In-Flight Beauty Routine | Plane Pamper!

My skin always looks crapola after a flight and after researching a bit using Lisa Eldridge and BubzBeauty I found out why - they have great videos and be sure to check those out. I've devised a routine that will hopefully leave my skin looking okay as we go through customs!

I am flying late at night so won't be wearing much makeup, but what I will be wearing I will remove with cotton pads and my L'Oreal Micellar Water. I will repeat until the cotton pad is clean and then will apply my Quick Fix Facials Moisture Mask (decanted into a little pot) and leave it to sink in. I will use my eye creams from REN and Boots throughout the flight as well as moisturising my lips with Baby Lips.

Nearing the end of the 3 hour flight, I will remove the mask residue with the micellar water and use the REN Evercalm Day Cream, followed by my benefit concealer and Soap and Glory lip tint.

Keep sanitizer on hand as planes are very germy!

What are your in-flight beauty routines? Have I missed a step?

Love, Lizzie x

Soap and Glory 'The Fab Pore Facial Peel' Mask Review

Soap and Glory is one of my favourite all-rounder brands for bodycare, skincare and makeup! This mask has recently been re-relesed with slightly different packaging but I think the ingredients are results are near enough the same.

 

This mask contains small green beads that dissolve when you apply the mask to your face. It is a thick, creamy consistency that is white and dries white on the skin.

The results are smaller pores, less blemishes and less blackheads, however the results are temporary so this is one to use before big events.

All in all, this is an amazing mask but there are some better things on the market.

If you can find it in your cheap section at boots, pick it up... if not, wait for an offer!

What are your fave face masks?

Love, Lizzie x

My Thought and Favourites | X Factor 2013

Now, who's been watching the X Factor? I've always seen it on the telly but this year I'm a bit obsessed - probably because there are some amazing contestants. I've been watching all the backstage clips on the website, the Xtra Factor and downloading tons of songs. I thought it would be fun to do a run-down on the finalists, telling you my favourites and thoughts. We are 2 weeks into live shows, and so two have gone home but I'll still give my opinions. As I said, these are my opinions, if you like someone else, leave it in a comment - you may sway me! Just don't be offended!

These are the UK contestants, as I live in London - if any of you Americans would like to do this for X Factor USA, please link to it in a comment or email me as I'd love to hear some more fab music.

The Overs

Shelley Smith - I loved Shelley's bubbly personality and big voice and was sad to see her go but there are some better singers than her. Her 'Single Ladies' performance had me in fits and I've been dancing ever since!

Lorna Simpson - I don't have too many opinions on Lorna - she had a lovely voice but left week one so I didn't get to love her as much as I could have - her auditions were fabulous though!

Sam Bailey - Oh, that power! Her performances always hit me and she has to go far! I loved the makeover and she looks great!

The Groups

 Rough Copy - Though their dress sense is an acquired taste (not mine), their music is awesome and I look forward hearing their covers each week. And isn't the baby cute!

Miss Dynamix - Poor SeSe, hope her and the baby stay well for next Saturday! This girls are feisty and their music always makes me want to dance - so glad Gary put them through.

Kingsland Road - The hair, the voices, the clothes - these boys could be the next 1D - however, not being a particularly enthusiastic Directioner, I like them but are not an obsessed teen gal'.

The Girls

 Tamera Foster - Her way to almost tell a story through song is amazing and I am so impressed with her voice. If she's a fave of James Arthur, she's a fave of mine!

Hannah Barrett - My fave girl by far, she could sing for England and win. Her audition had me crying too!

Abi Alton - I love the quirky ones and they need to let Abi be herself, not make her do the awkward dance routines! I love Abi but she could be in trouble if she is forced to dance again - it's a singing competition, not Strictly!

The Boys

 Sam Callahan - For me, he needs a lot of work - he is a hard worker but I think Louis could have chosen better. He's just not my taste, but I know a lot of you will love him. I loved his Jason Mraz cover, though!

Nicholas McDonald - Sweet, and he could win but not my favourite. The Robbie Williams songs suit him well, and I look forward to his movie week performance.

Luke Friend - Saved the best for last - Luke is my absolute favourite and I have been listening to his music non-stop (I may be listening to it right now!). His Ont'Sofa sessions were amazing and his cover of Wherever You Will Go had me crying on the train. Plus, he's really cute and his hair is defo to my taste (though some of you may hate it!).

Who are your favourites? 

Love, Lizzie x

PS: Comment freely, unless you're going to hate on Luke x

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag? 2013 | Corfu Beach Edition

 

I'm off on a Greek getaway everybody and I am excited! I've just packed my makeup bag and these are my favourite posts to read so I thought I'd list what's in my travel makeup bag!

Nip+Fab Shine Fix Primer | MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation | Witch BB Cream

Rimmel Highlighter | elf blush/bronzer duo | Max Factor Cream Blush

elf powder | Maybelline Concealer | Collection Concealer

Too Faced Primer | Maybelline Colour Tattoo On and On Bronze | Clinique Eyeshadow Duo

L'Oreal Waterproof Mascara | Collection Brow Gel | UNE Brow Pencil

Revlon Eyeliner Duo Emerald Empire | Diego Dalla Palma Eyeliner | Sharpener

Revlon Lip Butter Sweet Tart | Maybelline Peach Baby Lips | Eyelash Curlers

Stipple Brush | Buffing Brush | Eyeshadow Brush 

Spoolie | Concealer Brush | Contour Brush

Are you holidaying anywhere soon? What are your travel essentials?

Love, Lizzie x

Autumn/Winter Blush Favourites | Natural Collection, Une and more!

I love blusher and love the berry and neutral tones for Autumn so these are my faves and they are all drugstore!!!

  

1. Soap and Glory Cheekmate

This gives a gorgeous berry flush to the cheeks and lasts for ages on the skin. However, it does stain the fingers after application!

2. UNE Breezy Cheeks Blush in B03

I've heard all the raves from jessicabeautician.blogspot.co.uk and have been hunting for this for ages. Found on Fragrance Direct, purchased and I am in love! This is so easy to blend and makes my cheeks look naturally flushed.

3. e.l.f mineral blush in joy

This is a gorgeous natural colour that adds a mauve tint to the apples and is perfect for everyday.

4. Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in Sugar Plum

The most brown natural blush I own which is perfect for sculpting the face and adding a slight warmth.

5. e.l.f studio blush in blushing rose

A very pink toned berry with lots of gold shimmer - it's a lovely 'I've been out in the snow' shade!

6. e.l.f studio blush in berry merry

Very similar to the other, but a little more mauve and cooler but you really only need one of these!

What are your fave A/W blushes?

Love, Lizzie x

Lazy Day Essentials | My Weekend Must-Haves

I love lazing about on the weekend and on getting up until midday on a Saturday! I'm so terrible! I do have a few essentials though so read on to see what I use!

I need cute PJs in order to focus but a onesie will do too - I need a fox onesie now! 

I love facial sprays for refreshing my face and keeping me awake!

Magazines are so good to read in bed but books are fabby too!

My ipad is a must to check blogs, youtube and to play candy crush!

Spin pins are great for pulling my hair up quickly and easily and they don't pull my hair out!

What are your lazy essentials?

Love, Lizzie x

Revlon Colourstay/Colorstay Normal/Dry Skin 150 Buff Review | Hot... or Not?

After 'lusting' after colorstay for a good few months, I was making a Fragrance Direct order and found it for 1/3 off. Deciding that I would take the somewhat plunge of adding it to my basket, I wondered whether it would live up to the humungous hype surronding it. Well, one month on, I have made myt decision on whether revlon colourstay is hot... or not.

I think it is HOT! It lasts for ages on my skin and can be applied with fingers, brushes or sponges depending on what coverage you want. It isn't cakey and is super buildable without looking like your face is a foundation palette.

I love the shade match - buff is perfect for me and the spf 20 doesn't flash back too badly in photos either. 

Overall, a fab foundation but I do wish it came with a pump! Hey-ho though as the product is worth the money and hype for sure!

Go get you some!

Have you tried colourstay? What do you think?

Love, Lizzie x

Matte Nails With NYC | Nails Inc. New King's Road NOTD

Most of my NOTD posts have been Nails Inc colours as I loove them and have tonnes but my fave colour is New King's Road; a deep navy with gold shimmer shot through it.

I love deeper shades for A/W so I'm starting already. 

I thought I'd change it up a bit by using my NYC Matte Me Crazy top coat to make them matte and they look awesome! Definitely worth a try! You can also make them matte with steam - michellephan has a tutorial on that!

Have you tried matte nails?

Love, Lizzie x

MUA Smokin' Palette Review and Swatches | A Dupe for Urban Decay Smoked?

 I didn't think I'd get my hands on the new MUA palettes as my superdrug hasn't got the best MUA stand but I popped in whilst waiting for my friend and there they were! Score!

This palette is perfect for autumn/winter with 4 matte shades and 6 shimmer - it also has a free eyeliner!

The jewel tones at the bottom are perfect to make eye colours pop and the 6 top shades are slightly more neutral but make a great smokey eye!

Pros:

 Great pigmentation

Good shade selection

Creamy pencil

Long lasting shadows

Super-blendable shadows

Price - only £6!

Cons:

Not lid for pencil

Small amount of fallout (darker shades)

smoked palette c/o nerdygirlmakeup.com

I think this is a great alternative for the Urban Decay Smoked and the swatches show how amazing it is!

Definitely worth a try! X

Have you got either of these palettes? Will you be picking this up?

Love, Lizzie x

PS: Thanks for supporting me through 100 posts! Amazing milestone x

Finding a good... eye cream

I have been on a quest to find a good eye cream for a while. All I want is for it to be affordable and it to hydrate my dry eyes!

I've tried all the super inexpensive ones on the market and none of them do too much but this boots vitamin e one is pretty good.

So, this post is just to ask for eye cream recommendations for dry eyes x

Love, Lizzie x

Products Not Worth The Hype | Overhyped Beauty Products

*Sorry this post's a bit late but I had a classics quiz and many other geeky things to do! Tomorrow's post will be up on time! X Lizzie X*

Ahh... Products not worth the hype. I've been sucked in many a time by bloggers raving about products and most of the time, I love the things I buy but sometimes I'm thoroughly disappointed. That's not to say I hate any of these products (I like a few of them) but I just don't think they deserve the hype they get.

Makeup

Revlon BB Cream - I like the finish, coverage and shade of this but the lasting power on my DRY skin is terrible - it lasts about an hour before going patchy or melting off (and in English weather that doesn't have an excuse!). I will wear it occasionally if I'm just popping to the shops but it would be impossible for an everyday basis.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - These just crease on me like crazy! Even with a high-end primer they crease ithin two minutes of putting them on and setting with powder. I have the shade rust which is beautiful but I cannot wear it for the fear of it smudging everywhere and creasing.

Benefit They're Real Mascara - This is a big one... I have really crappy lashes and this adds a bit of product but doesn't build up my lashes at all! I love L'Oreal mascaras way more!

Benefit Cha Cha Tint - I cannot get this product to work for me - it just leaves angry orange splotches on my cheeks or bleeds from my lips! I've tried fingers, brushes, applying it to my cheeks, applying to my hand and nothing! :( I want it to work as it's such a pretty colour.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer - This shade is far too yellow for me and doesn't blend very well... I think I got a dud product as swatched in Boots, it looks different!

Others

Nip+Fab Clean Fix Oil - This was such a disappointment as it removed my makeup amazingly and left my skin really clean but the next morning my skin was covered in little spots that became huge gross ones - when I just used it on my eyes, my eyes and temples became covered too. I think it's the mineral oil... *slaps wrist*

L'Oreal Elnett Hairspray - I like this a lot but it's no better than any other VO5 or Fudge hairspray I've tried - and it's pricier. I'll stick with Raspberry and Vanilla scented ones, thanks!

Soap and Glory Heel Genius - I've tried it as a foot cream, leave on overnight treatment, the sock thing and all that but it doesn't soften my feet at all! However, Hand Food works fab on the feet and this works amazingly on my excema-fied paws!

If you have a special method for making any of these work let me know in the comments! 

Have you tried anything not worth the hype?

Love, Lizzie x

September Beauty Favourites | Soap and Glory, Maybelline,

 Beauty favourites time! I've loved a lot of makeup and not much else this month but they'll be more in October as I'm off on holiday in three weeks! On with the favourites...

Soap and Glory For Daily Youth Moisturiser

I got this about a year ago in a Christmas set and never looked at it again but not the weather has changed my skin has become drier and this is the perfect moisturiser - it leaves the skin looking really bright and glowy!

Revlon Photoready Primer

This is my all time fave primer as it smooths and reduces pore size! I'm using it everyday for school and it keeps my bb cream on! Fabby!

Collection Lasting Perfection + Maybelline Fit Me Concealers

These two concealers are good on their own but together they make the perfect combo of lasting power, coverage, non-cakiness and colour! They look really natural under they eyes and on blemishes.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Highlighter 'Shimmering Sand'

This is definitely coming on holiday with me - it leaves a gorgeous sunkissed glow to the skin when mixed with foundation or applied as a highlighter. I may mix it with a body moisturiser on holiday to add even more glow!

Une Eyebrow Pencil 'B03'

After running out of all my eyebrow pencils about a month ago, I've now got 3 but this is my favourite - it's the perfect ashy colour and the texture is hard and quite waxy :)

Maybelline The Falsies Flared Mascara

I've had this mascara for way longer than I should have but it works so much better now than it did when it was new - I hated it back then but now it leaves me with fluttery, volumised lashes!

Revlon Balm Stain 'Charm'

I'm so glad I got this as it is my perfect lip shade! A bit peach, a bit coral - I think this would look fab on all skintones.

Rimmel Moisture Renew 'Notting Hill Nude'

This is the exact same colour as my natural lips but works well to add a bit of omph to my look whilst still looking natural!

Seventeen Supreme Shine 'Pink Posey'

And for a bright lip I've been loving this purple-pink-magenta colour from 17 but I'd say it was more matte than shiney!

Une Brow Pencil, Rimmel Highlighter, Revlon Balm, 17 Lipstick, Rimmel Lipstick

What are your September faves?

Love, Lizzie x

September Random Favourites | FOOD, TV, ETC

My first random favourites post after nearly a year of blogging - wow!

My food faves are Wispa bars - I don't know whether these are a UK only thing but they're a bit like aeros with less bubbles... yummy! Batchelor's Golden Super Rice has been a favourite of mine for a while - it's so good with everything or on its own but isn't the best for you!

I've never been a reader of InStyle magazine but this month it's been my favourite - the articles are really interesting and the free gifts are fab - you can get a REN gift set with the November issue that's only £2! I've also been reading Ken Follett's 'The Pillars of the Earth' and that was one of the best books I've ever read - recommended!

Last is Some Girls - my friends and I have been waiting for series two for ages and it's finally here are hilarious! In love - shipping Saz and Leon x

What are your september random faves?

Love, Lizzie x

Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Refreshing Gel-Cream With Peach Review

 I must admit I'm not the best person when it comes to moisturising - it's a tedious task that leaves my hands slimey and gross! However, when I came across this body cream from Garnier, I was intrigued... it had the claim of instant absorbtion!

How wrong I was! I know so many bloggers love this but it didn't work for me at all - it left my legs slimey and didn't absorb quickly at all! It also made my hands really flare up with excema and it was not cool!

I think I'll try to use it up (with a glove!) but will NOT be repurchasing!!!

:( have you been disappointed with anything recently? 

Love, Lizzie x

Makeup For Glasses | Drugstore Makeup Look

 

I don't wear my glasses very often but when I do I stick to my set makeup routine - I opt for a stronger brow and darker eyes to stop them getting lost on my face!

I start with Revlon Colourstay Foundation for Normal/Dry Skin in 150 Buff and blend this into my skin with my hands as I find this the most effective method. O cover any imperfections with the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 Fair and set everything with my favourite powder by Natural Collection, focusing around the bridge of my nose where my glasses sit as makeup can tend to wiggle around there.

For my cheeks I used the Sleek Face Form Kit in Light as the bronzer is fab on my skintone and the hightlight is perfect - the blush isn't my favourite but it's not bad.

My eyebrows are incredibly important when glasses are worn as they can look a little lost - the Une Brow Pencil in BO3 is amazing - really hard but not too waxy. For my eyes I used the Bella Pierre eye base and a selection of colours from my MUA palette. The eyeliner I love the the Collection Felt Tip as it's so easy to use and lasts a long time. A rediscovered mascara is Maybelline's Falsies Flared - I didn't like it at first but now I love it!

Finally, I used Berry Smoothie Lip Butter from Revlon for that Autumnal lip look.

Do you wear glasses? What is your go-to routine?

Love, Lizzie x