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Sunday, 20 May 2012
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Guess who's back....back again
It has been almost a year since I last posted on my bloggywog.
And I am truly sorry for going all MIA on you. As Zoe (Zoella) once put it - I just kind of lost my 'blogging mojo'. Life caught up with me, I got distracted with university and other things. I probably shouldn't be posting at this ungodly hour anyway; I have exams in a week. But I wanted to give you lovely people a heads up...expect a flood of new posts in a couple of weeks :)
It has been almost a year since I last posted on my bloggywog.
And I am truly sorry for going all MIA on you. As Zoe (Zoella) once put it - I just kind of lost my 'blogging mojo'. Life caught up with me, I got distracted with university and other things. I probably shouldn't be posting at this ungodly hour anyway; I have exams in a week. But I wanted to give you lovely people a heads up...expect a flood of new posts in a couple of weeks :)
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| Yesterday, I found a French Patisserie about 15 minutes from where I live. Ever since Michelle Phan made that beautiful 'Rouge in Love' movie, I have been craving macaroons. Needless to say, I squealed like a little girl when I saw these in the shop window! Scrumdiddilyumptious. |
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Birthday Suit
Guess who just turned 20?
That would be me!
Here are a few quick pics of my birthday makeup and nails. Thought I would keep it simple with the makeup - basic face, bold brows and big lashes, bare lip (...yes...bare! Not even lipbalm :D). With the nails, however, I thought I'd go for something a tad more original...and I loved it. AndreasChoice recently did a super quick tutorial on 'Outerspace Nails' (no funky tools needed - just a sponge!) and I have been dying to try it out. Result? See for yourself :)
P.S. This is NOT my outfit! I love my PJs and crawl into them at every opportunity :D
Oh and by the way - the lashes I used are the Eyelure Naturalites double thickness ones (will update later with the code). I absolutely love them. Lashgrip eyelash glue.
That's it folks!
That would be me!
Here are a few quick pics of my birthday makeup and nails. Thought I would keep it simple with the makeup - basic face, bold brows and big lashes, bare lip (...yes...bare! Not even lipbalm :D). With the nails, however, I thought I'd go for something a tad more original...and I loved it. AndreasChoice recently did a super quick tutorial on 'Outerspace Nails' (no funky tools needed - just a sponge!) and I have been dying to try it out. Result? See for yourself :)
P.S. This is NOT my outfit! I love my PJs and crawl into them at every opportunity :D
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| My awesome cosmic nails - thanks Andrea! |
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| Seriously, I used like 10 colours for this |
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| Makeup pre-crazy night out Bobbi Brown Natural Finish foundation -> great coverage and lovely airbrushed finish to the skin |
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| Makeup post-crazy night out ....Bad lighting, smudgy eyeliner and unintentional poof in hair :( |
That's it folks!
Friday, 5 August 2011
Glow-zilla
Evening ladies :)
Today's pearl of wisdom (lol jk) comes in the form of a skincare post! I've been through innumerable products from many different brands as I like to switch up my skincare products from time to time, but I rarely venture too far from these HGs.
Skincare routine: Take 1.
As far as 'tools' go, I really only use cotton pads/swabs and baby wipes (oh, and the muslin cloth that comes with my cleanser).
I go through baby wipes like CRAZY, so I cut them in half. Many mornings I want to clean up my brows/ mascara and there really is no need for a full wipe. When I'm using them in the evening, I just use however many I need. I've found this to be a really effective and economical way to use them :) To prevent them drying out too bad (I hate wipes that come with the little sticky flap closures...they stop working after like 2 days >:( ), I store them in this little tin.
I'm not too picky about cotton swabs, but I love these pads. They're large baby pads from the Botanics range at Boots; super soft but texture on these is great. Highly recommended!
Morning We keep it simple here. Yes we do. I run a baby wipe over my face and splash it with water. Then let it air dry.
Night Nothin' fancy here either. I use Johnson's Baby Oil to remove my eye makeup - but I'm thinking to switch to Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Do you guys have an eye makeup remover that you swear by? The Boots Botanics one looks pretty good too. As for facial cleansing, I recently started using the Skin Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser by Sanctuary (the only new addition to my routine) - and I have to say, I really like it. It's a smidge cheaper than the Liz Earle but I managed to get mine for just over a fiver with a Boots 'ladies facial skincare' voucher. Will review in due time. The scrub that I use is the Walnut and Apricot scrub from Everyuth Naturals. Unfortunately, this is a herbal brand found in India and I haven't seen it anywhere in the U.K. But St Ives is a great alternative. You can also get a really great exfoliation from homemade sugar scrubs - Michelle Phan has a nice recipe on her channel (If you substitute the sugar for sea salt, this also makes a great body polish). I only use the scrub once a week, at most. These scrubs can be a little abrasive, and if used excessively, create tiny tears in the skin which can be pretty damaging in the long-run. So don't get too scrub-happy!
Morning I use two toners. My morning toner is the Clinique Clarifying Lotion in 'Type 3, Oily/combo skin'. A really refreshing toner. Love it. Nothing more to add, really.
Night The toner I use at night is the Ayur Herbals Cucumber and Mint Astringent. This gives more of deeper cleanse and mattifying effect. It really lifts out any dirt or makeup traces that your cleanser didn't pick up. This is another India-only product, but if I come across any good subs I will edit this post :)
Morning Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion is a really reliable moisturiser. You only need a tiny bit and it dries at lightening speed, so I'm free to slap my makeup on straight away. My skin still feels fresh and clean after I use this <3
Night I like to leave my skin totally free of crap at night. So after I cleanse and tone, I leave it alone. You need to let your skin breathe in between. But if I sense a breakout on the horizon or I'm already dealing with Mount Pimpledoom, then I slather Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream all over my face - sort of like a mask. Then I take it off in the morning....sorted. I've been through many MANY different acne products in the past, and this is probably my favourite, closely followed by Retin-A gel and Panoxyl Benzoyl Peroxide gel.
Do you guys have any skincare must-haves?
Today's pearl of wisdom (lol jk) comes in the form of a skincare post! I've been through innumerable products from many different brands as I like to switch up my skincare products from time to time, but I rarely venture too far from these HGs.
Skincare routine: Take 1.
As far as 'tools' go, I really only use cotton pads/swabs and baby wipes (oh, and the muslin cloth that comes with my cleanser).
Night Nothin' fancy here either. I use Johnson's Baby Oil to remove my eye makeup - but I'm thinking to switch to Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Do you guys have an eye makeup remover that you swear by? The Boots Botanics one looks pretty good too. As for facial cleansing, I recently started using the Skin Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser by Sanctuary (the only new addition to my routine) - and I have to say, I really like it. It's a smidge cheaper than the Liz Earle but I managed to get mine for just over a fiver with a Boots 'ladies facial skincare' voucher. Will review in due time. The scrub that I use is the Walnut and Apricot scrub from Everyuth Naturals. Unfortunately, this is a herbal brand found in India and I haven't seen it anywhere in the U.K. But St Ives is a great alternative. You can also get a really great exfoliation from homemade sugar scrubs - Michelle Phan has a nice recipe on her channel (If you substitute the sugar for sea salt, this also makes a great body polish). I only use the scrub once a week, at most. These scrubs can be a little abrasive, and if used excessively, create tiny tears in the skin which can be pretty damaging in the long-run. So don't get too scrub-happy!
Morning I use two toners. My morning toner is the Clinique Clarifying Lotion in 'Type 3, Oily/combo skin'. A really refreshing toner. Love it. Nothing more to add, really.
Night The toner I use at night is the Ayur Herbals Cucumber and Mint Astringent. This gives more of deeper cleanse and mattifying effect. It really lifts out any dirt or makeup traces that your cleanser didn't pick up. This is another India-only product, but if I come across any good subs I will edit this post :)
Morning Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion is a really reliable moisturiser. You only need a tiny bit and it dries at lightening speed, so I'm free to slap my makeup on straight away. My skin still feels fresh and clean after I use this <3
Night I like to leave my skin totally free of crap at night. So after I cleanse and tone, I leave it alone. You need to let your skin breathe in between. But if I sense a breakout on the horizon or I'm already dealing with Mount Pimpledoom, then I slather Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream all over my face - sort of like a mask. Then I take it off in the morning....sorted. I've been through many MANY different acne products in the past, and this is probably my favourite, closely followed by Retin-A gel and Panoxyl Benzoyl Peroxide gel.
Do you guys have any skincare must-haves?
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Travel Beauty - Skincare Edition & Carry-on Ziplock
Hello Globetrotters!
Being the keenbean that I am, I wanted to dedicate some bloggy goodness to a travel series. I've been holidaying all my life, so I've picked up a few tips and tricks along the way that I thought I would share with you lovely folks.
Today's post is on travel skincare and my carry-on ziplock. You know, that little plastic baggie that you squish all your liquids/gels/creams/aerosols into.
The key here is to down-size everything. When it comes to skincare (and certain makeup items), the best way to do this is samples.
Samples
Currently, I have everything stashed like this (ghetto, but practical).
Bag 1: Clinique
Bag 2: Clarins
Bag 3: Everything else (Lancome, Guerlain, REN, Shu Uemura)
There are many ways to get your hands on sample-size products. I get mine in one of two ways: 'gift with purchase' offers when buying online, or simply at a department store counter. As you can tell, two of the more generous brands when it comes to free samples are Clinique and Clarins. Both brands give out sample the whole year through, online and at the counter. Don't be shy to ask for a sample of a product you are interested in.
However, I should mention that the majority of the samples did come from online purchases. A code that I used recently with Clinique is 'Beauty' (July 2011). If I remember correctly, I got 4 or 5 sample products (moisturisers, serum and a facial soap) and a silver mirror. Good deal.
When you get a sample product, save it. They come in mighty handy when travelling - especially by air.
My Carry-on Ziplock
I really like this ziplock. I know that sounds ridiculous, but its hard to find bags like this! It actually closes through a sliding mechanism, so you don't have to squeeze the top together to seal it.
Unfortunately, I can't remember where I got these but this is what the packaging looks like:
Lol. Anyway, moving on.
This is what I deem absolutely necessary for a 24 hour airplane/airport sesh (I'll be heading to India in a couple of weeks, hence the long journey).
If there's one thing that can really mess up my mood - it's greasy, flat hair. So I make sure I'm prepared!
TresSemme Freeze Hold Hairspray
Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo
V05 Give Me Texture Volumising Powder
Long-haul flights and dramatic climate changes can wreak havoc on your skin. I'm fully stocked up on mini skin-care favourties.
The Sanctuary Fresh Faced Purifying Wash
Clinique Superdefense Moisturiser for Oily/Combination skin
Clinique Super City Block 40 SPF Ultra Protection
Sudocrem Antiseptic Cream (in the little white sample jar)
MAC Fix+ (in the pimped-out Hello Kitty travel spray bottle)
Nivea Milk and Honey lip balm
Other essentials:
Eucerin 5% Urea Washfluid
The Body Shop Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray
Murine Bright and Moist eyedrops
Colgate Total toothpaste
So that's it guys. I do take other bits and pieces with me in my cabbin baggage but those are all solids that I will do a separate post on.
Bonus tip: pack a solid deodorant in your carry-on to save space in your ziplock for other things.
'Travel Makeup' edition coming soon!
Being the keenbean that I am, I wanted to dedicate some bloggy goodness to a travel series. I've been holidaying all my life, so I've picked up a few tips and tricks along the way that I thought I would share with you lovely folks.
Today's post is on travel skincare and my carry-on ziplock. You know, that little plastic baggie that you squish all your liquids/gels/creams/aerosols into.
The key here is to down-size everything. When it comes to skincare (and certain makeup items), the best way to do this is samples.
Samples
Bag 1: Clinique
Bag 2: Clarins
Bag 3: Everything else (Lancome, Guerlain, REN, Shu Uemura)
There are many ways to get your hands on sample-size products. I get mine in one of two ways: 'gift with purchase' offers when buying online, or simply at a department store counter. As you can tell, two of the more generous brands when it comes to free samples are Clinique and Clarins. Both brands give out sample the whole year through, online and at the counter. Don't be shy to ask for a sample of a product you are interested in.
However, I should mention that the majority of the samples did come from online purchases. A code that I used recently with Clinique is 'Beauty' (July 2011). If I remember correctly, I got 4 or 5 sample products (moisturisers, serum and a facial soap) and a silver mirror. Good deal.
When you get a sample product, save it. They come in mighty handy when travelling - especially by air.
My Carry-on Ziplock
Unfortunately, I can't remember where I got these but this is what the packaging looks like:
If there's one thing that can really mess up my mood - it's greasy, flat hair. So I make sure I'm prepared!
TresSemme Freeze Hold Hairspray
Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo
V05 Give Me Texture Volumising Powder
Long-haul flights and dramatic climate changes can wreak havoc on your skin. I'm fully stocked up on mini skin-care favourties.
The Sanctuary Fresh Faced Purifying Wash
Clinique Superdefense Moisturiser for Oily/Combination skin
Clinique Super City Block 40 SPF Ultra Protection
Sudocrem Antiseptic Cream (in the little white sample jar)
MAC Fix+ (in the pimped-out Hello Kitty travel spray bottle)
Nivea Milk and Honey lip balm
Other essentials:
Eucerin 5% Urea Washfluid
The Body Shop Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray
Murine Bright and Moist eyedrops
Colgate Total toothpaste
So that's it guys. I do take other bits and pieces with me in my cabbin baggage but those are all solids that I will do a separate post on.
Bonus tip: pack a solid deodorant in your carry-on to save space in your ziplock for other things.
'Travel Makeup' edition coming soon!
What's in my purse?
The age-old question. Posed once-upon-a-time by the lovely Lucky Pretty Eyes on YouTube.
I switch out my handbags every few weeks. As the bag changes, so do the contents. So expect updates to this post from time to time :)
My purrrrse.
Wallet (Benetton)
Makeup bag (see below)
iPhone 4 in Otterbox Defender case (YES the case may be bulky and ugly, but I have dropped this mo'fo' so many times it should be illegal...not a scratch. Best money I ever spent)
LA Glow by JLo
TresSemme mini hairspray
Chocolate and pistachio Mikado
Random pink ELLE baggie w/ feminine items :)
POSH travel makeup brush set
Hello Kitty plasters!
Diesel Fuel For Life Unlimited mini body lotion
Hand sanitizer
Random sunglasses floating around in my bag
Oil by Vaclav Smil
Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (ohhhh yes.)
Institue of Chemical Engineers student handbook
Pocket reading light
Reading glasses
Gum
Random biscuit
Clarins brochure
Birthday card from Boots hahaha
Humdinger Baked Soybeans
Sennheiser earphones
Gel pen
Camera charger
My keeeeeeys (I usually have this huge set of keys with me, but since I'm at home right now, I just need my car keys and my house keys)
Makeup bag contents (I usually don't have so many lip products with me...I swear...)
I switch out my handbags every few weeks. As the bag changes, so do the contents. So expect updates to this post from time to time :)
My purrrrse.
The handbag is from Tommy Hilfiger. I haven't a clue as to the model, but I know the colour is 'camel'. That's about as much help as I'm going to be :)
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| Aerial view |
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| Junks in my purse |
Makeup bag (see below)
iPhone 4 in Otterbox Defender case (YES the case may be bulky and ugly, but I have dropped this mo'fo' so many times it should be illegal...not a scratch. Best money I ever spent)
LA Glow by JLo
TresSemme mini hairspray
Chocolate and pistachio Mikado
Random pink ELLE baggie w/ feminine items :)
POSH travel makeup brush set
Hello Kitty plasters!
Hand sanitizer
Random sunglasses floating around in my bag
Oil by Vaclav Smil
Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (ohhhh yes.)
Institue of Chemical Engineers student handbook
Pocket reading light
Reading glasses
Gum
Random biscuit
Clarins brochure
Birthday card from Boots hahaha
Humdinger Baked Soybeans
Sennheiser earphones
Gel pen
Camera charger
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| Dirty, dirty makeup bag. If anyone has any cleaning tips...send them my way! |
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