Monday, 26 May 2014

Spring Daisies

Last night I went to a BBQ at my neighbours house so I thought I would share my outfit with you. 

 Top: Primark
Disco Pants: Boohoo.com

Makeup:
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation (Classic Ivory 101)
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (010 Ivory)
MAC Studio Finish Concealer (NC20)
Sleek Face Form Palette (Fair)
MUA Undress Me Too Palette (Naked, Shy, Lavish, Corrupt)
Collection Eyeshadow Pencil (Vanilla Sky)
Maybelline 'the Rocket' Mascara (Black)
MUA Eyebrow Pencil (Brunette)
MUA Clear Mascara (Shade 1)
MUA Lip Liner (Red Drama)
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick (Brave Red)

For my hair, I just did two small plaits and joined them with a clear elastic at the back of my head.
Shoes:
Dorothy Perkins Flatforms
Accessories:
Bracelets: Urban Outfitters, Market in Italy, Independent Shop in London
Rings: Dorothy Perkins (Gold Leaf), My Mum's (Silver)
Necklace: Topshop
Earrings: Dorothy Perkins





---
 
Charlie xx

Sunday, 4 May 2014

Battle of the Micellar Water

When my beloved Bioderma began to run low I thought I would try out some Micellar waters from the drugstore. I picked up one from L'Oreal and one from Garnier.


Bioderma
Bioderma is one of the most raved about items in the beauty world and has been hailed the makeup remover of all makeup removers. It has the consistency of water and is a make up removing and cleansing solution. It's not greasy or oily, and the solution dissolves all traces of makeup. Bioderma is great because it is not harsh on the eyes and it only takes a few wipes to remove makeup. One problem is that it isn't widely available in the UK but can only be found in a few pharmacies. You can buy it online from various places including ebay for about £10-15. 
  
L'Oreal Paris: 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution
This claims to dissolve make-up, unclog pores and remove impurities and tone and smooths skin. It does all these things. However, I find it leaves a slight residue on the skin and gives a slight stinging sensation on the eyes which is not ideal. This is widely available in the UK in places such as Boots and Superdrug for just £4.99.





Garnier: Micellar Cleansing Water
Like Bioderma, the Garnier version is alcohol and fragrance free. I prefer this Garnier version to the L'Oreal one because it does not leave a residue on the skin and it removes makeup slightly better. For these reasons I think this Micellar water compares better to Bioderma. It is easy to get a hold of and is priced at just £4.99 in Boots and Superdrug.



---
I hope this helped you to find some alternatives to Bioderma. Have you found any other good Micellar waters?

Charlie xxx

Sunday, 20 April 2014

A Day In London

As my sister has come home from university  for a week over Easter, we decided to take a trip to London to do a bit of shopping. We spent our time in Oxford Street, Carnaby Street and Covent Garden.

I thought I'd share some pictures that I took on my iPhone of our day out including our first trip to Five Guys for lunch.

We had mid-morning coffee and cake in John Lewis. I had a latte and lemon meringue tart which was absolutely delicious.


And my sister Alice had a fruit tart and peppermint tea.  



We wandered in and out of shops along Oxford Street and also popped down to Carnaby Street for a browse in Liberty's of London and Brandy Melville. 


When we finally decided it was time for lunch, we wandered to Covent Garden because we wanted to try out the famous American burger chain Five Guys.
I had a grilled cheese sandwich with lettuce, tomato and grilled onions. I have to say I was slightly disappointed. I couldn't taste the cheese and the bun had gone soggy. Not quite what I had expected.

Alice had the vegetarian sandwich with a million different toppings which she really enjoyed.

We also had a 'little' portion of fries (Alice had the Cajun fries) and a bottomless drink each. This may have been a mistake because we both left half our chips and suffered from a sugar rush.


 
The drinks machine in Five Guys is amazing because it has so many different flavours of every drink you could ever imagine.  
I tried fruit punch lemonade, peach fanta and cherry cola and Alice tried raspberry lemonade, grape fanta and cherry-vanilla cola.


 





We left Five Guys feeling completely stuffed so we took a stroll around Covent Garden market and we even went to the Moomin shop and saw some street performers on unicycles. 



---
I hope you've enjoyed this post about my day in London. Where is your favourite place to visit in London?

Charlie xxx

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Easter Nests Recipe


Ingredients:
  • 225g Plain Chocolate
  • 2 tbsp Golden Syrup
  • 50g Butter
  • 75g Cornflakes
  • Mini Eggs
Method:
1. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases.

2. Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Stir the mixture until smooth.

3. Remove the bowl from the heat and gently stir in the cornflakes until all of the cereal is coated in the chocolate. 

4. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and press 3 chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until completely set.

These are perfect for giving to family and friends as a little extra treat around Easter time because they are so quick and easy to make.

---
I hope you've enjoyed this Easter inspired post. Let me know in the comments if you make these.

Charlie xxx

Sunday, 6 April 2014

Real Techniques Brush Collection

Real Techniques brushes are very popular among the beauty community because they are amazing brushes for an excellent price. Sam and Nic Chapman are professional make-up artists and the creators of these Real Technique make-up brushes. They are the sisters behind Pixiwoo make-up tutorials which can be found here.
 
From Left to Right: Powder Brush, Buffing Brush, Contour Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, Detailer Brush, Shading Brush, Shading Brush. 

The Real Techniques Core Collection is probably the most popular out of the whole collection of brushes. These brushes are readily available in drugstores in the UK such as Superdrug and Boots retailing at £20.99. This set contains base makeup brushes; buffing brush, a contour brush, a pointed foundation brush and a detailer brush, which are perfect for beginners as well as more experienced make-up users. 

Buffing Brush:
This is my favourite brush in the collection because it helps to give a flawless and natural looking finish to base make-up. I use this brush to blend in my liquid foundation.The brush is excellent as it evens out foundation without absorbing a lot of the product, unlike some brushes I have used previously for applying my  foundation. 

Pointed Foundation Brush:
This is actually my least favourite brush in the set because I find it too small to use all over the face in applying my foundation. When I first used this brush I found it gave a streaky finish to my foundation and therefore I much prefer using the buffing brush. I would guess this brush could be used for concealing dark under eye circles or for concealing blemishes on the face. 

Detailer Brush:
This is an amazingly precise brush as it is so small. I like to use it to conceal small blemishes or redness around the nose. I also love to use this brush to give a softer finish to lipstick and to give an even finish over the lips. 

Contour Brush:
As I do not contour my cheeks I like to use this brush for highlighter. It picks up just the right amount of product and glides on the areas you want to highlight. For contour/bronzer I prefer to use a larger, more fluffy brush.

This set comes in a panoramic case which is great for travelling but also doubles up as a stand for the top of your dressing table. Another good use for this case is to hold the brushes upside down to dry avoiding the glue dissolving and bristles falling out.

This large, fluffy brush evenly apply powders and mineral foundations for smooth, high-definition results. I use this with powder to set my foundation in place.
This brush applies eyeshadow perfectly. However, it does not work as well for the crease of the eye because it is not quite fluffy enough but for eyeshadow all over the lid it works a treat.  

---
Do you use Real Techniques Brushes? Which is your favourite? Do you have any recommendations?


Charlie xxx

Sunday, 30 March 2014

Spring Look Book

Look 1:

Jumper: Forever 21 - £10.50
Skirt: Forever 21 - £4.75
Necklace: Primark - £3
Sunglasses: Primark (last year) - £2.50

Look 2:
Top: Primark - £4
Skirt: Forever 21 - £4.75
Necklace: Dorothy Perkins - £1.80 (sale)

Look 3:
Top: Primark - £3
Playsuit: Asos - £22 (sale)
Necklace: Primark - £3

Look 4:
Dress: Boohoo - £18

Sunday, 23 March 2014

The Spring Edit

Spring has finally sprung so I thought I'd share some of my favourite makeup products for this season.

Base:

I recently picked up the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation after Tanya Burr recommended it. I got the shade Classic Ivory and it's a really good match. It applies perfectly to the skin and I like to use my Real Technique buffing brush to give a flawless finish. I think this foundation is a bargain at £6.99 and you can find it HERE.

I also love Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum which I have talked about quite a lot in previous posts. It gives a beautiful finish which is not too matte but not to glowy; perfect for Spring months. 

Rimmel's Wake Me Up concealer has been a favourite of mine since I first purchased it in the summer. It works really well as an under-eye concealer; masking dark circles and brightening  the area without being at all cakey. This concealer can be found HERE for £5.49.

Eyes:

I like to use neutral colours on the eyes especially in Spring and Summer because I feel it keeps the makeup looking light and fresh. I love the MUA Undress Me Too palette which has a range of neutral eyeshadows ranging from cool greys to stunning gold metallics. This 12 shadow palette can be found HERE for just £4!

Lips:

I have chosen three lipsticks which are all in the same pink-coral group. My favourite of the three is MAC Crosswires cremesheen lipstick. It is super easy to apply and I love the formulation. It lasts well on the lips so you don't need to re-apply it often (probably only after eating). MAC lipsticks at priced at £15 and can be found HERE.

Next is another favourite of mine which has made a few appearances on my blog, Revlon Lipbutter in Juicy Papaya (another recommendation from Tanya Burr). This is a great product for school makeup because it's quite sheer but still gives a little pop colour. This product can be found for £7.99 HERE.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in Shade 16 is a lovely Spring colour.  This is more of a pink colour and has good pigmentation with a beautiful smooth texture. This lipstick retails for £5.49 HERE.

Nails:

Spring shouts pastels! So I picked out Barry M Gelly Nail Polish in Papaya and Prickly Pear. Papaya is a gorgeous pink-coral and prickly pear is a lovely lilac colour. I love the formula and glossy finish of these polishes. Buy them HERE for £3.99. 

I also love this baby blue polish in the shade Mind the Gap, Victoria by Rimmel. I really like the brushes on the Rimmel nail polishes because they are wide so you only need one swipe and you're done. Also, the pigmentation is awesome which means one coat is often enough. However, I find these nail polishes chip really easily which is a shame because otherwise they are perfect. Find them for £3.69 HERE.

---
What's your favourite thing about Spring? Are there any products you love to use this season?

Charlie xx