BRB

Just a little note to say that very soon, Hello Beautiful will be no more. Instead, I will be back in force in the coming weeks with a new design and name which I am so excited to launch! 

In the mean time I am stockpiling posts and working on videos (yes- VIDEOS!) so hopefully you will be seeing a lot more of me.

For now I will be chatting away on Twitter and snapping pics on Instagram so...

see you soon!

XXX

PS: Google Reader is soon to be no more so feel free to add me to your bloglovin and hello cotton reading lists! There is a post on how to import your subscriptions to Bloglovin here.

ASOS buys!

ASOS leopard print fur coat-  I have this in brown also which I bought before Christmas and paid about £30 for, however when I saw this for a mere £18 (down from £60!!) I couldn't pass it up. Its super cosy and adds a little fun to any outfit.

REN Ultra Moisture Cleansing Milk - This is a repurchase and my absolute favourite cleanser, ever. I use it every morning and night with hot water and a fresh flannel and it truly has worked wonders for my skin. It doesn't contain any bad stuff and is Caroline Hirons (skincare guru) approved which means I will continue to buy forever!

ASOS Studded flats (similar here)- I have been wearing these pumps so much lately, they are perfect for work and still stylish enough for the weekend. Plus, they are great quality and girlie enough to not make me feel too 'try hard' with the stud trend!

Junk Food Disney tank- I adore anything Disney and love the Junk Food brand so when I saw this top in the sale I couldn't resist. This would be just perfect with a pair of jeans and converse for a casual day.

Have you made any ASOS purchases lately?
xxxx

Happy Day of Love!

Happy Valentines day everyone!

Not a huge fan of the holiday but hey, any excuse for pink in excess is always good for me.

I received this cute Valentines day card from the lovely people at Montagne Jeunesse with one of their yummy Passion fruit masks inside, this proved perfect for my mini V-Day prep last night. I love their peel off varieties  because I find them to be the quickest for fast impact without having to soak in a long bath for hours on end (the horror). This one is no different with a yummy scent and that oh-so satisfying peel off experience at the end! I have it as my mission to try out every single one in my local ASDA, since they're only £1 they're oh so simple to slip one (or two or three) into the trolley undetected!

Last night I just had to do the obligatory pink mani. I chose a pale pink that I used to death since I purchased it and reviewed it almost two years ago, it is almost all gone now but it is still a staple base coat! I topped it off with one of Models Own Discoball collection in Boogie Nights. I purchased 3 of these but never reviewed them, apart from dropping the gold version on my kitchen floor and sending it to Polish Heaven, I wasn't overly impressed by them as a whole. This is only because they dry to such an uneven surface so I will peel them which makes this mani only last a couple days. Regardless I think this combination looks just like a sprinkles cupcake and I do love it!

What are your plans for V-Day? I'm off to the aquarium!

xxxx

Winter Skin BEGONE!

If you are as lucky as me in that you suffer from dry skin year-round, or not, I have no doubt that the mad temperature changes at the moment are wreaking havoc on your skin. Never fear, I have decided to share what has been given my stamp of approval and keeping scaly skin at bay!

Seriously, where would we be without Body Shop Butters? I've been using these for years and to be honest with the great deals online, I rarely don't have one of these on the go! My recent faves are this Duo where one side is a body butter and the other more of a lotion. I have this in Sweet Pea which is a floral scent that usually I don't like however this will be lovely and fresh for Spring. As typical sweet tooth me, the Gingerbread one that I got for Christmas is always amazing, good enough to eat and leaves super soft skin.

I honestly cannot sing the praises of this iRejuvinate Cream of Wonders by Forrest Skincare* enough. I see this as my miracle cream, as fun as the Body Shop butters are, I would swap 1000 of them for just one tube of this baby! The reason? I suffer from Eczema and when I use this, I can actually feel my skin drinking it up. It doesn't feel greasy on the skin and for this reason I keep the 'try me' size on my desk at work, then if I get any flare ups I can apply at my desk without worrying about my clothes. It contains Lupin Seed extracts and Chlorella peptides that actually promote skin elasticity, and it is Paraben Free, always a goodie in my book. Just what weather-battered skin needs! 

 Finally I bring you my oh my god, smells so good body soufflé. This is a teeny-tiny pot that I use sparingly as I picked it up in TK Maxx and I haven't seen them in since. As a huge lover of everything Philosophy (excepting Purity face wash, we have fallen out. Blog post to come.) because of their amazing scents, this is of course one of my favourites! As well as being moisturising, this gives a light sheen, a favourite for nights out and special occasions.

What are your favourites for smoothie skin? Let me know, I need more to add to my collection!

xxxx

*PR Sample

The Sunday Ritual

Being a graduate is tough. There, I said it. Gone are the 12 hours-a-week lectures and two weeks of intense cramming per semester. Say hello to going through the motions Monday-Friday and scrabbling to do as much as possible over the weekend. This always leaves me zapped on a Sunday night but with little wind-down time. This is how I came up with my new secret weapon, the Sunday Ritual.

To a hot bath add one Lush Bath Bomb, this is something I stock up on a few of every month. This Dorothy one is a constant repurchase which contains Ylang Ylang Oil that is known for its relaxing properties. This or anything containing Lavender is key.

 To this I then add a squidge of Deep Heat Muscle Rescue bath soak*. This is a girlie version of the classic sports injury type stuff your Dad used to use and with a relaxing bath bomb really soothes any aching muscles. I find after 40 hours of typing a week my back gets really sore so this really helps. I use the neck and shoulder cream* for any spot pain during the week too. PLUS this stuff smells gorgey, the rosemary and orange of the bubble bath leaves you smelling lovely!

Next I dig into my always well stocked up pile of Montagne Jeunesse face masks. These are around £1, easily accessible in like ASDA  so something I just throw in the trolley every so often. I love having a different one every week and trying different types 

This demonstrates the epic fun I had last week with the Chocolate mask of choice! (lol)

Finally, I usually treat myself to a new book on my kindle, light a Yankee Candle (Sugared Apple is as shown below) and relax!

The finished result looks something like this....

Do you have 'me time' on a Sunday? What are your favourite relaxing products?

xxxxx

*PR Sample

Endless Repurchase #3: MAC Brush Cleanser

I guarantee that I am not the only one who puts off cleaning brushes 'just incase' you might need to use them before they get dry or you would wake up in the morning with damp brushes.. nightmare!

For this reason there is no surprise that MAC Brush Cleanser has become a staple in my makeup routine for spot, yet deep, cleaning.

The process is simple- I pour a little on to a cotton wool pad and simply brush the tips of my brushes over. Leaving them to dry for only a couple hours max would result in even the fluffiest brush being clean and dry.

The two cotton pads above are the evidence of what was lurking in my makeup brushes!

I still do a deep clean of my makeup brushes weekly, using Johnsons baby shampoo however this is a great way to fix brushes on the go or strip them of color- ie. if you only have one or two eyeshadow brushes. In all, I think it is well worth the £9.50 price tag as a bottle of this lasts for months, also bonus that it qualifies for Back to MAC!

Have you tried this? If so, would you repurchase?

xxxx

MAC & Clinique Haul

When I was in Liverpool I made it my mission to pick up all of the things I had been putting off buying. As mentioned, I bought a Philosophy facewash that I adore so needed to finish off my new face routine. As well as that I got two make-up items that filled an empty space in my makeup routine!

I went into MAC with the intention of picking up a light under-eye concealer. I explained to the MUA that I don't have any discolouration issues, I just wanted something to lift the area. I was glad that I was recommended MAC Prep and Prime highlighter in Light Boost, basically MAC's answer to YSL Touche Eclat at a much smaller price. There is no visible iridescence but it does very much brighten my under eyes, it can be also used above cheekbones as a highlight so I will try it out. (£17.50)

To go with my new Philosophy cleanser, I needed a new moisturiser. After sifting through your recommendations on twitter and blogger I settled on Clinique Dramatically Different. This definitely leaves my skin moisturised and fresh, this may sound silly but I feel the metal cap gives the product a little more of a cool feeling, I love it! (£17 for 50ml)

MAC 210 Precise Eye Liner Brush: I had been intending on picking up a liquid eyeliner brush for quite some time as I have 2 MAC fluidlines, yet absolutely no brush to use them with! I'm finding it much easier to use than anticipated which is great. (£17)

MAC Gently off Eye and Lip Makeup Remover: To complete my makeup removal routine I needed an eye makeup remover as I have a slight soap-in-eye phobia. I'm liking this so far, my mascara is left without a trace and the area doesn't feel like any residue is left behind, plus it's back 2 MAC-able, always a bonus! (£14)

xxxx