Update and Giveaway

Well hello, long time no see! I got so caught up in the end-of-year celebrations and prepping for my summer placement... and then I ran out of draft posts. Oops.

During the time I've been gone, my blog turned one year old! Instead of having a cake, I thought I'd have a giveaway instead. For this one, I've put together my own 'Beauty Box' of 15 items, including some of my absolute favourites.

The Rules:

- Giveaway runs until 30th July 2014.
- UK only (sorry, postage is expensive/risky otherwise).
- Must be following this blog.
- Please leave a contact email, if no response within 48 hours I'll choose a new winner.
- No 'giveaway accounts' please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck entering!

xxx

Ingredients To Avoid For Blemish Prone Skin

 I've wanted to write this post for a while, about some of the ingredients I avoid to improve the health of my skin. I never really used to pay attention to specific ingredients, but then I noticed a connection between breakouts and products I was using that had the same ingredients in. 

Of course, different products/ingredients affect different people's sin differently (okay, I'm done with the word different now), but after a bit of time and research; these are the ones I've found to have an adverse effect on me (please don't ask me to pronounce half of these!):

- sulphates: SLS/ALS

- foaming ingredients - generally products which foam up tend to irritate my skin

- mineral oil - a lot of cheaper skincare uses this, and it has a tendency to clog up pores (not ideal)

- steareth 10

- propylene glycol

- monostearate isopropyl

- mysistate cetyl acetate

- lanolin

I thought it might also be helpful to include some of the ingredients I look out for as being good for my skin, particularly for breakouts:

- manuka honey - such a miracle product really, it's good for the complexion and great for your insides too

- salicyclic acid - quite a well known one for breakouts

- tea tree - reduces redness

- witch hazel

- clay - good for controlling oil

Are there any ingredients you avoid/look out for?

xxx

Have You Discovered...? Mixing Lipsticks

I'm taking a different approach to this week's #HaveYouDiscovered, instead of talking about one product I've discovered, I'm going to share a technique: mixing lipsticks.

I'm sure this isn't breaking news to everyone, but it's something I never thought of until recently.

Lately I've craving the brightness of one lipstick I have, with the matte effect of another, so one day I decided to layer them up and voila! The lipsticks in particular I'm talking about? That would be Urban Decay Super Saturated Lip Colour in Crush and MAC Matte Lipstick in Please Me.

What I love about this method, is that you're effectively getting a new lipstick for free! I'm keen to try out other combinations, obviously some won't work, but I think it's a great way to get more use out of unloved lipsticks.

xxx

May Favourites

Time to talk about monthly favourites again - I can't believe it's June already! The sun is finally shining, I've finished 3rd year of uni, and there's definitely a summer vibe going on. Bring on the BBQ's!

1. Fairydrops Long and Curl Mascara

I talked about this mascara here, I love the packaging and the speed of application!

2. Mavala Nail Polish in 147 Tangerine

This is such a lush colour for summer, bright orange but without being too in-your-face, and it has a beautiful sheen in the sunlight.

3. Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser

I'm a bit late to the bandwagon with this one, but now I can't imagine using another moisturiser. I am very lazy with moisturising, and hate waiting around for it to sink in, so frankly this is right up my street!

4. Elie Saab Le Parfum Eau de Parfum

This had been on my wishlist for some time, and now I have it in my collection I can't get enough of it! It's very much an evening scent, very sophisticated and oriental-y but still fresh and not too heavy. It also lasts a long time - I can still smell it in my hair the next morning after a night out!

5. GHD IV Pastels Jade Styler

Who doesn't love a good pair of GHD's? I have thick hair, and I find other brands of straighteners just don't work nearly as well. It's also nice to have ones which also curl my hair (my previous ones were wide plate) and the colour makes them stand out on my dresser.

xxx

Have You Discovered...? Fairydrops Mascara

The Have You Discovered...? series returns! This week's theme is mascara, and like most females; definitely a product I rarely leave the house without!

It seems slightly cheeky to talk about a brand that isn't readily available in the UK, but I have found it on eBay, so you could always try it that way!

Even though it is a cult Japanese product, I got mine back in April when I was in Hong Kong. I'd heard about it on youtube I think, and I was certainly intrigued by the unusual wand shape!

I got the Long and Curl version and the combination of the 'bubbled' wand and the curved shape make it hold a curl really well (great for me because I have a weird fear of eyelash curlers). I would however, consider it to be more of a volumising mascara than a lengthening one. There's something about the thick formula that really sticks to the lashes - this stuff doesn't budge (until you want to remove it obviously). I do find that if you try and layer this up, there is a tendency to end up with clumpy lashes, but this mascara does the job in one go anyway so there's no need for lots of layers.

One other thing that definitely needs mentioning, is the packaging! Is it possible to be in love with a mascara packaging? Because I think this is so pretty, and all the variations of Fairydrops mascara are different colours.

Overall, I really like it. It has all the qualities I look for in a mascara, and does an excellent job.

xxx