Going Cruelty Free

Animal testing is the worst.

 Like actually. Think of the bunnies and other small furry creatures. Do they really need to go through that hell just so that we can wear a pretty colour on our lips or have hair that stays in place? I think not. 

This is why I have decided to "Go Cruelty Free", as in no longer purchasing products that do this to the poor fuzzies, but let me tell you, it is not easy! 

Whilst I know that it is becoming easier as consumers are coming more aware that this is happening in the world, it's still such a struggle to find something that does the job from a company that you can trust.

Company wise, there are only a few which I feel 100% confident purchasing from. These are Lush, Barry M, Superdrug (their own brand stuff!) and Holland & Barrett, and whilst I feel confident I still always do the bunny check before I buy. 

The bunny, by the way, is this little guy..

He is the Leaping Bunny.

This is the start of the road for me, so I'm writing this to hopefully find good recommendations of brands or products that you have found that work well for you. If I find any, I will keep you informed!

Also, if you are new to this too, I find this site a helpful guide (although it is American so a lot of the products are not available on this side of the pond... annoying)

www.crueltyfreekitty.com

Also, the Leaping Bunny site is something you might find useful.

So please, let me know if you have any recommendations and I will keep mine coming, too!

 I am not a professional animal rights campaigner, I am just a person who loves all creatures great and small, which means I don't have any facts and figures. For more information you can check Peta or a little Google search will provide the nasty answers if you want them. I don't like to, because it makes me sad... 

Reality sucks. 

Much love, 

Hayley 

x

favourite things #1

Happy Autumn, loves!

Theres a chill in the air and I am super excited about the next couple of months. But for now, I thought I would share a few of my favourite things. I'm hoping this will be a regular post from me and not one just based on beauty - though this one is very beauty heavy.

So, let me introduce you.

I have been loving tinted lip balms, like these Benefit beauties (Benefit Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm) These one's are a complete princess product as they are £14.50 a piece! But I also have been loving the Maybelline Baby Lips & the Korres Lip Butters. Comfortable & colourful!

The next product I have been consistently reaching for is the L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Touch Of Light Highlighting Pen. It is perfect for swiping away my dark circles & smoothing out my pores, plus it's light enough to not cake up on my skin!

I found an AMAZING mascara! Seriously, it takes a lot for me to be wowed by mascara, but this one definitely kicks mascara butt & it came from somewhere totally unexpected! It is the My Little Beauty Mascara Soin Et Volume (French for Volume & Care Mascara). Sadly, you can only buy it from the site & they don't currently ship to the UK - major sad face. It is €19 which is £14.08, on the pricy side but seriously worth the extra couple of pounds!

This next one is kind of a tease, as it was a limited edition product I received in a Glossybox a while back! It is the Kryolan Highlighter in Cashmere. This brand is a very well kept secret in the blogosphere, but is commonly found in the professional make up artist's kit! This is a cream highlighter that gives a beautiful glossy, not glittery, finish. It's also the perfect colour for a fair girl like me. I think I may have found it on the Kryolan website, here, if you'd like to check it out!

Lastly, but not at all least are these amazing pyjama bottoms that I found in Primark! They are Harry Potter themed & are covered in a pattern which looks the just the Marauders Map! They are the most perfect lounging pants for a huge Potter fan like me & if I remember correctly they were only £8 - bargain!

And here is my cat, who decided that it was time for a cuddle when I was taking these photos.

Sooooo cute!

What are your current favourites? I would love to know!

Lots of love, 

Hayley

xxx

The Best Cream Blush, for Under £3?!

Cream blush is slowly becoming a Spring/Summer staple in my make up bag & this is one of the products that really got me hooked.

 It is the NYC Beautifying Blushable Cream Stick in the shade Never Sleeping Pink (weird name right??)

Mine is looking pretty beaten up now as it has been used so much, some of the writing has come off of the packaging!

I got this product in a Glossybox about a year ago & didn't think too much of it at the time as NYC is a brand I haven't heard much about, but when I started using it I was seriously blown away! This is a cream to powder blush, but even when it sets as a powder it gives off a wonderful healthy glow & because of it's formulation it's extremely long wearing on my skin. 

One swipe!

The colour is a gorgeous slightly peachy pink which suits my ghosty pale skin perfectly & it's a seriously generous amount of product for the mere £2.99 price tag! It is so incredibley pigmented so you don't need much, a couple of dabs onto a finger, sponge or brush (though my preferred way is fingers) is more than enough to add a flush of colour to your cheeks. 

Blended out with fingers

I seriously could not recommend this product enough, I don't ever want to be without it & the next time i'm in Superdrug I will be heading straight to the NYC stand to add another colour or two of these blushers to my basket. 

 Are you a cream blush fan? Which is your favourite?

Stepping Out of My Denim Comfort Zone

Okay, so I haven't done this yet, but I think i'm going to.

Guys. I am a super skinny jeans girl through and through, always have been & figured I always would be. But recently when browsing online, the flared and bootleg style of jean has been getting a lot more of my attention. They are a super flattering, leg lengthening style that I think will be a style staple this Spring & Summer. 

Here are some that are on my wish list:

ASOS Lennox Kick Flare Jeans in Mid Wash Blue

ASOS Baby Kick Flare Jeans in Paloma Light Wash with Thigh Rip & Abrasion

Moto Clean-Cut Flares Jeans

Levis Demi Curve Bootcut Jeans

I think i'm going to try getting into these styles by starting with a small subtle bootcut jean, and work up to full on flaryness.

What do you think about bootcut & flared jeans? Would you wear them? And if so how would you/do you style them?

Lots of love,

Hayley

xxx

The 'Do I Look Like Kylie Yet?' Drugstore Duo

Hello loves!

The other day I was having a fumble around boots, and discovered this fabulous duo in the aisles. I've been looking for my dream 'browny nude' for a while now, and didn't want to spend much on the trend, so I am over the moon that I have found this pair & thought you might want to know my findings too!

And drum roll please.......................

It is the Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Tiriamisu & the Seventeen Stay Pout Lipstick in Just A Fling which create the perfect Kylie combo! The middle ground between brown and pink, a lovely velvety finish and not a speck of glitter or shine in sight. 

The best part about this duo is the fact that together they cost under £7.50! That's half of what you would pay for a single MAC lipstick, which I think is crazy considering how great these products are.

Do you have any drugstore lips product recommendations for me?

Lots of love,

Hayley

xxx

My First My Little Box!

Today the postman brought me a little treat and I thought I would share it with you, because it is just plain charming! I received my first beauty box from the company My Little Paris. The subscription service is called My Little Box, which I think is just so cute! If you have never heard of this company before then you should definitely check them out here.

This months box was a special edition, created in collaboration with the designer Diane Von Furstenburg, and I absolutely adore it. Inside I received a scarf in one of the specially chosen DVF prints (which is truly stunning!), a lip-shaped brooch (the lips are the brands logo), a very cute illustration of the lady herself, the magazine which I can't wait to read through and 3 beauty products. 

The first beauty products I received in the box the Kerastase K Laque Noire. It is described as an 'anti-humidity super shield fixing hairspray' with extra strong hold. I'm going out for a friends birthday this coming weekend and shall give this its first trial then! I'll report back. 

The next one is a L'Occitane Hand Cream in the scent Vanilla Bouquet. L'Occitane hand creams are some of the best, thick and nourishing but don't linger on your paws for too long. This is a super handy travel size sample, so it will be a perfect addition to my handbag. The smell is lovely, you wouldn't think vanilla and flowers would be a pleasant combination of scents but it truly is one of those 'sniffing your hands all day' kind of smells.

I also received the My Little Beauty Micellar Cleansing Water, which is from the companies own beauty brand. I am excited to give this a try as a use micellar waters quite often. Also, how cute is the packaging! It kind of smells like green tea too, and you know how I feel about tea!

All in all I am chuffed with this box, and cannot wait for next month to roll around so I can get another!

Are you subscribed to any beauty subscription boxes? Let me know!

Lots of love,

Hayley

xxx

Beauty Wishlist #1

 In the months leading up to Christmas (and my birthday!), I often find lusting after a bunch of products that I would love to have in my stash. So today I thought I would share a few with you, because it's fun to dream, right?

1. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, £26.50. 

I blame Lisa Eldridge entirely for this one! This is a small concealer palette, with two shades of a thick creamy concealer which you can personally mix and match to suit every area of your face. It's ingenious! And from what i've seen, it's pretty long lasting too, just set with a translucent powder after application and you're good to go all day. Perfect to use on those pesky spots and areas of discolouration. 

2. Nars Audacious Lipstick in the shade Grace, £24.00.

This is just a gorgeous shade, and the packaging is to die for! I haven't tried a lipstick from Nars before and I think this would be a nice place to start.

3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Series Brow Palette, £90.00.

Serious heart-eyed emoji on this one! If you didn't already know, I am currently training to become a professional Make Up Artist and this just ticks every box for me. You would never be without out brow colour for anyone ever again! No more struggling with too warm pencil shades, or splurging £15 per matte eyeshadow. This works out at £4.09 per shade, and that's not including the brow primer which you get in there too. 

4. Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Facial, £45.00.

I would love to try this and see if it lives up to the hype it gets! It would be such a luxury product to use a couple of times a week, and just a lovely treat.

5. Stila In The Light Eye Shadow Palette, £25.00.

This is just a very pretty palette that I have wanted to own for a while. I am especially drawn to the shades Kitten, Sunset and Luster. 

So thats everything on the British market that I've been eyeing up recently! Maybe i'll make an American one next, because there is a lot of stuff I'm lusting after on the Sephora and Ulta websites too! Naughty me...

Lot's of love,

Hayley

xxx

I Have Boarded The Youtube Train!

Hey everyone!

I have decided to begin making Youtube videos! I find blogging pretty difficult as i'm not the most imaginative in this format, and I have been enjoying creating videos a lot so I would love you to check it out!

(this is my second video! I have another on there too)

It's going to be a bit of an odd channels with beauty and bookish videos mixed together, because they are the videos I truly love to watch. Let me know what you think! 

Lots of love,

Hayley!

xxx

Boxed Satisfaction (Mini-Haul?)

This photo, or photographs similar to this make me feel super happy and satisfied. 

Beauty products and cosmetics still in their boxes are just so nice to me! I love how clean and neat they look inside of their box, and I have been known in the past to keep my products in the box for a while (I got the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm for Christmas and it's still in the box. Oops?). I also love seeing how different brands package their products, I find it so interesting to see what they use to draw us in and buy it by first looks, though it is sometimes about what's inside the pretty, pristine box. A bit of a change from a beauty blog, but something I need to confess to you.Yes, this post is ode to the cardboard packaging our favourite products come in. So yes, I sometimes do judge a book by its cover.

Do you have any favourite product packaging? Or are you more of an 'it's whats on the inside that counts' kind of person?

Lots of love,

Hayley

x

My 5 Summer Nail Picks!

Hello!  I am here today to share with you 5 of my favourite nail polishes which get repeatedly painted on my nails through out the summer months. All of them are pretty colourful, and if you can't go colourful in the summer then when can you. Right, lets get in to more detail.

First up is the Rimmel 60 Seconds polish in Lose Your Lingerie which is in the Rita Ora collection. This one is a light baby pastel pink colour with a soft silver shimmer running through it. It is a really lovely colour and looks great with a tan, you need a good three coats to make sure it's not streaky and a nice opaque colour, but other than that I can't fault it. It has good lasting power when used with a base and top coat too - which is something I never skip. I don't want to stain my nails!

Next is the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine polish in Huckleberry. This is a lovely pale greyish blue that is opaque in two coats with a pretty decent lasting power. The great thing about this nail polish is that is peels off clean because of its gel-like formula, even though you probably shouldn't do that 'cause i'm pretty sure it isn't good for your nails!

One of my favourites of the five is Sunday Funday by Essie. I LOVE this shade and it's absolutely perfect for toes. I just find the shade of bright coral pink so flattering against my skin tone and I love the silver shimmer that it has too (a little glitter never hurt anybody right?). The lasting power is, as all Essie polishes on me, really great and the wide brush makes them super easy and idiot-proof to apply. 

Next up is one that I didn't think I would like as much as I do! It's the Rimmel Salon Pro polish in Soul Session, which is a part of the Kate Moss collection. It's this beautiful dusky pinky rose hued nude and I just love it. It hasn't been off my toes since I bought it. This one only takes a couple of coats in comparison to the other Rimmel nail polish I mentioned, but it is really lovely. I was umming and arring in the aisles of boots whether to take this shade or not, and I am super glad I did. 

And last but definitely not least is the Maybelline Super Stay Gel nail polish in the colour Forevermore Green. This. FORMULA! It is pretty much opaque from one coat and it lasts so long! It says 7 days on the bottle and it means it! And the colour is lovely too, I wanted a bright teal turquoise colour and this one fits the bill perfectly, it's slightly greener than your average turquoise but I really like it. 

So, that's it, my 5 summer polish picks! Let me know what you think of them, and what your favourite summery nail colours are!

Lots of love,

Hayley

x

My First Glossybox!

This month I decided I wanted to try some more new things beauty wise, and decided the easiest - and most fun - way to do it was to subscribe to Glossybox.

If you don't already know what Glossybox is, it' s a monthly beauty subscription service that sends you 5 samples for every month you buy, in a very pretty box. It also tells you on the website that the contents of the box is always worth more than the price you pay for your box, so it's always a bargain!

This month the theme was 'Valentines' (what else would it be!) so inside came a bunch of pink/red things and they included a Lindt chocolate bar, which is already long gone!

I received some Idora false eyelashes, some samples of Giovanni hair care, a bottle of Nougat Sparking Body Shimmer in Cherry Blossom, and my personal two favourites a Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick in Tantalizing Taupe (725) and a Ciate Paint Pot in Cocktail Dress. 

I think that this is going to be a new favourite thing for me as I get very excited opening any kind of letter or package sent to me and this made my day! I would really recommend checking the company out at www.glossybox.co.uk.

Did you get a Glossybox this month? If so what did you get? 

Underrated Products #2 - Models Own Make Up Brushes.

Sorry it's a day late, but today is going to be a super quick about these five fab brushes.

This is the Models Own 5 Piece Brush set (which comes in at a fantastic £10!). It's a really handy little set, as all of the brushes are quite small & will fit into pretty much any make up bag. 

In this set you get a tiny powder brush, which I find perfect for highlighting & blush, a lip brush, a blending brush, which is perfect for smudging out eyeliner, an angled brush & a shading brush, which is great for patting on sparkly shades.

The angled brush is my favourite out of the bunch (as you can probably tell - bad blogger alert) as I think it is so multi purpose! I have used it for lining the eyes, my brows and could probably use it for on the spot concealing in times of need. It's the perfect companion for a smoky eye. 

All in all I think these brushes are a bargain, & a great starter kit for someone who isn't all that experienced when it comes to eyeshadow. 

What are your favourite brushes? Have you tried these ones?

Lots of love,

Hayley.

x

Revlon Colorburst Matte & Lacquer Balms!

These are the new lip releases from Revlon and my oh my, aren't these beautiful?! 

If you haven't already heard about these, they are an extension of the original crayon type product from Revlon called the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, & they are so good. First off, just look at that packaging! The matte & super shiny effects reflect the product inside which makes it so much easier to find what you're looking for, & the twist up end makes it very user friendly. 

But lets get started on the product. I decided on the colours Mischievous (an orangey peach shade) & Shameless (a vibrant purple shade) in the matte balms, & Coquette (glittery barbie pink) in the lacquer. One of the first things I noticed with these was the minty scent, the same as the stains, which I quite like (I find it slightly more subtle in these new crayons), so if you don't like the original scent then I would be wary of that. 

Mischievous (Matte)

Shameless (Matte)

Coquette (Lacquer)

The star of the show for me is definitely the matte balms. They're fantastic, as they look matte when applied, but they don't feel it at all! They feel exactly like a lip balm on the lips, so hydrating & creamy, & no tight, dry feeling which I normally get with any form of matte lip product. The lacquer balms (from the one that i've tried) are lovely too, but it's a much more common kind of product to find on the high street though I am sure I will get plenty of wear out of it this summer. 

I think I have decided that Mischievous is my favourite shade, it's not like anything else I own & it warms up my skin tone nicely. Shameless is very out of my comfort zone, but I am going to force myself to wear it every now & then instead of sticking to the safer colours.

(Please ignore the mess! I was too excited to tidy up! Bad blogger!)

All in all a total win for Revlon! It's going to take a lot of self-control to stop myself from running back to Boots and buying the whole lot!

Have you tried these yet? Which colours are you favourites?

Lots of love,

Hayley.

x

Battle Of The Gradual Tanners

Being a super pale girl in winter is tough. My legs look like milk bottles & people think I am ill or coming down with something half the time, so I have been looking for the solution.

I have never used a '"real" fake tan before, i'm too scared of going patchy, & because i've suffered with eczema before I imagine that would happen and would look awful. Also, I don't like the idea of having orange hands.  There are sun beds, which I have also never tried, because I burn like no other and I would come out looking like a lobster, not with my desired look of a slight warmth to the skin. 

Then I found gradual tanners (hallelujah!) & I think i've found the one. But first, I will tell you about the ones that I have tried. 

The first one I tried was the Garnier Summer Body gradual tan moisturiser. This one smells like apricots and it's SO good. No biscuity scent in sight. The colour was very light but there & no sign of patches or orange hands, the only downfall to this product was that it didn't give my skin enough hydration. Suffering with eczema means I have to moisturise after every shower or bath to keep my skin in top form, but this stuff just didn't do enough & I was having to layer it with other products which meant it was very time consuming & didn't work as well on the skin. But if you don't suffer with skin issues like me, this one could be great.

Next, I tried the Dove Summer Glow & Soft Shimmer Nourishing Lotion. This one was a lot more hydrating on my skin, & the colour was strong. Me being me accidentally bought the Medium to Dark Skin option, but that just meant that the colour built up quicker on me. It smells very similar to the other Dove moisturisers, so it felt very clean and nice to use. It did patch a bit around dry skin areas, but the one thing that put me off this product was the shimmer. On the product they call it a soft shimmer, but in certain lights it looks like a full on glitter! I felt like a real life Edward Cullen, so sadly this one has been pushed to the back of the drawer. Maybe I may try it again before a night out? Probably not. Sorry Dove!

And last but definitely not list, it's the one they all rave about, the Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Body Lotion. This stuff. Smells. INCREDIBLE! It smells so much like cocoa I almost want to eat it. The moisturising benefits this one has are great, so perfect for my problem skin. And the bronzing effects are really strong. I found I had to be the most careful with this one, as orange hands & patches have happened with haphazard application. But the scent & the moisture this gives mean that I am definitely willing to try a bit harder for this one, so scrubbing my elbows and knees has now become a daily thing just for this beauty. 

Have you tried any of these gradual tanners? Got any recommendations for me?

Lots of love,

Hayley

x

Cream & Powder High Street Shadows - What Do You Prefer?

I've always been a bit scared of eyeshadow, as whenever I've tried it in the past I could never get it to blend right and it always looked awful on me! Recently, I have been getting a bit better at it, but I have been noticing in recent years how cream shadows are shining in the beauty world. Be it shadow sticks, cream shadows or shadow paints, they seem to be turning into the top choice for the everyday girl who wants something that is easy and looks great in one sweep. 

So, are powder shadows becoming an outdated product on the high street?

My Top Picks: Sleek i-Divine Eye Shadow Palette in Storm and the Rimmel Glam'eyes Quad Eye Shadow in Smokey Brun

There are pros and cons for both formulas of shadow. For example, with powders you can be much more precise and build up colour very easily; but sometimes it's difficult to find good quality shadows in the high street, so it can get quite pricey and choosing which colours will look right with your outfit, or getting the right look from them can be a bit complicated. 

My Top Picks: The Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Sticks in Bulletproof Beige (very well used!) & Bad Bronze, the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe, and the Topshop Crayon in Mink I think? I found this in the sale for £1(!!!) so I don't think they sell this one anymore, but many other brands do things similar to this, such as Avon.

On the other hand, cream shadows are super easy to use as all you need is your fingers to blend the edges and you're done. Also you can get some really good quality cream shadows at the high street so they can be a much cheaper option, but it's more difficult to get the precise look from a cream shadow, and the colours are tougher to build up to make  super smokey eye like you can with powder shadows. 

Personally, I think powder and cream shadows make the perfect duo when teamed together. I love the precision of powders, and the simpleness of creams which create a super long lasting and pretty eye look when used in conjunction.

So what do you think? Are you crazy for cream shadows or sticking with classic powders?

Underrated Products #1 - Colossal Volum' Express Mascara

Hello! This post is going to be the first of many, as I plan to have 1 review a month of products that I feel are underrated! It may end up being 2 per month, or maybe none if I can't find one. 

This is a product I rarely hear people in the online beauty community talking about, so I think it is definitely underrated.  The Maybelline New York Colossal Volum' Express Mascara in 100% Black.

As you can see in the photo, the wand of this mascara is a fibre one so it deposits the perfect amount of product on to the lashes. It is also a good size, as I don't find it's so big that I end up with mascara all over my eyelids, but it isn't too small that it takes ages to apply. I have quite naturally thick lashes, so in an everyday mascara I look for length, not too much volume and no clumps, and this does the job perfectly.

In this photo I have one coat of the mascara on my right eye. You can see how it has elongated my lashes, and added some volume too. One of my favourite things about this mascara is that it adds length and volume, but keeps my eyelashes separated and natural looking at the same time. 

In this one I have added a second coat. It doesn't do much to the volume, but it makes them extra black and adds a little more length. This mascara is really a one coat wonder, so the second coat doesn't look like much. What I like to do if I want some drama, is use this as the first coat to separate, and then use a volumising mascara on top. The current one i'm using is the Revlon Lash Potion Mascara.

In this one it's on both eyes. 

All in all, I really like this mascara. It has been a staple in my collection since I was about 15, so that must mean it's good! It does what I want it to do, but if you're after something to give you incredible volume, then this one probably isn't for you. I have just purchased the Maybelline The Rocket mascara, so we'll see how that compares as I know that one is raved about. 

Any mascara recommendations for me? I love trying out new products.

Lot's of love,

Hayley.

x

I'm On Bloglovin'!

This is just a little post to tell you all that i am on Bloglovin'! 

If you don't already know what Bloglovin' is, it is a website which makes it super simple and easy to see new posts from the blogs you love. It updates your homepage whenever someone you're following makes a new post, so it would be great if you could follow me so you can keep up to date with what i'm posting. Hopefully, there will be a new post every Tuesday from here on out, maybe even one later on in the week too if I have something interesting to tell you about!

Do you have a blog? Let me know as i love finding a new blog to read!

Lots of love,

Hayley.

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