The Touch-Up Bag: Winter 2014 | Day-to-Night Handbag Essentials

 

I've started a new series for A Blushing Blonde - it's called 'The Touch-Up Bag' and they'll be seasonal. I always carry a little makeup bag with me containing a few items to turn my day look into a night look quickly, and those products tend to chage a few times a year. I thought I'd share what's in my touch up bag with you all!

Hair: Toni & Guy Glamour Firm Hold Hairspray (50ml)

I tend to wear my hair up in the day and down at night but to add some glamour to messier hair (or, in winter, hat hair), I like to smooth it down but add volume with hairspray, and this one from Toni & Guy isn't crunchy but adds a bit of life into dead, end of the day locks.

Makeup: Clinique High Impact Mascara, MUA Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde, Seventeen Supreme Shine Lipstick in Deep Secret

I don't like to faff about with eyeshadow when I only have a few minutes in the ladies' loos so I tend to go for a bolder lip instead - my choice is Seventeen's 'Deep Secret' as it's easy to apply (the packaging is a mirror!) and the colour is just gorgeous! To add some definition to my eyes I like bolder brows, and the pencil I chose was the MUA pencil as it's only £1 and has a brush on the end. Then, finally, to build up them lashes I apply a couple extra coats of Clinique's High Impact Mascara as it doesn't go clumpy and doesn't smudge.

Nails: Nails Inc. Glamour Glitter

If I have time I'll paint on a glitzy top coat to make my talons sparkle - I find a bit of glitter makes everything more polished (get it?).

Fashion: Statement Necklace

My favourite way to make a casual outfit a bit dressier is with a piece of statement jewellry - it's so simple yet so effective and it's not too much hassle to carry a necklace or two to jazz up an outfit.

What do you carry in your touch-up bag?

Love, E X

Cleansing Oil Convert | The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil Review

It's official - I'm a cleansing oil convert. I haven't touched micellar solutions since Christmas. I've been neglecting my HG eye makeup remover. All for The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil (£10).

This Caroline Hirons-approved cleanser is step one in my two-step cleansing routine. It removes makeup amazingly - even L'Oreal Telescopic Waterproof; wowzas. I use one pump on dry skin, massage in for about a minute, then add some hot water to my hands and emulsify into a milky consistency. If I'm feeling lazy, then I just use a hot cloth and remove, or if I'm feeling fancy I use my No7 Cleansing Brush with some hot water and use that in circular motions over my face and it works fabulously, removing all traces of makeup!

I am so impressed with this cleanser and am yet to try the Cleansing Butter and Makeup removers that I have, but I've got high hopes!

What are your favourite cleansers?

Love, E X

The Weekend Post #3: What's on my iPod? #2 | Music I'm Loving inc Mumm-ra, Luke Friend and Tom Law

Sorry the picture's a bit terrible, it was taken at 7am this morning on the way to a maths workshop. So, I love music, so much so that my parents refer to me as 'the walking jukebox' as I seem to carry music with me everywhere. I love finding new music to love, and these are my current faves - I'm going to try and do this post seasonally, but considering my last one was in August I don't think I'm particularly good at remembering...

My favourites are marked with ♥s

Abi Alton - I Will Survive

Abi Alton - Livin' On A Prayer

♥ Aiden Grimshaw - Curtain Call

Avicii - Wake Me Up

♥ Bastille - Flaws

Bastille - Pompeii

♥ Ben Howard - Keep Your Head Up

♥ Ben Howard - Only Love

Ben Howard - The Fear

Ben Howard - The Wolves

♥ Colorfire - Rocks and the Sea

Colorfire - Don't Let the Lovers Die

David Julien - She Will Be Loved

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home

Ellie Goulding - Guns and Horses

♥ Ellie Goulding - How Long Will I Love You

Ellie Goulding - The Writer

Ellie Goulding - Your Song

♥ ELO - Mr Bluesky

♥Emma Stevens - Riptide

Gabrielle Aplin - Panic Cord

Gary Barlow - Let Me Go

Gym Class Heroes - Stereo Hearts

Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood

♥ Haim - Running If You Call My Name

Half Moon Run -  Full Circle

Hayley Richman - Young and Beautiful

Hey Monday - Candles

♥ Ingrid Michaelson - Can't Help Falling In Love (Like Crazy)

♥ The Killers - Mr. Brightside

Lauren Aquilina - Sinners

Lawson - Juliet

Lucy Spraggan - Mountains

Lucy Spraggan - Yes, This One's For You

Lucy Spraggan - Lighthouse

♥ Luke Friend - Old Pine

Luke Friend - One Day Like This

♥ Luke Friend - Best Thing I Never Had

♥ Luke Friend - I Will Wait

♥ Luke Friend - Kiss From a Rose

Luke Friend - Basically Older

♥ Luke Friend - Commitments

Mumm-ra - Your Father's Son

♥ Mumm-ra - Technicolour

♥ Mumm-ra - Jeremy

Of Monsters and Men - King and Lionheart

♥ Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound

♥ The Paper Kites - Bloom

Passenger - Let Her Go

Phillip Phillips - Home

Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah

Robyn - Dancing On My Own

♥ Stars - Dead Hearts (Like Crazy)

Taylor Swift - Red

♥ Taylor Swift - Story of Us

Taylor Swift - Everything Has Changed

♥ Tom Law - If I Ever Lost You

♥ Tom Law - Thrift Shop (English Version)

Tom Law - Same Love

♥ The Vamps - Wild Heart

The 1975 - The City

♥ The 1975 - Sex

The 1975 - Chocolate

The 1975 - Girls

♥ 5SOS - Heartbreak Girl

5SOS - Try Hard

5SOS - Wherever You Are

So, now you know my music taste and can tell who my favourites are. Yes, Luke Friend, The 1975, Ellie Goulding, 5SOS and Mumm-ra triumph as some of my faves, but you have to check out the music from the film Like Crazy as it's amazing, and listen out for my fave line in any song ever in The Paper Kites' Bloom - the whole world it is sleeping, but my whole world is you. Cute.

What are your favourite songs? 

Love, L X

 

 

Stila Colour Me Pretty Convertible Colour Lip & Cheek Palette Review and Swatches | Kitten, Peony, Gerbera, Rose, Petunia

 

 

 Let's just take a minute to look at those swatches. Just look at them... b.e.a.utiful. I received this gorgeous Stila Colour Me Pretty Convertible Colour Palette for Christmas and I LOVE it.

The shades included are: Kitten (champagne highlight), peony (neutral brown-pink), gerbera (peach-pink), rose (bright dark pink) and petunia (bright barbie pink). All these shades are really wearable and the blush shades (not kitten) are all available in the larger £16 size.

The formula is perfect - creamy and sticky enough for the cheeks but not too creamy or sticky for the lips. The Convertible colours have received a lot of blogger hype and I must admit, they're worth it! 

This palette is still available from stila.co.uk, which has amazing customer service and shipping so I'd definitely recommend placing an order (it's only £19.50!).

Have you tried anything from stila? What's your fave?

Love, L X

The Lip Crayon Bandwagon | Drugstore Lip Crayon Review Including Seventeen, Revlon, MUA & Soap and Glory

I love lip products, and have recently been really loving lip crayons. First were the Clinique Chubby Sticks, then the high street brought out some amazing 'dupes'. I have four different lip crayon options, of which each have been awarded a title.

The Glossiest - Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Sticks, £8, review here

I own four shades of this amazing chubby stick, making it my favourite of the bunch. The colour selection is great, but these ones triumph due to their glossy finish. They shine on the lips, giving a fuller-lipped-look (not Katie Price-esque, but plump enough!). Their amazing vanilla scent and taste also adds to the amazingness.

The Most Pigmented - Seventeen Lip Crayon in Knockout, £4.99
A present from Lauren, this Seventeen bargain is gives your lips a pop of dark berry. Shiny, smooth and as bright and concerntrated as a lipstick, this chubby stick is fab for a fiver!

The Longest Lasting - Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, £7.99, review here (charm)
These Revlon balm stains were the first high street chubby sticks, and are the bomb when it comes to lasting power. I've been out for a whole day, eating etc and have topped up once! Brilliant. Cannot. Recommend. Enough.

The Most Moisturising - MUA Power Pout, £3, review here
The cheapest of the bunch, these terribly named lip crayons are amazing for a sheer tint of colour. The orange shade (justify) is amazing for a pop of orange whilst still looking natural. And because the stain, the colour lasts quite a while on the lips.



What are your favourite lip crayons?

Love, L X

The Weekend Post #2: My Week in Pictures

 For this Weekend Post I thought I'd show you some pictures from my Winter break. It was so great, and although we had to cancel our weekend away due to my uncle's accident, we still had a great Christmas between home and the hospital, so I thought I'd share. (sadly for you, the hospital wouldn't let me photograph my uncle's awsome looking leg, which is currently in a cage with pins holding it together. To me, it looks awsome, but to some of you, it'd probably look gross. I'll leave you with that mental image!)

 Rummikub, oh how I love and despise you!

 My everyday evening - feta, tomatoes and Wonderful-You.

 My Christmas goodies (elaborated on here)

 Christmas PJs

Good Morning (ie let me sleep face)

 OOTD - Christmas Day

 *surprised face*

FOTD - Christmas Day

selfie - I look weird with my eyes closed!

table decor

 gingham - my idea.

 cards in the hall - dad's idea

 my teddy in nan's slippers - grandad's idea

 

tree and cards

 

 new jammies!

What did you get up to this Christmas?

Love, L X

elf (eyeslipsface.co.uk) 50% Off Sale Haul | January 2014 | UK Blog elf Haul

 

 Today I have the second haul instalment, this one is an elf haul, including some of their sale items with the rest at 50% off during a voucher code period. *'Scuse the change in picture background, the lighting was all over the place so I changed location!*

 

  

 I bought two of the new elf studio moisturising lipsticks in the shades ravishing rose and pink minx. Pink Minx is for my friend Becca for her birthday, but ravishing rose is more me - a deep plummy brown that is super creamy and the colour is really highly saturated. I'd recommend picking one of these up if you're making an order.

 

 On the recommendation of Alice from BeautyByAlicee, I bought the Mineral Eyeshadow Primer to use instead of my Too Faced Shadow Insurance. It's working well so far, better than the £1.50 one did.

 

 

 

 Another one for me, one for Becca product was this Eye Enhancing Eyeshadow Palette, normally £8 but on sale for £2.40! For Becca, I bought the brown eyes 2 shade which has some pretty purples in it, and for me I bought blue eyes 1, which is neutral. As you can see from the swatches, they're all moderately pigmented, and this would be perfect for travel as it has that essential matte brown for crease work, lighter everyday shades then darker browns for smokier looks.

 

 

 From the studio line, I've wanted the blush and bronzing cream for ages but it's always sold out. Well, it wasn't this time so I ordered it and it's worth all the hype it gets! A review is coming soon!

 

 I bought an empty custom compact for some loose soap and glory shadows I had as mentioned in my last post, and they fit perfectly. This compact is really sturdy and I expect it'd fit mac eyeshadows too if you wanted a cheaper palette option.

 

 A brush I wanted was the small stipple brush. I had the larger one but it broke :( so I decided to order the smaller one and it has so many uses - a blog post is in the works on 10 uses for the elf small stipple brush!

 

 A hyped product that I gave into was the wet gloss lash and brow clear mascara. It does leave my brows a little crispier than I'd like but I'll use it for £1.50.

 Last is an essential brush for me, the eye crease brush. I love this for lower lash line work and creating the outer-v definition all the youtube gurus love! It picks up colour well and the two I have don't shed at all!

Have you been tempted by anything from elf? What are your favourites?

Love, L X