Life Lately #6

We are officially past the half way mark of the year, crazy how time flies. Even more so is the fact that I’ve also been away and back and July is on our doorstep. If you were reading these parts this time last month you would’ve known I was on holiday at the start of the month. I spent some time relaxing by the beach in the lovely island of Majorca in the Balearic Islands which was really nice. It was obviously really nice to escape the UK weather and enjoy spending my days doing something a little different with a view of the beach rather than my desk. When I was away I did have posts scheduled which were all summer related in the spirit of my holiday however I did just realise that Summer only began last week, oops! Gotta be prepared I guess haha! So Summer may not be mentioned again this year on this blog as I’ve pretty much covered it all lol!

Of course June also marks the month of exam results for me. I had absolutely no idea when I would receive them so I had a rather pleasant surprise when I got a text saying they were available in the middle of my holiday. Obviously that could’ve been a great thing or the complete opposite but very luckily I am happy to say that I passed all my exams. So roll on another year of studying, eek!

Last month, I spoke about my love for Parks & Rec, best show ever! Since I’ve finished that now, I have moved onto the US Office which I am enjoying. I am currently about half way through, so far so good. The first couple of seasons were a little tricky to get through but it definitely gets better! Film-wise, I went and seen Me Before You in the cinema which is the film version of the book by Jojo Moyes. It was pretty emotional although it did have a good bit of humour to balance it out, definitely one I recommend!

Lastly, I wanted to talk a little about food. I have mentioned many recipes on this blog before as I love baking and I really enjoy doing foodie posts. Although recently I’ve been bitten by the health bug. Okay not literally but food wise I have been trying to improve my diet. When I was on holiday I basically went crazy with food so on my return I was feeling inspired to change it up a bit. I am not the healthiest of eaters, I love snacking (a lot) and I love sugar, anything sweet and sugary has my name all over it. Obviously that isn’t the best for my diet and I thought it was time I switched it up a bit. I’ve been looking into many vegan, refined sugar free recipes for snacks etc and I am so up for a bit of a change. I am not up for going completely sugar free but I do want to cut it significantly and I am also not vegan or have gluten free needs however I use a lot of recipes suited to those. So basically I hope that I can change my lifestyle quite dramatically in terms of eating and become more healthier and hopefully if you are interested this is something I will blog about in terms of what I’ve been eating and my favourite recipes etc.

Catch up with June posts: Summer Beauty Prep, My Travel Makeup Bag, Summer Beauty Essentials, Best Summer Essie Nail Shades, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation Review and The Body Shop Pinita Colada range.

What did you get up to this month?

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The Summer Lip Edit

When it comes to lip products I am always more of a neutral kinda gal. I have my go-to shades which usually consist of every variation of nude going (I swear they are different, really!). However when Summer comes around I am all for something that little bit bolder. Bright corals and fuchsia shades are all that I crave in Summer time and just look great alongside a tan and my Summer attire. I left out my lip choices in my Travel Makeup Bag post so I thought today I would share my go-to lip picks for the sunny season. I did have a couple more shades however they are very similar to a few that I am going to mention anyway!

Starting with the lightest shades from the bunch. I got my first use out of the Illamasqua Matte Lip Liquid in Surrender. I picked this up way back at the start of the year and mentioned it in this haul. The shade is a bright pink-y peach that basically has Summer all over it. This is the first I’ve tried one of these Illamasqua liquid lipsticks however the formula applied quite streaky on me at first and the colour looked a bit odd on my appearance. However when I patted it down, it revealed a nice softer nude peach colour, perfect for a more toned down look. The formula ovbiously requires a bit of work but the finished result is worth it!

Keeping with the lighter options but moving on to the coral-y shades, I love Charlotte Tilbury Sexy Sienna. This is a beautiful peachy coral shade which can be worn toned down or more vibrantly. The CT formula is also worth a shout for being super creamy and comfortable to wear. To amp it up even more, Mac Tropic Tonic is pretty much like the bolder sister with a vivid pink-y coral colour that is definitely one for the tanned.

To the more bolder picks now, Relentlessly Red is much like a more pinker toned Tropic Tonic. The name is rather misleading, it is definitely not red but more of a bright fuchsia pink. The Retro Matte formula is also super long wearing. Moving on to a more redder toned option, I have also got my first wear out of the Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick in Soaked which is a gorgeous orange-y red shade. I love these kind of shades, more summery than a typical red with the orange undertones yet still so wearable. Lastly, is my latest new lip addition that I picked up at duty free, Mac Flat Out Fabulous. I had wanted this shade for so long and I am so glad I picked it up! It’s a beautiful plum-y fuchsia shade that looks so flattering and such a wearable way to venture into purple tones. Love it!

What is your top Summer lip pick?

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The Body Shop Pinita Colada Range

“If you like Piña Coladas, getting caught in the rain…” Sorry couldn’t quite help myself! Summer is finally here (ish), well part of me feels like it’s been and gone but technically not really. Anyway to help get into the Summer mood, The Body Shop have released a new range of Pina Colada inspired products. I am a huge fan of the Body Shop and I can’t deny how excited I got from hearing about this new Pinita Colada range. I have to say this is probably one if not my favourite collection they have came out with. Once I spotted a great deal in store, I couldn’t help but try out a few things from the range!

I picked out three out of the four products from the range, leaving out the Body Sorbet since I already had one from last Summer. Starting with the one product I was desperate to have my hands on, the Body Butter. A Body Shop classic product, who doesn’t love a good body butter? It’s quite a thick textured moisturiser but I really wanted something super moisturising and this just does the job. I can’t count how many times I have just opened this to get a little whiff of the dreamy coconut and pineapple scent. Take me back to the beach bar already, Pina Colada in hand, thanks!

With tanning season in, it felt ever so appropriate to get my hands on the Body Scrub too. It has a beautifully creamy but gritty texture with real shredded coconut extract to help leave your skin feeling super smooth and exfoliated. Of course it also has the beautiful pineapple/coconut scent. Dreamy!

Lastly, I picked up the Shower Gel. I love the Body Shop Shower Gels, they are always so creamy and hydrating as well as coming in great sizes. I rather felt the need to pick this up as I had still been using Lush Snow Fairy! My timings just aren’t great eh. So this beautiful summery concoction has been a real winner in replacing my beloved Christmas scent. Yup I clearly can’t let go of Christmas. It lathers up so nicely and is basically a dream to use!

Have you tried this range?

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My Travel Makeup Bag

I like to have options when it comes to makeup and I am regularly changing up my everyday makeup. However when it comes to travelling, I like to keep things convenient and easy. I wish I could transport my makeup collection easily without the hassle but sadly that’s not the case. When it comes to travelling, I have to downsize for obvious reasons in that I only have a certain amount of space to travel with. Call me weird but I also get a little nervous travelling with beauty products in case they break or get damaged since some products are packaged to be a little more fragile. How materialistic eh! So anyway I thought I would share my convenient travel easy products that I will be using away from home.

In terms of base, I have gave myself two options. The BareMinerals Complexion Rescue and the Topshop BB cream will be my bases of choice this Summer with both offering decent coverage yet a lightweight formula. They also both offer a soft dewy look too especially the BareMinerals offering. To perfect my complexion, I’ve also got my go-to concealer of the moment from NYX which is decent enough at covering any blemishes. Also, to add a little light under my eyes, I have the Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter in Light Boost which has also been my go to for brightening my under eyes. I’m not the biggest powder lover but I have the Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot in case I need to mattify my skin and set my makeup in place.

In give my skin a little more warmth, I am also loving the Soap and Glory Wonderbronze to add a nice bit of bronze-y glow to my complexion. In terms of blush, I have two options. The Clinique Cheek Pop in Melon Pop is a great pick for Summer to add a nice coral-y flush to the cheeks! I also have my trusty Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Lavish Mauve if I am going for a more neutral look. To finish off, the Topshop Glow Stick in Play up is perfect for adding more glow to the skin and is also super easy to travel with in a convenient crayon style packaging.

In terms of eyes, I am going simple with brows and mascara. My Benefit Gimme Brow is on its last legs however it is super easy to travel with and I am all about the natural look when on holiday. I also have a miniature of the Benefit They’re Real, my go-to mascara and who doesn’t love a little beauty mini for travelling! In terms of eyeshadow, I am going for the minimal approach. The BareMinerals Colour Extravaganza Convertible Eyeshadow Palette (longest name ever) is perfect for travelling as it has a pop-out trio palette so I have selected three shades from that to take away. I am also going to add in some Makeup Geek shadows (not pictured) to give myself a little more choice! Lastly, I have not included lip products in this as I will be doing a seperate post and I have a lot! However I do want to mention the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfecting Base which is my go-to lip balm for under lipstick which I just couldn’t go without!

What beauty products do you take when travelling?

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