December Favourites: What's In My Bag.

It's winter time! And I thought I'd share with you lovely people a few items in my tiny little bag.
Enjoy!

1. Chunky Accessorize scarf.

I bought this chunky piece of knitted goodness last year as a Christmas present to myself, it was a premeditate buy and one that I am so glad I went for! The scarf is a big snood and is 100% wool- I cannot express to you how warm it keeps me. I have to wear it as one big loop when it's even mildly sunny because the thing keeps my neck a little too well insulated at times. I am DEFINITELY the sort of person who feels the cold (I blame my mother for giving me her incredibly poor circulation) and this buy is one of the best I've ever made.

2. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lip Balm.

Palmer's- I don't know what it is, but they just get it right for me. Being a huge advocate of all their moisturising products, be it butters, oils or any other chocolatey products of joy- their lip products is what got me hooked. I usually go for a tube of their glossy moisturisers but when I grabbed this little gem off the shelf in a Tesco express all in a faff (as per usual) I figured I'd have a regular chap-stick type balm, for ease of access. This one is the chocolate and mint, and lord the smell is honestly gorgeous, but not too overwhelming either.

My lips have been so completely chapped and sore lately (my lip struggles never cease, I won't bore you with the details) and this little lip balm is an absolute saviour. Usually I put some on in the morning as I do my makeup to keep them soft, top up before I rush out into the cold and then also a little at night before I go to sleep so I don't wake up with that awful chapped and mildly pissed off look. (Instead I just stick with the mildly pissed off look.)
Palmer's you're just doing it right. Thank you for gorgeous smelling, beautiful effective products.

3. Sony earphones.

Earphones. Essential for travelling around Kent on poor public transport, especially in the dark and cold, by myself.

My current companions are little pink Sony buds, and I love them very much.

4. Lena Dunham's: Not That Kind Of Girl.

Okay, so this could turn into an entire post fangirling over Lena Dunham: her amazingly successful shows, her acting or writing, her wit, her honesty, her incredible sense of humour, fabulous levels of realism, how she is flawed in such a human way that everyone can relate to the broken pieces of her, her approaches to her own hair (currently luminous and amazing), her outlook on body image- Lena Dunham is someone who has completely enticed me into the arts world she emerged from.

Her book is hilarious and heartbreaking, realistic and outrageous, sincere and obscenely sarcastic- the storiess you will hear will each have an impact on the reader: making them stop to think and consider something: their own outlook on the world, their parents, their childhood fears, a string of ex-boyfriends, being in love, being heartbroken. Lena Dunham is incredible- I bought the book the second it hit the shelves in Waterstones and I keep it in my bag for free periods or coffee's alone, even the bus (despite the fact reading whilst travelling makes me feel gross- that's how much I was committed to reading this book.).

5. Kleenex. (I'm not going to photograph it because y'all know what Kleenex is, don't play.)

It's cold season, embrace the granny attitude of keeping tissues on you. You will thank yourself, I promise.

6. Body Shop Hand Sanitizer.

Again, it's cold season and after feeling like my insides hated me for about 4 days, I am OVER being ill. I am by no means a germ freak BUT I am sick of being ill, painkillers and laying in bed not being able to sleep. So I invested in hand sanitiser- which usually I have issues with because the smell makes me feel like hospitals and waiting rooms (and I don't know about you, but it's not a smell that hugely appeals to me). My personal favourite is Mango Hand Cleanse- but I'm just a mango obsessive so.

7. To Do Book.

I am a very disorganised and easily panicked individual, so I have a to do book. I picked up this teenie little black book for my notes and lists etc from Sainsbury's for literally 99p, and I feel like everyone needs a light little list book full of their to do lists. My essential.

Hope you enjoyed this little insight into what's in my bag! Please feel free to comment below anything you have to say- I'd love to hear from you!

X

Back To School Must Haves.

It's that time of year again guys, our triumphant return to school. (Eeeek)

This summer, for me at least, has gone so quickly. It was a summer of relaxing and recuperating, and now that I feel a little more human, I also feel a little more prepared for the next school year. I've had time to sort out my life a little before I get thrown back into my final year- and lord knows it's gonna be busy.

Now I may be a total girly girl and you might judge me, but one of the ways I feel on top of things in life is to look put together. If all else fails and I feel like I'm losing control of things, having great eyebrows or killer lipstick, or on POINT shoes- I feel like I have a little more together in my life. If things are falling apart a little in life and you are totally overwhelmed with it all, a good place to start is eyebrows, I promise.

So, here for you all is a list of my essentials for the new school year- so you can at least start the year feeling put together and fabulous.

1. Facewash

This gentle little dream right here is the Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Active Fruit Energy Daily Energising Gel Scrub. (the name is hella long I know)

This little tube of orange cuteness is a wonderfully gentle gel I use on a daily basis for my morning skin routine. I like to use a gentle wash in the morning and a stronger exfoliator before I go to bed the night before. My skin is quite sensitive when it comes to washes so this one is perfect for a something to make your skin feel a little tighter and smell really quite lovely!



2.  Garnier Ultimate Blends, The Marvellous Glow Oil

If you hair is feeling a little limp, or a little dry- maybe from heat damage, that holiday sun or a little ombre, then this is fabulous stuff.

After I ombred my hair at the start of the summer I really wanted to take care of it properly, because after my first ombre my hair really needed some serious TLC. A little of this stuff really goes a long way for me, and I try to use it as much as I can during the week- but you really don't need to use it every day depending on how damaged your hair is.

There have been a lot of these products brought out over the summer time and they seem to be super popular at the moment. I decided to give this one a go, because as an honorary Broke Girl I like to keep my hair and makeup essentials to a fairly tight budget- this little beauty is only £9.99 at Boots, which compared to other brands bringing out essentially the same product, was pretty good in my mind!

The oil takes a little time to disappear in your hair so I tend to put it on, pin my hair back and do my makeup while my hair absorbs it. By the time I'm dressed and makeup is done my hair is usually good to go, I run my fingers through it (I have no time to spend hours on my hair when I go back to school) and go!
Damage control that smells lovely!

3. Johnson's Face Care Makeup Be Gone Moisturising Wipes 

Makeup wipes are a hand bag essential for school.
I have no idea why schools are so weirdly over heated when we get back into school, but between rushing to classes and being squeezed into non-air conditioned classrooms- eye makeup tends to run, or if you are brave enough to attempt eyeliner on the dodgy bus ride to school, then these are a MUST.

I don't do anything special when it comes to makeup removers usually and tend to get the cheapest and most basic no-perfume packs of wipes from my local Superdrug or Boots store, and it works just fine.

Recently I decided to treat myself a little and buy some Johnson's Face Care Makeup Be Gone Moisturising Wipes. There's not a lot to say about them other than they are super gentle on my skin with a nice subtle smell I love post-shower and pre-bedtime. They  remove makeup so much quicker than the cheapest makeup wipe brands and I just love them!

Johnson's have and entire range of makeup wipes for all different kinds of skin types, ranging from dry skin to oily skin. If you want to give your face a treat and switch up your skin care routine, these are perfect for the job.

4. Gum

For school, be that girl who always have gum- but protect it with your life.
Either embrace the fact you will ALWAYS be asked for a piece by EVERYONE, or get really good at being sneaky about your gum.

My personal favourite is the classic Rigley's Extra packs, they are perfect for being on the go, pre-date freshen up, post lucnh freshen up rituals, and go a long way!

A back to school essential.


5. Rimmel London Colour Rush Balm

Now this is my ABSOLUTE august favourite item.

Being someone who struggles with having fairly large surface area when it comes to my lips, I struggle to find "quick fix" products for my lips when it comes to colours. But this has saved me in my daily make-up routine!

The balm is like a big crayon that you just draw up on your lips, and is really really quick to apply and fix up if you make a mistake. This one really is a quick fix! The product has a bunch of different shades for a pinkish every day tinge or a brighter and bolder lip too- and the thing that's great about it is that because its a balm you can layer it. If you start with one sweep of it you definitely get a first base of colour, but you can build it up however you may need for whatever look you're going for.

The balm is perfect for really long lasting colour after one application, but I recommend topping it up half way through the day to keep it all together. The colour that I personally use is called 'Not and Illusion', a bright peachy pink colour perfect for brightening up my everyday look with a little colour.

The item is about £5.99 at Boots, and it's available at all Rimmel London supplies- currently the product seems to be on offer just about everywhere and I recommend you grab it when you can!


So there we have it my lovelies, my personal favourites for going back to school this year!
Good luck munchkins, it's going to be great.

Winter Lip Products.

It's happening you guys, the winter is coming.

I know this because I have seen the Coke advert, the Christmas light's in my time have come on, and my Grandma has started knitting all her grandchildren jumpers. I know this because I can see my breathe in the air at the bus stop, and I can FEEL MY LIPS HATING ME.Winter has many beautiful perks, however its's effect on your lips are not one of them.
Being one of large lips I have a lot of surface area that can get cracked and dry and generally not very nice, so it's a yearly struggle for me to keep my lips smooth and pouty (All ready for mistletoe etc obviously...) So obviously I had to check out what lip products ACTUALLY work for this year and my loves I have my list of Top 5 Winter Lips Products!

3. Maybelline Baby Lips

These cute and colourful little chap stick type products from Maybelline are pretty fabulous. With a range of different colours and flavours to match your preference these little cuties are good for a quick top up when out in the cold. I used the yellow intensive care and the blue hydration lip balms, and I really did like them. You can wear a layer of lipstick or just on their own. They all smell fantastic and are a wonderful little addition to your makeup bag or just in your back pocket. Although these are a lovely little product I don't feel like they can save your lips once they're chapped. They are a great prevention for chapped lips, but if you're already trying to fix severe damage to your lips I'm afraid these are not the product for you. They are fabulous products, lovely smelling, cute size, beautifully packaged and a good buy. You can get these little cuties for £2.99 at Boots online.

2. Carmex Lip Balm Tube

Now I won't lie- I did think this little tube of wonder was glue at first glance, but don't be deceived  these little wonder tubes are a fabulous little addition to your winter beauty routine. The tub is a lot like lip gloss and makes your lips tingle a little when you apply- but CAN ACTUALLY FIX ALREADY CHAPPED LIPS.
I know, calm down guys, it's cool. Carmex basically saved my chapped little lips after a week of just licking my lips in the cold and letting them get more and more chapped. At boots they come in little pots and sticks with similar formulas but my favourite Carmex product has to be the tube version. In strawberry, cherry, mint, and just its origional scents the smell could be a little much for some but personally I love it, a fabulous and STRONG little product available for £2.99 on Boots online.

1. Palmer Cocoa Butter Lip Balm.

Here it is you guys, my number one beauty must have for winter lips. Palmers is a brand I am going to be raving about I think because I adore it. I LOVE cocoa anything, being a self confessed chocaholic anything that smells as good as a hot chocolate is pretty good in my books. Palmers Lip Balm smells AMAZING, and it actually works. The Ultra Moisturizing Lip balm lasted me absolutely ages and after my very first application started making my lips feel softer and less chapped. I love this product and it'a simplicity: smells good, does good. My lips feel soft and smooth every time I use it and it's only £1.89 on Boots online. Palmers also do a lip gloss type version of the product that I'm also mad about for, which is £2.75 in Superdrug- let me tell you, your lips will smell so good you'll just want to keep applying it just for the smell.

Winter Skin Worries

Summer is coming to an end, the bronzers, fake tans and bikinis are being hidden away again and the cool weather is coming!
If you're anything like me the cold weather means my skin will decide to play up and fuss. It's understandable, it comes as a nasty shock to many when the cold weather comes around. But never fear, this is my cold weather products for skin!

1. Washes and Cleansers!

Okay, so teenage years are infamous for being the ones spent desperately trying to sort out various issues with appearance, one that affects us the most? Your skin. The only way I've been able to battle my skin over the last couple of years has been trying a variety of different face washes and finding ones that work for me. My skin is fairly average, although it gets oily around my nose and T zone in the summer, and dries right out in the cold weather! (Basically my skin just hates me...)

So, I use Neutrogena's Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit wash for my everyday in the morning. I had to try it because I used Neutrogena's regular orange coloured wash- and this one was pink. Pink. What can a girl do?!

I love this product because if your skin is feeling oily, not fresh and just a little bit meh, it's really great for getting rid of that without drying out your skin completely! I always find any facewash with microbeads in it make my skin finish up feeling really clean and scrubbed and soft afterwards, and this was no exception. The product smells great, looks very cute but most importantly works for me! The only thing I would say is I wouldn't use this product more than once a day on myself, simply because my skin would dry out so quickly! For removing impurities this product is my number one sking product, but I would say that the product claims to sort out your blemishes... it may do an extent but I havent found it to fix my blemishes completely! *Sigh*...
To conclude: great smelling, leaves my face feeling super soft, clears impurities super well, and doesn't dry out my skin! It's only about £3.00 at Boots, and such a bargain!

2. Moisturisers

This moisturiser was the easiest thing to pick, and yes- I am going to gush about it.
My mum has always been a great believer in the goodness of The Body Shop. I grew up on fruity soaps, sweet perfumes and am the proud owner of every lip balm flavour The Body Shop can offer. My mum left me the Vitamin E Moisture Lotion as a little pre exams present (because she knew I was stressed, and my skin was also in a sad state, and just also because my mum is a wonderful lady...) so I had no hype or expectation for it to be fabulous.

I fell in love with this moisturiser straight away. Why?
Well firstly, it smells subtly wonderful. The scent isn't super strong and overpowering, just slightly sweet and fresh enough for you to just appreciate it and think "ahh".
Secondly- it's light. Now i'm usually useless with moisturising- I hate it. It's tedious and boring and I forget to do it. Due to this product I now remember and (this will sound really very sad) look forward to using this product. It's very very light and has a kind of "whipped" quality to it, so it doesn't sit on your skin for hours and make it look oil.
Thirdly, you only need a tiny bit of the product and it goes a long way- I've had mine since April and it's still going strong with me now, and I use it every day! I absolutely love it, and even though it looks like a very small tube for a £7 product- it's 100% worth it.

Now I keep skin simple and with washes and moisturisers, so part 3 would be my regular foundation/ tinted moisturiser/ BB cream things- and as those change so regularly I won't put all the ones I use on here!
So that's it really, if your skin is getting a bit boring and sad, and just generally neglected- these are my little skin pick me ups for when the weather gets grey and you skin needs a little happiness!

If you have any suggestions about any  reasonably priced foundations that are good for every day please leave me any comments, or if you have anything to ask/ say about the products above I would love to see it so let me know!
That's all from me,
Love Matti X