10 Day You Challenge - 10 Secrets

Have seen this tag floating around a few blogs lately and thought I'd give it a go, as I thought it was a nice idea :)

10 Secrets

1. I'm ashamed that my main hobby at the moment is blogging, especially as I haven't told family and friends that I do it :( Don't take this the wrong way - I love blogging, but I'm scared people in my life will judge me and laugh at me and not take it as seriously as I, and my followers, do. 
2. I'm very shy and self conscious in real life, I wish I was more confident :(
3. I'm slowly running out of friends, they all seem to just disappear :( and this makes me feel very vulnerable and lonely.
4. I've only ever had one serious relationship, with my current boyfriend of two years, and I honestly have no idea what I'd do if I lost him :( he's my best friend as well as my boyfriend and as much as he annoys me sometimes, he makes me the happiest I've ever felt.
5. My parents divorced when I was 8 and since then I've had major trust issues with the male figures in my life, as well as boyfriends (it took me over a year to fully trust Callum, my current boyfriend) and I honestly think I'll always be insecure with trust. HOWEVER, once I trust someone, I probably trust them too much and become too dependent :/ I can't win!
6. As bad as it sounds, one of the main reasons I turned vegetarian was to prove to people who said I couldn't do it, that I could. I'm THAT stubborn... and I don't like most meats.
7. I hate most of my body (hence why I don't post OOTDs) - especially my tummy and my thighs. The only part I really like are my boobs haha.
8. I honestly think I could be bipolar; my mood swings are ridiculous.
9. I'm probably OCD for checking my emails, facebook and twitter - seriously I do it ALL the time. 
10. I hate feeling like I haven't achieved anything in a day, like if I just have a lazy day I feel crap for most of it as I'm not actually achieving anything :/

Thanks for reading! Feel free to steal this tag :)
xoxo

FOTN: Girly Night!

Last Friday I had a girly night with my Aunt which consisted of food at Prezzo then watching films and drinking fizzy wine! But anyway, this is what I did to my face. I'm sorry if this is too similar to my previous FOTD look, I'm a sucker for neutral eye shadows, but I think this is slightly more smokey, not sure the camera really picked it up though :/

FACE:

• Benefit POREfessional Primer
• Garnier BB Cream for Oily Skin in Light
• Collection (2000) Lasting Perfection Concealer
• Max Factor Translucent Powder
• Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Bronzer
• Rimmel Blush in Pink Rose

EYES:

• Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette
• Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel
• L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara in Extra Black

LIPS:

• MAC Lipstick in Hue

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Recent Buys/Gifts

Just some things I've picked up lately from Superdrug and Tesco, with some Estee Lauder goodies thrown in which my Aunt gave me as she didn't want them!

Picked up these two face masks from Superdrug for 99p each, they're both aimed at oily skin and include many of the same ingrediants however I did want to compare them! I've used the second one and really liked it, will use the other one next week I think :)

Bit boring, but needed a new conditioner as I'm nearly out of my Tres Emme colour protect one so decided to give Herbal Essences a try again as I love the way their shampoos and conditioners smell!

Bless my mum, she picked up a copy of Glamour for me without realising I already had it (twice, actually, for the freebies!) but got a different freebie from the Balance Me range, so excited to try this out as I've nearly used up my Estee Lauder face wash.

When I saw the Impulse body sprays on offer in Superdrug, I decided to pick one up mainly because in the summer, I love freshening up by spraying a scent and I'm nearly all out of my day to day perfume so figured this would be a cheaper option for the summer and so far I really like it :)

Another boring buy, but I needed a new shower wash and thought this looked nice :) It smells lovely, I can't wait to use it!

This was on my beauty wishlist and when I was in Superdrug I had to pick it up and so far, I like it! I got it in the lightest shade which seems to match me fine and it just makes a nice change from foundation. Expect a full review soon :) 

This is the first Estee Lauder goodie and I'll admit now, I absolutely love it! It's one of their Pure Color lipglosses in the shade Rock Candy and it's lovely. I love the scent, and the formula is not too sticky which is good :)

The only lip pencil I have in a bright pink so I was happy to accept this nudey brown lip pencil in Spice! It's a Double Wear formula product so should have decent staying power - will keep you posted on how I get on with this!

Swatches of the lip pencil and the lip gloss :)

My Aunt also gave me this eyeshadow palette from Estee Lauder which is not available for sale so it doesn't have a name or anything and I haven't tried it yet but I really like the look of some of the eye shadows mainly the more neutral colours!

Thanks for reading! What have you been buying lately?

xoxo

All items purchased by me except the Estee Lauder products which were given as a sample to a family member then passed on to me.

FOTD: Coral Lips

FACE:

• Benefit POREfessional Primer
• Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff
• Max Factor Translucent Powder
• Estee Lauder Bronzer in Bronze Goddess
• Rimmel Blush in Pink Rose

EYES:

• Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette (lid & crease)
• MUA Heaven & Earth Palette (highlight)
• Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel
• L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara

LIPS:

• L'oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in Dating Coral

Thanks for reading - hope you're enjoying the weather!!

xoxo

NEW BLOG NAME!

I was getting sick of wonderwall-93 so thought I'd change it! Probably not going to be permanent as I'm not THAT keen on it, so any other more imaginative ideas would be appreciated!

My Twitter name has also changed, I'm now @emilyannbeauty follow me if you haven't already! :)

You may need to unsubscribe and re-subscribe in order for my posts to show up on your blog feed again!! :) x

Skincare Routine

Seeing as one of my tips in my acne post (see here) was establishing a skincare routine, I figured I might aswell share with you my skincare routine!

NOTE: I'm aware Estee Lauder skincare is pricey, however as I've had issues with my skin when I was younger, I'm happy to invest money into my skincare if it works for me which it does! If you have a cheap moisturiser that works for you, great :) I'm not telling you what to buy, I'm telling you what works for me.

L-R: Garnier Pure 3in1 Wash, Scrub & Mask / Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Cleanser / Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Toner / Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skin-tone Illuminator / Estee Lauder Daywear Oil Free Moisturiser / Simple Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes.

These products are what I have been using recently, however, most of them have been in my routine for years!

Garnier Pure 3in1 Wash, Scrub & Mask - I mentioned this in my June favourites and figured I may aswell mention it now! I love this stuff, it makes a great scrub and mask and I just love it! I always try to have a scrub and mask in my routine so this product is great as it does both!

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Cleanser - I got this for my birthday, but I admit I'm not too keen on it, I'm just using it up now. It gets off my makeup fine, however it stings like a b*tch when it gets in my eyes! Personally, I think what's the point in a face wash if it hurts so much when you get it in your eyes?! Anyway, I always have a face wash in my routine so this is just what I'm currently using :)

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Toner - I've only recently added this to my routine but I love it! I never used to see the point in a toner however my skin loves this, it feels so cool and nice on my skin.

Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skin-tone Illuminator - I'm aware this product is expensive, and to be completely honest, it probably isn't worth the amount of money that you pay, but I do love this stuff. My skin becomes instantly even toned and all red patches disappear, it's amazing! But I understand how some people don't think it's worth the money and to be honest, I could live without it. However, it does feel amazing and look pretty good on the skin though! I usually get this for Christmas or my birthday as a treat, don't judge me haha!

Estee Lauder DayWear Oil Free Moisturiser - I love love love this moisturiser, it's been a staple in my skincare routine for years (I originally used the normal DayWear, now I use the oil free formula) and even when I try new moisturisers, they never live up to this! I love the fresh scent, the cool, creamy texture and how moisturised it leaves my skin!

Simple Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes - I love Simple face wipes, but these specific kind are new to me and I really like them. I have honestly noticed a difference in my skin, it's definitely less oily. My boyfriend even uses these when he's round mine as they help his skin too!

So that's my skincare routine! Any questions or suggestions for any other posts leave a comment or tweet me!

Thanks for reading!!

xoxo

Montagne Jeunesse Perfectly Pampered Orange Oil Spa Hair Mask Review

This review has taken a while to be posted as I took photos on my camera which then died and my boyfriend kept forgetting to give the charger back to me! For reference, I actually used this mask on the 12th of July.

"Perfectly Pampered is exclusively formulated using carefully selected marine and plant extracts. This essential nutrients nourish, re-hydrate & protect..."

Now I'm an avid user of hair masks and treatments as my hair is fairly damaged by heat and bleaching, so when I was given the opportunity to review this product from Montagne Jeunesse I thought why not?!

When I used this mask, I had just got back from holiday in Spain in which my hair was in the sun all week, and had been in contact with chlorine swimming pools and the salty sea water. I had also used my John Frieda Go Blonder Spray the week before, so needless to say, my hair was in need of a treat.

I made sure to follow the instructions exactly as on the packaging of the sample, in order to gain a full idea of how well the mask worked. I first used my Tres Emme Colour Protect shampoo then proceeded to use the mask. I had ideally wanted to use only half the sample so I could try it again however my long think hair needed the whole sample to feel fully saturated with the product.


The fragrance of this was lovely and orangey (I know, shocker!) but what I loved the most is that the scent stayed in my hair for the rest of the day! The formula of the mask was not as thick or creamy as the mask I usually use (Tres Emme Thermal Recovery mask) and while I was applying it I didn't think that it would do as much for my thick hair as it was not as thick HOWEVER I was wrong! As soon as I rinsed the product off (after leaving it on for 10 minutes, as advised) my hair felt smoother and softer and relatively de-tangled! After letting my hair air dry with no extra products added I felt the full effect of this mask, my hair was so so soft to touch and run my fingers through, I couldn't stop touching my hair all day! My hair looked healthier and shinier and felt less dry and damaged.

Sorry for the weird photos, it's hard to take pictures of healthy, shiny and soft hair!! And apologies for the naked face!

The next day my hair was still soft and healthy looking. As this mask was so light, my hair still looked clean the next day with no build up or oil so I would say this product is easily light enough to use on a weekly basis.

Overall I would recommend and repurchase this product, I was very happy with the results! I have since used my other hair mask again but much prefer the Montagne Jeunesse sample! Wish I could have got more uses from it!

Thanks for reading!!
xoxo


DISCLAIMER: This product was sent to me to review however all opinions are my own and I am not being paid by the brand or any other company to write this post. 

Balance Me Freebies Review!

First of all, apologies for the lack of posts, I went on a short break with my boyfriend for our anniversary so was unable to blog. Also sorry for the poorer quality in photos, have to use my iPhone as my camera charger is round my boyfriend's!

When I picked up this month's Glamour magazine this month I had the Balance Me moisturiser as my freebie, I had wanted the lip salve to begin with but had heard bad things about it because of it's scent but once I had tried the moisturiser and liked it, I decided to give the lip salve a go as well for only £2 by buying another copy of Glamour!

Balancing Face Moisturiser - usually £24 for 50ml

I'm usually sceptical about trying new moisturisers as my skin is quite problematic and I tend to break out easily but once I read around this particular brand and found out that most their ingredients are natural and good for the skin I decided to give it a go :)

Even though there is not meant to be any artificial fragrances in this product, the first thing I did notice was the scent as it's fairly strong. It doesn't overly bother me, but it may bother some people. I can't really describe the scent, it's just fairly floral and more over powering that I originally expected it to be.

The products itself is a nice consistency, slightly more watery than my usual moisturiser but not too runny at all. It applies nicely to the face and soaks in fairly quickly which is handy when you're in a rush. 

I haven't broken out while using this and although I do like it, I feel like it doesn't give my skin as much hydration as my usual moisturiser but it still feels nice and leaves my skin feeling healthy and glowy but if I'm not wearing makeup, I would feel I'd have to reapply to keep my skin feeling moisturised.

Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve - usually £12 for 10ml

I couldn't resist trying this for only £2 as the sample is the full size product! My lips lately have been dry and chapped and Vaseline hasn't been doing much for them so I wanted to try something new.

Firstly, I can see why the scent bothers people. It's definitely a lot stronger than I'd like the scent to be in my ideal lip product however I can get over this and use this product for the fact that it has really helped my dry lips! I've been using it as a night treatment, or during the day if I'm not out and about, and I have honestly noticed a difference, my lips are softer and smoother and less visibly chapped. 

The consistency of this product is nice, and it stays on the lips quite a while leaving a glossy shine while it works.

Overall I would recommend both this products, if you're not sensitive to scents, as they're mostly natural goodness, really decent quality products for a reasonable price!

You can buy any of these products from the Balance Me website here or pick up a copy of Glamour to try one of the samples for £2!

Thanks for reading!
xoxo

Dealing with Acne - Physically & Mentally

WARNING: this post is very wordy, if you want to look at pretty pictures, skip this post now.

I'm sure all of us have had spots, however not everyone suffers with acne. There are many recommendations for getting rid of the spots and scars and although I have some to recommend, I'm also going to focus on the mental side of acne and how to deal with negative comments or self image.

For reference, this is a very hard post for me to write - it's actually taken me a week or so to get this perfect before posting because I kept leaving and coming back to it. But I want to post this to help other women, most likely younger than me, who suffer with acne to help them deal with the mental side because I don't want other people to be as affected by it as I was and lose their self confidence as much as I did because it's unnecessary. I've only recently been able to take pictures of myself and starting this blog was hard for me as it would involve me posting pictures of my face and having people judge me silently which I hate the thought of.

I developed acne at the age of 12 or 13 in early secondary school. I went through puberty before most other girls, I started my periods at age 10 and starting wearing a bra around the same time. This meant that when I started getting spots, it was before everyone else which I feel made me more of a target for bullying. I was bullied for my acne (and early puberty) from around age 11 to around 15, I lost all my confidence and although I'm a lot more confident than I used to be, I don't ever think I'll be as confident as other people who are just permanently blessed with amazing skin and body. Even at 19, I still suffer with low self image and am shy and reserved around new people as I feel like they are judging me. I also always look for constant approval that I look okay, whether it be from my boyfriend, my friends, my family or even me looking at my face in the mirror.

The thing to remember is around 80% of young people (boys later than girls) suffer with acne. So even if you're the first to get it, that also means it will probable be the first to clear up. At the time I didn't realise this, but it's true. By the time I finished my GCSE's and started my A levels I had clearer skin and all my friends had spots.

By age 15 I had established a proper skin care routine so gradually my acne began to improve (and I still use the same skin care routine now, let me know if you want a separate post on it).

My main tips:

• Remain positive. I know it's hard to realise at the time but acne does go away eventually.
• Stick with your friends. Don't lock yourself away. If you have a group of friends who are still there for you even if you are getting stick from others, then stick with them, they're obviously good people :)
• Ignore the bullies. They're just looking for something to do, they'll say anything to get a reaction. I know that what they say may hurt at the time but if you just turn around and walk away there's nothing more they can do.
• Find a skincare routine. Once I found my skincare routine that worked for me and stuck to it, my skin began to become clearer. If you need help finding a skincare routine I suggest seeing a beautician and maybe going for a facial so they can get to know your skin and recommend products.
• Don't wear make up all the time. Especially cheap make up! This will clog pores and make your skin even worse. If you're having a lazy day around the house, you don't need make up so just let your skin breathe. Don't wear cheap, crap quality make up either as the ingredients won't be good for your skin. I'm not saying go and buy a mega expensive high end foundation, I'm saying be wary of what you're putting onto your skin.
• If you need help, ask for it. If you think your acne is so bad that nothing else will work, go and see a dermatologist as they have some friggin' powerful things that can really help - if you have the confidence to ask to begin with :)

I really really hope this post is fairly helpful and not like all other acne posts out there. If anyone has any questions about my acne or skin or just anything in general comment below, tweet me, or email me if you want a more private reply :)

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Beauty Wishlist

Thought I'd show you what beauty items I've been eyeing up recently, pay day couldn't come sooner!

MAC Lipsticks in Costa Chic and Creme Cup - £14 each (source) 

Ever since buying my first MAC lipstick, I have been eyeing up these two shades to add to my collection... not that I already have enough pink lipsticks!

MUA Professional Eye Shadow Palette in 'Undressed'  - £4 (source)

As I love my Heaven & Earth Palette and this is meant to be a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Palette, at only £4, how could anyone go wrong?!

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream for Oily Skin - £9.99 (source)

As this baby is currently on offer in Superdrug for £7.49 I may have to pick this up and give it a go for Summer (if it ever arrives!).

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains - £7.99 (here)

After the success of the Lip Butters, and reading reviews from US bloggers about these, I can't wait to give them a go now they're out in the UK! There is an introductory offer in Boots as well which means I only have to fork out £5.99 to try one out!

Thanks for reading! 

xoxo

Review: MAC Lipstick in 'Hue'

Hi :)

I got back from holiday late yesterday so sorry I didn't post anything before now! Anyway, hope you haven't forgotten about me!! I seemed to have gained a few new followers since I've been gone which is great cos I actually thought I'd lose some!

The holiday was soooo nice, exactly what I needed, wish we could have stayed for longer! :(


Anyway, the main thing that I'm SO SO SO excited about blogging about is that at the airport on the way to Spain I made my first ever MAC purchase! I bought a lipstick in 'Hue' which is fairly raved about on youtube and blogs about being the perfect nudey pink to suit any skintone so I thought 'why not?' and picked it up for £11.85 as I was in duty free wooo :)

Sorry for the roughness of my face, no makeup on as I'm just having a post-holiday lazy day!

The first thing I noticed and LOVED was the scent of this, it's easily the nicest smelling lipstick I own. It's very sweet, reminds me a little of sweet popcorn. I know some people don't really like scented lip products but I love this, it's subtle but feels nice applied to the lips.


The packaging is sleek and compact which I love, it's going to look lovely in my makeup collection :)


The colour I'm not so in love with, it's alot more 'nude' than I thought it would be, I thought it would be slightly more pink so I'm not 100% sure if it suits me, it's slowly growing on me and I'm sure I will wear it :) I actually have been meaning to try out a more nude shade of lip colour, just hadn't planned on spending as much money to try one out! At the end of the day, I do like the colour, it's different to any of the other nudey pinks I own and I will wear it!

The formula is amazing, I love it. It feels so soft and moisturising to apply to my lips and the staying power is great. Hue is a glaze finish, but as I haven't tried any other MAC lipsticks I can't compare the finish, but I like the glaze finish looks fairly natural on the lips with a hint of subtle glitters but they're in no way over powering.

PROS:

• smells amazing
• very moisturising
• nice packaging
• pigmented colour

CONS:

• a little expensive, but I think it is justifiable 
• colour not exactly as expected, but that's my own fault for being rushed!!

Overall, I love this lipstick and I am glad I picked it up or I would be regretting it! I love the formula of this so that will definitely make me want to pick up more colours :)

Anyone have 'Hue'? Love it or loathe it? Any other must have lipstick shades from MAC? 

Thanks for reading!
xoxo

DISCLAIMER: Purchased with my own money.

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag?

I'm off on holiday tomorrow and have just finished deciding what makeup to take and thought I'd show you!

FACE:

Primer - Benefit's Porefessional (sample size)
Foundations - Light coverage; L'oreal True Match in Rose Ivory, Medium/Heavy Coverage; Revlon Colourstay in Buff
Concealer - Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair
Powder - Max Factor Translucent Powder
Blush/Bronzer/Highlight - Estee Lauder Blush/Bronzer/Highlight Trio*
Brushes - Contour/blush brush, powder brush and sponges for foundation application


I'm taking two foundations as I want to be able to wear a good coverage foundation in the evening but also have a light one for day wear if needed.

EYES:

Primer - Maybelline Coverstick Concealer in Ivory
Eye-shadow - MUA Heaven and Earth Palette
Brows - Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel
Eye-liners - Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black, Black Kohl Pencil eye-liner (came with a set from Boots)
Mascara - L'oreal Volume Million Lashes in Extra Black
Brushes/Tools - Eye Shadow brush, Sharpener, Eye liner brush (came with gel liner)


LIPS:

Lip Balm - Vitamin E SPF 15 Lip Balm by The Body Shop

Lipsticks - (l-r) Revlon Lip Butter in Cotton Candy, L'oreal Caresse Lipsticks in Dating Coral and Tempting Lilac, Estee Lauder Pure Colour Lipstick in Crystal Baby

Choosing which lipsticks to take was definitely the hardest! Recently I haven't been into lip glosses, so I don't plan on taking any. I'm also in two minds about taking a lip-liner but if I do, it would be the Revlon Colorstay Lip-liner in Pink :)

If I don't get round to posting tomorrow then I'm sorry!! I'm back July 11th so expect regular posting after that (and maybe even some holiday snaps!) :)

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

DISCLAIMER - All products were purchased with my own money accept ones marked with * which were given as samples when other items were purchased.

June Favourites (& Blog Hops!)

Sorry for the gap in posts, I've had a few busy days, and also I'm off on holiday on Wednesday so posts may stop for that week sorry!!!

Another note, I've joined Mimika's Beauty Blog Hop (see here) and BBU's Blog Hop (see here) and so far I've already found some great new blogs and gained some more followers! So check those links out if you're interested in joining :)

Anywayyy; on to my favourites for the month of June!

Left to right, back row to front row:

Batiste Dry Shampoo (XXL Volume shown in photo) (here): I have tried most of the versions of this dry shampoo and love them all! I'll be honest, the XXL Volume shown one isn't my favourite, but I go through these so quickly and I wanted to include them in my favourites even though this is the only one I currently have. They all smell lovely, and any oily or greasy hair just disappears - it's amazing!

FCUK Polished Whipped Body Cream (here):  I've had this for a while, but since the weather has been relatively nice the last couple of weeks, I've been showing my legs more and this body cream just leaves them so soft and moisturised for hours and smells so lovely!


Tres Emme Thermal Recovery Hair Treatment (here): I got this about a month ago when it was half price which I thought was a bargain and I think it's great! My hair isn't in amazing condition, I colour it and tend to use heat on it however after using this my hair is noticeably softer and not as dry. 


Garnier Pure 3-in-1 Wash, Scrub and Mask (here): I love love love this! Used it for a few months now (I've repurchased it maybe 3 or 4 times?) and it's amazing. It can be used as a wash, scrub or mask which is great and has salicylic acid in to help redness and acne. I love this as a scrub as it's not as gentle as some others I've tried so I actually feel like it's helping my skin, however if you have very sensitive skin that may not be good. I also love it as a mask as my face feels clean afterwards and more refreshed :)


Collection (Formerly Collection 2000) Lasting Perfection Concealer (here): This is raved about among UK bloggers and youtubers so I had to pick it up to see what the fuss was about and I have to agree that it's really good for a drugstore concealer! It covers anything including spots and dark circles and has great staying power :) at just over £4 I don't see how anyone can go wrong!


L'oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in Dating Coral (here): This shade is perfect for summer, I love it! This lipstick has better staying power than the Revlon Lip Butters but are just as creamy and moisturising on the lips.


Benefit Porefessional (here): I recently bought Glamour magazine and got the little sample size free and loved this so much, I recently purchased another copy of Glamour (only £2) to get another sample to take on holiday! This feels so silky on the skin and does visibly reduce the size of pores! It's also oil free, which it good if you have oily skin like me, and seems to increase the staying power of my makeup! :)

Thanks for reading!
xoxo