Eco Chic - Reusable bag

However cute is this little bag? And it's eco friendly! Winningggg!

So as all of you now know the 5p charge for plastic bags is now upon us. I'm all for it, however I can't lie to you guys... I'm utterly hopeless at forgetting to take my canvas tote with me in my handbag. It's not until I even get to the till that I realise and I'm kicking myself! Well anyway I was shopping for Christmas decorations (yes it's nearly upon us) when I literally stumbled across this little bag. I only really noticed it because my little girls nick name is lamb and I can spot lamb printed products a mile off now! It was just £4.99 and is actually a good standard size bag, for me the bonus is that it folds up into this super adorable little pouch so once I'm done with it I make sure I fold it straight back up and it now has a constant home in my handbag!

It can take up to a good 5KG of weight which is essential for us avid shoppers and they have a ton of different prints it's impossible not to find one that takes your fancy. I'm a massive lover of stags and was so torn on which one to go for - I wish I would have just bought both! It comes with a 1 year gaurentee and is both durable and waterproof. 

I discovered on their website they also do different style of bags. I picked mine up from notcotts but you can purchase from their website here.  

Ashley xoxo

144 eyeshadow shades for £8!

                       Bargain alert! 

My room is over flowing with eyeshadows and to be honest I don't even wear them that often, however I was standing in the que in superdrug when I saw this on offer £20 reduced to £8 yes £8!!! So I figured for the sakes of a measly £8 I would give it a go! 

Buying this was SUCH a good idea, it has a wide range of colours (144 to be exact) and they actually stay put all day - you only need to use the smallest amount so the pigments are actually really good! They're a dead ringer for urban decay and super affordable! It includes every day colours like nudes, to smokey evening eyes and then some bolder colours for experimenting, I figured those would be good for Halloween, fancy dress etc... There's plenty of choice between matte and shimmer textures. 

As I said before I have so much eyeshadow but I love that there is such a wide range in this compact, it's taken prime position on my dressing table... so easy for those quick '2 minute' makeovers! I'm certainly going to be trying some more of there range, a lot of it starts at just £1. Is this the new MUA?

Ashley xoxo 

Precision tweezers - Anastasia Beverly Hills

I think one of the most important stages of being an eyebrow guru is a good set of tweezers. You can have the best 'must have' brow products along with that 'perfect' shade but if you have two furry friends on your face, it won't matter. I've invested in a few tweezers over the last few years including tweezerman and benefit, the battle is finally over. I've found the perfect pair, I won't ever buy a different pair again, these are my best friend... Anastasia Beverly Hills until I die!

These stainless steel slant-tipped tweezers are hand crafted in Italy. They effortless tweeze the finest and smallest hairs straight from the root so no breaking of the hair or skin... Ouch! I've found tweezing my brows with these takes half the amount of time as my previous benefit ones, they're so sharp! One tip I would give would be that they come with a rubber protector to keep them super sharp, I lost mine and due to throwing them around in various make-up bags I am now having to purchase a new pair as they're no longer doing their job, my mum however has always maintained the rubber protector and hers are good as new! (I'm not the best at looking after things)

I would highly recommend investing in a pair of these pastel pink beauty's. They will be your new favourite staple in your beauty regime for years to come! I picked mine up from cult beauty for £22 

What are your favourite tweezers? Have you already got these? Do you love them as much I do?? 

Ashley xoxo 

Emite diamond heart illuminating primer

I'm a firm believer in a good primer and I've tried a few to say the least. My usual go to primer is smashbox, I've always gone back to this no matter what else I've tried. I've tried many different foundations with and without primers and the only one I'm happy to pass the primer step with is my Estée Lauder double wear. 

Let me introduce you to this primer I received this month. I've trailed and tested it and I'm loving it! 

This is a lightweight primer and promises to make your skin look radiant, smooth and even toned. It is composed of small gold coloured light-reflecting particles to make your skin glow and give a smoothing effect. It blends into my skin really well and leaves my skin feeling super radiant, providing a long lasting finish. 

When I first opened the packaging I was a little worried about the colour of the product as its a beige/pink however it's absolutely fine once on your skin. 

I'm prone to breakouts and have pretty sensitive skin, I've had no problem with this product (although of course everyone is different) It doesn't feel heavy at all on my skin which is a big thumbs up from me! I adore the packaging - simple and clean. This is a Swedish make-up brand and retails at £25. 

What's your favourite primer? 

Ashley xoxo 

Glossy box - Nars edition

I have wanted to get my little mitts on some Nars cosmetics for quite some time, as soon as I received the email that glossy box would be collaborating with them, well that was it... The date was on the chalk board and the alarm was set on my phone for the second it went on sale. I had already forwarded the email to my mum explaining how I would just cry if i didn't get one and that she would need to try get one for me too (back up plan was well in place)

I was beyond excited to open this, I practically snatched it from the post man and actually tripped up the stairs because I was in such a hurry to get it open! I sat on the bed caressing the box with the big decision in my head... Rip the lid off and tear it open in 0.001 seconds or savour it and delicately undo the sticker... Which one do you think I went with?

As you can see for blog purposes I had to open it as gently as possible! Haha.

Included in the box: 

Audacious mascara

Larger than life eyeliner 

The multiple 

Blush 

Satin lip pencil 

Audacious - full size £21

I use the same mascara day in day out, it's the one product in my beauty bag I never ever change because I simply don't need to. It's suited me just fine the last 8 years so I didn't expect to really think much of this. Once I saw the wand on this mascara I thought maybe just maybe my mind could be changed and I have to confess I actually rather like it! It's made my lashes look really long! I do have to admit that I used my beloved usual mascara over it because I wanted to separate them more but I think from now on I will be buying two mascaras - damn it. 

Larger than life eyeliner - full size £19

This one right here claims to stay put for 12 hours, I actually believe that may well be the case because I was struggling to rub it off. I'm not by any means a pro with an eyeliner but this isn't personally something I will purchase. I much prefer liquid. I found this SO difficult to apply, I was smudging it everywhere! 

The multiple in orgasm - full size £29

Woooooow I love this!! I will buy this for sure. The colour is perfect for me and it's so easy to use. It's called the multiple for the obvious reason it can be used everywhere! Cheekbones, lips, eyes and even as a body shimmer. I used it to contour almost - I ran it over my cheeks, nose and Cupid bow. It's the perfect highlight. Not too shimmery and my skin looks lovely and glowing! 

Blush in orgasm - full size £23

I currently use a Mac blusher which I was happy with but I think this colour may be better for me, it's the perfect little partner in crime for the multiple. During the day I will use it very lightly just to give me a little colour then in the evening layer it over the multiple for a more luminous finish. It suggests blending it into your cheeks, jaw line, tip of nose and along the jaw.

Satin lip pencil in rikugein - full size £19

How on earth do you say what colour this is? Oh well it doesn't matter because I will always have it in my handbag now. The dusty pink shade is adorable, and it's so moisturising. I have such a daily struggle with lip products drying my lips out so this has made my day. I just tapped the pencil in the centre of my lips and used my finger to smudge it outwards. I used the tiniest amount so I can see this product going a long way. It looks super effortless and natural however it can easily be transitioned to evening by applying it like a lipstick. I put it on a couple of hours ago and I've had lunch and it's still on my lips... Hooray! 

First swatch is the lip pencil and the second is the multiple. 

I love the Nars packaging. It's black and has a rubber feel to it. I'm such a sucker for packaging and I love the look of these products. I'm certainly going to be investing in more Nars cosmetics. I'm a complete newbie so please comment on what your favourite products are so I can start my collection!

Ashley xoxo 

Top 10 Christmas calendars

Why ask for just one present when you can ask for 24? Forget the chocolate and indulge into a beauty surprise every day! How can any morning be a bad one with one of these to open?? 

Here are my top picks... 

Benefit party poppers - £79.17

This one is full of miniature versions of all of benefits best products. It's the best way to pamper yourself for those last 12 days before Christmas! Hula, sugarbomb, watts up - need I say more?

No7 beauty calendar £38

This calander is full of must haves from no7 it also has a beauty quote behind each door. This can save you up to £100 on No7 beauty products! 

Body shop £60

This body shop calendar features their best selling body and bath products. It ranges from lip butters to make up brushes but you will also find some festive cranberry products! 

Coats mini mani 

23 mini polishes and a full size one for Christmas Eve - this is the perfect one for the nail fan! Get creative with all the different colours you're sure to receive! 

Kerastase golden calendar £80

The ultimate for all you hair goddesses! This includes 25 of the most iconic products. Your hair is going to look amazing this Christmas! 

Charlotte Tilbury a book of make-up magic £150

12 days of the most talked about make-up and skincare products right now. In a mix of full and travel sized products how on earth could you be dissapointed with this? 

Yankee candle £24.99 

Calling all candle lovers, 24 seasonal scented tea lights. A new scent every evening for those snug nights in! 

Clarins £60 

24 ways to discover clarins best selling products. It has everything you could ever need for your skin care routine! 

Lush £49.95

12 full sized fair trade bath and shower treats. No need to feel guilty about this one! 

24 days of beard treats £29.99

So if you're like me and asking for a cosmetic calander this year I guess it's only fair the boy has something in return right? Ideal for the bearded guy this contains their entire range! 

So here are my top picks, what's your favourite? Be sure to grab one quickly they sell out so fast! 

Ashley xoxo 

 

Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser

I've really fallen in love right here. I've never tried anything from the Liz Earle range before and this was actually a gift for my birthday back in July! I've only recently started using it, I wasn't sure how I first felt about the idea of using a muslin to remove my makeup. I'm very anti face flannels... Anyway let me explain.. 

Let's start with saying that this is a 100ml at £15.50 and will probably last a life time, okay maybe not a life time but you certainly get your money's worth. I never need to use more than a single pump of this because it's SO creamy. You can also say goodbye to messy hair because you apply this product to your face dry. No more water splashing - Hooray! It comes with two muslins so I can normally make one last me two evenings, then I pop that one in the wash and use my clean one. I also love the packaging. The product is a pump so no mess or fuss, and no issues with using all of the product inside like you get with a tube. The best part is it feels and smells like a real pamper product. 

You gently massage the cleanser into your skin, rinse the Muslin with warm water and then take your makeup off a section at a time, using a new piece of the Muslin each time. I love the way the cleanser feels and the cloth isn't rough for my sensitive skin. 

I always use simple face wipes to remove my makeup and use on average three (I will just add I don't wear much makeup) I don't tend to wear any kind of eyeliner or eyeshadow etc.. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw residue of my makeup still left on the muslin after using this product. I was horrified!! Now it wasn't tons by any means but considering I use three wipes and then normally hop into bed feeling all 'fresh faced' I couldn't quite comprehend all those nights I still had excess makeup on my face!!!

If you're on the look out for a new cleanser that makes your skin feel super clean and pampered then this is the one to invest in. I will purchase this again and again now, I tend to get dry skin especially now we are approaching these colder months and this hasn't dried my skin out at all! I normally find it a damn right nuisance to stick to a skin care routine but I find something so satisfying now about shoving my hair in a bun and heading into the bathroom to grab my new best friend. Its so satisfying to see the dirt left on the muslin and knowing I'm getting into bed with a clean, moisturised face :) 

Packaging - 4/5

Quality - 4/5

Price - 4/5

User friendly - 4/5

Are you a Liz Earle fan? Can you recommend any other products I should purchase? 

Ashley xoxo 

Photography of circles

Some of you may know that I recently started a photography course, I love photography. I love that you can capture a moment in time and keep it forever. The amount of photos I have and take on a daily basis is insane. Getting the old family albums out of the loft over Christmas or the endless photos of my little one over the last year is one of my favourite things in the entire world to do. I guess I like to reminisce!

My 'homework' this week for my course was to take photos of circles. Now let me be perfectly clear I am 100% new to this and none of the images below have in anyway been edited. They're simply my take on 'circles' - I would love some feedback or tips so please let me know what you think!! 

Ashley xoxo