Amazing Advertisers // June

Hi everyone! I hope you're all having a great weekend. I cannot believe its the end of June. Seriously, where is this year going? June has been a pretty hectic month for me with going away on holiday and what not so I feel like I've lost my blogging mojo a little bit. You know when you have those days where you just cannot string a sentence together no matter how hard you try? Well I've been having those days a lot lately and its really beginning to bug me! Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things soon as I have so much I want to share with you all. Anyway, enough of my whinging, let me introduce you to the wonderful bloggers who've been over on the right hand side of my blog for the past month. They're a fabulous bunch so do keep reading to find out more about them and their wonderful blogs ...

Lucy from Lucy Rose

Hello there lovelys, my name is Lucy Rose. i'm 20 years young, living in the Lake District studying to be a teacher. Somewhere along the lines I managed to become wrapped up in a love affair with the world of beauty. Thank god I did! If I had not I wouldn't of become part of the amazingly spirited blogging community. My blog is still fairly new, but I have loved every minute of picture taking, post writing, editing, commenting, reading and watching! 

Blogging gives me a great sense of belonging, and I'm super duper happy to have made some great friends and met so many lovely people through this. My self confidence has increased majorly since meeting such amazing people, and I really do love and appreciate all the comments, tweets etc I receive. Bloggers are the best!

If you decide to swing by lucy rose you can find a bundle of posts, including hauls, reviews, OOTD's, wish lists, life posts and some other ramblings. I have been sharing my mental health story on my blog, part 2 is due soon. This is something I'm very involved with and feel strongly about so if your interested too then definitely check that out! I am also about to host a giveaway so check back for that. I'm in the middle of a blog layout overhaul so hopefully lucy rose will be looking more beautiful for you soon. 

hope to see you there xox

Laura from What Laura Loves

When I first started blogging almost three years ago now, I didn’t think that it would change my life quite as much as it has done.  Through writing my fashion and beauty blog, WhatLauraLoves, I’ve really found me- who I am, what I like and what my style is.  My blog is an expression of me as I write about all things fashion and beauty related with a bit of wedding talk thrown in for good measure as I’m tying the knot next year!  Blogging has brought me some close friendships and amazing opportunities, like being able to design, model and put on sale a dress exclusively for Simply Be.  Head on over to my blog to read all about the products I’m loving and the clothes I’m wearing... oh and there’s a huge giveaway coming up at the beginning of July!  

Blog || Bloglovin || Facebook
Twitter: @whatlauraloves || Instagram: whatlauraloves

Paula from Pretty Pollys Blog

Hi, I'm Paula and I blog over at Pretty Polly's Blog, a little place full of beauty and food posts.  I started my blog in October last year and remember thinking how am I going to post every week? Now it's safe to say I don't have that worry and am proud to say in all sense of the word I truly am a beauty hoarding blogger! I love pink lipsticks, bows, purple nails and food from all over the globe, all of which feature in my little blog. 

Now I'm in full swing I plan to be more creative with posts and start doing more tutorials including nail art and hair. Full time buyer by day, blogger by night, it really has taken over my life and now I can't imagine life without it, I love it! 

Hope you can drop by

Paula xx

Blog || Twitter || Bloglovin

Intagram - paulahunter100 (full of nails and food - perfect combo!)

Lucy from Lucy Loves to Blog

Hi girlies, I'm Lucy, I'm 24 and I run Lucy Loves To Blog. I've been blogging for a couple of years now after being an avid reader of fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogs. Lucy Loves to Blog started off as a lifestyle blog but has gradually turned into a fashion/beauty blog which I never thought would happen as well as posting about my life in Devon.

I love sharing new products and clothes I've brought in haul posts, reviewing new beauty products I've purchased and dressing up for outfit posts but my most popular posts are probably the wishlists! I'd love to see you over at Lucy Loves to Blog.

Blog || Bloglovin || Facebook || Twitter
Instagram : lucylovestoblog

Fatin Oh My Gosh Make-Up

My names fatin and you can find me on www.ohmygoshmake-up.com. I'm a 27 year old dental nurse who's love for make-up is just beyond purchasing and collecting. I'm originally from nottingham and came to Londonderry about 9 years ago! Being middle eastern my parents were really strict so make-up up to the age of 18 was a no no! My first purchase was from Mac itself and I had bought my first product which was a lipstick called hue! We all know about this beauty! Since then I have been a massive fan of beauty and all things fashion related. I studied a levels in art, textiles and sociology. I have a qualification in styling but since being a mum, my career took a different turn!

I decided to blog because it was a open way of expressing y love and passion for make-up and fashion without having to preasureise my self in any way. I find that the blogger community is just the friendliest. You'll find lots of FOTD, TUTORIALS AND general beauty reviews over on my blog.

Kari from Brown Eyed Beautie

Hello fellow beauty lovers. My name is Kari from the beauty blog, Browneyedbeautie. I have enjoyed watching beauty videos on Youtube and reading beauty blogs. I just couldn't believe that so many girls (and guys), shared a similar passion like I did. I wanted to be apart of that, so a started my own blog. I love having the opportunity to share and connect with others. I love to shop and discover the endless of products to test out and tell others what I truly think. I also post makeup tutorials, hauls, along with reviews and post a specific beauty topics. I am lover of all things beauty. I hope you stop by my little corner of the blogging world and hope you enjoy!!!

 Blog || Bloglovin || Twitter || Instagram || Pinterest || Google + || She Said Beauty

Tori from Aztec Mess

Hi! My name is Tori and I blog over at aztecmess.com, I started my blog about a year ago after realising I spend half my time reading blogs so I may as well try my hand at writing my own! My blog started out as quite nail-art related however now it has expanded into a full beauty blog with the occasional lifestyle and fashion posts thrown in for good measure. I’ve just finished my degree so I will be focussing on making my posts even better and hopefully posting a lot more often!

 I hope you go check out my blog and say hi to me on twitter! Finally I just wanted to say a big thank you to Kayleigh for letting me advertise with her!

Lots of love

Tori

xxx

Cat from Outside Beauty Inside Health

Hi, I’m Cat and my blog started as the usual beauty blog with a bit of fitness and health thrown in; however over the past 18 months it has turned into so much more.  After seeing that my fitness related posts were the most popular they grew in frequency and I took my own advice and motivated myself; as a result I have lost 20 inches, 3 dress sizes and gained a whole new lifestyle.

My blog is now crammed full of fitness, food, health, lifestyle and beauty. With regular features such as “Fitness Friday” “Monday’s Meals” and “Wednesday’s Workouts” I aim to motivate myself as well as others and try to make fitness and health accessible, easy to understand and not intimidating. I am always available for help and advice as I love to help others reach their fitness and health goals, like I am.

When I’m not busy finding new workouts, recipes and health tips, I am busy blogging beauty and my life. Like all girls I adore beauty products so they feature often on my blog, and I blog about life in most posts as I love to share with you all. If you want some fitspiration while reading a beauty blog then be sure to give my blog a visit, I hope you enjoy reading it.

Blog || Bloglovin || Twitter || Instagram || Youtube || Facebook

Katherine from The Beauty Visual

I’m a 20-year-old Journalism student who loves nothing more than writing and talking about beauty! My blog ranges from reviews, collections and favourites covering make-up, skincare and nail varnish. I’m a relatively new blog but deciding after years of reading other people’s why not start my own?

 I try to write my posts similar to the ones I like to read and love hearing from anyone with the same passion as me (aka going on and on about beauty!). I also enjoy any suggestions readers may have for any types of posts you like to be covered so feel free to send any requests my way too.

Blog || Twitter

 Charlotte from Bercie Baby

Hi Guys, My name is Charlotte & I’m a Parent/Lifestyle blogger over at bericebaby.com. I blog about being a first time mum to my baby boy Hayden, Fashion, Beauty, everyday products and everyday life. I am somewhat of a part-time vlogger over on my youtube too HAHA.

Stop by and say Hi – Love meeting new people!

Lotte xo

Blog || Youtube || Twitter || FaceBook || Pinterest || Instagram

Emilie from Someone in the Corner

Hello there fellow blogger, I’m Emilie an 18-year-old beauty and fashion blogger and lover with a big heart, a coffee addiction and an obsession with TV shows. But most of all I am an ambitious life lover with passion for adventure.

For the past 4 years I have been on and off the blogging wagon, but ever since September 2012 I am on it for what I think will be a good, long while. My little corner of the Internet is where I share everything from beauty tips and tricks to reviews, hauls and I even pop in with a few fashion and travel posts from time to time.

Being a blogger has taught me so much and it has given me the chance to get to know people from all around the world (although especially from ‘across the pond’). It is a community that I am proud to be a part of and that I hope will continue to grow and be as supportive as it is. If you ever feel like stopping by, my blog and I will be there with open arms ready to include you as a ‘Someone In the Corner’ ;)

Blog || Bloglovin || Twitter || Instagram || Email

Ashley from J'aime Ombre

Ello loves! I'm Ashley & I blog over at J'aime Ombre. I've been a licensed cosmetologist for nearly 9 years with a particular love for all things hair extension related. Everything's better when you look like Rapunzel, amiright? After being a dedicated blog reader for a few years I decided it was time to give it a go & try it out for myself. My blog is mainly beauty focused with a little sprinkle of fashion & life mixed in. You'll find lots of reviews and far too many shopping hauls. I'd love for you to pop over & say hi sometime! 

Blog || Twitter || Instagram || Youtube

I hope you enjoyed finding out a little bit more about my wonderful advertisers and have possibly found some new blogs to follow. I certainly know they'll all be on my reading list from now on.  I still have a couple of ad spaces remaining for July so if you're interested, don't hesitate to get in touch at kljohnson1990@gmail.com.

Lots of Love,

Review // Vichy Idealia BB Cream

Hi everyone! I hope you're all well and having a fabulous weekend so far. It feels like such a long time since I last wrote a product review for you all so I've made a point of sitting down today to write all about a fabulous little product I've been loving lately - Vichy Idealia BB Cream*. If you've been reading my blog for a while you might know that I'm not usually the biggest lover of the ever-hyped BB creams. I've tried my fair share of them and have almost always been left disappointed. Well, until now that is. I think I may well of been converted. As a huge fan of the Vichy Idealia moisturiser, when I discovered they were releasing a matching Idealia BB Cream, I was very intrigued and couldn't wait to get my little mitts on it.

As I mentioned earlier, BB creams are a product that have never wowed me. I've always had high hopes that they'll help me achieve flawless, smooth and glowing skin but instead have been left with an exceptionally light coverage tinted moisturiser that adds nothing more to my skin than a wash of colour that is more often than not far too dark for my skintone. What is it with most 'light' BB creams being more suitable for a watsit than someone with fair skin? However, the newly released BB cream from Vichy provides all of those things I've been searching for and more. Designed to illuminate tired, dull skin, it works wonders at adding brightness and luminosity to my face. Here's how Vichy describe their wonderful new product -

"Enriched with a unique complex (Kombucha + UV Filter System) and light reflecting pigments; the formula is designed for 6 different actions: Illuminate, hydrate, smooth wrinkles, refine skin texture, reduce the appearance of dark spots and protect with SPF 25". 

Now although it seems hard to believe that one product can contain so many benefits for the skin (believe me, I was sceptical at first too), it really does. As soon as I applied it to my face I was amazed by how bright and smooth my complexion looked. It instantly gave my skin a pick me up and although it doesn't have a heavy coverage, it evened out my complexion and provided me with enough coverage that I felt confident to wear it alone. Another thing I noticed was how amazing it felt on my skin and that it feels more like a moisturiser than a base for makeup. With a matching scent to the Idealia moisturiser, it smells amazing too and is a real joy to apply. It blends like a dream and sinks into the skin to provide a natural flawless base. I find my skin feels hydrated after application which provides a nice smooth base for the rest of my makeup and I generally look a lot healthier after applying this product. I can't confirm whether it smooths wrinkles or reduces the appearance of dark spots as I don't have either of these but I certainly imagine it would if the other benefits are anything to go by.

The are currently two shades available - Light and Medium and the one I've swatched in the photos above is Light. I realise it looks exceptionally light in my swatch but it adapts to my skin tone very well once blended in. It contains light reflecting pigments which is what helps to illuminate the skin but I haven't found they make me look too shiny or glittery. I do have combination skin though so I've been dusting it ever so lightly with a powder after application to keep any shine at bay.

Overall I absolutely adore this products and would recommend it to anyone who might of been left disappointed by BB creams in the past. I was convinced they were all talk and no action but this one has seriously proved me wrong. I used it almost every day on my recent holiday to Marbella and the added SPF 25 meant my skin was protected whilst also looking fresh and radiant. If you're going away on holiday any time soon - I'd really recommend checking this out. It was a staple for me!

What do you think of BB creams? Do you like the sound of this one from Vichy? Its available to buy from various stockists but the cheapest I found it for online is £14.00 from Esenctual here. Its worth every penny in my opinion!

Lots of Love,

What I Wore on Holiday

I don't know about you but every time I go on holiday, I always have to take a selection of new outfits along with me. I like to know I'll have something nice to wear every single night and not have to worry about having any "I have nothing to wear" moments. In my opinion, having pretty new outfits to wear every day for a whole week just makes going away on holiday all the more fun. It also means lots of shopping before going away and although it isn't good for my bank balance, its a nice excuse to treat myself. I think I went a bit OTT  with the shopping as I ended up taking double the amount of clothes I actually needed but I am going away again in August so I'm sure the outfits I didn't wear will get worn then. I apologise in advance for the terrible quality of these photos but as I mentioned in my previous post, I didn't take my DSLR away with me so these shoddy iphone photos will have to do. So without any more blabbering on from me, here's what I wore on holiday ...

Dress - Missguided* // Necklace - Ebay // Shoes - Marks & Spencers

Dress - Windsor Store* // Belt - Primark // Shoes - Matalan

Dress - In Love with Fashion* // Bikini - Primark // Shoes - Matalan

Dress - Miss Selfridge // Belt - Primark // Shoes - Marks & Spencers

Top - Primark // Shorts - H&M // Belt - H&M // Shoes - Matalan // Bag - Peacocks

Dress - Windsor Store* // Shoes - Marks & Spencers // Necklace - Matalan // Bag - The City Rack*

As you can see I wore a whole range of different outfits during the week I was away and I love that none of them are similar to one another.  I don't know why but I always feel like I can experiment with different looks and styles a lot more when I'm on holiday, does anybody else feel like that? I don't know if its the heat or the fact I'm in another country where nobody knows me but I always feel more confident in my fashion choices when I'm away. I guess its the same as wearing no makeup - I'm happy to walk around bare faced abroad but in the UK I can't even go to the shop without putting some slap on. Its so silly!

I really love all the outfits I wore and I know I'll wear them all again in the future but I think my favourite outfit of the holiday has to be the backless black maxi dress from Missguided. Considering it only costs just over £20, I think its a really striking and glamorous dress. I paired it with my neon necklace from ebay and cork heels from M&S which made it the perfect holiday outfit. I decided to wear my hair up in a bun to show off the back of the dress too and I think it worked well. I felt very ladylike indeed.

Talking of hair, I decided to experiment with it a bit while I was away and I managed to style it differently most nights. As you can see in the photos above I went for a bun, a high pony, a plait, down and full of volume and a mid-pony again with lots of volume. I barely used any heat for the duration of my holiday with the exception of a hairdryer now and then and the John Frieda Surf Spray was a life safer. I sprayed it on both wet and dry hair, scrunched my hair between my fingers and was left with perfect beach waves. 

Do you like wearing new outfits on holiday? Which of my outfits is your favourite?

Lots of Love,

I'm Home // My Week in Marbella

Hi Everyone! I hope you're all doing well? I just wanted to write a post to let you all know that I'm back from my holidays and to share a few snaps with you. I have to say I'm rather sad to be back in dreary old England but I'm not going to get too down in the dumps about it as I go on holiday again in 8 weeks so that helps to lessen the blow a touch. It was so nice to have a relaxing week away with my boyfriend and his family chilling by the pool, eating good food and drinking yummy cocktails. We stayed at a complex called 'Grand Bahia' just outside of Marbella and our apartment was just beautiful. I call it an apartment but in all honesty it was more like a very large house and had everything we needed and more. The complex was beautiful too - it was very quiet and peaceful as the busy period doesn't kick off until July and it was covered in palm trees, swimming pools, waterfalls and gardens. Truly stunning. There was lots of nice cars parked around the place too and my boyfriend and I took a liking to a Victoria Beckham Range Rover Evoke. Dream car alert!

We spent most evenings cooking as we had a nice modern kitchen and BBQ to use and a huge patio with table and chairs, sun loungers and a hammock. It was so lovely to be able to do what we wanted to do with no interruptions like you often get in a hotel! We went out into Marbella a few nights for strolls down the beach, drinks in cute little bars where I even smoked a shisha pipe. Its safe to say that was a strange experience and I couldn't really master it. Another night we went from a meal at the beautiful Belvedere restaurant which is located right on the ocean front - so lovely. We often had drinks back at the apartment too as our patio overlooked one of the pools and it looked beautiful when it was all lit up in the evenings. We also managed to find a super cute beach bar on our last evening there (typical!) but it was lovely to sip wine on the beach front and relax. If we ever go back I imagine we'd spend a lot of our time there.

During the day we mainly plonked ourselves down at the pool and as there were five humongous ones at the complex, we certainly weren't short of choice. The one in the photos above was just outside our apartment so it was it was very convenient to roll out of bed and onto a sun lounger. I made sure I was well protected with factor 50 SPF but I still managed to get burnt thanks to the scorching weather. It was slightly painful at the time but I can't complain as it was great to feel the sun shining and I've come home with a lovely golden tan. I'm just hoping it sticks around for my birthday in 2 weeks so I can show it off. Any tips for making a natural tan last longer would be much appreciated.

We also went shopping to the local shopping centre and to my utter joy and excitement, there was a Sephora there. I've never ever been to a Sephora before but I've always wanted to so when I saw it I actually jumped for joy. Yes literally, I jumped - what a saddo! It was quite small but I didn't mind as it still had all the Sephora makeup which is what I was interested in. I didn't go too wild as I was on a tight budget but I did pick up a couple of things which I'll share with you all soon. The other shops there were amazing too - I was shocked to see they had the likes of Topshop, H&M and Zara so again, that was very exciting. They also had some fab shops we don't have in the UK and I managed to pick up a lovely neon cami just like the ones sold in Topshop for only 10 euros. Bargain!

So there we have it, my lovely holiday in pictures! I had such a wonderful time and I hope you enjoyed seeing what I got up to. I hope the pictures are okay too as they were taken with my Iphone and not my DSLR. I wish I'd taken it with me now I know what the apartment is like but before we went I didn't know what to expect and didn't want to risk leaving an expensive camera lying around. Oh well, there's always next time. I took lots of outfit photos too before we went out in the evenings which you might of seen on my Instagram (@kayleighjcouture) so I'm going to do a 'What I wore on Holiday' type post soon too. You may of also noticed I've had lots of lovely bloggers writing guest posts for me this past week so I'd like to say a huge thank you to them for keeping Couture Girl full of fabulous content while I was away. I hope you all enjoyed reading them and potentially discovered some new blogs to follow.

Are you going away on holiday this year? Have you ever visited Marbella?

Lots of Love,

Lucy Rose Guest Post // My Summer Picks

When Kayleigh tweeted asking if anyone would be interested in guest blogging whilst she went on her jollys – I jumped at the chance! Couture girl was one of the first blogs I started reading way before I started my own, and still is one of my firm favourites. With this being said, I hope you enjoy!

Summer has finally popped its head around the corner and the sun is beginning to shine. With this in mind, my daily beauty regimes and routines have all had a good old shake up and my summer products are out in full force – which is exactly what I am going to share with you today. Just a few of my favourite summer products I will be using this year.

The Tan

Naturally, I look very un-natural. In fact my other half calls me casper when I am (very rarely) tanless. Tan is something I generally wear all year round, but definitely make more of an effort with in summer. Especially as the sun does nothing but turn me into a giant freckle! Xen Tan is my saviour. The one and only tan I have ever found to tick every single box – no streaks, no dodgy biscuit smell, good colour guideline, not orange but beautifully golden, lasts up to a week and doesn’t give you that snakeskin look when it starts to fade away. Need I say more? For my face, I use St Tropez as I find this to be a lot more moisturizing than the Xen tan face tan. It leaves a gorgeous colour and your skin is left so soft and smooth, making the bare face look so much easier.

The Base

In summer, especially when it’s hot the last thing I want is a heavy, thick foundation hanging on my skin. This is where tinted moisturizers come into play, Nars pure radiant tinted moisturizer being one of my favoured. Lightweight and radiant with added spf 30 it is the perfect coverage for a hot summers day. It is also absolutely flawless and the radiance really does shine through giving you a beautiful glowy and dewey finish. On hot days I find my skin dehydrates much more than in winter, and sometimes I might just be too hot so I turn to this little pick me up – Lush’s breath of fresh air toner water. I sometimes use it as a toner, but mostly I just carry it round in my bag for a quick spritz here and there. It smells so lovely and contains fresh sea water. What’s best for dehydration? Salt.

The Bronzers

I ummed and aahh’d which bronzer to throw in this post, and I just couldn’t choose. Laguna has and always be a firm holy grail, but I love the Universal too?! Both are equally as good and are my go – to’s for contouring. Crème blushes are my preferred texture in summer, so therefore the universal I am using more for contouring and Laguna for an all over bronze. Both are so natural looking, especially Laguna which just has the tiniest bit of shimmer in which I love – sun kissed and natural.

The Cheeks

As I just mentioned, crème blushed are my way to go in summer – these new releases from Bourjois are just fabulous. They are really on a roll at the minute! I love coral shades in the summer months and this one in‘Healthy Glow’ is so pretty and blends like a dream. My powder choice, another coral, would be coralista from Benefit. A favourite of many, and it’s pretty obvious as to why, it is a lot lighter than the bourjois and has a speckle of shimmer in it too to give that highlighted glowy effect. Mac Lustre drops in sun rush – HOLY GRAIL. I cannot get enough of this. I would of never of picked this up myself till someone put it on me in a makeover and thank god they did. I have never been a fan of liquid highlighters but this just is the cream of the crop. Beautiful and golden for that summer bronzed look – definitely recommend these.

Lips and Nails

I could give you a million lipsticks that will be on my summer faces this year, but as I am a lipstick obsessed woman – it would take way too long. Hence I picked one of my all-time favourites – Girl About Town. A bright berry pink – perfect for a summer evening. I love bold lipsticks and this has great pigmentation as always from MAC. MAC Ravishing is the one I’m using most day times at the minute, love that too – couldn’t resist could I! On my nails I love Barry M at the minute. Their pastels caught my eye in spring, and now their neon’s and I are becoming great friends. This colour in ‘Dragon’ is a recent purchase and so beautiful on the mitts. I think it brings out my tan too!

The Body

Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate is all my legs scream in summer. The pins are out a lot more than they are used to, and the wear and tear of constant hair removal takes its toll. Exfoliating with my favourite soap and glory product – THE body scrub means my pins are well and truly smooth – making tan a hell of a lot easier to apply too. Whilst the pins are out, the feet are out even more, sandals and wedges rule my little tootsies in summer, which means my feet need prepping too. All the horrid dry skin from the colder months is buffed away and maintained with L’Occitane’s dry skin foot cream – rich in Shea butter and ever so nourishing. Smells divine.

And there you have it – my top picks for summer 2013. I really hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, I feel quite honoured to say my very own little piece on couture girl! Be sure to pop along to lucy rose and say hello, it would be lovely to hear from you- Happy summer.