April Favourites

Another month means another favourites post! 

I have quite a lot of products that I've loved this month and I have used these nearly every day.

Eyebrows 

My most used and loved eyebrow products this month have been the Freedom Duo Brow Powder in medium brown and the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in ash brown.

 I've been trying to achieve a more natural look with my brows this month and these two products have been the best at helping me do that. They also aren't warm toned at all, so it matches my natural hair colour really well. 

Blush

I've been loving pale, baby pink blushers recently and these two have been my favourite. 

On the left is the Natural Collection blush in the shade pink cloud, which is a beautiful light pink peachy matte shade. On the right is a baked blusher from Make Up Revolution in the shade bang bang you're dead. This blush is cool toned, very light pink and has a hint of shimmer. They both achieve a natural, girly look which is perfect for spring.

Lips

I don't usually wear lip glosses that much but I have found myself drawn to this one recently. 

This is in the shade Rose & Shine by Soap and Glory and is a very natural looking gloss that also looks very sophisticated. It's not shimmery or glittery at all, and most importantly it's not sticky!

Face

If you read my recent empties post then you will know that at the beginning of the month I used up my L'Oreal primer and my Collection concealer. To replace those, I've been using the B.Prepared Primer and the NYX HD Concealer. Apart from the writing on the NYX packaging rubbing off, I have been obsessed with both of these products! The primer makes my foundation look flawless, and the concealer is possibly my new favourite. 

Another favourite product of mine has been the Rosie For Autograph highlighter. It is such a beautiful, natural looking highlight and I am completely in love with it. 

Again if you've read my empties post you will have noticed that I used up my Rimmel powder, which has meant that I've gone back to using my all time favourite B. Powder! In my opinion, it's the best cruelty free powder out there. Another continuous favourite has been the Make Up Revolution Contour Palette. It also feautured in my Battle of the Budget Contour Palettes post, and won!

Eye Shadow

Now, you're probably thinking that these two palettes look a total mess, and I agree, they do. However, they've been my go to palettes literally all month and they work so well for my every day make up. Both of the palettes are Z Palettes.  The black palette on the left consists of Make Up Revolution shadows, a random MUA shadow and KIKO single eye shadows. The one on the right contains all Make Up Geek shadows and the smaller ones are from a MUA palette.  

They may not be the prettiest palettes to look at but they certainly are very convenient! 

Blogging Tips

So for today's post I thought I would do something slightly different and share my blogging tips. 

1. Figure out a theme/style and stick to it. 

Now I should really take my own advice because it's taken me some time to figure out my blogs 'theme'.

 I personally feel that first impressions are everything. When I click onto someone's blog or instagram, the type of theme and style is what's going to keep me on that page. 

I'm a very visual person and I feel that how someone's page is presented will say quite a lot about them and the type of content they post. Certain themes and styles will attract specific audiences, so that's something else to bare in mind. I have certain blogs that I read every time they post because I love how their page looks, regardless of the actual post. 

2. Photography is key. 

If you're a blogger, you'll probably realise by now that photography is a massive part of blogging. A lot of people say that you don't need to invest in expensive equipment to become successful.

 I however disagree. I first started taking pictures for my blog using my tablet, I then moved onto my old Canon 1000D, and now I have my Canon 700D. I noticed that as the quality of my pictures improved, so did the number of views on my blog and followers on Instagram. This could be a coincidence, but there is so much competition out there these days in the blogging world that producing quality pictures and posts has become vital.

3. Social media is your friend. 

I 100% recommend setting up social media accounts purely for your blog. This way you can connect with other bloggers and brands will potentially notice you. Both my instagram and twitter accounts (@charwbeauty) are purely blog and beauty related. My facebook is however private and personal so I don't share my blog posts and pictures on there. Use other sites such as Bloglovin' to share and promote your blog . Whenever I publish a new post, I will upload a picture on Instagram and tweet the link to promote it. I find that the majority of my blog traffic comes from Instagram and Twitter, so it's definitely worth persevering with. 

4. Copying is a no no. 

My next tip is so important. Get inspiration from your favourite blogger but please do not copy them to the point where it just looks ridiculous. I understand that creating something unique and original is hard these days, but it is still possible. If your instagram page is a copy of someone else's, people will potentially start to notice. I'm all for crisp white flat lays, rose petals and marble, but purposely copying someone won't get you anywhere ultimately. For example, if you ask someone on Instagram what their filter is etc, or read someone's post about editing pictures, I really recommend not then making all your pictures look the same.

5. Make time. 

If you are serious about your blog and making it 'successful', you will have to devote quite a lot of time to it. I post three times a week but I tend to write my posts and edit all of my pictures in advance, so if something comes up, I'll always have a post to publish. Also posting regularly is important. These days people expect posts every week, so plan in advance and stick to a posting schedule. 

I'm sure not everyone will agree with my blogging tips but I hope some of you might find it helpful! I'm in no way an expert or a 'big' blogger with years of experience, and I definitely do not claim to be one. I love these type of posts so I thought I'd give it a go and share my advice! 

Product Empties | April 2016

I have a bunch of non cruelty free and cruelty free products that I've used up recently. So for today's post I thought I would go through them and see whether I'd repurchase them or not! I'll state whether a product is cruelty free or not, and obviously if something's not cruelty free then I won't be repurchasing it. 

Skincare 

The Clinique moisturiser and the Benefit Pore wipes aren't cruelty free, so I won't be purchasing from them again. The two Body Shop products I probably won't repurchase because of the whole parent company thing, although I do love their Seaweed range.

The Superdrug facial wipes are my all time favourite and I've already repurchased them! I also loved the Oil Balancing Gel Facial Wash from Superdrug, and I would definitely use it again. I found it balanced my skin perfectly, so it wasn't too dry or too oily!

I probably wouldn't repurchase the Soap and Glory Cleansing Milk purely because I didn't like the smell. The product itself made my skin feel amazing though, so it's a possibility. 

Face Make Up 

I'm not sure whether LA Girl are cruelty free or not, if they are then I would 100% repurchase their concealer because it has to be one of the best on the market. 

I won't be repurchasing any of the other roducts as they're not cruelty free, which is a shame because I really loved the L'Oreal foundation. 

Hair Products

Toni & Guy and Herbal Essences aren't cruelty free so I won't be repurchasing those products. 

However, Superdrug's own brand is cruelty free, but I found these dry shampoos just didn't work for me. The dry shampoo on the left made my hair feel like straw and incredibly dry, and the one on the right made my hair feel and look greasy. Definitely a no!

Bath Products

 I won't be repurchasing the Radox and Imperial Leather bubble baths as they're not cruelty free blah blah blah.

 The Body Shop Frosted Plum shower gel was limited addition so I wouldn't be able to anyway. 

The Superdrug Mint and Tea Tree shower gel is another no. It just wasn't for me and the smell was way too strong!  

On a more positive note, I will be repurchasing the Soap and Glory Clean On Me shower gel. It smells amazing and is just so lovely and luxurious! 

The Leafy and Lovely bath salts were a gift and I'm not sure where I could get them from. If I can find them then I would definitely purchase them!

Randoms

Unfortunately I wouldn't repurchase either of these products. 

I did like the grapefruit body spray but not enough to get it again. Also the Carex hand gel isn't cruelty free, so that's a no as well!

Luxury Spring Nail Collection

Consacrer 

Adorer

Éternal

I was lucky enough to have been sent these three gorgeous nail polishes and I thought I would share my thoughts on them!

Soigné is a luxury, eco friendly company that specialises in creating cruelty free, vegan and natural nail polishes. At £11 these are more expensive than your average nail varnish. However, their products contain no harmful carcinogens and are made from 85% natural ingredients. 

The only cruelty free nail polishes that I own are from Barry M, which are good value for money but they don't have the added bonus of being made from mostly raw materials and chemical free. 

My favourite shade has to be Adorer, which is a stunning pastel grey/lilac shade. Each shade applied beautifully and dried very quickly which I was impressed with. I suck at painting my nails, but as you can see from above, they actually turned out pretty well after two coats! As they are more expensive than a drugstore nail polish, the quality and lasting power is a lot better. I found that they didn't chip after a couple of days which is what I'm used to. 

I would definitely recommend these if you're looking for a luxurious, cruelty free nail polish!

Shimmer Bricks

Make Up Revolution have recently launched two shimmer bricks which can either be used as a bronzer or each shade can be used separately.  They retail at £3 each and like most of Make Up Revolution's products, the quality and pigmentation is amazing. I also feel that these would be a great dupe for the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks, which are £33 each... 

Vivid shimmer brick - Radiant

The swatch on the far left is the shimmer brick when all of the shades are used to together. The rest of the swatches (left to right), show the individual shades from top to bottom. 

To begin with, the pigmentation is amazing and very little product is needed to achieve a healthy, bronzed glow. I have paler skin so this shimmer brick works perfectly for me as a bronzer. The individual shades could also double up as highlighters and eye shadows, so potentially a great product to take on holiday! 

When I first used it I put too much product on, but I was able to blend it out so that it really didn't matter. Another great product from Make Up Revolution! 

Vivid shimmer brick - Rose Gold

The swatch on the far left is the shimmer brick when all of the shades are used to together. The rest of the swatches (left to right), show the individual shades from top to bottom. 

So this shimmer brick in the shade Rose Gold is more intense than the one above. It looks absolutely stunning, but I was a bit concerned that I would look like a muddy orange when I first got this product. It is of course SO important to use a light hand when applying the bronzer, but I was very pleasantly surprised with how natural and glowy it looked on me! I will also be using the individual shades as eye shadows because I am obsessed with warm toned, coppery shades! 

One Heck of a Blot

One Heck of a Blot - Primer 

First in today's post is the Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot primer. It claims to shrink pores, have a matte finish and leave you shine free for 12 hours. At £10 it's at the higher end of the drugstore prices, but it's of course still affordable. The product itself has a thin creamy consistency and leaves the skin feeling incredibly smooth. It noticeably blurred my annoying pores and left my skin looking matte and shine free. It also eventually worked so well with the One Heck of a Blot Foundation. Keep reading to find out more... 

One Heck of a Blot Foundation (with help from Hocus Focus)

So, to begin with this foundation retails at £12, and is available in 4 shades. I chose the lightest (Fair Enough) and luckily it matches my skin perfectly! I'm quite pale but I have yellow undertones and I found that this shade worked perfectly as it wasn't too pink. So far so good....

I applied my normal moisturiser after washing my face etc, and then applied the One Heck of a Blot primer (which I loved). I then applied a pump on both cheeks and on my forehead. I then began to blend it out using a damp Real Techniques sponge. I first noticed that it dries SO quick, so my first mistake was applying it all over rather than in small sections. My next mistake was trying to blend in the areas that had dried. Adding another layer made it go cakey and patchy, and trying to blend essentially powder was just a disaster. I also found that it caked up around my eyes, nose and mouth. So I basically looked like a patchy, dry cake face. Not good. 

I then tried to add concealer under my eyes and on my chin like I normally would do. 

But no. This foundation did not like that. Trying to blend the concealer in with a damp sponge resulted in taking off all the product on my skin so I was left with bare patches around my eyes and on my chin. 

I decided to give up and take it all off. 

BUT,

 a couple of hours later I gave it another go. 

I moisturised my face, added the primer and most importantly, mixed the foundation with the Soap and Glory illuminator, Hocus Focus. I also applied it and blended it in with my fingers, which I haven't done since I was 14. I was then able to make my face look very smooth and natural. HALLELUJAH. 

I found that it still clung to some dry patches but was no where near as bad as before, and it also took my concealer like normal. I then added a light setting powder and continued with the rest of my make up. My skin now looks incredibly flawless and my pores are non existent.

If you have had the same problems as me, definitely perverse with this foundation because if you get the application right, the end result is amazing!

Updated Make Up Collection | Spring 2016

I'm always changing my make up around and re-organising my collection, along with purchasing new ways to store my make up, so I thought I would do an updated make up collection post. 

Firstly I use this acrylic storage from Ebay to display my pretty rose gold products and to also store some of my lip products. 

On the top I display make up products that have rose gold packaging or that look luxurious. I also have displayed a couple of boxes from Soap and Glory and Too Faced because they're too pretty to throw away! 

I keep all of my NYX lip products in the bottom drawer and luckily they all fit! 

In the middle drawer I keep some of my Make Up Revolution lipsticks and other various liquid lipsticks and lip glosses. 

All of my Soap and Glory lip products are kept in the top drawer along with a couple of random lip products from Barry M and Make Up Revolution. 

On the other side of my vanity, I keep all of my high end eye shadow palettes in this letter rack from Debenhams, which fits them perfectly! 

I then keep my most used palettes in this shabby-chic inspired letter organiser from Store 21. I'm very tempted to get more of these as it was only £3! 

I store the majority of my single eye shadows in this Ted Baker box, which just stays on top of my vanity so I remember to actually use them!

On the top shelf underneath my desk I keep my larger palettes that won't fit anywhere else and other random palettes that I don't use as much. 

I keep my non-cruelty free make up and spare products on the middle shelf and on the bottom shelf I have some make up brushes that I don't use that often. 

In the top drawer of my vanity I store my foundations, primers, concealers, eyebrow products, eye liners and mascaras. My collection of face products has significantly shrunk since turning cruelty free, so I will just have to buy more! 

In the middle drawer I keep all of my bronzers, powders, blushers, highlighters and face palettes.

Last but not least in the bottom drawer I store make up that I don't use every day, such as nail polish and lip liners. I also keep the rest of my single eye shadows in here and the remainder of my lip sticks! 

If you have any questions please feel free to ask! 

Make Up Revolution Blush Palettes

I own three of Make Up Revolution's Blush Palettes and as you can see from the picture below, they are all quite different and have a wide range of shades. 

Each palette consists of 8 blush/highlight shades and retail at £6. I believe these palettes are available in Superdrug as well as on their website. 

Blush Queen

This palette is one of their new releases, and it is so incredibly beautiful to look at. I also love how they've changed the packaging. I own a lot of Make Up Revolution palettes and they all have the same or similar packaging, so it can be annoying trying to figure out which is which in a rush!

Anyway, regarding the product itself, these shades are absolutely stunning and are very pigmented. I would recommend using very little product to begin with and slowly building up the colour, as I made the mistake of putting too much on and I subsequently looked like a clown. 

As you can see from the swatches, they are all shimmery and are quite frosty, which may not appeal to everyone. I also found that they blended slightly patchy, but it's really not too much to worry about!

Golden Sugar 

As the title suggests, this palette mostly consists of warm toned blushers. There's only one matte shade which I have used as a bronzer rather than a blush. There's also a beautiful white highlighter which I believe is similar to the one in the contour palette. 

I personally feel that whilst this is technically a blush palette, it actually has four bronzers, three blushers and one highlighter. I'm not sure whether that was intentional or not but it would be a very handy palette to travel with! 

My favourite shades are the first three that are swatched; the baked highlighter and the two pale pink blushers. 

Sugar and Spice 

Last but not least, this palette has predominately matte shades with only 2 shimmery. Compared to the other two palettes, this one may be more practical for a lot of people.

It has a variety of different blush shades, from natural to bright pink and even a coral peachy shade. There's also a cool toned highlighter and a baked shimmery blush, so it has pretty much something for everyone.

I would say that this palette is my favourite and whilst the baked, shimmery shades are great to look at, realistically the matte shades are more practical for every day use. 

Bedroom Details

I absolutely love interior design and I can spend hours browsing home décor ideas on Pinterest. As it's now Spring, I've introduced a lot of pink and girly accessories to my room. I've also been loving shabby-chic décor recently, so I've tried to find items such as the rose garland around my headboard to bring something new to my room. I am also obsessed with rose gold, so I've tried to include rose gold accessories and details as much as possible. 

Everything in my room is very affordable as unfortunately I can't afford to spend a lot of money on furniture, especially when my living arrangements aren't permanent. My favourite places to shop for home wear are Homesense, Tkmaxx, Debenhams and independent shops. I have often found the nicest products for my room where I least expect it! 

Please comment below if you have any specific questions about my room, or message me on Instagram (@charwbeauty).