My Top 3 Summer Lip Products

Now that Summer is in full swing I thought I'd share with you my 3 favourite lip products for summer. I've really gotten into my lipsticks/butters/balm stains at the moment and am loving wearing them! Sometimes they're all you need to complete an outfit and make you feel dressed up :)

First up is a new favourite: the MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Crosswires. I won't harp on about it too much, as I've just written a full review on it (here) but I love the pink toned coral shade. Its perfect for a summers day and would look great with a tan! Its also so moisturising which is great on a hot day, when you don't want your lips to dry out. It also lasts pretty well when drinking a lot - which on a summers day is essential!

Secondly is the Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti. I reviewed this back in April (here) and I'm still loving it now. Its perfect when you just want a touch of subtle colour to complete your look, and being so moisturising is great for everyday wear. Again this is quite a corally pink (have you noticed a pattern?) shade, but it definitely leads more to the orange side of coral than Crosswires does. I love that the texture of the Lip Butters means that it fades evenly on your lips throughout the day, making it easy to top-up and doesn't leave your lips looking dry.

Lastly, is the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous. Revlon have been bringing out some really great lip products recently! I love love love balm stains, I love how easy they are to apply and how well they stay on the lips. If I was rich I'd buy all the Clinique Chubby Sticks - but as I don't, the Revlon dupes will keep me going for now. Once again, this is a really pretty coral shade - I think I may have an obsession! Definitely the most orange out of the three I'd say and the most moisturising on the lips. I love this for everyday wear.

Let me know what your favourite summer lip products are as I'm always interested in finding new products to love :)

Aimée
Xxxx

Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Bloglovin'

read more " My Top 3 Summer Lip Products "

A MAC first!

So as the title would suggest - I popped my MAC Lipstick cherry!! It was a momentous occasion and I'm SO happy to say I now finally have a MAC lipstick in my possession. Go me! Woo!

However....the day I decided to photograph the beautiful lipstick was an extremely sad day too. I hadn't used it at all yet because I wanted it to look pristine in the photos! All was going so well, as you can see from the photo above! Until.......dun dun duunn. I picked it up to swatch it on my hand and disaster struck!! It somehow fell out my hands hit my chest of drawers on the way down and landed on my carpet. :'(!! I now have a very small pink stain on my cream carpet and a wounded lipstick! It was covered in carpet fluff, and the lovely sharp angled point was no more and is instead a stubby end. It was an actual disaster moment and I had no one to share my pain with! :(

I couldn't focus very well on the lipstick - but my eyes are shining with swallowed back tears I tell you!!

Anyway, aside from the obvious trauma I experienced I actually wanted to tell you about how much I loveeee this lipstick! I have the MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Crosswires. My interest in the shade actually came about through watching EssieButton's video on her Top Five MAC Lipsticks. She was wearing Crosswires in the video and I maybe fell in love! So essentially its all her fault ;)

So being a Cremesheen formula its really nicely moisturising and it doesn't feel heavy on the lips at all. It does offer quite a bit of pigmentation though, although I'd definitely say its build-able if you wanted a sheerer look.

Its a really pretty pinky-coral shade and is great for spring/summer I think! It can definitely take you through from day to night as its not so out there that it can't be used in the day but it can definitely amp up an outfit for the evening.

As far as longevity goes, for me its worked really well. Even when the colours faded after a few hours, it doesn't cake around the edges of my lips at all. It just slowly fades and as the lipstick stains your lips from the pigmentation it looks really natural.

I'm basically a little bit in love with this colour at the moment :) Have you tried Crosswires? Or got any suggestions for a MAC lipstick to try next? :)

Aimée
Xxxx

Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Bloglovin'

read more " A MAC first! "

My 'Must-Haves' Of The Moment

I've noticed for the past few months or so I've been going back to these same products near enough every day. They've become holy grail items and my skin, hair and make-up has looked all the better for it! I thought I'd share them with you and give a mini-review of the products :)

First up I've been loving the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 52. I originally bought the serum version, but I love this version so much more. The texture is so smooth and really glides and buffs well into your skin. It gives a medium coverage which is great for me when I don't want a heavy foundation on my skin but still want to feel like I'm covered. The tube lasts a long while, which is great as although its not going to break the bank - highstreet foundations are definitely getting pricier!

Along the same vein I'm still loving the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light 2. I really don't have any bad words to say about this concealer, and I'm sure you've heard a million people in the blogosphere raving about it too. The coverage it provides is just great for the price, and it doesn't crease at all on me.

The MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle is a product I can honestly say I've worn near enough every single day since last October when I bought it. Its the perfect highlighter, giving just the right amount of shimmer without being overpowering. I apply it using the Real Techniques contour brush and just dab it along the tops of my cheekbones. I love the way it makes your skin look in pictures, definitely my go-to for nights out. The product is so worth the money too, there's no way I'll be hitting pan anytime soon even with using it every day!

Sticking with powders, I've been obsessed with both my Sleek Rose Gold Blush and my Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy. I've raved about the Sleek blush before, and you can read my full review HERE. I think its such a beautiful colour for spring/summer and I'm sure I'll continue to get loads of use out of it. The Tarte blush has the most amazing staying power, and is such a lovely coral colour. I've got a full review of this blush coming soon :)

Moving to skincare, I've been obsessed with the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream recently and have really noticed a difference around my eyes. I've always struggled with dark circles under my eyes, and recently I noticed I was getting small white blemishes too. I know that your eyes are a sensitive area, and if you smother it in your normal face cream the thin skin just can't cope and the cream sits on top rather than sinking in. After finding this out a few months ago I've really tried to take care of my eyes and this cream has been at the forefront. I've only been using sample sizes as I had about three from various places but I'm definitely going to splurge on the full size when this runs out.

I've also started taking better care of my lips. I've really gotten into my lip products at the moment but found that the skin on my lips was quite dry and tended to flake quite often. That's where my Lush Lip Scrub in Mint Julips came to the rescue. This stuff is amazing, its made my lips feel super smooth and soft and my lipsticks look so much better because of it. They also stay on a lot longer and my lips feel a lot more moisturised. The pot is rather pricey, but a little goes a long way - and if anything its so fun eating the sugary excess left behind! Did I mention it also smells amazing!?

Lastly, we come to hair. I've always had quite coarse hair and although I've been trying out many different hair oils (some with great effect!) nothing can come close to how soft my hair feels after using the S-Factor Smoothing Lusterizer. I've been coupling it with the S-Factor Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner and my hair has never looked better. I use the Lusterizer sraight after I come out of the shower, focussing on the ends of my hair. I also use a tiny bit after I've styled and hairsprayed my hair just to give it that added smooth and sleekness. I do use it on days where I don't wash my hair, but I only use a tiny amount as I don't want to make my hair greasy in the process! It is amazing though and I love the way it makes my hair feel and look. It also smells of strawberries, so its win win!

So those are all my 'must-have' products at the moment - what are you loving at the moment?

Aimée
Xxxx

Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Bloglovin' 

read more " My 'Must-Haves' Of The Moment "

FOTN | Girl's Evening

Last night I went out for dinner and drinks with two of my best friends, we haven't had a chance to go out just us girls in a while so I was really excited for a good catch up :) I thought I'd share with you my make-up look for the evening! Most of my make-up I'd put on in the morning before work, but I touched up when I got home and made it a bit more evening appropriate.

Products used were:

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer 002 

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light 2

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 52

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in Medium 52

Bourjois Felt Tip Liner in Noir

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Sleek Rose Gold Blush

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle 

Lush Lip Scrub in Mint Julips

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Crosswires 

I really enjoyed wearing this look -  it feels quite casual but the lipstick gives it a little bit of impact. We had such a good night, sometimes all you need is your best girls around you. :) I hope you're all enjoying the lovely weather in the UK at the moment! I'm not sure if Google Reader's definitely given up the ghost yet or not, but please do follow me on Bloglovin' - I'd hate to lose any of you lovely people :)

Aimée
Xxxx

Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest 

 Bloglovin'

read more " FOTN | Girl's Evening "

Review | & Other Stories Moroccan Tea Body Soufflé

Ever since & Other Stories opened its doors I've been in two minds about it. Everytime I've been I've struggled to decide whether I actually liked the clothes or not! I generally find that I only really like the bags, but they're usually rather expensive so I can never justify it! The last time I went in however I had a really good look at the make-up and bath/body range they have. I ended up picking up this Moroccan Tea Body Soufflé and I think I might be in love with the smell - is that even a thing??

As a 'soufflé' the moisturiser has been whipped within an inch of its life and is so light on the skin. It sinks in really quickly making it ideal for me. I really struggle with moisturisers that leave you feeling sticky and walking round like a madman for 10 minutes so you don't touch anything!

It smells gorgeous, my first thought was that I wanted to eat it which I always think is a good sign! For a more informed description though, the website describes it as 'crisp spearmint and lemon with a hint of cardamom and orange flower are combined with clean notes of cedarwood and skin musks topped with a pinch of brown sugar.'

Essentially its a really lovely moisturiser and even if the sound of this fragrance doesn't take your fancy they have a whole range to choose from! The pot is only a tenner, which seems pretty reasonable considering a little goes a long way with this! I've just found out that they do this fragrance in a hand lotion too.....may have to purchase that!

What are your thoughts on & Other Stories? Let me know :)

Aimée
Xxxx

Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Bloglovin'

read more " Review | & Other Stories Moroccan Tea Body Soufflé "

My Signature Scent?

I don't know about you, but I've been on the lookout for my 'signature scent' for quite some time now. I'm not a massive perfume collector, I only have four in my possession - and even that's pushing it as my Daisy by Marc Jacobs is definitely on its last legs, I'm just in denial! But, although I do like to mix up my perfumes from day to day I've always been looking for my perfect perfume. The one that I'll repeat buy year after year and will become 'my scent'. I think I may have found it in L'eau de Chloé!

This was such an impulse buy (which I generally find to be the best!) when I was waiting at Heathrow airport before my holiday to the big apple. I hadn't brought any perfume with me, as my current favourite is Dot by Marc Jacobs (I'm a fan if you couldn't tell ;)!) and if you've seen it I'm sure you'll know what I mean when its an awkward thing to pack! The bottle is just so big and such an awkward shape, so I settled for a Ted Baker Body Spritz instead! Anyway, ramble over - when I was perusing the shelves, (credit to the boyfriend here!) Craig pulled me over to the Chloé stand and I instantly loved this! Its floral but in a really fresh way! My favourite kind of smell! It was bought and I've literally been loving it ever since!

The perfume is described as featuring: sparkling citrus accords reminiscent of refreshing lemonade, accords of rose petals and natural distilled rose water that give a dewy character to the fragrance, and warm and elegant veil provided by patchouli.

It all sounds rather fancy! To me, its a perfect scent for spring/summer as its quite a light citrusy floral - really fresh and crisp. It was launched in February last year as a new take on the original classic Chloé Eau de Parfum and remains in the signature shaped bottle complete with pretty bow. This time however the perfume is a really lovely light green - being my favourite colour this is just another reason why I love this scent!

The only downside to this perfume it that doesn't have the longest staying power so for all day use a few top ups are required which obviously isn't great if you're going from day to evening and not retuning home! This also isn't great considering the price tag - but as I love the scent so much I think I'm willing to overlook it!

Let me know if you've tried this perfume and what you thought! :)

Aimée
Xxxx

Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Bloglovin'

read more " My Signature Scent? "

My Favourite Summer Blushes

Blusher may just be my new favourite thing to wear. A few months ago blusher would have been way down my list of favourite make-up, but now its a staple. I'm not sure what it is about the little pans of pretty colours, but I can't get enough of them. So I thought I'd share my three favourite blushes for summer with you.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Tipsy: This blush was one I picked up on my holiday to NYC a few weeks ago. I knew I wanted to pop into Sephora but I hadn't been sure exactly what I was going to buy. Although as soon as I saw the Tarte blushes I was drawn like a moth to the flame! I got the shade tipsy which is a gorgeous coral shade. The formula is so nice, really finely milled making it so easy to apply and blend. The colour is seriously pigmented too, so its definitely going to last me! The blush also seriously lives up to the 12-hour claim - a major plus for me when I have plans straight from work!

Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Pinched: I'm not sure how well you can see in the picture, but this blush has a considerable dip in it now from some serious continual use. The colour is just so pretty on the skin and really gives you a lovely glow. Its quite a pale coral - if you haven't guessed I have a slight love for the shade! Being a cream blush I find it applies really well with a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and has really good staying power. Am I also the only one who really enjoys the screw lid to the pot?

Sleek Rose Gold Blush: You may remember that I reviewed this blush back in April, and I'm still loving it! The rose gold shade is so so pretty and the slight shimmer catches really nicely in the sunlight (if we had any this summer!). It gives quite a subtle glow, making it one of my favourite blushes for everyday wear. Its not as pigmented as the Tarte blush, but it definitely has great staying power and with a thrifty price-tag what's not to love?

Let me know your favourite blushes :)

Aimée
Xxxx

Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Bloglovin'

P.S. Sorry for my lack of posts recently! Life has been seriously hectic but in many ways for good reasons :) I've got lots of posts lined up now though, with pictures all ready and I'm excited to get back into my blog! Also, please do follow me on Bloglovin', I'd hate to lose some of you lovely readers because of the google reader fiasco! <3

read more " My Favourite Summer Blushes "