High Street v High End: Highlighter

 This month I'm comparing highlighters - these are both cream highlighters in stick form - read on to see how they compare!

High Street: No7 Instant Radiance Bronzing Highlighter - RRP £9.95

This is a really lovely bronze/champagne colour and is super easy to apply - I just sweep it across my cheekbones and browbones and blend with my fingers. It does take a while to blend as the colour is quite strong - although that's probably partly because I've got such pale skin! The product is quite solid as well so you do have to press fairly hard when applying. I imagine that this product will last ages - I've used it a few times and it doesn't even look like I've touched it! It would be such an easy product to pop in your bag for on the go touch ups if you wanted, but I actually found that this product stayed put all day which is always a good thing!

High End: Benefit Watt's Up! Highlighter - RRP £24.50

This is such a gorgeous bronze shade and is absolutely perfect for summer. It's easier to apply and blend than it's No7 rival, probably because the formula is creamier. The one thing I don't particularly like about this product is the little buffing sponge it has on the other end - it's quite hard and not particularly pleasant to use for blending and it also looks dirty pretty quickly! I tend to just use my fingers instead and it blends so easily. I don't think the staying power is quite as good as the No7 version, but it's still fairly impressive - I don't feel the need to carry it around in my bag to touch up with. 

Winner: Benefit Watt's Up! This was a really tough call as I'm always on the lookout for a cheaper version of my high end favourites and these are really similar but No7 didn't quite beat Benefit formula-wise.  

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

Amy x

A Trip To Cornwall | Video

Me and Nick spent last week in Cornwall and I decided I wanted to try something a little bit different and film a video. I'm going to take Youtube fairly slowly and just post one video a month at the moment because omigod it takes so much time! I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think!

Amy x

Basic Nail Art

I love doing nail art posts, but quite often I get comments from people saying they don't think they'd be able to do the designs or wouldn't have time so I thought I'd do some really basic nail art that looks good but is really easy and doesn't take much more time than painting your nails normally - there are some really simple things you can do to jazz up your nails a little bit!

Polka Dot

This is one of the easiest designs to do - you can use any colours too! I used Lola nail paint in Bluebell for the base and did the polka dots with a Rio nail art pen, but if you don't have a nail art pen you can use a cotton bud.

Two Tone

This is really easy and doesn't take long at all. Instead of using one shade pick two instead (there are loads of great colour combinations!) and simply paint half your nail one colour and the other half another! I used Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Coconut and Barry M Matte in Mocha for this combination.

French Manicure Adaptation

Instead of a typical french manicure I like to mix things up with coloured tips - gold is my favourite to do and also looks amazing with just clear nail varnish if your nails are in good condition (which mine aren't!). I used Technic Nude for the base and 24ct for the tips.

Or just cheat

The easiest way to achieve a nail art effect without putting in the time and effort is to use nail varnishes that already have their own effects - my favourites are from the Barry M Magnetic range. I always get compliments when I wear these on my nails - this Magnetic Burgundy shade is my favourite!

What do you think of these easy designs? Will you be trying any of them? I'd love to see pictures if you do! 

Amy x 

What's In My Beach Bag?

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen that I spent last week in Cornwall. I bought the most dreamy rucksack for the occasion so that I'd have a bag that was easy to carry around and that could fit everything in that I would need for the day. So I thought I'd show you my new dreamy bag along with my beach/holiday essentials that I carried in it!

The bag in question is this one from Asos, which isn't really the most serviceable but I just love it! Moving onto what I kept in there:

Purse - obvs. This (also suede) purse was from Topshop. I was actually really annoyed that I splashed out on this because it ended up being in the sale for less than half the price! But my last Topshop purse lasted me years so hopefully this one will too. 

Phone - also obvs.

Lip Balm - currently I'm using the strawberry lip butter from The Body Shop which smells amazing!

Lipstick - I don't really wear make up on holiday, but I like to have a few lipsticks in my bag so I can quickly make myself look a little bit nicer if I need an appearance pick me up! In my bag were Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Pomegranate, Soap and Glory's Motherpucker Lipstick in Super Nude and Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint. 

The Body Shop Coconut Hair Oil - This is perfect for the beach because it helps tame frizz and flyaways - it's literally the laziest and easiest way to make your hair look OK!

Lush Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water - this is perfect for warm weather because it's so refreshing to just spritz on - it makes you feel cleaner and fresher!

Lacura Antibacterial Wipes - I threw these in thinking I wouldn't really need them and then a bird pooed on my hand...boy was I glad I packed these!

Soap and Glory Hand Maid - hand sanitiser for the beach is a must especially if you're eating - there's nothing worse than sandy sandwiches!

Lush Sesame Suntan Lotion - this is only SPF10 so I apply a higher SPF in the morning and then use this for top ups during the day because it's a really handy size to carry around. 

Comb - because mermaid hair is great if you can pull it off. Otherwise...you need a comb. 

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Cream - I always carry hand cream in my bag whether I'm on holiday or not and this one is my favourite ever. 

Hair Tie - for if the comb and hair oil fail me. I also like to tie my hair up if I'm going in the sea in a vain attempt to get it less wet. 

Medicine purse - my little portable drugs purse always comes on holiday with me - in it is ibuprofen, gaviscon, rennie, hayfever tablets and plasters (plus for some reason I took a separate box of plasters with me too...)

And that's it! I did have an umbrella in there too at the beginning of the week, but once the weather had proven itself to be beautiful I left it behind! What are your beach/holiday bag essentials?

Amy x

5 Things I've Inherited From My Dad That I Wish I Hadn't

This post really isn't as mean as it sounds...I should have guessed that when I wrote my Mother's Day post that instead of commenting on the actual post the first thing my dad said was 'I look forward to seeing your Father's Day post.' So here it is Dad, I hope you're not disappointed...

5 Things I've Inherited From My Dad That I Wish I Hadn't:

1 - His sense of humour. It's really bad and when I was younger I would despair at his jokes (my mum still does) but now I despair at myself for not only finding them funny, but making similar ones myself...

2 - His obsession with turning off lights and plug sockets. When I was younger I was forever leaving lights on in rooms I wasn't in with the excuse that 'I'm going back in there' and my dad would drive me mad telling me to turn them off. Nick is forever leaving lights on and plug sockets and it really stresses me out. I get it now Dad.

3 - His road rage sarcasm. When I was little my dad was forever making comments to other drivers like 'Oh you're welcome mate' when he'd let them go and they hadn't thanked him. I was forever telling him to stop it because it's not like they could hear him. I now live on a road where there's only room for one car to go and yes, you guessed it, I say 'Oh you're welcome' when I let someone past and they don't thank me.

4 - His exaggeration of everything. Expect any story that either me or my dad tells to have been 20% duller than we made it sound, not because we lie but because we're good storytellers OK?

5 - His nose. So maybe this point is a little bit mean, but it's pretty self explanatory. Thanks Dad.

And just before you write me off as a complete bitch here are 5 things I wish I had inherited from my Dad...his generosity, his confidence, the way he doesn't care what anyone thinks, his determination and his athlete's metabolism.

Hope you all have a lovely Father's Day!

Amy x

A Little Skincare Haul

I was on the hunt for a new moisturiser in Boots the other day and there were so many offers on that just tripped and fell into my hands (didn't have a basket as I wasn't actually planning on picking up this much...oops). I did get home and realise that I'd bought three cleansers, which is pretty unnecessary, but I'll use them eventually! Here's what I got:

Nip + Fab Deep Cleansing Fix | If you read My Current Skincare Routine you'll have seen that I'm loving using this cleanser at the moment. My current tub isn't even half empty (it seriously lasts ages!) but I thought I'd pick up a replacement while it was on offer because I don't pay full price for anything! 

Nip + Fab Glycolic Cleansing Fix | I've read a lot of good things about the Glycolic range from Nip + Fab so seeing as this was on offer too I thought I'd give it a try. It's a pretty tiny bottle so I definitely wouldn't pay full price for this! Currently £3.97 here.

Superfacialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil | Doesn't quite roll off the tongue that name does it?! Again this is another product I've heard loads of good things about that I'm usually too stingy to pick up, but guess what? It was on offer! I thought this would make a good morning cleanser as it's supposed to be brightening. Currently £7.33 here.

Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Sunshield Superfluid | I've been looking for a facial SPF for summer for ages - normal suncream breaks me out, but most facial SPFs cost the same as a house in Hull (am I getting across how stingy I am well enough in this post?) This was more expensive than I would usually pay, but Soap & Glory had an offer on - hurray! £15 here (second S&G purchase is half price).

Soap & Glory The Fab Pore Moisture Lotion | So this is the only thing I actually went into Boots for - I needed a new morning moisturiser and seeing as I had an offer on my advantage card for lots of points if I bought a Soap & Glory item I thought I might as well try one of theirs! This is aimed at blemish-prone skin which seemed perfect for me. £12 here (but mine was £6 with the offer).

I'll let you know how I get on with these products - have you ever tried any of them? I'd love to hear what you thought!

Amy x

How Much is my Make-up Collection Worth?

I saw a post like this over on All That Shimmers and became really intrigued as to how much my make up collection is worth - pretty sure I will regret working it out though! As someone who thought she didn't actually own that much make up it sure looks like quite a lot when it's all bundled together - oops. So without further ado, here is how much my make up collection is worth (obviously it's a rough estimate as A LOT of this stuff will have been on offer or gifted - which makes me feel better as I haven't actually spent what it adds up to!)

Nail Varnish - 54 products at a total of £156.31 (gulp)

Primer - 4 products at a total of £27.98

Foundation/BB Cream - 5 products at a total of £61.48

Concealer - 3 products at a total of £22.48

Powder - 2 products at a total of £12.98

Blusher - 2 products at a total of £31.49

Bronzer - 1 product at a total of £7.99

Highlighter - 3 products at a total of £37.45

Brows - 3 products at a total of £17.98

Mascara - 4 products at a total of £29.97

Eyeliner - 9 products at a total of £61.94

Eye Shadow - 11 products at a total of £55.69

Lip Products - 18 products at a total of £81.70

Brushes - 15 products at a total of £90

Grand Total: £695.44

That seems like loads of money, but I'm reassuring myself with the fact that I always buy things on offer so even though that's what my collection is worth I didn't actually pay that for it! Do you know how much your make up collection is worth? Would you want to find out?

Amy x

What I Wore This Week #2

The title is fairly self explanatory - here are the outfits I wore this week. Let me know which is your favourite in the comments! Sorry for the awful quality of photos at the end of the week - it was chucking it down outside and there was no light inside! Boo to the weather.

Monday

Dress - Topshop (old)
Top - Topshop (old)
Leggings - Tu at Sainsbury's (not online)
Shoes - Primark

Tuesday

Shirt - Primark (current)
Velvet leggings - Next (old)
Kimono - New Look (old, lots similar here)
Shoes - Primark

Wednesday

Top - H&M (current, not online)
Trousers - H&M 
Shoes - Primark (yep, same shoes three days in a row)
Sunglasses - Primark

Thursday

Dress - New Look (old)
Boots - Topshop (here)

Friday

Jeans - Topshop 
Top - Topshop 
Shoes - Primark

Saturday

Top - Topshop (old)
Trousers - H&M (here)
Boots - Topshop (here)


Which outfit of the week is your favourite?

Amy x

Floral

Is it just me or is New Look just so on it at the moment? I can't go in without spending and unfortunately I can usually justify it seeing as it's also pretty affordable! I picked up these trousers a few weeks ago and they're perfect for summer - comfortable, cropped and with the cutest floral print. I just so happened to find the perfect matching vest at the same time and my Primark sandals make yet another appearance in a blog post!

Trousers - New Look (current but not online)

Vest - New Look (link)

Shoes - Primark (current)

I'm not really grumpy by the way, just squinty in the sun! 

Amy x

The Foot Cream of Dreams

Don't worry, there are no feet pictures in this post. 

You know when you find a product that just works so well you know you'll never use any other product in that category ever again? Yep, that. I've tried a few foot creams in the past and although they may have been nice and soothing on my feet, none of them have actually worked in terms of getting rid of the pesky hard skin on my heels (TMI?). Then this gem came along - the Coconut Foot Cream from Burt's Bees. I was surprised that it's actually more of a thick gel consistency than a cream, but the morning after my first application (I applied in the evening and then wore socks in bed) the hard skin on my heels was almost non-existent. Literally overnight. Not to mention it smells absolutely amazing (although if you don't like coconut I'd stay away!). I now use this every other day and my feet are in the best condition they've been in for a long time. 

Have you tried this foot cream? 

Amy x

DIY Flower Jars

Today I thought I'd show you a little bit of DIY decor that I'm becoming a bit obsessed with - I'm just waiting for some more jars to be empty so I can make some more of these flower jars. These are so easy to make and are perfect for jazzing up a windowsill. Gypsophila is one of my favourite types of flower and it still looks gorgeous dried so instead of throwing it away I'm getting inventive! 

The larger jar was an old Disaronno bottle and the smaller jar had coffee in it. When they were both used up I cleaned them, steamed all the labels off, tied a bit of ribbon around the top and they were done! I love the simplicity of them and you could use them for live flowers too (but dried is way less maintenance!).

What do you think of these flower jars? I'd love to hear if you have any similar ideas!

Amy x 

Empties #2

Does anyone else get a huge sense of satisfaction at finishing a product and being able to open a brand new one? Just me? Here are some more products I finished off recently:

Soap & Glory Heel Genius | This is a really nice product to smother all over your feet at the end of a long day as it's really refreshing and soothing. It didn't completely eradicate my dry heels, but I'm not sure anything can!

L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Miracle Cleansing Oil | I finished this quite a while ago and although it's sooo nice to take your make up off with I think this might have been the culprit behind my start of the year breakouts so I will not be repurchasing!

Skin Therapy Overnight Calming Blemish Serum | I loved this so much I wrote a whole post on it here. If my skin plays up again I will be straight back to Wilko to buy this!

Collection Lengthening Mascara | I loved this a lot and it's so cheap. It beat Smashbox in my comparison here and to be honest it probably beats every mascara I've ever tried! I've got a couple of others to use up before I repurchase this, but that will definitely happen!

Garnier Body Oil Beauty Nourishing Lotion | I featured the scrub that matches this in my last empties post (here) and I liked the moisturiser just as much. It smells dreamy (kind of like honey) and made my skin super soft. I've got heaps of other moisturisers to use up, but I would definitely repurchase this one if that wasn't the case!

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

Amy x

Wardrobe Staples | 5 Ways to Wear a White Shirt

This is going to be a new little series on my blog where I show you how I style some of the most versatile items in my wardrobe - in other words, my wardrobe staples! First up is the white shirt - I've chosen a sleeveless one seeing as it's nearly summer although on the day I took these I could definitely have done with some sleeves!

Night Out

Shirt - Asos (link)

Velvet leggings - Next (old)

Shoes - New Look (old)

Casual

Shirt - Asos (link)

Top - Boden (old)

Jeans - Topshop (link)

Shoes - H&M (old)
Mardy face - My own

All White

Shirt - Asos - (link)

Skirt - Topshop (old)

Shoes - Primark (current)

Festival

Shirt - Asos (link)

Dress - H&M (old)

Shoes - Primark (current)

Headband - Camden Market

Smart 

Shirt - Asos (link)

Skirt - H&M (link)

Shoes - Primark (old)

Which outfit is your favourite? Let me know if you'd like to see more posts like this!

Amy x