Laura Geller Tuscan Sun Collection...

One night last week, I was scrolling through my TV and noticed that Laura Geller was about to come on QVC as their daily TSV so I sat eagerly awaiting to see what amazing deal she would be offering and I was far from disappointed. Unlike the typical Cinderella story, where you turn back into a dreary maid at the end of the night, I watched in amazement as she transformed stunning natural beauties into what can only be described as flawless princesses using as little as 6 products!!

The package she had for us make up addicts was a beautiful 'Laura Geller Tuscan Sun Collection'. The amazing six piece set contains her iconic Balance-n-Brighten Foundation, her bestselling Spackle Under Make-Up Primer with a new added SPF, a blusher, a highlighter, a stunning new lip crayon and a brush. As well as receiving these 6 amazing pieces, you also received the added bonus of a stylish straw tote bag. 

Laura Geller stated that she wanted this collection to "channel the radiance and sun-kissed beauty of Tuscany" and that she certainly does!

Spackle Under Make-Up Primer SPF 30 // Usually around £20

Laura Geller Spackle creates a flawless-looking finish and helps ensure your make-up stays put for longer thoughout the day and with the added bonus of an SPF, it ensure your skins stays protected against sun damage.

Balance-n-Brighten Baked Color Correcting Foundation // Usually £28.02

Balance-n-Brighten is a unique oil-free liquid powder that helps offset any ruddiness or redness and brighten your complexion for a boost of winning confidence. Swirls of neutral-hued liquid pigments are baked on terracotta tiles for 24 hours and are then hand-finished by Italian artisans to create a creamy powder foundation that aims to help bright and colour-correct your skin. 

Baked Elements Blush in Siena // Usually around £24

This stunning blush in a gorgeous peach shade has been infused with Italian spring water to add a soft flush to the cheeks. 

Baked Brulee Highlighter in Honey Lavender // Usually about £15-£20

This stunning highlighter is a soft golden lavender that leaves the skin glowing with instant radiance. What I love about this product is it can also double up as an eye shadow for a subtle eye look.

Lasting Love Lip Stain in Tuscan Peach

This lip crayon is a stunning poppy pink/peachy hue in a soft gel-like formula that glides on for a perfect, smooth application and a lustrous, matte look that lasts. 

Below are swatches of the products:

I am so happy that I picked this set up from QVC, especially when it was such a good deal. I got this whole collection including the basket for £38 and I'd say you'd usually pay at least £100 for all of the products combined. 

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Top Summer Nail Polishes...

1. Models Own 'Beach Party' // £5

2. Barry M Hi Shine Gel 'Greenberry' // £3.99

3. Barry M Hi Shine Gel 'Lychee' // £3.99

4. Models Own 'Hedonist' // £5

5.  OPI 'Suzi's Hungary Again!' // £10.35

Throughout the summer months, I love wearing bright nail polishes like Models Own 'Beach Party' and 'Hedonist' and Barry M's 'Greenberry'; however, I do also like going for more muted shades such as nudes and dusty pinks like Barry M's 'Lychee' and OPI's 'Suzi's Hungary Again'. 

If you'd like to see what colours I like to wear during the colder winter months then click here. 

What's your go to nail polish for the summer?

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Collective Haul...

This last month I have accumulated quite a few things from various shopping trips so thought I would share with you what I have purchased. 

Warehouse Blue Cropped Lace Tee // £45 Sale £12 

Topshop Lace Panel Tee // £24

Warehouse Orange Cropped Lace // £35 Sale £18 

H&M Black and White Skirt // £14.99

Primark Mint Scalloped Blazer // £15

Primark White Skirt // £14

Motel Rocks Hoppy Cap Sleeve Mandala Print // £45 Sale £19

 Primark Satchel // £8

 H&M Black Clutch Bag // £12.99 

Shoe Market // £4.99 each

 Ralph Lauren Number 2 // £41.50 Sale £24.99

Victoria Secret 'Very Sexy Now' Body Spray // £22

 MAC Brush Cleanser // £11

1001 Cupcakes, Cookies & Other Tempting Treats // £20 Sale £7

So that's everything I've purchased over the last few weeks and I think my favourite purchases have to be the two tops from Warehouse, the Primark Blazer and the VS Body Spray. 

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Body Shop Haul...

As a sufferer from sensitive skin, I have to be careful about the products I use as I'm often prone to breakouts. Recently, I had one of my worst yet and one of my friends recommended trying out some products from the Body Shop so that's exactly what I plan on doing. 

The products I have picked up are the Tea Tree Toner, Tea Tree Body Wash, Seaweed Face Wash, Seaweed Face Mask, Aloe Vera Day Cream, Aloe Vera Night Cream and the Vitamin E Body Lotion. 

The reason I went for these products is because the Tea Tree ones are perfect for blemished skin, the Seaweed products are suited to combination/oily skin, the Aloe Vera are suitable for sensitive skin and the Vitamin E body lotion helps hydrate the skin.

Over the coming weeks, I'll be posting reviews on all of these products so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!

What product would you recommend from the Body Shop range?

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Models Own Competition Wins...

On Wednesday 9th July, Models Own where running a giveaway on their Twitter giving 3 lucky people the chance to win either their 'Polish For Tans' collection and their 'Summer Hypergels' or a £10 e-voucher. Like 800 other Models Own fans, I retweeted their tweet and I was lucky enough to be selected for the main prize of the 10 nail polishes. 

Being a huge fan of Models Own nail polishes I was so happy to have been selected so thought I would share with you the beautiful polishes I have won. 

Here we have the 'Polish For Tans' collection and I absolutely love the colours for during the summer months. 

L-R: Sun Hat, Bikini, Beach Bag, Flip Flop, Shades

And here we have the "Summer Hypergels' which are perfect colours for me as I love wearing Pinks/Red shades.

L-R: Searing Pink, Watermelon, Sundress, Purple Glare, Summer Solstice

If you would like to see some of my previous posts featuring Models Own then take a look  here and here. 

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Ebay Fashion Finds #1: Bag Edition...

Tote Bag Smile Shoulder Satchel Handbag // £12.99

Neon Fluorescent Genuine Leather Satchel Handbag // £33.72

Tote Cross Body Shoulder Bag // £11.95

Hobo Shoulder Bag // £10.40

Handmade Shiny Metal Foldover Clutch Bag // £13.78

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Top 10 Under £10...

Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Face Scrub // £3.99

Simple's Clear Skin Oil Balancing Face Scrub is definitely one of the best facial scrubs I have ever used. Suffering from combination skin, this has immensely reduced the amount of oil on my T-zone and has also helped combat my open pores. This scrub contains 3 skin loving nutrients and these are Witch Hazel which helps reduce blemishes, Natural Zinc PCA which gently absorbs excess oil and Rice Powder which exfoliates and smooths skin. As well as containing these 3 nutrients, it also contains 2 vital vitamins; Vitamin E which powerfully moisturises and improves skin condition and Pro-Vitamin B5 which actively restores, softens and soothes skin. However, the best thing about this product is the fact it contains no perfume, no colour and no unnecessary or harsh chemicals therefore making it perfect for my sensitive skin. 

Seventeen 'Make Your Mark' Soft Eyeliner Pen // £3.99 

I never used to wear eyeliner on my eyelids purely due to the fact I always struggled to apply it. However, after trying out Maybelline's Gel Eyeliner, I started to enjoy using it so thought I'd give an eyeliner pen a try so picked up this one from Seventeen and found it very easy to use allowing you to apply a thinner, natural looking line or a thick, bold line. 

Rimmel Match Perfect Foundation // £6.99

This is my current everyday foundation and the reason I love it is because it feels so lightweight on my skin but gives me just enough coverage . This foundation offers Advanced Smart-Tone Technology which means it reveals a flawless cover no matter what light you are in. Furthermore, it is enhanced with Sapphire Radiance for an illuminating glow that never falls flat. Another reason why I love this foundation for everyday use is because it contains an SPF of 15 therefore protecting your skin against sun damage. 

Soap and Glory 'Love at First Blush' // £11

Although this product is just slightly over £10, I chose to include it because I absolutely love it. This blush creates a stunning rosy glow and beautifully illuminates my cheek bones making it the perfect blush for all occasions. 

Barry M Hi Shine Gel Effect Nail Polish // £3.99

I adore Barry M gel nail polishes because they provide an extra glossy finish in just one coat (although I still apply two due to force of habit)! They are highly-pigmented, chip resistant and are available in a huge range of colours. 

Tangle Teezer // £7.80

Whether you have long hair, short hair, an afro, a weave or even hair extensions, the Tangle Teezer is perfect for you. The Tangle Teezer is a revolutionary hair styling tool which will effortlessly and most importantly painlessly detangle and smooth your hair into perfect condition. What's brilliant about this hair tool is the fact it dramatically reduces hair breakage, splitting and damage.  

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush // £9.99

I have quite a few brushes from the Real Techniques collection and this is definitely my favourite for applying foundation. The RT Expert Face Brush is an ultra firm brush making it perfect for applying and blending liquid or cream foundation. Although I do love this brush for applying my foundation, I do like to buff it in afterwards with the RT Buffing Brush from the Core Collection. 

Body Shop Tea Tree Toner // £5

I've only been using this for a couple of weeks but I have already fell in love. Suffering from combination skin, I frequently have breakouts of my chin and this has helped reduce them immensely. This refreshing toner is perfect for blemished skin and gives a beautifully matte, shine-free finish. It helps remove traces of make up, cleanser and impurities whilst mattifying powders to leave the skin shine free. Furthermore, this has been clinically proven to give clearer looking skin. 

Body Shop Seaweed Mask // £12

Again, like the S&G blusher, this is slightly just over the £10 mark. Like the Tea Tree Toner, I have also only been using this for a couple of weeks and have again fallen in love with it. This Seaweed infused mask leaves skin looking clear by drawing out impurities and helps control excess oils leaving your skin looking refreshed. 

Pretty Perfect Nail Drying Spray // £0.99

If like me, you love painting your nails but hate waiting for them to dry then this is perfect for you. This Pretty Perfect Nail Drying Spray speeds up the nail drying process making your nails touch try in almost 60 seconds. All you do is paint your nails as normal and then spray this on top.

What beauty products do you love that cost under £10?

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Festival Must Haves...

I've never actually been to a festival but I would love to go to one so thought I'd put together a list of what I believe would be essentials. 

1. Hunter Gloss Wellies // £60

Wellies are a must have at any festival, whether its raining or glorious sunshine, you will definitely need a pair as its pretty much guaranteed you will be dancing in mud so if you don't want to ruin your shoes then wellies are perfect. These Hunter Gloss Wellies would be perfect as once you get home they will easily clean and although these are quite pricey, they will be extremely durable so can be used year after year. However, if you aren't willing to buy expensive wellies you can easily get some fancy ones from the high street. 

2. Lantern // £21.99

A lantern is a definite essential for a festival unless you like rummaging around in your tent in the dark. 

3. Waterproof Smartphone/Camera Pouch // £5.99

As you can never rely on the British weather, this Waterproof Smartphone/Camera Pouch is perfect to ensure your valuable are protected from any water damage. Even if it doesn't rain, there will be a lot of alcohol flowing so this will guarantee they are protected from any spillages.  

4. Super Bright LED Torch // £9.93

If you didn't want to buy a lantern, you could just opt to take a torch with you. However, if I were going to a festival, I would take both because you never know when you might need a torch. 

5. Portable Phone Charger // £21.99

A portable phone charger would be at the top of my list if I were heading to a festival this summer; I know some people believe you shouldn't take your phone incase it gets broken however, I believe as long as you're careful then it's fine. The portable phone charger I've found states it can charge your phone up to 6 times fully meaning its perfect to last the whole weekend. 

6. Rain Mac // £45

As previously mentioned, you can never rely on the British weather therefore a rain mac is essential as it isn't too chunky in case its hot but will keep you nice and dry. I love this one from ASOS. 

7. Tent // £79.99

Probably an obvious choice but a tent is probably the most important item you need to take to a festival purely because where else would you sleep? This one from Go Outdoors sleeps 6 so you obviously wouldn't need something this big if you were having one to yourself but make sure you buy one that will be strong enough to withstand all weathers as you don't want it collapsing on you. 

8. Disposable BBQ // £2.49

Unless you don't mind buying your food from burger vans all weekend then these are perfect for cooking your food on. 

9. Folding Camping Chair // £6.99

Unless you don't mind sitting on the floor, then a camping chair is a must. 

 So there is a list of what I believe, and what my friends who have been to festivals, believe are essentials. 

What do you think is an essential item for a festival?

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Sunglass Junkie...

If like me, you're obsessed with sunglasses and can't resist a pair (or two) each Summer, then you're going to love this online store.

 SunglassJunkie is an online sunglasses retailer offering a huge selection of affordable, fashionable sunglasses describing themselves as the "one-stop-shop for the fashion conscious and style-savvy consumer". 

Sunglass Junkie provide a range of sunglasses for both men and women in numerous styles including aviators, cats eye, wayfarer, clubmasters and oversized ensuring there's something for everyone. My favourites in particular are the Womens Pink Crystal and Silver Glamour Wayfarer Sunglasses, Womens Tortoiseshell Glamour Puss Cats Eye Sunglasses and the Womens Black Wimbledon Wayfarer Sunglasses

As well as understanding that everyone loves a new pair of sunglasses, SunglassJunkie also understand that people want great prices too therefore, provide great deals for their customers including '2 Pairs of Sunglasses for £25' or '3 Pairs of Sunglasses for £35' making it even harder to resist a new pair of sunnies this summer. They also offer free shipping for all orders in the UK!

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Review: Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara...

Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara - RRP £19.50*

Like many other girls in the world I'm forever on the hunt for a mascara that will curl, thicken and lengthen my lashes so was more than excited when I received the much raved about Benefit 'They're Real'.

Upon first application of this mascara I fell in love, it glided on smoothly, lengthened my lashes and made them look a little bit thicker (not as thick as I'd like) but not clumpy. I'd found the one. The perfect mascara.

Or so I thought...

Although I adore the product at first application, throughout the day my eyelashes seem to drop making my lovely long lashes created by this product look tired and limp. 

Another thing I wasn't keen on about this product was the oh-so famous ball ended applicator wand. Yes it reached the inner lashes of my eyes but it unfortunately made them a little clumpy for my liking. The ball on the end on my applicator just appeared to be random spikes however, this could be because its only a sample size.

All that being said, I absolutely love how jet-black this mascara is and the amount of length/volume it adds to my lashes however, as much as I love the product for this, I'm not sure if I would pay full price due to the fact it weighs down my lashes making me look tired. If you have thin, short lashes I'd definitely recommend this product for you.

One final thing I would say is this product was much better after it had dried out a little bit.

Have you tried the Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara?

What did you think? If not, what's your favourite mascara?

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Recipe: Caramel Shorbread...

This was my first attempt at making Caramel Shortbread and I think it turned out pretty well. 

Ingredients:

For the base
125g butter (room temperature)
175g plain flour
50g sugar

For the topping
50g brown sugar
50g butter (room temperature)
400g condensed milk
150g of chocolate (I used Dairy Milk Cadbury's)

Instructions:

Step One // Preheat your oven to Gas mark 5 or 190 C and grease a baking tray.
Step Two // Combine all of your base ingredients (butter, flour, sugar) into a bowl and create a dough.
Step Three // Press the dough into the tray and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Once baked allow to cool.
Step Four // Whilst your base is cooling, pour the condensed milk, butter and brown sugar into a pan. Allow this to boil and then boil gently for a futher 5 minutes - make sure you continue to stir the mixture to ensure it does not burn or stick to the pan.
Step Five // Pour the topping over the base and allow to cool.

Step Six // Melt your chocolate either in the microwave (in about 10-20 second intervals stopping to stir it) or over a pan. Then pour this over your topping and allow it to cool.
Step Seven // Once cool, cut into squares.

And there you have a simple but delicious recipe for the perfect Caramel Shortbread. 

*A little tip: if you'd like yours to be thicker, just double up the ingredients!*

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Review: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation...

Unlike a lot of beauty bloggers, I don't own a lot of foundations and only actually started using it when I was about 16 as I'd never really needed it before. After falling out of love with my MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation, I decided it was time to invest in a new high-end one.

With a lot of choice out there in the beauty world, it was quite a daunting task and took a lot of research to decide which one I wanted to try. After watching endless YouTube reviews and reading numerous blog posts, I decided it was time to invest in Nars Sheer Glow, possibly one of the most talked about foundations EVER! The main reason I chose this foundation over others was due to the fact it contained zero SPF which, although scary to some, is exactly what I needed as my sixth form leavers ball was approaching and nobody likes flashback in photo's.

When my foundations arrived in the post, I couldn't wait to try it out so rushed upstairs took off my current everyday foundation and applied it immediately.  I'm not going to lie, my first impressions of this foundation left me dissatisfied, it just didn't give me the "wow" I was after. However, I decided to perceive and try it again the next day after I had deeply cleansed my face to ensure I had prepared the perfect base. This time I got the "wow" I was after. My skin looked absolutely flawless! And better yet, my skin looked like skin just without all of the imperfections! To apply this foundation, I've found that applying it with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush allows me to have a full coverage and then to buff it in a little bit more so it appears more like skin, I go over the top using a clean Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I've also found that the wear time of this foundation is tremendous lasting me at least 6-8 hours - even after endless hours dancing in nightclubs I've found my foundation has barely budged which is something that used to greatly annoy me about MAC's  Studio Fix Fluid.  

One thing to note about this foundation is the fact the shades appear to be predominately yellow based; however, I had no problem finding a shade to suit my skintone and I typically wear pink based foundations as I have cool undertones. The shade I currently wear is 'Mont Blanc' and I have found this blends lovely with my skintone which is quite fair. 

As much as I love this foundation, I don't use it everyday as I like to use a foundation which contains SPF so therefore use it on nights out, special occasions or general days where I feel my skin needs a little bit more coverage than usual. 

Here is a picture of how my skin looks when wearing this foundation:

Verdict

Statistics

My Shade: Light 2 'Mont Blanc' - Light with pink undertone

Application: Real Techniques Expert Face Brush & Real Techniques Buffing Brush 

Coverage: Medium (can be built up to full)

Finish: Not matte but not shiny - somewhere in between.

Cost: £30.50 (pump extra £4)

Positives

-Good, buildable coverage.

-Slight glow to the skin without looking oily.

-Only need a few dots on the face for good coverage.

-Easily covers imperfections.

-Good range of shades.

-Long lasting (6-8 hours)

-Nice packaging (Glass bottle)

-No SPF making it great for nights out and special occasions. 

Negatives

-Doesn't come with a pump

-Little pricey but worth it

-Can cling to dry skin so moisturiser is a must before wearing this. 

-No SPF meaning it isn't great for everyday wear in my opinion. 

All in all, I am so pleased that I chose to invest in this foundation as it gives me exactly what I want from a foundation - full coverage, flawless looking skin with a slight glow that doesn't look oily. 

If you would like to purchase Nars Sheer Glow, you can find it at Space NK, ASOS, House of Fraser and a few other stores.  

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6 Summer Sandals Under £60...

1. ASOS Firestorm Leather Sandals Black // £25

2. ASOS Highbury Heeled Sandals // £42

3. ASOS Firestorm Leather Sandals White // £25

4. Mango Stacked Wooden Heel Single Sole Heeled Sandals // £59.99

5. New Look Silver Leather Cross Strap Sandals // £17.99

6. New Look White Cut Out Ankle Open Toe Block Heels // £14.99

Here I have put together a small selection of the number of sandals available throughout the shops this summer season. My favourites are definitely the ASOS Firestorm Leather Sandals in Black and the Mango Stacked Wooden Heels. During the summer months, the shoes I tend to buy are usually neutral colours purely because they go with a variety of outfits. I also don't like to spend too much money because you can never rely on the British weather. 

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