Along came Betty Starlight shine highlighter in Glow

Hi Beauts.

Some girls are addicted to buying shoes and some are addicted to buying bags. Me? I'm addicted to buying highlighters, I'm like a magpie for shiny things.

If you follow me on Twitter then you may have seen my little stash of goodies I picked up from the Along came Betty range in Tesco, if not here's the haul post I did. The packaging was what attracted me to the stand at first, it's pretty similar to that of the soap and glory range - very pinup-esque.

The first thing from the whole range to catch my beady little eye was the Starlight shine highlighter in the shade Glow, which comes in a small and chubby stick form. There weren't any testers instore so I wasn't sure what it would be like, but with the word 'glow' in the title you can't really go wrong can you? As soon as I got home (and snapped pictures for my blog) I ripped this open and had to swatch it. The shade is a pretty neutral champagne - what I always go for - and definitely looked like it would give that glowy effect to the cheekbones.

 With it being in a stick form, it's so easy to apply. I just dab 3 spots above my cheekbones and blend in with my fingers. You could apply this before or after powder as it's a cream product, but I always apply after my powder so that my powder brush doesn't remove or move any of the product. However I do pat a little powder over the top just to set it. 

As I mentioned earlier, this gives a gorgeous glow to my skin without looking too shiny or sparkly. And again, as this is a neutral champagne kind of shade it's one that will suit all skintones. 

This gave me that glowy look all day long without wearing off or disappearing from my cheekbones. I applied a little more at the end of the day just to see if building it u would make it look at all cakey, and it didn't at all. It just added some extra glow

If you're a highlighter fiend like me, I'd say you need this in your collection.

This is currently still in larger Tesco stores for £1.50, I'm not sure if the range is getting discontinued or not (I hope it isn't!!) So definitely grab yours now

Stacey x

NYX matte setting spray

Hi Beauts.

I'm a huge NYX fan if you didn't already know and was so excited when Next started selling their products. One thing in particular caught ny eye and that was the matte setting spray. However none of the Next stores had it in stock whenever I went in, which made me need to get my hands on it even more. Thankfully a few weeks ago I spotted it sitting there on the shelf begging to be purchased, so I did just that. 

I've tried two other setting sprays in the past and really liked them, if you're an oily gal like me then I absolutely recommend trying one out.

As with all NYX products, the packaging is sleek and (in my opinion) pretty professional looking. The spray comes in a spray bottle and for £8.00 you get 60 mls of product. I've used this every day since I bought it and definitely noticed a difference in the longevity of my make up. I never usually have a problem with my foundation/concealer/powder caking up but it's something I always look out for when I'm trying out new face products. And this was no disappointment, I noticed no change in the appearance of my foundation etc after applying or throughout the day. 

Before I bought and tried this, I'd read a few reviews from other beauty bloggers saying that their skin was left wet and tacky for a few minutes after applying, but I didn't notice this at all. I held the bottle about 30cm away from my face, sprayed 5-6 times and it literally dried within around 30 seconds, maybe less. There was no waiting around for it to soak into my skin at all. I apply my make up at6:30 am each morning and (usually) remove it at between 6 & 7 pm that night, my foundation was still intact and my face was shine free.

If you're on the lookout for a good setting spray to keep your make up in place, I'd absolutely recommend giving this a go. I've used the Urban Decay De slick and I find this to be just as good, and for a fraction of the price.

Have you tried any of NYX setting sprays? What did you think? 

Stacey x

Nspa Deep hydrating facial oil

Hi Beauts.

Today I wanted to talk (and rave) to you all about a product I never thought I'd slap on my face, the Nspa deep hydrating facial oil. The reason I never thought I'd use it is because I have oily skin, and the thought of applying an oil to my face made me run for the hills.

I only ever use products that mattify my skin, but I was yet to find a night cream that I felt was actually doing some good. So, after a lot of research (and advice from some lovelies on twitter) I decided a facial oil was my best bet. Asda had a 2 for £8.00 on Nspa products so I thought it would be the perfect time to try out their facial oil as I was already buying their hot cloth cleanser.

I used this twice, and knew then that this was a product that I would be repurchasing again and again. The first thing I shall get out of the way is, this in no way made my skin feel or look any oilier than it was before using it. Obviously I looked like I'd dipped my face in a frying pan after applying it, joke, I just had a shiny face but there was and hasn't been any excess oil.

 I use this at night before bed as my night time 'moisturiser' and have to say, I notice a big difference in the appearance of my skin when I wake up. My skin looks more even toned and radiant, and feels so soft. I apply three drops onto the palms of my hands and pat it onto my face, bringing whatever is left down my neck. I've also noticed the scarring on my chin has started to fade gradually too!

If you're looking for a night time moisturiser, I'd say give this a go! No matter what your skin type I guarantee you'll love this stuff. I can't wait to remove my make up on an evening now!!

What are your favourite products from Nspa?

Stacey x

A weekend in Paris

Hi Beauts 

I spent my weekend strolling through Paris and have to say, I think I've found my new favourite city. I knew before I went that it would be a gorgeous place but wasn't prepared for how beautiful it was. I've always been one for city holidays as opposed to beach breaks because I like sightseeing rather than relaxing on the beach, so Paris was top of my list of destinations.        

FRIDAY 31st JANUARY 

We landed pretty early and couldn't check into our hotel, so decided to drop our bags off and headed for a spy of the Eiffel Tower. Wowza! Hello prettiness. She (yup the Eiffel Tower is a she in my eyes) is a beaut. It's amazing to see something up close after seeing so many pictures over the years, and let me tell you she is massive.

 We then crossed over the road to buy a crepe filled with Nutella and had a little look at the river Seine. Before going back to the hotel to check in and freshen up. We stayed at the Jardins d'Eiffel and weren't sure how close it would be, because every time we go away we end up miles from anything. Not this time. We were literally a 10 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, a 2 minute walk from the supermarket and Starbucks and a 5 minute walk from a metro station. Our room was on the third floor and was very chic with floral curtains, and we were lucky enough to have a view of the Eiffel Tower. 

Refreshed, we headed out of the door down towards the Seine for a mini cruise (€15 each)  to see the sights. Paris is pretty during the day but even more so at night. Everything was lit up, and I think (other than the Eiffel Tower) my favourite had to be Notre Dame - it looked so magical. By the time the cruise finished, we were wiped as we'd been awake for over 36 hours so grabbed a tea from Starbucks, had a shower then hit the hay.

SATURDAY 1st FEBRUARY 

DisneyLand day!!!! After a breakfast of cereal, croissants and fruit it was time to head to DisneyLand. We had to change a few times on the metro but it was easy enough to get to and only took about 45 minutes in total. I felt like a kid again when we walked through the gates and spotted the castle right at the top, it's definitely a magical place for kids. Minnie Mouse ears were of course a must too!! The only thing that was a little disappointing was that you had to queue to meet the Disney characters, now I wasn't fussed because I'm 28, but for kids to have to wait 30 minutes at least is a bit of a bummer. There were plenty of gift shops and places to grab a bite to eat or drink with minimal queues, so we grabbed a burger then headed out to watch the parade. 

It was about 7 pm when we left, so we decided to head back to the hotel to change, chill for 5 minutes then go out to see the bright lights and sights of Paris. One thing we couldn't go home without doing was going to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I'm not scared of heights at all, but jeeeeeez we were high up! It must have been about 10pm if not later when we got up there which meant the city looked even more breathtaking in the dark, Paris looks so small from that height. By the time we got back to the hotel, showered and packed it was after midnight so we called it a night and recharged ourselves for our last day.

SUNDAY 2nd FEBRUARY

Our flight home wasn't until 9:15 pm which meant we had literally all day to see everything we hadn't had time to see. First stop was the Arc de Triomphe, then down to the Louvre followed by (the lock bridge) and finally Notre Dame. Notre Dame is just as stunning in broad daylight as it is at night, probably my favourie thing to see after the Eiffel Tower. Everything from the outside, to the ceilings to the stain glass windows was beautiful. 

By the time we'd finished at Notre Dame it was time to get our bags fom the hotel, have one last Cafe au lait at Starbucks and say goodbye to the gorgeous city of Paris. I always get the holiday blues no matter where I go, but this time  I had them big time. I had such an amazing time taking in the buildings and the way of life, Paris is definitely a place I'd visit time and time again.

MY TIPS FOR PARIS

* A 3 day metro pass costs €48 for all zones, definitely a must if you want to see the city

* Book DisneyLand with the travel agents before you go. We only ended up paying €57    

* To get to the top of the Eiffel Tower is €15, and I highly recommend going at night

* A mini cruise down the Seine cost only €15 each and lasted around an hour

* I highly recommend the Jardins d'Eiffel if you want to stay near the Eiffel Tower   

* If you're after trying a crepe, check out the van just across the street from the Eiffel Tower. YUMMY!

* I'd say plan what you want to do and see before you get there, it saved us so much time and meant we got to do more things       

Well, that's all folks. I'm pretty sure there'll be so many more travel posts to follow - the world is your oyster as they say!

Stacey x

Lush - Grease Lightning

Hi Beauts.

If you read my haul post a wee while back then you'll know that I picked up a spot treatment from Lush called Grease lighting.

 I don't suffer all that often with spots (the last time I said that, I woke up with 3.......) but because I'm only buying cruelty free products now, I needed to replace my old spot treatment. When I saw this (I didn't read anything about it, just popped it in my basket) I thought it was going to be a liquid product as it comes in a spray style bottle. However it is in fact a clear, gel like consistency and the bottle is a pump as oppose to the spray bottle I thought it would be. 

The directions say to apply this directly to the spot as and when required, which I like as a lot of products say to apply a set amount of times throughout the day. 

I first applied this on a morning and within about 2 hours the redness had almost completely gone, and the spot seemed smaller in size. I applied it again that same night before bed and woke up to a tiny spot and no redness. Grease lighting adds a kind of film over the spot and surrounding area, and it does feel a little tight and stretched, but this didn't bother me at all. This isn't a product I would wear under make up as you can tell, even though it's transparent, that you have a something there. 

As far as spot treatments go, this is by far the best I've tried. It works so fast at fighting any blemishes, it doesn't dry out the surrounding skin which some treatments have with me in the past and it comes in a pretty nifty bottle. This beauty shall be in make make up bag for good now.

Have you tried this yet?

Stacey x

January favourites 2014

Hi Beauts.

Time for my very first favourites for 2014! How weird is that? Let's just hope this year doesn't go quite so fast, I have lots of fun planned and I don't want it to fly by!

Most of these products are new to me, but are things I've been using and loving literally the whole month.

Skincare:

* Nspa hot cloth cleanser - I use this as my second cleanse and just find that it leaves my skin feeling so soft, looking fresh and the biggy it doesn't break me out

* Lush Grease Lightning - This is, in my opinion, the best spot treatment on the market. Literally hours after applying this to a spot, the size had reduced and the redness had pretty much disappeared  

* Nspa Deep hydrating facial oil - I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to use an oil as I have oily skin, but a lot of you lovelies told me to give one a try. This has no become my nighttime 'moisturiser' and I love using it. Each morning, my skin feels SO soft and looks pretty damn flawless, I've also noticed that my scaring on my chin is starting to fade too

Make up:

NYX matte finishing spray - I've tried a couple of setting sprays before and loved using them, so knew if had to try this one too. It's fab!! It definitely keeps my make up on all day and keeps my face looking 100% matte

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer - This was a Christmas present from my sister and something that I've had my eye on forever. It's the perfect neutral champagne highlighter

Along came Betty Starlight shine highlighter in 'Glow' - Yup another highlighter! This is a cream one and it is stunning. Again it's a neutral champagne shade, and I think it gives the perfect glow

Along came Betty All concealed concealer kit in Light/Medium - I absolutely love this concealer, and now don't think I could be without it. It's full coverage, lasts all day and doesn't cake up at all. I tend to mix the light and medium shades to match my skin for any scars or blemishes I want to hide

Along came Betty Double whammy in 'Poochy' - Another product from the Along came Betty range. This is a lipstick and lipgloss duo, and the shade is right up my street. It's a pinky mauve kind of colour and looks absolutely gorgeous.

(Lots of reviews on the above products coming soon)

Which products have made it to your favourites this month? 

Stacey x

Wet and Wild H20 proof liquid liner

Hi Beauts.

I dug my hand into the goody bag of make up I bought whilst in NYC and picked out the wet and wild H20 liquid liner. 

Liquid liner is always a must for my everyday make up look and I'm always on the hunt for new ones to try, so chucked this in my basket as soon as I spied it. 

For around 9 months maybe even a year, I've been using eyeliner pens so I was pretty excited to crack this open and see how I'd get on with it. 

The first thing I checked before using it was the applicator, I can't use bendy brushes/applicators they need to be firm (that's what she said) And thankfully that is what this one is. There's a tiny amount of flexibility to it which allows an easier application, but for the most part it's pretty firm and sturdy which I feel creates a steady line. 

The applicator itself is made from a spongy felt tip type material which I prefer. The only downside to it, I feel, is that it's rather thick so I find it difficult to apply a really thin line. If you're not used to using liquid liner, I'm not sure how much you'd enjoy using this. 

Now onto actual product. I found this to be quite a thin liquid consistency, not too watery but it was thin enough that I found myself needing to reapply in certain areas so that there weren't any patches. The good thing is the staying power. As the label states it's H20 so you'd expect it to be budge and waterproof, and that it is. It stayed put all day and when it came to removing my eye make up, this was the last thing that would come off. 

So as you can see, this has good points and bad. The good being: Waterproof, long lasting and a firm applicator. The bad being: Quite watery, a thick applicator and a need to reapply to get an opaque colour. I will continue to use it, because I do like the applicator and the longevity of it. I just wish the applicator wasn't so chunky.

What's your favourite liquid liner?

Stacey x