Recent Beauty Buys

I love a good beauty haul, and it's been a rather long time since I last bought anything beauty related. When I noticed I was running a little low on my moisturiser and my everyday perfume was getting dangerously low, I decided to have a little browse through Feelunique, and restocked on my moisturiser, picked up a new perfume, and generally treated myself to a few things (with my student discount obv). As I'm recently getting back into blogging, I thought this post would be nice and simple to ease my way back into things. So here we go!

Firstly, I picked up my beloved Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for Normal/Combination skin. I've used this nearly everyday for the last 2-3 years, and I can't live without it! I usually purchase the monthly deal from Liz Earle's website, but I was only low on the moisturiser so I just thought I'd pick this up. I know it works out more expensive in the long run, but I've been really trying to use up all my products and just keep what I enjoy using. Speaking of enjoying, I received a little 'try me' sample of the Juicy Couture I Am Juicy Couture perfume a while ago, and I immediately fell in love. I wouldn't usually buy something from a brand like Juicy Couture, but the perfume speaks for itself. Yes the packaging is a little too tacky for my taste, but I'll probably lose the lid in a week anyway. Plus the 30ml bottle was on offer for £18.50 so it was a win win really. 

Since we have started getting the odd few days of sun, I thought it important to pick up an SPF designed specifically for the face. I have recently read Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes, and she says it is vital that you wear a facial SPF, so after consulting with my fave beauty blogs, I picked up the La Roche Posay 50+ Anthelios XL. I have fair skin and burn like crazy, so I thought I'd take better care of my skin this summer to avoid looking like a lobster. If I do end up catching the sun a bit too much I bought the Aveda Botanical Kinetics Toning Mist. I heard Vivianna Does Makeup talk about it in a skincare video or something or other, and I thought it sounded perfect for my skin! I've used it a couple of times already and tbh save your money. It doesn't smell too nice and doesn't have any noticeable effects. #sozaveda

And finally, I caved and bought the Nuxe Réve De Miel lipbalm, and HOLY SMOKES IT'S GOOD. It is some sort of miracle worker that gives you new lips overnight. The price was the only thing that put me off but seriously, put the Vaseline in the bin and buy a pot of this - you will not regret it. I promise! Plus it looks cute on your bedside table, and tastes delicious if you're into eating lipbalm.

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A Beauty Detox Revisited

Around the same time last year I shared with you my tips on how to give your beauty collection a little clear out (here), and so many of you really seemed to relate to the post as I got tons of tweets telling me you were going to have a spring clean! When the winter season starts transitioning into spring, I religiously have a big clearout. My wardrobe has a big sort through, I clear out all unnecessary tat, I even review who I follow on social media as I simply don't have the time for annoying or negative people in my life (*goodbye to the girl who I spoke to for approximately 30 seconds during freshers week and have never seen again*) - I basically just like to take the time to declutter my entire life. SO! I thought I'd do a slightly updated version of what I told you last year and share with you some quick tips on how to declutter!

Pull everything out of one drawer/cupboard. The only way to assess the situation, is to take one drawer out at a time and empty the contents onto the floor. There is no point getting all of your possessions out at once as you will just get overwhelmed and give up before you've even started. The best thing to do is to have a little sort the things from the drawer and divide into three separate piles. One of things that should actually go in that particular drawer, one of things that belong in another places, and one of stuff to get rid of/donate/sell. Do a quick (or thorough if you have the time) clean of the drawer and put the things that should go in that particular drawer back in. 

Put a load in your car to take to charity/take rubbish outside. If you’ve bagged up a fair amount of stuff to go out, chances are it's starting to take over an area of your room. So take a couple of minutes to take the stuff out to the car so when you are next going out, you can drop it off and get rid of it. By doing this you will have more space to carry on clearing out, and it will stop you rummaging through stuff and changing your mind!

Pick up 10 things, and find a place for them. These should be things that you actually use, but that you just put down because you don't have the time to put them away properly. Like when you are doing your makeup on a morning and you leave your products tipped out on the bed because you have to dash off to catch the train. If you don’t actually have a place where these things belong, you have to find and designate a spot for them. Having a place for everything makes you much more likely to put something away after you've finished using it - trust me!

Clear everything off a surface. For example a bedside table, is there a mug from last night's cup of tea? Clear off everything possible, except maybe one or two essential things like a candle or your lamp - give the surface a quick clean, and arrange it nicely. While you're at it you can even give the ornaments a quick clean too!

Look at each item individually and decide whether or not you need it. Looking at each thing one at a time makes you more likely to make a better decision when deciding whether you want to keep it or not. With each item, ask yourself whether or not you actually need it - and if not give it away to charity or someone who will make proper use out of it!

Will you be having a spring clearout this year?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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Favourites From February

First of all, I just want to mention that my blog is back in business. Some of you may remember that towards the end of January I took a bit of a break from blogging after everything got to be a little too much for me to cope with. And whilst posts still went up, I wasn't technically here, and checking up on stats and replying to comments. But after a bit of time off, the stress has subsided slightly and I want to get back into blogging slowly - easing myself in so it's not a shock to the system. I thought the best place to start would be with a monthly favourites post as they are by far the quickest and easiest to write. But can you believe we're in March? Like whaaaaaaaat? Seriously, it will be 2017 before we know it at this rate. 

So on that note, I'll dive straight in. First up is this gorgeous daisy necklace from Whistles. As much as I've eyed things up from Whistles, I've never bought anything from them as they are so expensive! This necklace set me back £25 (£22.50 with student discount), and is by far the most I have ever spent on a single piece of jewellery. The necklace that I usually wear on a daily basis was looking a bit tarnished and grubby so I treated myself to this when I saw it. I fell head over heels for it and from the moment it arrived, it has only left my neck whilst I sleep and shower. It is so dainty, and is perfect to layer with my other necklaces!

Speaking of pricey items, the Charlotte Tilbury Chic To Chic Blush in 'Love Glow' has been my go-to blush throughout February. I've been breaking my rule about only wearing premium makeup when I go out-out, and have been treating my face to more luxury items on an everyday basis. I love that if needed, it can double up as two different blushers as the 'pop' shade looks gorgeous by itself! On the opposite end of the beauty budget, I have loved teaming the blush with the Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in 'Eastend Snob'. It took me the best part of a year to track down and purchase this particular shade, and I have certainly been wearing it to death to make up for that fact. It looks soooooo gorgeous by itself so even if you don't fancy layering it with a lipstick, you can still have gorgeous lips. It has quite a matte finish, and I'm excited to bring it into Spring and wear it with lighter bases and quite minimal makeup. 

Another favourite has been the Lush Twilight Shower Gel. I'd completely forgotten I owned this, and found it stuffed at the back of my collection at the start of the month. It was a limited edition/exclusive product in a Christmas gift set, and I have loved pairing it with the matching bath bomb as a weekend pamper treat or by itself as a weekday pick me up. I'm absolutely gutted that it is only a 100ml bottle, as I've only got a little bit left and I won't be able to repurchase it when it's all gone! *cries into Lush filled bathwater*. 

And finally! Is the Prada Candy L'eau perfume. Purchasing this was a complete accident as I was actually trying to repurchase the Florale version of the perfume that I had used up. But as perfume is usually non-returnable I thought I'd try it out anyway - and spoiler alert I FLIPPIN' LOVE IT. Now it is completely different to the Prada Candy Florale, so I don't get why they share the same name. Ey Prada? I'm terrible at describing perfumes so I'd suggest going to a shop to smell it for yourself, but I'd say it smells quite fruity - but not a fresh, girly type of fruity. It smells more musky than the Prada Candy Florale, and is more suited to autumn/winter unlike the Florale which I prefer in spring/summer. 

What have you been enjoying over the last month?
Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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September/October Favourites

Hi Friends! The last two months worth of favourites are all rather pink themed (not intentional I swear!), as I clutched onto the end of my summer holidays before going back to university. Maybe throughout November I'll start bringing back all the berry shades, but how gorgeous are all the colours in this photo though? Such beautiful shades of pink! I'm envious of my own things! I didn't do a separate September favourites post because there would have been about 2 things featured in it and I thought that a bit pointless. Instead I decided to pop the products in with my October favourites as I have continued to use them throughout the last month!

Again, I have been loving The Comforter Shower Cream from Lush - because how could I not! I have  probably had about a dozen baths out of the bottle so far and hardly any of it seems to have gone! Just showing how good the value for money is! When I talked about it in my Lush haul, I mentioned it was rather pricey but clearly you get a lot out of it! I've been using it for just around a month (?) and it took me until yesterday to realise that it has teeny tiny specs of glitter in it! Basically, if you have never smelt The Comforter range from Lush, it smells really fruity like Ribena! Mmmm! I took this photo a few weeks ago as I knew I would be super busy, and now I have used well over 60% the bottle because I am addicted to it! 

Next up is the drop dead gorgeous Prada Candy Florale perfume. OH MY GOD how obsessed am I with this??? I love EVERYTHING about it! The packaging is just beautiful, it looks so luxurious! And the smell. Oh my goodness the smell. I am rubbish when it comes to describing smells, but it smells soooo good! According to the product description it has top notes of limoncello, heart notes (what the heck is a heart note?!) of peony and base notes of musks, caramel and benzoin! It smells so fresh and clean and girly but not too girly at the same time!

For blush I have been mixing it up using the Clinique Cheek Pop in Berry Pop at the start of the month. And moving onto the NARS Powder Blush in Sin towards the end of the month. The Clinique Cheek Pop has a cream-powder finish that I have been loving as my skin has started to change with the new cold weather. It glides over skin and I can myself using it when my skin turns drier over the winter. The NARS blush is my all time favourite at the moment. It is so lightweight and buildable, and the shade is perfect for this time of year! 

I have also been mixing up what I wear on my lips. I've been loving wearing lipstick on more of an everyday basis recently - popping one on for uni or a trip out into town. The Burberry Kisses Lipstick in Sepia has to be my favourite over the last couple of months. It is so hydrating with the cold weather, plus the shade is so easy to wear in the daytime! Last but not least, I have been enjoying mixing it up by wearing the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Vintage Pink. It is so subtle and perfect for everyday and I love that it has berry undertones making it a great alternative for a nude! 

Are there any products you've been loving recently?
Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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Where To Splurge, Where To Save

One of the most well argued debates in the makeup industry is the "is high end better?" debate. Now I have briefly touched on this subject before (in my 10 things I've learnt from beauty bloggers post) and mentioned that many high end brands also own drugstore/highstreet brands and therefore the products are made using similar formulations. 
But, I'm sure there are still people out there that want to have just a little touch of luxury in the lives. Soooooo, if this seems to describe you, keep on reading to hear my thoughts on which products you could splash out on and which you should save your pennies for something else. 

The general rule I tend to follow is 'how often will I use the product?'. Things like foundation usually get used up the fastest meaning that you have to repurchase it more frequently. Now I don't know about you, but I'd rather repurchase something that costs £6.99 rather than something that costs £36.99. So I try and avoid buying expensive foundations, concealers and powders now matter how amazing they sound. They could cure colds and I'd probably like to save my hard earned money for something else (waves goodbye to NARS Sheerglow and Dior Airflash foundations). 

Products I use less of or less frequently like lipstick, highlighter, blush and bronzer are the products I see the potential for spending more on. You often use less of these types of products so for the money you spend on them, the more you will get out of them. Money well spent!

Another rule I try to follow is 'will I still want to wear this in six months time?'. Theres no point splashing out on something when it's just a short lived trend. I want products that are classic and versatile. Many products have a good use-by date on them so will last you a long time if its something you really like and not something thats going to be sat in the back of a drawer gathering dust. 

What are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to spend or save?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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March Favourites

I can't believe how fast this month has gone! Seems like only two minutes since I was heading back to university after the Christmas holidays, now I am home for Easter and in a few weeks I will be home for the start of summer! Boom - first year of university over and done with! 

But with a new month comes the promise of a new monthly favourites post. And I must say, however, that this month's favourite products edge towards the high end of the price spectrum. And for that I can only apologise but I these are the products that I have genuinely been loving over the past month. 

I have continued to love using the products that I featured in last month's favourite post but I didn't want to repeat myself for you regular readers, so consider these additions to my favourites archive. 

I have noticed myself feeling more 'urghh' in the mornings recently and so the Chanel No5 Eau Premiere perfume has been one of my go-to fragrances for the month of March. I think any day can be brightened with a touch of Chanel and recently I have been needing this a lot more!

Along with the general 'urghh' mood, my skin could have been described using the same adjective. However, the NARS Copacabana Illuminator has been adding the well needed 'pzaz' and 'oomf' giving me the beautiful touched by the angels look that I so strongly desire. The formulation is truly beautiful and looks so natural when applied over foundation. NARS also do it in quite a few different shades so if this one isn't for you, why not check out the others they have to offer!

NARS have clearly been the brand of choice for me this last month as I have also been loving the cult classic Blush in 'Sin'. It is a gorgeous berry shade with just a hint of shimmer running through it, and although we are transitioning into the spring like weather I have been wearing this religiously. Even if I feel like I should be wearing bright shades of pink to coincide with the blooming flowers that are popping up left right and centre.

To apply this delightful blush I have been using the 'Cheek Brush' from the Real Techniques Nic's Pics collection. At first this wasn't one of my favourite brushes in the collection but it has been growing on me a lot recently! I use it for all sorts - mainly blush, bronzer and highlight. But one morning I even found myself using it to apply my foundation, and I must say it did a fantastic job! But then what RT brush doesn't?

Towards the start of the month my beloved Soap and Glory mascara had dried up to the point where it was starting to clump and go everywhere. Until I could get to Boots to buy another one I started to use the Benefit Bad Gal Lash mascara which I found untouched at the back of a drawer whilst doing my beauty cleanse and detox a few weeks ago. After just a few days (and repurchasing my beloved mascara) I found myself using it more and more! Now as you can see, it has become one of my favourites! 

What have you all been loving over the last month? Found any great dupes for my favourites.. Let me know!

Thanks for reading as always,

Love Charlotte x

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Fragrance Favourites

At the start of the year I had a little clear out of my perfume collection as I had no real reason to justify keeping hundreds (not really) of empty or near empty bottles other than because they "look pretty". 

Since clearing out my collection, I have been able to buy more or repurchase ones that I simply haven't had room for (as the empty bottle collection was getting rather out of hand). 

Now as well as buying a few others, I have also 'shopped my stash' - rediscovering perfumes that I haven't used in a long time. As I store my perfumes properly (in the dark = sunlight ruins them), they are able to last for quite some time, which means I can get the most money out of them. 

On a day to day basis, I tend to wear Daisy by Marc Jacobs, buy have been loving wearing Candy by Prada as it is so light and fresh - trying to mix up what I wear as we begin to transition into spring!

What scents have you been wearing recently?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

Smell The Roses

Forget the idea of a new year a new you, I've been following the notion of a new year, a new fragrance (or two for that matter). On a day to day basis I usually wear Daisy by Marc Jacobs, but over the last few months I've been switching up what I wear nearly every other day. I feel so fickle! So with the money I was gifted with at Christmas, I bought these to add to my perfume collection!

First on the cards is the classic Chanel No5. I chose to buy the Eau Premiere rather than the Eau de Parfume as it is described as being more citrusy and floral and I usually go for that type of fragrance. Most floral and citrusy fragrances don't tend to last on the skin very long, but the musky undertones in this means that it has tremendous staying power! The Eau Premiere is redesign of the original scent as is aimed at attracting younger women and other individuals who find the traditional scent too overpowering. I do like both scents but I thought that this one would be more appropriate for daywear. 

Next up is the new Prada Candy Florale. I've seen a lot of this perfume recently, its all over magazines and the TV. I didn't give it a second thought until Gabby (VelvetGh0st) was raving about it. The very next time I was in Boots I made sure I sampled it. I loved it! (Hence why I bought it!). I managed to get it whilst Feelunique.com had an offer on perfume. 

What perfume have you all been wearing recently?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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