My Current Make Up Bag + win with Farfetch

Every now and again I like to do a bit of a shake up as to what is in my make-up bag, particularly the one I either carry in my hand bag or the one I keep at work. As it has been a long time since I have shared my current make up bag on my blog and I have a few new bits I am a tad obsessed with, I have done a mixture of the two make up bags I have to show you the most used items along with some items I would really like to add to it.

So my two make up bags are quite old and I do need ones.  But the Gorjuss bag I just adore and it is a lot roomier than it looks.  It is this make up bag that is always in my handbag.  The second one features a cats face and this is one I have in my drawer at work and it is by Jellycat.

I am quite surprised at how much 'stuff' I have between these two bags currently, though there does seem to be a product for everything and a variety of brands including Benefit, Essence, Models Own, GOSH, Barry M, Real Techniques, By Terry, Balmi, Kiko, Sleek, Dior, Tom Ford, TweezerIt, Travelo and Primark PS range.

I am obsessed with the By Terry Light Expert Click brush which I have featured here because it is just so easy to use and is essentially two products in one.  I like the finish and it works well with my Benefit powder foundation, which I have in shade Champagne.  Primers are another obsession and I flit between Porefessional and Make Up Revolution Face Base, both of which do an amazing job.  License to Blot, again by Benefit is an absolute life saver for those shiny moments and I adore this mini.  I also have my colour correcting crayons from Primark which do a better job than the Max Factor versions.  When it comes to lipstick, I usually have more than two in my bag at all times and currently Kiko, Dior and Tom Ford are all getting an outing but I keep my lips moisturished and nourished with this Balmi lip balm.  Models Own Nude Palette is the perfect size for carrying around and I love all the shades, easy to use and wear.  Essence is a brand I am on a path of discovery with and currently this powder palette I use as a bronzer and it works really well with Sugar Bomb or my almost depleted Sleek Rose Gold Blush.

If every given the chance to add to my make up collection, there is a whole host of products that I have on a wishlist for Space.NK and when Farfetch got in touch to tell me that not only are they proud to announce the launch of its new Beauty section, with newly signed boutique Space NK Apothecary, they are also hosting a competition giving you the chance to win a £250 Farfetch voucher and to enter all you need to is go to Farfetch.com, choose the best items from the skincare, haircare, make up and male grooming products and post your choices on your blog along with a picture of your makeup bag before March 13 and this is my wishlist.

Now this is an amazing range of products and every single one just sounds amazing. Hourglass is a brand I have read so much about, some mixed reviews but mainly rave reviews and the palette contains five richly pigmented shades in a range of finishes from matte to shimmer. Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder is a product I also bought a few weeks ago and it is just an amazing Shimmer powder in Candlelight. Apply to the forehead, cheeks, temples, chin or decollete. There are two products from Becca on this list and it is one of those brands I really just want to try everything of. The nude palette contains 5 neutral shadow shades that work to brighten the eyes and again, in sleek packaging, it just screams buy me, you need me. The second Becca product is the Shimmering Skin Perfector Poured Moonstone and the only thing I ca say is that it is just stunning, I saw it at the QVC Bash I went to a few weeks ago and just love it. The EveLom Sheer Radiance Translucent Powder is one I have swatched in Space NK and I really liked how it felt on the skin, plus it is like a dual use product with a brush. By Terry is another brand I am a huge fan of and this Hyaluronic Hydra Primer comes with big claims that make me want to try it to see if it is as amazing as it sounds. Described as being a smoothing, plumping primer that improves skin tone and texture with its matte finish. This line-erasing, wrinkle-filling primer firms and plumps the skin whilst delivering translucent coverage for a silken finish. When a mascara is priced at £60 it must do something a little more than coat them with colour right? Well this one by Chantecaille is called Faux Cils Mascara Longest Lash and it claims that after 2 weeks of use, Sympeptide17 helps stimulate lash growth by 25 percent for naturally longer lashes, so this, I need to see. The final two products within my wishlist are lip products. I am currently obsessed with the GOSH lip oils and have been using the one I have ever since I got it, but this Hourglass version not only looks stunning and has a funky applicator it has a formula which blends 14 essential oils, 10 plant oils and 4 vitamins with three powerful active ingredients to nurture, hydrate and regenerate the delicate lip area. Then we have lipstick, an obsession that I fear will never end. Lipstick Queen is a brand I am familiar with and have two lipsticks from. This lipstick, called Rose Sinner, is a stunning rose shade and has been on my list for a while.

What would be on your wishlist right now?

Laser Hair Removal - Is it for you?

So Spring has (apparently) arrived and the weather will soon start to turn warm, so bye bye thick black chunky tights, denim skirt and chunky knit sweaters that I have lived in for the last 5 months or so will find themselves at the back of the wardrobe once again, That said, out will come the pretty skirts and dresses that I prefer to wear and with that is the constant checking that my legs are no comparison to that of a gorilla.

One of my closest friends had laser hair removal a few years ago and she said it the best money she has ever spent, having carefully worked out how much it costs for razors, shaving gel and anything else she used and compared it to the cost of laser treatment. So it is something I have looked into and there are so many options to choose from and so many places to choose to go to for the treatment and then the decision as to whether or not it is really for you. One thing I was concerned about was whether it would be as painful as waxing, which lets face it, is not pleasant and in actual fact, my friend Sarah compared it to being like a flick of an elastic band at its most painful.

When debating whether or not Laser Hair Removal is for you, the infographic shown below is actually really helpful and it also gives some food for thought as to whether or not it would actually work for you.

At this stage I am still undecided as to whether or not laser hair removal is for me and I still have quite a few documents to read and look through, but it has helped having a friend who has had it done.

Is Laser Hair Removal something you have had done or have considered having done?

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Dolce Dreams Coconut Macaroon Body Scrub

Most people will have heard of Fake Bake and associate it with fake tan, but there is more to the brand than just that. Dolce Dreams is part of the Fake Bake Beauty at Home range where you will find Skincare, Make Up, Bath and Body, Gifts and Home. Dolce Dreams is described as being the home of decadent treats and with products called Bon Bon Body Fizz, Lemon Meringue Body Whip and Coconut Macaroon Body Scrub.  As a company synonymous with fake tanning, ensuring that your bosy is scrubbed, buffed and polished is obviously important, so what better way than to invent their own products to do just that.

I have just finished by tub of Dolce Dreams Coconut Macaroon Body Scrub and it is just divine, more so if you happen to love both coconut and macaroons. Scented with coconut and blended with natural sugar, this scrub smells deliciously sweet and with the use of natural sugar, it has quite a rough texture to it which makes it really effective at exfoliating and buffing the skin to remove, dead, dry and rough skin and with a a bit of pressure when using, it really does help remove the toughest of dry skin, such as that on your heels, elbows and for me, my shins.

Once you have showered or bathed, whichever is your preference, you should find that your skin is looking and feeling amazing.  Soft and smooth to the touch, moisturised and looking much brighter than it was.  Of course, if you are a fake tan fan, you should then have no trouble applying it, because there is no dry skin for it to stick too.  Even if you dont fake tan, the scent of the scrub on your skin afterwards is simply divine especially if like me, you love all things coconut, though there is a slight hint of Macaroons too.

You can buy the scrub along with a whole range of Fake Bake Beauty at Home products here for £14.00

You Beauty Box - Best of British

In the wake of London’s epic Fashion Week and coinciding beautifully with what is hoped will be the imminent arrival of spring this Month's You Beauty Box is aptly named 'Our Best of British' with a selection of the team at You Beauty's favourite home-grown brands, flying the flag for the British beauty and skincare industry. 

The treats this month come from Charles Worthington and Oooharr.  Charles Worthington, as a brand, I feel I should know more about, so I am pleased to have a product in m box. Moisture Seal Hair Healer is a lightweight, but deeply nourishing, leave-in gel-creme. The ingredients include Argan Oil which my hair loves, so I am looking forward to giving this a try.

The second product is two facemasks from ohharr, whom I have never come across before.  Rosie Glow is a rejuvenating deep cleansing face mask which is just packed full of amazing ingredients such as Natural and Bentonite Clay to draw out impurities, helping unclog pores and absorb excess oil, clearing congested skin and can help to tighten fine lines and wrinkles. Shea Butter, Argan Oil, Dead Sea Salts, Marula Oil and Sunflower oil plus many more. The second mask is the Dead Sea Cooler mask and this one uses a delicious cocktail of Peppermint, Teatree and Witch Hazel for a bright, clear complexion, combined with Dead Sea Salts to open pores, detoxify skin and draw out impurities. I love the retro packaging on these facemasks and cannot wait to give them a try.  Both masks retail for around £1.20 online.

This month there was an amazing array of products to chose from and from brands that I adore - Amie, Bee Good and Nude to name a few. However, rather than opt for products I have used before, I decided to try something new and this is what I chose.

Nanshy 4-in-1 makeup sponge - I am yet to try anything from the Nanshy range and ive heard so many good things about this blending sponge that I thought I would give it a try. It can be used with Liquid make-ups, cream make-ups, mineral-based and wet-dry powders and even cream blushes! It is also said to brighten your complexion and create buildable airbrush-like coverage, hide imperfections and achieve the smoothest finish imaginable. What I love that also within the box is a little card which details how you use the sponge, such a great idea for a novice like me.  This sponge retails for around £5.95 online.

My second choice of item is from The Bodyshop and it is their British Rose Instant Glow Body Butter.  I adore anything scented of roses and havent come across this as yet, so I thought it would be nice to try it. The description for this body butter is as follows "Indulge in dewy hydration with glow-enhancing Body Butter. Beautifully pearlescent, this velvety-soft moisturiser is light to the touch but rich on moisture giving you an instant all-over healthy glow and petal-soft skin that’s hydrated for 24 hours. The roses are 100% organically grown in an environmental farm in Herefordshire".  As soon as you remove the lid, the scent of fresh roses is undeniably present, similar to getting a bunch of the freshest roses, the scent is just stunning.  On the skin, it is lightweight, it absorbs quickly and leaves your skin feeling intensely moisturised, nourishing and soft to the touch.

From this, I also learnt that The Body Shop hand-pick, air-dry and then infuse the roses in the freshest mountain water to give an exceptional quality rose essence subtly-scenting your skin all day and this year The Body Shop celebrates its 40th anniversary!  

For a box which celebrates the best of British, I think the products are amazing. I am really happy with my selection and for the bargain price of just £6.95 it is more than worth the money I paid for it.