This just one of those simple dresses from H&M that are just an absolute bargain but is a great staple that never goes out of style. This dress is normally £14.99 but was on a special online offer when I got it for £7.99! Both prices are bargains really!
The dress comes in three colours: black, patterned blue and this gorgeous jewel green with small black floral detail. I love the way the fabric hangs and the trumpet sleeve detail.
I was so proud of myself for resisting the Becca x Jacklyn Hill collaboration, telling myself I had more than enough highlighters. Then I saw a tweet from Space NK saying the Champagne Collection Face Palette was back in stock (limited stock!), and suddenly I was running down to the Winchester Space NK (the best new shop in Winchester!).
There it was on the till all ready for me to part with £48, which I promptly did! To be fair, it is the best value of the whole range so far as you get two full size highlighters and three fairly large blushers. The highlighters on their own are £32 and the highlighter blush duos are also £32, so £48 really is good value!!
The palette is beautifully packaged, all creamy white and golden bubbles..sigh. Inside is a huge mirror (thank you!) which makes this so easy to use and take with you as your main on the go mirror. It is large but not too big for travel or for your (my) day to day makeup bag.
So inside there are two highlighters, the very famous Champagne Pop and the new(ish) Prosecco Pop, my top two drinks of choice too!!
Champagne Pop has already been reviewed to death – warm peachy pink glow, super intense, liquid metal like. Prosecco Pop is more of a intense gold and a slightly cooler tone, still gorgeous. If I had to choose it would be Champagne Pop for my skin tone, as it gives me a lovely glow that actually isn’t too crazy! Both are very finely milled and easy to apply and last really well.
The blushers are also stunning. There are three Rose Spritz, Amaretto and Pamplemousse. Rose Spritz is the most shimmery of the three – a soft pink that looks more subtle when applied than what you expect. Amaretto is a lovely matte pink brown, very flattering and perfect for everyday. My favourite is Pamplemousse, it looks like quite a intense a hot pink that shouldn’t work, but on my skin it is a lovely flush of pink that gives me that healthy, post exercise glow!
I am super impressed with this palette, even more so as every shade suits my skin which I wasn’t expecting. Below I am wearing Champagne Pop and Pamplemousse.
In the picture below I am wearing Amaretto and Prosecco Pop
I have taken this with me on holiday as my only blush/highlighter and never felt like I should have brought something else.
If you can get hold of this do, it is worth it!
Ever since Space NK opened in Winchester, my bank balance has been suffering! I love that place so much and am always in there “browsing”. One of those times, I stumbled upon the Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo (£24). Hourglass is just such a gorgeous makeup brand I keep coming back for more (see here , here and here)!
The first thing that drew me in was the packaging – it is divine, so sleek and chic!
The colours are all nude as the name suggests and most are too light for my skin tone but Nude #5 a shimmering golden peach, worked perfectly for me layered over other lipsticks to add a lovely shimmer. This is the “only shade with soft luminosity which adds a warm golden hue”.
I am really pleased I got this and have used this non-stop, especially on holiday. Another winner from Hourglass!
The much hyped Ouia Haircare range from celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin is now easily available in the UK (Selfridges, Cult Beauty, Space NK). I have been dying to try this range and decided to start with the Wave Hair Spray (£22).
I have never got on well with salt/beach hair sprays as they always leave me with tangled, dry, crunchy hair that’s a pig to sort out!
According to Ouia this spray is made with “rice protein instead of traditional salt, this ultra-fine mist is the secret to loose, beachy waves without stiffness or ‘crunch’” Hurray!
Well it definitely doesn’t leave my hair crunchy! I used it on both wet and dry hair and it worked well to add texture and wave. It works really well when left to dry naturally leaving my hair soft but very beachy!
I have to be honest the best thing about this product – the smell! I have heard a number of people mention the smell and how amazing it is – its all true it is divine. In response to the popularity of the smell Jen Atkin has said she is creating a fragrance based on the signature scent of the Ouia range. I will definitely be buying that!
Two classics from Dior. The (I heard) soon to be discontinued Glow Maximiser (£29) and the Lip Maximiser (£23.50)
The Glow Maximiser is a radiance boosting primer. You can use this under your makeup or mixed with your foundation or as I have done layered over to highlight the face.
This is a really gorgeous product that leave my skin glowing in the right way!
The Lip Maximiser is a gloss that adds volume and shine to your lips. It has a slight tingly sensation at first and it just leaves lips looking smooth and plump. I love this on its own as above or layered under or over lipsticks.
Both are worth the money and definitely worth a try!
Caroline Hirons, skincare guru, raves about this Pixi Glow Tonic (£18) so of course I had to try it. The Glow Tonic has ginseng, aloe vera & fructose, and is meant to help tone, firm and tighten the skin. It is exfoliating with 5% glycolic acid.
I love that I can use this both morning and night and so far it seems to be helping to improve the texture of my skin. I generally like using liquid exfoliators as I feels like its helping my skin rejuvenate! Or at least I hope it is!
A good solid product that will likely be re-purchased!
I have been interested in these Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams after having read many reviews. So I decided to get 3 different colours (from Boots for £5.99 each). Although these are matte they are soft and creamy as their names suggests so no dried out lips! They don’t last as long as most matte liquid lipsticks but that doesn’t bother me, as I prefer to really than have cracked lips! In the picture below from left to right (Morocco, San Paolo and Cannes).
First is Cannes a lovely nude that is perfect for everyday.
Next is San Paula a mauve/dark pink which is very flattering on my skin tone.
Finally Morocco a bright coral, perfect for summer!
Lovely lip creams and easy to wear. Comes in tons of shades too!
I love the bomber trend but am a bit nervous of all the really colourful ones. So when I saw this in New Look I was sold.
This is a lovely silver bomber with subtle embroidery detail on the shoulder/lapels. I absolutely love the colour and I think this looks way more expensive than £34.99. This goes really nicely with dresses as well as the more obvious jeans and t-shirt combination.
Hopefully a classic version of trend that will I will keep reaching for.
I have been loving the H&M Beauty makeup range (see here and here) but this was the first time I tried their body care and I was not disappointed. I loved the smell of the Cashmere Haze range so decided to get the body wash (£2.99) and body scrub (£3.99).
Both of these smell amazing and are really gentle and are so affordable. I particularly love that the scrub is made with rice and not plastic which is of course much better for the environment (and my skin!).
As always I am now itching to try more of the body products, especially the body lotions and creams.
As you know I am obsessed with Monica Vinader – I have many many rings from here that I have collected over the years (see here). A few weeks ago the sale email popped into my inbox and I had to take a look. BIG mistake because I immediately fell in love with this rose gold, emerald skinny ring (£150 reduced from £300).
I knew instantly it would look perfect next to my diamond version, I was right and I haven’t taken them off since!
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