High Street v High End: Foundation

This month I'm comparing foundations - both of these claim to be long wearing full coverage bases but they have pretty different prices. Read on to find out which one wins! 

High Street: Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation in Porcelain - RRP £7.99 for 30ml

I bought this after trying a sample from a magazine and thinking it was a dupe for my Estee Lauder Double Wear. It is extremely similar, but I feel that this foundation has a much more natural finish. Even though it has good coverage I would definitely still need to use concealer, but when it's a fraction of the price I don't really mind! I find that not only does this foundation last all day it actually looks better on the skin as the day goes on - not sure why but I'm certainly not complaining!

High End: Estee Lauder Double Wear in Cool Bone RRP £29.50 for 30ml.

This foundation is so good for those days when you feel like you need to wear a mask because it really is like putting a mask on - it covers everything and really does last all day. I feel so confident when I wear this because my skin just looks so much better. One thing that does really annoy me is that it doesn't come with a pump - when I shell out this amount of money for a foundation I think it's a bit of a joke that it doesn't have one! Something I also find (although I haven't heard anyone else say this) is that this foundation takes a while to settle on my skin. Every time I first put it on I'm like 'ew why did I ever buy this?' because it looks cakey, but after ten minutes it settles into my skin and I'm like 'ah, that's why'. It's not a problem, but if I'm in a hurry it's something I bear in mind!

Winner: Estee Lauder Double Wear - I think for everyday wear I prefer Rimmel Lasting Finish, but I had to remind myself that I was comparing these as full coverage foundations and on that note Double Wear definitely wins! It seriously is my bad skin day saviour!

Have you tried either of these products? What did you think?

Amy x

Spring Favourites

I don't do monthly favourites because I tend to stick with the products I like once I've found them and only really switch things up seasonally - plus I don't think I actually own enough things to warrant monthly favourites! So here are the things I've really been loving through Spring:

The Body Shop Tea Tree BB Cream in Light | This is 100% my favourite product at the moment. It gives amazing coverage, but it really feels like you're putting something good on your face. I was surprised that the colour light was actually suitable for my pale face because I usually struggle with products that only have small shade ranges, but this colour is literally perfect for me. It smells amazing as you're applying it, but the smell fades as soon as it's blended in so your face doesn't smell all day! I used this in my minimal make up routine here.

Soap & Glory Sexy Motherpucker Lipstick in Super Nude | I bought this lipstick in a Boots 3 for 2 offer and it's been my go to everyday shade ever since I bought it. I won't say too much about it as you can read my full review here but the colour and formula are just both perfect. 

Lush Roots Hair Treatment | As someone with thin and flat hair I need all the help I can get in the volume department. This treatment works to stimulate the scalp and hair follicles and I love that you can feel it working as it makes your scalp feel tingly. It smells really fresh and although I wouldn't say my hair is noticeably thicker since using this product, my scalp and roots look healthier and there is more volume in my hair. 

Natural Collection Nail Polish in Champagne | I haven't stopped wearing this colour recently, it's soooo pretty, almost like having rose gold nails! It dries really quickly so is really easy to use in a hurry. It chips pretty quickly but I don't really mind when it's such a pretty colour - I just paint it on again!

Makeup Revolution Makeup Fixing Spray | I only recently started using a makeup fixing spray and this is the first one I've tried after picking it up in my Makeup Revolution haul (here) and I am a complete convert. Not only does it make my makeup last throughout the day but it also somehow just makes it look better and more flawless. 

And those have been my favourite products throughout spring! Have you tried any of these? What did you think? 

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' to keep up to date with all my posts!

Amy x

The Summer Coat

Now I know summer and coat shouldn't be in the same sentence, but c'mon we're in England and however much we'd like to hope we won't need a coat in summer unfortunately we will! Luckily I've found my perfect summer coat - it's lightweight, comfortable and I'm in love with it to the point where I'll be wearing it all summer even on those days when I won't need it! These pictures were taken on a sunny evening walk and this coat will be perfect to throw on for summer evenings.

Coat - New Look (link)

Jeans - Topshop (link)

Top - H&M 

Boots - Topshop (link)

Sunglasses - Primark

Necklace - Urban Outfitters (old)

Earrings - Asos (gift)

What do you think of this coat?

Amy x

Interiors | Clock Wall

A slightly different post from me today - I wanted to show you my favourite feature of our flat, which as you may have guessed from the post title is a clock wall. The idea first came about because we couldn't agree on a clock we both liked for the flat (of all the things to not be able to agree on ha!) and we also had this big bare wall in our kitchen that needed something doing to it. So our clock wall is a mixture of clocks we've chosen together as well as ones we've picked up on our own and I can't wait until we actually own a house that we can put them all in - I'm imagining having them all up the stairs - dreamy.

From left to right (links provided where possible): Argos / Wilko / Gifted / Sainsbury's / Lincoln Christmas Market / Red5 / Asda / Charity Shop / Tesco / Asda / Tesco

Our clock wall is a constant work in progress and we're always looking to add to it so this is by no means the end result! What do you think of this idea? Which clock is your favourite?

Amy x

My Current Skincare Routine

I've been wanting to do this post for a while, but didn't feel happy with all the products I'd been using up until now. My skin is quite normal (if there is such a thing!) although very prone to breakouts. I am no skin care guru, but these are the products that seem to work best for my skin at the moment.

Morning:

Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Wash - This is a repurchase as it's so easy to use in the morning and really makes my skin feel clean. I apply this on dry skin all over my face and leave it on while I'm in the shower then just rinse off at the end. I can really feel it properly cleaning my skin and my face feels so fresh when I've washed it off. £2.32 here.

Lush Imperialis Moisturiser -  I'm a big believer in not overloading my skin with products before putting make up on so I only use two products in the morning. This sinks into my skin really quickly as it's very lightweight and a little bit goes a long way. £13.50 here.

Evening:

Garnier Pure Active Micellar Water - I use this to remove my makeup with cotton pads. This is my favourite micellar water I've tried as well as one of the cheapest I've seen, plus you get a lot of product so it lasts ages! Win. £3.32 here.

Nip + Fab Deep Cleansing Fix - I love this product. I love that it smells so clean, I love how creamy and gentle it is, I love how big the tub is. A lotta love! I use this after I've removed my makeup to really make sure it's all gone and to properly cleanse. £7.95 here.

Lush Tea Tree Toner Water - This was an impulse buy and I wasn't so sure how I'd feel about a toning water but it's amazing. I simply spritz all over my face and then either go over with a cotton pad or if I've got time I'll just leave it to sink in. £4.25 here.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream - This is my first eye cream and I really like it. It's refreshing and I actually really do think it has made my eyes look brighter. £11 here.

Boots Botanics Radiant Youth Replenishing Night Cream - This is still a fairly new product for me, but it seems pretty good and smells amazing. I'm at a funny stage in skincare where I feel like I need to start thinking about anti-aging nice and early, but there don't seem to be a lot of products aimed at people my age. This seems like a good product for this stage, but if anyone has any recommendations please leave them in the comments below! £7.99 here.

Weekly:

No7 Beautiful Skin Purifying Exfoliator - This is great as it's really gentle and I don't like to scrub my skin too harshly. I use this once a week - usually on a Sunday night for a bit of a pamper! I always wait until I've got a money off No7 voucher to get this as well to make it cheaper (not that I'm stingy or anything - ha!) £8.50 here.

Soap & Glory Fab Pore - This is a really gentle mask and has an almost creamy consistency as well as tiny exfoliating beads which leave your face super smooth once you've taken it off. The only thing that confuses me is that it's labelled as a 2-in-1 mask and peel and I really can't tell you how it could be described as a peel! This will be a definite repurchase though. £10 here.

Lush Mask of Magnaminty - This is the mask I turn to on a really bad skin day. It smells really good (although might not be to everyone's taste) and exfoliates as you take it off as well. The only annoying thing about it is how difficult it is to take off without soaking your whole bathroom! £5.50 here.

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? Link me to your skin care routines if you've written about them :)

Amy x

An Ode to Rimmel Base Products

Oh Rimmel, you do just always seem to get it so right when it comes to base products. I bought my very first foundation from Rimmel and all these years later it's very rare that I use a different brand because if it ain't broke right?

Starting off with primer, the Lasting Finish Primer is the only one from Rimmel that I've tried so far. The formula is so different from any other primers that I've tried and I love it so much more - it feels more like a moisturiser than anything else and creates such a smooth base. 

Foundation wise, the base I used all through A/W was the Stay Matte Foundation, which really does what it says on the tin (or tube!). This is a full coverage foundation and will be a definite repurchase for me next A/W when I'm yearning for fuller coverage again. The Wake Me Up Foundation is pretty well-loved in the blogging world and it's obvious why. This medium coverage base is just perfect for spring as it gives the skin a flawless glow and it's what I've been reaching for the most recently. It's also my most repurchased foundation! The most recent addition to my Rimmel foundation stash (as you can probably tell by the fact it's in their newest lighter shade - hooray!) is the Lasting Finish Foundation. This is perfect for those days where I wish I could wear a mask to cover up my skin because this really does mask blemishes and uneven skin tone and it just stays put.

A product that I have repurchased again and again is the Hide the Blemish Concealer. This was the first concealer I ever bought and I rarely stray to anything else because it works so well and is so handy to carry around for touch ups. I could probably fill a football pitch (slight exaggeration) with the empty pots of the Stay Matte Powder I've got through over the years. I'd go so far as to say that this is my favourite make up product of all time - big claim! I haven't actually ever tried a different powder because I've never felt the need to replace this one with anything else other than another of the same!

The best thing about Rimmel base products is that they are so affordable yet they really deliver on quality too. Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of Rimmel?

Amy x

What I Wore This Week #1

What I wear day to day varies quite a lot because when I'm at work I could be behind a camera in a studio one day where I need to be dressed practically, but in the office behind a computer the next where I can afford to dress a little bit nicer! So I thought it would be interesting to show you what I wore this week - see if you can guess which days I was in the studio! I also included Saturday when I wasn't at work because why not?

Monday

Top - Sainsbury's (not online)

Jeans - Topshop (link)

Shoes - Primark (current)

Tuesday

Dress - New Look (link)

Scarf - Zara (old)

Patterned Tights - M&S (old)

Boots - Topshop (link)

Wednesday

Blouse - Topshop (old)

Dress - H&M 

Tights - M&S 

Heeled boots - Topshop (old)

Thursday

Dress - New Look via Asos - see more pictures in this post

Tights - M&S

Boots - Topshop (link)

Friday

Jumper - H&M (old)

Leggings - Next (old)

Shoes - Hoxton Chic at TKMaxx

Saturday

Top - H&M 

Sleeveless cardigan - Sainsbury's (current but not online)

Trousers - Primark (current sale)

Shoes - Primark - (current)

Hope you enjoyed this post - which outfit is your favourite?

Amy x

Bright Eyed Minimal Make Up

In my last post (here) I spoke about how I'm dressing down at the weekends. Well, I've been getting minimal with my make up on weekends too (basically I'm just getting lazy). My skin is (fingers crossed and double crossed and triple crossed) finally clearing up a bit so I've been getting away with a more minimal base and focusing more on achieving a natural look that brings out my eyes. Here's what I've been using:

I start by using Soap & Glory's Glow Job (definitely bought this partly for the name!), which is a tinted moisturiser (one of those magic ones where you don't see the colour until you start massaging it in - exciting stuff). I could probably wear this just on it's own on a super good skin day, but I'm not quite there yet so I then use The Body Shop's Tea Tree BB Cream, which gives good but natural looking coverage and both smells and feels like you're putting something good on your face! I don't do much else to my face, but I do sweep a pop of the Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush in Rose D'or across my cheeks. The first step to brighten up my eyes is the L'oreal Lumi Magique Concealer which is so nice and brightening and really covers up my bags! After simply brushing my brows into place I then use Benefit High Beam across my brow and cheek bones. Then I take my Barry M Kohl Pencil in White and line both lash lines before blending the top line all over my lid with my fingers. This makes my eyes look super bright and I finish them off by using Benefit Roller Lash Mascara because I find it makes my eyelashes look really long but natural so really opens up my eyes!

What do you think of this minimal make up look?

Amy x

P.S. Follow me on Bloglovin' to keep up to date with my posts :)

Spots & Stripes

I'm loving having dressed down weekends at the moment and this is one of my favourite comfortable but colourful combinations. The yellow really puts me in the mood for spring and I really like the mixture of spots and stripes. I'm living in trousers that could easily be mistaken for pyjama bottoms at the moment - these ones were an absolute steal and are so comfortable that I can imagine living in them until I wear a hole in them.

Top - Boden (old)

Trousers - H&M 

Shoes - Topshop (old)

What do you think of mixing spots and stripes? Do you love having dressed down weekends?

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' to keep up to date with all my posts!

Amy x

Juggling Blogging with a Full Time Job

I've seen a few posts along these lines floating around, but each one seems to be a little different as everyone has different tips and ways of juggling so I thought I'd share mine. I don't actually find it that difficult to manage both a blog and a full time job as blogging is something that I really enjoy doing so I don't see it as a chore and I'm also an organised person by nature! Here's how I do it:

Planning
I almost always plan my posts in advance. I write a list of all the dates in the month that I need to publish a post and assign a post to each - sometimes they'll switch around or things will change if I decide to write a different post last minute, but having them all written down helps me know when I need to have a post ready by. I put a mark next to each post when they're ready to go and then tick them off when it's published - so satisfying! (I'm a loser I know). I know some people are against planning posts and would rather just sit down and write on the day, but I think different things work for everyone and planning is what works for me!

Lists
You can never go wrong with a good list! I make a list for each post I'm writing with things I need to do for it such as photos, text, proof reading, adding links etc. Having a to do list for each post keeps me organised and means I don't forget to do anything and won't have a last minute panic!

Back up posts
I always have about three back up posts floating around that could be published anytime, just in case something goes wrong with one of my planned posts or if I don't get a chance to finish a post in time. If I have a free day I'll sit down and write out a few posts to have on standby. I find these so helpful as it takes the pressure off knowing that I have posts there ready to go if they're needed.

Be realistic
When I first started blogging I decided to post twice a week because I thought that would be manageable to fit around my job. I think it's much better to underestimate how much you'll be able to post because you can always start posting more if you feel like you can (I've recently started posting three times a week). If you're realistic about what you can achieve on your blog it makes it seem much more manageable plus you will produce better quality posts. I know some people post daily while having a full time job (hats off to you if you do!) but that would definitely not be realistic for me!

I hope some of these tips helped - what are your tips for blogging and having a full time job?

Amy x

P.S. Follow me on Bloglovin' to keep up to date with my latest posts :)

Mum Jeans

Note the title of this post, I'm totally starting a rebellion against these being known as 'Mom' jeans in England. These Mum jeans are a fairly recent addition to my wardrobe and I can't keep out of them - because they're high-waisted they're just so comfortable and make me feel like I'm pretending to be cool. I love pairing them with a crop top because you can only really see a tiny bit of belly (the less the better thanks) but it shows off the shape of the jeans. And how adorable are these shoes? I'm so attached to them and they were such a bargain from Primark.

Jeans - Topshop

Top - Topshop 

Shoes - Primark 

Watch - Ebay (link)

Are you a fan of mum jeans?

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' to keep up to date with my posts :)

Amy x

Barry M Sunset Daylight Curing Nail Paint

Nail varnish fiend that I am I was very intrigued to try out the new release from Barry M. The Sunset Daylight Curing collection is supposed to be a gel manicure that you can do yourself at home for a very small fraction of the price you would usually pay. 

I've never actually had a gel manicure done before (I like painting my own nails too much!) so I can't actually compare it to that experience, but I have friends who have and I know their nails usually last about two weeks before chipping and it costs them £15 to have it done. 

To achieve your homemade manicure you paint two coats of the colour (there are 7 shades and I went for Can't Get You Out of my Red because let's face it, you can't go wrong with red) followed by the topcoat. And that's it! You also don't need to do it in daylight as it will cure in artificial light too.

The polish was very quick to dry and I love the brush. I was expecting the usual Barry M brush, which there's nothing wrong with but it's quite thin - the brush that comes with this is more like an Essie brush which makes application so quick and easy. I was impressed with the staying power from the get go as I went swimming on the day of painting them, which is usually a death sentence for nail varnish, but it stayed completely intact! It lasted 4 days before beginning to chip, which is not as long as a professional gel manicure, but still much longer than a normal nail varnish and I did go swimming twice and clean the whole flat in that time so I imagine it would have lasted longer if I hadn't done that! These are amazing value for money and if you're looking for a cheaper alternative to a gel manicure I would definitely recommend trying these out!

Have you tried these polishes yet?

Amy x