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. 

Marc Jacobs Matte Highliner Gel Review

Hello Beautyholics,

Who would have thought that colour pop eyeliners would come back in fashion?

If you're like me, you probably stay away from colours when it comes to eye make-up. I like to keep things very basic and a black winged liner usually does the job.

However, last month I was very fortunate to have received a parcel from InfluensterUK, containing not one, but two complimentary samples of Marc Jacobs Highliners. I was really not expecting to receive the parcel so you could imagine my face when I opened the parcel *Screams of Excitement*.

I received a dark brown shade called 'Earthquake' and a pastel blue shade called 'Déja Blue'.

My initial reaction was, "WOW, I love the brown but what am I going to do with the blue"? SO, I started swatching and playing around with them. As I began swatching it, I realised just how creamy the eyeliners were, it felt like colouring in with a Crayon.

I then went on to try using it on my eyes. I must say, for someone who is used to doing their winged liner with a felt-tip pen, it was a struggle to get a neat wing with this pencil! Nonetheless, I still managed to get a 'neat-ish' line. When it came to the 'Deja Blue' shade, I was unsure about where to apply it. I had considered putting it on my water line, but I didn't think it would look appealing with my dark brown eyes. Instead, I chose to pop a little in the inner corner of my eye and just take it up a little.

I must say that, I was quite happy with how it turned out - Not bad for someone who only ever uses black liner!

I loved the durability of these, I did the make-up in the morning and by the evening the eyeliner had not smudged nor had it lost any pigmentation - 10/10 for that!

How about you, have you given these a go? I'd love to hear your reviews and how you used them! Share your comments below :)

❤️

   Love, ML x

How to maintain your summer glow ft. Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Glow Moisturiser review

Hey m'darls,

Hope you are all well.

I've only been back from my holiday for just over ten days but I am already experiencing major holiday blues! :(

As usual, one of the main things I love about being on holiday in the summer is catching a golden tan, I mean, who doesn't? I don't know about you, but life is so much better when you're tanned. I also love how just under five minutes, I can have all my make-up done and be ready to roll-out as I don't need to spend ages concealing, applying foundation and contouring my face to stop me looking like a mini Casper.I must say that I'm quite fortunate to be one of those people who tans quite easily, however it is such a struggle to maintain that golden glow once you are back in the rainy U.K.

This year, I was determined to find a product that would help me to prolong that natural tanned look, without needing to apply any heavy dark foundation on my face.
Whilst shopping in John Lewis, I came across the Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow moisturiser. If you know me, I love CT products so I was sold right away. This product claimed to be "summer in a bottle" with pigments that morph into your skin developing into a natural looking tan.

Verdict... It does just that!

As usual, I like to show you the difference so that you can see the results for yourselves.



As you can tell, this moisturiser really helped to even out my skin tone, whilst maintaining that natural looking glow. I absolutely love it!

If I want to look even more tanned, I simply apply some light bronzer on my cheek bones and I feel as if I have just spent the day soaking up the sun. I used this every day whilst on holiday in the evenings and I have been using it every day since being back from my holiday to try to maintain my tan as long as possible. Out of ten, I'd rate it a solid 9!

For those with oily prone skin, one thing to look out for is that this moisturiser dries up very dewy and becomes even dewier throughout the day. However, I am one of those with oil prone skin in my T-zone but I still find this product a must have go-to if I am popping out of the house for a few hours.

How about you, have you tried this product before? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

❤️

   Love, ML x

Favourite Lipstick and Lip liner combo

TADA, I'm back!

This time I'm going to cut it short with the soppy excuses as to why I've been absent (yet again!) from the blogging scene. Let's just say, I have been super busy with every day life and finally I'm slowly regaining some time to myself to focus on doing what I love.

So, to ease myself back into this whole shebang, I thought I would do a quick post on my favourite lip combo of ALL time!

As you know, when it comes to lipsticks I like to keep things simple. Nudes are and will, always remain my go-to lipstick shades. I don't know what it is about them but I just feel comfortable whenever I'm wearing a nude lipstick. I find that it easily goes with any outfit and regardless of the occasion, a nude lippy will never cease to be in fashion.

Of course, as you can probably imagine, I have tried a tonne of different brands and shades on the hunt to find the PERFECT nude...and believe me, I have tried way too many at the expense of my bank account.

Anyhoo, this time last year I thought I had found THE ONE... It came in the simple black sleek packaging, with the brand name written across the lid in silver writing. You guessed it, it was a MAC. If you've already read my post about my favourite MAC lippys you'd know how much of a sucker I am for MAC lipsticks, in particular any of their matte shades.

I find MAC lipsticks very long wearing, to the point where if I forget to reapply my lipstick after lunch at work, it doesn't matter too much because I know that there will always be a hint of colour on my lips.

With this lip combo, I had originally found the MAC lipstick in shade "Honeylove" to be my favourite nude. I then soon came across the Charlotte Tilbury lipliners and fell in love with "Iconic Nude". These two together were just what I thought to be, the perfect nude lip combo. The Charlotte Tilbury lip pencils are by far, the BEST lip pencils I have ever come across. Yes, that's it, they're even better than MAC's. No word of a lie, they stay on all day and are super easy to apply as opposed to some MAC lip pencils that require you to go over your lips a few times until you can see some colour.

However, just as I thought I had found the perfect lip combo, I came across an even better match! This time, it also came in a black sleek packaging and went by the name "Yash". As opposed to Honeylove, Yash is a lot more of what I would call a true nude lippy with brown undertones. Coupled with the Charlotte Tilbury Iconic nude lip pencil it was the Purrrfect match!

So, what can I say, for those of you girlies who really like pink and are after a nude colour lippy, I recommend trying out the Honeylove. If like me, you're really into the browns and true nudes, you've definitely got to try out Yash.

I thought I'd post a picture below of them both to find out which one you girls like best! (They look very similar on camera ;))

I'd also love to hear what your favourite nude lipsticks are, so let me know below! :)

❤️

   Love, ML x

SEVENTEEN makeup review*

Hey lovelies,

Just before Christmas I was kindly sent out two products by SEVENTEEN and I have been meaning to blog about them ever since but have not really had the chance to get around to writing it all up...finally though it's here!

The two products were the "All out pout"* featuring 4 different shades of beautiful reds and the "Let's face it"* concealer palette. Prior to receiving these, I had not tried any SEVENTEEN makeup range so I was really excited to give them a go.

 

For anyone that knows me, you'd know that I am not very daring when it comes to lipsticks...I literally love sticking to my nudes and MAC's "Yash" is literally my every day go-to lip colour. So when I received the "All out pout"* palette in the red shades I was super excited but also kind of scared to see how I would look wearing a bold red lippy. 

 

The palette comes with 4 different shades of red, a baby pink and a sparkly gold shade -which I used to highlight and create an ombré effect on the lips.

Bearing in mind that I had never tried to create an ombré effect using lipsticks, below is the result that I got using this palette. 

 

As you can tell, the lipsticks are quite glossy (some more than others) but what I loved about them was that they were not sticky! (Literally earned extra points for this because I am really not a fan of sticky lippy's).

I started off by applying the light pink shade (on the top left) and then gradually built it up by applying the light colours to the dark ones. Once I got to the darkest shade I just applied it on the outside of my lips and then went back to add the lighter shades in the middle and slowly blending them out. Finally I added a touch of the glittery shade (bottom right) in the middle and on my cupids bow to create a highlight effect.

I don't know about you, but I loved the how it turned out and I think that it's a great palette for anyone who, like myself, isn't very daring when it comes to reds as the palette retails at £4.99 so hardly breaking the bank ;). Also, it is great because you can use the shades lipsticks on their own if you want to as well making it a great,cheap option for anyone wishing to snap out of wearing nudes all the time!

The other palette was the concealer and blush "Let's face it"* kit-now this I have tried lots of in the past, so I was really able to compare this to other concealers and blushers. What I particularly loved about this palette was that it contained two different shades of concealers, making it suitable for anyone who has either pink or yellow undertones! :)

 

My skin, has quite yellow undertones so particularly preferred the middle shade, but I also used the shade on the left around my face to cover up any imperfections. I found that the concealers are easily comparable to the Clinique Airbrush concealer in terms of texture and durability. I did find them to be quite oily- so maybe not particularly suitable for anyone with really oily skin, however, it does also come with a powder to put over the concealer which I thought really helped to make it stay on for longer.

As for the blush, I don't usually wear cream blushes because I normally find them quite hard to blend and they can feel sticky and oily on the skin, however I found that if you used a small amount of this one it really gave a nice natural "rosy" look to your cheeks and it was not too oily either! All in all I'd rate both of these palettes a 7/10 especially for the price!

What SEVENTEEN products have you tried before?

❤️

   Love, ML x

*Products received as PR samples, reviews and opinions are solely my own.

Primark PS Pro Mattifying Primer

Hello Lovelies,

I don't know where to start other than by saying that I am well aware that this blog post has been long overdue. I apologise for my absence but unfortunately a lot has gone on in my life lately which has meant that I had to put my blog aside until things settled down. However I'm finally feeling ready to get back into it all and start blogging again! :)

Today's post is about the Primark PS Pro Mattifying primer. I received this sample in the October GlossyboxUK and I must say that although I hadn't tried any of the Primark make-up range, I was quite excited to give this one a go! The product I received was in full size, which meant that I have been able to use it almost every day for the past month and really get to see what it's like on my skin.

 

So, let's begin by talking about the scent. I don't know whether I have mentioned it before but I'm usually not a fan of makeup/skincare that's really scented. However I do also think that the worst thing is slapping on a load of makeup that smells like a cocktail of chemicals mixed in together...

With it being a Primark product, I didn't really know what to expect. I went ahead to open it assuming that it would probably smell like a mix of cheap chemicals but I was completely wrong!
The primer is slightly floral scented-it's almost like a clean smell which is great because it does not linger once it has been absorbed into the skin.

I also really like the texture, it's super soft and easy to apply and I particularly love how it is non greasy! Which in turn, really helps to create a matte base for you to apply your foundation.

I have to also add that I am probably one of the best people to go to when it comes to testing the durability of a beauty product because I literally tend to leave my makeup on right until I'm about to get into bed (so so lazy!). So this has meant that I have really been able to see how long my foundation stayed on for whilst using this primer. And I must say that I was really pleased!

Although I haven't really tried many primers in the past that would enable me to compare this Primark one with, I do think that for anyone who is looking for a cheap and cheerful primer that will do it's job well-I definitely recommend giving this one a go! It retails at just £3 so you'd really not be losing out on much if you didn't like it :)

I'd like to hear what you guys thought of it if you've tried this primer before. Otherwise let me know what primers you have used and which ones are your favourites...

Thanks for reading and I hope that you've found this post helpful! 

❤️

   Love, ML x

Starting University - All you need to know

"Have I chosen the right course"?, "Will I make new friends"?, "What do I need to bring with me"?, "What if I miss home and decide it's not for me"?...

Starting university is one of the most exciting, yet most frightening times of your life. Trust me, we have all been there!
I remember the upcoming weeks before enrolling onto my course and I had about a million questions whizzing through my mind. It was a really exciting time for me because this was going to be the first time I'd be living away from home. I also particularly remember feeling nervous and scared. Nobody would be there to do my washing, nobody would be there to make sure that I was up in the mornings and above all, nobody would be there to cook my all time favourite lasagna!

I remember researching everything I could and reading many student forums to make sure that I had everything that I needed. I was so worried that I'd arrive to my halls and realise that I'd forgotten something important behind, or even worse, that I wouldn't like anyone that I was living with and that I'd be lonely for the rest of my years at uni.
Yep, it's crazy the kind of thoughts that go through your mind when you're stressing out!

Let me tell you though, none of this was important or even necessary for me to have had. What I didn't realise at the time, was that this was going to be a fresh start to my life, a new chapter. It didn't matter if I had forgotten something behind, or if I now had to learn how to cook. None of this was important because I was finally going to grow up and flourish into a better me. To this day, I wish I hadn't worried so much about these minor things because before I knew it it was all over so fast :(

So anyway, I figured that there are probably a lot of young people who are currently in the same position that I was in a few years ago. So I thought I would write a quick guide, or at least tell you about my experience and the ways to go about things in order to make these next few years the best you've ever had!

                                              -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, you've chosen your course, you've got your accommodation sorted, now all that's left is making sure you pack the important things you'll need and get yourself ready for this new chapter.
By now, you should have received a guide to your freshers week, giving you all the information you need to know as well as a guide with some sort of schedule with your moving in day. Although, let;s not forget that some uni's aren't as organised as others, so if you haven't received anything, fear not! I will try to list out the things that you need to know below:

Before arrival:

1. Make a list of all the things that you need to bring with you. Some accommodations supply a lot of the trinklets and bits and bobs that you need in your social space and bedrooms. However, make sure you find out exactly what is being provided for you. Then make a list of all the ESSENTIAL things that you will need (I have done a separate post with a University Checklist). 
2. Make sure that you have printed any arrival documentation that you will need when you move in and for enrolment. This may be things such as passport, letters of acceptance, exam certificates and anything which you may have been told to bring with you. Make sure you read your emails carefully because they will often tell you about these things. 
3. Make sure you know your moving in date and the times, visit your university website, Facebook and Twitter pages, to find out whether they are posting any freshers information. I particularly remember that my university halls had a separate Facebook page where people could post their flat numbers so that others living in the same flats could comment. This was a great way to meet people before arriving! 

Moving in day: 

1. I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people who likes to make sure everything is packed from the day before so that on the day I don't have to think about anything other than getting myself to where I need to be. If you are also like this, or struggle to get to places on time, I advice you ensure that you have everything packed from the night before so that all you have to do is get yourself moved in. 
2. Once you arrive, make sure you follow the instructions that you were given before moving in (by this point you would have certainly received something telling you where to go)
3. Once you've moved your stuff into your room, what I advise you to do next is to leave your bedroom door open so that if you haven't already met the others living in your flat, this would be an opportunity to meet them when they arrive!

Meeting people: 

I must say that at the time, I was not the best person when it came to socialising. I was always quite shy to approach new people but this is where you really have to make the effort to conquer your fears and get talking! 

Honestly, I cannot stress this enough but the more people you will meet in freshers week, the better it will be. People will be as friendly as they're going to get during this stage, so it's best to get to know as many of them as you can. I'm not saying to over do it, but just make the effort to be yourself and show the best side of you. 

You'll soon realise that you'll naturally "click" with some people over others and before you know it, you'll have made so many new acquaintances and new friends :)

First day of lectures:

Eeeek, the "scary" day. I remember this day so clearly, I struggled to sleep the night before because I was so worried to go to class actually having to learn things that at the time, I imagined would be so hard for me to understand. But honestly, I was fine... 

All I can suggest, is firstly to make sure that you have your timetable printed. I printed mine as soon as it was available online. I even made my own version so it looked pretty and colourful up on my pin board. Then make sure that you have read all of your modules guidelines and have any books and literature printed so that you can be prepared before your lectures. If you can get into the habit of doing this early on, believe me, you'll ACE uni! 

Then make sure that you have any equipment that you may need, depending on your course/module this would vary. 

Finally...

Enjoy yourself. These next few years are going to change you so much. You are going to learn not only a lot about the course that you will be studying but also about yourself. You'll grow up as a person and you'll finally be able to see what you are capable of. Make sure you take lots of pictures, keep a diary and just make it a time to remember!

I wish all of those starting uni in September all the best and don't hesitate to get into contact or comment down below if I've not answered any questions!

Thanks for reading and I hope that you've found this post helpful! 

❤️

   Love, ML x