Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask

I don't think it is actually possible for me to express how much I adore Lush fresh face masks. I have only been introduced to them over the past four months and I have tried and tested three, which are now my favourite masks, ever!

Catastrophe Cosmetic is advertised as a mask to battle spots and blemishes and to battle against any flaring up skin problems. It contains Irish moss gel which softens the skin, whilst almond oil moisturises and keeps your skin feeling supple! There's fresh blueberries which are full of vitamins, minerals and are a great anti-oxidant! There's also rose absolute and chamomile essential oil which reduce redness and irritation, as well as calamine and talc which work to deep clean and soothe the skin.

All of these ingredients work together to give the skin a deep cleanse, without causing puffiness, and leave your face feeling cool, clear and calm. And to top it off, it smells absolutely amazing! The blueberries really shine through with this amazing fresh face mask!

With these face masks, you do have to keep them in the fridge because of the fresh ingredients, but they instantly cool and refresh the skin once applied. I use these once or twice a week and one pot will last me 4 or 5 masks.

DIY Highlighter

Ingredients:

Moisturiser
Shimmery white/cream eyeshadow or pigment (I would suggest using a highstreet/drugstore eyeshadow as they are cheaper)
Face Primer (optional)
Toothpick or something to mix with
Jar to store it in (I just used an old elf compact but you could use a lip gloss pot or just a small jar)

Make sure you sanitize all the equipment
Mix your moisturiser with your eyeshadow (Use double the amount of moisturiser to eyeshadow)
Add the face primer
Store in jar

DIY Hand Scrub (DIY Christmas Presents)

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 Cups of sugar (it can be any type of sugar)
1 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons of flavouring or colouring (Strawberry, Pink, Blue, Lemon Juice, Orange)
Glass jar with a sealed lid (I bought mine from Ikea for 80p each, you could also use jam jars)

Mix the sugar and oil together in a bowl
Once all combined and mixed evenly, pour the flavouring into the bowl
Mix well so a gritty paste forms
Pour into your jar

-You can use flavouring in a bottle or use real lemon juice if you want (It is just for the scent)
-This does not need to be refrigerated.
-Store in a cool place out of direct sunlight
-Make sure you thoroughly clean and sanitize all equipment
-You can use what ever oil you have at home, it does not have to be extra virgin olive oil

DIY Shellac Nails

I have been using my shellac nail set quite a lot recently and have found a really good website where you can purchase all the extra items needed! Shellac is basically a UV Gel, long wearing nail polish. The website I have used to buy most of my shellac products is http://discountnails.co.uk/shop/catalog/browse?sessid=pHjdW99g14N7cA6pH13FpG8qiFBsCJW6x9iaP16eTWjwkXN7mlNQZtTVAlus30WV&shop_param=. I love this site because you can purchase the UV machine, top coat, base coat, remover, sealant and the polishes, and it is all very inexpensive!

Save The Nail!

I have been going nail polish-free lately and it has made my nails so much stronger. I used to be a nail polish addict and would always have a nice, unchipped manicure until my nails were getting extremely weak and breaking off. I have not worn nail polish for 2 months now and my nails are so much stronger! If you are like this with nail polish, I would really recommend going polish free for about a week every month or so, just to give your nails a rest!

How To Make Small Eyes Appear Bigger!

Curl eyelashes (Be careful not to trap your eyelid!)
Wear a white/light coloured eyeliner on the lower waterline (I love the Rimmel Soft Khol in 071 Pure White)
If you find white eyeliner too harsh against your skin tone, use a flesh coloured/nude eyeliner instead (Rimmel Scandeleyes in Nude is perfect for this!)
Wear a white/light coloured eyeshadow on the inner corner of your eye to highlight
Use a waterproof mascara to make sure the curl in your lashes holds longer
Use the darkest eyeshadows near the outer edge of the eye, using the lightest colours in your inner corner
Tightline your upper waterline with black eyeliner to make your lashes look thicker and your eyes appear bigger (I love the Rimmel Special Eyes in Black Magic)

If you are looking for eyeliners, I would definitely recommend the ones from Rimmel, they are soft, very pigmented and don't drag on the eye. They are also very inexpensive.

Top 10 *Secret* Beauty Tips and DIY's

1. Use honey as a face mask
Honey (it has to be raw honey, mind you) has antibacterial properties and is very effective at helping acne-prone skin. Slather on your face, leave for 10 minutes, wash off with warm water and the job's a good'un. Some people complain that the honey draws out the toxins, causing problem skin to get worse before it gets better, but in the long run it's a good solution. 

2. Use baking soda on teeth to make them whiter
Are you loathed to splash out on expensive teeth whitening kits? Try mixing one tablespoon of baking soda with three drops of hydrogen peroxide then use it as a toothpaste for a healthy set of pearly whites. 

3. Shave legs with hair conditioner
Forget spending money on a separate shaving foam, simply use hair conditioner instead. It's super moisturising, makes the hairs softer and therefore easier to shave. Winning. 

4. Use evening primrose oil to help spots heal faster
Burst an evening primrose oil capsule and apply to troublesome spots to help them heal in half the time. It has anti-inflammatory properties, which can really help take the redness out of sore spots. Apply overnight and sleep in it for best results. 

5. Never EVER go without a pot of Vaseline
Petroleum jelly has countless uses. One of our favourite things to do is slather it all over our feet, slip on a pair of fluffy socks and then sleep. If you dye your own hair, it's great for preventing the dye from staining your skin, just use it as a barrier around the hairline, ears and neck. Finally, it can also be used to tame unruly eyebrows. 

6. Lemon peel can remove nail varnish stains
If dark nail polish has stained your nails, simply rub some lemon peel on the stubborn spot. Soaking the tips of your nails in lemon juice can also make then whiter. 

7. Use an orange to exfoliate
The acid and Vitamin C in oranges makes for an excellent exfoliator. If you don't have time to be concucting fancy homemade potions and lotions, simply cut an orange in half and use on your knees and elbows. 

8. Shave your legs last
If you tend to get bumpy or irritated legs after shaving, do it at the end of your shower when the warm water will have opened up your pores and the hair will be softer. 

9. Keep your nail polishes in the fridge
 Doing this will make your polishes last longer and apply smoother on the nail

10. Add a drop of peppermint oil to your lipgloss
Add just a drop for a plumped up pout. Warning: it may tingle. 

DIY Lip Scrub

DIY Lip Scrub


Ingredients:
Caster Sugar (If you don't have this, use whatever sugar you have)
Olive Oil
Golden Syrup/Honey
Flavouring or Colouring, eg. Strawberry, Red, Green, Blue, Lemon (Optional)

Equipment:
Container to store the product in (small jam jar or old makeup container)
Toothpick (Or any mixing tool you have)

Step 1- Sanitize all equipment
Step 2- Mix the Sugar and olive oil together
Step 3- Add Golden Syrup/Honey to hold it all together.
Step 2- Add any flavouring/colouring you want 
Step 3- Put the mixture into a container

This will remove all dead/dry skin from the lips, just make sure to finish off with a hydrating lip balm to rehydrate the lips!

DIY Face/Eye Primer

                                                                        Face/Eye Primer!



Ingredients:    
(You can use how much foundation/concealer and moisturiser, depending on how much you want to make, but make sure you have an equal amount of both)                  
*Foundation or Concealer that matches your skin tone.
*Moisturiser

Equipment:
*A container (e.g: a jar or old makeup container).
*A spoon or toothpick.


How to make it!!!
Step 1- Sanitize and disinfect all equipment
Step 2- Mix the moisturiser and foundation/concealer together.
Step 3- Put the mixture into the sanitized container.
Step 4- Store in a cool, dry place.
Step 5- Apply and enjoy!

Beauty Haul

Hey guys, so I will be writing a post of my recent superdrug and boots haul later!
I will also be doing a top 5 under £5 for you!

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation

I have had this foundation for a while and almost forgot about it until recently, Wayne Goss (gossmakeupartist) make a video about it on his YouTube channel. In this video he said he hated the foundation, but I think it is amazing!

It is basically a mousse foundation, with tiny beads of a kind of powdery product. As you apply the mousse to the skin, the powder part breaks up, keeping your skin matte all day. I have combination skin, and I use this foundation with no powder. My skin does not get oily when I have used it and I don't need to top up my skin with powder throughout the day. If you have normal, combination or oily skin I would definitely recommend this, as it has amazing oil control properties and will keep your skin matte looking all day.

If you have dry skin, I don't think this would be for you as the foundation may cling to any dry patches on the face, and as it is a matte foundation, it will dry out the skin more. The product is a medium coverage, but it is buildable up to a full coverage. If you are going to build up the foundation, it is vital to use thin layers as if too much product is applied, the finish can look cakey. I do think the packaging is quite unhygenic, as you have to dip your finger into the pot to get some product out, but the jar fits easily into a makeup bag without taking up too much space. There are 14 shades in the line, which range from a very light tone,and deep tones, with warm and cool undertones, so the foundation is perfect for every skin tone. The shade I wear is the lightest shade in the line, '040 Light Porcelain'. Another thing I really love about this foundation is that it is extremely light on the skin, so it doesn't feel like you are wearing any makeup. You get 18ml for £7.69, which at first, doesn't sound a lot, but it is a mousse whipped with air, so you do use less than your average liquid foundation.

17 Stay Time Long Wear Primer

I was bought this primer from 17 by my friend a while ago, and even after 2 or 3 weeks, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It comes in a tube and is £5.49 for 20ml. The texture is a little thicker than your average liquid foundation, however the texture feels tacky and glue-like once applied to the skin. The scent also smells like a mix between glue and coconut. The primer is best for people with normal to combination skin. If you have dry skin, the tackiness and glue-like texture just sticks to the dry patches and the formula does dry out the skin quite a lot. I wouldn't recommend this product if you have oily skin either, because it has no oil control properties in it and may sit on top of the skin, or move to the oilier parts of the face, for example the T-Zone. This primer does make your makeup last for longer but it does not ensure 16 hour wear like the range of products says. In this range, 17 have also come out with a powder, foundation and concealer from the 'Stay Time Long Wear' range. I have tried the powder and it works very well with the primer.With this primer, I would apply it with my fingers, as I find that way has the best finish, and use a liquid foundation. It does not work so well with a powder or mousse foundation as the primer may cause the foundation move and not last as long.

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub

I was looking around in Boots, and saw the Sugar Crush body scrub from Soap and Glory. I really love all the range from Soap and Glory, the skincare, body care and cosmetics. I picked this up and amazingly, I had enough Boots points to be able to get it for free. I barely every pay with my Boots points, so they slowly add up without me realising
.

The product is basically a thick body scrub. On the tub, it says it is made with 'smashed brown sugar, sweet lime, almond oil and macadamia grains'. It does have quite a strong citrus/lime scent, but the smell is very refreshing. As you apply it, it has a light brown colour with dark brown/black, and pale white pieces, which is the sugar and macadamia. I really liked it and I used it before I put my fake tan on and it make it go on so smoothly. It leaves your skin feeling very soft and silky smooth as well. I did find though, that I had to use quite a bit of it to cover my whole body as it breaks up slightly on your skin, so I might just reserve this for my arms and legs. If you were going to buy this, I would use it maybe once a week, as it is quite heavy, but my skin feels really smooth and soft after using it so I would definitely repurchase!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

I am in LOVE with my new bubblegum lip scrub from Lush! If you see this I would definitely pick it up. Basically it is a flavoured, coloured sugar lip scrub, that you apply to the lips and rub in to scrub off any dead or rough skin from the lips, then you can just lick it off! It is really good for, like me, you get really dry, flaky lips, especially in the winter. Because my lips can get so dry, this is a staple product for me. You do have to use a lip balm after it just to rehydrate your lips, because the scrub can dehydrate and take a lot of the moisture out of your lips. For example, you wouldn't use an exfoliating  face wash without using a moisturiser after. My favourite lip balms are the Maybelline Baby Lips in Hydrate and Cherry Me or the Soap and Glory A Great Kisser Lip Balm. With a lot of lip balms, the highstreet/drugstore products are better than the more expensive and high end alternatives. I also find that a lot of tinted lip scrubs can also slightly stain the lips but this one doesn't at all!

Maybelline Brow Drama Review

I had never tried a tinted brow gel before this, I had always used a clear mascara to set and finish my brows, as they are quite thick. I had seen the product advertised in magazines and in my local Boots store, so I decided to pick it up. I am so glad I did because for £5, it is amazing. If you have quite sparse brows, I wouldn't recommend this because you would still have to fill them in. The wand is unusual, but I find it can be a little hard to use, as the product and build up around the tip of the round ball-like wand and you can easily get the product on your skin around the forehead and above the brow area. I also think the formula is a bit too wet, but obviously as the product dries up, it will get easier to use and apply. I did pick up 2 of the 3 colours, Dark Blonde and Medium Brown, but I ended up using Medium Brown more and just giving Dark Blonde to my sister. The 3rd shade you can get is Dark Brown, but I wouldn't recommend this unless your brows are almost black as the formula is very dark.

The first picture is my brows with the Brow Drama lightly applied thorough the brows. This second picture is my natural eyebrows with no product in them. As you can see, the ends of my brows are not as full as the front part, so that is why I lightly fill them in, just to define and add shape. As you can see, the mascara does add colour and defines the brows, but if you don't have perfectly defined and shaped brows, and have no need to fill them in, this is your product. However, if, like me, you have brows that do need that little bit of help, this may only come in use for setting the hairs into place. Overall, I do like the product, but I do need to use a little bit of brow pencil or brow powder just to define them a little more :)

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation Review

So I decided to do a review of a new foundation I bought recently, Rimmel Match Perfection. I bought this foundation because I have quite pale skin and wanted a medium coverage foundation that would match my skin tone. I've tried Rimmel Wake Me Up in Ivory, No7 Essentially Natural in Calico and Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in Light Porcelain and all of these have been too dark for my skin. I picked up the foundation in the shade 'Light Porcelain 010' which is the lightest shade of any of the Rimmel foundations. Overall I am impressed with the product. It is a light - medium coverage which is buildable up to a medium - high coverage. I have normal to combination skin and I find that it is not greasy or drying on the skin. If you have combination or oily skin I would recommend you set it with a powder, just to help with the oil, as the foundation doesn't have any oil control properties within it. It is also good if you have dry skin because the foundation will not cling to dry patches. It also does not settle into pores or fine lines. The staying power is very good and it lasts all day and doesn't go patchy, I just set it with the Rimmel Stay Matte powder to keep my skin looking matte.  I would recommend this foundation because it has a good shade range, especially for lighter skin tones like myself. However, if you have super oily skin I wouldn't recommend it because it doesn't have any shine control in. I also think the packaging is good because 1 pump will cover my entire face so I just use one and I wont waste any by getting too much!