tangly but no foundation - horror!

5. If you could only wear one hairstyle for a year, what would it be? Well, I pretty much rock a high ponytail every day so that would be it!

6. One blogger you'd love to meet? If you haven't guessed from my 11 facts, ViviannaDoesMakeup!
7. Do you speak any other languages? I speak Spanish, some Italian, some French and some Japanese.

8. When did you last have your hair cut? About 3 months ago! Terrible but true!

9. Who's your style icon? I love what is featured on AtlanticPacific and base some outfits on her.

10. You walk into Boots, where do you head first? Advantage Card Kiosk - buy what I have coupons for!

11. What's your natural hair like? My natural hair is very blonde, very thick and normal in the oily/dry sense.

 

My Questions for my nominees

1. What is your favourite underdog product - something that you don't hear other bloggers talk about?
2. Do you organise your blog posts?
3. Who inspires you to keep blogging?
4. When did you start to read blogs/watch youtube?
5. Where do you write your blog posts?
6. Where is your favourite place to find beauty bargains?
7. If you could only have haircare, skincare or makeup which would you choose?
8. What is/was your favourite subject at school?
9. What is your most played song?
10. If you could only wear one nail polish for the rest of you life, which would you pick?
11. How many times check your fave blogs a day?

 

I nominate

 

Infinite Daisy Chains

 

 Talk Boutique

 

Naomi's Blog

Emily's Elixir

Hope you enjoyed this post! Would love for you to answer these questions too in a comment!

Love, Lizzie x

Back To School | Strict School-Appropriate Makeup Products for No-Makeup Makeup

My school is very clear on rules when it comes to makeup - there is to be none of it! However, how do they know it's there when the makeup is undetectable - secret makeup!

Before I begin with my makeup, whether it be a weekday or weekend, I prep with an SPF as it protects against sun damage - one that doesn't break me out is the Avon SPF 50. On a good skin day I'll just use concealer under my eyes and on blemishes but on a day where my skin is acting up I use a bb cream (not pictured) - my favourite is the Witch BB Cream as it helps to heal acne with witch hazel and looks really natural. A good concealer to follow up with that works well under the eyes and on blemishes is the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer; it comes in a good shade range too! Setting with a powder is important if you want you makeup to last - make sure you touch up throughout the day if you have oily skin. I don't feel like my face is complete without bronzer so I add a very small amount over my cheeks, jawline and forhead. A blush warms up the complexion and the Natural Collection blushes are affordable and matte - shimmery cheeks are not the most natural!

For eyes I forget about eyeshadow and just curl my lashes and apply a smudge proof mascara to the base of my lashes and use a spoolie to blend it up. This looks clump free but still defines my non-existent lashes. If I've been up all night revising, I like to brighten my eyes with a nude eyeliner in my waterline. To tame my brows I have been enjoying this tinted brow gel from Maybelline. Then to finish the look I like tinted lip balms such as baby lips.

Hope this helps you if you have a school as strict as mine or if you just like no-makeup makeup!

What are your favourite school-appropriate makeup bits?

Love, Lizzie x

My Favourite Movies | The Day Off

If you know me well, you know I love nothing better than a long night in with a box of milk tray, a bottle of lemonade and a pile of great movies. These are my top 6 (top 5 is just too hard!), all in different categories but my all time fave is and will always be Love Actually.

'Get the Tissues Prepped' Award

Charlie St Cloud

You know its going to happen but I still cry every time I watch this - so sad but so darn happy I just well up at every given moment and I don't cry at much!

'Giggles and Smiles' Award

 The Lorax

This little orange tree guardian is my favourite movie character ever and I love the sweet characters plus music! Adorbs!

'Hold Your Breath Cos It's' Award

 Red Riding Hood

Why couldn't Catherine Hardwicke do all the Twilights? Why!!! This is amazing for watching time and time again as the scarier moments always scare me - I love the ending too!

'Classic' Award

Harry Potter

My favourite is The Goblet of Fire for all the action and characters. I'd love to sing 'Go Go Gryffindor' I've always associated myself with Ravenclaw house - the colour scheme fits me so well! Everyone has to love HP, right!

'The Best' Award

Love Actually

I sob at some parts of this too - so happy, so funny and so many darn good actors and actresses. And as much as my mum would never agree, I want a wedding like Keira Knightly's!

What are your favourite movies? What house would you be in?

Love, Lizzie x

Superfacialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Calming Creamy Cleanser | The Review

The Superfacialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Calming Creamy Cleanser *and breathe* is my new go-to morning cleanse. After immediate use I knew my cleansing balm was far too heavy for two uses a day and I had to find something to work for the mornings when I just wanted a blank canvas for my makeup. I chose Soap and Glory's Peaches and Clean (loooove xxx kisses for P&C) but after hearing Miss Budget Beauty say her skin had become somewhat immune to it as a cleanser from over use, I decided to find something to use on the inbetween months from using P&C and using something else (see more on this concept later this month in an updated skincare routine). I'd heard great things about this line and wanting something that wasn't a gel and mineral-oil free (someone's spent a lot of time on beautymouth.com), I opted for a cleansing cream.

So, first impressions were not great. I massaged it onto dry skin and removed with a muslin cloth but after a few days use my skin just felt clogged and unclean - maybe I was using too little, too much? Then one day I applied it with wet hands and it worked amazingly - my skin felt refreshed and clean! Fabby!

The scent is very strong and rosey - of your don't like rose it will put you off straightaway. It is very gentle so a good thing for more sensitive skins. I don't see the hydrating side - creamy? I haven't noticed a difference there but maybe the dry skin months coming up will put it in the spotlight!

A definite try if you're looking for a gentle cleanser.

Have you tried anything from this line?

Love, Lizzie x

Make Your Own Lip Scrub | The DIY

 Everybody has done one of these types of posts and I'm a little late on the bandwagon but I thought I'd show you how I make a lip scrub - it's quick, easy and you only need 2 things. I always make one application as I find I don't use it if it goes in a pot and then I find a sticky mixture in my bathroom cabinet 3 weeks later *sorry mum!*.

I start with 1/s a teaspoon of honey (you could use olive oil if your prefer but it would be a little runnier) and put that in a little pot. I then use 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar (any kind but salt works for a harsher scrub) and mix that in. It should look something like this:

Then take a good amount on your fingers and massage into your lips - repeat if you have super flakey lips and then follow up with a lip balm. Silky smooth lips for brighter shades, here we come!

How do you make lip scrubs? Have you tried any branded ones (ie Lush)?

Love, Lizzie x

Maybelline Baby Lips UK Review and Swatches | The New Thing

 It seems like everyone and their mother now has baby lips after about 3 weeks of waiting for them to hit the shelves. I've now had mine for a few weeks and can honestly say I really like them but do I think they're worth the hype?

The shades I purchased were the original 'Hydrate' clear one, the hot pink 'Pink Punch' and a nude called 'Peach Kiss'. One thing that did strike me at first was the amazing scent. I don't recall any lucky American bloggers mentioning the gorgeous smells but if you do get some, give 'em a whiff as they're divine! 

Peach Kiss is very sheer and the perfect pale, slightly shimmery nude shade that looks extremely natural but what do you expect from a tinted lip balm in a shade lighter than most people's natural lip colour? Pink Punch is the star shade for me as it can be left as a sheer baby pink or can be built up to a vivid bright, almost neon, pink. The staying power isn't amazing but then they are lip balms!

They're moisturising, smooth on the lips and the packaging is so super cute! They live up to my expectations fully however, for they hype they did recieve, at the end of the day they are just lip balms and aren't much different to the common offerings from Miss Sporty or plain old Carmex. 

Have you tried Baby Lips? What do you think?

Love, Lizzie