Tight'n'Bright || OOTN

Last weekend me and a group of girlfriends had a girls weekend as most of our boyfriends were away on an end of season football weekend so we took the opportunity to have a cocktail night at one of the girls houses before hitting town; so I thought I'd share with you all my outfit :)

White crop top - £4.99 - New Look

Blue/Green Bodycon Skirt - Around £20-30 - Topshop (last season)

Gold chain necklace - £4 - Primark

Nail polish - £3.99 - Rimmel Nail Tip Whitener

I love wearing bright colours in the summer, especially when I have a tan! Unfortunately my tan in this picture is 100% fake seeing as whenever we've had any sun I've been working! The white nails also made me look even more brown! I kept my hair down and straight with some backcombing to create some volume and had a nude pink lip and brown smokey eyes. I also wore some nude wedges which can't be seen in this photo but the photo below shows the whole outfit and some of my gorgeous friends too! :)

Here you can see how the whole outfit goes together...

and as you can see I wasn't the only one to go for a skirt and crop top!

And here we all are just before we went out :)

We had a great night of fun laughs dancing and sangria!

What do you think of my outfit? Do you like wearing bright colours on nights out in the summer?

Thanks for reading

Emily

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Best and Worst || Revlon

I really like discovering new products through blogs and finding out peoples opinions and reviews on products before I buy them so with that in mind I thought I would do a series of 'best and worst' of individual brands and I thought I would start with one of my favourite drugstore brands which is... REVLON as you may have noticed in the title!

The best....

 My first favourites from revlon are they lip products in general! All of these are easily my most worn lip products from my whole collection and I have a lot of lippys!! The Just Bitten stains (in the middle) have A M A Z I N G staying power, they literally last the whole day! However they can be quite drying and as you can see in the picture the mini balm on the other end has snapped off in all of them! I don't really use them but still annoying. The Just Bitten Kissable balm stains on the far left and far right of the bottom row are similuar to the stains but obviously are a balm and these are much more moisturising than the stains but still have that same staying power - the balm wears off after a while but the colour really stays put without being as drying as the previous. And finally, the lipbutters! These are gorgeous - so moisturising and a really subtle colour that is easily buildable and there are also sooo many different shades so you'll definitely be able to find a colour to suit you! :)

These are a couple more of the best products, in my opinion, from revlon. Firstly is the photoready cream blush in the colour "Flushed". This is really good for adding a nice "flush" of colour! ;) I apply this using a stippling brush (the one I use is from Elf) and just build it up to a good colour for my skin tone. This doesn't have any shimmer or anything so I usually apply a highlighter over the top! But it's great for anyone who likes a blush without shimmer but doesn't want it to look "flat" as this gives a nice dewy finish. Secondly is the photoready foundation - this is actually too pale for me at the moment but it has a lovely amount of coverage without looking to cakey or fake. I'm a fan of the dewy finish and this does just that! It also lasts most of the day and even longer when using primer. I also like the colourstay foundation but I've actually run out at the moment but as I'm saving for my holiday in Seattle in a couple of months I'll wait until then where I can pick one up for a few quid cheaper! And finally is the colourstay liquid eyeliner. I love felt tip style liquid eyeliners as I find them much easier to control and apply on my eyes and this one is great as it doesn't smudge like some do and has great staying power.


And the worst...

There's not much I don't like from revlon but this mascara I really didn't get along with! I found the brush to be too big and bulky and didn't do much for my lashes which is unusual for me as pretty much every mascara I've tried works well on me as I have fairly long curly lashes anyway! I also didn't notice any difference in the length of my lashes after using this mascara which claims to have the power to help your lashes grow.

On the whole I haven't really tried any other mascaras from revlon as I usually stick to maybelline for mascaras! The nail polishes are also nice but I don't think they're any better than other nail polishes such as barry m - by no means are they bad I just prefer others but for me the foundations and lip products are the winners for me from revlon!

Have you tried any of these? What are your thoughts? Do you have any other favourites from revlon?

Thanks for reading! :)

Emily

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Top 5 | High End Musthaves...

Yesterday I posted my top drugstore picks and today I thought I'd do the same for more high end products. Though some products can be fully duped in the drugstore, some products I really feel you get what you pay for and are definitely worth splashing out on and I would repurchase all these for sure! Some of which I think are fairly predictable... and so here they are...

1. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in "Bronze" - £32.00
This is a gorgeous bronzer and highlighter compact that claims to work well with deep and neutral blush tones and also the 5 colours can be used as eyeshadows. This looks amazing all year round but I especially love it in the summer as it works great with a tan. I got a application brush free with mine though I'm not sure this always comes with the product. I dust it across my cheeks and in the "3 shape" on my face and use the highlighter across the top of my cheekbones and browbone. Though it is pricey it does last such a long time, I've had mine a few years now and haven't hit pan yet!

2. Diorskin Nude - £32.00
I bought this foundation at duty free before I went on holiday last year and I L O V E it! It applies so nicely on to the skin giving a lovely glowy finish without looking oily in my t-zone! It lasts all day too without going patchy or oxidising at all and you only need a small amount to cover the whole face meaning the bottle lasts a long time (mine lasted a year!). In terms of coverage I'd say medium but it still gives a natural finish that doesn't look cakey at all! I'll be buying more of this in duty free in a few weeks!!

3. Mac lipstick in "Creme Cup" - £14.00
It's not secret how much everyone loves Mac lipsticks; there is such a wide range of colours but my all tiem favourite (of the ones I own anyway!) is Creme Cup. It's a gorgeous pinky nude that is ideal for daytime and also going out when teamed with a smokey eye - it's a sort of Kardashian style colour. At £14 they are only slighly more expensive than some drugstore lipsticks and Mac have so many colours and finishes there is definitely one to suit anyone! Love these lipsticks and can't wait to add more to my collection - and a quick tip for anyone going to America in the near future these work out to be only £9 with the exchange rate and price in America so it's worth stocking up... I know I will be when I go out to Seattle in August ;)

4. Benefit Porefessional - £24.50
This primer is amazing - it smoothes skin perfectly for foundation application. It reduces pores and the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines - whilst I can't speak for wrinkles and fine lines it definitely reduces pores and I find it makes my make up stay on much longer and really makes my foundation and cheek products apply much nicer and look amazing. I love this and again is cheaper in America so I'll be stocking up then!

5. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - £36.00
I'm sure everyones heard enough about this palette now but it really is worth the money you pay and the colours are perfect for me as I love and usually only wear a neutral eye! Definitely recommend :)

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Have you tried any of these products? What are your high end musthaves?

Thanks for reading :) Love Emily 

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Top 5 | Drugstore Musthaves...

There are S O O O many great products available in the drugstore/highstreet and for such great prices with quality that matches up to high-end products. I thought I'd write a post to share some of my current favourites available in the likes of Boots and Superdrug!

Yes I am aware it says top 5 and there are technically 6 products but I mean the Nivea lip butters as a whole....

1. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation
I love love love this foundation!! It's perfect coverage for me and works very well with my skin and hasn't broke me out at all. It claims to last 16 hours, now I haven't ever needed to wear foundation that long so I can't say whether this is true or not but it does last me the whole day with a primer worn underneath. It also contains vitamins and antioxidants as an added benefit for your skin - it's an all round winner for me :) Available here for £10.99 with 3 for 2 on all Bourjois at the moment!

2. Sleek Blush in "Rose Gold"
This doesn't need much of an explanation if you've already read my post on this blush as a dupe for Nars "Orgasm" available here . Definitely my favourite drugstore cheek product, check it out in your local superdrug for only £4.49! *LINK*

3. MUA Palette in "Heaven and Earth"
This is a gorgeous neutral palette that can be used to create so many different looks - it's ideal for both daytime looks and going out looks! There are 12 all shimmery shades with lots of golds, browns, creams and coppery shades, it's ideal for those of you who like neutral to smokey looks and tend to shy away from bright colours (me!). These all have great pigment and are comparable to those in the Urban Decay Naked palettes and it's a bargain at only £4 from superdrug. There are also numerous other palettes in the range including "undressed" (a naked 1 dupe) and "undress me too" (a naked 2 dupe) - great if you don't want to splash out on the Urban Decay palettes!

4. Nivea Lip Butters in "Raspberry Rose" and "Caramel Cream"
I can't even describe how amazing these lip butters smell! They are HEAVEN! and they are sooo moisturising as well and they're also very easy to open unlike most tinned lip butters. There's not much else to say apart from TRY THEM! They're around the £2 mark and are available from superdrug, boots, tesco etc

5. Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Smoky Eyes
I love all the maybelline mascaras in general but I picked this one as it's slightly more dramatic and I really like big dramatic lashes! I don't feel the need for false lashes on a night out with a mascara like this, and you only need a few coats to get the desired look :) This also doesn't print at all on my brow bone or under my eyes like I've found some mascaras to do - available for £7.99 here 

Hope you all enjoyed this post, I will post a higher end musthaves within the next week :)

What are your favourite drugstore products? Have you tried any of mine?

Thanks for reading, love Emily

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Micellar Water | B. vs L'OREAL

Micellar water is becoming the latest craze in the beauty world after Bioderma becoming a cult product for many beauty bloggers. This miracle "super water" cleanser is water based and removes make up very quickly and easily meaning there is no need to rub on your delicate eye area and it also cleanses and tones all in one step. Whilst I haven't actually tried Bioderma due to the price of postage I have discovered a few drugstore brands releasing their own versions for a much nicer price!

I first picked up the B. micellar water available from superdrug (£4.99 for 150ml, however is £3.32 at the moment). This does remove make up fairly quickly but it does need more than 1 swipe. However, whilst this is very gentle on my face, it does hurt my eye area a little, especially if you get just a small drop in your eye and for this reason when I remove my eye make up I have a spare dry cotton pad to wipe off the product straight away so it doesn't get in to my eye.


I decided after trying this one I wanted to try the L'OREAL version as I had heard rave reviews on it, and I hadn't seen anyone saying about stinging in the eye area. I found it in my local Tesco for £4.99 and it's currently buy one get one free, so I have a back up now too! Though I have only used this a few times I already much prefer it to the B. one as it does not hurt my eyes at all and I think removes make up quicker and easier than the B. micellar water. And for these reasons I would recommend the L'OREAL one :) and if you're going to buy it now definitely head down to your local tescos! :)

Have you tried Bioderma? Or any of the drugstore versions? Which is your favourite?

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Weightloss and Fitness tips...

I will write a beauty post next but I wanted to do a post on my own weightloss and any tips I've picked up along the way that I can share :) and I thought with summer coming up this would be an ideal time!

A few years back I weighed about 3-3.5 stone more than I do now, I lost the weight in a healthy realistic way, I didn't go on a "diet" of any kind I just started making a few changes and gradually completely changed my lifestyle!

This picture is a before and after picture of me, the photo on the left is about 3 years old and the one on the right is a few weeks back (sorry i'm in my pants!). I don't think I really realised how much weight I'd lost until I put the two photos together!

How did I do it?

• Firstly, I started increasing exercise. I used to do a short run about 4 times a week up a country lane near my house as I didn't want to be seen as I was quite nervous about being seen. I gradually increased the distance and time and this really helped kickstart my weightloss, once I'd lost abit of weight and gained some confidence I signed up to the gym and I haven't looked back since :) The gyms a great way of destressing for me, and has helped me through some hard times. I also really enjoy the gym classes such as core and my favourite legs bums and tums class - its much more fun when you're with friends and the hour flys by! I gym about 5 days a week now if I can and mostly do a mixture of cardio and resistance. I tend to do about 30-50 minutes cardio (the cross trainer is my current favourite) and I usually always do leg weights and some core and ab exercises
• I also totally cut out fast food, chocolate, crisps etc to begin with, this was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be as I wanted to change and knew that this was what i needed to do! I realised I wasn't hungry and didn't need the bad food, as if I was hungry I could eat fruit or yoghurt instead
• I've also cut out white bread and pasta. I replace these with brown pasta and brown bread, pitta bread etc but I try not to eat too much of this as it makes me bloat for a few hours after I've eaten! Instead I eat bulgur wheat, quinoa, rice and sweet potato which are ideal substitutes!
• I also like to make as much food as I can from scratch as then you know exactly what you're eating! As some jars and premade sauces or meals are full of hidden sugars, salts and fats! and of course homemade food is much tastier mmmmmm
• I just want to point out that you don't need to deprive yourself of all your favourite naughty foods!!!! I try to eat well about 90% of the time and do allow myself to eat lots of nachos sometimes! It's all about moderation

It really is as simple as eating better and moving more :) and drinking lots of water and green tea!!

What do you do to stay in shape? what are your favourite healthy snacks and meals?
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Reflections of freshers' year....

I've been abit MIA recently and not really properly started writing regular blogs as I've just had my university exams but now I've finished my exams (and first year!!) I will hopefully have much more time to commit to blog posting :)

I thought I'd write a post about my experience of my first year at uni and share any advice for anyone moving away to uni in the next few months! I am studying Psychology (BSc) at Cardiff University which is about a 4 hour drive from where I live so it's a fair distance, but there are some great advantages of moving away....

• Firstly I made lots of great friends who I've made so many memories with already and more to be made in my second and third year. People always say that the friends you make at uni will be your friends for life, and I hope thats true cos the people I've met are all people I hope to stay in contact with for a long time, including Jessie from www.allthingsbeautiful-x.blogspot.com :)
• I've had the chance to explore Cardiff which is a lovely city and AMAZING for shopping ;) it's nothing like the shopping I have anywhere near home! There's also a huge choice of clubs and bars to go to and there's student deals almost every night so it's great for people on a budget
• Moving away from home also helps you learn to become more independent, the fridge isn't filled up for you every week - you've got to know what food you've got and what you need (and how much loo roll you've got!!!) and I've also learnt how to do my washing!! 

My advice to anyone would be to throw yourself in to the uni life and make as many friends as you can and to make the most of every moment because it goes sooo fast! I can't believe I've already finished my first year and now there's only two left!

Do any of you go to university? do you have any advice for anyone going to uni?

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