Instantly Soft Lips with Bali Balm

Hey Beautyholicgirls,

Now, I don't know about you but I've noticed that as soon as the weather has gotten a little colder, my lips have started to get dry and chapped. Ergh. Usually, I am the worst person when it comes to dry lips because I end up biting them and trying to rub the skin away. 

In the past, I tried several lip balms and Vaselines which certainly helped but did not give me those smooth kissable lips in an instant. It would usually take a couple of days for my lips to become smooth and to top it off, in order to achieve this, I had to ensure that I kept reapplying them throughout the day. Of course, if you know me, I am the laziest person when it comes to reapplying anything on my skin; the minute my lips would begin to get better, I would forget to reapply my Vaseline and before I knew it , I was in one of those cycles where my lips would get worse and worse to the point where they start to bleed. 

After years of searching, I feel like I have finally found the perfect 'lip-rescue' for me and I want to share it with you all.

*DRUM ROLL PLEASE* 

Bali Balm *

This lip-balm has been a complete cult product for me over the past month. Here are a few reasons why: 

❤️ Vegan: The packaging and the ingredients in this balm are all 100% vegan. I feel that at this point in time, companies no longer have the excuse to get away with testing on animals. It is possible to obtain a good quality product that is also vegan.

❤️ Scent: The Bali-Balms come in 4 different scents, Bergamot & Grapefruit, Cinnamon & Burnt Orange, Lemon & Black pepper and Sandalwood & Ginger. I personally have the Bergamot & Grapefruit and I absolutely love this scent. I find that it's not too over powering and it just smells gorgeous and soothing. 

❤️ The Packaging: I absolutely love the packaging of this lip balm. It is so minimalistic, yet the dark orange internal part of the box adds a touch of luxury.

❤️ "Kiss the Planet Pledge": This is a campaign started by Bali Balm to support eco-friendly, sustainable and cruelty free practices in the production, packaging and usage of their lip balms. The pledge is a commitment to use only natural and recyclable products and processed that do as little harm to the ecosystems and the environment as possible... I don't think I need to add anything else as the pledge speaks for itself. 

❤️ Suitable for Him & Her: It's not just ladies who suffer from dry lips. Men should also be able to find products that work so I think it's great that this balm is suitable for everyone...Also, with Christmas coming up, I think they would make an excellent stocking filler for the men in your lives and that's an added bonus! ;).

❤️ Instant Results: For me, this is the most important point. The Bali Balm ACTUALLY works the second I apply it. Not only this, my lips feel moisturised for the whole day without any need to reapply it. I simply apply it in the mornings when I do my makeup and then go over it with my favourite lippy. 

The Bali Balms are available for purchase directly through the Bali Balm website. Retailing for £20, I admit that they are a bit pricier than your everyday drugstore lip balms. However, for me, the results are worth the price tag.

I would definitely recommend Bali Balm to anyone who suffers from chapped lips in the colder months. Plus, I don't know about you but I would always be happy to spend a few extra pounds for a product that is ethically produced and most importantly, does what it states on the packaging. 

Let me know if you have enjoyed this review and tell me what products you enjoy using to rescue your lips in winter. 

❤️

   Love, ML x

*PR: Products in this post were sent to me complimentary. However all photos and opinions are my own and I do not earn any commissions from sales.

What I got in the Influenster UK Rimmel London Voxbox

Hello Beautyholicgirls,

I hope that you are all doing great.

I am back with an exciting post today. I was kindly sent the InfluensterUK voxbox last month and it contained some really cool products which I was so excited about sharing with you all.

As many of us here in the UK know, the new episodes of Love Island were aired on ITV at the begginning of this month. To commemorate this amazing time for us all, Rimmel London UK have teamed up with InfluensterUK and sent some very lucky bloggers the following products:
3x Wonder-Swipe Eyeliners, Scandal Eyes WOW Mascara and some festival worthy, ultra-glamorous instant tattoos!

Now let's just say that when I opened the box and saw those tattoos I was MEGA excited. I literally had not used instant tattoos in years and they really blasted me back to the 90's.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will probably know that I am one of the plainest people on this planet when it comes to makeup. This is mostly because I really enjoy nude colours and as much as I wear foundation, eyeshadow, contour and the whole shebang every single day, I do still like to keep it very neutral. For this reason, when I saw the colours I had received in this box, my instant thoughts were: "Wow, they're erm, a bit extravagant".

Nonetheless, I was open to trying these out and to seeing whether a plain Jane like myself could rock some bold coloured eyeliners.

Before doing these looks, I did have a look on Instagram and I had seem some really awesome makeup looks that other bloggers had created with these liners. However, I am in no way an expert when it comes to makeup; so I decided to keep things simple and just try them out the way I would usually wear eyeliner.

As you can see out of the three colours I was sent, the grey one on the left was quite dark and very close to the black eyeliner that I would normally wear. So I chose to take the plunge and try out a look with the purple and gold eyeliners.

In the past, I had read that purple really complements brown eyes; as someone who likes her neutral colours, I was always afraid to believe that. However, I must say that when I applied this purple eyeliner, I really could see how much more the colour of my eyes stood out. In addition, I absolutely loved using the eyeliner because I found it very easy to work with and also very buildable. I also used the gold liner just to add a tiny pop of highlight in the inner corners of my eyes.

I found that the consistency of the gold liner was slightly runnier compared to the other two shades and as a result the glitter smudged a lot more easily. Despite this, when you compare it to other glitter products I would still rate it a solid 8/10 for product consistency and pigment.

The next product that I was initially really excited to try out was the Scandal eyes WOW Mascara. If you know me, or have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that mascara is my holy grail beauty item. I could give up all makeup but could never give up mascara! So of course, when I saw a spanking new mascara, in the prettiest shade of lilac packaging, I was in awe!

I absolutely love, fibre bristles on mascara wands. I swear by them and it is for that reason that I have always been able to have long and defined lashes. Many women, swear by plastic bristles, however, I find that they clump your lashes and just generally make more mess than anything. So when I opened this mascara to reveal the wand, I was disappointed to find that despite all the pretty packaging, the wand came with plastic bristles :(

I still decided to give it a shot and not to let my past experiences dictate how I would feel about it. However, after trying it out every day for a week, I still cannot say that I am in love with it. Whilst it is A LOT better than previous plastic wand mascara brushes that I have tried in the past, it is still not a product that I would repurchase. I found the bristles too thick and they ended up really clumping my lashes together. If you have tried this, do let me know how you have got on with it!

Last but not least, the final and most exciting item in this box was the instant tattoos. As already mentioned, I was mega excited to try these as they are the sort of thing that I used to be crazy about when I was a little girl. There was so many to choose from and I can't really say that there are any that I did not like. I pretty much love all of the tattoo designs that were included.

I have always toyed with the idea of getting a real tattoo and I always said that if ever I would get a tattoo I would get it on my wrist. So I decided to try out the design in the image below.

I absolutely loved how glam these tattoos turned out to be. The design transferred so easily and whilst I was so scared to peel off the bottom layer in case it had not properly transferred, it all properly adhered to my skin really well.

I would also like to add, that despite me sweating in the gym and showering twice a day, this tattoo did not budge for a whole 5 days! A definite MUST have for this summer festival and beach holidays! ;).

On the whole, I was super happy with the products I received in this month's InfluesterUK voxbox. Apologies if this blog post has been a rather long one...but yano, it had been a while after all!

Let me know your thoughts and also whether you have also tried any of these products.I'd love to hear your opinions.

❤️

   Love, ML x

Disclaimer: Products in this post were sent to me complimentary. However all photos and opinions are my own. 

My perfect summer foundation mix

Should I wear foundation or should I let my skin breathe? I swear, I find myself contemplating this question every single morning before doing my make up. But I'm guessing that I'm not the only one to do this though, right?
Back a few years ago, I used to be one who would steer clear from foundation particularly during the summer and I'd just allow my skin to breathe and tan. However, I don't know why, but this year I've gotten so much more into make up that I can't seem to be able to go out not wearing anything at all!

I have a hard time because I'm somebody who loves to tan, so when I do, it then means I need to find something to perfect my complexion whilst allowing me to show off the tan! When this happened, I would usually opt for a tinted moisturiser and a bit of bronzer on my cheeks as I felt this allowed me to look more tanned. However, one thing I have really disliked about this throughout the years, was the shine on my face at the end of the day. As well as, the way in which the tinted moisturiser would oxidise on my skin leaving me with a slight tangoed complexion (Obvs not the look I'd be going for!).

As summer came around the corner, I found myself wondering whether I should go out and purchase a new tinted moisturiser which would not do this...
So, I decided to give the NARS Moisturiser a go but I was soon disappointed to find that if I wore this on its own, by the end of the day it would have gone patchy and of course...Orange. This is so annoying because whilst I'd want to have that extra glow on my skin and look a bit more bronzed, Orange is far from the colour I want to be rocking on my complexion. At the same time though, I don't really want to wear my foundation on it's own because not only is it too heavy for summer, but it's also a bit on the pale side, masking away the bit of tan that I've managed to get on those two hot British days!

So instead, what I have been doing is mixing my foundation in with the tinted moisturiser and I've been achieving the perfect colour that matches my skin! :) I know it's pretty basic, but honestly, I never thought to do this before in all of those years! It's great because as well as achieving the perfect shade, it has also allowed my skin to look glowy. I have managed to find the right balance between the mattifying Charlotte Tilbury foundation and the super dewy NARS moisturiser- perfect for summer!

Below is a swatch of the shades as well as the finish I would achieve with and without mixing in the colours:

(Top: Charlotte Tilbury #shade: 3. Middle: Nars Tinted Moisturiser #shade: St. Moritz. Bottom: Mixture of both)

As you can see from the pictures, the foundation on it's own is just a tad bit pale for the time being and it's also a bit too "cakey". On the other hand. the moisturiser on it's own is so greasy looking and well, Orange. So the combination of the two make a perfect finish which I have been LOVING all summer long. It's also great because, if I tan some more, all I have to do is just add a bit more of the moisturiser to the mix. Whilst as the tan will begin to fade, I will slowly reduce the amount of moisturiser that I add, ensuring that I will always have the perfect shade! :)

Have you guys tried this before? Let me know what your favourite summer foundation routines are!

❤️

   Love, ML x

WHEN Bio-Cellulose Face Masks Review

Hello Beautyholicgirls, 

So lately I have been chilling out a lot. Since uni has ended, I have so much free time and it feels like every night is a girly pamper night in! (hehe). And I'm not complaining, I am just going to make the most of it before the real life, working 9-5 for the next 45 years begins (yeah OK, that's so depressing to think about right now, right?!). So of course, what is a girly night in without a good ol' face mask?

I recently had the pleasure to be sent the When bio-cellulose face masks to try and I could not wait to give them a go and review them for you guys! I love trying out new face masks and will always lust over products which will help to improve my complexion. 

I was instantly drawn to these because they are quite different from your usual face masks because they are bio-cellulose sheet face masks (fancy, I know!). 

So I guess that some of you might be wondering what a bio-cellulose face mask actually is right?...Let me tell you.
It is one of those sheet-like looking face masks that already come with holes in the eye, nose and lips area so that they can literally be placed right over your face. Just like an ACTUAL face mask. For those of you who have already used these before, I am sure you know how amusing and scary looking they actually are. I was completely freeked out the first time I tried something similar with my flat mate. However at the same time, it was so funny that we couldn't even bare to look at each other. But, looks aside, these face masks are 3D fibre and are infused with deeply hydrating serums enabling them to lock the moisture right into the skin-making them more effective than standard face masks.

What do they claim to do? 

When created 5 different face masks all which aim to target and work for different things. I thought I would give you a list to tell you what each one does and who they are useful for:

1. Travelmate which aims to: Soothe and refresh your skin from UV rays (excellent for those who like myself, have been frying away in the sun). This particular face mask is good for all skin types but most importantly helps to combat dry skin and dark spots on the face
2. 10pm face mask, this one is again suitable for all skin types but mainly for those with dry skin looking to combat fine lines and wrinkles
3. Snow Magic: Suitable for all skin types. Aims to help with uneven skin tones and dark spots (also can we appreciate how cute the name is!). 
4. Make-up base: Suitable for all skin types and helps to firm the appearance of the skin as well as creating a flawless base for makeup application
5. The Last Choice: As the name suggests, this one is really the last choice! It's for those who have neglected their skin regime and they are lacking the hydration and skin tone that they need. This one is also suitable for all skin tones

I was lucky enough to have been sent two to try and I received the Travelmate* (perfect as I have gotten back from holiday not very long ago) and The Last Choice* (also great because I can get very lazy with my skin care at times). So I allowed myself to have a week in between each use and I must say I was VERY impressed!

The Travelmate, really helped to put some glow back into my complexion. I had been out in the sun a lot and my skin had become very dry. My skin is usually quite normal to combination. But it has its oily times too. But this face mask really helped to give me that moisture in those dryer areas on my cheeks and around my nose.

After a week of binge eating and wearing a face full of make-up my skin started to show the signs. As a result I decided to give "The Last Choice" a go! I must say that I was really impressed! It left my skin skin feeling revived and it really helped to dry out some of the pimples that I had developed on my forehead whilst deeply moisturising my skin. 

I had previously tried the "Starskin" face masks (which are double the price) and I found that the results were the same! 

The When facemasks are available at Sephora for 7$ each or online at Birchbox for £25 for a pack of 4. I'm guessing if you're doing a big shop, Sephora may actually work out to be cheaper for those in the UK. But if not, then I guess with the shipping fees it would work out to be cheaper to purchase them from Birchbox. I will also insert a link to their official website for anyone outside of the UK. 

Personally, I will definitely be repurchasing these When face masks and I would also recommend them to any face mask lovers out there :) 

Have you tried any bio-cellulose face masks? Let me know what you guys think! :) 

Thanks for reading. 

❤️

   Love, ML x

*Sponsored post. All opinions were my own.

NEW Revlon Dramatic Definition Mascara Review

Hello there Beautyholicgirls,

I hope you're all well :D

As promised I am back with another make-up review. 

I did mention in my previous blog post that I would be making sure that I am blogging more frequently this summer, so here I am! :)

As you can tell from the title of this blog post, today I will be reviewing the Revlon Dramatic Definition Mascara which I received in May's Glossybox. I am usually not a "definition" girl as I tend to prefer volume and lengthening mascaras over definition, however, I thought I would try this one out to see how it would work on my lashes. 

As you can tell from the picture it comes with a plastic wand with very fine and close bristles. I don't know whether I have mentioned this before but, I find that plastic wands really do not work anywhere near as well as fibre ones on my lashes. I have lots of very fine long lashes and what I usually find is that plastic wands clump them all together and do not help to bring out their maximum length. 

Upon noticing that this was a plastic wand, I instantly had an idea in mind of how my lashes were going to look but, I went ahead to try it anyway. 

Below are some pictures of my eyelashes before and after the mascara application. 

As you can see, the eyelashes are quite clumped which confirmed my initial thought. However, I did find that if I used just one coat it did quite a good job at defining the lashes without clumping. It wasn't until the second coat that it started to just add lots of product and clumping the lashes. As you can see from the picture below, my lashes look quite clumpy and there isn't much definition.

On the whole, I think that it it's not a bad mascara and I would not give it a bad rating. Unfortunately though, it didn't work for me as I have tried a lot better. Based on this I would score it a 7/10. In terms of price, I think it's a bit too highly priced at £9.99 as personally I wouldn't say it was worth more than £5.99. 

Finally, I wish to say that of course this is just my own personal opinion about the product but I have read lots of other great reviews about it. I think for myself and the types of lashes that I have I would have been better off with their Volume or Volume and Length mascara which appear to come with fibre bristles. 

I think that this mascara would probably work quite well for those who have quite short and thick lashes. Or even, those who only like to wear one coat of mascara. 

However, if you like"spider-leg" fluffy lashes like myself, there are better options! 

Have you tried this mascara before? I would like to know how you have got on, or even if there was anyone who has tried any of the other Revlon ones? :) 

Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed this! 

❤️

   Love, ML x

New Bloggers UK Tag

Hello Beautyholicgirls,

How are you all? 

I must say that since joining a lovely community of new beauty and lifestyle bloggers I am getting tagged in lots of beauty tags. Today's post is a little collaboration with the lovely girls I have met through the NewBloggersUK instagram page...which I incite all of you UK bloggers to join! ;) 

If you'd like to know more about the community check out my New bloggers UK community post! 

1. What is your favourite Brand and why? 

This is a hard one. I like a lot of different brands across high-end and drug-store ones and also depends on whether it's beauty or fashion. However, I must say that at the moment I am really loving Charlotte Tilbury. I love how sleek and classy the packagings are. I also absolutely love her foundations and lipsticks, everything feels so luxurious when you're applying it...MAC would be a definite runner-up though! :)

2. Why do you wear makeup and what does it do for you?

I wear makeup because I like that it helps me emphasise my natural features. For example, I naturally have quite big eyes and thanks to mascara I can make them look even bigger!. I also enjoy the experience of applying make-up as it helps me feel feminine and girly.

3. How would you describe your personal style?

This really depends on the day and how I am feeling. Although I think that generally my style is quite girly. 

4. What is your favourite beauty product for under £10?

The Collection Extreme 24hr Felt-tip liner. It is super easy to apply and it's only £2.99

5. Who is your biggest blog inspiration?

My favourite inspiration is Kathleen Lights, even though I'm not sure if she blogs her YouTube make up videos are AMAZING!

6. What's one makeup product you can't live without?

Mascara...But for those who read my blog, I bet you already knew that ;)

7. What's one makeup product you can live without?

Eyeshadow as I don't wear it all the time anyway :)

8. What is one beauty tip you swear by?

Blinking when you apply mascara to ensure each lash is coated from the bottom up!

9. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

I love that it takes my mind off stress. I also love the lovely blogging community that I have met, as well as the lovely girls I have spoken to thanks to The "NewBloggersUK" instagram page. 

10. What advice would you give to bloggers/aspiring bloggers? 

Just start! I wanted to start blogging since I was 17 but I was always worried about people not being interested etc. and allowed myself to get put off by it. As a result I didn't start until 7 months ago when I was 21. That's 4 years that I have wasted...dont make the same mistake!! 

I hope you guys have enjoyed this post. Do feel free to follow us on Instagram so that you can also join this lovely community. Let us know what you think!

❤️

   Love, ML x

LIEBSTER Blog Award #2

Hello there beauties,

I hope you've all had a great Easter.

I certainly did...overendulged in too many chocolates and cakes though (Ooops!)

So as you can tell from the title of this post this is my second Liebster Blog Award thanks to the lovely Alex a.k.a "The Lipstick Lady".

I am really happy to have had the chance to do this again as it really enables bloggers to get to know each other as well as my readers to get to know more about me.

So the way the Liebster award works is that you have to follow the following rules to participate:

• Display the award on your Blog and thank the blogger who nominated you 
•  Answer the questions provided by the person who nominated you on your blog 
• Provide 11 facts about yourself
• Nominate other new blogs who you think deserve the award and want to be recognised 
• Create a new list of questions for those bloggers to answer and inform them that they have been nominated

So here are my answers to the questions that Alex had asked:

1. What’s your fave thing about blogging?

My favourite thing is that I get to disconnect myself from the rest of the world and it relaxes me. It’s a time where I can fully talk about things I enjoy. I also love reading reviews as blogs can really influence my decisions in purchasing certain brands etc.

2. What’s your fave thing about the blogging community?

I love how friendly and warm everyone is. It feels like everyone has known each other since forever. But above all, I like how we all share the same interests.

3. What’s your fave beauty tip?

I mentioned this in my previous Liebester Award. My all time beauty tip is to blink when you apply mascara as it really helps to coat each lash from the bottom up and it helps a great deal with length! You should try it if you haven’t already done so ;)

4. When did you start blogging/ why?

I’d been reading beauty blogs and watching fashion and beauty hauls since 2010. So finally in the summer 2015 I took the plunge to creating my own blog so that I could share my own beauty and product reviews.

5. Who is your biggest beauty inspiration/ why?

My biggest beauty inspiration is Kathleen Lights. I've been watching her videos a lot lately and it amazes me how she manages to always look so flawless in all of her video’s without looking “trashy” and her skin is just amazing!! 

Now here are the 11 facts about me...I have tried to give different ones to last time:

1. I have never dyed my hair apart from a slight ombré a few years ago

2. I am very short i.e.: 5ft

3. I dread the end of the day and having to take off my makeup...(I am soooo lazy with it)

4. Crisps are my weakness

5. I could live off Pizza

6. My favourite season is Summer and I'm one of those few people who actually don't like snow much

7. I bite my nails when I'm stressed

8. When I was younger I used to do Kung-fu

9. I'm scared of heights

10. I lived in Paris for a year during my placement

11. When I was kid  I used to say that I wanted to become an Astronaut 

I now would like to nominate the following bloggers: 

Rebecca- staticnova.blogspot.com 

Francesca- fairfranblog.wordpress.com 

Zoe- stylingthechapters.blogspot.co.uk 

Grace- thatnorthernlassblogs.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1 

My questions for you ladies are the following: 

1. What is one of your best memories

2. What music are you in to?

3. Do you prefer Sweet or Savoury?

4. What is your favourite beauty tip?

5. Do you prefer drug-store or high end makeup?

6. Would you consider blogging as a career?

7. When did you start blogging and why?

8. What are your plans for summer 2016?

Thank you all for reading, I hope that you enjoyed it and I look forwards to hearing your answers! 

❤️

   Love, ML x

Review: LEE STAFFORD poker straight hair shampoo and conditioner minis

Hello there Beautyholicgirls,

First of all, HAPPY EASTER! 

I love love these occasions, I was brought up in a family who follows Christian traditions so Easter is a very special day where we celebrate together and feast on lots and lots of food! :P 

Before I get started, just a little disclaimer that this blog post is not in any way sponsored and I have purchased both these products to try out and review with my own means and it was my decision to do so. 

                                 

So since I woke up in a great mood, planning to have a lovely relaxed day, I thought I would blog a bit to give you my review on the Lee Stafford straight hair shampoo and conditioner minis. 

I had heard about Lee Stafford products a lot and I've always been attracted by the bright pink packaging that most of his products come in. I mean, for those who know me you'll know that if something comes in pink I'm basically half sold already :D

A few years back, I had tried the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment and I absolutely loved it. It smells lush and unlike most other treatments my hair stayed smelling nice until I next washed it. However, because my hair is prone to getting oily this treatment did not help fight off the oils. The consistency was very creamy and had a tendency to make my hair go greasy. Nevertheless, I would recommend it because on the first day my hair really did look and feel great.

I naturally have straight hair but a few hours after washing my hair it starts to flick out and wave a bit around the bits that sit on my shoulders. So, this time round I thought I'd give his products another go and decided to go for the Mini Poker Straight hair Shampoo and Conditioner, hoping that it would help to keep it straight for longer. 

So far, I have used the two together for the past 3 washes and I have noticed a slight difference with the way my hair feels and sits throughout the day. I found that my hair managed to stay straight without doing the weird flicks that it usually does. After sleeping on it I woke up with the usual "flicks"-but I was expecting this to happen anyway...

All in all, I must say I was impressed! I managed to pick these minis up for under £3 each in Boots as they had the 3 for 2 in the minis section. 

I would definitely recommend them for those who have naturally straight hair as it really does help to keep it soft and smooth for the whole day. In addition, it smells amazing and the scent stays in your hair in between washes. 

I hope you guys have enjoyed this post and I wish you all an amazing week ahead! 

❤️

   Love, ML x

THE LIEBSTER AWARD

Hey there Beautyholics, 

So I received The Liebster Award by the lovely Mari (Mari Talks Beauty) This award is a way to recognise and promote new up and coming blogs. To accept your award you should thank the Liebster Blog presenter who nominated you and link back to their blog. So a BIG thank you to Mari! :) 

I also think that this is a great opportunity for my readers to get to know more about me as I haven't spoken much about myself on this blog. 

Here are the rules for the Liebster Award:
1. Thank the person who nominated you and post a link to their blog here – done
2. Display the award on your blog – done
3. Answer the questions provided by the person who nominated you on your blog – below
4. Provide 11 facts about yourself – below
5. Nominate other new blogs who you think deserves the award and want to be recognized 

Here are my answers to Mari's Questions:

1. What is one make up item you couldn’t live without?
   Definitely, 100% has to be MASCARA!!!
2. What are your 3 favourite blogs/bloggers?
   Dizzybrunnette3, A girl obsessed and Essie Button
3. Where are you from?
   Originally born in Italy, but grew up in the UK since I was 6
4. Are you vegetarian or vegan?
   Nope 
5. Do you exercise, if so what type of sport / activity is your favourite?
   Yes I try to exercise 6 days a week. I enjoy weight training and running 
6. What is your evening and morning skincare routine?
   Clinique 3 Step system 
7. Is blogging your hobby or job?
   Blogging is my hobby
8. What type of industry are you in your job/studies?
   I'm studying International Business and French 
9. What is your most recommended beauty / skincare / make up trick?
   Most recommended "trick" is to blink when you apply mascara as it really helps to coat every single lash from the bottom to the end. I have seen so many of my friends not doing this and it's a trick I've always told them about and once they began doing it they said worked really well....So get blinking girls!
10. Do you talk about your blog with your ‘real life’ friends ?
    Yes, but not too much as no one else blogs and quite understands the concept... 

11 facts about me: 

1. I am 21
2. I'm graduating in July and still unsure as to what I'd like to do after uni

3. I forever lust over Chanel bags 

4. Well actually... I'm just a designer lable lover even if I dont own much designer myself though...

5. My favourite colour is Pink, always has been and always will be 

6. I always wanted a younger sister but I ended up with a younger brother...who's not so bad now (at least he can't steal my makeup ;))

7. My first job was working in a chip shop

8. My job after that was working in a perfume shop (Yep I went from smelling like fried fish to a cocktail of fragrances)

9. I speak 3 languages and I'd love to learn loads more!

10. I'm addicted to Instagram

11. When I was younger I actually got to visit some cool places like Thailand, Dominican Republic and most of the Mediterranean. 

I now nominate the following beauties: 

Katie- countrykatieuk.wordpress.com

Emma- dreamingoffithavenue.wordpress.com
Angela- bit.ly/1O3fx7n 
Debra- debrabow.com

My Questions for you girls are the following: 

1. What made you start blogging? 

2. Where do you look for inspiration when you're stuck on what to blog?

3. What's your favourite makeup brand? 

4. What's your favourite mascara and why?

5. What sort of blog posts do you like reading and why?

6. Do you enjoy travelling? If so, where have you been?

7. Would you consider doing Youtube? 

8. Name 4 of your favourite Youtubers

9. What's your favourite song at the moment?

10. Favourite Lip colours? 

Thank you so much for reading guys, I hope that you have enjoyed this blog post and a huge thank you again to Mari for nominating me! (If you guy's would rather answer some of Mari's questions over mine then feel free). Have fun and if I don't blog until then...have a great Easter!!!! ;D

❤️

   Love, ML x

New Bloggers UK Community

Hello Beautyholics,

Today's post is going to be very short informing you on an Instagram page that Sophie from dreamdesiredo blog and myself have set up with the help and feedback from the lovely Alex from thelipstickladyblog.

This page was set up because we felt like there wasn't much on social platforms which would enable new beauty, fashion and lifestyle bloggers to connect. Our aim was thus to create a platform (Instagram is just the start), where we can all share our interests, meet one another and create a little bloggers community.

It is exclusive to the UK bloggers, in doing so it means that we could arrange meet-ups and arrange collaborations together.

Let us know what you guys think!

If you're a UK blogger and would like to join this community, click here and lets Network! :)

Thanks for reading and hope to meet you all soon!!

❤️

   Love, ML x

YSL mascara, shocking or original?

Hello beautyholics,

I hope you've all been well.

I'm back again after some time...

Today I thought I would give you a quick review and personal opinion on two mascara's that I could not pass on reviewing for you guys.

As you guys know from my previous post I am a sucker for long lashes, one can say that I'm pretty much OBSESSED with long lashes! For me, when it comes to eyelashes the longer is always better ;)

So, today, I thought I would give you a quick review about two mascara's that have been hyped about over the years that I have finally managed to compare!

The first one is the YSL-Original Faux Lash Effect.

I had originally tried this mascara many years back and I absolutely LOVED it, so, I decided to come back to it again recently and I remembered exactly why I loved it so much the first time round.

It comes in a sleek gold packaging that looks very luxurious like most of the YSL or other high end beauty products.

The wand is made out of fibres (my favourite type) and each fiber is very close to each other. This literally means that it coats each lash and does not leave huge clumps in between.

Personally, this mascara literally does what it says. It gives them that "false" lash effect by coating each lash, lengthening and separating them. It is not best for volume, but with some thick winged liner it looks very dainty....

As you can see by the side-by-side picture, this is the result I got after just one coat! And it is buildable...

For me the results speak for themselves. The eyelashes are separated and they look defined and not clumpy.

The second mascara for review is the Shocking version of the original YSL mascara. Now I don't know where to begin with this one... Let's just say it's "shocking" for the wrong reasons!

I purchased this following my purchase for the YSL original as I wanted something that would give me the same effect as the original but with a big more volume. Like the original it does come in a beautiful golden sleek packaging and it is advertised to "exaggerate your lash look with shocking volume from every angle"... However, I'll let you be the judges of that...

As you can see, this mascara was VERY clumpy and drying! From the day that I opened it it felt like it was 3 months old ;/ The formula isn't as soft and liquid like the original version and it just does not do what the packaging says!

I was very disappointed with the result. Not to mention that I was really looking forwards to making this one of my favourite mascaras but, unfortunately, it has made it to the bottom of the list :(

I thought it would be useful for you guys to have a look at the differences in the wands. They are both similar but unlike the Original version the Shocking bristles are slightly further apart which in my opinion does not help with the "clumpiness"

So, in a nutshell: I will highly recommend trying out the original version as it is definitely a winner and it is up there with my top 5 favourite mascaras of all time! :D

But unfortunately given that they both retail at the same price (£25) I will be passing up on the Shocking effect and I shall not be recommending it.

Have any of you had the chance to try them both too? Let me know what you guys thought :)

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed :)

❤️

   Love, ML x