Go To Summer Beauty Essentials + Video

I'll be honest and say that even though summer is filled with birthdays, sunny days in the garden and my birthday as well as holidays, it's my least favourite season (can it be autumn now?) but one thing I do like about summer along with the light evenings, is glowy summer makeup! I've been kindly sent a range of makeup from some lovely brands that would be perfect for a summer makeup look and the products are some of my June and July favourites.

*Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation (£45, 30ml - Fair)

I have been using the same two foundations for so long and I love them but I wanted to try something new and the lovely people at Perricone MD sent over the No Foundation Foundation which is a product that I've wanted to try for years! I'm so glad that I was able to try it as it's one of the best foundations I've tried in a very long time and it's also perfect for this time of the year as it has a more skin like to matte finish which is an essential for the humid weather we've been having in the UK recently!

The shade Fair when blended down my neck is a great shade match for my ghostly pale skin although it would be even better if it was slightly lighter (thankfully they're coming out with a lighter shade later this year!). The foundation blends like a dream, it has a light to medium coverage and it looks so natural on the skin. I have sensitive to dry skin normally but in this heat my t-zone has been so oily and this foundation manages to apply, look and last so well on the drier areas and my more oily t-zone. It's perfect with a brush, beauty blender and a silicone sponge but the only thing I don't like about the foundation is the pump which sticks and then foundation goes flying at the wall...Other than that issue, it's amazing and I cannot recommend this foundation enough!

*AHB Cosmetics Highlight & Strobe Kit (£59.95)

Summer calls for glowy, light makeup and a good highlighter palette is an essential, especially for travelling as you have numerous products in one palette. It's designed in the UK and is free from parabens - it's also cruelty free which is amazing. The palette contains four highlighters and two baked blushers in one gorgeous palette that has rose gold detailing...yes! For my ghostly pale skin, the lightest highlighter (London Frost) is perfect and it's the shade that I've been using the most. The Miami Sun shade which is a warm tan shade is also gorgeous and adds a golden summery glow.

As I'm so pale, the shades Parisian Dawn (golden bronze) and Dubai Haze (warm, pinky bronze) don't work as highlighters but I have been using them as eyeshadows as they're so pretty and great as an all over the lid shade! The two baked blushes are perfect for someone like me, who doesn't wear blush most of the time, as they aren't very pigmented but they can be built up easily. All of the highlighters and blushers apply and blend perfectly with the *AHB Cosmetics Blush & Highlighter Brush (£20) as the brush is incredibly soft and smooth. The brush is double sided so you can use one side of the brush for blush and the other for highlighting. They are offering free delivery this weekend!

*TheBalm Meet Matt(e) Ador. Palette (£39)

I've been using TheBalm Meet Matt(e) Ador and the Meet Matt(e) Nude palettes constantly for the past couple of months as the packaging is super cute, the eyeshadows are so pigmented and smooth and all of the shades blend wonderfully. The Matte Matt(e) Ador palette contains nine shades that are perfect for an everyday to evening palette as all of the shades are matte and there's a great range of shades from skin tones shades to browns and black and navy - check out the video below for swatches of the AHB Cosmetics palettes and TheBalm Meet Matt(e) Ador palette.

I've been using the shades Matt Johansson, Matt Munoz and Matt Williams the most but they are all fantastic and this palette is lightweight, thin and contains a large mirror so it will be perfect to travel with - I'm definitely going to take one of the two from TheBalm with me on holiday this August!

*TheBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer (£17.49)

Bronzer is a summer essential but if you're as pale as I am, then it is a bit of a dangerous product too as you can easily go from ghostly pale to being an umpa lumpa (oompa loompa?...). Everything from TheBalm has the cutest packaging and this one is no different. The bronzer is matte, it's pigmented and easy to blend. The shade adds warmth to the skin but it isn't too dark or warm toned for my pale skin.

*Essence My Must Haves Palette & Eyeshadows (£1.50)

Essence is one of my favourite high street makeup brands and they've recently come out with a build your own type palette which is £1.50 for the empty palette and each shadow is £1.50 (there's also a eight pan palette). The shadows are pretty pigmented, creamy and shimmery - perfect for summer and as you can customise it, it would be great for travelling as you'll only take the shades you need.

I've already reviewed the Crown Brushes as well as TheBalm Mad Lash mascara which you can check out or you can watch the video below for swatches and a tutorial using the products I've featured in this post. I can't recommend these products enough, especially the Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation, both of TheBalm palettes and the AHB Cosmetics Palette and Brush!

Have you tried any of these products? What are your summer essentials or current favourites? 

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Summer Festival + Travel Essentials #1

I am lucky this year in that I'm visiting some lovely cities around the UK including Chester, Southampton and London and well as a cruise around the western coast of Norway, which I can't wait for so I've been going through my beauty stash looking for travel products as I like to be overly prepared and organised, probably too organised.

To help with my travel beauty needs, I was very kindly sent a load of products from chemist.co.uk, so thank you! They have a range of pre-prepared festival and travel kits that are fantastic as they contain lots of items you'll need in one package. I picked the *festival pack one (£7.99) which contains deodorant wipes, lip balm, plasters, vitamin C tablets and dry shampoo, all of which are perfect items for a festival, weekend away or camping. Now onto all of the other items:

Toiletries

There are some items we all have to take on holiday or to a festival including deodorant, the deodorant that I always use is the *Sure Maximum Protection Deodorant (£4.58) which is so effective. I also have the *Quickies Deodorant Wipes (£1.35) which will come in so handy as during the summer it isn't nice feeling too hot and sweaty and just using wipes can help if you're not able to have a full shower - they would be perfect for camping.

Hair removal is another essential and I love the *Gillette Simply Venus 2 Disposable Razors (£3.32), I've gone through a few packs of these and they are fantastic disposable razors that are lightweight, effective and I never cut myself with them! I also use the *Nair Facial Wax Strips (£1.65) for my eyebrows as they are easy to cut up, they are effective and they are so cheap - they are the cheapest mini wax strips I've found and they are well worth checking out especially as they are so easy to travel with as well as being very discreet.

Lastly for toiletries, toothpaste. I have sensitive teeth so I always need a sensitive toothpaste and the *Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White Black Sensitive Toothpaste (£4.25) is fantastic. Yes, a black toothpaste is quite gimmicky but I find it does help to slightly whiten my teeth and it helps with sensitivity so it's a great two in one toothpaste. 

Multivitamins & Tablets

I am a vegetarian and occasional vegan so multivitamins are a daily essential for me but when it comes to packing for the summer holidays or festivals where space is limited, it's always best to find multi-use or two in one products to save space. The *Centrum Vitamints (£5.99) are a combination of a breath mint and multivitamin tablet, why hasn't someone made them before now! They are chewable mints (without gelatine) and they are perfect as a two in one product to not only keep your breathe fresh but boost your vitamin intake too. Also in the festival pack there were some *Dextro Energy Orange and Vitamin C (69p) which are great energy boosters and they're so inexpensive!

Painkillers such as *paracetamol (49p) are essentials too as I do get lots of headaches, especially during the summer as I'm wearing sunglasses more and because of the stress of travelling. The *Disprin Direct Chewable Aspirin (£1.99) are also great, portable and easy option for headaches, migraines and period pain relief.

Lastly, for tablets are the *Phenergan Tablets (£3.99) which are tablets for hayfever relief and travel sickness so if you have both then these are definitely worth a try. I have tried so many hayfever tablets and products but I haven't tried these before and so far so good!

Haircare

Next up, haircare! My hair is usually fine with any shampoo or conditioner but since bleaching the ends of my hair, I have to be a bit more selective and the *Touch Of Silver Colour Care Shampoo (£1.86, 200ml) has been helping to keep my hair a bit less brassy which is amazing and it's so cheap!

Dry shampoos are also an essential, particularly during the hot summer months and while on holiday! I adore the Colab dry shampoos but I wanted to get a mini *Batiste Dry Shampoo (£1.40, 50ml) which is a easier size to travel with compared to the large Colab bottles.

Emergency Items

Whether you're going camping, aboard on holiday or to a festival (even just on a road trip), it's always a good idea to have some emergency items on hand such as a first aid kit, painkillers, *heat patches (£1.90) and of course, plasters! I have a couple of packs of the *Savlon Fabric Plasters (£1.99) which contains 40 plasters per box. I go through SO many plasters on holiday as shoes always cause my ankles to bleed so they are definitely an essential for me! Mini scissors, tweezers and nail files are also items to add to your makeup bag!

Skincare 

Lastly, onto skincare and one item that divides the beauty and blogging community - wipes! Some people hate wipes and others rely on them and I'm in the middle. For my heavy halloween makeup looks, I'll go through lots of wipes and I use wipes on holiday but of the rest of the time I'll use my regular skincare products and go through my full routine as I don't think wipes get the job done as completely and effectively as a full skincare routine. Although they are great for holidays and festivals. I like the *Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes (£1.94) and the *Nivea 3 in 1 Cleansing Wipes (£2.75) as they are pretty good and they're so inexpensive.

SPF is an essential during the summer months, even in the UK so I find the best way to get my SPF protection is through my skincare. The *Nivea Sensitive Day Cream (£4.99, 50ml) is not only a fantastic and gentle moisturiser for my eczema prone skin but it also contains SPF15. One area most people overlook when it comes to SPF is lip balm, the *Flava Craze Lip Balms by Chapstick (£2.86) contain SPF 10-15 which is fantastic and such an easy way to get some UVA/UVB protection.

Thanks so much to the lovely people at chemist.co.uk! Definitely check out their website if you are looking for essentials, toiletries, skincare and travel helpers as the prices are fantastic and they festival packs are great as a pre-packaged kit.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your summer travel or festival essentials? 

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*Summer Travel Playlist 2017

Summer holidays are almost here and for me, luckily I'll be visiting the beautiful cities of Chester and London this summer as well as Southampton and a few cities and fjords along Norway's western coast which I can't wait for! Summer travelling, whether it's a road trip, train journey or cruise, demands a summer playlist.

I can't wait to visit Norway as the country as a whole looks so beautiful! I also can't wait to see the fjords and the cute city of Bergen. Norway has been on my list of places to visit for so long, as well as Santorini, Iceland and Cuba. The Destination2 website is definitely making me wish I could travel much more than I do!

My taste in music is very eclectic from euro pop, pop punk, metal and alternative to classical and soundtracks as well as some nostalgic 90's and 00's music. I'm also one of those people who doesn't keep up to date with new artists, bands and I stick with my old favourites and as I look back through my iTunes, most of my favourite songs are within the pop punk and alternative genres.

I first got into more punk, pop punk and alternative music in my early teens and I listened to a lot of it on long summer road trips and camping with friends so most of the bands and songs on my summer playlist remind me so much of my teens and amazing summer evenings with friends, camping and hot summer days at the beach.

Green Day was the first band, apart from the Spice Girls..., that I was obsessed with! I discovered them via a friend and I vividly remember listening to the album American Idiot on my awful looking MP3 player in the car on the way to Wales camping with family and friends. So all of Green Days albums from American Idiot and before then are so summery and nostalgic to me! Panic At The Disco is the same too, I listened to them a lot in my teens and all of their songs bring back summer and school memories. Fall Out Boy fit in the same teenage category as Green Day and Panic! At The Disco for me (along with HIM and Avenge Sevenfold but they are exactly summery...) and I can't listen to any of their songs without singing along!

Motion City Soundtrack, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Wavves are newer to me but I'm obsessed with all of them and I know they won't be for everyone but I can't get enough and I'd recommend recommend checking out these songs. I know all of these songs will be replayed over and over again while on trains during my summer holidays!

What songs are on your summer playlist? Do you like any of these songs/bands? 

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Top Netflix Picks

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Today's post is all about the top TV shows and documentaries that I've been loving on Netflix so hopefully you'll find something new to watch! There are more shows on Netflix that I want to get to such as The Keepers, American Horror Story, Salem, War and Peace, The Last Kingdom and The Lizzie Borden Chronicles so if you have any recommendations based on those and my favourites then let me know in the comments below!

I have to admit that I do love Netflix, I have been subscribed for over a year now and it's perfect for quick, easy entertainment although as I tend to watch it mostly as I work or on my iPhone, I tend to binge watch episode after episode. I'd rather not watch it on my iPhone before bed and I'd love a 4K TV Panasonic instead as watching on my iPhone means that I don't get as much sleep as I probably should as after I've finished watching Netflix, I'l scroll through social media for so long...oops!

British TV Shows: The Thick Of It, Blackadder, QI & The Mighty Boosh

I grew up watching old school British TV such as Blackadder, Allo Allo, Fawlty Towers and Only Fools and Horses so British TV shows are always on my list to watch. The only old school show that I watch now is Blackadder but I also love The Thick Of It, QI (the Stephen Fry episodes) and the whimsical gloriousness that is The Mighty Boosh!

Crime: Luther, Whitechapel, OITNB, Shetland, Sherlock & How To Get Away With Murder

Crime dramas are also a favourite of mine, some of my top picks that aren't on Netflix include Broadchurch, Elementary and Bones. But in terms of Netflix I'd definitely recommend: The Killing (both versions), Whitechapel, Luther (a new one for me), OITNB (after the devastating ending of season 4, I don't know if I'll watch season 5), Sherlock, Shetland and How To Get Away With Murder, the latter I did love but I find the more I get through it, the more samey it gets.

Sci Fi, Fantasy & Historical: Stranger Things, Doctor Who & Marco Polo

Fantasy books are some of my favourites but I don't watch that many fantasy TV shows (if you have any recommendations then let me know in the comments) but I do adore Stranger Things which is kind of a mix between fantasy, sci-fi and paranormal...Season 2 should be live later this year (October I think) and I can't wait. I also love Doctor Who, although not the recent episodes! In terms of historical TV shows then you can't go wrong with Marco Polo as well as Peaky Blinders and The Tudors.

Comedy: The Big Bang Theory & What We Do In The Shadows

I don't watch many comedy TV shows or films but I am always watching The Big Bang Theory, I've lost count of how many times I've watched it. What We Do In The Shadows is a kind of pseudo documentary/film about old school vampires living in modern day New Zealand and I love it although it won't be for everyone.

Documentaries: The Royals, The Secrets Of Great British Castles, Wild China & Mythbusters

I love documentaries, I watch so many and Netflix has a great range to choose from but my current favourites include probably much all of the PBS documentaries about palaces, the monarchy and the secret service! I also love The Secrets of Great British Castles documentary series (can you tell I love history based documentaries). Mythbusters (a kind of documentary....) and Wild China are also great picks. A few non-Netflix documentaries I'd love to recommend include: The Marvellous World of Roald Dahl (BBC but you can find it on Youtube), any of the Horizon documentaries and Dr Michael Mosley's medical documentaries, all of which can be found on Youtube too.

Throwbacks: Matilda, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, A Series of Unfortunate Events & A Knights Tale

I'm a child of the 90's and thankfully if you are too, then Netflix has us covered with throwbacks to watch. Matilda was one of my favourite films growing up which isn't a surprise as it's based on the book created by the amazing Roald Dahl. I also loved the Fresh Prince of Bel Air in my teens as well as the wonderfully melancholy A Series of Unfortunate Events film (I now really like the new Netflix TV series).

Have you watched of any these Netflix and non-Netflix shows? Do you have any recommendations, particularly more dark TV shows or documentaries? 

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*Image from Pinterest 

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Engineering + Tech Behind The Beauty Industry

Image from Daily Chic via Pinterest

When you think of the beauty industry, engineering isn't the first thing that springs to mind. The advancements in professional treatments that are being demanded by an ever knowledgeable public that are expecting more, using more and spending more in the never ending search for improvement if not perfection. These new treatments require a good grasp of not only anatomy and physiology but quite possible chemistry and physics too. Training is becoming more in depth, longer and to a higher level in order to be able to deliver the treatment and use the equipment to industry standards. A new breed of therapist is a combination of nurse and beautician administering injectables like Botox and fillers and performing chemical peels.

Time has moved on from the simple facial to non surgical face lifting, from having your eyebrows tinted for a weeks holiday in the sun to microblading for a semi permanent solution to pale or sparse brows and from being smothered in a cold gel and wrapped in crepe bandages so you may lose half an inch to Cryolipolysis or fat freezing as it is also known.

Have you thought about the technical side of these machines and treatments or just the excellent results though? How about the cosmetic engineers producing new formulas for those leading edge skin care ranges, or the process engineer who has to figure out how to scale up manufacturing amounts from a few jars to thousands of kilos of product. Number one in the technical stakes though has to be the IPL and laser treatments on offer for numerous skin benefits including tightening, lifting and curing acne to the removal of tattoos and permanent hair removal - even including the at home laser hair remover devices on the market.

Just think of the electrical and manufacturing engineers involved in making the laser not to mention the optical engineers providing the UV fused silica lens needed or those building custom made flash or IPL lamps. Finally, how about the technical knowledge needed by the therapist to decide on the spot size or wavelength needed for each different client or treatment type not to mention altering and tweaking the equipment to give the best possible results whist maintaining health and safety regulations.

There’s a lot more to the beauty industry than first meets the eye and this is only going to get more and more involved as new technologies arrive on the scene. The five treatments for 2017 expected to be most in demand according to Cosmetic Digital include:

- Medical facials: concentrating on results and solving problems rather than relaxation.
- Lip enhancement: injectables are used for a fuller pout, albeit with more natural outcomes than the trout pout of old.
- Platelet rich plasma therapy: also known as the vampire facial, where the patient's own blood is taken from the arm, spun in a centrifuge and then the separated platelets are injected back into the problem areas on the face.
- Oxygen infused facials: deliver oxygen under pressure, pushing serums into the skin for deeper absorption. With an impressive list of A listers raving about the results, this is a treatment that's sure to be on the increase this year.
- Cryolipolysis/fat freezing/coolsculpting: Actually removing fat as opposed to emptying fat cells and non invasive, this has to be a winner for many. 

Although there is still a demand for the holistic approach with international methods of massage and exotic oils, technical know how and a huge scientific workforce behind the scene and highly qualified therapists providing the hands on treatments is fast becoming mainstream.

With so many choices, will you try any of these new treatments? Have you ever considered the science and engineering that goes into your beauty products and devices? 

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Biolage Haircare #LiveRAW

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm trying to move over to more natural haircare as I don't want to carry on using products that contains lots of ingredients that might not be necessarily good for your hair. Biolage have recently released their R.A.W range which features a plant based formula and 97% of the ingredients are from natural sources. The products don't contain silicones, sulphates or artificial colourants.

I was very kindly sent a lovely press pack a few weeks ago with some of the Biolage RAW Nourish range which is designed for dry, dull hair to leave it glossy, nourished and feeling stronger. I love the packaging for this range, the shampoo and conditioner bottles look like juice or smoothie bottles.

*Biolage RAW Nourish Shampoo (£18.29, 325ml)

There are numerous ranges and you can actually take a quiz where you can find out which range would be most suitable for your hair. The nourish range contains honey and quinoa husk and it smells amazing! To me, the shampoo has a sweet and clean scent that's a little salon like.

Even though the shampoo doesn't contain sulphates or silicones, it lathers well which is fantastic as I have tried some shampoos that don't contain silicones/sulphates that don't lather at all. The shampoo leaves my hair clean and smooth without feeling like it's stripping my hair. Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5.

*Biolage RAW Nourish Conditioner (£18.29, 325ml)

Conditioners are alway my favourite products out of a range as they tend to be the products that make the most impact and difference to my hair. The conditioner smells different to the shampoo, it's creamy and musky scented which I really like but I thought the whole range would smell the same but it doesn't.

The conditioner leaves my dry, very tangled and dull hair so much more manageable! My hair has been incredibly tangled recently but this conditioner and the masks have been helping. This conditioner is well worth checking it as it's one of the few conditioners that leave my hair so smooth, soft and shiny instantly! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

*Biolage Re-Bodify Clay Mask (£28.59, 400ml)

Now onto the masks which I have been using a lot more recently because I love these masks but also because I have bleached ends so I need to look after my hair much more now as bleach definitely dries out and damages the hair. This hair mask is designed for flat, fine hair and as with the shampoo/conditioner, it doesn't contain parabens or silicones.

I don't have fine hair, mine is very thick especially after using a treatment product recently but I do have flat hair so I was excited to try this mask. I like the scent, it contains ginger and clay; it does have a powdery clay scent. Both masks are so thick but they're still easy to apply.

I always apply hair masks to dry hair as I find that they are more effective as I can leave them on for much longer than I can when I use the masks in the shower. I find this mask does make my hair a little more voluminous but not as much as I'd hoped but I think it's just because my hair is so long and thick rather than a fault with the product. Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5.

*Biolage RAW Re-Hydrate Clay Mask (£28.59, 400ml)

Last but not least is my second favourite product, after the gorgeous conditioner as it is such an effective hair mask and one that I've been using constantly. The mask is designed for dry, dull hair and it contains shea butter and moroccan lava clay.

The mask has a subtle scent (although that might just be because I'm still full of an awful cold) and it is very thick so it's great to use on dry hair as it will stay put. I usually leave masks on my hair for an hour or so before I have a shower and this one has been the mask that I have reached for the most.

It leaves my dry and tangled hair so shiny (but not in a greasy or oily way), smooth, moisturised and soft which is exactly what I want in a hair mask. I've used it three times now as I typically only use masks once a week and I still have a lot left in the pot so even though it is a bit pricey, it will last for a while even with my very long hair! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

Have you tried anything from Biolage? What are your current haircare favourites? 

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