Orly Matte Topcoat

If you've read my blog before, you'll know I love doing my nails. OPI is probably my favourite brand of polishes and I own well over 60 of their products. Right now though, I've really been loving the idea of having matte nails but don't actually own any matte nail polishes. Considering how much money I'd spent on nail polishes already, I wasn't really feeling like going out and buying all my favourite colours in matte. That's why I was really excited to find out that this product existed for the cost of it. Orly is a brand I'd never actually heard of before until I found this product and it's very affordable. I've heard quite a few mixed reviews on this but I honestly do like it.

On the back of this product, it states that this should be used as a top coat over other Orly nail polishes. With this being said, I bought it and thought I'd try it over my OPI ones anyway. I have seen a few people saying that they've used this over other branded nail polishes, such as Essie, and it hasn't worked for them. I'm not sure why though, as I've used this over my OPI polishes and it's worked amazingly.

I've found this works great for me as a top coat. Only one coat of this leaves my nails with a gorgeous matte finish that looks like the polish itself was matte. I've only used this over OPI polishes but I've yet to use it when it hasn't worked. It not only helps the colour to last longer on my nails, but helps to prevent them from chipping as well which I think is great. Below is a picture of my nail polish applied before I used the matte top coat and I'm wearing the OPI shade Over The Taupe. I'm not a nail expert, so the polish isn't applied perfectly - sorry.

The picture below is my nails after the matte top coat has been applied. I've found that this looks great and I'm really happy with the way the finished product looks. I feel that it leaves my nails looking very professional and clean, and I really love how quick and easy it is to use. It dries very quick which is a massive plus to me, as we can all agree that waiting for your nails to dry can be such a pain.

I overall really like this product, and it always leaves my nails with a gorgeous matte finish - exactly what it's designed to do. I'm unsure if it works with other nail brands other than OPI as I've never tried, so I can't say how it would work for you if you tried to. I would recommend this product though if you're looking for an affordable matte top coat, especially if you use OPI.

Let me know if you've used this product and if it's worked well for you. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day!

Instagram | Twitter

See you guys soon x

Product Empties

I've been collecting all my product empties for quite a while, so this post has been a long time coming. I try so hard to get the most out of my products and hate throwing things away - call me a hoarder - but I'm finally parting ways with these. They are some of the products I've used up in the past 2-3 months, and I have to say, I've really loved them.

Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream - If you've read my Soap & Glory favourites post, you'll know I absolutely love their Hand Food hand cream and planned on including it in that post. I honestly feel like I go through one of these every month or so because I apply it so often. I find myself with dry and chapped hands quite a lot, so end up grabbing this constantly. It's definitely one of my favourite hands creams I own as I really love the scent of it. It's so moisturising and always leaves my hands feeling so smooth and soft afterwards.

No7 Essential Moisture Day Cream - No7 is a brand I've had a bit of a love hate relationship with. Some of their products I've loved and always repurchase, while others I've really disliked. This is one of the ones I've loved. This moisturiser is so soft and smooth on the skin and is the first moisturiser I found that was this hydrating, which is great for my very dry skin. I find this tub goes a really long way and it lasts me a really long time. It's also really light so is great for spring and summer time. I've repurchased this quite a few times now, and as much as I love it, I'm now using my Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream as my daily morning moisturiser.

Urban Decay de-slick Makeup Setting Spray - I already featured this product in my Current Favourites here and it has been such a lifesaver for me. It always keeps my makeup perfectly in place, no matter where or what I'm doing, and is definitely a product I'll be repurchasing soon. I love how quick and easy this is to use, and how quickly it dries. It doesn't leave my face feeling wet or sticky which other setting sprays have done. This product has fast become one of my favourites of 2016 so far.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream - I featured this product in my Soap & Glory favourites here and it's one of my favourite body creams I own. It smells absolutely amazing and feels so smooth and soft on the skin. It applies so easily onto the skin and I find this absorbs very quickly, unlike some of my other body creams and lotions. This is definitely one of my favourite body creams and Soap & Glory products and I'll never not repurchase this.

Benefit They're Real Mascara - I decided to try this mascara out after hearing so many good reviews on it from so many people. I have to say, I do really like this mascara. I love really dark ones that leave your lashes very full and elongated, and this is definitely one of those. I got on really well with this and found my lashes looking beautiful and very full. My only issue is I found it didn't last as long as I would've liked it to for the price of it. I have repurchased this product as I really enjoy trying out new mascaras, so I haven't used it for a while now.

Maybelline Colossal Go Chaotic Mascara - I don't normally buy high street mascaras, after one I'd used previously left my eyes in a bit of a state, but I decided to pick up this one in my local Boots as I wanted something that was affordable. I did really like this product, as it did exactly what I look for in a mascara - it was volumising and left my lashes looking full. The only thing I didn't like is that it worked really well for the first few weeks, but then the quality declined. By the third or fourth week, it didn't leave my lashes looking as good as it did for the first few times which was disappointing.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NW15 - I went through a phase of really loving MAC foundations and this product was one of them. For quite a while, this was my daily foundation and I really enjoyed using it. The shade matched my skin tone perfectly and I loved the fuller coverage it gave me. It did verge on feeling a bit cakey but it hid all my flaws and spots really well which I was very happy about. I haven't repurchased this as I'm really loving the Nars Sheer Glow foundation right now, but it is one of my favourite MAC foundations.

Overall, I've really enjoyed using all these products and that's shown by the fact I fully finished every one of them. Let me know if you've used any of the products I've mentioned and what your opinions on them are. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Instagram | Twitter

See you guys soon x

Sleek Makeup Haul

Sleek is a makeup brand I was only introduced to earlier this year. I picked up their face contour kit and really enjoyed it, yet never repurchased anything from them after this and I'm not sure why. Then, on a recent trip to my local Boots, I decided it was time to give this brand another try. They had a 3 for 2 offer on their products which just tipped me over the edge and I ended up picking up a few things.

i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in A New Day - I'm such a sucker for eyeshadow palettes, but most of the ones I own are more high end. That's why, when I seen how affordable the Sleek palettes are, I knew I had to pick one up. I decided to choose A New Day as the colours were shades I had been looking for recently and they all looked beautiful. I have been absolutely loving this palette since I got it and have been wearing it most days since. I've tried every single one of the shades so far and not one of them has disappointed me. Some shades are matte while others are shimmer which is what I love in a palette as it gives you some versatility and range. My favourite shades right now from this palette are  Brightside, Carpe Diem and Believer but I honestly do love them all. For the price, this product is really good quality and the shadows last me all day which I'm happily surprised about. The only thing is that it comes with that cheap eyeshadow brush, which was quickly thrown away. But I overall really love this palette and the price of it makes me love it even more.

Matte Me Lip Cream in Petal - I'm normally terrified of light pink shades of lipstick, but after wearing my NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade Sydney to absolute death, I feel like I conquered that fear. That's why I decided to pick up this beautiful light pink shade. I've seen these Matte Me lipsticks around the beauty blogging world for quite a while and have seen so many people really enjoying them. That's why I knew I had to pick one up when I seen them. I first of all have to say this shade is absolutely beautiful. It's something I never thought I'd ever wear but I really love it. The consistency and feel of these lip creams is amazing and does not feel drying on your lips at all, which I know is the fear when wearing products like this. They last all day, and I even find myself having to scrub it off at night as it's that long lasting. I absolutely love this product and I'm definitely going to be picking it up in some other shades soon. 

Power Plump Lip Crayon in Power Pink - When I seen this product at the Sleek counter, I was really intrigued by the idea of it. The purpose of it is that it's a very pigmented lip crayon that plumps up your lips and leaves it with a tingling feeling. I didn't know that it left your lips feeling tingley when I bought it though, as this is something I've really disliked about it. The fact that it plumps up your lips was something I found quite exciting, and that's the reason I bought it. The colour of the crayon is really lovely as it's a light fuchsia shade that I don't own anything like. I also like lip crayons as they're very easy to apply and feel very soft on your lips. I do wish I liked this product, I really do, but to be honest I don't. The tingling feeling on your lips is very strong and doesn't go away quickly, so I ended up having to scrub it off my lips after 15 minutes. It wasn't a very nice feeling and I can't imagine myself willing wearing this often, unless I really wanted plumper lips. I can't even comment on if it does plump up your lips as I took it off too quickly.

Overall, Sleek is a brand that I'm really starting to like. For how affordable and high quality their products are, I can definitely see myself purchasing a lot more from them in the future. Let me know if you have any of the products I've mentioned or if you enjoy any of Sleeks other products. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day!

Instagram | Twitter

See you guys soon x

The Body Shop: Tea Tree Pore Minimiser

The Body Shop is a brand that I've loved for so long because of their amazing skincare ranges.  I absolutely love their body creams and have started trying out some of their newer products. One of the ranges I'd been dying to try for quite a while was their Tea Tree products. On my last trip to the store, I decided to pick up their pore minimiser as I'd never tried one before and the idea really of it appealed to me. I have been throughly enjoying using this product since I bought it, and it has really made me fall back in love with The Body Shop.

I first of all have to say how cute this packaging is with the leaf design. The bottle is really thin which is great for taking on holiday or for fitting in your makeup bag. Even with this being said, a little bit goes a long way with this product. It's suitable for blemished skin which is great, and it also smells amazing. I was really intrigued by this product, as I have a lot of trouble with my pores and this seemed perfect for minimising their appearance. I also really like how it's affordable and doesn't break the bank, and I picked this one up in a 3 for 2 deal.

I have genuinely loved this product since I started using it and have seen such a big difference in my skin. My pores are definitely looking smaller which I'm very happy about, and it leaves my face feeling so smooth and soft. It also mattifies and can be used as a primer which is a massive bonus for me, as I love mattifying primers and this can act as one. My skin has been visibly clearer after using this and I would definitely recommend using this if you have oily or acne-prone skin. I normally use this after I apply my moisturiser and before my makeup, but it can easily be applied on its own. Everyone I have spoke to who has used this product has loved it and I'm yet to find one negative comment about it. This is definitely something I can see myself repurchasing in the future and it's fast became a part of my daily skincare routine.

I would really recommend buying this if you struggle with large pores, have oily skin for its mattifying properties, or have acne-prone skin. I have been loving using this product and have seen such a big difference in my skin since I started using it. It's also made me really want to purchase some of the other products in The Body Shops Tea Tree Range.

Let me know if you've tried this pore minimiser and what your opinions on it are. Also let me know if you've tried any of the other products in the Tea Tree range. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you have a great day!

Instagram | Twitter

See you guys soon x

19 Things I've Learnt by 19

I turned 19 back in May, and even though it may seem like an unimportant age to most people, it was a big deal to me. I was no longer 18 but not yet in my twenties, and it was the start of my last year as a teenager. I love being a teenager, and the idea of getting older and being a 'proper adult' really does scare me. I feel like I've learnt so much about myself and life in the past few years, especially over the past year with starting University, so I thought todays post could be the 19 things I've learnt by the age of 19.

1. To do want you want to do, wear what you want to wear, say what you want to say, and don't care what others think about it or if it's 'unfashionable'.

2. To try and push yourself to do the things you really want to do, even though it might make you feel anxious. 

3. To try and stay in contact with the people who really make you happy, even if they don't live near you.

4. And remove the people from your life who bring you down.

5. That you shouldn't take yourself - or life - too seriously.

6. That if you find something you love and are really passionate about, don't give it up, no matter what other people might say.

7. That if you're going through a tough time, think to yourself "will this matter in a years time?" If not, it's not something to worry yourself about. 

8. To always speak up for yourself.

9. To spend time with your family members - you never know when they could be gone.

10. To always take time for yourself.

11. That you shouln't be afraid to say "Hi" to the person next to you on your first day of Uni/College/Work.

12. To not be afraid to say "no thanks" to something you don't want to do, just to save someones feelings.

13. That not everyone has the same heart as you - others may not do for you as you do for them.

14. That you aren't weak if you ask for help.

15. That everyone has their down days - it's completely normal.

16. To always go with your instincts.

17. That life's too short not to eat your favourite foods.

18. To not live your life with regrets - just move on.

19. That life's too short not to have a bit of fun!

There's plently of more things I've learned in my 19 years of life so far, but therese are the ones I've found to be the most important. Let me know what life lessons you've learned, or if you agree with any of the ones I've mentioned. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day!

Instagram | Twitter

See you guys soon x