Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Set

There is literally no way that these Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Brushes can look bad - I wish I was as photogenic as them! After being on my wishlist for over a year, I finally committed and asked for the brushes for Christmas, because, for me, forking out almost £60 on brushes is a pretty big deal, which is why these are so special. Looking back though, I wish I'd bought them earlier because they are more than worth the money (they work out around £7 per brush)! For anyone in the UK, I would recommend buying from Beauty Bay, purely because you get free next day delivery, and I know I certainly couldn't wait if I knew these were in the post!

 

From left to right, the set includes:

 

106/Powder - ideal for mattifying the face, covering a large surface area fast

 

127/Luxe Sheer Cheek - perfect shape and size for applying blush or highlight to the cheeks

 

102/Silk Finish - similar to the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, for buffing in foundation

 

110/Face Shape - the right size to fit under the cheekbones for applying and blending contour

 

142/Concealer Buffer - a very firm brush to buff concealer and give an airbrushed finish

 

227/Luxe Soft Definer - similar to the MAC 217, ideal for blending eyeshadow

 

231/Luxe Petit Crease - tapered to allow precise application of eyeshadow and smokier blending

 

317/Wing Liner - perfect size, shape and firmness for winged liner using eyeshadow or gel liner

 

 The brushes are a mixture of natural and synthetic hairs, which allows you to use them with both cream and powder products. For anyone who prefers to use only synthetic hairs, Zoeva do vegan brush sets just for you!

 

You probably also noticed the stunning makeup bag that the brushes come in, which is huge and has a pocket inside, so you can separate makeup and brushes. The bag feels really high quality and has a gorgeous rose gold zip detail to add to its loveliness!

 

All of the brushes are extremely soft and amazing quality (my Real Techniques brushes may have to take a back seat for a little while). Expect to see them in the background of plenty of future photos!

 

Love, Milly xx

Current Beauty Favourites

 

 

Today's post is quick round-up of my favourites from the past few weeks, which have become staples in my daily routine.

Revolution Vivid Baked Highligher in Peach Lights - I've already done a review of this, but in summary, I'm obsessed with the glowy effect it gives to my skin, and I basically coat my face in the stuff on a daily basis!

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob - this may just be the most long-wearing lip product of all time! The ultra-matte finish leaves no room for smudging and means that there's no chance of your lips fading over the day. The colour is also gorgeous, but for me, a little bold for school-wear.

The Body Shop Red Musk Eau de Parfum - not only is the packaging absolutely stunning, but the fragrance is warm and spicy and makes me smell delicious all day.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Concealer (in 010 Porcelain) - finding a concealer which is a) pale enough b)doesn't crease and c) covers blemishes is very difficult for me. But I may have just found the 'one'. The concealer has a finish somewhere between matte and dewy and has more than enough coverage for my blemishes. Some days I use this all over my face as a foundation and my skin just looks perfect. Price isn't really an issue with this one either - £5.49 for 6g.

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner - after hearing Suzie from Hello October talk about this in most of her makeup tutorials, I thought I would give this a go, and I am so impressed. I thought that a liquid eyeliner would be really difficult to use, but the precision brush makes it perfect for winged eyeliner on a daily basis. The formula lasts all day without smudging, and comes out black-black, not grey like some drugstore eyeliners. Oh and the price? £2.99. I'll take 5!

What have you been loving recently?

Love, Milly xxx

Why You Need a Camel Coat

 

 

 

 

 

As the cold draws nearer and nearer, it was about time to look around for a new coat to replace the one I had been wearing for the last three years. Everyone seems to be loving camel coats at the moment, and I'm no exception. The colour seems to work well with all skin tones and hair colours, and there are so many different styles to choose from on the high street, meaning you don't have to spend your life savings on a coat.

 

 

 

 

New Look are doing autumn fashion so well this year, and finding this coat for just under £30 was incredible. The material is not extremely thick, but the quality of it is brilliant, and looks like it will last a long time. The oversized boyfriend cut makes it look smart and can instantly make a casual outfit appear more formal. In the couple of times I've worn the coat out, I've received several compliments, usually commenting on how smart it is.

 

A camel coat is definitely an essential in any wardrobe, and whether you want to go designer or high street, you can never go wrong.

Love, Milly xx

The Best of Soap & Glory Cosmetics







Today's post has been a long time coming. With the amount I talk about Soap & Glory makeup, I thought that today I would round up my favourite products from the range, so that anyone who is interesting in trying out some bits might have an idea of the best products. I haven't tried every product yet, but I've tried a fair few, and I definitely intend to try them all in the future!

 



 

My first favourite is the Supercat Liquid Black Eyeliner which is perfect for creating a black winged liner look. The formula is super black and long-lasting and the pen application makes it really easy to use. I've since moved on to brush application liquid eyeliner, but for beginners, no product really beats it.

This summer Soap & Glory's Wonderbronze never really left my face. Basically, it's a bronzy shimmer brick which can be used as a blusher, bronzer or eye shadow, for a glowy look. If you want to read my full review, click here.

Soap & Glory also do lip products really well, and despite their relatively limited colour range, I think that the formulas and the variety of finishes really make up for it. I love the Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudist, because it is a perfectly glossy, rosy lip shade which looks amazing on pale skin as it brings a little bit of colour to the face. Also, it smells of vanilla and has a really hydrating formula, so what's not to love?

The final two products are my absolute favourites and I can't do my makeup without them. The Archery 2-in-1 Brow Filling Pencil and Brush is the only thing I use on my eyebrows and I think I'm on my fourth pencil, because I use it so much! Blonde-shell is the perfect colour for me and the tiny pencil allows me to draw on individual hairs for a really natural brow.

Loads of bloggers go on about this powder for a reason. One Heck of a Blot is a extremely finely milled powder which leaves skin with a velvety matte finish, reducing shine, but leaving some glow. The quality is something generally only found in high-end powders, and for the price it's really brilliant. All of the Soap & Glory powder products have huge mirrors built into the packaging, which is so handy to throw into your makeup bag or carry around with you.

Soap & Glory is definitely a drugstore brand to try out if you want high-end quality products for a much lower price. Let me know what other products you'd like me to try or if there are any other brands you would like me to feature.

Love, Milly xxx

The Five-Minute Skincare Routine

 This post is proving to the world that there is literally no excuse for not having a regular skincare routine! One of the most common things I hear as a blogger whenever I take about my skin is, "How do you have time to do all that stuff?" But in reality there is no need to use a hundred different serums and creams and sprays every day, and my skin actually gets worse when my routine is more complicated. So today I'm rounding up my 4 step skincare routine which can be done in as little as 5 minutes. All of these products are available at Boots, Superdrug and most pharmacies, therefore extremely affordable - no excuse! I can't use harsh products on my skin, and I am of the belief that a mixture of natural and chemical products is best so rest assured, these are fine for delicate teenage skin.

*Quick Note! I have combination skin (normal cheeks, oily T-zone with some dry patches) and I do get some spots. I have no skin conditions, but you may want to do more research into specific treatments if your skin is drastically different.*

Step 1: Makeup Removal - If, like me, you choose to wear makeup, this is one of the most important steps. Leaving your makeup on is probably the worst thing you can do. Therefore, every evening before I cleanse, I use coconut oil to gently remove my eye makeup (this will get through even the most stubborn makeup) and pour some Simple micellar water onto a soft cotton pad to remove the coconut oil and the daily grime from my face. One pad is never enough for this!

Step 2: Cleanse - Although they're brilliant, skin cleansing brushes are really expensive and not totally necessary for a good skincare regimen. Morning and night, I prefer to put a bit of my Freederm cleanser on to my dry face, rub it in and wipe away with a muslin cloth dampened with warm water. The Liz Earle cloths are great, but any cloth, or even a flannel is fine as it allows the dead skin to be gently exfoliated and removes all excess cleanser. I like to splash my face with freezing water as well, to wake me up and get the circulation going in my skin!

Step 3: Moisturise - Moisturisation is key to beautiful skin. Whether your skin is normal, oily or dry, you need to use moisturiser! Depriving your skin of moisture causes it to overproduce oil, hence giving you very oily skin. I've been using the Nivea Pure and Natural Regenerating Night Cream for a while now, day and night, and it leaves my skin feeling hydrated throughout the day and I wake up without any dryness! Having separate day and night creams is nice, but not totally essential (I personally find most day creams from the drugstore quite greasy, so I prefer more hydrating, mattifying night creams).

Step 4: Spot treatment - Obviously, if you have perfect skin and no spots, this is a step you can skip. However, not all of us are so lucky, and most of us get an annoying zit from time to time. I like to dab a little bit of tea tree onto my spots at night, because I find that it dries them out and usually stops and further infection. I also like to use ice to reduce the swelling of spots, especially those painful under-the-skin lumps. However, if you have more stubborn or severe acne, a specialised treatment is probably best for you. Soap & Glory's Dr Spot is pretty good, but it is quite harsh and it contains salicylic acid which can feel quite stripping on the skin.

There are other treatments and products I like to use on my skin, but on a daily basis, this is enough to keep my skin happy. Let me know if you'd like to hear about my favourite skin treatments on a budget!

Love, Milly xx

A Warming Autumn Fragrance

Personally, I am particularly excited about this post, mostly because I love the product, but also for its gorgeous packaging and the fact that the photos in this post are taken on my new camera!

It's no secret that I am relatively picky about scents, hence why I refuse to go into Lush for 99% of the year. But when I find one I love, I'm mad about it. This time it's The Body Shop's Red Musk Eau de Parfum.

If you're into floral, sweet scents, this is not for you. But if you're into deeper, richer, muskier scents, this is right up your street. With a top note of pepper, a middle note of cinnamon and a rich base of tobacco, this is not the typically girly scent usually found at The Body Shop. This intense mix of spices creates an irresistible blend which only gets better as the day goes on. When sniffing from the bottle, the scent is almost overwhelming and smells relatively masculine. However, after a few spritzes on the pulse points, you begin to be able to detect the different layers to the perfume and it becomes warmer and deeper, perfect for those cosy autumn nights.

The best thing about this fragrance is that it lasts from the morning well into the night, unlike many floral scents which tend to drift away immediately after application. I think this scent probably doesn't appeal to everyone, but personally I think it rivals most high-end perfumes for a fraction of the price, costing between £15 - £22. I would recommend spraying it onto your wrist in store and having a wander around town to find out how amazing it smells after a few minutes.

And can we just talk about this gorgeous packaging, and the fact that it has its own box, making it perfect for Christmas gifting!

Love, Milly xx

Berry Lips from the Drugstore



Oh autumn, how I love you. The colours, the weather, the clothes. Everything. And I also love this lipstick. A lot actually.

 

Whilst on one of my little hunts in Boots, searching for an autumnal lipstick which could carry me through the colder months, I found this little beauty. The Revlon stand clearly understood my plight and the display of autumn themed makeup lead me to the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 477 Black Cherry. Not being one to be afraid of dark colours, I swatched what looked to be a brown-toned dark lipstick. However, it turned out to be the most gorgeous, purple-toned berry colour that I ever did see.



 

 

Nail polish - Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 331 'Enchante'

 

On closer inspection, I found really gorgeous, expensive looking rose gold packaging and a long-lasting, creamy formula which is really hydrating on the lips and comfortable to wear. I would recommend using a cotton bud and some concealer to clean up the edges if you apply straight from the bullet, because the bold colour stands out a lot, especially on my pale skin! The colour itself is a lot darker and more purple/blue toned-than the swatches appear on camera and it's perfectly suited to pale skin for a stand-out bold lip for the autumn.

Love, Milly xx

All-In-Black



T-Shirt - BHS

Skirt - New Look

Denim Jacket - DKNY

Boots - New Look

 

I'll be frank. Dressing in black makes me feel like a ninja. An ultra-fashionable ninja. When I tried on this A-line zip-front skirt in New Look, I knew that it was love at first sight. The really flattering cut makes it sit perfectly on my waist. The length isn't too short or too long and the zip gives it a slightly edgy feel. And all for £12.99. A basic black skirt is an A/W staple and this one is paired perfectly with everything from flannel shirts, to crop tops, to T-shirts. Another bonus is the pockets which are actually pockets, not the barely there ones which you can't fit anything in.

Today I decided to pair it with a plain black T-shirt and my denim jacket which I absolutely adore! I think this is a great look for going out, or just heading into town.

Please let me know if you find any amazing pieces on the high street because I'm desperate to overhaul my autumn wardrobe!

Love, Milly xx

The Perfect Autumn Palette from the Drugstore

 Many of you should know by now just how much I love the autumn and everything that comes with it. One of those things is the makeup and style which never gets old, no matter how many winged liners or berry lips you do.

Eye shadow is an obvious essential for all times of the year, but in the fall we can crack out those smoky eyes and (if you're feeling a little more daring) go for burgundy, navy or a pop of gold on our lids. The Sleek I-Divine Storm eye palette has the perfect selection of shades to create the perfect eye look for autumn, no matter your style.

The palette contains 12 shades - 3 matte and 12 shimmery - all with amazing pigmentation, colour-payoff and workability. The mixture of warm and cool shades makes it perfect for all skin tones and the fine glitter in the shimmer shades means that it will never be chunky. There is almost no fallout from this palette and the almost buttery texture of the powder makes it very easy to blend.

 

Some of my favourite shades from the palette are Sand Storm (top left), a coppery gold, Fire Storm (top left), a really gorgeous burgundy/wine shade and Dust Storm (bottom left), a warm brown/copper. I also love Eye of the Storm (matte brown on bottom row) for contouring because it's fairly cool toned and has the right amount of pigmentation for my skin colour.

 Some of my favourite shades from the palette are Sand Storm (top left), a coppery gold, Fire Storm (top left), a really gorgeous burgundy/wine shade and Dust Storm (bottom left), a warm brown/copper. I also love Eye of the Storm (matte brown on bottom row) for contouring because it's fairly cool toned and has the right amount of pigmentation for my skin colour.

The palette itself is pretty sturdy but very slim and the best thing is the huge mirror which is big enough to see your whole face and perfect to take out and about with you.

So, 12 buttery, highly pigmented shades in one palette for £7.99? Sounds pretty good to me!

Love, Milly xx

The £3 Highlighter

So we've all heard of strobing, right? Using highlighter to illuminate parts of our face, rather than hollowing out our cheekbones with contour. Well, I love strobing - and I've found the perfect highlighter!

I had seen this mentioned on someone's Instagram, and whilst in Superdrug I decided that it would be the perfect time to buy it. I wasn't expecting to spend a huge amount of money, but then I looked and saw that this was £3. No sale tags, no discount. £3. Of course I immediately swatched all three shades and decided on the Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Peach Lights. The other two highlighters include Golden Lights (a classic white/cream highlight) and Pink Lights (a light pink tinted highlight). Peach lights is a peachy pink highlighter with the perfect amount of fine shimmer. The colour is perfect for those of us who are relatively new to strobing and highlighters because it is easy to blend and has a very natural hue.

The shape of the pressed powder is very unique among drugstore products - the classic flat pan has been thrown out of the window in favour of a shaped powder in a rounded plastic compact. The quality of the packaging isn't the best and I will have to be careful not to drop it (I think it will smash pretty easily), but it looks very sleek and classy for such a cheap product.

I should probably mention that this was my first ever purchase from Makeup Revolution and it has definitely been a positive experience! I'm so impressed by the quality and shade range - they've taken into consideration people's skin colours and makeup preferences. The quality is that of a much more expensive product and I would recommend anyone dubious of its magic to go and pick one up and try it for yourself!

If you want to see the highlighter in action, check out my latest YouTube video:



Love, Milly xx

August Favourites 2015

August has flown past and now we're mere hours away from September. I've been loving a lot of things this month, so if you want to sit down and watch my video, I hope you get some inspiration for new things to try/watch/do. It's a real mix of things, so there's something for everyone!



Love, Milly xx

#TheSelfLoveChallenge13

I woke up one morning to find that both Yana (Time With Yana) and Francesca (Francesca Rose) had tagged me in #TheSelfLoveChallenge13 which was started by Alexandra from Alexandra's Paradise who's goal was to help us recognise the awesomeness in all of us by completely forgetting the definition of the word 'selfish! I think it's such a nice idea and I love the positivity that she is trying to share with us all. So today, I am finally writing my own post about 13 things I like about me.

1. I love my freckles which are a constant, no matter the season. They make me look young and fresh and make me feel pretty.
2. I love my long eyelashes. My eyelashes are super long and fluttery and I think they're beautiful.
3. I love that I laugh until I cry. No matter how funny something is, I usually end up sobbing with laughter and it's just one of the best feelings and it makes others laugh too.
4. I love my arms. They are long and slender and look graceful (I like to think that I have ballerina arms but in reality I have no dancing ability.)
5. I love my legs. They are long and lightly defined with muscle from years of playing tennis.
6. I love my lips. Only recently I have started appreciating the shape of my cupid's bow and fullness of my lips.
7. I love my brains. I am very academic and I have an affinity for languages but I don't think I every give myself enough credit for my intelligence.
8. I love that I'm always positive no matter what life throws at me. Over the years I've taught myself to look for the positives in the negatives, and even when I'm in a bad situation I usually feel happy.
9. I love my nails. They are long and strong and I have a natural French manicure.
10. I love my fair skin. I'm beginning to truly embrace the paleness and I love how my skin compliments my hair.
11. I love my hair colour. The gold-copper-blonde tones are so unusual and I have hundreds of natural highlights.
12. I love my fashion sense. I feel like I'm finally starting to get interested in clothes and my current wardrobe perfectly encapsulates my tastes.
13. (I'm going to copy Francesca with this one) I love that I created and persevered with my blog. I defied the fear that people would make fun of me for it, to create my little part of the internet, create a YouTube channel and make some amazing internet friends!

In the rules Alexandra posted about, she asked us to go on to tag 13 people, but I don't read that many blogs, and most of the people who I would have tagged have already done it, so my list is a little short. But ... if you'd like to help me bulk up the list, I tag you! (Please leave the link down in the comments if you do it.)

I tag:

 

Ella

 

Meg

 

Olivia Jade

 

Holly

 

And all of my readers!

 

Thanks for reading this more personal post. Hopefully I will be getting back into a routine soon, but please bear with me as I'm going on holiday tomorrow and I don't want to be worrying about my blog the whole time!

 

Love, Milly xx

Summer Beauty Essentials



As summer gets into full swing, I've found myself repeatedly turning to certain products which have become my summer essentials. From face, to eyes, to lips, all of these products are totally perfect for the sunnier weather, either for their lasting power, or to get a glowy summer look!

 



 

 

Let's be honest, the heat makes us all a bit sticky and sweaty and makeup has a tendency to slide off throughout the day. It is at times like these that I turn to waterproof products, mainly just on my eyes, as this is where things transfer onto skin first. The eyeliner I've been using to line my upper waterline is the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal liner. This probably isn't the best ever waterproof liner, because there are often a few smudges by the end of the day, but it does the job of making my lashes appear thicker without wearing a ton of makeup.

 

 The staying power of the No7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define sticks is honestly amazing. The colour pictured is Glistening Ray, a white-gold shimmer which is such a subtle addition to any makeup look. Once you apply the product, you have a very short window to blend before it sets - and trust me, it really does set. No amount of rubbing or scrubbing with your hand will make this budge, and you can only remove this by using an excellent makeup remover.

 

On my lips, I usually either go for a matte shade or a really glossy shade. Many people hate wearing lip gloss, but I love the high-shine look, especially from the Model Co. Cosmetics SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss in Strip Tease, which is my favourite lip gloss as it enhances your lips rather than changing them completely. My favourite lipstick formula of the moment is that of the Max Factor lipsticks which are really comfortable to wear, but also long-lasting.

 

During summer, powder is an absolute essential to get rid of the shine which tends to appear most frequently during the warmer weather. The best powder EVER (in my opinion) is the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot which creates a velvet finish on the face, rather than the totally matte, cakey products usually seen in the drugstore. It's more expensive than something like the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, but is definitely a worthwhile investment.

I am completely addicted to blush, and the Sleek Rose Gold Blush is just stunning. It is not the most natural of blushes, as is has a rose gold highlight running through it, but it creates a stunningly glowy finish on the cheeks which looks perfect when it catches the light.

Speaking of glowy products, let's pop my new favourite, Soap & Glory's Wonderbronze in there. You can read my review here but I'll just say that it creates a bronzy highlight which is especially beautiful on pale skin tones.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Please tell me down below what products you been love to use in summer so that I can give them a try.

Love, Milly xx

My Blogging Tips

After nearly a year and a half of blogging, I've started learning what people want to see and what they don't, and how to draw people on to my little place on the internet. I decided to share the things that I wish I knew when I began my blogging journey, in order to help some of you who might be thinking about starting a blog or just need a little guidance in that area.




If you have any more tips suggestions for videos or blog posts, I would love to hear from you so please leave them below.

Love Milly xx

Stripes & Denim Summer Lookbook

 

Ever since I've watched YouTube I've always love the perfectly styled videos of gorgeous outfits in beautiful settings, and since I decided to start YouTube, I wanted to do one of my own. During the 'outfit-picking' process, I lay out all of my clothes and noticed a theme - basically everything was striped or denim. Therefore, that is the theme of my own summer lookbook, which I am very proud of. I would really appreciate it if you could take a look at it and tell me what you think, because I spent ages editing (and posing), with the help of my brother who filmed for me.



Love, Milly xx

My Everyday Makeup Routine

On my Instagram, I got a request to film my everyday makeup routine and, although I tried to film it right away, the odds simply weren't in my favour and practically everything went wrong. But it's here now and I am able to share with everyone who's interested, what my face looks like on the average day. My routine is pretty basic because it is the foundation of every makeup look I do and it's also pretty cheap because I haven't found any high end products worth incorporating into my daily makeup.



Love, Milly xx

Empties #1

I've collected up all of my used up products from the past few months to share with you and give my opinion on whether I think they are worth buying. My mum was a little confused by my box of empty things, but she's getting used to the struggles of being a blogger! My video is up on my YouTube right now, and I would appreciate any feedback, video requests or subscriptions as I'm always looking to improve everything I do.



Love, Milly xx

Dressing Up Denim

Whilst scrolling through Pinterest, I've found myself continually drawn towards tucked in shirts and rolled sleeves. My obsession with denim continues to grow, but in summer, real denim is just too heavy and hot, so I turned to my trusty denim shirt, on what evolved into a super warm and sunny day.

 

Although I usually prefer trousers and shorts, for some reason unbeknownst to me, I have been picking skirts and dresses recently. I featured this pencil skirt in my haul video over on my YouTube channel and I've come to love it over the past few weeks. It compliments so many styles and dresses up everything, including denim!

 

Many people don't know this, but I'm pretty good at making jewellery, after a phase I went through last year in which I began making and selling jewellery with methods I taught to myself. I was poking through some of my leftover beads and I realised that I had never used this cute bird charm and I had a bead on a jump ring left from a bracelet I had cut up, so I popped them on to a piece of string and voilà, a sweet little necklace to throw on to compliment this outfit.

Roll up the sleeves of your shirt and the look becomes more casual and breathable in hot summer weather. I loved how the rolled sleeves gave a relaxed vibe, and it made the shirt feel more comfortable and less constricting than full-length sleeves.

 

Outfit:

Top - Charity shop (originally F&F at Tesco)

Skirt - Rock&Rags at USC

Necklace - made by me

I hope you enjoyed this quick little post, and have perhaps found some inspiration for how to dress up denim. My look book will be coming to my YouTube channel at the end of the summer, so look out for that if you would like to see more fashion bits from me.

Love, Milly x