Week 21

My favourite draw in my MUJI storage - blushers! / Heaven for only £2 - magazine and chocolate / Spam from Dominos that I get on a weekly basis! / Custard Creams / Delicious chocolate cake from Patisserie Valerie / Fiance doing the Bupa Great Manchester Run / Finishers medal / Beautiful Bluebells / BBQ time (excuse the Stella, it's my dads!) 

Hi lovelies, 

Another busy week but at least I found time to blog this week :) That's the way I like it :) I finished work for a week on Friday, which is a lovely feeling. There is so much stuff for me to catch up on though so it won't be much of a rest. It's definitely a positive of working in a school - I love the amount of holidays I get. The only negative is that they're not flexible and I have to book my own holidays in school holidays, which is ridiculously expensive! 

My fiance took part in the Bupa Great Manchester Run yesterday, which was 10km. I am extremely proud of him for completing it in 55 minutes and 19 seconds as he has a bad ankle and the weather was very hot. (I got sunburnt just watching!) He has raised over £200 for Mind, which is a mental health charity. If you would like to sponsor him, and donate to this amazing charity, you can do here http://www.justgiving.com/Rory10k.

What have you been up to this week?

If you want to follow me on Instagram, my username is lostinlipstick. If you do follow me, make sure you leave your username below. I love finding new people on Instagram.

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 Rose Tender - Review

Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 Rose Tender £6.99

Bourjois are well known for their little round pots of powdered blush. 2013 so far, has been all about the cream blush in preparation from Summer. Say hello to Bourjois' new addition - cream blush in a little round pot! It's the first time in 150 years that Bourjois have reinvented their little round pots. I love that each pot contains a mirror, this makes it the perfect blush to travel with. Altogether there are four shades; 01 Nude Velvet, 02 Healthy Glow, 03 Rose Tender and 04 Sweet Cherry. As you can see from above, I picked up 03 Rose Tender, which is a lovely rosy, pink shade. All four shades have a cream to powder texture, which makes them feel velvety allowing for smooth application. The blush can be applied and blended with your fingers or a brush. I like to use my Real Techniques Blush Brush, although I do think a brush with flat bristles would be better at applying the colour. In my opinion, 03 is better suited to my skin tone, but I am tempted to purchase at least one more shade!

Have you purchased Bourjois' Cream Blushers yet? Do you prefer cream blush or powdered blush?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

South Beach Swimwear Blogger Party in Manchester (plus a discount code)

On Wednesday 15th May, I was invited to the South Beach Blogger Party in Manchester. South Beach Swimwear are a fresh, new swimwear brand for 2013. Their debut collection consists of three trends; Gypsy Summer, Delicious and Americana. Gypsy Summer is about dense print and intense colour - vibrant pink and sharp blue with bead embellishments and oversized rose blooms. Delicious is all about fun, flirty styles in sugar shades and neon brights with multi-coloured gems and 3D flowers for a sweet yet quirky look. The final trend, Americana, plays homage to traditional US with native and retro themes, while fringing, beading and tassels give it a modern twist. The event was held at Frurt in Spinningfields, Manchester, which specialises in Frozen Yoghurt and Smoothies. Frurt paired together with Vita Coco to make cocktails especially for the event.

The event kicked off at 6pm. After a long, busy day at work, I got the train to Manchester to meet Katie (http://golddustk.blogspot.co.uk/). We were a tiny bit late as the train we originally planned to get, didn't turn up! Once we arrived, we were greeted by Katie Fox (http://www.thequickredfox.co.uk/) and we were given a tag with our names on. During the evening, we were asked to choose our favourite piece from the collection and place our tag on that item. After the event, a raffle was held to pick two winners. Unfortunately, I didn't win but after seeing the collection in the flesh, I will definitely be purchasing a bikini in the hope that I will be going on holiday!

Not only had Fruit had kindly hosted the event, they also gave us a complimentary cocktail. There was a mixture of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from and we could pick a complimentary frozen yoghurt. I was particularly excited as I had never had one before! (I am now a massive fan! They're delicious!) I chose a non alcoholic mango and passionfruit cocktail and a non-dairy strawberry lemonade frozen yoghurt with strawberry pieces and mini marshmallows. Both were delicious! I definitely plan to return in Summer with my fiance and introduce him to Frurt!

Below are some of my favourites from the South Beach Swimwear collection. The first bikini, Rosie, is my ultimate favourite and is the one I chose at the event. For anyone who doesn't like bikinis, there is a swimsuit in the same floral print. 

South Beach Swimwear have kindly given my readers a 15% off discount code. Just enter TOPBLOG15 in at the checkout before June 30th. (One use per customer.)

Rachel x
Lost In Lipstick

April 2013 Favourites

Hi girls,

May has been such a busy month for me so far! I almost didn't post this at all because it's so late in the month. But I still wanted to share a few products that I have been loving with you. During the month of April, there were lots of products that I loved using. Luckily for you, I managed to narrow it down to just six products!

Soap & Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel - I started using this shower gel in December. I don't use it everyday so I'm about halfway through. The scent is amazing. It contains natural mandarin peel extract and as an added bonus, it contains built in body lotion. My skin is super soft after using it and my feet, which are usually dry and cracked, are looking a lot better! My skin isn't really dry on my body but if you suffered from dry skin, you'll probably need to use a moisturiser as well. I want to get into the habit of using one but I always forget. Using this shower gel, for me, is the lazy way out!

Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning - I saw this raved about on blogs and YouTube so much, that I caved and purchased it. I must admit that I was worried at first - I am quite pale and I didn't want to appear too tanned especially with make up on top. However, I was pleasantly happy when my face just looked healthy and radiant. Another concern, as with any self tan product, was the smell. As I am pale, I only need to apply every few days. Because of this, the colour, and the smell, doesn't build up too much. It's very subtle and just what I like. I'm looking forward to using this in summer as my face doesn't really tan where as the rest of my body does (a little bit). 

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Repair Mask - I saw this on a couple of blog posts and thought it would be worth a try as my hair is dry and damaged. I love the texture of the mask and once I have rinsed it out, after about 5 minutes, my hair feels smooth and silky. I still use conditioner before I apply the mask as my hair is quite damaged from years of heat and colour but if your hair isn't as dry, you might want to skip conditioner. 

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Celestial - A couple of months ago, I purchased two Rimmel Apocalips. I picked up Nova and Celestial. Celestial is definitely my favourite of the two and suits me better for daytime wear over Nova. If you've been hiding under a rock for a few months and haven't heard of the Apocalips, they're a new(ish) lip product from Rimmel, which is a hybrid between lipstick and lip gloss. The colour and lasting quality is that of a lipstick and the shine is that of a lip gloss without being sticky. They are a little bit moisturising as well. 

Collection Cream Puff Lip Cream - As I mentioned in my haul post, I saw Llymlrs mention this a few times on her blog and in her videos. It was only £2.99 and I didn't have high expectations to be honest but I was blown away. The colour is beautiful and it lasts a few hours on the lips. It applies like a lipgloss but dries matte like a lipstick while still being moisturising.  I will definitely continue buying this product when it runs out and I might have to purchase some of the other shades!

Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in Peach Melba - This is a product that impresses Lily Pebbles so it must be good! It's only £1.99 and the packaging isn't great but the actual blusher is beautiful. Peach Melba is a beautiful pinky peach shade and shows up as a beautiful, natural looking blush on my cheeks. I have been reaching for this almost every single day. The only improvement I would make is to make the pot bigger so my Real Techniques Blush Brush fits in easier!

What have been your favourite products this month? Have any of your favourites made my list?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Week 20

My beautiful, clean and tidy dressing table / Vegetable crisps / Blue sky / #SouthBeachBlogParty / Goodie bag / Topshop nail polish in AWOL / Spaghetti Bolognese (minus the spaghetti because I put rice on instead!) / Work night out at Belle Vue / Amazing burger and chips at Handmade Burger Co at the #SheffieldMeetUp / Chicken curry, rice, asparagus and green beans / My first bar of chocolate in weeks / Lush face mask BB Seaweed / Seaweed on my face / Finally found a Coke with my name / Hilarious sign for the ladies toilet

Hi lovelies, 

My life is soooo busy at the moment. Seriously, I have had no time to blog or clean my house for that matter! My house is disgusting! Luckily, I am off next week so that will give me a chance to catch up on blogging, housework and finish off the decorating. 

This week I have attended two blogging events. The first was on Wednesday and was the South Beach Blog Party held at Frurt in Manchester. I will be posting about this in the next few days so keep an eye out. Then on Saturday, I attended a blogger meet up in Sheffield. I have never been to Sheffield and I was brave and went alone. But I am so glad I did, I had such a fab day. Again a post will be up all about the event, probably next week though. 

My Instagram is full of a lot of food this week. I'm trying to cut out a lot of food from my diet to see if any are causing me the problems I have so I am trying to enjoy as much as I can. I actually enjoy cooking but when I've been at work all day, I don't always fancy cooking. But I plan of buying some recipe books as I seem to just cook the same things over and over again! I need to expand on my dishes! I also really want to do a Come Dine With Me with my friends. I think it would be so funny! Has anyone done anything like that?

What have you been up to this week?

If you want to follow me on Instagram, my username is lostinlipstick. If you do follow me, make sure you leave your username below. I love finding new people on Instagram.

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Week 19

Weather a week ago today, seems like a distant memory! / Catching up with magazines in the sunshine / BBQ time / Sweeties / My first experience of Essie - Cascade Cool / Finally used this much hyped hair product / Gluten free goodies (thank you Glutafin) / Date night at Pizza Express / American Pizza on a gluten free base / Awesome sign for the toilets in Pizza Express / A sneak peek at my living room / Chicken curry

Hi lovelies, 

Does anyone feel like last weekend was a distant memory? Last weekend was 20 degrees, we had a BBQ and I put sun cream on. This weekend, I've had my coat on with my umbrella and I've been shivering. The weather in this country is crazy! 

When the sun is shining, it amazes me how EVERYONE is in a good mood. The sooner the sun realises this, the better! I feel 'down in the dumps' again. (I work in a school and they love that phrase!) I haven't even got my summer clothes out yet, or been shopping for new ones. I'm pretty certain our summer has been and gone!

I haven't done any decorating this weekend - I needed a rest! My mum and I went shopping for curtains. Luckily, we managed to find some I liked relatively early into our trip. It's amazing how some curtains make the room feel warmer. We still need to find a mirror to go above the fireplace and a rug. I think we've decided on a red rug but I'm not sure if it'll be too much. 

What have you been up to this week?

If you want to follow me on Instagram, my username is lostinlipstick. If you do follow me, make sure you leave your username below. I love finding new people on Instagram.

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

April Empties

Paul Mitchell Strength Super Strong Daily Shampoo & Paul Mitchell Strength Super Strong Daily Conditioner - I received these in a gift set at Christmas from my parents, along with the Super Strong Liquid Treatment. I have enjoyed using both the shampoo and conditioner but have made them last as long as possible as they are quite expensive. I usually just pick up any shampoo and conditioner for my hair type which is on offer. (I have recently decided to take better care of my hair.) After using this shampoo and conditioner, my hair was left feeling soft and smooth and looked a lot healthier. The website claims they help to repair damaged strands and help to prevent further damage. I don't know how and why but in the last 6 months or so, my hair is improving. To be honest, I wouldn't repurchase these again as they are a little out of my price range but I would love to receive them again as a gift!

Simple Eye Make Up Remover - This continues to be my number one choice of eye make up remover. As mentioned previously, it does sting my sensitive eyes if I don't wash it off straight away but it's more effective and doesn't sting as much as other removers. It's currently on the Boots website for £3.39 but I always seem to find it for £1.99. Hopefully, the price hasn't shot up that much since I last purchased! 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin  Tonic & Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser - I have been using Liz Earle skincare for a year now and I will continue to purchase as well. My skin is slowly improving and I just need to sort my diet out now. I still get spots but nothing will get rid of them. I think it's something I am eating in my diet and I'm trying to cut out diary to see if it makes a difference. So far I've given up milk in my cereal, opting for almond milk, but I still have yoghurt and the occasional cheese product. I cannot give up cheese! I have posted individual reviews of each product, which you can read by clicking on the following links; Cleanse & Polish, Instant Boost Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Light Moisturiser.

No7 Stay Perfect Foundation - I started using this foundation in October and it ran out in early April, which means it lasted 6 months. Considering I used it almost everyday, that's pretty good going. I really loved this foundation and I'm gutted it's finished. I will definitely repurchase. I plan on going again for a consultation when we've had a bit sunshine so I can find out my summer shade. You can read my review of No7 Stay Perfect Foundation here.

Collection Colour Lash Mascara in Clear - I have been using this mascara for two or three months now to set my brows in place. As explained here, I have extremely unruly brows that have to be tamed! I had been wanting to try a brow gel for a while and I decided to start with a cheaper brand before spending all my money on something I didn't like. To my surprise, this £1.99 mascara wowed me and I have already repurchased! As you can see, after just a short time using the product it looks disgusting and isn't clear anymore! That's the reason why I have repurchased, obviously the product hasn't ran out. I plan to buy another mascara every two to three months and replace when it's looking a bit murky!

Which products have you used up this month? Have you been loving any of these products?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Mini Haul #4

I am trying not to spend as much money on beauty. I have so many lipsticks and so many nail polishes and so many hair care products and so many MUA eye shadow palettes. But can I help myself? No! Everytime I go shopping, I seem to buy more stuff I don't need. I just want them! Being a beauty blogger definitely does not help! I see so many bloggers raving about the latest product and I just have to have it! I don't go shopping as much as I used to, which is a good start. But when I do go shopping, I go shopping! I spend money I don't have and time just passes before my eyes. I can't be the only one! 

Denman Classic Styling Brush  / Denman Dressing Out Brush / Denman Professional Comb

My hair is in very bad condition. Years of heat styling and colouring is not good for anyone's hair especially if it was dry to start with! I have always used cheap brushes and combs for my hair. I don't know why as my mum always has a Denman brush. I just thought I'm not spending that much money on a brush! Considering it's something I use everyday, several times a day, I should have just purchased the above years ago! I'm obviously tight with my money! 

I bought a Tangle Teezer the other month as my hair is always tangled and when using my 'cheap' brush I could actually hear my hair snapping! Not good! I thought what's the point in spending £10.99 on a Tangle Teezer when I continue to use cheap brushes as I'm not going to see the results. So I decided to take the plunge and invest in some good hair tools. I'm sure you're all aware it was 3 for 2 last month in Boots, which I definitely used to my advantage. I purchased a Denman Classic Styling Brush, which was only £6.99. I don't know why I thought they were more expensive. My hair is extremely thick and volume is something I try to avoid, rather than create, so a backcombing brush/comb was the last thing I thought I would buy. After watching a video on PixiwooMadness, I saw one being used to smooth hair rather than create volume or backcombing the hair. I knew I had to get myself one as I always have flyaways and frizzy bits of hair and I hate them! Sam actually said she bought a pink Denman one, obviously I had to have a pink one! So I bought the Denman Dressing Out Brush. I'm really looking forward to testing it out! 

As my hair is long and thick, I tend to always have a wide comb in the shower for when I am washing my hair. Yes, you guessed it, I am currently using a cheap one. It looks disgusting now as most of the paint has come off! It was definitely time for a new one and as it was 3 for 2, it would be rude not to! I stuck with Denman as I wanted quality brushes and combs in my collection. So I bought the Denman Professional Comb. I use my Tangle Teezer on wet hair once I'm out of the shower but the instructions said to keep heat away from it and I have my shower pretty hot so the comb is for in the shower. I usually comb my hair when a conditioner or hair mask is on. 

Tresemme Platinum Strength Deep Conditioning Treatment / Dove Nourishing Oil Care Leave-In Spray / VO5 Treat Me Right Deep Conditioning Treatment

I am a little bit obsessed with hair treatments at the moment. I use a mask almost everytime I wash my hair and usually always apply oil before drying my hair. Tresemme Platinum Strength Deep Conditioning Treatment is a fairly new product and many beauty bloggers have shared their love for the range. I caved into the hype and thought I would try the deep conditioning treatment. 

Another product that gets a lot of love is the Dove Nourishing Oil Care Leave-In Spray. I love applying oil to my hair and I have really noticed a difference in the texture of my hair. I'm looking forward to using an oil spray as it will leave less mess and I think it will allow for even distribution. The oil is lightweight and claims to defrizz hair - perfect! It can also be used on wet or dry hair. I shall report back on this. 

I have tried a couple of products from VO5 recently that I have really enjoyed using so I thought I would give the VO5 Treat Me Right Deep Conditioning Treatment a try. It claims to intensely condition, strengthen and repair dry, damaged hair and leave hair smooth, silky soft and radiantly shiny. Sounds promising! 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation / Collection Colour Lash Mascara in Clear / MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette / Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer / Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in 16 / Topshop Lipstick in Innocent / Topshop Nail Polish / 17 Doll'd Up Mascara / Collection Cream Puff Lip Cream / Natural Collection Blusher in Peach Melba

To be honest, Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation wasn't a foundation that I was interested in. I prefer a matte finish with my foundation and Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation gives a healthy, radiant glow. There is a lot of hype around the foundation, with many bloggers preferring it over high end foundations, but that still didn't draw me in. Usually this foundation is £8.99 and in the end a special offer drew me in. One week when I was doing the weekly shop in Morrisons, I spotted it on offer for £4.99! It's definitely worth a try for that price.

Collection Colour Lash Mascara in Clear is a repurchase. I use this to set my brows and you can see what I think in more detail here. Mascaras don't have a great shelf life as it is but as I'm using this on my brows, my current one looks disgusting so I had to purchase another one. They're only £1.99 so I plan to repurchase every two to three months. 

I already have three MUA palettes but does that stop me wanting another? No! I already have the Undressed palette, which is a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked palette. So when I heard they had brought out a new palette, which was a dupe for the UD Naked 2 palette, I had to have it. I don't own either of the UD palettes but when I look at comparison posts they look so alike. MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette looks amazing and I cannot wait to start using it. It's only £4 and all the other MUA palettes are amazing quality. 

Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer have taken the beauty world by storm. They are a hybrid lipstick and lipgloss product and offer a fresh take on lip products. It's taken me awhile to jump on the bandwagon mainly due to not knowing which shade to choose. In the end, I settled for Celestial and Nova. These look like perfect colours for me and from first impressions, I love their texture. 

I have two Rimmel lipsticks by Kate Moss but both are from the matte collection. When I was purchasing the Apocalips, it was 3 for 2 and I spotted Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in 16. It looks like a beautiful Spring/Summer shade and I'm looking forward to seeing how the formula differs from the matte collection. Another lipstick I have purchased lately is the Topshop Lipstick in Innocent. This is actually a shade I have been wanting for a while but on this particular day, I couldn't resist. It's the third Topshop lipstick I have purchased and I love the others so no doubt I will love Innocent too. 

Whilst browsing the Topshop make up stand and purchasing Innocent, I spotted there was an offer on Topshop Nail Polish - two for £8. They are usually £5 or £6 so it isn't a massive saving but I simply couldn't resist. I love a blue nail polish so AWOL was so appealing to me and High Voltage is a lovely pink shade perfect for Summer. To be honest, I have lots of pink nail polishes but the Topshop formula is lovely and I couldn't resist the polka dot packaging. 

I have to be completely honest here - the only reason I purchased Seventeen Doll'd Up Mascara was because I had a voucher. The mascara is usually £6.29 but I got it for £2. Completely worth a try! Another product that was purchased because of a voucher was the Natural Collection Blusher in Peach Melba. I had a voucher to get extra points on my Boots Advantage card if I purchased something from Natural Collection.   I decided on the Peach Melba Blush as I had seen Lily Pebbles rate it so highly. She usually uses high end products so for a blusher that costs £1.99 to make it onto her face, it must be good!

Collection Cream Puff Lip Cream in Cotton Candy was only £2.99 and I had heard Llymlrs mention it in a few videos. I have already tried it before writing this post and I LOVE it. The formula is amazing - it feels very moisturising and dries matte and the colour is beautiful. It lasts several hours on the lips and for such a cheap product my first impressions are wow!

Which products have you purchased lately? Are there any products on your wish list?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Week 18

Essie and Dainty Doll haul from Fragrance Direct / Finally ordered the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning and got 6 free samples! / Chippy tea / McFly in Manchester / Raspberry filled doughnuts / Some of my mum's skincare and make up collection 

Hi lovelies,

Another week has flown by! I cannot believe it's May already! I've enjoyed a three day weekend this week and the weather has been glorious. Unfortunately, I've had lots of painting to do in my living room so I've spend a lot of the weekend inside but it's all done now. There's just a few finishing touches left to do and it will be finished. Finally! Sorry this post is late, I've been confused all weekend. I thought Sunday was Saturday and Monday was Sunday! I realised last night and tried to write this post but my computer wouldn't work. 

I've spent a lot of money online this week. Online shopping is clever, yet dangerous! I ordered the monthly Liz Earle essentials as some of mine are running low and made a cheeky Clarins purchase. I had a sample of the Liquid Bronze Self Tanning and I have really enjoyed using it so I decided to purchase it for summer. Also, I made my first Fragrance Direct order. Essie has always been a nail polish brand I've wanted to try but I just couldn't justify that much on nail polish when there are cheaper alternatives. There were several shades for just £1.99 so I chose two and I also picked up two Dainty Doll blushers as they were £1.99 instead of £13.50! Bargain! 

If you want to follow me on Instagram, my username is lostinlipstick. If you do follow me, make sure you leave your username below. I love finding new people on Instagram.

What have you been up to this week?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick