DIY vanilla lip scrub! x

                                                                                    Hey everyone,

So lately my lips have been super dry. I don't have dry skin or anything, but due to the harsh weather my lips have taken the full force of it and consequently they are chapped, dry, gross and basically everything you wouldn't want your lips to be! As it's almost spring, I thought it would be fun to show how I get rid of all the dryness and embrace smoothness by making a really cheap and tasty lip scrub which you can lick off, and is super cheap so you don't have to go out and buy one. This recipe makes a few uses, however I usually kust throw the remainder away, although you can store it in the fridge for a maximum of 5 days if you want to!Or use it as a bodyscrub if you want. :)
This would also make a great gift for a friend, if you got a cute jar! Just an idea :)
 It seems I'm not the only one though as I've seen lots of people reviewing lip care products and saying how dry their lips are, so I thought I'd share with you my way of dealing with it! I know other people have done posts like this but I have put my own twist on it and I thought it would be really fun. Let me know if it works for you because this works so well for me.

What you will need!
2 tablespoons of olive oil: it's incredibly moisturising and will help to repair and smoothen chapped lips!
Vanilla extract: it gives the lip scrub a gorgeous sweet taste.
Granulated sugar: It exfoliates the lips and scrubs away dead skin cells.

I think my dog wanted some... ;)

So firstly, get a little bowl. I'm using this from sainsburies as it is so cute and the perfect size!

I use this cool spoon which has one hole which equals 1 tbsp and one hole which equals 1tsp, and I tip 2 tbsp's of olive oil into the bowl.

I then add the vanilla extract to add flavour so it's tasty to lick off! I've also used lemon juice and peppermint essence before, so you can just use any flavouring that you like! I have also used crushed raspberries before to gently tint my lips but that is optional.

I then take about 4 teaspoons of granulated sugar and add it to the bowl. The more sugar you add, the more abrasive and exfoliating the scrub will be, so it's up to you!

Then mix everything together! mmmm...

Finally just apply it to your lips to achieve softness! As you can tell a part of my lip is a little swollen, but my lips are much smoother and softer.

Enjoy your smooth, plumped and soft lips!

Lots of love,

Emma-Kate xxx

PS: very exciting things are coming, I am having a complete blog makeover very soon! xxx

Primark lip stain review!x

Hey everyone,
firstly sorry if you don't live in an area accessible to Primark and you are getting sick of all these Primark-esque posts; this is the last one I promise! I just felt I had to review this product because I have been so surprised and pleased it felt wrong to keep it to myself.
If you have been to Primark, you will know as you are swamped in the huge queue, there are lots of baskets beckoning you, filled with cheap, random things such as nail varnishes, vaseline, mini cleansers and cute socks. It is these baskets which snare me the most; if I see something in there, I quickly grab it before I buy the actual products, adding another £5+ to the overall price! Very clever Primark...who can relate?!?
Anyway, I was in this situation a few weeks ago. This was the time I dropped something in the horrendously long queue, only noticed as I was about to pay and helplessly crawled through masses of ankles and shoes to find the £3 top I had dropped. Yes that was me. I saw one of these lipstains in the baskets and for £1.50, I grabbed it and thrust it onto the till along with my other purchases. This was the birth of a lip stain I use almost every day and I love it lots!
After that unnecessarily  long introduction (sorry, just skip to this part;)) let's get onto to the product itself! Firstly, the pigmentation is incredible. It is so bright and is way better than the terrible one I bought from Rimmel for £5! It lasts for absolutely ages as well!

I use this a little like a lipliner. I go over my cupids bow to add some definition, and I also go arounf my lip line to highlight the shape! Sometimes I fill my whole lips in, and other times I just use another lipstick, or lip balm over and the Primark lipstain subtly adds more shape to that effect.

With one stroke! :D

One downside is that if you accidentally apply it on your face or something, because it is so strong it's super hard to get off, so don't apply too much! Also the packaging is cheap but for £1.50 I'm not exactly complaining!
The applicator is literally just like a felt tip so it's so easy to apply, and you barely need any power to get a strong colour across.

I was getting bored of not taking a good picture....

Ignore the hair clip, I couldn't get the lipstain to stop rolling along my desk! Urghh

Thanks for reading, 

Have a sweet day! :) 

Emma-Kate xxx

Primark and boots haul!

Hey everyone,
Yesterday I went shopping and I bought quite a few things from Primark so I thought I'd show you because they don't have an online shop and it's always fun to see other people's taste in clothes, at least I think! I also went into boots and picked up a few things; I hope you like it! Also, 70 followers....wow!  That is so nice to wake up to as it gives me motivation to do more posts, and it is so lovely that people are reading my blog. I'm only 13 which most of you don't know, so blogging is a big deal for me...thankyou so so much, all of your comments make me smile :) I'm going to try and blog everyday, although some posts will be better than others!

Anyway, to the haul ;)

Firstly, I bought these shoes for £10, I think they are so cute and they go with basically everything! I love the vintage detailing on the insides as well.

I also picked up these really cute slippers for £1.50! Biggest bargain of the day, and they are so cosy!

I couldn't leave without picking up their cotton pads, because they are only £1 and they do a great job. 

These leggings were only £6 and they are so comfy and they go with everything! I love stretchy leggings like this because they are perfect for my ice skating and they are generally really fashionable.

I got this purple long sleeved top because it was super cheap and it's great for layering under other clothes on cold days! I could also see myself using it as a cosy pyjama top. The material is really comfortable and stretchy as well, and I think the colour is so pretty!

I got this top because it has super pretty detail and it was only £5!! It is long at the back and short at the front which I think has a really nice effect.

From Primark I got this gorgeous red/orange dress which I think is perfect for summer days :) The detailing on it is gorgeous and it has a bow on  the back which adds a girly look! I would wear this with a cardigan and sandals, or even the shoes I showed earlier.

I have used the Primark blusher brush, and I was literally amazed by how good it was. I randomly picked it up and it was soooo good! When I saw this foundation/concealer brush for £1.50, I immediately picked it up and it's so soft. I would definitely recommend these! The bronzer brush doesn't look good as I could see the hairs coming out, but on the blusher brush all of the hairs have stayed in place and it has remained really soft and smooth on the skin, even after lots of washes.

I bought some of their tights after hearing amazing things about them, and they seem really comfy and soft.

I purchased the Soap and Glory 'Flake Away' from Boots after hearing lots of great reviews of it! I haven't used it yet but I can't wait to :)

From Boots, I also bought two Barry M nail paints, one textured one called 'Ridley Road' and an all in 1 nail hardener, base coat and topcoat. I have used them and will be posting a review really soon! :D

Thanks for reading everyone,

Lot's of love from

Emma-Kate xxx

Natural, brightening makeup! :)

Hey everyone,
So sorry I've been absent from blogging lately, I've just taken a break over half term but I'm back now!
I'm really excited about this post, it is my everyday makeup look. I've never done this sort of post before, so I hope you like it! I like to look very natural, so this makeup is brightening, simple and casual, however if you want a more dramatic look comment below!

Lasting perfection concealer: I apply this under my eyes, on my nose and on my chin.It covers everything! Read a full review here. I then blended this using the No.& foundation brush.

Rimmel Clear Complexion pressed powder in translucent: I apply this over my t-zone and my chin, and it mattifies everything, keeping it in place. It's super cheap as well :)

Primark blusher brush: This was £1 from Oxford Street Primark in London, and it is actually really good!

Bodyshop quad eyeshadows: I applied the white shade across my entire eyelid and my inner corners using my finger for a subtle shimmer. I find when I use a brush it doesn't show up as well. These are expensive but last a long time and are super pigmented! :D

M&S eyeshadow palette: I apply the purple shade lightly along my crease and blend it out to add some more definition. I've had this palette for ages and I've not hit pan on any of the shades! The two with no eyeshadow in are the ones which smashed when I dropped this palette on the floor -,-

Miss Sporty eyeliner: I just apply this to the corners of my eyes to make them look bigger; I sometimes apply a little bit of liquid liner but as this is a natural look I decided against it! This eyeliner is so creamy and is very affordable from Superdrug :)

Bodyshop mascara: I use this on all of my lashes as it is not at all clumpy and doesn't make them a ridiculous length so it gives a lovely natural eye look. 

Jack Wills mascara: This mascara is pretty clumpy which is annoying due to the price, however it's good for vertically applying to the outer lashes to make your eyes look bigger. I don't apply mascara to my bottom lashes though.

Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial: After my review of these lip lacquers, lots of people said celestial was their favourite as well! I think it goes really nicely with this look.

No.7 blush in 'Coral Flush': This is a gorgeous peachy tone and it brightens the face, and I also use it to contour my face as most bronzers are too dark for me :(

 Thanks for reading everyone and I hope you like this as it's a bit different to what I usually do!

Lot's of love from
Emma-Kate
xxx

Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer, is it worth the hype?

Hey everyone,

So after my post about the Soap and Glory 'Kick Ass Concealer', I had quite a few people asking for a review of this one as it's very popular amongst the beauty world! The Collection (previously Collection 2000) lasting perfection concealer is used and rated highly by lots of beauty bloggers and youtubers, and has even been compared to higher end concealers, so I thought I would buy it and have a go! It retails for an amazing £4.19 which is so affordable compared to other concealers. Although there are concealers for £1, you can tell with their quality as they aren't great. However this one is like a £20 concealer disguised in a £4.19 bottle! ;)

This concealer is really creamy and easy to blend, so just a dot under the eyes blends out to cover dark circles. I am very pale, and I got the number 1: fair shade and it is a perfect match for me, which is very rare!

I am really happy with this concealer as it does an amazing job of covering redness, dark circles and blemishes in general, and it doesn't look cakey or piled on even if you apply a lot to the under eye area (like me!).

The only downsides for me are that the packaging gets worn away (the writing I mean, not the actual plastic), so it can look a bit cheap and ugly, and also I'm not a big fan of concealers with that applicator as it can be a bit unhygienic especially if you are applying it to spots, however considering the amazing price and coverage these are only minor problems, which are probably just me being picky!

I got this in Superdrug, and it was completely sold out in Boots and there was only one left in Superdrug so I guess that's a sign of a great concealer! This has been raved about by so many people and has a massive hype around it, and personally I think it is worth all the attention because it's so affordable and does an amazing job. I couldn't see myself spending lots of money on a high end concealer after trying this because it does everything I would want it to do, and more. This is the second Collection 2000 product I've tried, as I have the liquid eyeliner but I wasn't really a fan. Have you tried any of their other products?
So overall, I think it is worth the hype and I strongly recommend it! I could see this becoming a holy grail...

Have you tried it? What do you think?


Have a sweet day,
Emma-Kate
xxx

















PS: please comment below any requests you have for other posts! I'm thinking about doing a makeup tutorial or ootd, but it's up to you :) xx

Soap and Glory concealer review! (Drugstore Dupe alert!!)

Hey everyone,
So today I'm going to review a new concealer which I recently bought- The 'Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer'. The name is a little awkward but aside from that I really like it! It has two shades-an apricot/orangey colour for under eye darkness, and a yellow toned colour for redness or spots. It also comes with a translucent setting powder to hold it all in place. It is £10 so is a little on the pricey side compared to the other drugstore concealers but I think it's worth it. I've also heard that this is a really good dupe for Benefit's Boi-ing as well as some other high end concealers.

When you first open the container, you see the setting powder and a powder puff to apply it with. The powder is so fine and silky, I use it for my t-zone as well as under my eyes because it leave syour skin felling so soft! Due to the soft powder puff provided, you don't need a brush which makes it even more compact and convenient for travelling.

Underneath the powder is a mirror and the two concealers. In the shop, there were no testers which really frustrated me, as the product is non-returnable, and I didn't want to spend £10 on something which I hadn't properly seen. I asked the lady who worked there in Boots and she said that people stole the testers (lowww;)) so they don't do them anymore. My friends persuaded me though and I trust Soap and Glory a lot, so I went for it! I got the lightest shade, so when I opened it up I was really shocked as both of the colours are pretty dark and very pigmented. However, the apricot shade blends out perfectly to cover dark circles and the yellow shade covers imperfections beautifully. They are both super creamy and easy to blend. One downside is that they are both really thick so you have to be careful not to apply too much, and also make sure you set it well with the powder provided so it doesn't get all sticky throughout the day.

This is the colours swatched on my hand, and this is after blending them out! :)

Overall I think it is a gorgeous compact and is so easy and efficient to use, especially if you are travelling and are trying to pack lightly! :) Another thing is in other reviews of this I have heard people saying the packaging is difficult to open but I haven't experienced this issue at all. I used to use a Bodyshop concealer which was similar quality to this but was the same price, however it only had one shade, with no setting powder! So I think I will be repurchasing  this :) I now have my eye on the 'Glow all out' highlighter! They all have such catchy names :) Has anyone tried the highlighter? What are your favourite Soap and Glory products?

Thanks for reading,

Have a sweet day!

Emma-Kate
xxx


P.S: Would you like a review on the cheaper alternative: Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer? xxx

Chilled out thursday! And a random chatter :) x

Hey everyone, and happy valentines day! I hope if you have a valentine you are spoiled and are having an awesome, cherished day, and if you don't, you are having a beautiful time with a film, chocolate and a teddy! ;) I haven't got a valentine but I love the love which is around today! It's so sweet :)

http://www.inspirational-quotes-hq.com/Valentines-Day-Quotes-004.html

Anyway, asides from valentines day I'm having a relaxing day today. My week so far hasn't been too great; yesterday it was snowing and a horrible unknown boy from my school thought it was funny to kick me as I was walking home, and I feel face forward into the ice in front of a lot of people and now have a grazed and bruised knee! Ah well, at least it made him have a good day :) I've also felt quite unconfident lately as I started using a new moisturiser and a great spot has emerged...hmmm. Coupled with the fact my hair has looked horrible! However I've been really enjoying reading Hebrews in the bible each night before I go to sleep and I've learnt some amazing things which have really encouraged me :) Also I write to quite a few friends who live a long way away and their letters are so sweet! Sorry for not replying yet girlies! I had a drama exam on Tuesday. It wasn't an official exam but I panic so much over one little assessment-having to memorise everything is tough. We are doing mask work at the moment so there is no speech required-just big physicality! I much prefer 'normal' drama where I can talk and not be embarrassed but it's been fun doing something different.

Anyway, onto 'releasing thursday' after that random update which got a bit out of hand, haha! I'm going to have an amazing bubble bath and wash my hair, although I have no bath bombs unfortunately so I'll have to cope, use a face mask and read 'PS: I love you!" I featured it in my last haul, and I'll do a review when I've finished if you want. It's great, however I cry every time I read a new chapter as it's so sad :( I would say don't read this if you get upset easily(I would have loved someone to tell me this!) Once I've started reading it I have to see it through though-so I'll cry when I'm in the bath ;)

Then I'll blow-dry and straighten my hair, which is a treat as I only do this once a week so as not to damage my hair. After that I'll put on some cosy pyjamas and snuggle up to watch waterloo road(addiction!) What do you all think about what's happening on it? It's sooo tense ;)

I'll then have to do any last minute homework, sort out my school stuff and then settle down into bed to read more of PS:I love you, and my bible!

Also, I passed my grade 10 ice skating on Saturday so I have to now chose between freestyle or dance! What do you think guys, I'm wayyyy too indecisive ;)

Thanks for reading, this isn't my typical post but it's been fun to just have a chat, and I will hopefully do some reviews and things soon.

Lots of love,

Emma-Kate
xxx