MY BATHTIME ESSENTIALS

Hello!

Recently I've been suffering with bloggers block and cannot think of anything to write about, until Saturday morning when I started running a bath and thought 'How could I make this into a blog post?' and after a little discussion with myself, I decided I would write about my bath essentials!

Whenever I have a bath I like to use these products the most before, after, and in my bath.

Hair

I am currently obsessed with the Macadamia Oil shampoo and conditioner, and they have easily become my favourite hair duo. The shampoo leaves my hair looking fresh and healthy which is everything I want, especially as I have previously used a lot of heat on my hair, and dye it so sometimes it can look quite limp, but the shampoo vanishes my split ends and brightens my hair nicely. I only use the conditioner on the ends of my hair otherwise my hair becomes very slippy and hard to handle, but it gives my ends a very silky feel and a lovely shine.

Body

I got these 2 body washes for Christmas which is why they look full, but I have used both of them before and immediately fell in love with the scent of them both. The Strawberries & Cream wash smell is very powerful, and the scent stays on my skin all day which is a plus. Also, it doubles up as a body wash and bath mixture, and comes in a very big container so will last me a long time. However, it's not the best for dry skin, where as the Snow Fairy wash is. Snow Fairy is very good at moisturizing the skin, as well as washing it, and leaving a very sweet scent behind, but it is limited edition so I have to be rational when I use it.

After bath care

Espa isn't the most affordable brand for everyone, especially as both of these 200ml bottles cost £22.50, however every penny is worth it. The first thing I like to use is the Cleansing Milk on my face and neck as it's very good for dry and sensitive skin which is exactly my skin type, and can also be used to take off makeup as it's a gentle milk, so wouldn't be harsh on sensitive facial areas. After using this my skin feels very hydrated and soft because of the sweet almond and soya beans to moisturize, whilst the marshmallow, rose, geranium and chamomile soothe and soften my skin as well as leaving a lovely scent.

The Floral Spafresh is for toning the skin and leaving it ready for applying moisturizer and makeup, but also gives a very refreshed feel, and as though my skin as been fixed and repaired-this is because the rose damascena hydrates the skin for moisturizer, and rose geranium soothes and protects while neroli rejuvenates for a smooth finish.

After the bath my body feels very dry-even if I have been using a moisturizing bath lotion, but this vanishes any feeling of dry and cracked skin which is exactly what I need. When applying this you only need a little bit as it goes a long way, but as a 50ml tub I have a feeling it will run out quicker then I expect! The body souffle smells of rose, sandalwood, and vanilla which I admit isn't a fragrance that sounds very enticing, but it is.

Relaxation

The ultimate bath relaxation product is candles, you can't have a bath without candles-it just doesn't work! I used a range of lovely smelling candles to let off a nice aroma in the room, I'm not sure where these candles are from but they all smell delightful. I always get scared the candles will fall into the bath or fall off the bath, but you just have to be weary that you're surrounded by a potential fire hazard and place the candles in a sturdy place otherwise things will go terribly wrong, and you will most definitely not be relaxed.

Whenever I have a bath I always need something to occupy me otherwise I get extremely bored, so I like to take a book or magazine in there with me. I've been taking in The Fault In Our Stars recently as that's what I'm reading, and it keeps me in the bath for an extra unnecessary 10 minutes, but that means I am extra clean and replenished. I sometimes make the mistake of putting my hand in the water then touching my book again leaving me with a partially wet book, oops.

The worst thing is having a dry throat when you're in the bath because that means you have to get out, get a drink, then get back into a possible cold bath which is something I dislike a lot. So, I take up some kind of flavoured tea with me as it's more exciting then English tea, but still leaves you relaxed and humble. Also, when the bath starts to get cold I have a sip of my hot drink and my body feels warmer again so I can stay in the bath longer.

My last relaxation product is bath bombs or bath melts, a bath isn't a bath without some sort of in-bath product. I finally used my Melting Marshmallow Moment bath bomb, which was incredibly relaxing, and a delight to use. My skin felt really clean and clear after lying in the lilac water for around 20 minutes, as well as smelling very delicious and sweet. The great thing about this is that I don't have to use all of it in one go, I only used half in my bath meaning I can use the other half another time, and didn't have to waste it all in one sitting!

Those are a few of my bathtime essentials that I think all baths should consist of.

BEAUTY THINGS I SUCK AT

Hello!

Today I'm going to be writing about beauty things that I suck at. Obviously I'm not a professional make-up artist so don't think I'm particularly skillful at anything to do with beauty, but there are definitely things I suck at a lot more than others.

1. Eyeshadow

I love the overall look of eyeshadow when it's done well, however I cannot seem to master the art of eyeshadow. I know what colours go well with which, and how to blend etc, but I just can't seem to project my knowledge onto eyelids. The most I can do is one colour, with a darker one in the crease, but even then I still don't like how I've done it. Mastering the look of eyeshadow really comes down to what brushes you use and what eyeshadows you use, I have only ever used in-expensive eyeshadows and brushes because I'd rather spend my money on a lipstick etc, but I think this may be one of the reasons I suck at it-I don't use the right tools and brands.

An example of where I go wrong with eyeshadow:

2. Contouring

Unfortunately I can't use the excuse that I don't have the right brushes for contouring because I do, I have the Real Techniques contour brush, but I am always unsure of how much bronzer to use for contouring. I don't want to go over-board and look too bronzed in one particular place, but I also don't want to look like a failure at contouring-where is that in-between? My current bronzer is Bourjois Paris chocolate bronzer which is very good, but when contouring with it I can never seem to make my cheekbones look defined. I know I don't apply too little because when I look in the mirror you can see a clear difference in skin tone, however no change in face shape is there so I'm completely stuck on what I'm doing wrong.

An example of where I go wrong with contouring:

3. Painting toenails

When it comes to painting fingernails I'm not too bad because I paint them quite often, and thankfully have the talent of being able to paint with both hands. Toenails, on the other hand, is not the same situation. For some reason my line of sight is not the same for my toes as it is for my hands, I always seem to end up with nail-varnish on the sides of my nail, and a very streaky looking nail. Why is this? You'd think that painting toenails would be easy and the toenails would cooperate, but mine don't seem to agree. Also, I don't have short toenails so they aren't hard to miss and ruin, yet I still manage to find a way of mucking them up, even though there is plenty of nail to paint on!

An example of where I go wrong with toenail painting:

 

 4. Lip Liner

I don't usually wear lip liner, but on the rare occasions I have, it has never gone right first time. I also can't use the excuse I have a bad lip liner because I don't, however I can't follow the shape of my lips at all; I either end up going round the outside, missing my lip line, or not going close enough to the edge. I also can't match lip liner with lipstick well, the difference in the lipstick to lip liner is too big, and looks way too fake for my liking. In addition, as my lips are quite shaped and big anyway, lip liner tends to make them appear bigger and look as if I've had collagen, I can't line my lips in a way that my lips won't look any bigger/smaller.

An example of where I go wrong with lip liner:

 There are many more small things I suck at in the beauty world, however these are my main weaknesses and things that bring my make-up ability down. Obviously the photos were slightly exaggerated and I am not that bad, they just show the main faults when doing these beauty related things.

 

JANUARY FAVOURITES

Hello!

I've been liking quite a few things in January, not so much makeup and beauty items, but a range of foods, drinks, soaps and accessories.

1. Mac Vanilla Pigment

Although I got this pigment in November for my birthday, I've only just started using it, and honestly it's the best beauty product I've ever used. If you didn't know, this is a very iridescent white pigment which most people use as a highlighter (including me), and by applying this along: the nose, inner eye corners, brow bone, cupids bow, and cheekbones it really transforms the shape of your face. This adds a beautiful shimmer to your face, without looking too tacky and over-powering, it also looks gorgeous in the sun light as your best features are shown.

2. Jacksons Sencha Green Tea with Lemon

Last week I was ill with a very annoying cold, and apparently this tea was meant to help. In all honesty, it didn't help very much, but I did find a new love for it. The taste is quite odd and not something I would usually like, but I surprisingly did like it a lot! I can't say too much about this because it's just tea, but after having it for a week on end, it's one of my favourite tea flavours.

3. Flappy Bird Iphone game

 This Iphone game has tested my anger very well, and leaves me feeling very frustrated after playing. The game is very simple, you tap a bird to make it fly, but you have to guide it through some tubes without hitting them because if you do, then you die. It's hard to explain but it leaves me entertained for hours, as well as annoyed. If you do have a phone that supports the app, please get it and you will understand what I, and the nation have been going through.

4. The Devil Wears Prada DVD

 Even though this is a 2 film collection, I am obsessed with The Devil Wears Prada film, the whole concept of the movie makes me so happy, and is almost like my dream life. The movie is basically about an ordinary, plain women who looks for a job which every girl dreams of having without realizing how good it is, however she gets the very special job in the huge fashion company, this then changes her whole attitude towards life and becomes a very fashionable women herself. Her friends then leave her after her attitude sucks, but she eventually realizes the job isn't right for her and leaves. Whilst all this is going on, she is also involved in multiple love situations. In short, watch the film.

5. Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer 

For the past few months I have been using 17's instant glow bronzer which was ok, but I had been after this one for a while, and finally got it last week-best decision ever made. The 17 one was way too orange, and very hard to blend in where as this one gives a subtle bronzed tone without looking too tacky, or splodgy. 'Delice de Poudre' claims to smell of chocolate, I personally can't smell the chocolate however everyone else can. Anyway, this is my favourite bronzer I've ever tried, and is perfect for that sun-kissed look.

6. Lush Bath Bombs

I'm more of a shower person, and have only recently discovered how much I love baths. Over the past week I've loved having baths with Lush bath bombs, or bath bombs in general, it's so relaxing and is a great time waster. This bath bomb is called Melting Marshmallow Moment, I clearly haven't used it yet but the juicy candy smell is very enticing. The bath bomb which I have used is called Honey Bee, it left my bath smelling of a sweet caramel and honey, and my skin as smooth as ever. I really recommend Lush bath bombs, or anything from Lush as it's very affordable, and does great things for your body.

7. Rings

The last thing I have been loving recently is rings. I have 3 midi rings, and 1 full ring which I am constantly wearing as a set. Eversince I got these I have not taken them off due to the feeling that my hands were glamorous, and designer. Most people ask me if my midi rings get annoying, but half the time I don't even notice I have them on because they're so comfy which is odd to say the least about a ring, however it's true, most the time I'm oblivious to the fact my rings are only half way down my hand!

These favourites were quite random and varied, but oh well, they are what I have been loving throughout January.