Brand Focus : Butter London

Brand Focus : Butter London

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Vibrancy and intensity are always summer 'thing' but this year companies are going crazy to compete for the best, unique range of summer perfect products. For some reason, the sun energizes me and gives me more confidence in my skin and my general being. I'm not sure exactly why that is but I'm sure that there is a scientific reason for it - everyone associates the sun with positivity after all...

Butter London is a brand I'm sure most of you have heard of - they are a company who are infamously known for their buttery, opaque nail polishes. Being rather slow in the grips of social media, I never really knew they sold other makeup products so when I got the opportunity to give some of their cosmetics a test, I was more than merrier to do so. Personally, I'm a huge fan of glossy, bright lips in the summer - moisture is key and I cannot stand matte lipsticks sinking into the crevices of my lips. NO THANK YOU. Instead, I opted for some very 'out there' liquid lipsticks that leave a glossy shine.

Fortunately, Butter London ever so kindly wrapped up two nail polishes to accompany my requested liquid lipsticks. I was thrilled to see varnishes that matched the seasonal colour scheme - bright oranges and yellows are incredibly eye-catching and on the nails, they can add extra warmth to a Summer's day outfit. The two shades I received were CHUFFED and CHEEKY CHOPS. Chuffed is a stunning orange glitter with golden flecks of glitter running throughout. The glitters would complement a gorgeous golden cheekbone highlight - matching nail colour to makeup can really help to enhance your favourite features. As this polish is a glitter, application requires two thin coats to achieve a full opaque coverage. Cheeky chops is bright yellow; it is slightly toned down which makes it more wearable for those not brave enough to rock a crazy fluorescent number. This shade achieves opaque perfection with a single light coat, leaving a glossy finish. Butter London nail varnishes contain vitamins that aid nail strength - something I definitely need with my poor stubby excuses for nails! They also provide a consistent, smooth layer on the nail.  

Liquid lipsticks are an evergrowing trend among the beauty lovers out there; I am a huge fan of this trend - who wouldn't want moisturized, opaque lips in the simple swipe of an applicator? The two shades I received are La Moss and Primrose Hill Picnic. La Moss is a burgundy, red-wine - the coverage lays between an opaque matte lipstick and a lipgloss with a formula rich in shea butter, creating a beautiful moisturized feel on the lips. Primrose Hill Picnic is a tropical pink - I'd say it is in between a fuschia and 'Barbie' pink. The underlying blue tones allow the product to compliment my cool skin tone, which is always a bonus on vibrant colours you are a bit tentative to wear in public. This shade would look insane on holiday - it reminds me all the tropical flowers you would see on a secluded, exotic island. You can tell I've got eternal holiday blues!!!

Don't forget to head over to Butter London to check out all their cosmetics range, as well are their very-loved varnishes. Let me know what you think of them.

Which lip colour is your favourite? Do you own any products from Butter London?

Lots of love

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This post is in collaboration with Butter London, however all opinions are honest and my own.

Hair Care Saviours ¦ Richard Ward Chelsea Collection

Hair Care Saviours ¦ Richard Ward Chelsea Collection

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Being your lazy typical teenager, I've grown up completely neglecting my hair. Don't worry, I'm not saying that I don't wash it on a regular basis, I'm talking going that extra length to ensure that my hair remains healthy, smooth and shiny. Due to complete lack of care, my hair sometimes becomes coarse and dry only a day or two after washing my hair. This simply gave me a wake up call to try something different - something that was going to recover the damage and save my brunette locks.

Luckily, I've discovered Richard Ward's Keratin Restore Collection consisting of a shampoo, conditioner and hair mask treatment. I was super excited to try the hair mask specifically because 'surprise, surprise', I had never tried one before. Also, this range is part of the Chelsea Collection - Richard Ward is hairdresser to the beautiful Kate Middleton and some of the 'Made In Chelsea' cast. By hearing celebrities and hair stylists talk about these products, I knew I was in for a right treat...

Keratin Restore Shampoo & Conditioner (RRP £5.99)

Keratin is your hair's natural proteins; it binds to the roots of your hair and works to re-build natural fibres and protect your scalp. This hero hair ingredient strives to protect vital cells from damage and excess stress. Many scientists have claimed that by exposing you hair to more keratin than it naturally produces, you can increase the thickness, health and growth of your hair. Additionally, the chicory extract and yucca vera contained in the products cooperate to produce a lustrous finish - the chicory invigorates strength of the hair, reducing hair loss, and the yucca vera revives suppleness and natural shine. 

After replacing my old hair products to the side, it was time for the real test. Over the past two weeks, I have been using these products in my regular routine (the shampoo and conditioner every other day and the hair mask once a week). The texture of both is balmy and the formulation appears to lather quickly and easily. Both products complimented each other in trying to revive my dull locks; the shampoo leaving my hair feeling extremely clean and the conditioner adding to the restoration and shine of the finished look. The only minor downfall was that the scent wasn't as strong as I would have liked; a very soft fruity essence that didn't quite fulfill my needs. Oh well, as long as the product is working efficiently, eh? 

Keratin Rehab Conditioning Treatment (RRP £5.99)

Hair masks are always something I've wanted to give a go. All I ever see over social media, regarding hair care, is masks - there are always those on Pinterest creating their own mask using tonnes of exotic, qwerky ingredients to formulate a beautiful remedy or Vloggers expressing their profound love for coconut oil. Finally, I've been introduced to one and now I don't think I can stop. 

This conditioning treatment is enriched with vitamins and silk proteins to revitalize and rehydrate dry hair. My hair becomes super damaged from blow-drying so a conditioning treatment that aids restoration of dryness makes applying this hair mask a treat! This most certainly will become a part of my pamper evening routine which I get round to doing once every 1/2 weeks. The silk protein leaves my hair feeling voluminous, yet sleek, with no frizz after blow-drying - another issue I have to endure. Fifteen minutes after appliance, the mask didn't leave a greasy residue after washing it out - the formula was extremely silky so I was a almost certain it was going to give leave a greasy finish but boy, was I wrong! What a great first impression on hair masks this has given me :)

If you wish to try out some of Richard Ward's nourishing collections, visit the range online at Waitrose or in stores. 

Brand Focus : Models Own

Brand Focus : Models Own

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Nail painting for me is always a chore. I find it so difficult to paint my short nails and wait for them to dry - I'm waaaay too impatient! However, I can't resist the temptation of buying nail polishes and testing the colours immediately. Therefore, when I got in touch with Model's Own, I was more than happy to share my thoughts and opinions on their products.

Models Own are a cosmetics brand, sold in drugstore like Boots and Superdrug, that sell stunning nail varnishes alongside an evergrowing range of other products (eyeshadow, lipgloss etc). Over a long period of time, I have been a large fan of the company because they produce incredible opaque polishes for a reasonable price. With other drugstore nail polishes, I find that they lack in intensity and require more than one coat to build up to its true potential. However, I've never experienced this flaw in Model's Own formula and find that applying a single layer is all you need, making me extremely happy because I don't have to wait 30 minutes for several layers to dry.

*Disclaimer - my nails are horrendously short and I can't apply nail polish for sh*t so please don't judge the swatches below*

When I received my package, I was thrilled to see 6 summer-perfect polishes awaiting me to test them. All the colours, for me, are wearable because I'm not that fussy with colours matching outfits. Fortunately, I was gifted 4 Hyper Gel polishes in which hold similar qualities to that of a gel-manicure at a salon (high pigmentation, hi-shine etc). Alongside this, I received on of their classic polishes to compare with the gel finish and a 'special effects' Chrome shade from their new range.

Hyper Gel White Light

An simple, classic true white with high pigmentation and shine. The hi-shine effect, derived from the gel formulation, ensures that the nails glisten under the sunlight. This is perfect for the Summer - white looks incredible against dark/tanned skin!

Hyper Gel Summer Solstice

Orange is another colour that always looks beautiful on sunkissed skin. This deep, rustic orange glides on the nails with ease via the precise applicator. Also, Hyper Gel's always seem to last a lot longer on the nails than the original polishes - I definitely think the incredible, thick gel formula has something to do with this!

Sarong Wrap

A bright yellow to match the sun, accompanied by a beach-friendly name. I love brands that come up with appropriate, qwerky names to call their products - it's the little things that matter! Although this is border-line on my comfort zone, I will definitely be wearing this out in the summer to complement the sun (if we ever do get some in England!!) as I'm rather tentative drawing attention to my gross nails.

Hyper Gel Persian Pink

A blue-toned pink that is perfect for everyday wear. Wearing pink polish is something I opt for on a daily basis as the colour is feminine, classy yet simplistic. I also love how the blue undertones have toned down the vibrancy of the pink - this totally makes it more wearable for me as my cool skin tone doesn't look good against the typical 'Barbie' pink.

Hyper Gel Loganberry

The last of the Hyper Gel range I was gifted was this beautiful, deep cherry red. This will look incredible in the Autumnal months accompanied by a dark red lip. The Gel effect specifically showed on this darker colour - the pigmentation was the best and the shine glowed when exposed to light. I cannot wait for Autumn so I can wear this constantly!

Chrome Pink

Finally, my absolute favourite shade - a metallic rose pink with silver, iridescent glimmers. I cannot begin to describe the love I have for this polish - I have not stopped wearing it since I received it. The silver and pink really work together, giving off a glamorous shine under rays of light. Also, I was very impressed with the uniqueness of this range - I was yet to find an intense, metallic polish from the drugstore until I met this collection for Model's Own. You will definitely be seeing more from this range in the future - I cannot wait to go and pick up some other stunning chromes!!

What are you favourite nail polishes? Do you own anything from Models Own?

Lots of love

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*This post is in collaboration with Models Own. However, all opinions are honest and my own.*

Luxury Products You NEED In Your Makeup Bag

Luxury Products You NEED In Your Makeup Bag

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Over my years of makeup hoarding and testing loads of different products, I have come to terms with what works for me and what looks like a complete disaster. Recently, I've been trying to narrow down my makeup into a very small 'ten products you can't live without'. However, I found this too challenging, as I'm a huge lover of both the expensive and affordable makeup. Therefore, I would like to bring to you part 1 of my favourite makeup products of all time. 

Also, I've been thinking about uploading my top 10 drugstore products of all time over on my Youtube Channel to coincide with this blog post. I'm starting a Youtube Channel in the next few months as I am so close to saving up for a new, good quality camera. I cannot wait to start making videos and hopefully receive a positive response, as I've been sooooo scared to do this. If you are interested in watching my future youtube videos, don't hesistate to click on the link above or type 'CharlotteEmilyXXXX' to find my channel and subscribe. Leave a comment below if you do!

On with the fun stuff...

FACE

Without a doubt, I always prioritise my highend base goodies over my (also-very-loved) drugstore ones. Personally, I feel that they provide such a luxurious feel on the skin, alongside creating an effect that lives up to their high prices. I'm 100% a full coverage girl and my NARS Sheer Glow fulfills my every need; with a smooth, silky finish, even complexion and long-lasting power, this foundation is one to settle anyone's 'flawless finish' needs. Accompanying Sheer Glow comes my trusty NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. Nars base products really work on my skin, building a firm base with a glowing radiance that counteracts my dryness. This concealer does my under eye circles wonders - illuminating my dull areas (under eyes, around my nose) and my T zone to highlight the centre of my face. 

Powder products are definitely my safety net when it comes to adding extra definition to my face. Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess, which you are probably sick-to-death hearing about from me, is a dream to blend when contouring, accentuating the hollows of my cheeks and structuring my face. The tiny golden flecks running through the product makes it perfect for the summer months when you want your face to glow under the sunlight. Blush is something I have love-hate relationship with; I am horrendously bad at applying the correct amount to my cheeks so I tend to avoid wearing it. However, after picking up MAC's Melba at the beginning of 2016, creating a soft, flushed effect has never been so easy. The warm, peach undertones form a natural look on my cheeks, something I've been wanting to achieve for months years! Saving the best till last - highlight!!! MAC'S infamous Soft and Gentle and The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer are the highlights you will always find lurking in my makeup bag; I alter between the two depending on my makeup look. If I've chosen cooler tones on my eyes/lips, I will opt for Mary Lou. Alternatively, Soft and Gentle compliments warmer tones so I pop some of that on my cheeks when I'm wearing a copper shadow and I'm good to go :)

EYES

Finding a single eyeshadow palette that I adore with all my heart was a challenge - I own many a shadow palette so it was very difficult to decide which met all my criteria. The Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette won! This was simply because it met everything I could ever want in a shadow palette - a mixture of matter and shimmers, intense pigmentation, all wearable/versatile shades, a variety of colours, a handy mirror and sleek packaging to fit in your makeup bag. I will honestly never stop raving about this palette because I love it soooo freaking much! My most used shadow is definitely Creme Brulee - it creates a gorgeous golden lid colour for those days where you just cant be bothered to spend 113432 hours perfecting your eye makeup.

LIPS

Another very difficult product to condense into my top favourites were my lipsticks. Fortunately, I've managed to narrow my choices to my top 3 lippies - a deep pink, a nude and a dark shade. Starting from the left, Charlotte Tilbury's stunning rose-gold packaging holds my all-time favourite 'your-lips-but-better- shade - BOND GIRL. This cool-toned, mauve pink is perfect for everyday wear but can also look glamorous in the evening too. The versatility of this lipstick is endless and it will never leave my purse/handbag/pocket no matter where I am. Nudes are my fall back if I'm wearing little makeup or don't want to draw any attention to myself - Chanel's Satisfaction is always something I go back to when I acquire a nude lip. The creamy formula feels incredibly luxurious on your lips and lasts for several hours, not something many lip products can do. Lastly, MAC's Dark Side is a more recent discovery; the dark, red/purple undertones really complement my ivory complexion and leave a thin, yet intense, satin finish.

What are you favourite high end makeup products? Do you have any dupes for the products I mentioned above?!

Lots of love

5 Simple Ways to Eliminate and Disguise Facial Impurities

5 Simple Ways to Eliminate and Disguise Facial Impurities

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Having a flawless complexion is something that us girl's dream about, day and night. Although we should, and are told to try, our uttermost hardest to embrace our imperfections, it is very difficult when you have a huge spot in the middle of your forehead. Personally, I am not very confident in my skin so I like to find tips and tricks to help me feel more comfortable in myself. Here are few things I do to help my skin feel clean and flawless!

1. I'm going to start with something I am 100% guilty of (as you can evidently tell from the images above) - CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES. Washing your brushes is such a simple thing that we all forget to do - I always delay chores like this because it literally takes me forever to wash and dry all of my brushes. However, by taking the time to clean your facial brushes, it can seriously help your skin. Oils and bacteria swiftly build up in your brushes over a short time frame and we all know what excess oil and bacteria leads to...SPOTS!

2. You've definitely all heard this before but maintaining a skin routine, personal to your own skin type, is beneficial when trying to eliminate impurities. Fortunately, I don't suffer with any extreme cases of spots or 'breakouts' but whenever a lovely spot forms on my face, it's HUGE! To try an avoid this as much as possible, I have a little routine consisting of cleansing water, eye make-up remover, cleansing lotion and moisturizer for my dry skin. Although I don't recommend this, I sometimes take my makeup off using wipes when I'm feeling lazy. There is no harm doing this but just make sure you have nights where you cleanse your face properly to avoid sleeping in makeup overnight. That is literally the WORST mistake you can make.

MY DRY SKIN ROUTINE

Firstly, I pour a small amount of Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water onto some cotton pads and remove the majority of my base makeup. Following this step, I use the Garnier Fresh Eye Make-up Remover to take off my mascara, liner and eyeshadow. After my face is makeup-free, I take my Skinology Cleansing lotion and apply a generous amount to my face - this helps to remove any excess makeup that might be deeper in the pores or that I may have missed. Finally, Garnier's Moisture Match for Normal/Dry skin is my ultimate dry skin saviour. I have non-stopped used this since the day I bought it. The creamy, smooth formulation is to die for and the smell reminds me of holidays!

(P.S This post isn't sponsored by Garnier, I just loooooove their skincare)

3. One of my favourite ways to disguise my spots is to smother my under eye circles and spots with  concealer. OK, maybe 'smother' isn't the right word but I can't help applying several layers of my two favourite under-eye concealers to hide the darkness. I highly recommend 'L'Oreal Lumi Magique' in light and Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat in '02' if you're looking to highlight dark circles. Their formulation is a dream, blending evenly into the right creases and areas on my face I wish to be disguised.

Alternatively, if I have more time, I like to use my colour correction palette from E.L.F Cosmetics. Usually, I apply the green concealer onto my cheeks. Green concealers are designed to neutralize red tones on the face and this seriously helps to minimize my rosiness. However, avoid using this on dark spots/areas as this can accentuate those areas, making them more visible. The pink concealer contrasts the green - wear this on dark circles or spots to gain coverage but not on areas of redness.

4. I guess this number 4 is sort of a hack? Cold metal is a great wait to counteract redness on the skin. Therefore, if my skin is particularly red, I place a spoon in the freezer and leave it for 10-15 minutes. This seriously helps to reduce the redness on my cheeks and it is such a simple and quick way to achieve an even skin tone.

5. My favourite of them all. If you are feeling unconfident in your skin or with a particular spot on your face, drawing attention to other areas is key. Personally, I love to use dark colours on my eyes or lips to accentuate them. Tip: Use your favourite facial feature to your advantage - whether it be your cheekbones, lips or brows - flaunt your most-loved feature by using makeup products to enhance them. I love to wear dark lips so above are my top 6 lips I switch between when my skin is being disastrous.

~Makeup Revolution 'Rebel with a Cause' ~ MAC 'Rebel' ~ Too Faced Melted Velvet ~ MAC 'Dark Side' ~ Makeup Revolution '100% Vamp' ~ Nars Audacious 'Charlotte' ~

What do you do to eliminate spots? What is your favourite skincare product?

Lots of love

Brand Focus: Essence

Brand Focus: Essence

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Today's brand focus is a brand that has rose dramatically in popularity over the past few years. Prior to receiving my Essence goodie bag, I had only ventured as far as their liquid glitter eye products and lipsticks so I was extremely excited to see what else they had to offer. Already, I was expecting good things, as I was rather impressed at the quality of their lipsticks, despite the inexpensive pricing.

Essence are a cosmetic company that are sold exclusively in Wilkinson's in the UK; however, when I went to Ireland a couple of years ago, they were selling Essence in a shop called Pennies (I believe it's the equivalent of Primark in England). 

EYES 

'Plump NO CLUMP' Mascara ~ Drugstore mascara is my go-to! I've never found a highend mascara that is any better than one I love from the drugstore; so quite simply, I just stick to the cheaper option. This worked very well on my lashes, giving added volume and lengthening too. 

Long Lasting Black Eyeliner ~ Eyeliner is something I always struggle to apply - I cannot perfect the 'winged' liner no matter how many times I try. However, I'm also a lover of eyeliner in my waterline and below to my bottom lashes to intensify an eye look. Thus, a long-lasting black eye pencil is what I need. I've wore this out once so far and was rather impressed by the results. The liner didn't budge for a good 5 hours, alongside maintaining the same pigmentation from when I first applied.

LIPS

XXXL Nude Lipgloss in 'Soft Almond' ~ I always turn to matte lips in the Winter, despite my lips deteriorating in the cooler months. This has literally ruined my lips and I completely regret not opting for lighter options, like lipgloss. I really love subtle lipglosses to add a shine to the look - a layer of this would look incredible on top of a nude lip! Perfect for the summer!

'Soft Berry' Lipliner ~ This may actually be the favourite product I received from Essence. I am a huge fan of nude lips, like most of the female population at the minute, so was thrilled to be gifted with the PERFECT nude liner to accompany my MAC Velvet Teddy lipstick. Soft Berry is a muted mauve-pink that doesn't budge from the lips all evening. I like to apply the product on my lip line and in the corner of my mouth to create a soft, ombre gradient.

NAILS

'The Gel Nail Polish' Base Coat 

'The Gel Nail Polish' in 'My Love Diary'

'The Gel Nail Polish' Top Coat

Nail Polish is something that always seems a chore to me. However, whenever I buy new polishes, I cannot help but quickly apply them. My go-to colour to wear on a daily basis is nude - it's just perfect for sixth form and every day wear because of the versatility of the colour. This makes matching your nails to your outfits a solvable issue. Anyway, these gel polishes were something I was excited to get my hands on. I love gel polish and have had my nails painted with 'shellac' many a time - I couldn't wait to try it on myself. Unfortunately, I didn't capture a photo with them on but the product lasted on my nails for 6 straight days. Usually, drugstore nail polishes chip within a day or two so this was a huge difference from me. Get your hands on these while you can girlies!

Have you purchased anything from Essence before? What are your favourite summer nails polishes?

Lots of love

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These products were received in collaboration with Essence Cosmetics. All opinions are honest and my own.