I've had quite the busy time this week (makes a change from my usual pyjama's on at 4pm schedule) and got whisked away to London for a long weekend which involved a good trawl of the shops - a haul could possibly be making it's way to you very soon, an amazing opportunity to go to Wimbledon to watch Andy Murray play on Centre Court and uh, not to mention probably the highest levels of giddy excitement I've experienced since I was thirteen after Darren surprised me with tickets to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Undoubtedly one of the best experiences my inner child and I have ever had.

• June 29, 2014

This Week: A Birthday Trip to London

I've had quite the busy time this week (makes a change from my usual pyjama's on at 4pm schedule) and got whisked away to London for a long weekend which involved a good trawl of the shops - a haul could possibly be making it's way to you very soon, an amazing opportunity to go to Wimbledon to watch Andy Murray play on Centre Court and uh, not to mention probably the highest levels of giddy excitement I've experienced since I was thirteen after Darren surprised me with tickets to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Undoubtedly one of the best experiences my inner child and I have ever had.

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After a unintentional three week stint away from YouTube (not sure how that one happened, sorry!) I'm back with a round up of the best of the best in beauty from May - and let me tell you right now, it's a big one. From a new skincare combo I've been trialling with great results to a lipstick I can't confess enough love for and a retraction that needs to be issued after a not so friendly product diss, here are last month's favourites!

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• June 16, 2014

May Favourites

After a unintentional three week stint away from YouTube (not sure how that one happened, sorry!) I'm back with a round up of the best of the best in beauty from May - and let me tell you right now, it's a big one. From a new skincare combo I've been trialling with great results to a lipstick I can't confess enough love for and a retraction that needs to be issued after a not so friendly product diss, here are last month's favourites!

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After making the decision to eliminate gluten and dairy from the majority of my diet two months ago it's been quite the struggle to stay strict with my eating habits, especially when it came to cutting out all the sweet treats I was used to gorging on daily, packed full of things I really didn't need to be putting into my body.

• June 15, 2014

This Week: Gluten & Dairy Free Pancakes

After making the decision to eliminate gluten and dairy from the majority of my diet two months ago it's been quite the struggle to stay strict with my eating habits, especially when it came to cutting out all the sweet treats I was used to gorging on daily, packed full of things I really didn't need to be putting into my body.

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I went through a phase when I first got into make up that was all about MAC, MAC, MAC. I think any girl would look longingly at a brand that carries a million eyeshadow colours and want to have it all, but over the last year my interest has mostly died down. I think it's the tirade of new limited collections launching left right and centre that usually confuses me to the point of being put off, but every now and then I do get an itching to trawl through their extensive range and pick out something new.

I'm having a bit of a moment with powders recently - yes you heard that right, powder! I'm usually sworn off the stuff but unfortunately in the warmer weather my skin just doesn't always behave and foundation wear time gets cut down dramatically. The thought of powder as a base intrigues me too as cream products on the skin in a climate that's anything above normal room temperature make me want to reach for a pack of face wipes like nothing else.

MAC Studio Fix Powder is definitely an oldie - I vaguely remember seeing this pop up in some of the first beauty videos I ever watched back in the day! As a setting powder I'm not completely sold as it's highly pigmented formula can become cakey when applied over foundation, tinted moisturiser though I'm pretty happy using a light dusting to set and add some additional coverage.

On its own however is how I've been wearing Studio Fix most. A dab or two of concealer here and there on those areas that only a good helping of Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage will cover, then a few layers of the powder pressed and swirled into the skin with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush (is there anything that tool cant do) make for a light to medium coverage that I'm happy to wear on a daily basis and one that really does look like skin, all achieved in probably half the time it would take to work in an actual foundation.

I'm not sure if I'm a hundred percent converted to powder just yet - only time will tell, but I'm certainly willing to get on board with anything that let's my skin breath even a little bit more than usual while combating the ever growing issue of Summer induced oily skin. Let's see how long this can keep it's place in my routine!

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• June 14, 2014

New In from MAC: Studio Fix Powder

I went through a phase when I first got into make up that was all about MAC, MAC, MAC. I think any girl would look longingly at a brand that carries a million eyeshadow colours and want to have it all, but over the last year my interest has mostly died down. I think it's the tirade of new limited collections launching left right and centre that usually confuses me to the point of being put off, but every now and then I do get an itching to trawl through their extensive range and pick out something new.

I'm having a bit of a moment with powders recently - yes you heard that right, powder! I'm usually sworn off the stuff but unfortunately in the warmer weather my skin just doesn't always behave and foundation wear time gets cut down dramatically. The thought of powder as a base intrigues me too as cream products on the skin in a climate that's anything above normal room temperature make me want to reach for a pack of face wipes like nothing else.

MAC Studio Fix Powder is definitely an oldie - I vaguely remember seeing this pop up in some of the first beauty videos I ever watched back in the day! As a setting powder I'm not completely sold as it's highly pigmented formula can become cakey when applied over foundation, tinted moisturiser though I'm pretty happy using a light dusting to set and add some additional coverage.

On its own however is how I've been wearing Studio Fix most. A dab or two of concealer here and there on those areas that only a good helping of Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage will cover, then a few layers of the powder pressed and swirled into the skin with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush (is there anything that tool cant do) make for a light to medium coverage that I'm happy to wear on a daily basis and one that really does look like skin, all achieved in probably half the time it would take to work in an actual foundation.

I'm not sure if I'm a hundred percent converted to powder just yet - only time will tell, but I'm certainly willing to get on board with anything that let's my skin breath even a little bit more than usual while combating the ever growing issue of Summer induced oily skin. Let's see how long this can keep it's place in my routine!

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Although red lipstick will always be my one true love it's not a colour that I tend to gravitate towards during the warmer months as it's not hard for it to overpower the face when there's a lot of bright light around - and who wants to think about avoiding red smudges all over your face whilst chowing down on a giant ice cream cone? That being said however I still pine for it, looking longingly through the entire Muji drawer reserved just for the one shade - I have a problem, I know.

Enter my new lipstick love in the form of Lipstick Queen's Jungle Queen and my first foray into the extensive range of colours designed by Poppy King - lipstick aficionado. Is it a coral, is it an orange.. red? I still can't decided, but I love it. As if the colour wasn't perfect enough the formula is beautifully moisturising and leans on the sheer side which makes application a doddle. This one is going to be a staple throughout the season, I can tell!

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• June 12, 2014

The Summer Red

Although red lipstick will always be my one true love it's not a colour that I tend to gravitate towards during the warmer months as it's not hard for it to overpower the face when there's a lot of bright light around - and who wants to think about avoiding red smudges all over your face whilst chowing down on a giant ice cream cone? That being said however I still pine for it, looking longingly through the entire Muji drawer reserved just for the one shade - I have a problem, I know.

Enter my new lipstick love in the form of Lipstick Queen's Jungle Queen and my first foray into the extensive range of colours designed by Poppy King - lipstick aficionado. Is it a coral, is it an orange.. red? I still can't decided, but I love it. As if the colour wasn't perfect enough the formula is beautifully moisturising and leans on the sheer side which makes application a doddle. This one is going to be a staple throughout the season, I can tell!

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It's not all that often I get the chance rock a real 'night out' make up, to be honest I'm quite happy sporting a pair of pyjamas by 9pm and sitting down to a good session of Netflix - #grandmalife, but when the occasion strikes just as I will always gravitate towards my uniform of an all black outfit, Whistles Rivington Chain Pouch and a pair of Asos pointy heels, the same goes for my make up staples - a handful of options I know will see me through the night.

• June 07, 2014

Evening Make Up Staples

It's not all that often I get the chance rock a real 'night out' make up, to be honest I'm quite happy sporting a pair of pyjamas by 9pm and sitting down to a good session of Netflix - #grandmalife, but when the occasion strikes just as I will always gravitate towards my uniform of an all black outfit, Whistles Rivington Chain Pouch and a pair of Asos pointy heels, the same goes for my make up staples - a handful of options I know will see me through the night.

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I'm not usually in the habit of telling people to outright buy something, but ladies (and long haired gents if you're out there too), this is something to take note of.

The Ojon Revitalizing Mist is marketed as a hydrating detangling spray but honestly, it is so much more than that. I spotted this while perusing the Ojon counter last month looking for a product that would reduce frizz and static (for some reason my hair gets a little Monica Geller in the Summer) without leaving things looking limp and greasy as so many defrizzing products unfortunately do. The formula is half oil, half liquid conditioner which after a quick shake combine to form a weightless boost of moisture that can be sprayed into wet hair before blow drying or just whenever you fancy to smooth down flyaways without sacrificing any texture or volume.

I'm more than often guilty of buying a product purely because it smells good and this was no exception, except 'good' doesn't quite do it justice. This will make your hair smell like you've been sitting on a tropical beach, watching the Sun set and sipping a cocktail right out of a coconut - do I need to be more descriptive? The scent lingers for so long too that I'd even consider adding 'hair perfume' to the list of it's many uses and have been spraying in liberally when theres no time for a shampoo to freshen things up.

Whether my hair is being unruly, needs some moisture or I just want it to smell darn good, this is the only product I've been reaching for. The only problem I'm faced with now is how quickly I can see myself going through a bottle!

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• June 05, 2014

If You Buy One Hair Product This Month..

I'm not usually in the habit of telling people to outright buy something, but ladies (and long haired gents if you're out there too), this is something to take note of.

The Ojon Revitalizing Mist is marketed as a hydrating detangling spray but honestly, it is so much more than that. I spotted this while perusing the Ojon counter last month looking for a product that would reduce frizz and static (for some reason my hair gets a little Monica Geller in the Summer) without leaving things looking limp and greasy as so many defrizzing products unfortunately do. The formula is half oil, half liquid conditioner which after a quick shake combine to form a weightless boost of moisture that can be sprayed into wet hair before blow drying or just whenever you fancy to smooth down flyaways without sacrificing any texture or volume.

I'm more than often guilty of buying a product purely because it smells good and this was no exception, except 'good' doesn't quite do it justice. This will make your hair smell like you've been sitting on a tropical beach, watching the Sun set and sipping a cocktail right out of a coconut - do I need to be more descriptive? The scent lingers for so long too that I'd even consider adding 'hair perfume' to the list of it's many uses and have been spraying in liberally when theres no time for a shampoo to freshen things up.

Whether my hair is being unruly, needs some moisture or I just want it to smell darn good, this is the only product I've been reaching for. The only problem I'm faced with now is how quickly I can see myself going through a bottle!

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