Chi Chi London.

Over the past weeks I have been lucky enough to have been working with Chi Chi London.
Chi Chi London sell a variety of dresses perfect for any special occasion.
They produce all their clothing to a very high standard with decent materials and I also noticed that they have most dresses in a Petite size option which means everyone is able to shop at Chi Chi. 


My favourite dress from their current collection is the Chi Chi Luna Dress.

 My favourite thing about this dress is the beautiful lace design with the sequins as I believe the two really compliment each other. 
This dress would be a perfect Prom dress and would look gorgeous with some sparkly shoes and subtle jewellery.

I really love the low back on this dress. I find it really hard to find dresses which are low at the back but also give you enough support. However this dress is a thick material so I feel comfortable to go bra less and also feel safe that my boobs are going to stay secure. 

This dress has a zip fastening at the back and is super easy to slide on and off!

Chi Chi London dresses are perfect for Proms, weddings and even red carpet events.

Chi Chi London is available in high street stores such as Dorothy Perkins and The House Of Fraser, you can also shop the collection online at Asos or through Chi Chi direct.

Holiday Beauty Must Haves.

I have recently returned from Dubai and one of my main struggles was packing my suitcase! I had to somehow get all my clothes and accessories into a suitcase, making sure it didn't exceed 25kg! 

Only to get to the airport to be told I was actually entitled to two suitcases! 

So for me my main concern was how I was going to get my whole make up box down to only a few products! I had to sacrifice either my make up or my shoes and I knew the shoes was out of the question! 

In this post I'll be covering which beauty products I believe are essentials!

To start with I knew a decent moisturiser was my top priority.

Being in a different country with a temperature that we are not used to automatically makes our skin confused and often makes people break out in spots, additionally to this using air conditioning in the hotel room will constantly dehydrate your skin causing it to be dry out! 

You are also constantly in chlorine water once again making your skin suffer!

This mixed with the constant products on your face throughout the day means your skin is being put through an awful lot and the only way to relieve your skin from feeling this way is to cleanse the skin every morning and night and exfoliate the dead follicles away finishing this routine with a moisturiser.

I use the Lancome Visionnaire Day Cream 50ml -£60, This cream isn't too thick and rubs into the skin perfectly, this moisturiser doesn't have any particular strong smell and it leaves the skin feeling and looking hydrated. You can also get this cream in a smaller pot if you would like to test it out before purchasing the full size. 

 My second essential for holiday would be eyelashes. I had my eyelashes done before going on holiday which cost me £50. Eyelash extensions should usually last between 2/3 weeks depending on how well you look after them. I would suggest getting eyelash extensions before going away as it really does save so much time in the evenings, and you're eyes look lovely in the day time too!

However if you can't get eyelash extensions before your holiday I would suggest buying some strip stick on lashes, these are easy to apply and the lash glue always lasts! My faviroute and most convenient brand to buy is Eyelure, available in most retail stores such as Boots, Superdrug, Tesco. Eyelure eyelashes are around  £5 but you can usually find deals going on with them.

As I did have my eyelashes done before going on holiday I found that all I chose to do in the mornings was apply some product to my eyebrows. I took away two eyebrow products, firstly the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown -£15. Admittedly this shade is slightly to dark for my eyebrows but by using a small amount I still make it work. This product is waterproof as long as you don't sit there rubbing your eyebrows. The colour blends out using the applicator brush and leaves a really flawless result. In addition to this I also took a Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer Pencil -£16 this pencil is a lot softer and better for the day time in my opinion. 

My next eye based must have is a brown shade of eyeshadow, I find that if I don't really want to apply much make up but still want to look different to my day eyes, I can apply a small amount of brown eyeshadow into the crease of my eye. This makes the eye stand out a lot more and adds a bit of colour to the face. Depending on your skin tone you may like to use a darker shade of brown or a lighter. 

The great thing about taking this one shade away with you, is that you can literally buy a brown eye shadow from anywhere, even the airport. Most browns are also so pigmented that I don't feel you necessarily have to  buy an expensive desginer shadow.  I used the brown shade from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Resistance - £41

Here I have found a few different brands with a range of prices. 

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow - Mahogany £17.50

Max Factor Nude Palette - £14.99

You can also use your bronzer as a brown eyeshadow, this way its always going to be a subtle shade and you don't need another product to your make up bag!

In terms of foundation and highlighter etc, I don't think these are a necessity to take away. One of the main factors that change on holiday is your skin tone therefor I do not use foundation abroad or any contouring products as I feel like its a complete waste of time and products. The only item I take away with me is a bronzer and a small pallet of blush. 

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, the Benefit Hola Bronzer-£23.50 is by far one of my favourite products, this colour works so well with a tan and really intensifies your colouring. I use this all over my face and I also use just a small thin brush along my cheek bone with this product just to add a small contour.  This colour will work well with any skin tone and can be as dark as you like, through re applying. 

On top of a bronzer I use a small blush palette, this is because whilst being on holiday and building your tan up I feel that without a bit of blush, your face ends up looking a little plain. By throwing on a little blush your cheeks are automatically lifted adding a little life to your face. 

Lancome Blush Subtil-£28

Lastly what make up look would be complete without a little bit of lippy? 

Now I must confess I did take my whole lip stick and gloss collection away with me, as I just wasn't sure what shade I would fancy when I was out there! I think its always a safe option to take a few different shades, just so you have a bit or variety in choice. 

I am loving lip glosses at the moment as I believe that lip gloss makes the lips look a lot fuller than a lipstick. I also love that most lip glosses have a little sparkle in them such as my Dior Addict Ultra Gloss £23 . I love this gloss because its very natural but catches the light very easily, it also contains lip enhancing products. 

A nude lip is always a winner on holiday, which I achieve by using a lip pencil such as Mac- Stripdown -£13  or Barry M Lip Liner - £2.99  Then using either a gloss or a lip stick over the top, once again this is down to personal choice. 

I love a bright lip on holiday which is why when I saw the Mac - Candy Yum Yum -£15.50 in the airport I couldn't resist!

This is such a bright powerful colour it really makes you stand out! It is also a creamy fomula so doesn't dry your lips out. 

 Enjoy your holidays xo

Top make up removers.

The removal of make up is so important because it gives your face time to breathe, to clean out any pores and to ensure your skin is left full of moisture.  

If you do not remove your make up it will leave your skin looking dirty and it will make your pores look bigger and dirtier, something we all want to avoid!

I have three main make up removers that are my absolute go to.

Simple- sensitive skin, exfoliating facial wipes £3.99.

I bought these wipes from boots however I'm sure you will be able to find them in most supermarkets and online. If you are looking for a cheap alternative to make up wipes I actually find that most baby wipes do the trick  and you can pick them up for around 99p!!

The reason why I love these particular make up wipes so much is because they are not like other facial wipes. These wipes have a rough side which helps in properly cleansing your skin as it acts as an exfoliator, meaning these wipes not only they remove the make up but also remove any dead skin, making the skin feel much smoother after. 

As these wipes do have a rough side they can easily begin to hurt your face if you scrub to hard, therefor these wipes may not be suitable for people with really sensitive skin (although it says they are for sensitive skin on the packaging). 

I find that by using wipes that exfoliate my face when removing my make up I am doing two jobs at once, which saves me a lot of time.

I use these wipes all over my face excluding the eye area and I also use them around my neck.

 Lancome Bi-Facial Instant Cleanser - £21.50.

I bought this from boots however you can purchase from other stores online or from Lacome directly.

This product has been one of my favourites for years and still makes it into my make up box. 

The Lancome Bi-Facial is perfect for removing eye make-up, especially water proof mascaras.

The only major down fall from this brand is the fact that it is very oily so leaves the skin feeling very greasy and wet, which is sometimes hard to remove.

I find the only way to solve this problem is to use a very small amount.

I'm not sure if this will suit someone with very oily skin. However it will defiantly work well with dry skin.

I use this product by applying a small amount onto a cotton pad and using on my face. I also sometimes use this product on a cotton bud to remove small mistakes I've made whilst applying make up.

This product comes in different sizes. I have 125ml which I keep at home and a 30ml which I take around with me, as it is a perfect travel size. 

It is important that you make sure the lid is tightly secured onto the bottle after use as you do not want this product to leak!

Now on to my last and most recent favourite; 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water £4.99

Once again I bought this from boots but it is available in most high street stores.

This is by far my favourite make up remover and I have really started to love this product.

The bottle size I have is 400ml which cost me £3 from boots as it was on offer at the time. You can also buy a smaller travel size from boots and other high street stores, for around £1.99

At this price I believe that this cleanser is actually one of the cheaper products on the market. 

The Garnier water is perfect for all skin types and is literally just like a water forumla. 

You do not need to rinse this product off which is brilliant as it makes make up removal so simple.

This cleansing water is perfect for taking of any type of make up and even works really well for waterproof products.

This bottle is supposed to have 200 uses which means it is very value for money as you can buy 25 make up wipes for around the same price.

You only need a tiny bit of this product to take your make up off however it doesn't matter it you choose to use lots as it is such a weightless water that will soak into your skin quickly and nicely leaving no mess or substance behind. 

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Leave a little sparkle wherever you go.

Over the recent months I have seen a lot of videos and pictures of intense sparkly eye shadows and I have been on the search for the perfect one ever since and thats when I came across Chanel's Illusion D'ombre collection.

There are many different shades available to purchase ranging from darks to lights.  I know Charlotte Tilbury does similar pots of cream eyeshadow prices at Eyes to Mesmerise £22. 

You can also buy Make up geek glitter pots - £7

What I love about this product is that it is a cream formula, which means you are unlikely to spill any (unlike the pots with loose glitter). The pot has a lot of product in and you do not need a lot of product when using, which means that these little pots should last quite a long time. 

These glitters also really stand out, unlike most other glitters. 

They are reasonably priced at £25 and can be bought from any Chanel outlets, including Boots. 

Each pot comes with a mini application brush, however I actually find it easier to use my finger and to only use the brush for precision and around smaller areas. 

The Chanel Illusion D'ombre is the perfect eye shadow to achieve that sparkly look. I currently have three shades. 81- Fantasme, 84- Epatant and 118- Moonlight pink. 

The shade 81-  Fantasme is perfect for any event as it can be applied as a very thin layer making the sparkle more subtle or it can be applied slightly thicker given it a much more intense sparkle.

Here I have Fantasme applied with a warm eye shadow tone underneath. 

The second tone 84- Epatant is a colour I would personally wear on a  night out, or to a big event as it is very intense and dark. You could match this colour with either pinks or even blacks as long as you blend the colours in nicely. 

The only down fall with these eye shadows is that because they are cream, if you apply to much it can spread around your eye, leaving glitter above the crease, therefor I would recommend using a smaller amount.

To minimise the chance of creasing or movement with these eyeshadows I always use an eye shadow primer. My favourite is the Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer - £16. I also use the Too Faced Eye Insurance - £15

Once I have applied this I also apply a white eyeliner and then cover that with a matte white eyeshadow. This really makes the colour you layer on top really stand out.  Here are a few photos of the steps I take.

I use a bigger fluffier brush to blend out my chosen base eye shadow colour. In this instance I haven chosen a dark brown from the Revolution Pallet, my exact one is no longer sold as I got it back at christmas time, but there are identical colours in the Revolution Ultra 32 Shade Palette - £8 .

This is the Real Techniques Eye Shadow Blending Brush. 

I have chosen a brown shade as I have put the Chanel Illusion D'ombre in shade Moonlight Pink over the top and these colours really compliment each other.

This shade Moonlight Pink is actually in the Summer limited edition colours recently released.

You can buy any of these colours and more at boots http://www.boots.com/en/CHANEL-ILLUSION-DOMBRE-Long-Wear-Luminous-Eyeshadow_1226686/.
They are priced at £25 but at duty free in the airports they are priced at £20, a perfect gift to yourself before you fly off on holiday and what better way to spend your free time than to expand your make up bag with Chanel. 

Make up must haves.

When it comes to make up there are a few products I would not be able to live without!

Over the years I have accumulated many different make up products, some I fell instantly in love with, whilst others I never used again.

 I have decided to share with you my favourite make up pieces and hopefully persuade you to purchase them.

My first item is of course my Beauty blender. 

This is a must have product if you want your foundation to look flawless.

Whilst most people only use a brush to blend their foundation in, I find that additionally using a beauty blender really blends the foundation into your skin, rather than leaving it looking coated on your face. 

The beauty blender is not only brilliant for foundation but it is the most important part of contouring and therefor it has made it into my must haves.

Blending your contouring colours with a beauty blender will leave your newly sculptured face looking seamless, leaving no harsh lines. 

The beauty blender comes in various different brands and I don't believe that a more expensive one will be better than the less expensive one.

I use the Real Techniques - Miracle complexion sponge, you can buy this in many high street stores and they cost £6. 

Beauty blenders are also available in mini forms, which are great for blending in small areas such as around the eyes and along the nose. Mini beauty blenders are a little harder to come by, but I have found them in Claires - £3 or from Beauty Bay-£13.50.

When using a beauty blender it is important to make the sponge damp first, this way you will be able to blend products more efficiently. This brings me onto my second make up must have. 

The Urban Decay Setting Spray  - £22.

This product is very highly rated as there is nothing worse than spending hours on your make up and looking in the mirror and seeing that your make up has started to rub off.

The secret to keeping your make up looking fresh all night is inside this little bottle.

I have had my current bottle since christmas and I use it everyday. I use it once before my foundation, a few sprays onto my beauty blender and a few sprays after my contour is done and there is still a fair amount left in my bottle.

The urban decay setting spray does exactly what it says on the bottle, it sets your make up and keeps it on for a prolonged period, this is especially good if you are going to an event, or just like me you don't like taking your make up out with you.

It saves you spending 10 minutes in the bathroom every now and then re applying your make up, which I can never be bothered to do.

This product is available at stores which stock Urban decay such as Debenhams.

I have the 118ml bottle however you can also buy a 30ml from Selfridges and then see how you get on with it. The 30ml size would also be the perfect size to take on holiday.

My third make up must have is Eyelash curlers.

I have been using eye lash curlers since I started wearing eye make up. A lot of people don't use eye lash curlers, some in fear that it will hurt or pull your eyelashes out. I can confirm that in the years I have been using eye lash curlers, I have never pulled my eyelashes out.

Eyelash curlers are perfect for any make up look or a no make up look.

Its actually pretty amazing what a different eye lash curlers make.

By curling your eye lashes before the application of mascara you are giving  them volume and that way the mascara will dry to the curled shape.

I also find that I use eyelash curlers when I am having a no make up day as it gives them a lot more volume.

Fake Eyelashes, one of my most important make up accessories!

There is nothing I love more than fake eyelashes, any one that knows me will know the majority of the time I am wearing fake eyelashes.

You can buy so many different shapes, volumes and lengths of eye lashes that you can basically pick eye lashes to match your occasion.

Fake eyelashes can be very tricky to stick on and to ensure that they look natural so you can't see the difference between your natural eye lash line,but once you have got the hang of it its fine.

I not only wear fake eyelashes on nights out but I also wear fake eyelashes for normal day to day activities. I find that they are so quick and easy to pop on that when it comes to doing my make up, its way more appealing to me to grab a pair of fakies than to do my mascara.

My last make up must have is a decent bronzer.

For me having a really good bronzer is one of the most important parts of my make up, I think this is because its the last product that goes onto my face, therefor I need it to be a good quality product.

I have been through many bronzers in my time and I think I have finally found my favourites.

Obviously different skin tones will work with different products and shades, however these two only come in one shade so is suitable to any skin tone.

Avon Glow Bronzing Pearls - £6

I have been using these pearls for around 4 years and I would never stop. They are such a nice colour and give your skin such a nice natural glow. I use these as a base and then apply a darker bronzer over the top. However these bronzing pearls look amazing by themselves and I would recommend getting these, even if you just keep them in your make up bag, or take them out during festival season.

Benefit Holla Bronzer - £23.50

This product is perfect for not only contouring but also as an all around bronzer. It comes with a little brush which is perfect to use if you are using the bronzer to contour, otherwise I would suggest using a bigger fluffier brush to keep an even coverage. This product is only available in the one shade that suits any skin tone and can be made darker by re-applying until the colour you are after is reached.

Once again I bought this product back in November and use ALOT day to day and still have a fair amount left.

Bombers and Bodysuits

Bombers

There is nothing I love more than being able to throw on an outfit and start my day, which is one of the reasons why I 

 love bomber jackets. Bomber jackets are very simple but look so nice with a pair of jeans or shorts in summer. 

My current favourite colours are black and khaki. Black is such a good colour as it can match with basically anything, ensuring you get the best wear out of it. 

I match my black one with everything in my wardrobe, although I think it looks really nice with an all black outfit. 

This particular Bomber Jacket was bought from Boohoo, one of my favourite websites for wardrobe must haves. There is a fair few different designs on the website and they all are around the £25 mark. My favourite colours on Boohoo are the black, khaki and the wine colour.

It actually turns out they no longer sell my exact one,therefore I can't link it below. However there are so many similar ones out there, this design won't be too hard to find




The closest I could find was this one from Topshop £55.

Boohoo do also sell very similar one, however this one has pockets which buttons up (whereas my one doesn't). This feature is good if you need to store any belongings and don't want them to fall out.

Boohoo- £20

                                                                                                      

Bodysuits

I think body suits are such an easy alternative to tops and currently the range of different colours and designs you can buy is incredible.Pretty much every online clothing store sells a variety of different bodysuits.Bodysuits have recently become a product that most girls will have at-least one of in their cupboard. They have recently become a real hit since celebrities such as Khloe Kardashion and Emily Ratajkowski have began to wear them. 

        Here Khloe wears    

Celeb Boutique Body Suit Lorenza - £79




Emily wears similar too Misguided Lace Up Front Bodysuit 
£22

Bodysuits can be a very simple outfit choice, but if you match them up with the right outfit accessories they can be perfect for any given occasion.

Once again you can dress body suits up or down.

I love to pair my bodysuits up with a pair or high waisted jeans or shorts when the weather is nice enough!

Boohoo - Aisha cross back body suit £12

Here I have on a bodysuit from boohoo.

I fell in love with this one from boohoo as I love the back. I love anything open backed as I think it is such an open backed design is perfect for summer and on holiday. I also think if you are wearing jeans or a knee length skirt with a body suit it is nice to have a bit of skin on show. 

I love how this body suit isn't just plain and has a cross detailing. I also really like the fact that it doesn't show my entire back. 
This body suit also comes in Black, Red, Navy and Charcoal.

I would not recommend to anyone buying an opened back bodysuit if they don't feel confident enough to go bra-less. I think if you have a bra on underneath and can clearly see the back strap it takes away how beautiful the back of the bodysuit is. 

You can however buy stick on bra's if you wish too, they are silicon pads that literally just stick onto your boob. 

Depending on where you buy this item from you may find that the stickiness may disappear after a few hours wear but you can buy better quality ones that do not do this. 

                                                                                                            Next - £20

The second body suit that I wanted to share is this beautiful one from Misguided, the quality of the body suits from here are really good, which is hard to find. Most online clothing stores can have very poor quality items. I have found with all my body suits purchased from this particular brand have all been good quality and lasted a long time. 

I absolutely LOVE the back of this body suit, it is so simple yet so cute. I love the thin long straps, and the cross over detailing. I didn't get chance to capture the front of this body suit but it is just plain khaki from the front with the thin straps. 

It does not come down too low either which is one of the most important things I look for in a bodysuit, if I'm wearing a body suit which I cannot wear a bra with, the last thing I want is it to be very low at the front. 
This is the Lattice back body suit in Khaki but they also have them in Nude and Black. Priced at £16.

As summer is quickly approaching I can't help but start my internet shopping. Here are a few of the body suits and bombers that I will be purchasing this summer. 

If you click on the link it will redirect you to the site where you can purchase.

Boohoo - £12

Missguided - £20





                                                        Missguided - £22







Missy Empire - £35




                                                     Missy Empire- £29