My Autumnal Sunday Routine

Hi, Beauties!

I just want to, first of all, apologise for my absence on my blog. I recently started my new job and I haven't had a minute to myself, so I am so so sorry! However, as I've been so busy, it got me thinking about how much I now appreciate my weekends. So, I thought it'd be nice to just dedicate a post to my Autumnal Sunday routine that involves a lot of pampering and relaxation (Total Bliss).

I don't tend to have a lie-in on a Sunday as my body clock has me wide awake no later than 8:30 am, but I will spend a good 30 minutes scrolling through Instagram before I even consider leaving the comfort of my own bed (you all know what I mean). Once I've decided to roll out of my bed, I usually start off the day by having a nice relaxed breakfast, still in my PJs of course! I'll then tend to do some chores such as making my bed and a spot of cleaning - just to get them out of the way. I will then most undoubtedly be online shopping or watching Netflix until the early evening (*Insert monkey covering his eyes emoji*).

In terms of pampering, I'm obsessed with having a nice relaxing bath, especially when it's cold and windy outside. of course, no bath is complete without a Lush bath bomb to compliment it. Today's selection is 'The Experimenter' because of its incredible vanilla fragrance and the pretty colours it makes (Insta gold!). I also love to give my skin a pick-me-up after a long week. I've become completely obsessed with the Garnier Moisture Bomb Lavender Tissue Mask. It helps to rehydrate and rejuvenate fatigued skin and infused with lavender essential oil, it's perfect for a relaxing Sunday evening before a good nights rest. I also love to give my body a good moisturise in Autumn as the cold is the worst culprit for removing moisture from your skin, making it feel dry and in some cases cracked. I don't know about you guys but my hands are always affected the most. So, I try to moisturise them as often as I can. If you guys are looking for a new hand product, I highly recommend the Oh K! Oh K! Cherry Blossom Handcream. Not only does it come in the most adorable packaging I have ever seen in my life (which is probably 99% of the reason why I purchased in the first place), but the cherry blossom fragrance makes it heavenly to apply every evening. It makes me feel so relaxed and my hands immediately feel smoother.

Just a last quick mention, I love to reflect on the past week and plan for the future one on a Sunday by writing in my Happiness Planner (The 52-Week Journal). It gives me a sense of achievement each week and allows me to see how far I've come from the start of the year. It also lets you rate your week out of 25 by giving a scale of 1-5 on how happy, healthy and productive you have been. If you're an obsessive planner like me, I highly recommend this as a gift for yourself or for someone you know for Christmas this year.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post. Wha's your idea of a perfect Sunday? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time hunnies,

Emma xoxo

Birchbox X Oliver Bonas Review

Hi, Beauties!

I thought this week I would review my first ever Birchbox. I know I'm late to the game but after seeing through Instagram and word of mouth that the September box was a collaboration with Oliver Bonas, well I had to subscribe there and then. For any of you that don't know, Oliver Bonas is a department store that sells Fashion, Furniture, Homewear and also the cutest gifts - I can never resist popping in if I pass one! I thought I would give you a summary of the beauty products I received and if it's worth the subscription. But before we talk about the products, can we all just take a minute to appreciate the box they came in. I managed to pick what designed box I wanted and OBVIOUSLY, I had to have the 'Sass Squad' design. The great thing about the boxes too is that they can be reused for storage or go on Pinterest and check out how to use them for more creative purposes.

In terms of the products themselves, I was lucky enough to receive all of the ones featured in the September box. This month, the featured product everyone received was the Manna Kadar cosmetics Fantasy 3-in-1 Eyeshadow (RRP £15.00) - which is now a staple in my everyday look. It can be used as an eyeshadow, blush and highlighter and honestly girlies, I can not rave about it enough, it's incredible. The shade is perfect for every skin tone and the pigmentation is very decent with little fallout.

I also received the Polaar IcyMagic Instant Eye Contour Energiser (RRP £22.00). This product is what it says on the tin; It's effectively an ice cold gel that you apply under your eyes to reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles. I've been applying it morning and night for 5 days now and I have noticed my eyes don't look as tired and dark as usual. I also love how cold it feels as if it's rejuvenating my skin and replacing the elasticity under my eyes. Thoroughly loving this product and will undoubtedly have to replace my tester with a full-sized one (R.I.P. Bank Balance).

Next was the Sand & Sky Brilliant Skin Purifying Pink Clay Mask (RRP £39.90). This product is perfect for the oily/combination gals as it gets rid of any excess oils and draws out all the impurities from the skin. I have used this once and will probably only get another use out of my sample. A few days after applying the mask, I noticed my skin was not as red and my spots had gone down in size. However, as it's normal retail price is rather hefty, I'm unsure whether it is worth repurchasing a full-sized pot as I didn't notice a significant difference in my complexion.

I also received the Dr. PawPaw Original Clear Balm - Yellow (RRP £6.95). I've only used this product on my lips as of yet, but it can also be used for the skin, hair, cuticles and nails! It worked beautifully as a lip balm. My lips felt really smooth after application and it also dried really quickly, which is handy if you're impatient like myself and want to apply your lippy straight after. I would like to use this product more to give a more rounded verdict but for now, I can say I am really enjoying it - I can already predict it will be a holy grail in the winter time (Bye Cracked Lips!)

Finally, the last product that came was the Benefit They're Real! Double the Lip (RRP £16.50). I'm normally a huge fan of Benefit products but I must admit I'm not sure about the product. First of all, I'm not too keen on the shade I was sent just because it's a little bright for my taste, especially at this time of the year.  I'm also just not a fan of the concept of the product, I really do not see the need to have a 2-in-1 lipstick/lipliner - call me old-fashioned but I like applying my liner first. With all that said, the product quality is flawless as always, easy application, super pigmented and creamy. Unfortunately, it's just not for me.

My final thoughts about the box are that it is a genius concept - try before you buy. You get to try luxury brands for a fraction of the price and not wasting your money on buying products at full price that you may not even end up liking. It is well worth the subscription - I opted for the £12.95 a month and cancel at any time subscription. However, as I was referred by my Best friend, I got my first box for just £7.95 - so thank you very much, Jenna!

If you guys liked this review, please let me know and I'll review my October box as well. I just want to say a big thank you for reading this post and subscribing to my blog, it means a lot to me.

Until next week hunnies!

With Love,

Emma xoxo

Mid-month Beauty Favourites

Hi, Beauties!

Can you believe we're half way through September already? It's crazy; I'm already getting excited thinking about Halloween and Christmas! (and yes, I'm deadly serious). Because of time flying by, I thought it'd be fun to do a mid-month favourites post and talk about the beauty products I've recently purchased and currently loving. I personally think that they're perfect for anyone and everyone and because of their small size, they're great for carrying around in your handbag on a daily basis. I am also aware I always talk about how great things are for travelling (sorry!) but, if you can't carry products around with you to touch up throughout the day, then gurl - what's the point?!

Urban Decay 'All Nighter' travel size makeup setting spray (30ml) (£10.00)
This is the first time I've ever purchased the UD setting spray after years of hearing what a revelation it is, and I couldn't agree more. It's such a weightless mist and makes my makeup last all day - and all night! It doesn't have a strong scent, so it's great if you're easily irritated by fragrances. I know some setting sprays can smell quite chemically which is not what you want when you're wearing it all day. It also absorbs any oils and mattifies the face, so for all you oily/combination gals out there like myself - this is a must-have. As you all know, I'm obsessed with travel-friendly products and why I purchased the 30ml product. I keep it in my bag and if I'm feeling like my skin is more oily than usual, I'll have a quick mist mid-day and know everything will stay put for the rest of the day.

e.l.f. HD Lifting Concealer (Fair) (£4.50)
This concealer is great for brightening the under-eyes and highlighting the bridge of your nose. It's nice and creamy and blends really well into the skin. I've found that once you've applied the concealer with the wand provided, use a beauty-blender to blend the product out as it reduces the chance of creasing and also sets the concealer better. There are currently only 2 shades available; Fair and Light. However, at £4.50 it's a steal.

Tanya Burr Chasing the Sun Peonies Illuminating Powder (£7.49)
I absolutely adore Tanya's beauty line. Her products are always such high quality and beautifully packaged, with this highlighting powder being no exception. I think this works great as both a highlighter and a blusher that can be used day and night. I like to apply it with a fan brush to the apples of my cheeks and cheekbones to give me a subtle, yet, a youthful pretty glow.

Tanya Burr 'Bear Hug' Lipstick
As Autumn is practically here, I always like to transition from using light pink nude lipsticks to more darker neutral nudes. This colour is perfect for throughout the day during the Autumnal/Winter season. It gives a really nice matte finish and the creamy consistency allows it to glide onto the lips really easily. It also has great pigmentation and lasts for a good few hours, even in these weather conditions!

Lush Charity Pot Hand & Body Lotion (10g Trial Size) (£1.00)
Containing 21 ingredients including shea butter and Rosewood oil, this lotion is great for protecting the skin, especially against the Autumnal cold and rain. I've only been applying a pea-sized amount onto my hands and arms throughout the day and it has worked wonders. My skin feels really hydrated and nourished and melts into the skin really well, leaving no oily residue behind. I purchased the trial size just to see how well the product would work with my skin, but also its compact size is great for keeping in your handbag and reapplying throughout the day. More importantly, 100% of all the proceeds made from the lotion are donated to small grassroots organisations - so you're not just being kind to your skin but to the world too! (smiles all around).

I hope you guys have enjoyed this post. If you'd like more posts just like this one, please leave me a comment below or contact me through my social media. Enjoy the rest of your week my lovelies and I'll see you all soon.

Until next time hunnies,

With Love,
Emma xoxo

The 3 Beauty Products I Reach For on a Daily Basis

Hello, Beauties!

It's been a crazy week so far for me, lots going on and lots to do! When I'm busy, my makeup look becomes repetitive and minimal in terms of the products I use. It gave me the idea for this weeks blog post topic, so I thought I would talk about the 3 products I tend to use on a daily basis to give me my signature look. This is normally a full-coverage, simplistic eye and nude-lip combo.

1. L'Oréal Paris Infallible Total Coverage Foundation (10-Porcelain) (£9.99)

This is my go-to foundation that I like to wear on a daily basis. Priced at just under £10, it doesn't break the bank and is a great dupe for the Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation. It gives a nice smooth, matte finish and is perfect for anyone with problematic/oily skin. It easily hides any redness or blemishes and covers the odd spot to severe acne. I find that I don't need to use a lot of product for it to give me that full-coverage look, especially if I'm just wearing it during the daytime. If I was going on a night out, I would probably add another layer just to make sure it stays put and is certainly buildable. I purchased the foundation in the shade '10 Porcelain' which is a little on the light side for my complexion. However, there are 6 shades in total that you can choose from.


2. Maybelline Color Tattoo 24Hr Eyeshadow (65-Pink Gold) (£5.99)

This cream shadow is great for an eye base in any kind of eye look. I sometimes use it on its own or blend it in with a matte pink nude eyeshadow, to give a simple yet elegant look. The cream shadow blends very easily using any kind of fluffy blending brush or even using your finger, which is a bonus if you're in a hurry. Because pink is my favourite colour, of course, I would have it in the shade 'Pink Gold' but there are a variety of other colours including gold and turquoise. They are also available in Matte shades for those of you who are not fans of glitter. Despite it being a shimmer, it can definitely be used on a daily basis - just remember, a little goes a long way!


3. Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick 4G (Tease) (£20)

Now, I know the price point is definitely more high-end in comparison to the other products, but this lipstick is definitely worth it. This is the only Illamasqua lipstick I own. It is definitely one of my favourite makeup products I have ever bought and I describe it as the 'perfect nude'. It is highly pigmented, with the consistency being super creamy and blends out so well when it's on the lips. I also like to use this lipstick in conjunction with darker lip shades to create a stunning ombre effect. If you want to invest in a quality lipstick that you'll use time after time, then this is definitely one to add to the cart ladies.


So there you go! 3 makeup products that can be used every day to create a stunning day look. If you want to purchase any of the products I've mentioned, then click on the product titles and you'll be directed to the relevant website. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week and I'll see you all next Thursday.

With Love,
Emma xoxo

Why I'll be purchasing more Tanya Burr Cosmetics

Hello, Beauties!

I thought this week I'd talk about my new found love for Tanya Burr's beauty collection. I only purchased her new 'My Paradise Eye Shadow Palette' last week, and I haven't seemed to be able to put it down. The colours are so beautiful and definitely perfect for that summer-glow, bronzed makeup look (despite September approaching the end of this week - yikes). The colours can be combined to produce a variety of looks and I think they blend very well together.

I was sceptical at first as to whether I should buy this particular palette after reading mixed reviews on the Superdrug website; Many people claimed that it was not as pigmented as her previous palettes. However, I think with a price point of £5.99 for 4 eyeshadows, the quality is definitely there. I always think there is a huge gap for some of us in the beauty world because not everybody can afford to spend £40+ to get a quality palette, and that is exactly why I admire people like Tanya for bringing out their own affordable cosmetic range.

I also sometimes prefer quads to bigger palettes. The number of colours you can get in some larger palettes can be overwhelming, so by reducing the choice in shades, it can be a blessing in disguise! Also, it is very compact with a cute heart-shaped mirror, which makes it handy for travelling - a girly weekend away or even topping your eye makeup on a night out. I know Tanya has just released her new Christmas range on the Superdrug website, so I'm sure they'll be on the top of my list!

I just want to say a big thank you to those who read my posts every week, your support means everything. If you're new, please hit the subscribe button to make sure you get alerts on when I post anything new.

Until next time beauties

With Love,

Emma xoxo

Review: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation

Hi, Beauties!

I hope everyone is doing well. Today's post is a review of the Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation. Although this product has been around for a while now, I've only just managed to get my hands on it. Tarte is a brand I'm sure many of us have heard of before however, I have never tried any of their products before the foundation, which is a shame because I've always heard great things.

As I've mentioned before, I have oily/combination skin so I've always had a love/hate relationship with foundations, especially liquid ones. I was intrigued to try this foundation because of its unusual consistency and oil-free formula. Like all Tarte products, this foundation is suitable for vegans and also contains Vitamin A, which acts as a protector against free-radical damage and Vitamin E which acts as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. The other bonus is you get 50ml of product. Most foundations contain 30ml/g of product, so it's definitely value for money.


The foundation comes in a variety of shades, so you should have no problem finding an ideal match for your skin tone. I opted for the shade 'light-medium honey' as I've been tanning a lot recently and I always like my face to look slightly darker than my natural skin colour.

The consistency is very creamy but blends like an absolute dream. It definitely does what it says on the tin too; It is full coverage so it will hide any blemishes or hyperpigmentation on the face. Once blended, it feels very light-weight like there is nothing on the skin which I particularly like. I didn't put the foundation to its full test, as I only had my make-up on for approximately 8 hours. However, it stayed on all day and my skin still looked flawless at the end with only minor wearing around the bridge of my nose.




I bought the foundation through QVC and bought it as part of a bundle with the Tarte the buffer™airbrush finish bamboo foundation brush. I highly recommend application with this as it gives you a flawless finish and also spreads the product evenly across the face - a little goes along way with this brush! If you're interested in getting both products, purchase the bundle here which costs £35.00 + £3.95 P&P. You can also purchase them separately through the Tarte website. The foundation is £30 and the brush is £27, so you're getting a great deal by buying the two together.


Until next time my beauties,

With Love

Emma xoxo

The 'Holy Grails' in my Skincare Routine

Hello, Beauties!

I hope you're all doing well. For this week's blog post I thought I'd talk about the products that are now staples in my everyday skin care routine. 

We all have different skin types, with mine being combination/oily as well as having regular outbreaks and acne (I know, I'm so lucky *eye roll*). With my skin, I find it very hard to find skin-care products such as cleansers and moisturisers that don't aggravate my acne or cause me to break out even more. I've noticed products that contain a lot of chemicals seem to really affect my skin and cause it to go all red and blotchy, which is the exact opposite of what I want. If this is a problem you can also relate to, then rejoice! because I have found a facial cleanser that will solve all of your dermatological worries. Pictured above, I'm talking about the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I've known about this product since I was around 14/15 and if you haven't heard about it before from other beauty gurus such as Zoella (it's one of her faves), it is incredible. 

Liz Earle is a Great British brand and only uses naturally active ingredients and no animal products in their beauty line, so it's great for Vegetarians. They are also against animal testing and are certified under the Humane Cosmetics Standards - which is a bonus!

The Cleanse and Polish cleanser is the best-selling product from the range and has won numerous awards, including the best in beauty award 2015. It retails at £16 in which you get 100ml of the product as well as a Liz Earle Muslin Cloth. The best part about this product is that is for any skin type. It is typically used as a makeup remover, however, you can use it twice daily, so even in the morning when you are fresh faced. 

How to use: You apply the cleanser to a dry face (with or without makeup), even on your eyes as it is non-irritant, and massage into your skin for a good 30 seconds. You then take the provided muslin cloth and run it under warm water. When the cloth is fully wet, you ring out the excess water and use the cloth to remove the makeup and cleanser from your face. Repeat the process until your face is clean and pat your face dry with a clean towel. You can then follow with your normal skincare routine (i.e. toning, moisturising). You can also purchase the Liz Earle toner and moisturiser here.  I also recently invested in the Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Mask (£17.50), pictured above. I use it once a week and when I get breakouts as it contains West African shea butter which is great for soothing the skin.

Not only does it remove your makeup and makes your skin smoother and nourished, it is also great for acne and breakouts. I have noticed a huge difference in the appearance of my skin since I have started re-using the cleanser. My acne has really calmed down and I have hardly any breakouts anymore. It really is a skin miracle and I cannot recommend it enough. 

If you guys have any questions about the product, please contact me and I'll help in any way I can. I hope you guys found this really informative and enjoyed reading.

I also just wanted to quickly say that I really appreciate you guys taking the time out to read what I write, it means the world to me.

I love you guys so much. 

Until next time,

Emma xoxo