November Favourites 2012

This month, I have been loving a number of products. I uploaded my favourites video to Youtube and I think this may have been one of my longest videos. I have also forgotten to include a few items in the photo above that were in my favourites video. Oops.

I have been enjoying using a lighter base over November and my favourites were Origins Vitazing and YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation. Although the Origins Vitazing is very sheer, it adds a nice healthy bit of colour and leaves my skin looking even once a bit of concealer is thrown into the mix. The YSL foundation is lovely. With 2 layers, I feel like my skin looks glowy, dewy and healthy. I like to set my base with Collection 2000 Sheer Loose Powder (not pictured), as it leaves the skin looking mattified but not chalky or cakey.

I have been wearing eyeshadow more often lately. I love using NYX Walnut all over the lid with Urban Decay's Naked (not pictured) in the crease, as they add a bit of definition without being too dark and dramatic for day time.

For lips, I have been using the Eve Lom Kiss Mix lip balm a lot. It's a lovely minty lip balm, which is glossy enough to pass as a lip gloss and keeps my lips feeling moisturised and soft. I have still been loving the MUA Lipstick in Shade 11 and I have also been enjoying using the Body Shop Lip and Cheek Stain, as it adds a lovely pink tint to the lips which stays on for ages.

Ten's Instant Lifting Cream has been my favourite moisturiser of choice for the past few months. It has helped balance my oiliness and dry patches and has left my skin feeling so soft. La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo is a godsend and helps to keep my skin clear. I have a more in depth review of that coming.

I have been loving this Radox Shower Gel in Brazilian Fusion. It kind of has a unisex scent, which is slightly musky but also a little fruity. It foams up nicely and doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or tight. Lastly, I have been loving this L'Oreal Everstrong conditioner. I love the herbally smell and the conditioner has left my hair feeling so soft and less frizzy.

What were you loving throughout November?

Thanks for reading. xoxo, Joy

September Favourites 2012

I'm really sorry my September Favourites are a little late! Usually when I post my monthly favourites on here, I tend to upload a picture and link you to my Youtube channel as I do a monthly favourites video every month. I was thinking about this recently and I kind of felt bad for just posting a picture and then linking to a video, as most people aren't too interested in watching my Youtube videos. So I have decided to write a summary in the blogpost about the products I love each month:

I never thought I would say this, but I have been enjoying using this Revlon Matte blush in 'Perfectly Peach'. When I first bought and swatched it, I couldn't get over how unpigmented it was and it got relegated to the back of my makeup drawers. Recently I dug it out again in a bid to use it up and I discovered that with the right brush (I use the ELF stipple brush), it leaves a lovely natural looking peachy pink flush to the cheeks. It is a matte blush, but somehow adds a pretty glow to the cheeks. It lasts really well too, which is great.

I have been alternating between the Revlon Matte blush and Benefit Dallas this month. Dallas is a gorgeous red-toned blush, which is a bit like a mix between a bronzer and a blush. I used to wear this every single day and kind of forgot about it. But I'm glad I rediscovered this! It gives such a lovely colour on the cheeks and has a slight shimmer, which isn't obvious but gives a nice glow. I have a blog post (from over 2 years ago!) where I show a dupe of Dallas, so if you're interested then check it out here.

I finished my can of Batiste Original in the middle of the month and picked up the Batiste Tropical version. I definitely prefer this as it smells amazing (coconuts!) and doesn't leave that unsightly white residue on my hair, like the Original did. It gives my hair a boost of life when it's looking a little worse for wear on my second day and I have been using it more often than before.

I neglected my Clarisonic when I went home for the summer and I have been loving using it again this month. I took apart the brush head to make it better for precision cleaning around my nose and cheeks after watching Nur's video on Youtube (here). I feel like my pores look much clearer now that I've started using this again and my skin in general also looks clearer and more even. I have been loving using it with the Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash, as it is a lovely cleanser that leaves my skin feeling soft and looking brighter. I am going to post a more in depth review soon, which I will link when it's live.

If you watch my monthly favourites videos on Youtube, you will know I always include a random favourite of the month. This month, I have been loving these Links of London style friendship bracelets. I have been lusting after a Links of London friendship bracelet for a while now, but couldn't justify the £150-ish price tag. My mum kindly bought these dupes for me when she went to China. I love the look of the bracelets, as they're a nice twist on a traditional thread friendship bracelet and look great dressed up or down. I have been wearing the red and pink one pretty much every day since I got them and I have found it goes with everything. They look great stacked with other bracelets and on their own.

What were you loving in September?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Everyday Makeup

I don't often post FOTDs on here... In fact, I've only ever posted one before this! But I've recently been liking my everyday makeup so I thought I'd share it with you.

Face:

Benefit Porefessional Primer

Natural Collection Green Concealer

Paul & Joe Light Cream Foundation

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

L'Oreal True Match Powder

Cheeks:

Revlon Matte Blush in 'Perfectly Peach'

Benefit Hoola

Eyes:

Estee Lauder Eyeshadow in 'Sun'

Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara

Eyebrows:

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 004 Black-Brown

Lips:

Benefit Her Glossiness in 'Didn't Hear it from Me'

If you would like to see me applying this, then check out my Youtube video here.

What makeup have you been using daily?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

August Favourites 2012

Today's post is for my August Favourites. I don't have many this month as I have been mainly using the same things as last month, but there are a few things that have stood out to me:

Clockwise from left: Elemis Rehydrating Rosepetal Cleanser, Remington 38mm Curling Wand, Urban Decay Naked Palette, Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer, Topshop Coin Necklace

What have you been loving this month?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

July Favourites 2012

Today I thought I would share my favourites from July with you:

Haha, Youtube always choose such unfortunate thumbnails

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Sales Haul

I don't usually share all my Youtube videos here on my blog, but I recently uploaded a small sale haul to my Youtube channel and thought I'd share it here too as I picked up some great bargains:




Have you picked up any goodies in the summer sales?

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

June Favourites 2012

I can't believe it's the end of June already! These are my beauty, skin and hair favourites from the month of June. If you want to see my June Favourites video, where you can hear why I've been loving these products, then click here.

Every month I include a random favourite with my monthly favourites. This month, my random favourite(s) have been buying white items of clothing. I usually stick to dark colours and tend to wear black all year round. However recently every time I am in town, I am always drawn to white items of clothing, especially crochet or broderie anglaise items. The ones below are two of my recent purchases:

Top: New Look £12.99

Dress: Urban Outfitters £30 (Reduced from £65)

What have you been loving this month?

xoxo, Joy

Blog Birthday and May Favourites 2012

Hi! Today's post is primarily about my May Favourites, however before we jump into that, I wanted to make a quick announcement...

Image: Google

My little blog turned two earlier this month and I sincerely cannot believe how fast the past two years have flown by! Thank you to all the old and new readers for your continued support. I truly appreciate all of your comments and thank you to those who take the time to read my little blog. To celebrate my blog turning two, I have given the design an overhaul. What do you guys think? For some reason, I couldn't sleep last night and ended up working through the night to make the design perfect and personally, I am rather proud of it :)

Moving onto my May favourites. This month I have been loving a variety of things, ranging from make-up to nail varnish to skincare. I have also included a 'random' favourite of the month too. 

From left to right: American Apparel Nail Lacquer in 'Office' - Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in 'In Style Coral' - La Roche Posay Effaclar K & Solait Mattifying Face Sun Fluid - H&M gold hair cuff - Garnier Body Tonic Sugar Scrub - NARS Laguna

Sleek Life's a Peach

What products were you loving this month?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Clothing and Jewellery Haul

Hi everyone, I have uploaded a quick clothes and jewellery haul to Youtube and thought I'd share it here.


The day after filming the video, I actually bought more things... Eek, my spending is out of control! I'm definitely going to have to keep more of an eye on my spending. I was wondering if any of you know of any good (and preferrable free!) money tracking iPhone apps? Thanks.
Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

April Favourites 2012

Today's post is for my April favourites. I hope you enjoy the video :)

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Small Haul

Hi everyone! I uploaded a small haul to Youtube today and thought I'd post it here too.

Why does Youtube always choose the least flattering shots to use as a thumbnail image? Lol
I am rather enjoying making Youtube videos, as I can ramble for England and sometimes find it a bit more fun talking than typing. I also love playing around with iMovie! I definitely want to upload videos more frequently, but I was wondering whether that would be something that you want to see or not?

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

DIY Make Up Brush Guards

I don't own a brush roll so when I travel I put my brushes straight into my make up bag. It's not ideal, as I have found the bristles of the brushes sometimes get splayed, become temporarily weirdly shaped and sometimes get caught in the zip if I forget to put them at the bottom of my make up bag!

I saw a blog post a few months back about looking on eBay for 1m rolls of the brush guard material to DIY. If you search 'make up brush guards' in the search box, it comes up with premade ones and 1m rolls. I opted for a 1m roll as I love a bit of DIY and figured you would probably get more for your money.

In total, I paid 99p for the 1m roll (including postage and packaging - Bought from here) and made 16 brush guards from it! You can buy brush guards online for between £5-6 for 5 (extortionate?!).

They're super easy to make, as you literally just need to snip the material to the length you want. However I was procrastinating and decided to film a quick tutorial for them. You can find the tutorial on my Youtube Channel here.

How do you store your brushes when you travel?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

What's In My Bag?

I decided to film a 'What's in my Bag?' video, because a) I have a new bag and b) I'm nosy and love to watch these videos, so I thought I'd let you have a nose into my bag! :)

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Getting Ready + OOTD for University

Today I have a quick video of my very simple everyday foundation/make-up routine and a quick OOTD for what I wore to uni. The make-up routine is so simple as I have been trying to wear less make-up and take less time getting ready in the morning. I bought a new Collection 2000 24hr Extreme Liner, because I love it so much and it's such a good price and I am still using my Rimmel Lash Accelerator, as I really dislike the new mascara I bought and I am literally scraping around the edges of this one! I hope you enjoy the video, I'd love to know what you think.


Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Collective Haul

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging very regularly lately. I have had writer's block for a while now, which ultimately made me post less as I didn't know what to blog about. I have also been super busy with uni, as I am in my final year (eek!). Hopefully posts will become regular again soon - Probably around March time :)

Today I have a collective haul from the past few weeks to share with you. I say it in the video, but sorry that some of the stuff has been worn! I think it's nice to keep the labels on for hauls, but I can never wait to wear new clothes! Is anyone else like that? Hope you enjoy :)


Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

January Favourites

Today's post is for my January favourites. I apologise in advance for repeating myself a million times!


By the way, I'm wearing my new glasses I mentioned here, so you can now see what they look like on :)
Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

DIY Scrabble Ring

I spent ages looking for a 'J' scrabble ring last year, as they were always sold out. When I finally found one on eBay, I'm sure a 'HALLELUJAH!' rang from the heavens! During the summer, I went to a few car boot sales with my mum and at one of them, there was someone selling a scrabble board game for £2. I snapped it up and decided that I would try my hand at some DIY. I recently made some scrabble rings for my friends as stocking fillers and thought I'd share how I made them.

I apologise in advance for the cringey introduction!!


One of my new year's resolutions is to find a hobby and I've recently become interested in doing more craft. I recently came across this site - Cut Out + Keep - and omgosh! It's amazing. It's full of DIY tutorials, recipes, etc. and I'm currently compiling a list of things I want to make and things I need to buy, so I'm quite excited! Do you like making things? Do you have any tips for a beginner?

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Current Favourites

I didn't do a November favourites, because I was using pretty much the same make-up throughout November as October and I didn't see the point on posting the same favourites. But recently, I've been loving some new products so I thought I'd share them with you by doing a quick video.

What are you loving at the moment?

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

DIY Toner

I've recently been breaking out more than usual and I don't know why... So I whipped up this DIY toner and thought I'd share a quick tutorial for a soothing, skin softening and acne treating toner, which has rapidly become one of my personal favourites :) It leaves your skin feeling soft and helps battle blemishes and acne. It issuper simple to make and can be made with things that are available easily and cheaply.

After filming and editing the video, I had a search on Youtube and saw that Secretlifeofabionerd already has a video about this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpf4s0zS73w),which is a tiny bit different as she uses more aspirin. Seeing as I'd spent a good few hours editing the video, I still decided to upload it. I hope you like it!

More Background Info:

Salicylic acid is abeta-hydroxy acid derived from the bark of a willow tree. It is available forthe public in the form of aspirin and lots of products aimed at acne andskin clearing on the market contain salicylic acid. Salicylicacid works by causing the cells of the epidermis to shed properly. Thisprevents the pores from getting clogged up and being infected with bacteriathereby preventing blemishes from showing.

Witch hazel is producedfrom the leaves and bark of the North American Witch Hazel shrub. It is a natural astringent, which reduces inflammation, sanitizes the skin and helps with hydration of the skin. Many people use it topically as a toner, as it is gentle and non drying to the skin.

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Collective Haul

I've just uploaded a collective haul to Youtube, so I thought I'd also post it here. It does seem like a lot, but it was bought over a couple of shopping trips and over a few weeks.

I'm sorry if you're sick of seeing videos from me!

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy