The Lazy Girls Guide To: Drugstore Skincare

Hello again!

Long time no post...

Unfortunately life has gotten in the way and I just found myself so busy that I haven’t had the motivation to keep up my blog. From now on I’ll be setting aside some time and aiming to post every weekend. My blogging meant a great deal to me when I started and I was silly to let that slip. Writing for my blog provides me with a bit of escapism from the hectic-ness of daily life, which is what I hope reading them helps do for all of you a little bit. In other words, you can expect to see a bit more of me, so keep an eye on your social media feeds for when I upload and share new posts! 

I’ve also decided to start a new series over here. As much as I love all things girly and beauty related, I do love to cut a few corners. The word lazy sounds so negative but there really is no two ways about it with me, so I thought I’d provide an element of real-ness to my blog that fellow lazy people (or just people with not a lot of time) can enjoy and find useful!

So my current skincare routine is what brings me here today. I’m not sure whether this is just me, but I find that I normally get my products down to a T, and then my skin changes again! The struggle is real to find things that work for me and don’t take a chunk out of my morning/evening to faff around with. I’m all about self care but I like to make things convenient. So far I am seeing brilliant improvements, so here’s how I get a full skincare routine in without all of the effort!

First off, a little back story. I tend to have oily/combination skin, previously more on the combination side, and annoyingly more recently, on the oily. After being on holiday I’ve seen a gradual decline in my skin quality, with increased uneven texture and breakouts more frequently than ever. It took me a while to accept that my skin type had shifted slightly before I got my bum in gear and did anything about it. I was sat waiting for my boyfriend to pop back from the shops when I pulled down the dreaded car mirror (which shows just about every imperfection) when I realised just how bad the situation had gotten. It was about a week before payday, I was skint, and I felt crappy after seeing my skin this way. I felt an urge to do something so I popped down to Boots and Superdrug straight away and completely switched up my skincare. My entire routine now consists of some total gems from the drugstore, so not only will your face be feeling loved, but your purse will too! Here’s what I’m currently using and how: 

Garnier Botanical Gel Wash & St Ives Apricot Blemish Control Scrub

So I keep these two in the shower to use every time I’m in there. I’ll start off with my face wash to clean off any dirt and grime and leave my face feeling fresh, it’s super gentle and gets the job done. Then I’ll follow it up with the St Ives scrub to exfoliate. Both of these have Salycilic acid in them (Check this dais!!) which breaks down blockages in pores to prevent any breakouts. Using a combination of these two leaves my skin feeling soft and clean but never dry or tight! I always keep anything like this in the shower so I can do it whilst I let my conditioner soak in and then I feel like I’ve hit two birds with one stone and I totally have my shit together. Hell yeah.

Simple Water Boost Micellar Water

I use this with a few cotton pads to initially remove the bulk of my make up. It’s so quick and even takes my mascara in a swipe! It feels like my foundation melts off as soon as this touches my face and I luuuurve how quick it is to do the task.

Superdrug Tea Tree Wipes

I use these instead of toning because, again, lazy lol. These are super menthol-y and I really scrub one around my face to grab that last excess of make up. Tea tree is anti-bacterial and helps fight anything that will cause spots and these wipes are simply delightful. I’ve got backup packs in my drawer because I can’t be without them! I also wipe one of these over my face in the morning to refresh and wake me up a little.

Nip+ Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme

As the name suggests, I only use these at night. After wiping my face with my tea tree wipe I'll grab 2 of these and work them over my face, neck and chest until my wrists ache a little because I love the effect they have so much. The potent acids in these will help to even out skin tone and texture and give you a glow from within when you wake up.

Nip+ Fab Dragons Blood Serum

After all that scrubbing and cleansing my skin probably gets a little thirsty, so I plump it back up again by using this guy. I’ll go to town with this and be very generous, using it in the eye area, on my lips, and then again bringing it down my neck and chest. This contains hyluronic acid which is a type of humectant. This means it attracts moisture from the air and pulls it in to your skin to hydrate it (and does a fabulous job of it too). I’ll also use this in the morning before my make up. Because this is a serum, it needs to be followed up by a moisturiser to fulfil its potential and lock in that moisture.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +

A moisturiser that has been raved about for years by people with acne prone skin. This treasure is brilliant at mattifying the skin and calming down agitated areas. I’ll tend to be more generous with this at night and just use a little bit in the morning, because whilst it is good at keeping your face from going shiny, it does pill off if you use too much under make up. 

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

My holy grail of all holy grails for spots. This is the only item in my routine not available at the drug store, but it is well worth the £16 you pay for a little bottle, especially if you simply cannot find a fix for blemishes. Odd to look at, you’ll want to shake it but DON’T. To use this you dip a cotton bud in to the pink sand at the bottom of the bottle and pull it straight back out and apply to any spots you have. This stuff works miracles I swear and literally decreases the size of acne overnight by drying it out (though I’ve noticed, sometimes in just a couple of hours!) I refuse to use anything else if I have a breakout and I will forever continue to buy this.

There we have it! That’s my lazy skincare routine for all of you to peruse. I’ve gotten so fast and good at doing it that I can even do it mirror-less if I’m feeling particularly “cba” some/most evenings, ha ha. I hope some of you can agree with these product recommendations and I also hope it may have helped someone out! Failing that I hope you enjoyed reading regardless.

Until next time,

D x

Product Empties | April '18

Hey everyone!

First of all, I just want to say I’m so grateful for the support and appreciation I’ve received from a lot of you about my last post - it means so much and left me bubbling with positive vibes after sharing it. Today we’re going back to the beauty side of things, taking a look at a few items I’ve finished and letting you know my thoughts on them!

Urban Decay Beached Bronzer

I originally only picked this up because I lost my usual bronzer and panic bought something to replace it. Little did I know that this product has been a gem! I’ve used it every day that I’ve worn make up and it’s lasted me a good year now. I use the shade 'Bronzed' and just as the name suggests, it has the perfect warm colour for my skin tone. It’s also completely matte, so I don’t look like something out of Twilight when I slap it on my face in the morning, bonus point from me. I’ve already cracked open my back-up one and continue to use it with no complaints, though I do plan to try out some new ones very soon for a bit of variety.

Kiehl’s Rosa Arctica Lightweight Cream 

Described as a “youth generating cream” this moisturiser brings you all the calm vibes with its lavender-y scent. That’s what originally attracted me to this product, that and how fresh it felt on the back of my hand. I found it worked nicely to prep before my make up and definitely quenched my skin when it had that just-got-out-of-the-shower tightness, but that was about it. I must say that I didn’t see any long-term results on the firmness of my skin. It does what it says on the tin and moisturises, no more and no less. Nice whilst I had it, but since skincare is pretty vital to me, I’d much rather spend my money trying out new products until I find one that I fall in love with.

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

Pronounced “boom boom” this is the coveted body moisturiser that has stolen the heart of many online influencers, so I had to give it a try. The salted caramel and pistachio scent smells as yummy as it sounds, and don’t get me started on the way it makes my skin feel. I’ve always been so lazy with body care until I came across this, but now I actually enjoy spending a few minutes putting this on after a shower. The product is infused with guarana extract which has a high caffeine content, meaning it helps to smooth and tighten, though don’t be fooled by the name, it can be used all over the body! It is a pricey product I must admit. I first purchased the 75ml pot a month ago at £18 to trial it, and loved it so much that I invested the *gulp* £44 for the full 250ml size, though I personally deem it worth it.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat

Another day, another touche eclat depleted. I go through these like I go through a bag of doritos (quickly). I use this every day, even if I’m wearing no other make up, I will still have it on under my eyes. It just helps wake my tired skin up if I’m heading to the gym or popping to the shops so that I can continue to catfish the world in to thinking I woke up looking like I have my life together. You get roughly 200 clicks out of each pen so I believe it’s worth the price. The original shade number 1 is universal, and definitely has the best effect – its pinky colour helps illuminate without changing the colour of your other complexion products. Currently I can’t be without one of these, so I will definitely be repurchasing!

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

I was originally obsessed with this product. I used it as an intensive lip balm for a while, though quickly fell out of love with it after realising how messy it really is (it literally manages to get on everything) and also, how vile the clinical smell of it was. It did a good job of hydrating my lips and also my cuticles whilst I had it around, but I’ve since moved on to better things and will be glad to see the back of this one.

There we go! That's all from me this week, I hope you enjoyed reading and even found something slightly useful if you were thinking of investing in any of these products.

Until next time!

D x

Living With Anxiety

Hi guys! 

A few of you have noticed that I’ve taken a step back from social media and my blog for a while, but have no fear, I haven’t stopped! I’ve just been taking the last month to settle in to a new job and then had a bit of a hiccup, as I fell a little poorly and have been trying to deal with that over the past 2-3 weeks. Nothing to worry about, I’ll be fine - just something I need to adjust to. Alongside me being unwell, has come a lot of stress and emotion that I haven’t felt for quite some time. This has reminded me that I’ve wanted to write something about this for a while now. For those who would like to read, I’d like to open up and share a little bit more about myself!

This is by no means an easy post for me to write, to leave it here for everyone out there to read and scrutinise as they wish, but it’s something I feel very strongly about and it’s important to always keep raising awareness. I vowed from the day I started my blog to make content that people would (hopefully) find useful, and that’s my ultimate aim here. I will pre-warn you that I’m a rubbish story teller, and the more I read the post back the more I feel like it has no clear purpose of where it’s going, but I’m going to do it anyway.

To cut it short, I suffer with general anxiety disorder (GAD). It affects my daily life in ways that some people simply won’t and don’t understand, though I’m hoping my little post will help shed some light on the subject. My story here is purely personal. The way I have approached and dealt with it over the years is by no means a recommendation to anyone else because, surprise, I am not a doctor and there is no “one size fits all” approach to mental health. You just do you babes. 

 So here is an overview of anxiety according to the NHS:

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe.

 Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life – for example, you may feel worried and anxious about sitting an exam, or having a medical test or job interview. During times like these, feeling anxious can be perfectly normal.

 However, some people find it hard to control their worries. Their feelings of anxiety are more constant and can often affect their daily lives.
GAD is a long-term condition that causes you to feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues, rather than one specific event.

I just want to tell you a little bit about my journey and then discuss the other bits and bobs that I feel are important, things that people might not know, things that help etc. I’ll just take it from the beginning and where I think it first started.

I first noticed signs that something wasn’t right when I was maybe around 15, still at school and now amongst the worry of my GCSE’s. I don’t have the best memory, I just recall it being a very confusing time for me. Looking back, I can notice signs of it much earlier than this, but late school years were definitely when anxiety started to rear it’s ugly head. I wondered why I was so overwhelmed all the time, why I would feel this uncontrollable dread, no matter where I went or what I was doing. I had no idea about mental health at this age and just ignored it and blamed it on the stress of school and expectations you face as a teenager. I would often miss school days because I would get so upset - over literally nothing! I couldn’t pin point what was making me feel that way. When it came around, I even dropped out of sixth form. I felt as though I wasn’t good at anything I chose to study and would get upset most days before going. It was a lot of pressure for me and the stress of that made me miserable, so I took myself out of the situation. 

It took some time but eventually I accepted that it wasn’t just mood swings and had to try and do something about it. I did a bit of a google deep dive in to what I was feeling and experiencing and mental health in general. Every avenue would take me to something called anxiety. At this age I just thought anxiety was just a temporary feeling and not an actual disorder, so I read in to it. I grew to knew the symptoms I was feeling, but didn’t know much about how to prevent or control them. I often suffered from panic attacks at the most random of times, from being alone in my room to being out with friends. Finding myself struggling to catch my breath as I cried, went dizzy and rocked back and forth over what felt like forever, though it probably only lasted 5 or 10 minutes.

The panic attacks became more frequent and I became so fed up of them, so I did take myself to a doctor. I tried many avenues like taking medication, lifestyle changes, even guided meditation, but the thing that helped me the most was counselling.

I went to counselling every week for a couple of months just over a year ago. I can’t explain how weird it is to tell your whole life to someone you’ve never seen before, but I would walk out of there each week with a tremendous weight lifted off of my shoulders. Whilst having one on one therapy I learnt my “triggers” a.k.a some of the situations or circumstances that set off my anxiety, or cause me to panic. This helped me the most, because I know what situations or environments I feel vulnerable in and can prepare myself should I need to face them.

When I felt like the initial stress had been lifted, the counselling did come to a stop. I felt confident enough without it and wanted to see how I got on, on my own. Some of you may find it mad that I stopped something that was obviously helping me, but it’s all a learning curve and I felt great, so I didn’t feel the need to continue.

Up until now I’ve done pretty damn fine with little niggles here and there. Like I discussed at the beginning, my boat has been a little rocked recently and brought back some anxious thoughts and feelings which I’m working through. I have the best support system from my loved ones and friends (thank you, you’re all diamonds) and I’ve currently got back in to some pretty cool counselling again. I won’t dive in to specifics because this post isn’t about that. The way I have been feeling just reminded me that anxiety is a side effect of life, and other people might need help, or want to know more about it, how it can start or different methods of approaching it.

Just to set the scene, here are a couple of examples of the smaller things I struggle with that most people might find odd, or not have even thought someone could worry about:

Travelling an unfamiliar route on public transport:

Whether it’s a different bus service than I’m used to using or a new destination by train, it makes me quite uncomfortable. I have to be meticulous in my planning of timings, how many stops before I get off etc. so that nothing can go wrong. Then I still sit there and worry the whole way! When I feel myself start to panic whilst surrounded by people I don’t know on a crowded, moving vehicle, it does tend to make me want to panic even more. I used to point blank refuse trying new routes or travelling somewhere I don’t know, so I’ve definitely improved on this one and once I can drive, won’t have to do it at all! (every cloud and all that jazz).

Posting anything online:

Yes, even these blog posts. Especially these blog posts, actually. Every time I hit that publish button and share it I feel myself go hot all over - shut my laptop and try to pretend that it doesn’t exist for the next hour. I feel like an idiot every time I post something on Instagram or ask for peoples opinions on my content, but it is something that does pay off and I do overall enjoy immensely. It’s all worthwhile in the end, so I push myself through it and deal with the short term stomach churning feeling of what people will think.

Basically, I still worry until there’s nothing left to worry about, and then I worry some more.. because surely there’s something to worry about, right? Anxiety keeps the cogs in my mind constantly turning, thinking of worst case scenarios in any situation. 

To prevent this, I like to keep my mind busy in order to keep the overthinking at bay. My favourite things to wind my mind down and keep me calm are to watch YouTube videos, spend time with family or have a nap. Everything is better after a nap. Going to the gym reaaaallly helps keep the worries away, no matter how little motivation I have. I also use a method called “grounding” if I ever feel like I need to relax. It’s a 5 senses exercise which helps to distract my mind and I can do it anywhere at any time without anyone knowing that I’m doing it. Great for those busy important meetings you’re stuck in, or a crowded event. 

I’m lucky that I now understand my anxiety more, I know what I need to do if I’m having a low day and I understand the feeling will pass. I realise that this whole page is probably looking quite long and bulky and I appreciate if you’re still reading all the way down here, considering it's not like my usual posts. I’d like to do more on anxiety if this goes down well, perhaps more about mindfulness or more detailed little things that I find help. Let me know what you think.

I apologise that this post is a bit erratic, a bit messy and my timeline of events is all a bit jumbled in my head and on paper (or screen in this case), but it’s all real and from the heart. I am such an open book and would love to hear from you if you have any questions, just drop me a message on any social media. I will link a couple of helpful advice and support websites at the bottom of this page if you’d like some more official information. As I said, I’m only here to tell my personal side. I thought it might be nice to read that the girl you used to go to school with, or the one you work with, or the girl you follow on Twitter is going through the same thing as you or someone you know. I know that it really helps me when I know someone that can relate to my problems. 

Thank you so much for reading!

D x

• NHS
• MIND

Monthly Favourites: February '18

Hello everyone!

So, today i'm following on from my little monthly favourites series, posting what I’ve adored and obsessed over that particular month. Whether it be beauty related, a new item of clothing I can’t stop wearing, or what I’m currently reading/watching too much, this is where you’ll find it. So go ahead – be nosey!

The Body Shop Shea Shower Cream - £5

Never did I think I could become obsessed with a shower gel, but everything about this one has got me hooked. It’s such a warm and creamy scent that actually lingers on my skin for the rest of the day. It’s not over powering either - I like something pretty neutral so it doesn’t affect the scent of whatever fragrance I layer on top. I also find it’s more moisturising than your standard shower gel that you might pick up in Boots, so I keep going back for more. I’m definitely generous when I use this as I go through a bottle in about 2 weeks. However, The Body Shop always has great deals on, I’ve been getting them on buy one get one half price which means I can take home a months supply for £7.50! 

Le Volume de Chanel - £28

Ahhhh this mascara is LIFE. I’ve actually been using a little sample for about a month that got rather dried up and worse for wear. I loved it and it was on my to-do list to buy a full size, until my amazing pal Jen got me one as a leaving present from my current job (what a diamond she is). This formula literally just grabs every single eyelash and makes them look so pretty and fluttery, I even had someone think I was wearing lash extensions the other day!

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat All-In-One Glow  - £33.50

This foundation/tinted moisturiser hybrid is amazeballs. The formula is 70% water which has this unbelievably hydrating and refreshing feeling when you wear it, not to mention how dewy it is. This is the glowiest foundation I now own and I can’t put it down. I’ve been wearing this baby 2 or 3 times a week throughout the whole of February and it hasn’t disappointed! I tend to grab this if I want fresh looking skin, or a lightweight feel. It’s only a medium coverage which I normally don’t like, but I find you can build it up if you use a dense brush to pack on the product. Currently this is only sold in John Lewis, but will reach all other Yves Saint Laurent houses on March 7th. I plan on going back and buying this in more colours for when I’m fair and then more tanned in summer because I love it that much and anyone who wants a lightweight everyday product to make them look more alive, I think this one is for you too.

Imogenation

Whenever I plan to do a good Primark shop I have to mentally prepare myself, it’s not one of those shops you can just pop in to - am I right? So I always search for a recent primark haul on YouTube to see what good bits to look out for before I go (just a little tip for you there). Anyway, the haul I stumbled upon was by a girl called Imogenation, and I honestly cracked up the WHOLE time I watched it. I then went on to binge watch a vast majority of her other videos in to the early hours of the morning whilst I giggled away, she’s just so different to anyone else I watch. Her videos are an instant pick-me-up and she’s got an extremely positive outlook on life which is so refreshing, I urge you all to check out her channel!

Dynasty

So, if you read my monthly faves from January, as soon as I finished Bates Motel I got cracking on with this Netflix series. Dynasty is just full of drama, wealthy families and feuds. It’s a reboot of the original 80’s show, which I haven’t watched, so I can’t compare. Some of the filming can come off a little cheesy, but it’s just so damn addictive! The character of Fallon Carrington is so badass and sassy that you can’t help but love her. Currently there is only one season, with new episodes on weekly. If you wanna catch up on it, now would be the time to do so.

So that's it for this month! Watch this space to find out what things I discover in March.

D x

Glossier | My thoughts so far

Hello hello!

Thank you for joining me on my little blog again. Today I wanted to talk about a brand called Glossier, and give you my up to date experience with them and their products as a whole.

In case you aren’t familiar with them, Glossier all began from a website called Into The Gloss. A blog started up by Emily Weiss, who transformed it in to the top online place to read about all things beauty and health (if you haven’t already had a read, I would totally recommend). Anyway, a few years later came Glossier, which began creating beauty products with “real life girls” in mind. They began shipping to the UK in late 2017 which is when I really started to discover them all over my social media.

So I currently own only 3 items from Glossier, let me talk to you about them a little bit.

The Body Hero Duo - £28

This was on my Christmas wishlist and my lovely boyfriend decided to pick these up for me. After reading mixed reviews online I decided that it was time to make my own decision on the matter. The Body Hero Duo includes 2 items (which you can buy seperately) – a Daily Oil Wash and a Daily Perfecting Cream. They both have the same scent of orange blossom and neroli, which is light and fresh – but I must agree with a lot of the online reviews which brought to my attention that it smells almost plastic-like on occasion. It didn’t put me off using them though so it definitely wasn’t that bad. Let me go in to them individually...

The Oil Wash - £15

This is a blend of 7 oils that is said to draw any grime and sweat from your skin without stripping it of its moisture. A couple of pumps from the bottle and you lather the oil on to your skin, then as soon as it hits water it emulsifies (turns milky) and washes off like a soft soapy shower gel. The actual feeling of this products in the shower was so divine and really felt like it was treating my skin, instead of just scrubbing at it. Though it’s not something they’ve claimed, I found this sooo good at breaking down patchy fake tan when it needed to come off – I've now used up my whole bottle and I’d buy it again purely for that reason!

The Perfecting Cream - £18

This one is a body moisturiser that claims to tighten, hydrate and improve the skins elasticity. It has a pink glowy sheen to it (think MAC original Strobe Cream but for your body) which does look pretty when it’s blended in. However, I did not get on with this one bit, unfortunately. The cream doesn’t melt in to the skin like it says it will, instead it took forever to rub in and left me feeling rather sticky after. It also pilled on me and I just felt like I had to shower it all off again. I’m in love with the idea of it, I just wish the formula was slightly thinner so it sunk in nicely.

After my bad experience with the perfecting cream, I reached out to the Glossier team who were more than helpful, and offered to put the amount on store credit so I could try something else instead. Good customer service really impresses me – so I was more than happy!

Boy Brow - £14

So, using my store credit I decided to go with their best seller – Boy Brow. This is a creamy pomade that apparently keeps your brow hairs in place and makes them look fuller without feeling stiff or going flaky. This literally arrived a couple of days ago, so the jury is still out. So far I’m definitely loving the polished look it gives my brows after I’ve filled them in with pencil, but it doesn’t do much for me on its own. Though, let’s just remember I have my brows tattooed, because the ability to grow my eyebrow hair is pretty damn poor. I think anyone with unruly eyebrows would love this though! I bought the shade Brown, but they also stock Black, Blond and Clear.

What now?

Like I said, the customer service Glossier gave me really impressed me, which has made me want to give more products a go. Here’s what I plan on trying next:

Cloud Paint - £15

Glossier make-up is more ‘beauty from within’ where as I’m more ‘full glam or nothing’ so the cosmetic section of the website didn’t really catch my eye at first. Whilst I didn’t find the make up all that appealing, I did fall in love with the look of Cloud Paint. A cream blush that gives such a beautiful rosiness to the cheeks. I like the shade Beam most, as I’m all about peachy coral colours on my skin tone.

Milky Jelly Cleanser - £15

I have heard so many good things about this! I cannot wait to get my hands on this super conditioning daily cleanser. Apparently its unbelievably gentle yet can still take all of your make up off and leave your skin ultra soft. Uh hello? Yes please.

Solution - £18

This is the newest addition to their skincare range. A chemical exfoliant that is said to transform skin in just 4 weeks by reducing redness, blemishes and pore size, through active acids. Again, mixed reviews on their website for this one, so I am apprehensive to try it. Though try I will! Unfortunately this little guy has been out of stock for a couple of weeks now, so I’ll have to wait until Glossier create some more before I can put it to the test.

All in all I think what Glossier are doing is fabulous. They’re a very inclusive brand, as you can tell from all of their campaigns and pictures on their site and social media. As I touched on earlier, I’m definitely interested in their skin care the most. Just ask yourself if you’re a 5 minute make up gal, or a 1 hour and 5 minute make up gal. If you’re the former, I’m sure you’ll adore the ease of the cosmetics they’ve created seeing as though it’s quick and simple, yet still looks really put together -they stock everything you’d need for a natural full face. I’m by no means done with exploring the brand yet, and can’t wait to try more of their creations out.

If you’ve ever tried anything from them that you’d recommend, let me know! Also, if you want to try some of their stuff out – you can get some coins off of your purchase, just click here.

Thank you for reading my lovelies!

D x

Get To Know Me | Q&A

Hello again!

I posted on my Instagram last week asking what you would like to see more of, and the majority settled on something more personal. Looking back on my posts so far, I’m surprised I haven’t already posted something relating more to me. It’s definitely something I’d like to add more of over time.

To introduce a more personal side of myself on my blog I thought I’d start off with a little Q&A! I’ve collected some questions from family and close friends recently to make the post a little bit interesting, but first let me touch base on the basics.

So, in case you haven’t clicked my little about me page – I’m a 20 year old from Bristol. I currently work in the make-up industry, but will actually be moving on to a new opportunity very soon! I have 2 cats that I love dearly, and a boyfriend who is alright I suppose. His name is Jesse, so if I ever reference a “Jess” in my posts, now you know who he is. I don’t have any siblings so I know how to keep myself occupied – usually with Netflix, YouTube or snacks. I’m easily pleased. Favourite drink is a milkshake, favourite film is Bridesmaids, blah blah blah. Now, on to the proper questions:

If you could spend the day with 3 famous people (dead or alive) who would they be and why?
I'm obsessed with Beyonce, but they say you should never meet your idols. Not that I'd turn down having a coffee with her you know, but for the sake of this question, I'm going to put some thought in to it. I'd like to be around people who would make me laugh all day. My first choice would be Jaclyn Hill, she's crazy and I just think she could be so fun to hang out with. Next, British legend Phillip Schofield. Finally I'd throw Maya Jama in the mix, not a day goes by where I don't chuckle at her Instagram stories (plus she's from Brizzle too!). I'm not too sure how this weird hypothetical combination of people would work in the real world but if there's ever an opportunity - sign me up.

What's your favourite holiday destination?
I'm yet to find a sunny destination that I swear by because I still have so many places to visit, but for a short trip away it has to be Amsterdam. I've been twice now and I honestly feel it just gets better. I love everything about the city and feel so at-home when I'm there. Myself and Jess were looking to go back again for a little break this year but somehow in the process ended up booking a weeks holiday in Crete instead, which I've never been to, so that could be one to look out for. If you have visited Crete yourself and you have any recommendations, please let me know!

What would your ideal 3 course dinner be?

For starters I’ll have some mozzarella dippers. Main is a big margherita pizza. Dessert I’ll have the whole menu. I have the sweetest tooth going, seriously. Once my stomach is full, my little 2^nd dessert belly is crying out for doughnuts, sweets and ice cream.

What is your most inspirational moment to date? 

Every time I kind of look back and notice how much I’ve grown as a person I do feel really proud and inspired to keep doing so. Cringe. But seriously, I used to suffer from crippling anxiety in all aspects of my life, which now affects me only a fraction of the amount it once did. It makes me believe I can now accomplish anything I want if I put my mind to it.

What do you like the least about your personality?

Touching on what I mentioned in the last question, I worry LOADS. I can overthink going to Tesco if I want to. I wish I could relax more and not be a paranoid so and so all the time.

What 3 things would you take to a desert island with you?
If I answered this sensibly and picked food, water and suncream we'd have no fun. The unecessary 3 things I'd bring with me would be my 2 cats and a pot of carmex. Ya girl cannot live without a lip balm in her pocket.

If you could only have one perfume, which would it be?
Noooo don't do this to me. I love to change up my fragrance depending on how I feel that day. I've touched on some of my favourites before, but even though it's odd, the one I would answer this question to is actually a fragrance I don't own yet. The beauty I'm talking about is a Giorgio Armani Privé called Pivoine Suzhou, which I will be getting my hands on next month. I'm so obsessed, I think I could live with that one alone (and probably will for a while once it's in my collection!).

If you could choose 3 things to keep forever and nothing else, what would it be?
Lots of 3's involved in this post. It would have to be my bed, my laptop and my phone. I would feel lost without these and although it's a boring answer, I couldn't imagine myself being without any of them!

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this slightly different post from me. Let me know what you would like to see next!

D x

My Foundation Obsession

Hello Lovely People!

Some people buy lots of shoes. Some buy lots of lipstick. Me? I buy lots of foundation. 

It’s my favourite part of my make up routine. Hands down. There’s something so satisfying about seeing all the imperfections and uneven skin tone disappearing the more you apply.

I thought I’d use my collection to my advantage, and pick out a few of my favourites for different wants and needs so that if any of you are on the market for a newbie, i might be able to push you in a helpful direction.

Oily skin

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r - £26

This foundation dries down and feels matte to the touch, so much so that I don’t even need to set it with a powder - which is a revelation for me. In my experience this will work wonders at staying on oily skin all day and keeping a shiny T zone from occurring. This is one I pick if I know I have a long day ahead of me, especially when it comes to travelling. It's long-lasting abilities are like black magic, I swear.

Dry skin

Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat - £35

Those with dry skin need to look no further. Le Teint Touche Éclat has the most beautiful, dewy finish that doesn’t cling to dry patches or go patchy. This is my faaaavourite foundation in Winter, when my skin is lack lustre and needs a bit of TLC. It makes me look all healthy and glowy and has the same illuminating properties as the famous Touche Éclat pen, meaning it’s meant to give you the appearance that you’ve had 8 hours sleep - something we are all guilty of not getting.

Special occasions

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Stick - £42

This is my all time favourite foundation, I just don’t use it a lot. I whack this baby out for any special occasion or where I know I could be caught on camera. This cream stick literally melts in to the skin as you blend and leaves a gorgeous full coverage finish that lasts all night. I use this sparingly as it does have a high price tag, but it is for good reason. I also think treating my face to my top shelf products from time to time really boosts my mood and I can definitely tell the difference to my usual day to day, and this has been the best I’ve come across to date.

On A Budget

Wet N Wild Photo Focus - £12.99

This is a big brand in the United States, found in drug stores at affordable prices. My favourite influencer and big name beauty youtuber, Tati (GlamLifeGuru) is obsessed with this, and therefore I had to buy it. Since it’s not a brand readily available at a pop to the shops in the UK, I turned to Amazon. I think this is usually only about $5 but all in all I paid just over £10 after p&p which is still a bargain in my eyes. I am amazed at the quality of this and would say it’s even better than some of my high end products. The formula is a lightweight matte finish and every day that I wear this I get multiple compliments on how my skin looks, I even plan on buying multiple shades so I can wear it when I’m not tanned as well!

Great For Everyday 

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk - £42

Luminous silk is a cult classic. If you’re like me and you love a glowy skin day then this is the answer. There’s just no faults with this one. It’s a brilliant all rounder and a foundation I wear on a very frequent basis. It doesn’t feel heavy, never looks cakey and with a bit of powder in areas it stays put throughout my day - looking fresh for hours on end. Definitely one that ticks all of the boxes. 

That brings us to the end of this little post! I’m always looking to buy more foundation, even when I don’t need to. If you have any suggestions of what to try next - make sure to let me know!

D x