What I Got For My 20th Birthday | Part One

Hi guys, I cannot believe that I haven't posted anything on my blog in seven days! I have been quite ill over recent weeks which is extremely unfortunate as it was actually my 20th birthday on Wednesday! However, despite feeling incredibly unwell, I still had a lovely low-key day at home and I received some lovely presents too - which is what I want to share with you all today. I know that some people find these posts to be a little 'braggy' but if you're anything like me (aka nosey,) you love snooping at what other people got for their birthdays! I am very grateful for all of the gifts that I was given and I am simply excited to share them with you. As it's the end of the month, I would usually be posting my monthly favourites but as I have been sick and have not been using many products lately, I have decided to skip the favourites post this month. So, without any further ado, let's jump right in!

First up, my parents kindly bought me a couple of clothing items from Forever 21. I picked out two of these outfits a couple of weeks ago as my Mum knows how fussy I am when it comes to buying clothes! I picked out both of the floral items above; on the left is a floral bodycon dress and on the right is a lovely floral playsuit. However, my parents also bought me this black & grey bodycon dress in the middle as a little surprise. I love all of them so much, I cannot wait to wear them!

My parents also bought me two new Real Techniques brushes to add to my collection; an Expert Face Brush and a Blush Brush. I am so excited to use these as I adore how soft new brushes feel, plus Real Techniques are just such a great brand. Not only this but they also bought me this gorgeous 'Lovestruck Floral Rush' perfume from Vera Wang, which I have had my eye on for a while now. The scent is, of course, a beautiful floral smell which lingers on the skin for absolutely ages. Plus, the bottle is so cute that it's going to look great on my shelf!

Next up, my older brother bought this beauty kit from Benefit called 'Do The Bright Thing.' I have been wanting to try some more Benefit products for a while now and so this kit is absolutely perfect for me. The kit contains five items including the That Gal brightening primer, High Beam, They're Real mascara, Bad Gal Eyeliner and the Dandelion blusher. As an extra little gift, he also got me a couple of bits from Lush too; a Think Pink bath bomb and two bubble bars, The Comforter & Pop In The Bath. Also when my brother opened the Lush delivery, it came with a little note saying that they had thrown in an extra product for free to spread some kindness (how cute!) So, I luckily got a Ceridwen's Cauldron bath melt thrown in for good measure too. Yay!

Last but not least for part one of my birthday post are the presents from my lovely boyfriend! Firstly, he bought me the How I Met Your Mother box set which features seasons 1 to 8. This is one of my all time favourite programmes and as well as this, I encouraged him to start watching it when we first got together too. So, this is definitely a present that we are both going to enjoy watching when we have our lazy nights in (which happen a lot!) Also knowing what a Lush addict I am, Kieran also bought me a little gift set called 'Relax... Take A Bath.' This set includes a Dorothy Bubble Bar, a Twilight Bath Bomb and a Dreamtime bath melt. They all smell amazing and I cannot wait to use them! Plus, he also got me a few bags of my favourite sweets and chocolate too... yum!

I hope you all enjoyed reading part one of 'What I Got For My 20th Birthday.' I am so grateful for all of the presents that I received and I have been thoroughly spoiled by all of my loved ones! I cannot wait to start using everything, I'm so excited! Thank you for reading and part two will be up at some point in the near future :)

My Favourite Fake Eyelashes: Ardell's Demi Wispies

Hi guys. I have been a fan of wearing fake eyelashes on nights out and for special occasions for years now, ever since I first wore them four years ago to my Year 11 prom. As I have naturally short and fine lashes, mascara just isn't enough for me at night time to get the dramatic look that I desire. I have tried many different pairs of fake lashes over the years but this pair that I want to talk about today are my absolute favourites. So today, I thought that I would do a quick little post talking about these lashes.

I first heard about the Ardell Demi Wispies in one of Tanya Burr's videos a little while back, so I decided that I wanted to try and hunt them down immediately! I tracked them down in my local Sally's Beauty, which I luckily have a trade card for as I took a three day nail course with them last October (which you can read about here.) As I own a trade card and it was VAT free day in store too, I got these lashes a lot cheaper than usual but they retail at £5.49 from Boots.

Initially, on the tray, the lashes looked a little different to what I would usually go for. My lashes of choice before I converted to these lashes were usually Eylure's Katy Perry Cool Kitty Lashes (£5.95,) which are a different shape and style entirely. However, once I applied them, I was in love. The Demi Wispies add amazing length and volume without being too in your face or over the top. One thing I especially love about this particular pair is that the lash band is virtually undetectable, unlike some other high street brands where it is really obvious that you are wearing fake lashes. I absolutely love the fluttery and full effect that these eyelashes give, especially paired with some nice winged liner too, which is always my go-to evening look. The only down side to these lashes is that the version I bought did not come with any eyelash glue. However, I luckily have multiple tubes of Eylure glue that I have stashed in my drawer that I can use instead!

Overall, I absolutely adore these lashes and I highly recommend them. They are both lengthening and voluminous, which gives the most amazing end result. Not only this but the lashes hold their shape really well too, which means that you can get multiple uses out of one pair if you look after them properly! Have you ever tried these or any of the Ardell lashes before? What are your favourite fake lashes to wear on a night out? Please let me know by leaving a comment below. Thank you!

Lush's Ultrabland Facial Cleanser

Hi guys. On a last minute trip to Lakeside on Saturday morning, I decided to pop into Lush in search of a little treat for myself. I have only ever used Lush's bath products before 
and seeing as I have asked for a lot of that stuff for my birthday, I thought that I would check out what else the store had to offer. The shop assistant was very helpful and led me around the store talking to me about various scrubs and soaps. However, I eventually decided on picking up a new cleanser. So today, I thought that I would post a mini review letting you know what I think of it so far. Let's get started!

Ultrabland is a gentle cleanser which contains ingredients such as almond oil, rose water, beeswax and honey. The product comes in two sizes; the 45g pot is £6.95 and the 100g pot is £10.95. I opted for the smaller size as I thought that would be the best option for me, just in case I did not get on well with the product. Although Ultrabland is described on its packaging as an oily cleansing cream, the assistant assured me that it would be fine to use on my oily/combination skin and that it would in fact help to balance it out and boy, was she right! Of course, I have only been using this product for three days but so far I am absolutely loving it!

Upon application, Ultrabland feels very luxurious and despite its thick consistency, it is incredibly easy to massage into my skin. I tend to apply it dry, emulsify it with some water and then remove it with either a muslin cloth or a flannel depending on what I have on hand. The main reason that I have been loving this cleanser so far is due to the fact that the ingredients are so natural. I really feel like the product is doing my skin the world of good as I use it. Plus, it leaves my skin feeling ridiculously soft and nourished too. I have also read some reviews that claim Ultrabland has calmed down their problematic skin and has dramatically reduced oiliness, although it may take a bit longer for me to see those results as I have not been using the product for long enough yet! So, I will keep you posted on that front.

Although I love my Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean 3-in-1 Deep Purifying Cleanser (£8.00,) I feel like this product could overtake it (and that's a pretty big statement for me!) I just love the results that Ultrabland has given me after just a few days. My skin has been going a bit haywire lately and I'm hoping that this cleanser will continue to work wonders and that hopefully, my skin will be a lot calmer for my birthday. Fingers crossed!

Overall, this cleanser is absolutely amazing so far and I definitely recommend to all of you. A little goes a long way with this formula, so it is great value for money too! Have you used Ultrabland before? What did you think of it? What is your favourite cleanser? Please let me know by leaving a comment below. Thank you!

Superdrug's Own Brand Face Masks

Hi guys. Recently, my skin has been really struggling and I thought to myself that I really do not use face masks as often as I should. So with that in mind, as well as not wanting to break the bank, I decided to pop into Superdrug and have a look at their selection of masks. I used to use the Simple Deep Cleansing Face Mask, which did work quite well, but I wanted to branch out and see what else was out there. Superdrug's own range caught my eye mainly because of their amazing 99p price tag, (I am on a bit of a budget at the moment,) but due to the variety of masks they offer too. There is literally a mask for every skin type with an array of ingredients and yummy scents to choose from! I choose three sachets so that over a period of time, I could decide which one worked best for my skin type so that I can repurchase more further down the line. Below will be a mini review of each mask and then I will tell you my overall verdict. Enjoy!

Dead Sea Purifying Clay Mask - 99p
First up is this Dead Sea Purifying Mask. I chose this particular mask because it is specifically for oily or blemish prone skin, which I have. It also claimed that it would deeply cleanse my pores and draw it any impurities at the same time. I applied the mask all over my face and unfortunately, after a few minutes, my skin started to burn/tingle quite a lot. I thought that this must have been due to the witch hazel in the mask but after a few more minutes, the burning got worse and so I had to wash the product off early. I was really disappointed with this mask as it was just too irritating. The only good thing that the mask did do was make my skin feel slightly softer and my make-up went on flawlessly the next morning.

Superfruits Exfoliating Mask- 99p
About a week or so later, I decided to give the second mask a go. I was a little dubious at first in case my skin had the same reaction as before but I proceeded with caution anyway. The Superfruits Mask is suitable for any skin type and I was really excited about the concept of this as it was an exfoliating mask - which is something I have never used before. The mask had little strawberry seeds within it but they were not to harsh or gritty on the skin. The raspberry, cranberry and blueberry scent was really lovely and refreshing (I adore fruity products!) Luckily, this mask did not react badly with my skin and I kept it on for the suggested time of 10-15 minutes. The only trouble I did have was the removal, the seeds were a little rough and my skin did go a little red but I guess that's what you get from an exfoliating mask. However, afterwards my skin felt very smooth and revived.

Cucumber Cooling Clay Mask - 99p
The last mask I tried was the Cucumber Cooling Clay Mask, which is for people with sensitive skin. I applied the mask and almost straight away, the cooling effect that the mask gave was extremely relaxing. Again, I left the mask on for the suggested amount of time before removing it with my flannel. I could automatically tell that I loved this mask the most out of the three because as it dried throughout the 15 minutes, I did not feel as tight or dehydrating on my face. Yet, I still followed up with my usual moisturiser anyway. The next day, my skin felt so well nourished and super soft, which again made my make-up go on like a dream that day!

Overall, the mask that I preferred by an absolute mile was the Cucumber Cooling Clay Mask. It was really refreshing to use and it left my skin feeling baby soft. As for the other two masks, the Dead Sea one did not agree with my skin at all and the Superfruits one was nice but just mediocre. I guess that you have to expect mixed results for a sachet from Superdrug which costs 99p but there are so many variations to test out, that you are more than likely to find one that you like. I will definitely buy the cucumber mask again as it is great value for money, especially if you are on a budget like myself!

What is your favourite face mask? Have you tried any of the Superdrug ones before? Please let me know by leaving a comment below. Thank you!

Forever Repurchased: Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder

Hi guys, today I just wanted to do a quick post talking about a product that I simply could not live without in my make-up bag. The infamous Stay Matte Powder (£3.99) from Rimmel is definitely a firm favourite amongst thousands of beauty bloggers, myself included. As soon as I heard about this powder last year, I went out and bought it immediately after reading tons of good reviews and promising claims about it on other peoples blogs. I have loved this product ever since and I have gotten through about three of them already!

Due to the fact that I have oily/combination skin, I have always struggled with excess shine throughout the day and it used to drive me around the bend! However, this product definitely does the trick. I still do suffer from the odd bit of shininess here and there, but it is no where near as bad as before when I used to use Seventeen's Pressed Powder instead. Another great thing about this powder apart from it combating oiliness is that it looks really natural on the skin. When I applied with my Real Techniques Powder Brush, the product is almost undetectable and does not look at all cake-y. Plus, this powder lasts me for roughly four months and it takes absolutely ages to hit pan, it is incredibly long lasting and a little goes a long way!

I buy the shade Transparent (001) as it suitable for all skin tones, however, there are five more shades in the range; Pink Blossom, Peach Glow, Sandstorm, Silky Beige and Warm Beige. As the other shades have a slight colour to them, they will therefore add some extra coverage if you need it. I am thinking about buying another shade to do just this for when I go out at night time for clubbing, parties and so on. The only bad thing I have to say about this product is that its packaging leaves a lot to be desired. It is incredibly flimsy and can break quite easily but for £3.99, this can be easily overlooked and you get what you pay for really.

Here is a quick synopsis of Stay Matte's main pros and cons:

Pros
- Controls oiliness and shine through the day
- It is virtually undetectable on the skin
- Good range of shades to choose from
- It is long lasting and extremely affordable

Cons
- The packaging is flimsy and can break easily

Overall, this product really does keep shine at bay, even for those with super oily skin and this is why I will keep continuing to repurchase it. Have you ever tried Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder before? What do you think of this absolute bargain of a product? Please let e know by leaving a comment below. Thank you!

Butter Up: My Top 3 Favourite Body Butters

Hi guys. I have always been a major hoarder of body butters and I never seem to finish an entire tub before I've moved on to the next one. I have a never ending stash of moisturisers and my collection seems to just keep on growing, whether it be me not being able to resist an offer in Boots or receiving them as gifts. With that being said, I do have a couple of favourites that I always seem to come back to. Not only do these three of my favourite body butters get the job done in terms of keeping my skin soft but they all smell amazing too! So, I thought that I would just do a little post today to share with you all my much loved top three. Let's get started!

The Body Shop Passion Fruit Body Butter - £13.00
First up is a product that has been a bit of a rediscovery for me, as I previously mentioned in my monthly favourites post last week. I have loved The Body Shop's range of body butters for a long time and due to their thirteen pounds price tag, they are quite a treat for me. Yet, they do last such a long time and so they are definitely worth the investment. Out of the three butters that I am mentioning today, this one is definitely the richest and thickest in texture. Hence, I like to use this one right before bedtime as it does take quite long to sink in. However, it certainly does the trick and leaves my skin feeling supple and soft. To top it all off, the passionfruit scent is so summery and addictive too. This is a must have product in my opinion!

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Five Fruits Super Rich Body Butter - £10.50 
Next up is my favourite butter out of the three. I am addicted to all things Soap & Glory and I have never found a bad product in their range that I have tried to this day (fingers crossed I never do either!) 'Butter Yourself' is a lovely fruity smelling body butter which features ingredients such as; orange waterjuice, peppermint oil and fruitliquid fig. This product nourishes extremely well without being sticky or leaving a horrible residue behind. It sinks in relatively quickly and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth, especially my legs! So far this tub has lasted me since Christmas and I still have a reasonable amount left, although I will definitely be re-purchasing this one when it runs out!

Boots Extracts Fairtrade Mango Body Butter - £8.00 for full size
Last but not least is this mini mango body butter which I received as part of a set from my friend Sarah. The Boots Extracts range has a great range of body butters for a very affordable price but this scent is by far my favourite. I do not use this product as often due to it being smaller in size but when I do, I love it! This body butter is the lightest of the three consistency wise, which means that it is excellent to wear during the daytime, as it does not stick to your clothing. The mango scent is very fresh and is a great pick-me-up too, which is another reason as to why I love it so much!

So those are my top three favourite body butters, I hope you have enjoyed reading about them. I really enjoy using all of them and as you can tell when it comes to body products, I love anything with a fruit-based fragrance or scent! Which are your favourites body butters? Have you tried any of my top three before? Please let me know in the comments below. Thank you :)

My Monthly Favourites - April 2014

Hi guys, it's that time of the month again where I talk about the products that I have been loving this month. Throughout April, I fallen in love with a few new products as well as rediscovering some old ones too. With a mixture of make-up, body care and one fragrance, there's a lot to talk about - so let's get started!

The Body Shop Passionfruit Body Butter - £13.00
First up is one of my rediscoveries for this month. I have so many body butters stashed away that I often forget about some of them and they end up collecting dust at the bottom of my drawer. Whilst I was tidying up the other day, however, I came across this product from The Body Shop. This passionfruit body butter not only smells amazing but it is so rich too. It really gives your skin a great deal of moisturisation without feeling overly sticky or greasy on the skin. Although the price tag is slightly steeper than other body butters on the market, The Body Shop always have deals on, so keep an eye out! I am so happy to have found this product again and I am going to be using it on a more regular basis now.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Frambourjoise - £8.99
This is my latest beauty purchase, Bourjois' Rouge Edition Lipstick. I am not going to go into too much detail with this as I have only just reviewed it in my Boots 3 For 2 Haul, which you can read here, but it is too good not to mention in my favourites. The formulation of this lipstick is amazing; it glides on so smoothly, is highly pigmented and dries to a beautiful matte finish. Also, this product does not budge. In fact, I literally had to scrub it off of my lips at the end of the day! The shade I chose is Frambourjoise, which is a bright pink/red colour and it's very striking. I cannot rave about this product enough and I definitely want to pick up some different shades!

Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume (50ml) - £47.50
Next up is a perfume that I often overlook when I am choosing a scent to wear every morning. The reason for this is because I am nearing the end of the bottle now, so I am trying to preserve what's left for special occasions. Yet, I have been reaching for this bottle quite a lot lately. I received Daisy as a gift from my parents over a year ago now and it is definitely one of my favourites. Not only is the bottle so cute but the perfume itself is right up my alley; I love anything floral! Daisy features notes of violet petals and leaves, as well as vanilla to make it slightly musky too. I am very sad to be running out of this perfume but I am going to enjoy it whilst it lasts! 

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Cream Eyeshadow in Pink Gold - £4.99
This Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow is another rediscovery that I found after majorly sorting and cleaning out my make-up bag. I bought this product absolutely ages ago, used it a few times and then stupidly forgot about it. However, it's back! The shade I have is 'Pink Gold' but I have seen this shadow many times with a variation of names now! Due to having oily eyelids (and oily skin in general,) I do not use eyeshadow that often because even with a primer, shadow always creases on my lid. However, this creamy formula has excellent staying power and I do not get as much creasing with this product! I simply like to use this for a wash of colour all over the lid, paired with my usual eyeliner flick for a pretty and girly spring time look.

Super Beauty Raspberry & Cranberry Body Scrub - £2.49
Last but not least is this really lovely scrub that I recently reviewed here on my blog. After trying to cut down on the amount I spend on certain products, I opted for this Super Beauty scrub as an alternative for my favourite body exfoliator, Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush Scrub. My skin has been very dry lately, possibly due to the recent change in weather, so I needed a product that was gentle but still abrasive enough to buff away any dry areas. This product certainly does the trick and on top of all that, it smells delicious too! Although I will probably go back to the Soap & Glory scrub if I can, this is a great budget friendly alternative!

So, that's all favourites wise for this month. I hope you all enjoyed reading about some of my most loved beauty bits that I have been using in April. What have you been reaching for lately? Have you tried any of the products I have mentioned yourself? Please let me know in the comments below. Thank you!