I am not a blogger.

Hello beauties!

It's been a while and I apologise. 

I'm a busy busy working bee, I respect anyone that keeps up a full time blog and works full time.. I don't know how anyone does it!

Anyway, this is a quick outfit of the day/face of the day post as I was appreciating my outfit today and I was described as looking 'glam' and that doesn't happen that regularly! 

It was a simple outfit but pretty effective, this top was £15.99 (I think) from Stradivarius! Stradivarius isn't a brand that's particularly well known in the UK but I discovered it a few years ago in Barcelona and now when I have the chance to visit I get rather excited! The Westfield in Stratford (one word for that place - WOW) has one and if you ever go there I highly recommend you check out the store!! 

This top had half length arms that were quite baggy, so I cut them off because it made me look a bit butch! I really like it now, the inside stitching has kind of exposed itself and its just a bit more flattering now! It's made of the softest cotton and it really is a good quality top, definitely worth the money!

Excuse my stink eye in this pic, I blinked and couldn't get another decent one! 

I finished the outfit with my black Next jeggings which are amazinggg! They're £20 but so worth it, the quality is so much better than cheap jeggings and there's no sagging at my knees and falling down at awkward times! I wore my 3 year old Oasis denim jacket, still going strong and my grey handbag is from Primark and it was £10! On my tootsies were my very old and very battered Dorothy Perkins black wedged trainers.. Such an easy/effective outfit :) (sorry most of these bits are old so no links!)

Face was pretty simple:

Maybelline Better Skin foundation, 

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, 

Urban Decay Flushed Palette bronzer, blusher and highlighter, 

Urban Decay Subversion and Perversion mascara duo (This duo is WOW, so glad I bought them!!), 

Benefit Browzings, 

Essence Cosmetics All About Nude eyeshadow palette,

LA Colours lip liner in Auburn, and 

MAC lipstick in Faux...

Simple face but together it looks pretty good and doesn't take long to do!

What do you think of this outfit? 

Have you shopped at Stradivarius before?

Have you used any of those makeup items before?

Let me know!

Thanks for reading xxx

10 Little Secrets Tag

Hello my lovelies!

A tag post today, basically because I really wanna blog but I haven't got time to go buy things/take pictures/try them out/review them.. Work is mental at the minute, which is obviously the way I love it, but it means that my blog is gonna be neglected a little bit!

I am flying home next week for a few days, so who knows, there may be a cheeky duty free purchase! I've never flown from Gatwick so I don't know what the North Terminal has to offer!

So I found this tag on my beautiful besties blog (beccasbeautyspot.blogspot.co.uk) and really enjoyed readin it so I thought I'd give it a go! Also if go and like Beccas MUA Facebook Page - she shows her amazing work and makeup artist she's done on clients! Go and look out her newest film work, it's zombies and it creeped me out a little I can't lie! She's doing a giveaway at 1,000 likes so give her a thumbs up and you could be in with a chance of winning some goodies :)

So, lets get started then!

1. What is the one product that makes you feel like a million dollars?

Honestly, it has to be my Estee Lauder Doublewear foundation! Whenever I wear it I just feel so much happier about my face and how it looks - it's an instant confidence boost! I save this one for special occasions because it's pretty heavy duty and expensive, so when I slap it on, I really feel the benefits! 

2. What is your skincare secret/A passed down skin care tip?

Same as Becca, unfortunately I don't particularly have any passed down skin care tips! My main advice is TAKE YOUR MAKEUP OFF AT NIGHT. Even after a night out when you wanna stuff your face with pizza and just pass out, take a wipe, swoosh it round your face and you'll feel 1 million times better for it the next morning!! 

3. Share your hair care secret?

I have no hair care secrets, I am SHIT with my hair. Like I can barely do anything with it, I've never been able to! My only advise is after you dye your hair - either a box job or at the hairdressers, always condition it well. It makes the colour look so much better and your hair will feel a lot healthier! This is particularly important if you start going blonde - my hair was so dry!

4. What's your biggest diet rule?

Well unfortunately I'm pretty shit at diets, I used to be so good at saying no to everything, but I've just lost that ability. I really need to try harder! I think the most important thing is don't restrict yourself completely - if you say 'NO CHOCOLATE' to yourself, all your body will crave is chocolate! It's always important to have everything in moderation!

5. Any workout tips?

PFFT. It took me 2 months of working at Nestle to eventually buckle up the courage to go and use the work gym. I don't like working out. It's depressing. Find ways to make it fun! I'm volunteering at the minute with an animal rescue centre and I walk the dogs, I do over 3 and a half miles walking a week with them but it doesn't feel like exercise!

6. Which perfume is your secret weapon?

I absolutely love Thierry Mugler's 'Alien' I don't think it can be beaten, it's such a signature scent and you can tell it a mile away! No-one can resist it, I always get compliments when I wear it!

7. What is a clothing item of yours which always turns heads?

I don't know if I have a particular clothing item that turns heads, but people are always pretty impressed with my trainer collection! I love trainers, I could wear them all day every day! My orange Roshe Runs are my newest addition and they are literally like walking on air! So comfortable!

8. What's your most treasured piece of jewellery?
I don't have a lot of particularly expensive and sentimental jewellery, I always get afraid of losing it so I don't like to buy expensive stuff! I have a Skagen watch I got from my mum for Christmas and I bought myself a Pandora ring with my birthstone, so they're probably the two most treasured pieces I have!

9. Who is your style crush?
Oh this is a hard one, I love so many people! Kim Kardashian - her style is smoking at the minute, she's really showing off that post baby body! (pic from Google)

Victoria from vipxo.co.uk - her style is so good and I'm obsessed with her Valentino style shoes from eBay, I think I need to purchase them! Her ebay Wishlists are the one, check it out every weekend! (photo from her blog!)

and Hey Claire from youtube.com/heyclaire - she wears jeans and a tshirt and looks SO GOOD all the time and so effortless, plus she's gorgeous and her tattoos are amazing! (google again!)

10. Tell us something we don't know about you.
I really want to take up Spanish again, I studied it to AS level and I miss being able to speak another language so much! My landlady can speak it, and it's making me really wanna take it up again at night college or when I go back to uni next year!

Hope you enjoyed this post!
Nothing too secretive but I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about me!

Thanks for reading!

Line 'em up..

Hellloooo everyone. 

So on Sunday I shared a quick snapshot of what I bought in Bluewater/Windsor :)

This is just a quick post of how I used one of my favourite products I picked up!

I have hooded lids, and it's basically the bane of my existence!! Eyeshadow is basically pointless unless it's the whole way to my eyebrow, eyeliners smudge and end up on my upper lid! Even Benefit's "They're Real" liner.. I asked and I asked the member of staff on Carnaby St and she said it was suitable for hooded lids.. 15 minutes, I resembled a panda!! So I was majorly pissed off and it definitely put me off purchasing from them again in the future!

The item I've fallen in love with is the L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim Intense in 'Blue' which was £6.99!

For me, this is one of the best liners I've tried.. Minimal smudging and the nib is so neat it actually glides on so easily! The colour is so intense as well, it really is the colour of the lid! This is definitely a favourite of mine.

Check out the pics below showing how I've used it! The first two are the normal flicks I would wear, and the others are when I winged it out further for more dramatic effect! Apologies for the picture quality, the lighting in this house isn't the best, it's really difficult to get a real representation!! Also, check out my lovely tan lines from when I got burnt in Brighton, oops! 

Have you tried these eyeliners? 

What do you think of them? 

Thanks for reading!!

Xxx

Lip Product Addict Tag

Hiyaaaa!
I'm back again! 

My tags have been actually been going down really well so I thought I'd do the Lip Product Addict Tag that I saw over on the lovely Bow Bombshell blog! This sounds right up my street as I love lippies!

1. Favourite balm/treatment?

My favourite balm definitely has to be my Summer Fruits EOS balm! I love the shape of these balms and I think that's why it makes it my favourite! So easy to apply and I think they're really moisturising! I can't lie, the main reason I bought it in Selfridges was because all the Kardashians were promo'ing them but it really has become a handbag essential for me.

EOS Balm in 'Summer Fruits'

2. Best eye-catching red?

I think it has to be my RiRi Woo Lipstick and Lipglass together! They're gorgeous separately but I think together they pack such a punch and give a real 'wow' factor! They both smell divine, I know that doesn't make them eye-catching but I would definitely reach for them ahead of another red because they taste great as well as look great!

'RiRi Woo' Lipstick and Lipglass

3. Best luxury and drug store?

Best luxury without a doubt - Estee Lauder. The packaging is divine, the lipsticks are so buttery and soft and glide on so easily! Andddd the colour lasts for hours, not something you generally get with a soft buttery lipstick! The one I bought was £26.00 but it was literally worth every penny!

Estee Lauder Envy Sculpting Lipstick in 'Dominant'

Best drugstore is pretty easy - definitely MUA! The majority of the lipsticks are £1, so obviously you cant say no to that! They're also really nice formulas and have a pretty good lasting power! If you wanna experiment with colour I think they're a great place to start as well because you can try them without breaking the bank! 

MUA Matte Lipstick in 'Wild Berry'

4. Best MAC lipstick?

My favourite MAC lipstick I own is probably Kangarouge, it's from their Ice Parade collection! My dad picked it up for me in Las Vegas from the Cosmetics Company store! It's a blue toned red, that makes your teeth look super white! Compared to RiRi Woo, which is up there with one of my favourites, it's so much easier to apply because it's a shiny satin finish! It lasts for ages, and it's just such an easy red to have in your handbag for touch ups!

5. The most disappointing?

Now, this is one that definitely could divide peoples feelings on me.. In my opinion, Rebel is the most disappointing MAC lipstick that I own! Now guys, hear me out! It's a gorgeous colour, such a deep plummy purple, but I find that it can come across badly on the lips, especially if you've got any areas of dryness it clings to it, your lips kind of end up looking like a Dulux colour chart of Rebel! But, if you're careful and take care of your lips, and use a lip liner before such as Currant it comes out lovely! It just takes time to get this one right!!

6. Liner - yes or no?

Yes to liner, always yes to liner! Makes it so much easier to apply a lipstick when you've already done the outline so you don't end up wiggling your elbow and drawing a line straight up to your nose before trying to get it right (it's happened before...). Plus, as I mentioned about Rebel and Currant before it makes a big impact on how your lipstick ends up looking! I prefer pencil liners, I think they're a lot more precise than the other creamy ones!

7. Best gloss?

I don't wear that much gloss, I'm fussy about the finish I like with it, and generally your lip basically always ends up stuck to a glass when you wear it! My favourite gloss is MAC's Dressed to Dazzle is my favourite, it is sticky so I don't wear it that much, but when I do I fall in love with the sparkles in it everytime. Plus it smells gorgeously vanilla!!

8. Something extra

This one is a little bit random, but my something extra has to be: MUA's Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers
These are basically the highstreet equivalent of Limecrime's Velvetine Lipsticks. The Velvetines retail at £13.50 each, and typically they're quite hard to find in the UK. But these little babies are just £3.00 each! You can buy them in Superdrug at online at www.muastore.co.uk. There are 9 shades available.

So basically, you could afford to buy all 9 shades for the price of 2 Velvetines!

These all have a doe foot applicator and go on really easily. They dry to a matte finish and then they just don't budge! They're perfect for a night out because guarantee they'll still be there even the next morning!

The shades I have from left to right are:
Atomic; Reckless; Tranquility; Halcyon and Kooky.

So, the people I would like to tag are: Megan and Sara :)

Hope you enjoyed this tag!
Have you tried any of these lip products?
What are your faves or least faves products?

xxx

Wishlist Series #3

Evening guys!

So the past two weeks have focused on my clothing wishes and wants, but today it's BEAUTY and HAIR - my favourite thaaaaangs. 

People wonder why I prefer beauty shopping to clothes shopping (it's like 60-40 to each though in all fairness) but the main reason is, makeup and hair products always FIT, you don't have to worry if your bum looks big in a lipstick or if you're gonna end up with sweat patches in a hair product! It's easier, and you will ALWAYS get wear out of them, unlike clothes which you buy and then slip to the back of the wardrobe!

The first 5 items are gonna be from Cult Beauty, which as the name suggests is THEE website to get your butt over to if you want all those cult beauty products you hear bloggers and vloggers talking about, if a product is gonna be big - Cult Beauty will have it! The next 5 will be from Beauty Bay which is one of my favourite beauty sites to buy from, generally you can always hoke out a discount for the site somewhere online, plus they have a premium service that you pay £1.50 for and you get a premium sample and faster dispatch (all deliveries are free to UK but this makes it quicker, and I'm really impatient!).. So without further ado.. Let's get starteddddd. 

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills - BrowWiz - £15.50

2. Escentric Molecules - Molecule 01 - £65.50

3. Therapie - Himalayan Detox Salts - £37.00

4. Alpha-H - Liquid Gold - £31.50

5. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Lip Tar - £14.00

6. BEAUTYBAY The Collection - Little Black Box Summer Style Edition - £15.00

7. Dr Lipp - Original Nipple Balm for Lips - £11.50 

8. Orly - Sunglasses at Night - £5.38

9. Urban Decay - Electric Pressed Pigment Palette - £38.00

10. Paul & Joe - Blotting Paper - £4.00

So as you can see from the 10 things I've chosen, Cult Beauty tends to be on the higher end of the price scale, but that's pretty typical of cult beauty products! Both websites do stock some products the same, for example they both stock Anastasia Beverly Hills, so it's worth checking on both if a shade you're looking is out of stock on one! Also, how good is number 6! All those products for £15 including a Tangle Teezer dupe! I think something like that would be great for a young girls birthday present, maybe a 14/15 year old who's starting to experiment with makeup and hair, it's so cheap but gives so many things to play with!

What do you think of what I've chosen??

Do you have any of the products or have you used them in the past?

Let me know in the comments if you have!

There's one more fashion wishlist next Sunday and after that we'll be back to reviews etc!

Money is tight at the minute so I've not been buying many beauty products, so wishlists are my next best option!

Thanks for reading! xxx

Estée Lauder Haul.

Eveninggggg guys!

So as I've probably mentioned before I like to do surveys online to try and get myself some money saved up to allow me to shop without the guilt (usually I don't get much of that either though!). Not so long ago I hit my £20 target on Valued Opinions and decided my store of choice would be Boots for my next haul! Estée Lauder was the counter I hit, and I can't deny, I hit it hard. 

I've heard a lot about the Doublewear Stay-In-Place Foundation, some things good, and some not so good - and I wanted to try it for myself! So I bought it to try it out for myself and I am IMPRESSED! The Estée Lauder counter assistant was really helpful choosing my shade and tried 3 different shades on me to see which would suit me best and I settled with Pure Beige! The foundation goes on so easily and really blends in well, and it really does last SO long, it's probably as close to a foundation tattoo that you can get at the minute. I wore it to Parklife all weekend and it didn't budge - even in the rain! It retails at £28.50, which is expensive, but I only plan to use it for nights out and events that I'm gonna be braving the elements in, such as a festival! It is far too heavy for everyday use, your skin would never need that kind of coverage on a daily basis! But for special occasions, this will be the first foundation I reach for! I love the packaging as well, so classy and elegant! It doesn't have a pump but I just pour a little onto my hand and it doesn't run away thanks to it's thick consistency!

Doublewear Stay-In-Place Foundation in 'Pure Beige'

The other product I purchased was the Pure Colour Envy Sculpting Lipstick in the shade 'Dominant'. It's the creamiest consistency and it literally glides on to your lips like a dream. I generally don't like creamy lipsticks because they don't last very long on my lips, but this lipstick is different. It's a bright vibrant pink that's not going ANYWHERE. I kept it on all day, and that included eating and drinking - and it looked just as good when I got home as when I left the house that morning! It's expensive, I can't lie, it retails at £24. It's the most expensive lipstick I've ever bought but I don't regret it, the price tag is really reflected in the quality of the product and it's staying power. The packaging is obviously included in the price, and it's a beautiful sleek design with a magnetic close. I'm wearing Dominant in the picture below! Swatches will be further on!

Pure Colour Envy Sculpting Lipstick in 'Dominant'

Yet another shameless selfie to show off a product ;-)

 I always think it's important to remember with buying in Boots you do get Boots points which you can save up for other purchases! So at least you do get some reward for shopping in store! When I went to Boots, I only intended to purchase Doublewear, but there was a gift with purchase (GWP) on if you bought two things, and I'm a sucker for a gift with purchase! This gift with purchase was valued at over £90 so I think it justified my extra spending!

I received a gorgeous teal and navy tile print makeup bag, a Lipstick, a Moisturiser, a Mini Advanced Night Repair, a 4 piece Eyeshadow Palette, a Mascara, an Eyeliner and a Nail Polish. This was my first purchase of any Estée Lauder cosmetics, and getting the GWP really introduced me to a lot of new things I maybe wouldn't have been willing to purchase! I'm not going to go into toooo much detail, because basically I love everything and this post would be 4 hours of reading long!!

Advanced Night Repair and Daywear Moisturiser

Pure Colour Nail Lacquer in 'Blue Blood' 

Pure Colour Lipstick in 'Bois de Rose' 

L - 'Bois de Rose' & R - 'Dominant'

4 piece Eyeshadow Palette - I don't know the names I'm sorry! :( 

Unfortunately I'm a major crap blogger and forgot to take pictures of both the Eyeliner and Mascara and I'm in Northern Ireland and they're in Manchester! Thankfully I know what they are so you can check the full size out online! I received the Pure Colour Intense Kajal Eyeliner in 'Blackened Black' - which really is super black and goes on so creamily, no tugging at your eyes! Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in 'Extreme Black' - I love the brush of this mascara, It's now very much included in my mascara routine, and it's so black! I love black eyeliners and black mascara and Estée Lauder definitely supplies that! 

I'm super impressed with everything that I bought, and it all feels glorious on my skin, I'm absolutely crap that I don't have the names for the eyeshadows! I will be able to get them when I get back to Manchester so if you would like to know, feel free to tweet me at @RachelVennard or send me an email at vennardr@hotmail.co.uk and I can fill you in!

Have you tried any Estée Lauder products?

What do you think of them and the brands?

Let me know!
Rachel xx

Post Exam Treats!

Helllooo!

My exams are over, and as many of you probably know, I love nothing more than a little bit of online shopping to celebrate such achievements :) Have a little looksy below at what I bought! 

This time I knew what I wanted whenever I finished my exams, I'd had my eye on the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade for so long, and a few days before my exams finished, Cult Beauty sent me that delightful email to tell me it was back in stock again! However by the time I got there, the shade I wanted 'Dark Brown' was already out of stock AGAIN (this is the 3rd time it's happened!!). I made my way over to Beauty Bay in the off chance that they would have it in stock, and thankfully they did! So as soon as I seen it, it was straight in my basket alongside the Anastasia Beverly Hills Angled Cut Brow Brush. I felt it was justified to buy the brush as well because I wanted the Pomade to be my perfect brow so I needed the perfect brush to apply it! The Dipbrow Pomade retails at £15 and the brush is £13. Swatches can be seen below. 

Anastasis Dipbrow Pomade 'Dark Brown' and Angled Cut Brow Brush. (Apologies, I'd already used it!) 

On Beauty Bay, you also have the opportunity to pay an extra £1.95 for a premium sample product to be sent with your order, and it also means your delivery leaves the warehouse slightly quicker than the standard free delivery that Beauty Bay offer! You get to choose your own sample so it's not like you end up with a dodgy one you're maybe not fussed on. My choice was the Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser which for the full size retails at £34.99. This cleanser is AMAZING! It's a godsend, I've really been struggling with dry skin around my nose recently and its not been giving me a very smooth finish on my foundation! One application of this cleanser and that was GONE. You put it on, rub it in, and then wash it off. Easy peasy lemon squeezy and it gives GREAT results. I love it already, but £34.99 is a lot for a the full size so I would have to have a think about it when I've used it all up!

MAC - Eyeshadow in 'Cranberry'

Finally, the last thing I chose to buy myself was an eyeshadow I've been lusting over for years, since Becca bought it and used it on me I've been obsessed! Looked at it everytime I dandered through Selfridges or Duty Free, and finally on Wednesday 14th May it entered my life. And that eyeshadow is MAC's 'Cranberry' Eyeshadow. It's an amazing reddy plum shade with glitter, and it looks amazing on the lids! Beaut. Beaut. Beaut. I loveeeeeeee it. I've worn it so much already and I've only had it a week and a half! Check out the swatches of both Cranberry and the Dipbrow Pomade below! 

L-R Dipbrow Pomade in 'Dark Brown' and MAC Eyeshadow in 'Cranberry'

Both of my exam treats made it onto my face for my night out after my exams, and I absolutely loved the result! The Dipbrow was perfect and made my brows look great, it's a bit dark but perfect for nights out.. It's kind of like a tint, so it lasted the whole way through the next day, even after a shower and washing my face!!

Have you tried any of these products?

Let me know if you have!

Lots of loveeee 

xxxx

Topshop SS14 Collection Makeup Haul

Holaaaa!

Summer has arrived, the sun is shining (for now anyway in Manchester) and it's so nice to be able to wear bright clothes and fun makeup and be tanned (even if it is from a bottle)!

Topshop have released their Spring Summer 2014 makeup collection and you can view the whole thing here! It's exciting, fun and includes both summer brights and spring pastels in nail varnishes, lip products, eyeshadows and eyeliners! And it's all very reasonably priced at between £5 and £10!

When I was at home for Easter my mum and I went to Topshops flagship store in Northern Ireland in Victoria Square in Belfast! They have the biggest range of stuff and generally a better size range than smaller stores. 

What I bought!

The main item I went to purchase was the Eye Duo in 'Long Weekend' after my absolutely gorgeous bestie Becca at http://www.rebeccadurrans.blogspot.co.uk/ bought it! It's such a warm corally orange and a goldy brown duo! The orange is absolutely stunning and makes such an impact, it's perfect for sunshiney days! The orange has such a good colour payoff and it really does come out the same on the skin as it looks in the packet! The same can't be said for the goldy shade, it's pretty much invisible and has no colour payoff! I have hardly used it except for a little bit in the crease, but it's nothing special! Swatches can be seen further below! But here's how I wore it a few weeks ago for a family day away :)

Long Weekend Eye Duo - Topshop ft Peaches Lashes

 The second Eye Duo I bought is called 'Time Off' and it's a blue and slate grey combo. The blue is the same as the orange, and is a gorgeous baby blue colour! These eyeshadows are so easy to blend in! The grey has more colour pay off than the second shadow from the Long Weekend set! I absolutely love both of these kits and for £6 they're an absolute bargain! 

Swatches - Long Weekend and Time Off Eye Duo

After recommendations from Becca, I also purchased the Lip Varnishes which are a combination of a lip gloss and a lip stain! They are gorgeous on and the colour is as true in the tube as it is on the lips! They're glossy on the lips and they last for ages! Like seriously, almost all night long even on a night out! I was amazed at their staying power! They're £9 each, and I love them all! I bought 'Field Day' and 'Merry Go Round' and you can see the swatches below :)

On the day that I purchased the things from Topshop there was an offer on that resulted in a free Lip Cream when you spent over £15, as I definitely spent over £15 (oops) I chose the Lip Cream in 'Double Take'. Lip creams are highly pigmented glosses that are really comfortable to wear!

L-R - Double Take, Field Day and Merry Go Round

I absolutely love everything I bought and the thing I love about Topshop makeup is that you still get Student Discount on everything! And even better when I bought these things the discount was 20%! 

What do you think of Topshop's makeup range?
Let me know!

Rachel xxx