SUMMER ESSENTIALS!

Summer; that time of year we constantly wish for but then when it arrives we're reminded just how uncomfortable and unpleasant it can be whilst going about our daily lives.

Skin care and looking our best is important for many people during these months, so I've decided to make this blog post to share with you what's keeping my confidence up this summer. (No surprise it's mostly Lush!)

1. PINK FUN BY LUSH; £5

As a lover of all things sweet (tasting and smelling) I simply can't get enough of this product. It's a multi-purpose product so you can definitely get your moneys worth out of it. I love to use this product as an all over soap, breaking a bit off in the shower and lathering it in to my skin. The smell is really long lasting and it leaves my skin feeling so soft, I often find myself just stroking my arm and being all like "oh my god!" I would recommend though that you smell this product before purchasing as the I know for a fact the smell will not be to a lot of peoples taste; there are also 4 other scents available though so I'm sure there will be one you'll love!

Whilst this product is aimed more at children it is deffo one of my go to products this year.

2. D'FLUFF STRAWBERRY SHAVING SOAP BY LUSH; £5.75 (70g) // £9.95 (150g)

Now, as far as shaving foams/gels/soaps go, this is NOT cheap but oh my god; IT IS SO WORTH IT.

You're probably reading this like "Man, this girl loves sweet scented products." Let me tell you, this 100% doesn't smell like what you think it's going to. It's more of a fresh smell when in the pot. In fact the first time I smelled it I really wasn't all that keen. I then got in the shower and rubbed it in to my skin, and for some reason the scent just came alive! I personally think it smells slightly like strawberry angel delight, so don't let the initial scent put you off!!!!

I originally bought this product because with summer being here I realised I now have no excuse to not shave my legs (I know you all let it slide in winter girls, don't even deny it!) BUT my main issue with shaving was that no matter what razor/gel combination I used I would get awful shaving rash. This product however, let me tell you, has completely eliminated that!

SHAVING RASH IS A THING OF THE PAST!

My main concern was that my little 70g tub would probably last me one shave as I'm like 6ft 1, meaning my legs go on for miles, I was really surprised though that a little really does go a long way with this product! Added bonus as well, like ALL lush products that ever have and ever will exist until the end of time, it leaves my skin feeling soooooo soft; once again leaving me stroking myself like some crazy weird person (I'm not. I promise!) 

3.  GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER - £4.99 (400ml) 

If you're sat there asking "what is micellar water?" then I propose a question to you; HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK?! - but no seriously, have you?

Bioderma seemed to be the ones to really get micellar water 'out there', causing a massive scene in the beauty world and soon many other brands where following in their footsteps.

For those of you that have been under that rock, basically micellar water is a water solution (who'd have guessed?) I'm going to get all science-y now;

Water and oil do not mix together, oil will always sit on top of water, keeping them separated! So when you use your other makeup removers, they struggle to mix with the oils in your make up and remove it completely. Micellar water on the other hand contains surfactant molecules (I told you I was getting science-y!). These surfactant molecules help the water and oil to mix helping to remove ALL the make up from your skin.

Bioderma in the UK is so hard to get hold of and in turn becomes expensive. I mean I bought 2 bottles from France last year & even they were €20! The Garnier version tends to retail about about £5 although it's currently on offer in most places in the UK at about £3.30!

This is an incredibly easy product to use; just put a small amount on to cotton pad and remove your make up. It's that simple. AND the best thing about it is that it removes even waterproof/stubborn mascara and eyeliner AND it soothes and hydrates the skin, making it an all in one product that is just amazing to use at the end of a hot, sweaty day.

4. TEA TREE WATER BY LUSH - £3.95 (100G) / £7.50 (200g)

THE HOLY GRAIL OF ANY PRODUCT, EVER, HAS ARRIVED. Why I never used tea tree water before 2014, I don't know. I originally bought this product to use after shaving to help combat that shaving rash but I've found myself using it on my face and it has helped clear up my spots so much. THANKS LUSH! Also, with summer comes blood sucking flying creatures. I suffer really badly from allergic reactions and infected insect bites (I would insert a photo at this point, but no. You'd probably throw up and never return to my blog again!) This product has been an absolute life saver in helping to heal these nasty bites and keep them from being so itchy. THANKS AGAIN LUSH! Added bonus; it's so refreshing and somehow always feels cold when you spray it on your skin???? So it's perfect for this warm weather. 

I don't really know what else to say about this product; I'm just so in awe of it and love how it makes my skin feel. The fact it's a great multi purpose product also makes me really happy.

Have you used any of these products? If yes, what do you think? Do you know any alternatives to these products? Also, what are you loving this summer? Comment & let me know!

The £50 wedding outfit!

So, summer is here and for a lot of people that means a wedding is in the not too distant future.
My uncle is getting married in less than 2 weeks and I bought a dress (stupidly) way back in March! The problem is, since then I've dropped a dress size so I was left with an amazing dress that didn't fit! So instead of crying about it, I set myself a challenge of getting a whole new outfit for less than £50 and I managed it!
So take a peep below and see what I put together!!

Love Label Cream Lace Playsuit ~ £23.20

Black Jacquard Blazer ~ £11

M&S cream fascinator (not pictured) ~ £9.50

New Look black lace heels ~ they've been sat in my wardrobe for about 18 months but they were like £6 in the sale! 

I'm yet to find a bag for this outfit so if you guys can help me & link me to some clutches in the comments below then I'll love you forever!!!!! Also let me know what you think of this bargain outfit! 

Kayte xo

Illamasqua Hydra Veil.

 

This product was sent to me as a mistake. I initially ordered the matte hydra veil as I suffer from combination/oily skin. However I was sent the hydra veil and by the time I'd realised the mistake I'd broken the seal on the product, meaning it couldn't be returned. So, instead of selling it on, I decided to give it a try as my smashbox photo finish primer had come to the end of it's life. I'd heard a lot of great things about this product, mainly from people with out a problematic t-zone, but I figured it would do me until I could afford another primer. 

I've been using the hydra veil for about 4 weeks now as a base for mac studio fix foundation and I have to admit I am truly amazed. I am in awe at how this primer can hold a full coverage foundation (and powder) on my face for a good 10-11 hours without me even having to worry about it sliding or me getting the dreaded shiny face. 

It's a bit daunting when you first look at it in the pot, it's clear gel consistency even made me fear it slightly, but using the little spatula (which is kindly included) it is easy to remove  a pea sized 'blob' from the rather attractive looking pot. 

From there I like to then rub the product in to my hands and on to my face.  It dries almost instantly and doesn't leave any smell, which is great for people that don't like to use perfumed products. It leaves your skin feeling hydrated where needed but also matte where you need it, as well as smooth and soft.  

I would fully recommend this product to ANYONE. Definite 9/10. On the much dearer side, at £30, this deffo is a high end product but it is worth every penny & I can tell it's going to last me a few months so it's definitely a great investment! 

Have you tried this product or the matte hydra veil? What do you think? Also what other primers would you recommend? Comment below & let me know! :)

Kayte xo

1 YEAR, OOPS.

SOOOO, I know it's a promise I make often BUT I am going to start blogging more & hopefully do some vlogs in the upcoming weeks. It's been over a year since my last post and quite frankly that upsets me because I feel like there's so much I could have blogged about already & I just haven't!

SO KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED!

Kayte - xo

Hair knots: Aussie vs Beauty Protector.

So, despite loving my hair, I constantly find myself wanting to just shave it off. I am often reduced to tears over the pain (both physical and emotional) it causes me. I have very thick hair and a lot of it. This has always meant that my hair has been hard to manage. I mean, we all know how amazing the Tangle Teezer (RRP £10.99) is; I can't even get that through my hair without detangling products!!!

For a very long time after washing I used Aussie Luscious Long Leave-in Conditioner (£4.99/250ml at Boots)

I always thought this product was great and I still believe that for people, who just struggle with tangling after washing, it is. However I personally found it to not keep the tangles at bay between washes, something that is important to me. 

Asif by some miracle though, in the June Birchbox, I received a sample of Beauty Protector - Protect & Detangle (£15)

As I'm using a sample I'm not sure what size the retailing bottle is (plus I can't find the size online). Now straight away it is apparent it is a pricier product but its appeal of being a multi purpose vegan product is just fabulous! It smells equally as nice as the Aussie spray but the real difference is noticeable in between washes. My hair remains tangle free! Im in complete awe of this product. This product also claims to add shine and UV protection; even though I've not noticed an added shine to my hair I guess it's nice to have the UV protection. I would recommend both products depending on your need. 

Have you found anything to keep those knots at bay? What do you think of these products?

Illamasqua

On Friday I went to town to buy some Illamasqua UV nail polish. (£15 for 50ML)
I went in with an idea of what colour to buy (there's 4 to choose from). I primarily wanted to buy Ouija (pink) because, let's face it, what girl doesn't like pink?

Mac Winter Collection.

So, thanks to a good friend of mine I was able to get my hands on this. Unfortunately it is no longer available from MAC however I thought for my first review I'd use this. It retails at £32 which can be seen as pretty steep but let's face it, for 6 eyeshadows in a limited addition package, it's worth it. The shadows are: Snowball (F), Illegal Cargo (F), Idol Eyes (L), Warm & Smoky (VXP) and Set To Dance (M).

Included in the set also is a 213SE brush which to be honest I will not be using to apply these shadows as I do not like the kind of brush it is.