May Favourites

Hey guys!

I'm going to leave you all with a couple of pictures of my May favs!  The lighting was really terrible today which resulted in blurry pictures so apologies for that - I tried my best to tidy them up because I didn't want to disappoint!  I have a Maybelline product in here (and Garnier owned by the same company) - if you have been following my blog for a while you may have noticed that I recently posted about not wanting to continue using their products due to animal testing.  I've since found a statement on their website that states they no longer test on animals nor do they use outside companies.  Now all these other sites that say they do test can say whatever they want - however I'm pretty sure Maybelline would be in some kind of trouble if they posted false statements like that on their website.  Do any of you know for sure because I would LOVE some clarity.  For the most part I am going to be avoiding their products just in case - but going by their website they no longer test and we are all free to use them with happy consciences! Yay!   I hope you enjoy the post!

 This makes taking makeup off joyful.  Highly recommend!

Clearly very well loved since I bought it!

Only the one colour in focus which I use as a highlight not a shadow (it's very shimmery).

I have rediscovered my love for this palette!

That's all of my beauty favs for this month!  What has been your beauty favourite?

robynisabella x

Products featured in this post:  

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in 842 Rosewoood Pearl, Rimmel WonderFul Mascara, PS Love (Primark!) Sunkissed Metalic Bronze Blush, PS Love Kabuki Brush, PS Love Metallic Palette (one shadow), Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette.

Clean Brushes!

Hey guys!

I have a confession to make - before today - I had never cleaned my makeup brushes!  I know, disgusting - I just didn't realise that it was something you were supposed to do.  I've seen a couple of posts on brushes cleaning so I decided to give it a bash myself.  At first I just filled a jug with warm water and a little dish soap because my face is sensitive to soaps but that didn't work so I had to do it properly.  I just squeezed a little soap onto my hand then swirled the brush onto the soap and the make up came straight off!  For my dirtier brushes it took a couple of tries but I think if I did it regularly that wouldn't be an issue.  The foundation brush smells pretty strongly of soap now so I'm hoping it doesn't irritate my face - if it does I'll just rinse it out again.

Again I had work today (getting in the way of picture taking!) so the after pictures are still ever so slightly damp but you can definitely see the difference.    I hope you guys enjoy the before and after pictures - I couldn't believe how different they looked - like brand new brushes!  I haven't altered the colour in the before or after pictures so they really are a true indicator.  I knew they were bad but I didn't think they were that bad - the after brushes look a completely different colour all together!!!

Before:

After:

I hope you enjoyed this post - I know there is not much in the way of content - but I just had to share this with you all.  Cleaning is important and it makes your brushes look all clean and spanking new!  What is your favourite way to clean your brushes?

robynisabella x

Primark Haul!

Hey guys!

So today I bring you a little Primark haul but not of the usual sort.  It's a makeup haul!  I know, I was sceptical when I first heard Primark had a makeup range too.  I have nothing against Primark - in fact I love it but I never thought their makeup range would be any good.  I was wrong.  It's actually pretty great - especially for the prices!  I didn't get much because I was just testing it all out but I'm planning to get more on Wednesday so next Monday should have a few extra bits included!  

Also I checked and Primark don't test on animals which is a pretty big thing for me!  I recently went through all my makeup and checked if they test on animals (I was really scared I'd have to throw it all away) and it turns out I only had one Maybelline eye liner.  I'm going to pick up a Primark liquid when I'm in town to replace it.  Obviously I will no longer be purchasing from Maybelline or L'Oreal who own them.  There is absolutely no excuse for animal abuse.

 I picked up this 8 Shade Metallic Eyeshadow Palette for £2.50.  They had another one there but I prefered the colours in this one.  I'm not really sure how I feel about this palette if I'm really honest.  The pigment is good on your finger but on a brush it's not as good.  The consistency is a bit powdery for my liking but that's just me being picky.  I'm used to just using my Urban Decay palette so it might be that I'm just super used to high quality now.  The peachy colour second in is really pretty as a highlight so it wins in that department!

I also picked up this single Baked Wet and Dry Shadow in the colour 14 Dark Brown for £2.50.  This is such a pretty colour!  I haven't used it all over the lid but sparingly and it seems nice.  The consistency of this one is much nicer and not as powdery.  This contains quite a lot of product too so I was happy about that.  I think I'm going to look out for some lighter colours on Wednesday because this one was a little dark.

I've not got a price tag on this SUNKISSED Metalic Bronzed Blush but it was definitely under £3.00.   I love this!  It's now a regular in my makeup routine.  It's nice and shimmery and just adds a really pretty glow to my face without looking orange which I find a lot of bronzers do on my face.   My only complaint is that it was detached from the base - it is still stuck to a base but the whole base has come loose from the container which is a bit annoying.  I just picked up a broken one though - so no fault of the product!

I decided I wanted to try just one of their brushes because brushes can be really hit and miss I find.  I got this kabuki brush to try for £2.50 and I am so in love with it.  I use it for all my powdered products and it really does a lovely job.  It's superrrrr soft and so far I have had no shedding.  It is actually a fantastic (super cheap) brush.  I' definitely going to be picking up some more from them.  I love that it has this nice black to purpley pink fade too.  Super cute.

I never normally wear eyeliner - never mind white or pink but I decided to pick it up anyway.  Can't go wrong for £1.00 can we?  I like that it comes with a sharpener too - I haven't tried the sharpener so can't vouch for its usefulness but I can say the white liner is fab!  I've used it a couple times on my water line and it's been nice.  I like putting it under my eyebrow to accentuate the arch too and it looks great that way.  The pigment is really there too which I find lacking with a lot of pencil liners.   I haven't tried the pink yet but I'm sure it will be good too.

My last makeup product is this pretty lipstick that I picked up for £1.50!  I can't believe it was so cheap and it is actually so nice!  It smells amazing too!  It's a really nice creamy consistency and it isn't tacky at all and it doesn't dry out my lips either which is a huge plus!  I haven't really been wearing this because when I brought it home my mum asked to have it - and me being fab - let her so I'll need to get another one when I'm in town on Wednesday along with probably a billion other colours.  The few times I have wore it though it's lasted a good time on my lips.

The last thing I'm going to share with you is this little candle that only cost me 80p!  I know it's not makeup but it's just a little added bonus that I bought at the same time haha!  I really like the Red Berry and Jasmine scent.  It's really over powering in the jar but when you light it it's a nice subtle smell.  I feel really calm when I have it on as well - I don't know if that's just the affect of the candle or the scent but it works anyway!  My mum says it smells like calpol in the jar haha but I think it just smells nice and floral.  Who doesn't love calpol anyway?

That's it for today guys!  Don't forget to follow me if you'd like to see more next week!  Have you tried any of the Primark PS Love range, what do you think?  If not do you think you'll try some after reading this post?

robynisabella x

Mascara Review

Hey guys!

Today I decided I was going to do a review for you all!  I have briefly mentioned this product in posts before but it's about time it got a nice shiny post all to itself.  This is my first proper review on my blog so if there is anything I miss out or that you want to know don't hesitate to tell/ask in the comments!  Your feedback is more than welcomed it literally puts a smile on my face every time I see a new comment down there.

So lets get down to it.  My lovely boyfriend picked this product up for me a couple of months ago while we were up in the city.  I had gone into Boots with no brands in mind and in all honesty I wasn't really sure what I was looking for.  My previous mascaras had all began doing real damage to my eyelashes and to combat this (warning: do not try this at home) I decided to start wearing individual false eye-lashes.  Yes they look gorgeous and yes they are nice for a night out but please do not wear them every day like I did.  I thought wearing false eyelashes would give my lashes a break from mascara but they literally halved in length - they were so short and stubby and I hated the way my eyes looked.  False eye lashes turned out to be way worse than mascara.  So when we went into Boots I didn't know what to go for - my old mascaras had damaged my eyelashes in the first place and there I was about a month of falsies later with the shortest stubbiest horrible little eye lashes.  I didn't know where to turn!  I'm the kind of girl that likes to stick to what works when it comes to my makeup and for my eyelashes nothing was working so I was lost.  It was actually my boyfriend who spotted the Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara with Argan Oil and I think he was probably drawn to it because it is so shiny but I was sold at Argan Oil.

The packaging is really pretty in a lovely coppery rose gold type colour.  I think it looks quite luxurious both by the colour but also by the sleek shape.  I have to say I do judge my products by their packaging quite a lot.  If I don't like the packaging it is a lot less likely that I'l pick it up.  I'm really glad this had nice packaging otherwise my boyfriend would have never picked it up.

When I first got this product I was soooo disappointed in it.  I was used to thick formulas that applied quickly but this product applies quite thin and takes a couple of coats.  I got used to the product after a couple of days though and decided I actually liked it.  I think because my eye lashes were so short at the time I was looking for super volume instantly which admittedly this product does not give with the first application but it does redeem itself in other areas.  In terms of the applicator I'm really not bothered what type my mascara comes with - as long as it works!  I like that this one is quite thin as it makes lower lashes easier to get without that horrible smudge under your eye!

The finish of this mascara is really pretty and natural looking.  It does take about three coats but I just alternate between each eye three times and it does the trick.  I just tested it now (I've been wearing it all day) and I can say that it doesn't break very easily.  I used to have real issues with my mascara breaking and crumbling off but even with a bit of pull the crumbling on this one is very minimal and it doesn't clump up like a lot of other mascaras do.

But of all the things I love about this mascara there is one single point that will make me go back to it again and again.  It makes my lashes grow.  I mean serious growth.  As I said, my lashes were so short and stumpy and now they are at least double the length and I would say longer than they were before I started to notice any damage!  You might be thinking that my lashes would have naturally grown over this period of time but I noticed growth after just one week of using this product.  

In all I would seriously recommend this mascara to anyone.  I think the argan oil is the magic factor.  I used to wear argan oil on my face and it did wonders for my skin and it's also really good for your hair so it makes sense that it would help with eye lashes.  This mascara is pretty affordable too - it's under £10 which I think is pretty acceptable for a mascara as magical as this one.

I hope you guys liked this review and if you did let me know if you'd like to see more from me.  What is your favourite mascara?

robynisabella x

Temptation

Hey guys!

Today I was up in the city and as always I decided to head into House of Frasers to drool over all the makeup that I just can't afford.  I was with two of my best girlfriends and we had an all round great wee day together.  I didn't actually buy anything but I took a couple of snaps and I thought I would let you guys drool over it all too!

I know I didn't take too many but if you want to see more from me head on over to vine!  I took quite a few today - my username is robynisabella .  What was your favourite from above?

robynisabella x

My Latest Wish List

Hey guys!

Today I am going to share with you some makeup items that I have been adding to my wish list.  A lot of the things I probably won't be able to afford for a while because as you all know I am planning to just buy one or two things per month but you never know I might feel like treating myself.

So lets just dive straight in!  The first thing I've got my eyes on is the well talked about NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation.  They have a little stall up in the city so I think I might head up and see what colour would suit my skin best.  I would prefer to just order online but I wouldn't want to spend all that money to get the wrong colour.

Next up is the NARS blush in orgasm.  I want to try a couple of the NARS blushes but when I was last in the shop this one really jumped out at me.  I figure if I try one and love it I can always go back and get more!  The same goes for most of the products here really - they're all sort of testers.

Moving on we have the nyx finishing sprays.  I can't decide if I want to try the Matte Finish or the Dewy Finish.  At the minute I think I'm leaning more towards the dewy finish.

I also want to try a couple of the nyx Jumbo Eye Pencils starting off with milk.  I really like a lot of these pencils but I want to try this one first and see if I like them.  I've heard a lot of good things about this product and on a plus side this brand is so much cheaper than the others!

Falling back into the more expensive brands I'm looking to try out some Stila products.  I have two here that I'm liking the sound of, the first being the Stay All Day Precision Glide Pencil for eyebrows.  I like that it is dual ended and looks like it would give a nice precise line.

And the last item in this post is the Stila Eyes are the Window Spirit Palette.  I really like the look of a lot of their palettes and I struggled to pick which one I would want to sample first - but after a lot of oohing and ahing I think I'm going to go for this one.

So that marks the end of my wish list for now but no doubt I'll be adding to this wish list daily!  Do you guys have any recommendations for me?  What is top on your wish list?

robynisabella x

All images are stock images from the relevant product websites or found online if the relevant image could not be found on the website.  If you require credit for these photos please contact me and I will amend this post to include credit where it is due.

I got nominated!

Hey guys!

It's 'What's On Wednesday' and today I have something a little different for you guys!  I was recently nominated for the Liebster award by Accio Victoria and Ciara Rose who both have lovely blogs that you should head over and check out.

The rules go as follows:

1. Link back and thank the person who nominated you.

2. List 11 facts about yourself.

3. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you.

4. Nominate 5-11 blogs/bloggers who have 200 followers or less & give them 11 questions of your choice.

5. Notify your nominees & give them a link back to your post!

11 facts about me (these were harder to come up with than they should have been):

1.  I am nearly 21.

2.  I am Scottish.

3.  I have 4 pets - a cat, a bunny, a dog and a fish.

4.  I love online gaming.

5.  I have a baby brother.

6.  I have only recently started building on my 'designer' makeup collection.

7.  I have really long hair - I don't know what to do with it most of the time.

8.  I get mini panic attacks quite a lot.

9.  Half of my family lives on the other side of the world.

10.  I don't have tv in the traditional sense - only on my xbox and online.

11.  I love 'home' products.  Like my favourite aisles in the supermarket are in the home section.

I was obviously nominated by two lovely ladies so I will pick and choose the questions I would like to answer from each of them.

1.  Who are your top five favourite bloggers?

My top five favourite bloggers in no particular order are Zoella, Anna Saccone-Joly, Sprinkle of Glitter, VelvetGh0st and theycallmeredhead.

2.  Who is your celebrity role model/fashion icon?

I think it would probably be Zoe Sugg - I don't know if she counts as a real celebrity but I would say she does.  I think she is just so lovely and she puts a smile on my face every day - I admire that.

3.  Why did you decide to start blogging?

I don't really know why I did.  I just felt drawn to it like it was something I had to try out for myself and so far I love it.  I like sharing things with you guys and I think my blog is the perfect platform to do so.

4.  What is your favourite season?

My favourite season would have to be Autumn.  I really like autumn colours and I like the cold crisp air and the fashion and just everything.  Autumn suits me well and I feel the most comfortable around Autumn I think - it would be Winter if it didn't rain so much!

5.  What is one item of makeup that you could not live without?

For me it would probably be my mascara.  I mean I feel like I need all my makeup when I go out but if I could only pick one item out of everything I think it would be mascara.  I have pretty stubby eyelashes and when I put mascara on it seems to just brighten up my whole face - so yeah!

6.  Where is your favourite place to eat?

Absolutely without a doubt at home haha!  I really hate eating in front of people and I feel like when I eat in public people could be watching me and I have to eat 'properly'.  Just me in the house by myself? Great!  I love just sitting all relaxed with a plate of food and some netflix - no cares in the world haha!  (My favourite food type is Italian though).

7.  Heels or flats?

On everyone else - heels.  On myself definitely flats.  I wish wish wish I could pull off a pair of heels but unfortunately I can't walk in them to save my life.  I used to try and fall a lot and now I just save myself the public humiliation.  On a night out I will occasionally put on a pair of wedges but even then I teeter about like a fool.

8.  What is your favourite TV series?

Game of Thrones.  Love it.  If you don't watch it I seriously suggest you start.

9.  If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would you eat?

It's a tie between pasta or potatoes.  So healthy.  I have seen a good answer to this before though which was salad because salad can be anything - potato salad, tomato salad, pasta salad... it goes on.

10.  If you could live in any fantasy world where would you live?

Probably the world in the avatar movie but before the humans come along and ruin everything.

11.  What is your favourite film and why?

This is possibly the hardest question because there are way too many and I just love films.  Probably going to go with Black Beauty because I loved it as a kid and I still love it now.  Crying begins at the opening scene and doesn't end until the end credits.  Seriously.  I cry at the start when he is happy just because I know that he is going to get sad.  It's a real cry fest.

My nominees:

1.  Aesthetical

2.  Affraic&Lana

3.  CosySocks

4.  MartaMeetsWorld

5.  hello, treacle

Here are my 11 questions for you!

1.  Where did your blog inspiration come from?

2.  How long have you been blogging for?

3.  What is your favourite food?

4.  Where is your favourite place to visit?

5.  What is your favourite book?

6.  What is your favourite TV show?

7.  What is your favourite brand of makeup?

8.  What is more important to you - hair or makeup?

9.  If you could only grab one item from your room before leaving it forever what would it be?

10.  If you had to pick between a big night out or a cosy night in what would you pick?

11.  What is your dream job?

Thank you all for reading this post - it was actually a lot harder than I thought it was going to be!  If any of you lovely nominees do this leave me a comment and I'll hop over and check out your post!

robynisabella x

I seen that Liebster award picture floating around on a couple of other peoples posts.  I don't know who's it is to credit - if it's yours let me know and I will credit you in this post!

Travel Makeup

Hey guys!

Today is my first 'Makeup Monday' and really my first post!  I still haven't got an SD card for my camera because they're quite pricey and I am unfortunately quite poor this month - so we'll just have to wait for that!  But that could be a whole month away and I just can't wait that long so I've taken some snaps with my iphone.  Hopefully the quality is okay for you guys!  

Before we get started I just want to say that I am a total beginner when it comes to makeup but it is something I love and that's why I wanted to include makeup on my blog.  I'll probably learn a lot more about makeup from you guys - and I think that's great!

So lets get started!  Today I'm heading off to my boyfriends family home and that means packing a travel bag.  I would go into everything that I'm taking but I think I'll save that for another post some day.  For now we'll be looking at the essential makeup items I like to take with me when I'm in a rush and don't have much time to think about what I'm packing.

This is my little makeup bag that I take whenever I am going visiting someone.  I think it was originally my boyfriends but I stole it because it's a good size and zips up to keep everything safe!

In there I keep this little selection (except the wipes they were just there to hold everything up - but I take them with me too in my big bag!).  Here I have my products that I use everyday without fail.  As you can see they are well used and it's really about time I bought some more!  Going across the back row and then into the products at the front I have my bronzer, foundation, concealer, mascara, lipstick, powder, blusher and gel eyeliner.  I would normally have a lip liner in there but mine ran out the other day.  I'll leave details on all the products featured at the end of this post.

Moving on we have my little collection of brushes - I bought them all at the same time and they came with that neat little travel case.  I really like that travel case because it keeps my brushes safe on the move and I always know where to find them - there's no digging around in my bag full of makeup to get them.  My bag is usually full with a lot more than shown above - but I don't take everything with me on my travels.

My trusty naked pallet comes with me everywhere.  It's so handy to just throw in my big bag and there are so many colours that really you can create a lot of different looks.  I suppose I should really have a smaller pallet for my travels but for now this one does me fine - it's totally not because I can't afford any new ones...  haha!  So overall that is what I take with me on my travels.  

As a side note I don't know why I have so many Rimmel products - I didn't collect them on purpose haha!  I hope you found this interesting!  Please leave a comment and follow if you'd like to see more from me!  

What products do you take with you when you go travelling?

robynisabella x

The products featured in this post are:

B. Sculpted Contour Kit 082 Medium (I use that for my bronzer), Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation 100 Ivory, Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (I couldn't see the colour on this one - probably ivory), Rimmel Wonder'full Mascara with argan oil in black (I love this mascara so much!  I'll probably do a post on it), Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick 077 Asia, Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder 001 Transparent, Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush 050 Live Pink, Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 08 Black Gold, Real Techniques Travel Case, Real Techniques Contour Brush, Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush, Real Techniques Detailer Brush, Real Techniques Buffing Brush & finally Urban Decay's Naked 2 Pallet.  (plus Asda Little Angels Sensitive Cotton Soft Baby Wipes)