Real Techniques Bold Metals Review

 

 The Real Techniques Bold Metals collection launched around the end of January this year and I literally couldn't wait to get my hands on them! Admittedly, it took me a while to purchase as they're on the pricey side but after giving in to my urges I went ahead and picked a couple up from my local Boots. I decided to go with the 100 Arched Powder and the 301 Flat Contour brushes, the other brushes didn't really take my fancy as I knew I wouldn't end up using them and it would be pushing on £100 for the full face set. I've always been a huge fan of Real Techniques and there is no denying that their brushes are on par with any professional synthetic brush. I knew before I took my newbies out of the packaging that I would love them just as much as their predecessors and I have to give RT top marks for the colour/style of the Bold Metals collection. Both brushes are beautifully angled and weighted which personally helps with application of powders they just felt sturdier and really worked any product into my skin. I immediately fell in love with the 100 as it moves so nicely across any base I've applied, it didn't leave trail marks or cling onto any foundation and its domed shape helped to get any pressed powder into those awkward spots around my nose and eyes. As for the 301 this took a little getting used to as I always apply any contour with an angled brush, however it definitely picks up more product and distributes bronzer evenly on my cheek hollows and forehead, plus I didn't have to blend for as long as I normally would and for me that is the dream! All in all I'm completely content with the brushes I chose and I've pretty much reached for them everyday, they're an absolute delight to use and really stand out in the mountain of makeup brushes I've collected over the years. Style and substance what more could you want really ?

  

 

100 Arched Powder - £25

 

301 Flat Contour - £22

 

Dogs n' Dough Review

Hey guys! Hope you've had a lovely week? Thank god it's Friday right? And with that being said in my household Friday night is cheat food night! So if you're looking for a restaurant to indulge in everything carb, cheese and chocolate related Dogs n' Dough is the place to go!

 

 

 

Dogs n' Dough is a little American style restaurant situated on Bow Lane in Manchester, admittedly a bit out of site down a small side street but I'd say that just adds to its charm! On entering I felt like I was in a retro diner, green leather booths, dim lighting and Dirty Dancing playing in the background. Our waitress was super sweet and explained the whole menu, as you can probably tell from the name, Dogs n' Dough, they mainly offer Hot Dogs and Pizza, no complaints there ;)! After scanning the menu for a good 10 minutes I decided to go for The Cowboy dog, cheese fries and a lemon meringue cocktail (delish). My boyfriend went for The Spring Chicken pizza, a beer and we shared the fries. My food came served in a diner style basket whilst Luke's came in a takeaway style pizza box, not exactly a fine dinning experience but I personally loved how kitch everything was. I have to say my meal fulfilled every expectation, packed with flavour, mouth wateringly good and would satisfy most peoples weekend cravings. All in all myself and Luke really enjoyed our time there, the prices were great, the staff were lovely and the scran was well... Complete Food Porn! So, If you're out and about in Manchester this weekend and not watching the old waist line, I would highly suggest you give Dogs n' Dough a try!

 

Have a look and their menu here 

(WARNING you may drool)

 

Bow Lane, Manchester M2 4JW

 

El

XxX



May Beauty Favourites

 Hi guys! I hope you're well? It's been such a long time since I've been on my blog :'( In fact this is my first blog post in over 3 years! I really don't know where the time has gone? I don't even know why I stopped blogging? Silly me! However, I'm back and I'm super eager to get stuck into the world of beauty & fashion again! With that being said I thought I'd share with you my beauty favourites from last month... Enjoy!

 

 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

 

Where do I begin with this little beauty? It's honestly the most beautiful moisturizer I've ever tried, to say my face is unbelievably soft would be an understatement! The lotion itself is super absorbent, non sticky and non greasy, I suffer with an awful combination t-zone so I found the texture/consistency really suited my skin. I apply a small amount in the morning and the moisture lasts me all day, it meshes really well with my primer and foundation plus it gives me a dewy look without too much shine. What else could you want from a moisturizer really? The price of this nifty lotion ranges from £17.50 - £30.00 depending on the size, I purchased mine directly from the Clinque website here

 

 

Mr.Blanc Teeth Whitening Strips

 

Now, you've probably seen this brand blow up all over social media in the last couple of months! Mr.Blanc's professional teeth whitening strips are especially popular with reality television stars such as Holly Hagan, Stephanie Pratt and Ricky Rayment. I'm all for a pearly white smile and I have tried numerous whitening kits over the years, some okay and some not so good! However, I'd seen some really fab reviews on this particular brand so I went ahead and bought a 2 week pack from the Mr.Blanc website here. The kit arrived in record time and I began using them the very same day, I like to whiten my teeth in the evening as its much easier to relax in bed and wait for the formula to do it's thing. The pack has 14 pouches containing an upper and lower strip, you simply place the strips over clean teeth, wait 30 minutes then rinse away! I found that the strips held in place perfectly, there was no stinging sensation or sensitivity just a fresh minty taste. I'm now up to my 11th whitening session and I'm thrilled with the results, another purchase of these is definitely on the cards.

 

£24.99- 2 week supply

 

 

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

 

The Urban Decay Setting Spray is a genius product, this magical spray is my favourite every single month, I genuinely don't leave the house before I've drenched my face with it! If you've never heard of the Setting Spray before I shall give you the low down, it's basically a sealant for your make-up, it's a super fine mist that's sprayed over the face to keep your look in place... pretty clever right? The formula is oil and paraben free plus it includes "temperature control technology" this allows your skin to breath whilst keeping the enemy, #sweat, at bay. I've always found 'All Nighter' to be the best from the Urban Decay setting spray range, it's long lasting, fast drying, easy to apply and has never let me down! I would recommend this product a thousand times over so head to the Urban Decay Website here and pop this beaut in your basket.

 

£21- 118ml

 

 

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm

 

Last but not least! The Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm! It's truly a work of skincare art and if you've never heard of this product before, because you've been living under a rock ;) You are most definitely missing out! I'm all for a good cleanse and I've normally used cream/gel cleansers in my past skin routines but since discovering Emma's products I've never looked back. This dreamy pot of heaven contains a rich luxurious balm, the scent is second to none and the texture I might add is divine. I personally like to use it at night to wash away any makeup/dirt, I scoop up a small amount, place it onto the palm of my hands, add a little warm water, rub together, smooth over my face/neck then wipe away with a hot damp flannel. It's honestly a delight to use and leaves my skin, soft, fresh and hydrated every single time. A little really goes a long way with this product so I've never once felt guilty when heading over to Cult Beauty here and repurchasing every few months, I just can't live without it!

 

£38- 100ml

 

So there you have it guys! My May Beauty Favourites! Please let me know if you enjoyed reading this post and I'd love to know if you've tried any of the products I listed up top. Have a fab week! I'll be back with another post soon.

 

XxX

 

El

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Casual Christmas

 

 

Hey guys ! I hope everyone is well ? It's literally just under 2 weeks till Christmas .... Excited much ?! I've pretty much finished my crimbo shopping for this year which is a massive relief to be honest, I can't cope with the festive ques any longer ! So with that being said, I can now focus a little more on myself and my winter wardrobe. I know my blog is predominately beauty based but being female clothes and shoes are also a huge passion of mine and I thought it would be a nice idea to share with you my new casual Christmas pieces that will be a staple to my everyday look right through these chilly months.

 

Casual Christmas  

1.Dark Red Molly Jeggings- I spotted these lovelies not so long ago in my local River Island and absolutely loved how soft and comfy they were ! They've really brightened up the bottom half of my look and work perfectly with boots or flats. I tend to team the jeggings with cardigans and jumpers to add a splash of colour to the casual trend plus they work great with a simple blouse to give a smarter look. River Island offer a range of different coloured jeans/jeggings so there's plenty to choose from and there will be at least one pair that will work with anything in your wardrobe. I can pretty much see myself using these right into next year and at £35 they're a complete fashion steal.

 

 

2.Black Stud Trim Bobble Hat- I've never really owned a bobble hat before, except for the garish multicoloured knitted disasters that were blonked on my head as a child, AWFUL ! But I've noticed throughout this year and last that the bobble hat has become quite chic and I thought I might as well go with the flow and treat my myself to this £7.99 Newlook studded bobble hat. I have to say I've loved wearing it and my ears have definitely benefited from the warmth, It matches anything that I'm wearing due to it's classic black colour and the studs add a cool edgy look, it's official I'm loving the bobble hat trend !

 

3.Black Leather Look Faux Fur Collar Jacket- When winter came around this year I went on my usual hunt for a jacket and my beloved River Island presented me with this cosy but sleek leather look number. This was an easy buy for me as I've always loved bicker jackets and the added fur was the cherry on top of the cake. It really is incredibly comfy, easy to move in and works with anything I'm wearing, plus the thick faux fur is super soft and keeps the winter chills away from my face and neck. This black leather look biker is priced at £60 which I couldn't really argue with seeing as I've definitely got some great use out of it and I'm positive that I'll be wearing it well into next year and maybe the year after too.

 

 

4.Dark Red Navajo Print Scarf- I love my scarves and I'm quite sure that I have the biggest collection in the entire world, so this winter I thought it wouldn't hurt to add a new one to the crew ! River Island, in my opinion, do some great scarves and I opted to buy the red Navajo scarf seeing as the predominate colour was red and would match some key pieces I have in my wardrobe. The scarf is made from a soft heavy weight cotton like material that really keeps the warmth in plus its quite long so it easily covers the tops of your legs, which is a massive bonus especially when your wearing flimsy thin leggings. This has definitely been my scarf saviour this year and I'd highly advise anyone to invest in one, I mean look at the Aztec design, it almost has a Christmasy feel to it right ? River Island has priced the Navajo scarf at £18 and you can also get the same design in a cool beige/black combo, yes I bought that one too .... SCARF MAD !

 

 

5.Traditional Fairisle Hand Warmers- Okay, so one of my pet peeves in winter is grabbing your phone out of your bag and having to remove your gloves every time to want to text or ring someone... so frustrating right? With that being said, I went on a mission to find some fingerless gloves that would help with the whole glove texting mobile dilemma. Now, most fingerless gloves come across as a bit butch and not very lady like so I was completely put of the idea after trying a few on in various shops but whilst in Topshop I came across these pretty oxblood coloured hand warmers. These cosy hand warmers didn't have any hideous cut of fingers and they tucked in nicely under the cuffs of my coat, the whole idea is that you pull the warmers over your hands to cover the bottom half of your fingers and when you need to grab something your hands are completely free whilst being protected from the cold at the same time. These pretty fairisle warmers have been my best bargain buy at £10 and they just go to show that fashion practicality isn't a myth ;)

 

6.Red Check Flannel Shirt- I don't really tend to wear a lot of shirts, there's mainly blouse like tops in my wardrobe and I had been looking for something a bit more casual. I came across this £30 flannel shirt in River Island and loved the classic design and chic studded collar, the shirt is made from 100% cotton and is easy to match with jeans, leggings or shorts for a comfy casual look. The main positive to this shirt is the sleeves, they can be rolled up or left down to give the shirt a subtle style change, the shirt can also be buttoned way up to the top to add a geek chic style or left undone to create a more casual feel. I like to add big gold statement necklaces with this flannel shirt to match the studs and give it an edgy look, I always enjoy wearing this particular top as it seems quite festive but mainly because it keeps me toasty and warm, River Island offer a range of brightly coloured flannel shirts that will be appearing in my wardrobe over the next month for sure!

 

7.Black Stud Ankle Boots- Now as every girl knows, ankle boots are a must over the winter to keep are feet warm and are look smart but casual. I found these beautiful slightly heeled ankle boots in River Island a few weeks ago and I literally haven't stopped wearing them! The soft leather and fashion stud design appealed to me straight away and I pop them on my feet at any chance I get. I'm quite fond of the 1 inch heel the boots offers, it adds a little height plus it puts your legs at an angle where they seem a tad slimmer... BONUS! I tend to wear these boots with leggings as its a bit tricky tucking jeans into them but they work well with most things and they match my chic biker jacket too. The boots have two zips either side so they're easy to slip off and on but I would advise to wear pop socks with these particular boots as they're quite a snug fit, which I personally like but if your not keen on the idea I'd go a shoe size up. The boots are priced at £69.99 and you can find them in most River Island outlets, they aren't currently advertised online due to low stock but as I said before they are still stocked in store :)

What do you think of my Casual Christmas look ? What's been your best fashion buy this month ?

www.riverisland.com
www.topshop.com
www.newlook.com


XXXX

El Mac

 

 



Stila One Step Correct

 

 

Hello ladies ! I hope everyone has had a fabulous Friday and is looking forward to the weekend :) It's the first of December tomorrow and I'm guessing everyone is going to attempt to decorate their Christmas trees or in my case stand back while my Mother takes over, as per usual ;) So seen as it's practically 25 days till Christmas, the rush to find everyones crimbo prezzie is on and with that in mind I thought I'd share with you a blemish healing luxury goody that would please any girl to find in their stockings or wrapped up under their trees!

 

 

 

 

 

Stila One Step Correct 30ml- Now, if you're like me, the odd spot or slight un-even skin tone can really get you down and sometimes concealers just won't do a good enough job of hiding it, so one day last week, after fighting with my skin, I headed down to my local Boots in search of something to freshen up my slightly blemished face. After scouring the isles I came across the Stila One Step Correct formula and I have to say I loved the packaging/bottle of this product, pretty swirls of mint, lavender and peach really grabbed my attention and I was intrigued to find out more. Luckily, a lady also admiring the Stila make-up range assured me that the One Step Correct formula was "Brilliant" and that she uses it everyday to "Brighten up her skin", I pretty much took her word for it seeing how lovely her complexion looked and decided to buy. Once home I squeezed a small amount onto my hand and smoothed it out, the mint, lavender and peach mixed together to form a very pale green colour. Now, some people might be wondering how a green formula would help blemishes but trust me it's a known fact that it does ! Basically, the green pigment cancels out redness around the face plus the added lavender hides sallow yellow skin under the eyes and the peach can brighten/illuminate the skin ... clever right ? Baring all this in mind, I cleansed and moisturised my face then applied the formula to the blemishes. I could immediately see a difference to the redness, the green settled the blemish into a very unnoticeable pale pink and I could definitely see that my face looked refreshed and renewed, I then applied my normal make-up over the top and after a few moments I could barely see any blemishes, super impressed! After, I carried on with my day as normal but occasionally checked up on my skin to see if this wonder formula was keeping up the good work and non surprisingly it was, no redness, no dull skin, no problem! Happy days :) The Stila One Step Correct can be found on the Boots website here and is priced at £24, this may seem expensive but it's worth the spend down to how effective and beautifully pigmented the formula is, so if you want to treat your skin or someone else's this Christmas I'd definitely recommend the Stila One Step Correct to diminish those pesky blemishes all winter long.

 

Have you tried the Stilla One Step Correct ? What are your views ?

 

 

XXXX

 

El Mac

 

 

 



Japonesque Safari Chic Bronzer Brush

 

Hey there guys ! I hope everyone is having a nice start to their week ? I have to say I'm a tad under the weather, the British flu has caught me out again and I'm feeling slightly miserable, so I thought what better way to distract myself than writing a short post on my new favourite Kabuki brush.

 

 

 

 

Okay, I have a confession to make, this nifty little brush was bought for me nearly a month ago now, I lovingly placed it in my make-up draw then totally forgot about it ! How could I ? Well, It unfortunately got coverd in other make-up related products and was hidden for that long, out of sight out of mind ey? I kind of thought I'd lost it :( silly me ! Anyways, let me get back to the point, as you can see from my pictures the design of this hand made Kabuki brush is unlike any other brush on the market, it's animal printed style is so striking it's hard not to fall in love with it instantly. The Safari Chic Bronzer Brush is made up of high density synthetic bristles which quite brilliantly grab an abundance of any powder product, I tend to use a lot of mineral based face powders and this Kabuki is the one I reach for every time, it's even replaced my beloved Mac Kabuki so trust me it's good ! As for the texture it's heavenly, really soft and gentle, I could literally sit all day applying powder to my face it's just so silky. However, there is a slight down side to this amazing mini Kabuki...the price! It's a mega £19.50 and yes that does seem a little steep but I suppose you pay for the quality you want, I've never had a brush like it and I couldn't imagine using anything different now. Japonesque also offer a three piece set with a shadow, crease and powder brush all in the identical safari style that I'm guessing are of the same high standard as the Kabuki. So if your looking for a new brush to add to your collection or a cute Christmas present for a friend or family member, you really can't go wrong with the Japonesque Safari Chic Bronzer Brush, trust me it's worth the splurge.

 

Have you tried Japonesque brushes before ? What do you think of the Safari Chic range ?

 

 

XXXX

 

El Mac

 

 

Japonesque Safari Chic Bronzer Brush available at

www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

 

 



Beauty Bargains

 

 

Hello there guys ! I hope everyone is well ? I'm feeling quite chilled this evening as I've spent most of the day wandering around Lytham St.Annes picking out Christmas decorations for my humongous tree. I don't quite know why my Mum and Dad felt the need to buy a 7ft snow frosted Christmas tree but I'm having fun selecting all the sparkly baubles to go with it! Whilst in Lytham I naturally drifted toward the make-up/skincare/haircare counters throughout each shop and I found myself getting progressively angry at the ridiculous prices of some certain brands, I mean I love a good highlighter but I'm not going to pay £44 for it ! With this in mind I thought it would be a good idea to show you a few beauty bargains that can match up to the big name brands in hope of saving everyone a little money over the festive season, so here it goes....Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

17 Dazzle The Night Shimmer Rocks- Okay so I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a make-up snob and I wouldn't normally go over to the 17 range in Boots but in the past couple of years I've noticed that it's upped its game and produced some surprisingly nice products. After browsing the range I opted to buy the beautiful Shimmer Rocks, I've owned the L'oreal Bronze Mineral Pearls in the past and I've been looking for something similar but in a highlighter, so I thought this would be a good alternative. Once home and armed with my trusty make-up brush, I applied a little to my cheeks to see if the rocks would look as good on my skin as they did in the pot and with a couple of applications either side there was no denying its shimmery brilliance ! The Shimmer Rocks leave a cool silvery pigment with a slight plumy coloured base that almost works as a light weight blush... not bad eh? As for the texture it's super soft and the rocks seemed to hold their shape nicely with no crumble insight, however, it can be a bit messy as the powder tends to fly away from the brush a little, so make sure you have a towel or some tissue to protect your clothing. I've used the Shimmer Rocks a few times over the past couple of weeks and I've loved the festive glow it gives my cheeks, they're even nice to use over your arms and shoulders on a night out to add beautiful accents to your skin plus they stay put through the wind and rain as I experienced today and that can only be a good thing ! 17 Dazzle The Night Shimmer Rocks are a cheap as chips £4.99 so there's no doubt there buy worthy, 17 also offer Bronzing Rocks and I can only imagine they're of the same standard as my beloved Shimmer Rocks, so I'll be snapping them up soon too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

V05 Smoothly Does It Frizz Free Creme 100ml- Seen as it's winter and the weather is well ... HORRENDOUS ! It's really hard to keep your hair in control throughout the wind,rain,hail and snow so with the crappy weather that lies ahead of us I went on a little mission to find a frizz free product that would keep my locks at bay. Generally, I'm quite lucky as my hair is pretty much straight and I don't have to bother about it that much but as any girl knows a bit of frizz is inevitable in the winter and especially whilst styling it. Over the past 3 years I've used Bed Head Control Freak but at £21 a pop I really can't bring myself to spend that again so I decided to buy V05's Frizz Free Creme as I've heard some decent reviews on it dotted around the blogging world. Now, this product pretty much guaranteed frizz free hair and I was blissfully anticipating a smooth shiny fly-away free hair after one use ! So whilst at home after a shower I applied a small amount of the Frizz Free Creme into the palm of my hand then smoothed it through my damp ends, I tend to avoid my root area when using creamy products as they usually make the top half of my hair quite limp, however, if you think your fro' can hack it by all means work it in. I have to say the creme smells lovely and the texture isn't sticky or runny like some other serums, after a few minutes the product had sank into my locks so I grabbed my hair dryer and a brush then proceeded to dry my hair on a cool heat for around 5 minutes. The first thing I noticed was the way my hair felt, It definitely seemed smoother and the very ends of my hair where straighter... brill ! After my hair was sufficiently dry I brushed it through and heated up my straighteners, as it says on the tube the Frizz Free Creme supposedly protects your hair from high heat so I was guessing the best way to test it was to apply 200 degree heat right ? I sectioned my hair and worked the straighteners through and non surprisingly, my hair didn't singe or dry out, the creme left a glossy finish with no greasy residue, so impressed ! Next, I really put V05 to the test and let my hair embrace the elements, after maybe 5 hours my hair was still under control and there wasn't a fly away in sight, it still felt smooth to touch and the shine was even holding out, all this without an ounce of hairspray... it's a Christmas miracle ! The V05 Smoothly Does It Frizz Free Creme is a low cost £3.89 from Superdrug and it's a handy hand bag size that you can grab at anytime for a touch up on dry hair, V05 offer a whole Straight and Smooth range so there's an abundance of products that work along side it and at such a low prices, I won't hesitate to return for more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collection 2000 Shimmer Shades Blushalicious Blusher- I have to say I'm quite a big fan of Collection 2000 and I particularly like their pressed powders and blushers, so when in search of something to brighten up my cheeks I found the fabulous Shimmer Shades, there's something about a quad blusher that really appeals to me, I feel like I'm getting a bit more for my money if that makes sense. As you can see from the pictures above Shimmer Shades offer four beautiful pastel like shades that you can use individually or mixed together to add a flush of colour to your cheeks, I've shown how each colour looks swatched on the skin and considering the colours aren't that bright the pigment is gorgeous and the palest pinks have a beautiful sheen to them too. After sweeping my brush across the Shimmer Shades I applied it to the apple of my cheeks and worked upwards, all four shades complimented each other nicely but overall the colour came out as a shimmering candy pink which worked fine for me. Texture wise the blusher is quite smooth not grainy or rough, it settles nicely on the skin and doesn't leave any unwanted fly away powder, there's nothing worse then noticing pink powdery blotches all over your clothing after finishing your look, so no worries with this one. I used the Shimmer Shades the day before last whilst out shopping and the colour lasted pretty much all day, I only touched up once after the rain attacked me so I was quite impressed ! Collection 2000 offer the Shimmer Shades in 'Blushalicious Blusher' and 'Way To Go' which is the exact same thing but a golden bronzer palette instead, they both come in at £4.19 at Boots Cosmetics but I'm pretty sure you can get your hands on any of the Collection 2000 range at the larger supermarket stores such as Asda or Sanisburys. So if your in need of some low cost blush with a bit of an edge you know exactly where to head too, I'm thinking of offering the Shimmer Shades in my 100 followers giveaway so keep an eye out guys !

 

 

 

Whats been your best beauty bargain this month ?

 

 

XXXX

 

El Mac

 

www.bootscosmetics.co.uk

www.superdrug.com