Top 5 Drugstore Lip Colours for Spring

Following my recent blog post on my top 5 drugstore nail polishes for Spring, I thought it would only be right to dedicate a post all about my favourite lip colours. During the next couple of months, I like to wear a more natural look during the day. However, depending on my mood and outfit I always like to switch up my lip colour.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter – Tutti Frutti

A different twist on the usual pink shades of Spring has to be this orangey red shade by Revlon. If you aren’t familiar with these lip butters you definitely should be. Due to the formula of these products the colour intensity is very sheer. This is great for an orange shade in the Spring, as it is different but isn’t too intense and bold. At £7.99 these are a great product for keep your lips beautifully hydrated.

Buy it here: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

 

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Exclusive Nudes - Barely Peach by Julianne Moore

This lip colour is absolutely beautiful. For me I love wearing it as a pinky nude shade, for those days where my skin is a little bit lighter. For all the beauties out there with pale skin, this would be the perfect pink that would enhance your lighter complexion. At £6.99 and a variety of different nudish pink shades, there is one to suit every skin colour and tone.

Buy it here: L'Oreal Paris Color Riche

 

No 7 Moisture Drench Lipstick – Rose Blush

During my time working in Boots as a No7 consultant I got very familiar with the brands own products. These lipsticks that No7 have created are absolutely amazing!! During a 9 hour shift I found myself only reapplying this lipstick 2/3 to maintain the vibrancy of the colour. At £9.99 these lipsticks in my opinion are a steal. Unlike many other lipsticks these add moisture into your lips similar to a lip balm. In particular I loved this bold pink colour for days where I wanted more of a statement lip.

Buy it here: No 7 Moisture Drench

 

Revlon Colorburst Matte Lip Balm – Elusive

A big trend last season that will for sure role onto Spring, is matte lips. I love the look of matte lips however I hate how drying matte lip products can be. However, with these matte lip balms that problem is solved. I absolutely LOVE these and cannot say enough good things about them. They are by far the most moisturising matte lip products I have ever tried and are worth every penny if you love matte lips just like I do. Elusive is a beautiful mid tone pink that will suit lighter to medium tone skins. At £7.99 I would definitely recommend trying these velvety matte lip balms for yourself.

Buy it here: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm

 

Maybelline Colorsensational Elixir Lip

Last but certainly not least are the Colorsensational Elixir Lip products by Maybelline. Whether you are wearing these products on their own or over a lipstick or lip liner these are absolutely incredible and smell so good too! I could not pick just one colour for these lip products as each of them are absolutely beautiful in their own respect, however my most used colours have to be Blush Essence and Captivating Carnation. Individually these products cost £6.99, however currently at Boots they are on offer, at 3 for 2.

Buy it here: Maybelline Colorsensational Elixir Lip

 

Leave a comment below on your favourite lip colours for the Spring time. Until next time,

 

 

 

How to Grow Hair Faster

I have always been a girl who had long luscious hair, until one day I decided I wanted a change and cut my waist length hair into a bob. Although I loved the look for a week or two, I felt odd and didn’t feel like myself anymore. Over the past year I have had multiple extensions and weaves to help me feel more like myself again by adding length to my hair.

I have found it extremely difficult since chopping off my locks to grow them back again. I tried everything that was suggested online however nothing was working or making any sort of difference. Apart from patience the tricks below have helped me out. Consuming the correct amount of nutrients and ingredients your body needs to grow hair is the fastest way of achieving longer hair. Whether you are in a similar situation to me, or just want to grow your hair back hopefully some of these can work for you too!

Eating a balanced amount of protein

Hair is mostly composed of keratin, which is a protein made up of amino acids. For hair to grow, the body needs to produce more amino acids, which can only be produced from consuming protein. To promote hair growth by consuming more protein, supplements that can be bought over the counter with these ingredients can help promote hair growth.

Eat an adequate amount of iron and zinc

Deficiencies in iron and zinc can lead to overall poor health and sometimes even hair loss. Iron is essential for the body as it allows oxygen to get to your cells. Various meats and dark green vegetables are great sources of iron. Zinc helps the body grow and repair tissue, and keeps the glands around the hair follicles working correctly. Peanut butter and chicken are great sources of zinc.

                                                                           Keep fat in your diet

Although a lot of fat is not good for your body, an adequate amount is crucial for hair growth and maintaining healthy hair. Unsaturated fats and fatty acids such as Omega 3 are the best fats to intake that are the healthiest for your body. Fat is also very important to the body as it helps absorb vitamins that are necessary for hair growth, such as vitamin A.   

 

Meet the recommended intake of Vitamin C daily

Having a deficiency in vitamin C can cause hair to become dry, dull and weak. When hair is weak, it is more prone to breakage and therefore cannot grow long and beautiful. Without vitamin C, the body will find it difficult to absorb iron.

Take Vitamin B

Vitamin B supplements have become very popular among those trying to speed up hair growth. Though there is not much scientific evidence that relates growth rate of hair to the consumption of vitamin B, it has been proven to decrease chances of hair loss or thinning. Vegetables such as broccoli and spinach are good sources of vitamin B.

By having a healthy diet this is a sure fire way to help promote hair growth. It is also recommended that using as little heat on your hair as possible, not washing hair every day and minimising stress can help hair grow. Hopefully you found these tips and tricks useful, until next time,

 

 

Homemade Face Masks

Hello beauties! Today I wanted to give you a budget friendly way to achieving beautiful skin. Below I have listed some quick, easy and simple face masks that can help you and your skin relax after a busy week. These face masks are great for all different types of skin, and are all-natural, perfect for those with sensitive skin. 

My first face masks requires a medium sized ripe banana. Banana is extremely good to use as a face mask as it moisturises the skin, leaving it looking and feeling softer. Mashing up the banana with a fork, gently apply this to your face and neck generously and leave it to set for around 10-20 minutes. Once set, rinse off with cold water and ta-dah, you skin should be feeling beautifully soft. For those with acne, add 2 tablespoons of honey and 1/4 cup plain yogurt to your mashed banana. 

So many of us are guilty when it comes to spending expensive creams. Using mayonnaise from your own refrigerator can sooth your skin and leave it feeling clean and smooth. Gently apply the mayonnaise all over your face, leave for 20 minutes then rinse.

For a little extra pampering, egg is particularly great. For dry skin, separate the egg and beat the yolk in a bowl. For oily skin, take the egg white and add a tiny drop of lemon or honey. As for normal skin, use all the egg and beat in a bowl. Once again apply to the face, relax and rinse off after 30 minutes.

A quick pick-me-up facial that will leave you not only feeling but looking better, is an oatmeal face mask. Combining 1/2 cup of hot (not boiling) water and 1/3 cup of oatmeal, let the mixture settle for around 2 to 3 minutes before mixing in 

 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 small egg white. Apply a thin layer of the mask to your face, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. When rinsing, place a strainer in your sink to avoid clogging the drain with granules.

To give your face a quick helping hand, you don't need to go to a spa. Plain yogurt can cleanse and revitalise skin, whilst tightening pores.  Apply to your face generously and let the mask sit for 20 minutes before rinsing off. For an extra kick, add some orange zest to the mixture.

Please feel free to leave a comment on your favourite home made face masks! Until next time,

The Best Drugstore Dupes

Everyone loves a good bargain, especially when we feel we are getting something of high quality for such a low price. Because of this beauty dupes are becoming very popular. Pintrest is a great source of inspiration, and below I have gathered a few of my favourite beauty dupes from the site.

MAC VS NYX

Like many make-up lovers, I adore MAC. However, not everyone has money to spend excessively on the high end make-up, therefore I wanted to find dupes for the make-up brand and in particular there eyeshadows. No one can deny the pigmentation of their shadows is fantastic and you really are getting what you pay for. A single MAC eyeshadow can cost £13, whereas the NYX dupe costs only £2.95. That's 4 eyeshadows for the price of 1. Above similar colours can be shown, and the pigmentation of the shadows is fantastic for the price. Not only is the pigmentation great, the NYX eyeshadows are super easy to blend. What a steal!!

Smashbox VS NYX

The colour correcting primer by Smashbox is a beauty must. With a 4.7/5 rating on the smashbox website I couldn't not look for a dupe for this product. According to Pintrest, this primer by NYX does exactly the same job as it's more expensive alternate. At only a fraction of the price (£10) of the smashbox primer (£25.50), this is definitely one to try!

MAC VS Drugstore

Is there anything better than a new MAC lipstick? I LOVE the formulation and colour range of these lipsticks, however what I don't love is the price. Setting me back £15.50 for a single MAC lipstick, I have been on the hunt for cheaper alternatives. Especially when it comes to night's out and not wanting to lose a lipstick you had to take a loan out for, or wanting to try new colours and see if they suit you, these dupes are perfect! The price of the lipstick dupes above do vary depending on brand, however are all a lot more affordable than the more expensive alternative. 

Make-up Forever VS Revlon

In 2015, Make-up Forever products really took off and were sold out almost everywhere I looked. Debenhams introduced these products to their site last year, and the HD PhotoReady foundation in my shade was sold out every time I looked. I was prepared to spend £29 due to the hype around this foundation however due to it not being in stock I had to look for an alternate. When researching dupes for this foundation I stumbled across the PhotoReady foundation by Revlon, which I already had in my make-up collection but had never used. This foundation does what it says, my skin looked healthy and radiant due to the light reflecting pigments it had within, and it gave me a flawless coverage which photographed beautifully. Slightly pricey for drugstore foundation, at £12.49 I think this is great cheaper alternative for those who love the Make-up Forever HD foundation!

MAC VS ELF

A great alternative for the MAC setting spray which retails at £17 is the elf make-up mist and set. At only £5 this is a definite steal!!

Benefit VS Drugstore

A brand I have loved for years is Benefit so when I found dupes for the products they have I was super excited!! Compared to the Benefit products above that range in the price region of £20-£30, the drugstore alternatives come at only a fraction of that cost. In particular, the ELF eyebrow kit is absolutely fantastic and I have kept it in my make-up kit for years. No matter what other eyebrow products I go to I always find myself going back to it.  

Benefit VS Maybelline

As I stated above, Benefit is one of my all time favourite brands that I have loved for years. The "They're Real" mascara that Benefit sells is absolutely incredible and really does transform your lashes. Not only does this give lift, definition and drama, this mascara is so amazing that you don't even need to wear false lashes!! At £19.50, this is definitely a splurge item, however because mascaras should be changed every 3 months due to hygiene reasons, this is an expense that we all can try to avoid. My alternate has to be the "Falsies Volume Express" by Maybelline. On Ebay you can grab this mascara for under £5 which means you could buy a years supply of this mascara for the cost of one Benefit mascara. By applying multiple coats of this mascara you will be able to create a similar look as created by the Benefit mascara.

High End VS Drugstore Blushes 

Finally, I wanted to add in some of the blush dupes I found on Pintrest. Although the alternate of the Benefit blush was listed as MAC Peachy Keen, there are loads of drugstore alternatives out there that can be used instead if the MAC blush is too expensive. However, the other 3 comparisons are all very affordable and all cost under £10. 

Top 5 Nail Colours for Spring

With Spring just around the corner (yay) I thought into today's blog post we could start preparing ourselves for that. For different seasons I like to paint my nails different colours, for example in the fall I paint my nails dark berry colours whereas in Summer I love bold, bright colours such as hot pinks and oranges. This is not to say that you can't where these colours all year round, after all don't let anyone tell you how to live your life! But for the purpose of this post, let's look at the hottest colours for nails this Spring.

Rimmel's "Perfect Posy"

My first pick for nail colour has to be this peach shade by Rimmel London in the shade "Perfect Posy". At £5.99 or two for £10, this colour is absolutely beautiful, and a perfect alternate to the usual pastel shades. Furthermore, the formula of this nail polish is made to give a gel like appearance which makes it long lasting and gives a super glossy look to the nails.

Buy it here: Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish

 

L'Oreal's "Crystal"

L'Oréal Color Riche A L'Huile nail polish in Crystal, is the perfect soft blue for Spring. For myself, this colour compliments my tanned skin perfectly, therefore I think it would look absolutely gorgeous on anyone. At £4.99 or 3 for 2 at Boots currently, the nail polish formula is created with oils, to give your nails nourishment whilst wearing.

Buy it here: L'Oreal Color Riche A L'Huile

Barry M's "Empire State of Mint"

One of my absolute favourites at the drugstore for nails has to be Barry M. These nail polishes come in a variety of different shades, ranging from dark to light, matte to shimmery. They are absolutely insane and come at the reasonable price of £3.99. This mint shade by Barry M is absolute gorgeous and reminds me of eating mint choc chip ice cream, yum! What is particularly cool about this nail polish is it sets like a gel, curing in daylight, making it very long lasting and a cheaper alternate to an expensive manicure at a nail salon.

Buy it here: Barry M Sunset Nail Paint

 

"Barry M's Butterscotch Sundae"

Because I love these nail paints so much I had to include another shade from the range. This time I have went for a pale nude shade for the Gelly Hi Shine range. Nudes are perfect colours to wear all year round as they go with any outfit and are suitable for every skin tone. This one in particular by Barry M retails for £3.99 and has an extra gloss finish.

Buy it here: Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint

  

Max Factor's "Marshmallow"

Finally, I had to include my favourite colour- Pink!! This nail polish by Max Factor is an absolute beauty on the nails. At £5.99 there is smaller sizes available for a £1 less at Boots. The colour of this to me is very classy and is a simple beautiful colour on the nails. A pale pink in my opinion always matches so many outfits and is a bit different to a plain nude shade.

Buy it here: Max Factor Glossfinity Nail Polish

Hopefully you found this blog post interesting and let me know in the comments below what nail colours you will be wearing in Spring 2016. Until next time,

 

Hot Hairstyle: French Braids

A hairstyle that has been all over beauty blogs and magazines this year has been French braids. Although this hairstyle has been around for several years, the French braid is becoming a very fashionable hairstyle to do. Not only is it practical and can be worn day to day, the hair is kept out of the face and still looks very stylish. Many people are put off French braiding due to how complex it looks, however this style is actually very easy to recreate. Below I have posted a video of one of my favourite YouTube videos on how to re-create this style.

How to French Braid

This tutorial by Princess Hairstyles is fantastic and gives you a step by step guide on how to create this look. If you found this tutorial useful, please show your support and give them a follow to keep up to date with the other amazing hair tutorials they post. Whether your hair is long or short, this hairstyle is great for many different hair lengths and textures.

Please comment on what you would like to see next. I hope you found this short blog useful, and I will speak to you all in my next one,

Kylie Jenner Inspired Make-up Look

Hello my lovelies! Today I am coming to youse with an inspired make-up look from one of the hottest young females in Hollywood right now- Kylie Jenner. Just like her sisters, Kylie Jenner is an absolute beauty and her make-up is to die for. In these pictures above, Kylie is sporting a "natural" glam make-up look and I thought this would be quite easy to re-create. Although the lip colours are different, the over-all makeup in each appears very similar. With my help, I am going to show youse how to re-create this look for yourself, and of course, on a budget!

Steps:

1. Starting off, we first have to prepare the base. Moisturising and priming is key to help the make-up stay in place and create a nice smooth canvas. Applying the moisturiser you currently use, I would recommend waiting around 5 minutes just to let that sink into your skin. For primer I would use the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer. Like myself, Kylie always seems to have a very matte complexion, which is great if you are oily like myself and like being matte.

2. Now that we have our base ready, onto foundation! Since we have a matte foundation, I am going to recommend using a foundation that is not specifically tailored to the oiler skin types. To create the full coverage effect such as Kylie, the L'Oreal true match foundation is perfect! Using a Real Techniques beauty sponge with this foundation will give a flawless coverage. Remember when using this sponge to ensure its damp before use.

3. Onto concealer! A drugstore fave of mine is the collection lasting perfection concealer. Applying this under the eyes and onto any pimples will help ensure that full coverage. To set all this we must of course use the Ben Nye setting powder. This product is absolutely amazing, and I would 100% recommend this for all your make-up looks.

4. Made popular by her famous Kardashian sisters, contouring is key for this make-up look. I have linked a blog post all about highlighting and contouring which hopefully is useful for this part of the tutorial. The sleek palette is ideal for this as it has both the darker shade for chiselling out those cheeks and a lighter colour for making those cheek bones pop! http://beauty-and-thebudget.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/how-to-contour-and-highlight.html

5. Although Kylie's brows aren't strong, they are very perfect and filled in. To recreate this I would use your natural eye brow shape and fill in sparse areas in your eyebrows with the Rimmel eyebrow pencil. Using a pencil will help mimic the hairs in the eyebrow and create a natural look similar to Kylie's.

6. Kylie's eye look in the pictures above looks very natural, however the eyelashes are very long, wispy and doll like. Using a black liquid liner, I would draw a thin line across the top eyelash line with the Miss Sporty Liquid Liner. For lashes I would generously apply a couple of coats of the Maybelline Volume Express mascara to both top and bottom sets. To achieve Kylie's exact look, applying a pair of the Eylure lashes in 141 will really finish the eye look off. 

7. In the above photo's of Kylie two different lips can be worn with this look. The Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms, would be ideal for recreating the look on the left hand side. The two shades I would recommend would be 'fierce' and 'standout'.  On the right hand side photo, the lip colour that Kylie appears to be wearing is very similar to her natural tone, but with a pink gloss over the top. A fave of mine would be the Natural Collection lip gloss in Turkish Delight.

Products Mentioned

Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer £5.99 http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-London-Stay-Matte-Primer_1427455/

L'Oreal True Match £9.99 http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Paris-True-Match-Foundation_16049/

Real Techniques Mircale Complexion Sponge £5.99 http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Miracle-Complexion-Sponge_1389470/

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer £4.19 http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Concealer_1693350/

Ben Nye Setting Powder £6.50 http://www.gurumakeupemporium.com/Ben-Nye-Neutral-Set-Translucent-Face-Powder

Sleek Contour Kit £6.49 http://www.boots.com/en/Sleek-MakeUp-Face-Contour-Kit_1395740/

Rimmel London Eyebrow Pencil £2.99 http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Professional-Eye-Brow-Pencil_6946/

Miss Sporty Studio Lash Liquid Liner £2.49 http://www.boots.com/en/Miss-Sporty-Studio-Lash-Liquid-Liner_1237956/

Maybelline Mascara £5.99 http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Mascara-Volum-Express-Lift-Black-10ml_1416727/

Eylure Lashes £5.45 http://www.boots.com/en/Eylure-Exaggerate-141-Lashes_1457852/

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm £7.99 http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-ColorBurst-8482-Matte-Balm_1416281/

Natural Collection Juicy Lips Lip Gloss£1.99 http://www.boots.com/en/Natural-Collection-Juicy-Lips-Gloss_24284/

and ta-dah! You should be looking just as beautiful as Kylie Jenner! Feel free to use alternative products you have in your own make-up kit to re-create this look. If you have any suggestions on what other celebrity make-up looks you would like to see feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading and until next time,