MY BIRTHDAY CAKE!

Ok so I wasn't going to do a blog today as I knew I was going to be mega busy party planning etc but I just HAD to share with followers and fans of my blog the cake that has been made for me!! It's a blog themed cake for my 21st! Now that's blog publicity if I ever did see it! 

I hope you enjoyed having a sneek peak at my cake! Let me know what you think my leaving a comment below! 

REVIEW: Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain and Balm

For some reason I've never really used Revlon as a brand, I think their packaging is quite dated and I suppose that's why I've never really been attracted to it. That was until they released their just bitten lip stains and balm pens. I love a god lip stain so, as it was an offer at Boot's, I decided to give it a go. 

This product retails at £5.99 at the moment in Boots for a limited time so if you want to try it out do so soon before they bump the price back up to £7.99!

So does this product actually work? I like to think so yeah! It lasts pretty much all day but does require the odd top up. The balm comes in really handy as some stains can dry your lips out quite a bit so this just helps to keep them moisturised throughout the day.

Upper Swatch - Balm, Lower Swatch - Stain

The colour I've got here is passion and I'm definitely keen to buy some more, there was a gorgeous red colour I want to try out! 

All in all a fab little product, worth the money and does what it says on the tin! 

Look out for a special birthday present post next week where I will be talking about all the beauty bits and pieces that I asked for for birthday which is on Sunday! :) 

Review: Sun Kissed Sunlight Bronze Tanning Foam - the new St Moriz

Big statement I know but this really is the next big thing in affordable tanning addicts if you ask me! I bought this from bodycare on Saturday for £2.99 which I'm sure you'll agree is an absolute bargain!

I know a lot of people are fans of St Moriz but personally I can't stand the smell. The high levels of DHA make it smell like sweaty biscuits in my opinion. This one still has a slight smell of fake tan (you'll never get completely rid of that I'm afraid) but it does smell a hell of a lot nicer with quite a nice coconut aroma to it.

The colour is fab and goes on like a dream but you have to be quick when using it because the foam dries really fast! I like to use my Xen-Tan Mitt for doing it as I think it gives the smoothest and most even application.

As for how long it lasts it doesn't last any longer or any less than St Moriz. I think you'll only get one that lasts for a while with a more expensive brand, xen tan for example.

All in all this is a fab product for those of you wanting a quick fix tan. I would highly recommend it! Go grab yourself one before they run out :)

Super Smooth Lips!

We all get chapped lips from time to time whether that be due to too much sun or the seasons changing. There are, however, steps you can take to get rid of dry, flaky lips so read on to find out how!

First off start by gently brushing your lips with a soft toothbrush to remove dead skin cells and flakes from your lips. Don’t brush too hard, it should be gentle.

Next mix together one teaspoon of caster sugar and one teaspoon of organic honey until you have a paste. Rub this on to your lips in small circular movements to lift and remove the flakes of skin your toothbrush missed. Do this for about 1-2 minutes.

Rinse your lips and pat dry. Your lips should now feel silky smooth.

Finish off with a good amount of lip balm or lip salve to nourish and moisturise your lips. Stay away from Vaseline (if interested why, see here). I like to use my EOS lip balm as it contains SPF so will protect your lips throughout the day!

Do you have any tips to keep your lips silky smooth and kissable? Let me and other know by leaving a lovely comment below!

MY PAMPER PAD!

So I’ve seen quite a few beauty blogs where the bloggers show you around their room and bathroom just so their followers and fans can have a nosey etc so I thought I’d do the same! So here is a grand tour of my room and bathroom...

Ok so this is my dressing table and this is where I do my make-up and hair etc in the morning. I’ve got it right in front of my window so I’ve got the best possible light.

This isn’t really beauty related but this is my favourite part of my room , especially the LOVE wall hanging. I also couldn’t live without my cork board for storing all my jewellery. I stick pins in and hang it all on it. It’s brilliant because I can see exactly what I have and it means things don’t get tangled either.

 

This is in my bathroom. The top row is all my natural products so I’ve got all my carrier oils like jojoba and almond then I’ve got my most used essential oils along with some other bits and pieces like wax etc. 

The bottom row is the stuff I use most often so my aloe vera gel and Dr organic manuka honey mask. 

Then finally this is my little cupboard for less used stuff, it’s also where I store samples etc – look out for a xen tan luxe review in the coming weeks! I’ll also be doing one on the sun kissed bottle you can see – it’s the new St Moritz and it’s AMAZING!

Anyway I hope you enjoyed having a gander around my pamper pad!

REVIEW: George at ASDA Nail Varnishes! Includes Swatches!

I’ve not done a nail varnish swatch review in a while so I thought I’d do one on what I personally think are some of the best cheap nail varnishes that are on the market – the George Quick Dry Range from ASDA. There are so many colours to choose from and at about £2-3 they really are value for money! It’s worth noting that I’m talking about the George range, not the ASDA’s own range. If you go down to ASDA you’ll see what I mean! Anyway, let’s start!

First up is this adorable pastel purple colour called ‘be mine’.  I only had to apply one coat of this and it turned out really well and evenly covered. Love! Love! Love!

Next is a quite vibrant blue colour called ‘cloudless sky’. I don’t really like this on my fingers but it looks fab on toes with a tan. Definitely a summer colour! 

Next is ‘indigo dazzle’ which, as its name suggests is a shimmery sparkly deep blue purple. I’m really attracted to shades that have a slight shimmer to them as I think they make your nails look longer. This is more of a winter shade for me though, I like to wear brights in summer! 

Next is shade ‘mysterious’ which again is a shimmery sparkly number but this time it’s a lot more purple. It reminds me of the Rimmel advert Kate moss was in ages ago where she wore a very similar colour. Looks great on toes!

This isn't a great picture, it looks much prettier in real life!

Then we have a burnt orange colour called ‘mischief’. I wasn’t a massive fan on this colour when I first tried it but it’s definitely grown on me. It’s again got a bit of a shimmer to it and looks great with earthy coloured clothing. 

Finally we have ‘natural rose’ which is a pale pink colour. This one did take a while to 

build up to the colour it’s meant to be and therefore took aaages to dry so I probably wouldn’t buy this one again. 

geroge,

I’m going to be buying a few more in the next couple of weeks because I think they are just fabulous value for money. The quality is just as good as more expensive brands and they tend to last quite a bit longer than some nail varnishes I’ve used such as Rimmel or Boujois.

If you have tried any other colours and have written about them please post a link before so I can have a look! And as always, if you have any comments please leave one below!

GUEST CONTRIBUTION: How to help with a hangover. Before you step out of the door.

Here is this month's guest contribution written by my very dear freind, Katie. You will love her banterous and witty sense of humour and her tips and tricks in this piece really do help! Hope you enjoy! Rebeca x

How to help with a hangover. Before you step out of the door

We have all had those nights, that we know, we just KNOW will end messily and the following morning it won’t be a hangover you’re left with, but something closer to death. Everything is just too much, too bright, too loud, too colourful, just too much! And we’ve all said before we go out that it will be fine. When we know it won’t be the following morning. Well there are things you can do to make it all a little less, just a little less. Some of these things might sound super obvious but hey ho.

1)       Fresh sheets! You are going to feel like mould when you wake up, but much less if you have fresh sheets on your bed (unless you puke on them, see point 3 for that). I love having ironed sheets, and if not sheets at least pillow cases. You should always try to have cotton sheets as well, they are more expensive, but so much nicer on your skin and they breath. Chances are on the day of the hangover you are going to want to spend more than a little time asleep. Fresh sheets just make everything a bit easier.

2)       If you are a puker (be honest) then make sure you have something to puke in before you go out by your bed. Stumbling to the bath room can feel so complicated when you are hungover.

3)       Have a window open. You will think you smell like death in the morning. It’s not death. It’s rum, just now it smells like death.

4)       Be prepared! And not in a girl scout way, in an actually practical sort of way. We all know what we crave when we are hanging. Have that stuff in. Eggs are an awesome hangover cure because they have chemicals in them that help the liver (poor, poor liver) repair itself. If you can’t handle eggs then fruit is always a good idea and I like to make up a fruit salad of mango and pineapple and white grapes to eat the night before because, let’s be honest when you are hanging out of your arse you are not going to want (or be able to work out how) to get the stone out of a mango. It’s too much. Fruit has got lots of water in and, because its fruit, it doesn’t come with guilt. It’s good for you! Hurrah! Veggies are good later in the day. Soup is good, I like mine spicy so go for Thai flavourings, but that isn’t to everyones taste. This can also be made the day before. But if you crave greasy food, eat it! And don’t feel guilty for it. The wine guilt will hit later all on its own and it doesn’t need anything adding to it!

5)       Have herbal tea in. There are lots of different sorts on the market and ginger is good at settling a tummy. Fresh ginger grated into some hot water is best. But grating? With a hangover? Too much! Milk can be too much on a delicate tummy, and while in the west we consume lots of milk, it’s actually not great for our stomachs. And when your stomach has already taken a beating it might be worth trying something else.

6)       Make sure you have water by your bed, a bottle is a great idea because you can’t kick it over and get it all over your electrical stuff and blow the house up!

7)       Make up wipes are a good idea to have by your bed, anything else when you get in is far too complicated. And if you forget (as I’m sure we all have, bar Beccy) as we all have the wipes are close to hand when you wake up. If you have long hair a hair bobble close to hand wouldn’t hurt either.

8)       It’s always a good idea to have dvds that you love to watch the following day, so get yourself set up so you can spend the day with your duvet which has lovely fresh sheets on! I say dvd’s you love, I wouldn’t watch new ones. Too much! Watch the old favourites that you don’t need to concentrate for.

9)      If you have to go out sunglasses are always a winner. Looking for them with a hangover is less so.

10)  Finally, make sure you have lots of beauty products you’ve made from this blog! A salt scrub and a face pack will make you feel so much better when you are ready to stand and wash.

More M.U.A (Make-Up Academy) Eye Shadow Swatches and Reviews!

I recently did a review and swatch post on some of the MUA eye shadows that have come out recently and I loved them so much I decided to buy some more. Again, they only cost £1 so they are brilliant for experimenting with! If you are interested in the last post I did on MUA eye shadows you can have a look at it here.

Ok so let’s start! First up we have this pale pink colour. It’s from the MATT collection and is shade 16. This colour is perfect for highlighting and blending out other colours. Definitely one I will be using a lot!

Secondly we have navy silvery grey colour which also has a hint of purple too. Its shade 10 from the PEARL collection and it’s similar to the one I swatched in my last review but is a bit deeper. I’d probably use it with the other one and blend one into the other. It looks very pretty and lasts ages. 

Finally, I got this fabulous teal colour. Its exact shade is shade 8 from the PEARL collection although it goes on more matt to me. I’ve not used this on my upper lid but I have used it with an angled eyeliner brush to draw along my bottom lashes as an accent – it looks very summery! 

Anyway I hope you enjoyed this review. Please do let me know if you have tried anything else from the MUA range. I’m finding it very difficult to get hold of more than a few items at a time at the moment!

The Wonderful Properties of Oats!

First off, sorry for the complete lack of posts the last two days. I had my University graduation on Tuesday then I had to move house on the Wednesday so it’s been pretty hectic! This post is all about the wonderful properties of oats. This is a relatively recent discovery of mine that I just had to share with you all!

So what exactly makes oats so amazing?

To start with it’s an excellent exfoliant. Using oatmeal on your face once or twice a week can help lead to a brighter, more radiant complexion.

It’s also an excellent anti-inflammatory meaning that it’s fantastic for soothing redness and dry, itchy skin. It’s for this reason oatmeal is used a lot by those suffering for dry skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

So how do I use oats in my skincare routine?

CLEANSER

Fill your sink with warm water.

Take a handful of oats and dip you clenched fist into the water so the oaks become soggy.

Squeeze the oats and with the liquid that comes out rub this all over your face.

Then using the rest of the oats gently rub them in small circles focusing on the t-zone area.

Rinse your face (I like to use a muslin or bamboo cloth to remove the oats as it’s less messy)

Splash your face with cold water and pat dry with a towel.

FACE MASK

Mix a handful of oats with a tablespoon of honey in a bowl.

Apply the mixture to a cleansed face then lie back for 20 minutes to let the oats work their magic.

Remove with a muslin cloth dipped in warm water.

Rinse your face and pat dry.

Apply your favourite moisturiser.

BATH TIME

Put two-three handfuls of oats in your bath.

Swirl the bath water around.

Soak for 20 minutes.

So there you have it, three wonderful ways you can use oats in your skin and body care routine! Give it a go and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Do you have any better oat recipes? Let me and others know by leaving a comment below!

Do you get enough beauty sleep?

Nearly everyone will experience trouble sleeping at some point in their life but if you feel it’s becoming a regular problem I have a few tips and tricks you might be able to use to get you to the land of nod quicker. It’s so important to get enough sleep as it can have a domino effect on your skin, health and general wellbeing. So here are my top suggestions…

1. FACE MASK

Pop on your favourite face mask a couple of hours before bed. Lie down for a good 15-20 to let the mask do its work and so you can relax and unwind. A lot of people put a facemask on then continue to do odd jobs etc. By doing this you won’t experience the full effect of the mask. Why not try my Peach and Ginger Mask or even a ready made Manuka Honey one?

2. RUN YOURSELF A BATH

Chamomile and Lavender are two natural ingredients that can be used to relax the body and mind. I like to use them in a bath. Run your bath as normal (make sure the water isn’t too hot) then drop a couple of camomile tea bags in the water and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Squeeze the teabags then remove. Add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil and some Epsom salts then jump in and enjoy for a good 20 minutes.

3. SPRITZ YOUR PILLOW WITH LAVENDER

As mentioned, lavender is a fantastic relaxing extract. Put a couple of drops in a spritzer bottle and then top up with some distilled water and you’ve got yourself a homemade lavender pillow spray.

4. HAVE A HOT DRINK

Again, chamomile is a great option here. People often talk about drinking hot milk. I personally think this is a bit too heavy on the stomach just before bed so I tend to opt more for an herbal tea if I’m going to have one. There are even some herbal teas on the market specifically designed for helping to ease you to sleep. Clipper does a great one for example, if interested you can purchase it from here.

5. REEEELAX

If you find yourself to be one of those people that has a million things running through your mind at night try keeping a notepad next to your bed then when you think of something that’s important you can quickly jot it down. Learning how to control your breathing can also lead to a better nights sleep. I’m no expert on this area but I found this article useful so some of you might too.

I will openly admit that I’m not the best sleeper, I can spend hours tossing and turning in the night. I can’t promise these steps will cure insomnia or anything like that but they will get you a step closer to a more relaxed state meaning you will be more to have a good nights sleep.

Does anyone else have any tricks that help them to doze off? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

What type of false nails should I get?

A friend recently asked me about getting false nails and wanted to know the difference between all the different types you can get nowadays in a salon. Before we start its worth noting that most type of false nails will deprive your natural nails of oxygen resulting in weaker, more brittle nails so it really is worth thinking about trying to grow your own first. Personally, I think they look far better but that just personal preference! 

GEL NAILS

Gel nails can usually be applied directly to your natural nail bed or used with a nail extension to make your nails look longer.

Once the gel is applied your hand is usually put up under a UV lamp to cure.

Once cured, they are completely dry and last between 2-3 weeks.

Gel nails also tend to give a more natural look to your nails than acrylics.

Gel nails tend to cost slightly more than acyclic nails

*NB many UK salons misguide customers saying that their gel nails are actually gel. What a lot of salons are doing now is putting a gel top coat over acrylics. This is not the same as gel nails.*

ACRYLIC NAILS

Good for those who want hard, durable nails e.g. those typing a lot etc

Last the longest out of the three main types of false nails you can have applied.

You have a piece of plastic (i.e. the extension and acrylic) bonded to your nail so if you catch your nail too hard on something it will end up ripping off the acrylic nail with your natural nail too!

The bonding agents used in acrylic nails are generally quite toxic and can damage the natural nail bed. 

You can get very thin acrylic nails nowadays if you ask for it at the salon.

FIBERGLASS NAILS

Fibreglass is a process of creating a nail enhancement using resin (nail glue) to build up the structure and reinforcing it with a layer or two of fibreglass mesh.

These nails are extremely natural looking due to the thinness of the application.

This is quite an old-fashioned technique so you won’t find it in all salons.

You are less likely to have a reaction to fibreglass nails; they are suited to those with sensitive skin.

If you leave the fibreglass nail bare you can sometimes see the mesh through it. You usually have to put a colour over the top.

Fibreglass nails don’t tend to last as long as acrylic nails and require more maintenance.

NATURAL NAILS

By far the best option!

Letting your natural nails grow properly takes time and patience but once you’ve got them, they look far better than anything fake.

This is the only option that allows your nails to breathe.

Having a weekly manicure is far more relaxing than having your nails drilled etc.

So there you go - my guide to the false nail services that are currently available in most UK salons. All of them have their pros and cons so it’s really up to your own personal preference as to what sort of nails you want! 

Anyway, I hope this helped! If you have any comments please feel free to post a message below!