Scene Anime

So for every season, The Body Shop release a limited edition make-up collection, (Link to my reviews on the Winter Trend collection!), which I’m always so excited for.  This year might possibly be my favourite collection they’ve ever released!
So firstly we have my favourite item in the collection…
Shimmer Cubes Palette 19!
 
How bloody beautiful are these colours! I fell in love when I first saw them. 
The colours are Top L-R Emerald Sea, Sea Shell, Bottom L-R Hushed Orchid, Sparkling Sky
If you’ve ever seen any of the shimmer cubes before, you’ll know that each of these eyeshadows are literally cubes, and will last ages, so at £16 for four cubes, you’re definitely getting you’re moneys worth!

My favourites have to be Sea Shell and Emerald Sea, I don’t think I have ever seen a green eyeshadow so beautiful.  It looks more like a teal in real life.  So I’ve been experimenting with these and love to layer them over the top of liquid or kohl eyeliner on the top lid.  I’ve yet to take of EOTDs but I will very soon using these, but before then…

Here is a piccy with some examples.  At the bottom we have the blue and green eyeshadows over the body shops blue kohl, and at the top we have each colour layered over black liquid liner.  These pictures really do not do these colours justice, I apologise!
The rest of the range is gorgeous aswell.  If you check the website you’ll see images of a tiny cute blush compact puff – which you basically unscrew and puff the sponge onto your cheeks for colour – the powder is inside.  It has a mirror on it, and so saves you carrying around a mirror, blusher brush, and product, as its all in one. 
They’ve also re-designed their lip glosses, which I love.  The packaging is now decorated with tiny hearts, there are a few extra colours to choose from and they are now named ‘love gloss’ aha!


And the main added feature is the new applicator.  A lot of lip glosses seem to have this feature and I do prefer it.  As the brush is bigger its takes less time to apply the gloss, and its pretty to look at.
The colour I have is Fuchsia Flush and they’re all £9.50.  The formula seems pretty similar to their last glosses, its extra moisturizing and I’ll admit a tiny bit sticky, but not as much as their hi-shine glosses!

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these and what you think about them!

I went out with my class last Thursday to celebrate the end of term, and here is how I wore my make-up for that evening!



Eyes – UDPP
MAC Nylon and Beauty Marked eyeshadow
The Body Shop eye shadow in 20, black liquid liner & black super-volume mascara
Gosh velvet touch kohl eyeliner pencil
Lips – My favourite lipstick EVER (at the moment!) MAC’s Patiserie
The Body Shop lip liner in 10 Pink Brown
Face – MAC’s Studio finish concealer in NW15
The Body Shop’s all in one face base 02 and Apricot shimmer 12 on the cheeks!

In this photo I was testing out my new Babylis Pro 230 Radiance Straighteners, one side is obviously straightened and the other isn’t.  I normally straighten my hair once a month as I’m scared about damaging it, and kinda prefer my hair wavy.  I do adore the straighteners though, they heat up to 230 VERY quickly and make my hair super straight.
A quick snap of some of me and my class mates from the night -

XXX

Hey Guys! So I have some exciting news and some pictures to boot. The Body Shop I work in (Thurrock, Lakeside) has been chosen as the shop to trial a new shop re-vamp! We are having our whole store changed completely at the end of April so I'll let you know the changes when they happen!

As part of the new trial we have also received a completely new make-up section, which I took pictures of, of course!




It all looks lovely and sexy/sophisticated now huh!? The black looks professional and charming, the layout is more playful and fun, and most importantly to me, finally all the eye shadow and lip colours are in colour shade order!! It makes it alot easier on the eye and looks neater aswell. The make-up drawers and the mirror also have a nice wooden effect which looks expensive, but I forgot to take a picture of that!
So, what does everyone think? Should all Body Shops have their make-up counters like this? XX

Those of you who have seen a few of my outfit posts will have noticed I have a tattoo on my foot.  In actual fact, I have three, I got my third just last month! 

Its a Snooks family tradition that on my Grandma’s (<3) death day (20th April) we get something significant done to our bodies – one year my Mum got a tattoo, the next both of my parents got a belly piercing etc.  For a while now I’ve been wanting another tattoo (they are extremely addictive) and I convinced both of my parents to have them with me (I have THE best/coolest rents ever, huh!). 

I knew that I wanted lyrics, Morrissey/The Smiths lyrics to be precise so it was just a case of choosing the actual lyrics, the font and deciding on placement.  I decided on song words from The Smiths ‘Handsome Devil’.  I absolutely ADORE Morrissey and The Smiths – I was brought up listening to their songs and going to see Moz in concert and his songs rubbed off on me!  I love the quote I chose, its completely ‘me’.  In terms of placement, I knew that I wanted it either on my side or back, and I chose to justify the quote to the right and have it on my right side.  Here’s a photograph.

I absolutely adore it.  My tattoo artist did such a good job writing very gently – I didn’t want it to be too big, I wanted it quite dainty and he managed it (although he said afterwards that it was like writing on a grain of rice!).

And my other tattoo’s -

This was my first tattoo.  I got it on my 18th birthday as a present from my parents and its on my foot.  I love having a foot tattoo, especially when I wear heels.  One line above does need touching up but apart from that its perfect!

This was my second and its on my hip and travels down towards my lady parts (sorry about the bikini shot – I realised I don’t have ANY pictures of the placement of it apart from this cringy photograph.  Its just to give you an idea of where it is)!  They’re roses and not many people know I have this tattoo, its kind of a secret thing.  I didn’t want any colour in this, or in any of my other tattoo’s, I’d prefer them to have a similar look/theme and I want them to look gentle and feminine, not too loud.  I had this tattoo and the one above done by the same man, Ivan, at my local tattoo studio – I absolutely adore his style of tattooing and how detailed they both are, but unfortunately he left last year and so I got another guy who I like and trust in the same studio to do my most recent.  If I ever do decide to get another then I’d definitely go back to him.  (In the coloured photograph above it looks kinda blue, but its actually black!)

AFTERCARE

For the first two weeks after having your tattoo done, your supposed to wash it gently with a damp cloth and apply a moisturizer straight after, about 2-3 times a day.  I’m very obsessive about this and make sure its always moisturized – it will heal quicker this way and won’t be too itchy when it comes to scab off, and it won’t peel too much.

Bepanthen – this is actually a nappy rash cream but it works incredibly for using for the first week after you’ve had it done.  Its super soft and the formula is thick, creamy and moisturizing.  It doesn’t have a scent but because its white and thick it may transfer onto some of your clothes – this isn’t a problem, you can always wipe it off.

Tattoo Goo – This is probably a bit of a con because its really similar to Vaseline or any other moisturizing jelly, but it contains olive oil, wheat germ oil, cocoa butter, lavender oil, beeswax etc – all great natural ingredients to help repair and moisturize the skin.  This is good because its clear it doesn’t transfer onto clothes.

E45/Aqueous Cream – everyone has probably used this before once in their life and you can use the little tubes of it on your tattoo, preferably in the second week, after a first week of using something more thick and intense.  Good to carry around on you for dry patches, etc anyway.

In the second week after having the tattoo, my artist recommended using any kind of moisturizer that you know you don’t react you or have any problems with – for me this would be any of The Body Shop’s Body Butters (Cocoa Butter pictured above), Vaseline’s Coca Butter moisturizing oil, Korres Quince Body Butter etc. 

Your tattoo should heal pretty quickly if you keep it moisturized.  Mine healed super quick (because the writing was so gentle I think), it took just over a week and a half.

So that’s a quick over view of my tattoos and my tips and products to encourage it heals nicely!

Do you have any tattoos? What did you use to heal them?

XXX

I have a secret – not a great one but one which only my close friends know.  I can’t use shower gel, with the exception of one (Femfresh).  This is because I am SUPER super sensitive and react to EVERYTHING.  I can’t use bubble bath either and so bath time is normally very boring for me.  Femfresh is a great product, very gentle on my skin and lady parts and I don’t react at all, but its hardly an exciting product or one to shout about, is it!

Well – recently I was introduced to Ahava Shower gel’s.  For the past two months I’ve actually been using a shower gel (HOOOOOORAAAAYY!).   This is so exciting for me, girls!  I can’t believe I’ve actually found a product that I don’t react to. 

I’ve been using the Mineral Botanic Velvet Cream Wash in Honeysuckle and Lavender which is recommended for sensitive skin (the brand also make shower gels for normal to dry skin).  The formula of this shower gel is amazing – it really is like a velvet liquid and it almost has a silky look to it in your hands and it leaves my skin SO soft.  I know its sad but I actually look forward to having a shower because of this product. 

One of the best things about this shower gel is that it is SLS and paraben free and allergy tested which is probably why I don’t react to it.  Because it is SLS free it doesn’t foam up, instead it literally glides on the skin like a creamy velvet.  There are six other shower gels in the range and they all vary to suit your skin type, whether its normal, dry or sensitive.  I love that this brand are suitable and cater for all skin types.

 

You can purchase it online here and you get a massive 500ml for £15.  Which is going to last me ages as you don’t need to use much.  My Mum and Sister have also been using this (they both have sensitive skin too) and they moaned and complained when I took it back to my flat with me, ha!

Have you ever tried Ahava products? What’s your favourite shower gel for sensitive skin? X

I’ve become a slight fake-tan junkie as of late and although I don’t apply it everywhere, I’m really enjoy looking a slightly tanned shade.  I’ve recently been using the He-Shi fake tan range which I’d heard lots about (mainly from Jess at StarViolet beauty; she loves it!) and so I couldn’t resist trying it out for myself.

I was sent the three step regime which includes an exfoliating body wash, a liquid express tan and a soufflé moisturizer!

Step 1 - Exfoliating Body Wash

This stuff smells incredible, like sweet strawberries!  Its a really nice exfoliator – not too harsh, but you can feel the little crystal bits in it scrubbing away.  I haven’t and probably won’t use this on my face although it says that you can, just because my skin is acne prone anyway and I’m weary of using fragranced products that may irritate it! 

Step 2 - Liquid Express Tan

I found this tan is super easy to apply because its a brown liquid so you can see exactly where you are putting it, which is good for people like me who are forgetful and don’t realise where they’ve missed.  It applies smoothly, doesn’t smell at all and sinks into the skin really nicely.  It doesn’t take too long to dry on the skin either, around a minute or two and your ready to go.  The tan develops over a few hours into a lovely golden which you can see in the pictures below.

Step 3 - Soufflé Moisturizer

I love this moisturizer.  It hasn’t got any actual fake tan in it but it helps your tan stay on longer because of the good moisturizing ingredients such as like Aloe Vera and Vitamin E, etc.  This smells lovely, sinks into your skin really nicely and also gives a nice matt finish to your skin which is nice, it makes the skin look really soft.  I’ve been using it daily all over (even without the tan) and it hasn’t irritated my eczema at all which is a plus!

Results -

(un-tanned arm compared to tanned legs!)

What I think -  I’m really happy with the results – as you can see above its quite a noticeable colour difference but still natural and glowing.  It did go slightly streaky in some places – on my knees and neck area but it wasn’t too bad.  It is my fault because I’m terrible at applying it and tend to dance around slapping it on with my mitt not really paying attention, which I need to stop doing!  I applied this a week and a half ago and I still have a slight colour now which is nice.  Something else I liked about this was that their is hardly a smell in the fake tan and it didn’t transfer onto my pyjamas/bedding after I had applied it.

Please do take extra care when using this though – because I wasn’t expecting the tan liquid to be so ‘liquidy’ it went everywhere when I first applied it – note the change in bed sheets above.  Thankfully the spill did wash out of my white sheets so its not too much of a problem.

The Exfoliating Body Wash is £12, the Express Liquid tan £21 (150ml) and the Soufflé Moisturizer £12.50.  You can get all three products at the moment here for the special offer price of £29.99, along with the mitt which is great value for a starter pack with the whole regime in it, I think and you can buy it all on their website here.

Have you used He-Shi before? Do you think the colour suits pale skin?

xoxox

So you girls probably now know that I’m as pale as casper and I love it.  BUT, that doesn’t stop me wanting to look naturally bronzed and golden every now and again.  I have steered clear of all tanning products since my last tan review (which you can read here), which bought me up in terrible eczema after.  However I decided to take the leap and try out a few fake tan products from the Beau Bronz range.

One of the main reasons I decided to try this range was because of their great company values and the fact that the gradual tans are free from parabens, harsh chemicals and alcohol, and each solution is 95% natural – which sounds perfect for sensitive skin like mine!

I’ve been using a starter pack which includes a hydrating spray exfoliator, and three tanning solutions; 1 for everyday use (also can be used as an after sun), 4 Medium for a natural glow and 8 for a golden bronzed look.  I’ll show you through each step and then reveal the results!

STEP 1

Use the ‘Exfoliese’ on bare skin!  The spray is made from natural fruit acids and aloe vera and hydrates the skin as well as removing dead particles leaving you ready for tanning.  I was nervous about this making my skin irritated and itchy but it was fine – much less hassle than a normal messy body scrub (TBS Raspberry Scrub, I’m looking at you!).  I sprayed this on my legs and arms and removed it with a towel in circular motions to help scrub.  This smells really nice, natural and fruity.

STEP 2

 

I applied the number 4 ‘Advanced Medium’ gradual tan all over my legs with a little mitt.  Again, it smells really nice, not at all like that weird mushroom smell you get with other fake tans.  On the beaubronz website it says this is perfect for English Rose complexions, which is great for me.  One little niggle I had about this was that once you’ve rubbed it in, you can’t see where you’ve already put it, which is difficult for someone forgetful and clumsy like me, but I thankfully managed to apply it evenly.

STEP 3

I then applied number 1 all over my arms and on my ankles and wrists.  I was told that you can fade #4 out into #1 to give a more natural tanned appearance.  Again, I couldn’t tell where I was putting it, but it didn’t take long to cover the whole surface area.  You can also apply #1 daily to keep your tan topped up.

RESULTS

So, after those three simple steps, all I had to do was wait for my tan to appear.  Here are the before and after pictures!

^ The palest part of my arm compared to my new tanned legs!

WHAT I THINK

I LOVE the results!!  I was expecting to go a nice shade of tangerine but instead I feel like my legs looked naturally glowing.  It doesn’t look orange in the slightest in real life and I’m very happy that I now know that I can use a product to make me look naturally tanned.  The smell doesn’t linger on the skin much after application and didn’t transfer onto my white sheets which was good.  And I’m most happy to say that my skin didn’t react at all to this tan - It didn’t irritate my eczema at all which I’m over the moon about.

So if any one has sensitive, irritable skin then give this a try, I’d definitely recommend it. When I run out of my travel sizes I’ll  def be purchasing a big #4 to see me through this summer!  If you wanted a darker tan – then I’d recommend #8 which is a darker more intense tan shade.  I love how Beau Bronz accommodates for all skin types and colours – something quite rare in beauty companies!  Each full size product retails at about £23, which is cheaper than St Tropez and around the same price as Xen Tan I believe, so I think its quite affordable.  Thumbs up from me!

Have you tried Beau Bronz?  Which fake tan products do you use? XX

Please note I was given these samples for free but all opinions are honest and respectable

Are you sick and tired of the way you look and feel?  Maybe you are due for a total body makeover.  There are so many options for a makeover that don't have to cost you a fortune. Consider fast hairstyle, body, makeup makeovers that are quick and easy.

Hairstyles Makeovers
1. Add hair bangs- spice up your style fast with ever-so-popular side swept bangs
2. Change your hair color - go up or down one to two shades for a completely different look
3. Deep condition your hair - get all over soft, smooth and sexy hair with a weekly 30 minute deep conditioning.
4. Get a new haircut for your face shape- find out what your face shape and pick a hairstyle that works best

Body Makeovers
1. Wear flattering clothes- find out what your body type is and get some clothes that help you look your best. May need a wardrobe consultant or personal shopper's help
2. Lose some weight - just start eating less every day and walk around the block. Getting started on weight loss plans is the hardest. Just do it now.
3. Lift weights - strength training can do wonders for building muscles and changing the way your body looks.

Makeup Makeovers
1. Get a new foundation- sometimes the foundation you are using isn't getting the job done. Look at different brands out there and find one that might work for you better.  Some stores allow you to return makeup if you try it and don't like it or need to change colors.
2. Watch videos on how to apply makeup- could it be that you aren't applying your makeup correctly? Maybe there is a better way that might even be more flattering. Look around. New mineral makeup is applied in a very specific way.  See more options for makeovers

I hate the word ‘haul’, I think it makes me sound greedy, selfish and gluttonous; I’m really not! Haha, but I didn’t know how else to title this post!  I bought a few bits from TBS lately that I wanted to share with you!

Here is what I got and the offers which are on them at the moment.

Sweet Lemon Body Scrub & Wild Cherry Body Butter – Buy one get one free = £12.50 

This offer is only on certain body and foot care products, including coconut, mango body butter and scrubs and some shower gels etc, but its a great deal.  Also in my store and a few others at the moment, they have £3 off sampling vouchers, so you could get these two for £9.50 if you received a voucher!  I adore the smell of the lemon scrub, it smells like lemon meringue, so good! And the wild cherry is delicious, almost edible, I’ll see how this is with my eczema!

Facial Buffer £3.00– I’ve been hearing such great things about this so I bought it!  I used it for the first time today to take my make-up off, with a cleanser and my face is so smooth right now, I can’t stop touching it!  It did feel a bit harsh as I was using it, but I do have quite sensitive skin, so I just rubbed it in circular motions very lightly and it still scrubbed my dry skin off.  I also love the little handle which you can slip your fingers in, it makes it really easy to use.

Love ETC… EDP & make-up bag! If you buy any Love ETC perfume, you get the make-up bag worth £6, for free!

I love this fruity, summery fragrance and decided to finally purchase it!  I’m glad I did cause this make-up bag is adorable! Its quite roomy and will be easy to wipe down because of the material that it is made out of.

 

Summer Trend Eye shadow in Jade.

I finally got another one of these gorgeous baked shadows.  I haven't tried it out yet but will probably try it out tomorrow.  How pretty is it? And look at all those shimmery colours in the darker bit!  It looks stunning swatched but I forgot to take pictures before posting this as I was too excited! Haha, I will do that with a FOTD soon!

Hope you enjoyed seeing my disgusting beauty obsession, it really sickens me how much I purchase, but I can’t help.  Has any body got any tips to stop buying make-up?  Maybe I will do the 10pan thing? Also let me know if you’ve taken advantage of any of these offers, I want to know what you bought with them!!

I indulged myself in a bit of topshop make-up as well as I had a gift card to use up, so a post on that will be coming tomorrow! XXX