Amazing Advertisers | August

So, tomorrow its September. How on earth did that happen? This Summer has been what feels like a complete whirlwind and now September is here, it won't be long until we're all wrapped up in our winer jumpers getting excited for the Christmas festivities. Madness I tell you! Although I have to say, I'm quite excited at the prospect of Autumn/Winter. I know most people hate it and prefer Summer but Christmas is my favourite time of the year and there's something I love about wrapping up in chunky scarves, snuggly jumpers and boots - its so cosy! Starbucks gingerbread lattes are always a nice winter bonus too! Anyway, enough rambling about the seasons, let me introduce you to my wonderful bunch of August advertisers. They're all fabulous so make sure you go and say hello to them all - I'm sure it would make their day.

Carly from Carly's Beauty World

Hi everyone, I’m Carly and I blog at carlysbeautyworld.com. I set up my blog a couple of years after I gave up my beauty salon to pursue a different career. I had been in the beauty industry for 15 years and wanted to continue to share my knowledge and help people. My friend suggested that I write a blog and I’m so glad that I did.

At Carly’s Beauty World you will find that amongst the product reviews and fun posts, I also write about and specialise in specific areas such as skincare and other beauty related topics. If you want to diagnose your skin type or learn how to choose skincare products you can come to my blog and find the advice you need easily.

I’m always chatting to people on my various social media sites so come and say hi. I look forward to meeting you all. I’m having a giveaway to win a Lush Cosmetics gift voucher so don’t forget to enter when you visit my blog (see here).

Carly x

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Google+ | Pinterest | Instagram

Eltoria from Eltoria Secrets

Ciao bellas! (Or to any amigos out there). I am Eltoria and as you can probably tell from the header, I am slightly obsessed with facemasks over at eltoriasecrets.blogspot.co.uk. Eltoria is a beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog where I like to express my enthusiasm and quirkiness through photo and text (I even made up the word frabrodoodle and made it work haha). Please visit me, leave me your details and let’s get linked!

Much Love Eltoria x

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Bloglovin |Youtube | Google

Eleasha from Duchess of Fashion

Hey lovelies! My name is Eleasha, a young British woman who loves being creative. I work full time in digital marketing and have recently launched my own fashion blog as I've been obsessed with the online fashion community for many years and finally decided to bite the bullet by creating my own blog. At Duchess of Fashion you will find style inspiration, as well as fashion advice and tips and tricks. I update my blog every Monday, Wednesday and Friday so be sure to follow me on Bloglovin for regular updates. I also make YouTube video's, I upload fashion/beauty related videos every Sunday so subscribe to my channel to keep updated. Stop by and say hello! :)

Bloglovin | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

The City Rack

The CityRack is a fast growing online fashion retail store, offering fashion-forward clothing at affordable prices. Aimed at young and stylish females, The CityRack offers the latest styles in clothing and accessories for women that love keeping their look on-trend and affordable.

Since the launch at the start of 2013, The CityRack has quickly gained a huge social media following and a loyal customer base spanning worldwide, with shipping available to countries in Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. 

At The CityRack, we understand that the key to our success is a happy and satisfied customer. This is why we focus on delivering exceptional customer service & a simple to use yet exciting shopping experience.

We do more than just sell clothes. We like to point you in the right direction by offering exclusive fashion updates including handy fashion tips, outfit ideas and competitions in our subscription-only newsletter, from our regular newsletters to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Shop | Facebook | Twitter

 Instagram: thecityrack

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend. Mine has been rather hectic as I've been moving things into my new flat. Keep your eyes peeled for lots of home ware posts coming your way very soon! I may even do a flat tour when I've got everything in - would you be interested in seeing that?

Lots of love,

TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation Review

Foundation is one of those products that I really struggle with. I don't know if I'm just particuarly fussy or if I've just never found my 'holy grail' base. I've tried my fair share as well - a mixture of high street and high end. Now don't get me wrong - there's some foundations out there that I LOVE (NARS Sheer glow/Bourjois healthy mix) but even then, I've never applied something to my skin and thought 'wow, this is flawless'. Maybe my expectations are too high or perhaps I haven't found the perfect accompanying concealers and powders. 

Anyway, rant aside, the latest foundation I've been testing out is the YSL le teint touche eclat*. This stuff gets a LOT of praise on blogs and youtube so I had pretty high expectations. Other than it being from a luxury brand and having beautiful packaging,  I own and love the touche eclat highlighting pen so figured I would love this just as much. However, I have to say, I'm in two minds about it.

I find it really difficult to review foundations as I'm never entierly sure what it is I do and don't like about them - to me they either look good or they don't, I can never really weigh up what exactly it is that makes one look good and another look bad. However, with this one, there's a couple of things I love about it and a couple of things I'm not so keen on. Firstly, I LOVE the packaging - its in a very sturdy glass bottle with a signature YSL gold lid and most importantly, it has a pump - we all know how important a pump is! I also love its fruity scent and the shade range is pretty impressive too so there should be one to match all skin tones. My shade is 'B40 Beige' which is a perfect match and is quite yellow toned which works well at brightening my complexion and cancelling out any redness. 

As for the formula, this is where I'm a little unsure. It applies to my skin like a dream, doesn't cling to dry patchs and has a lovely medium buildable coverage. However, I think it may be a little too dewy for my liking. I know, who'd have thought I'd be turning my nose up at dewy skin. The reason I think it may be too dewy is because after I've applied it, it requires a lot of powder or I'm bordering on the greasy/sweaty look - not ideal. After I've powdered, the shine is under control but I'm then left with a fairly matte looking complexion which isn't what this foundation is intended for. The staying power is surprisingly good considering it has such a dewy formula and I find it actually looks better throughout the day as the glow of the foundation starts to show through the powder.

Overall I think this is a lovely foundation but perhaps more suited for people with dry skin than those like me with an oily t-zone as it can make me look even oiler. I love the formula/colour and coverage it provides, I just wish it was a little more middle of the road on the dewy front. I'll still continue to use it with a powder but I don't think I'd repurchase - for £30, I'd want it to be near perfect. The hunt for my holy grail foundation continues!

Have you tried this foundation? What do you think?

Lots of love,

TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM

Blog Sale ft NARS, MAC, Dermalogica, Origins & More

As you may or may not know, I'm moving to Manchester soon and me and my boyfriend are currently in the process of putting all of our things into boxes ready for the move. It occured to me over the weekend whilst going through my beauty drawers that I have WAY too much stuff. I own more products than I could ever use in a lifetime so after dishing out some bits and bobs to to friends and family and binning lots of products well past their sell by date,  I've decided to do a blog sale with the remaining bits and pieces. 

I'm not going to lie - I need every penny I can get at the moment as there's lots of things we need to buy for our new flat and I also need to seriously downsize before the move for storage reasons. Most of the products I'm selling are things that don't get enough love, shades that don't suit my skin tone or things I have more than one of. Who needs three of the same foundation or moisturiser? Total madness! With this being said, I hope you see something you like and please read the points below before buying anything. Thanks!!

- This blog sale is unfortuantely UK ONLY. As most of the products I'm selling are relatively cheap, I can't justify the cost of posting internationally.

- If you see an item you'd like to purchase, please leave a comment below stating which item/s you'd like and your Paypal email address so I can send you an invoice.

- All payments will be made via Paypal.

- When an item has been sold, it will be clearly marked as such in this post. If an item is 'pending' (I'm still waiting for payment), this will also be marked within this post. 

- If you haven't paid for the item within 24 hours of the invoice being sent, it will be made available again.

- If you see a product you like and want to see swatches, please do so via Google. I can't include swatches to every single product in this post as it would be too long.

- Please do your research before commiting to buy a productso you know exactly what it is you'll be receiving - I can't accept returns so make sure its something you definitely want!

- Postage for all items is £2.50 plus 50p extra for each additional item and items will be sent second class via The Royal Mail.

- Items will be posted within 3 working days after receiving payment.

- All products will be cleaned/sanitised before posting to ensure they're in the best condition possible.

- I've added the RRP to all items I could find online below (some were limited edition, travel size or in sets so I can't find a price).

- All items are none refundable.

Barry M Peach nail polish - £1

Barry M Mint Green nail polish - £1

Barry M Aqua Glitter nail polish - £1

Barry M Yellow nail polish - £1

Barry M Bright Purple nail polish x 2 - £1 each

Barry M nail polish (no name but dark metallic purple) nail polish - £1

Barry M Silver Lilac nail polish - £1

Barry M Huckleberry Gelly nail polish - £1.50

If anyone wants to buy them as a bundle, will sell all for £7.

Models Own black nail art pen - £1

NYX 'Winter' nail polish - £2

Liz Earle 'Bright & Breezy' nail polish - £4

GOSH nail polish (no name but letterbox red shade) £3

Rimmel silver polish - no longer for sale

Nail Girls pink polish - £5

Mini Topshop 'Gypsy Night' polish - £2.50

Mini Topshop 'Silver Bullet' nail polish - £2.50

 OPI mini nail polishes - £2 each or all for £8 (not sure on shade names unfortunately)

OPI Into the Night nail polish - used once - £3

OPI Pepe's Purple Passion nail polish - used a couple of times - £5

Essie 'Chubby Cheeks' nail polish - used once - £4

Butter London Yummy Mummy nail polish - brand new - £6

Ebay Real Techniques dupes (blue) - £3 each or all for £10

Real Techniques angled brush - £3

Real Techniques liner brush - £3

ALL BRUSHES WILL BE WASHED BEFORE POSTING!

Estee Lauder 'Sand' Double Wear - used once - £17.00

NARS 'Punjab' Sheer Glow - used twice - £17.00 (RRP £30.00)

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation in 'Vanilla' (no lid) - used twice - £5.00

The Body Shop all-in-one BB Cream - shade 01 - used twice - £5

Vichy Idealia BB Cream - shade light - brand new - £10.00 (I have two of these to sell)

elf 'Natural Nymph' lipstick - swatched only - £2

Illamasqua 'Eurydice' lipstick - £8

Barry M shade '154' lipstick - swatched only - £2

GOSH Volume Lip Shine - £4

MAC 'Fashion Whim' Cremesheen Glass lipgloss - £7

Avon Glow 'Pink Sunset' lip gloss - used a few times - £3

Lanolips - brand new - £5

Rimmel Stay Glossy 'Orange your life' lip gloss - brand new - £2
Rimmel Stay Glossy 'Pop your Pink' lip gloss - brand new - £2

Sleek 'Powder Pink' pout polish - brand new - £3

Barry M Natural Glow Eyeshadow Palette - used ones - £3.00

NARS Kalahari Eyshadow Duo - useage as shown - £13.00

Sleek 'Garden of Eden' eyeshadow palette - used once - £6.00

NEXT Touch of Pink perfume - useage as shown - £5

Armani Diamonds perfume - used a couple of times - £15.00

Rodger & Gallet Bois D'Orange perfume - useage as shown - £7

elf 'Twinkle Pink' blush - used once - £2

Illamasqua 'Erzule' powdered metal - used once - £7

NARS Guy Bourdin 'Rotonde' Blush - limited edition - useage as shown - £17.00

Sephora 'Orange pop' blush - only swatched - £10

Bourjois cream blush - shade 01 - brand new - £4

John Frieda Full Repair Root Lift Foam - used once - £4

Macadamia Spray Hair Oil - used twice - £10.00 

John Freida Frizz Ease Serum - used once - £4

Michael Van Clarke 3 more inches finishing feed - brand new - £13

Matriz Design Pulse Thermo Glide Express Blowout creme - used once - £7

Schwarzkopf Osis Dust it volumising powder - brand new - £4

Vo5 Plump it up volumising spray - used once - £3

Amie Morning Dew matte-finish moisturiser - brand new - £3.00

La Roche Posay anti-redness moisturiser - used a couple of times - £10.00

Elemis Softly Softly daily moisturiser - used around 40% - £6.00

Ren Hydra-calm global protection day cream - used a couple of times - £10.00

Caudalie Vinosource moisturiser - used a couple of times - £7.00

Origins A Perfect World SPF 25 moisturiser - used a few times - £17.00 (RRP £30.00)

Dermalogica special cleansing gel - brand new - £7

Dermalogica exfoliator - used once - £15.00 

Mini Clinique clarifying lotion - brand new - £3

Mini Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - brand new - £3

nspa Dreamtime Body Butter - brand new - £2

Mini Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter - £2

Bourjois Liner Feutre 'Noir Violine' liquid liner - used once - £4

Daniel Sandler 'Aqua Velvet' waterproof eye liner - brand new - £5
Urban Decay 'Mainline' 24 hr glide-on eye pencil - brand new - £5

eyeko skinny khol eyeliner - brand new - £3

Collection lasting perfection concealer - brand new - £3 (decided not to sell)

Mini Benefit They're Real mascara - brand new - £5

He-Shi Rapid 1 Hour Liquid tan - brand new - £13

MAC Hue lipstick - useage as shown - £9

Topshop 'Lotus Flower' lip cream - used once - £5

Real Techniques Retractable brush - brand new - £7.00

HAPPY SHOPPING GUYS!!

Lots of love,

TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM

Ted Baker Lust List

I'm a big fan of all things Ted Baker. Every time I walk past the brand in department stores, I'm drawn in by the pretty pastal colours and whimsical prints. Everything they do is super feminine, pretty and well made. If money was no object, I'd own a whole host of Ted Baker goodies. As I'm often snooping around online a things I like but unfortunately can't afford (damn it!), I thought I'd put together a little wish list of the TB goodies I hope to get my hands on in the future!

I'm a big fan of Ted Baker handbags and two of my favourites are the Tamsin metal bar shopper and the Frimlor metal square tote bag. I think both of these handbags would go with virtually any outfit, they're very feminie, super sophisticated handbags and have beautiful gold hardware which is one of my favourite things about Ted Baker bags. However, priced at £269 and £199 - I think these will be staying on my virtual wish list for a while.

I couldn't put handbags on my wish list without a purse/wallet to match, could I? I absoloutely love the Sizzer leather martinee wallet which is slightly more affordable than the handbags at £89. Its a very simple style with rose gold hardware but that's what I love about it - its classic and will never go out of style. I think its important to invest in a good quality purse as its something I personally use every single day and cheap purses I've bought in the past have fallen apart after a couple of months. I'm currenlty using one from Dorothy Perkins and the zip has broke - not ideal! I think I'll be popping a good quality purse on my Christmas list! Yes, I'm already thinking about Christmas!

Another thing I'm in need of updating is my Iphone case as my Casetagram one is getting a bit on the tatty side - boo! I love this grey and lime green aztec print case which is actually from the mens range but hey, it looks pretty unisex if you ask me! 

Next up is this Vomano small botanical bloom wash bag which I'm absoloutely in love with! I actually got one of the Ted Baker wash bags last Christmas and I love it for storing my daily makeup stash - it looks pretty on my dressing table and the plastic material means its easy to keep clean. However, because its one of the large wash bags, its slightly too big for travelling with or popping in my handbag. However, this small one with beautiful floral print would be perfect.

A few extra bits and bobs I like from the Ted Baker range aren't really essential and probably things I wouldn't buy for myself but they all make lovely gifts and things I'd consider popping on my birthday or Christmas list. The Fluro Pink Brogue notebook is something that always catches my eye as the colour is so vibrant but mixed with the brogue detailing (not show in the photo above) and floral pages, its fun but also sophisticated and feminine. I think this would be perfect for popping in my handbag as I'm a rather avid list writer! I'm also a big fan of this lemon touchscreen pen as I think I'd feel very sophisticated using it with my Iphone or Ipad. It can also be used as standard ball point pen, its a pretty pastel lemon shade and it comes in a super cute case - what's not to love? Finally, this Pink passport holder and luggage tag is such a cute little set. I use my passport ALL the time as ID as I don't have a driving license (boo!) so my current cover is looking a bit worse for wear - I'd love to replace it with this one! The luggage tad is a nice addition too - it would match my pink suitcase nicely!!

Are you a fan of Ted Baker? Do you like the things I picked?

Lots of love,

TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM

Collection Work The Colour Eye Shadow Pencils

After seeing a few other bloggers rave about these work the colour eye shadow pencilsfrom Collection, I decided to give them a try. After all, for only £4.99 a piece, even if I didn’t like them, it wouldn’t be breaking the bank. I have to be honest and say Collection isn’t a brand I buy things from very often – other than their 24 hour extreme liquid liner (which is AMAZING by the way!), I’ve not tried a great deal of their other products. I guess it’s the makeup snob in me presuming that because they’re such a cheap brand, the products won’t be up to scratch. However, I’ve been proven completely wrong as these eye shadow pencils are now part of my daily makeup routine.

I bought two shades from the range of six – all of which fall into the neutral or smokey colour spectrum and are right up my street. I decided to go for the shades ‘Vintage Blush’, a soft pearly pink and ‘Hot Chocolate’, a deep brown with hints of taupe. I thought they’d work well together as a combo and be the most natural looking shades to wear on a day to day basis.

What I love about these eye shadows is the fact they’re so easy to use. I’m a bit lazy when it comes to early morning makeup application so anything that can speed the process up a bit is a winner in my eyes. All I need to do with these handy pencils is pop them directly onto my eyelid from the pencil and then blend with my fingers or a brush. The formula is very creamy so they don’t pull and tug at my eye area and I love that I can use them in a number of different ways. Vintage blush is a great colour to use all over the lid or in the inner corner of the eye and because its in pencil form, I can quickly dab it on in the morning and be good to go. I also like to use Hot Chocolate all over the lid and blended out if I’m going for a more sultry look but it also works nicely dabbed on the outer v and underneath my lower lash line. The metallic finish adds a nice definition to the eye without being too bold or OTT for day to day wear.

Overall I think these pencil eye shadows are brilliant and definitely worth a try. They’re cheap, easy to use and so versatile – perfect for someone like me who is a little bit lazy with eyeshadow first thing in the morning.

Do you like the look of these eyeshadow pencils from Collection? Are you like me and lazy with makeup first thing in the morning?

Lots of love,

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