Athens Wishlist #6 | Summer 'Wants' List 2014

I am super excited for my trip to Athens in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS eek! I'm glad to say that the hotel has wifi, thank God don't know what I would have done without facebook//instagram//snapchat//messenger, and I can imagine how most of us girls are going to be after we arrive at the hotel (ie barging past the teacher screaming 'what's the password!!!'). There is a dress code we have to follow whilst on this trip, which mostly consists of no bum-skimming shorts or flashing your undies. I have opted for dresses during the hot days as they're an easy option for not a lot of effort. I do need to pick up a few supplies before I go so I set out the 'fun' bits in this post.

They have said no ballet flats or sandals for our walks, to which my reaction was that I own no other shoes, so I need some trainers. These plain H&M ones look easy, and for £15 seem a bargain, though they have to fit my wide feet!

I have run out of Effaclar Duo right at the moment when I'm breaking out the most (embarassing story actually, thanks mother nature for coming as I finish my spot treatment and in the middle of a drama workshop at the Globe. Thanks. Really appreciate it.)  I'll pick this up on a flying visit to Boots tomorrow along with...

... Essie's Watermelon. A shade I've wanted for a while, this pink will be perfect for my hands and toes over the summer as it's so bright and, well, summery!

This H&M skirt is something I've wanted for a while, a complete steal at less than a tenner, I love the loose fit and prints. I need them all, but am waiting for them to have 10s in stock as the length of the eight is a tad butt skimming.

Lastly I need a hat. No hats fit my titchy head or just look weird. I.E. (in my humble opinion) snapbacks=chav // baseball cap=sporty // bowler=winter. Trilby hats look best but they are always too big, maybe I need to look in the kids' section...

What's on your summer wishlist? Any holiday plans?

Love, E X

instagram: @hi_lizziep // twitter: @ablushedblonde

Don't want to make do, just want to tell you I like you | Summer June 2014 Wedding Guest OOTD

 dress - dorothy perkins // shoes - new look // bag - primark // necklace - next

I love weddings, and for me this was the perfect outfit to wear for this hot sticky day. My role in this ceremony was babysitter - the woman I babysit for wanted to be able to have fun at the wedding so I was roped in to look after her darling devilish daughter so I needed to be able to move about and run after a 3 year old - fun! The flatform shoes let me run easily without slipping and the dress is super comfy so it's easy to move in. My bag was stashed under a table most of the day. I will admit to putting my hair into a messy bun during the service as I did not fancy being bald thanks to little miss emma becoming very bored and pulling at my locks.

I think this dress will be perfect for an Athens day (less than 3 weeks as you're reading this!) and am uber excited for my holiday - anyone fancy a packing post?

Love, E X

(title lyrics from: Just Right by Tessa Violet)

Makeup Revolution Eyeshadow in Promised Land Review + Swatches | Dupe for MAC All That Glitters?

I recently made a cheeky little superdrug order of 4 bits from Makeup Revolution, a newly launched brand that is of a similar price range to MUA and has been receiving many wonderful reviews. I only ordered a few things but I'm really impressed so far and reviews should be up over the next few weeks.

Today's product review is on the single eyeshadow in Promised Land - this is super pigmented, metallic and such a great buttery consistency for just £1! I love the rose-gold hue and it reminds me a lot of MAC's All That Glitters for just a tenth of the cost. I would definitely recommend picking up a shade or two of these as the colours are gorgeous and the quality is awesome!

What will you try from Makeup Revolution?

Love, E X

The Girl Problems Tag

Hey everyone, today I thought I'd do a bit more of a chatty post. I saw 'The Girl Problems Tag' on rougeinlove97's youtube channel and I thought it looked interesting so I decided to do it myself. So here are my answers to the 8 questions...

1. What's worse - chipped nail polish or no nail polish at all?

I think for me this is chipped nail polish as most of the time I have bare naked nails. I hate having chipped nail polish as I think it looks messy and doesn't appeal to my style at all.

2. Name an instance where you 'had to have it' in every colour.

This has to be my Natural Collection blushes, of which I have every single colour they offer and love them!

3. Do you keep Christmas lights in your room all year round? Be honest!

No, I don't keep lights *only a few silver decorations sshh!*

4. What shade do you go for, peachy-pink or Barbie pink?

I like both but I think I usually play it safe with peachier pinks than brighter pinks, but I love Barbie pink attire.

5. When packing for a weekend away, how many 'in case I don't feel like wearing that' outfits do you pack?

One or two most of the time, as I like to have options - I'm quite a good packer in that I take things I know I feel comfortable in and like to wear but we all have those days.

6. Who is your MCM (man crush monday) that you keep a secret?

Douglas Booth. It's not that much of a secret that the 21 year old Great Expectations, Romeo and Juliet and The Pillars of the Earth actor is my only celebrity weakness. Unless of course you count Kate Moss and *cough* Hugh Grant *cough*.

7. How many nail polishes do you own?

Quite a few I'd say, I won't count them as they occupy any hidden space in my house and it would take hours finding them all but approximately a hundred.

8. Which is your favourite eye brow?

I thought long and hard about this one but I think it's my left - it's a bit neater and does what I want it to most of the time ;)

If you have a blog, I personally tag you to do this!

Love, E X 

Neal's Yard Lavender and Aloe Vera Deodorant Review | Does this natural deodorant work?

My mum was gifted this from a friend of her's who had also been given it as a present, however they were both too coward to use it as it's not your generic deodorant. But me, I jumped at the opportunity to try a natural deodorant. So is it any good? I'll argue that with myself now:

#1: It honks. Not really like lavender or aloe vera, more just a very herbal, medicinal scent that Neal's Yard uses in a lot of their products. Doesn't really float my boat but I'm sure many people love it.

#2: It's a jet squirt. The spray literally squirts onto your armpits so you end up using a lot more than you need - probably should change the cap to more of a mist.

#3: It stings slightly when you apply it. You can feel a little burning sensation under your pits when you first spray but that goes very quickly and is nothing I can't handle. However, I would not recommend applying to abraded skin - owch!

#4: It does keep me from perspiring. Like, it works. Post-dance workout and I'm feeling a little sweaty but I can reapply.

#5: I love the packaging (other than the cap). It looks very chic and feels expensive due to the glass bottle.

Overall, if you're into natural beauty I would try it, it's only £8 (though I don't think it would last long) and it does work as a deodorant.

What natural beauty products have you tried?

Love, E X

 

Summer Everyday Makeup Look | Featuring Rimmel//Stila//Revlon//Maybelline

 

 

#1: I realise the picture of my face is awful and doesn't really show you anything, but I'd just got back from watching a cricket game in the heat, cheering very loudly and not really caring if my lipstick melted off. 

and #2: If you look closely, you can see some acne. This is how amazing I feel this makeup look to be as my skin currently looks AWFUL. Like, really bad awful. So a lot of the redness, pigmentation and active acne is covered well.

I've been wearing this makeup look at the weekend and when I go out all the time recently as it's been warm and I've been wanting my face not to melt off. So here's what I do and what I use:

 

 

I always start with an SPF - La Roche Posay is my favourite, their fluid is dabomb.com. Then I apply primer, for which I've been mixing Rimmel Stay Matte (which is pretty much all gone) with Benefit's Porefessional. After that I move onto foundation, and my absolute favourite foundation for daytime is the Rimmel Match Perfection as it blends so easy, covers all and looks effortlessly natural. I'm in love with Maybelline concealers: Age Rewind for my bags and Fit Me for my blemishes. I tend to powder after I've applied my cheek products, but for that I use the 17 Miracle Matte.

 

For my cheeks, the Stila Lip and Cheek Palette is my one true love - Gerbera is my fave (middle shade). Then I tend to apply my Une Natural Bronzer in H08 all over my face and neck, focusing under the cheekbones and jaw. For summer I skip highlight as I find I get enough glow throughout the day.

 

Eyes are kept super simple with a bit of smudgey Stila Oscarfish Liner along the top and bottom lashlines and some Max Factor Black/Brown Mascara. Brows stay put with the Gosh Brow Gel and MUA PowerBrow in Blonde. Finally for lips I go for a brighter option or bare - a great one is Revlon Sweet Tart Lip Butter.

 

 

What's your summer everyday look?

 

Love, E X

 

 

Primark Haul Blog June 2014 | + A Bit of Beauty from Superdrug

 Today I popped into my local Primark to just pick up some bobby pins and then... this happened! Thought I would share what I picked up, along with a couple of bits from Superdrug.

 First thing I chose was this cushion I remember seeing in a haul on The Persian Babe (Barbara's) channel. It is a simple cotton material with the word 'hug' and its definition - would love to see more words put on cushions like this! It was a bargain too at just £4.

I've been looking for loose-fitting v neck tees in Primark a lot recently, and this is the only 'staple' colour I could find - they had white but it was completely see-through. I love this style to wear over distressed jeans (I distress my own jeans at home, don't buy them distressed!) or with shorts and it was only £4 also.

Next were these £1 flip flops - if you've been following my blog for a while you'll know that I pick up a couple of pairs of Primark flip flops every year as I don't tend to suit sandals and these are so comfy for me.

What I went in for - bobby pins - and another pair of sunglasses: these are the men's tortoiseshell wayferer style that cost just £1.50. I prefer the men's to the women's as they fit around the eyes a little less straight.

Last from Primark is this men's button-up shirt which cost me just £5 - I tend to steal all my dad's shirts and wear them as shown in the second picture, as they make the perfect replacement cardis in cooler weather. I picked up mine in a 15" collar which is a size smaller than my dad and fits my neck fine.

The couple of superdrug bits are this ViviannaDoesMakeup-raved Rimmel BB Tan in the Light Matte variety - can't wait to try this out on my pins, they're looking a little pale even with my Dove gradual tanner applied 4 times! This was about £4. The second product is one of the new MUA Velvet Lip Laquer shades in Serene. It's a much brighter pink than my camera is showing - think a pinker St Germain. It is beautiful and the formula of these is amazing for £3 each!

Thought I'd mention the amazing underwear Primark is currently offering - I didn't really feel comfortable showing my undies on the interwebs (my (guy)friends can read this blog!) but they have gorgeous sets for smaller-boobed girls (A-C cup) with bras and pants in a variety of colours for £3!! - I picked up mint green but am going back for ALL others! They also have adorable knickers if you need some new ones!

What have you bought recently?

Love, E X

June InstaUpdate #1 | Life Lately

 As many of you will know I have recently joined the insta-world and I am loving it! @hi_lizziep if you want to follow me, I post a couple of times a week. However, I will be doing monthly//every other month updates on the pictures I have been instagramming: this is number 1...

 

#glasses-selfie  |  best way to start a saturday - #luckycharms

#ootds for the weekend  |  #homework and #hair on a sunny afternoon

#motorsportatthepalace  |   #ootds for the weekend #monochrome

#halfterm - new look jumpsuit//visiting family//ice cream//pret is a train essential//george smith's voice! *insert heart-eyed emoji!*//kensington palace  |  looking at 70s family photos + the pj shorts make their 3rd blog appearance

Follow me on instagram! What have you been posting?

Love, E X

Top 5 Skincare Favourites Under £5 Pounds | #5Under5

Welcome to the second installment of my #5Under5 series. Today's top picks under £5 are all skincare-related so if you enjoy a good bargain be sure to check these out. In no particular order...

1 - Byphasse Micellar Solution: I found this in BeautyBase in Westfield White City - I couldn't believe that 500ml of makeup remover was just £2.50 so I picked it up. It's just as good as the L'Oreal and B.Pure ones I've tried and at half the price for double the amount it's worth the tube journey!

2 - Simple Sunkissed Moisture Cream: A discovery from last summer, this light face moisturiser is hydrating but also provides a subtle gradual glow which isn't streaky and can be applied like a normal moisturiser, great for us pasty gals.

3 - Kleenex Oil Blotting Sheets: Mine were found for 99p from the 99p store however in Superdrug they only cost around £3. I love these for carrying around in my blazer so I don't need a powder at school - they reduce shine and oiliness so well, and they're really inexpensive compared to ones from The Body Shop that I used prior to finding these.

4 - Mudd Face Mask: This clay-based mask is my absolute fave for clearing out my skin and reducing breakouts, I apply it to my entire upper body when I'm in the bath to help really clean my skin. I also love mixing in a little bit with my cleansing butter to really enhance my cleansing routine.

5 - St Ives Apricot Scrub: My first ever item of skincare, something my mum bought for me when I was about 10 and it's been a love affair ever since. It is quite an abrasive scrub (wouldn't really recommend it for a beginner!) so not for sensitive skins but it does leave a smooth finish and works well at helping prevent acne.

Do you have any HG skincare picks which are super inexpensive?

Love, E X