MY ENGAGEMENT STORY.

Disclaimer: We both absolutely HATE this picture.. we're also stood on the wrong side of each other..

On 31st October last year, Simon and I got engaged after three years together. We met at university and we were basically inseparable from the day that we met. Crazy to think that it's almost been a year since we got engaged really! It's gone really fast - honestly feels like just yesterday. 

So on the 31st October we went to a ladies night at a beautiful hotel - there were lots of people there, and a few members of Simon's family. I spent ages picking out a dress as it was an evening dress occasion - Mum came with me and we spent ages looking in our local Debenhams at dresses - I thought I found the one I wanted to wear until we looked on the sale rail and there was one size twelve evening dress - it was beautiful, navy blue and embellished, and much more 'expensive' looking than the one I'd chosen from Quiz. I tried it on and it was an absolute perfect fit - so basically fate that I needed to have this dress. So on the day of the ladies night, my friend came round to do my hair as I'm pretty rubbish at hair, and I did my make up at home before leaving to get changed at Simon's house. All ready, we bundled in the taxi and off we went to the hotel. 

I remember being stood there rather awkwardly, not really knowing many people in the room. Those I knew were chatting away to other people they knew. Simon came over and asked if I wanted to go for a walk - I thought he was being a gentlemen as I thought he could sense I was feeling awkward. Off we went.

We explored the hotel - Simon asked me what my favourite number was and I replied 22 - thinking after three years he would know that. So we wandered to room 22 and he opened the door. For those of you who don't know Simon, he's a smooth talker and amazing at getting what he wants - I thought he'd convinced the concierge to give him a key.. little did I know! I refused to enter the room, thinking that he'd stolen the key, once he'd convinced me to enter the room, he opened the wardrobe to show me that I had clothes there to stay the night.. 

We walked to the back of the room where there was a huge sliding door overlooking a beautiful lake. Si asked me to step outside but I had a feeling I'd fall over and end up in the lake. He continued to stay behind me which I thought was suspicious, When I turned round to see what he was doing, he was getting on one knee! Absolutely crazy! At that moment it was such a blur, I've since had to ask Si what he said (awkward) - apparently he said 'I think I'm supposed to get on one knee now' and then some lovey stuff which I won't divulge - he isn't one to be soppy in public, hence why it was a very private proposal, which I am also very happy about. 

The rest is history and of course I said yes - after some excited phonecalls and calling my parents (who knew all about it, and were the phantom provider of my clothes for the next day) we left the hotel room and entered the dinner hall, where I was announced as Simon's fiancee. The night was such a blur and I'd relive it over and over again if I could. Turns out everyone knew but me - I'd even seen the confirmation email of the order of my ring! 

Crazy to think that in two years we'll be married.. Here's to counting down!

MY CURRENT EVENING SKINCARE ROUTINE.

I'm a huge fan of changing up my skincare routine - probably a little bit too often but I think that there are so many amazing skincare products out there that I can never decide which ones to use! My skin is extremely fussy and at 23 years old I'm still trying to find the perfect skincare routine for me - I am really enjoying my current routine, although this weekend I used a product which has caused a huge breakout and change in my skins texture so at the moment I'm fighting to get it back to normal!

So the first thing I usually do is remove my eye make up - I do this separately because I wear quite stubborn mascara (and sometimes eyeliner) and I find it much more gentler on the eyes to use a seperate remover first - at the moment I'm using the Clarins Eye Make Up Remover which is a biphase cleanser (oil and water duo) which you have to shake to activate. These are my favourite kinds of eye make up remover as I feel the combination of oil and water help to remove the most stubborn of products. I apply this on a cotton pad and just work into the eyelashes gently to remove. I've also tried eye make up removers from The Body Shop, Vichy, La Roche Posay which I think are all great too!

My next step is my actual cleanser and at the moment (and for a couple of months) has been the Decleor Micellar Oil. Micellar products are a huge thing at the moment and I never really noticed a difference when I was using a micellar water however the minute I started using the Micellar Oil I noticed a dramatic difference in the texture of my skin and I absolutely loved it! I started with a sample size and made my way to the Decleor counter the second the sample ran out! I use a couple of pumps in the palm of my hand and work it into the skin - this acts as a make up remover and kick starts your circulation to boost the skins radiance - I then use some water to turn the oil into a cleansing milk and further cleanse deep into my skin.

I then follow with the Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish which is a facial exfoliant - I use this a couple of times a week just to get rid of any dead skin cells. The Refined Finish contains natural clay and seaweed extract which really helps to purify the skin.A great thing about this product is that you can lather up and leave it on as a mask - a real two in one! Once I've used this, I use the Decleor Micellar Oil again just to clear my skin of any excess microbeads that are left on the surface of the skin.

Once I've done a second cleanse - I pat my face dry and use the La Roche Posay Serozinc which is a spray on zinc sulphate toner. This is designed for oily, blemish prone skin and the way I like to apply is just to spray my entire face and leave to sink into the skin. If I get spray happy, I'll pat away any excess with a dry towel. When used religiously, I really see results from this - I'm not particularly oily but I am extremely blemish prone and that's the side to my skin that I absolutely hate so I love finding products that are aimed at blemish prone skin that actually work!

After toner, I use a serum. I find serum such a luxurious product to use and to be completely honest I didn't need to test many before I found one that I loved - I've tried serums from Decleor, Bare Minerals, Benefit and the Nip + Fab Dragons Blood Fix is by far my favourite. I've been using this for months and I'm on my second bottle now! I just apply two pumps to my fingertips and rub into the skin, leaving to sink in. This contains hyaluronic acid which leaves the skin hydrated and plump, velvet flower which enhances moisture and dragons blood which comforts and restores through hydration. A serum allows any moisturiser to penetrate deeper into the skin and really supercharges your skincare and I really feel the effects of this one!

A night cream I've absolutely fallen head over heels in love with is the Decleor Aromessence Neroli Hydrating Night Balm. This balm works at night to maintain the balance and radiance of tired looking skin. I apply the tiniest amount as I find the scent can be particularly potent at first (I'm not used to all of these natural products and a lot that I have tried have been heavily fragranced) although I have found that the scent does have an impact on my sleep. It contains essential oils of Basil to purify and heal the skin, Neroli to soften and Camomile to prevent the appearance of dark spots and to calm the skin. It also contains Tonka Bean to boost micro-circulation, and a combination of plant oils including avocado, hazelnut and beeswax which helps hydrate and repair the skin. The Night Balm is 100% natural - the product itself is quite a thick consistency, and you do have to wash off in the morning however it leaves you with the most amazing radiant complexion in the morning!

I follow up with my current eye cream which is the Nip + Fab Viper Venom Eye Fix which you can read about here - I also use a little bit of the Witch Blemish Stick on my blemishes (yes, Witch Hazel is an astringent so it is drying on the skin but it works for me and has worked for me for years and years) to really help calm redness or dry them out ready to disappear for the next morning.

Skincare is hugely important for me and I'm still fighting to find my perfect routine which leaves me with perfect, glowing, hydrated, clear skin - so far natural skincare is a winner for me! It's a long long battle - not only do you need good skincare but a pretty good diet and lots of water!

VICHY PORE PURIFYING CLAY MASK.

I was recently contacted by Vichy who wanted know if I would like to try one of their new Mineral face masks! I love a face mask - especially when my skin is suffering and desperately needs a fix so I jumped at the chance! I love Vichy products - they are great for my blemish prone skin!

There are three masks in the collection - the Double Glow Peeling Mask, the Pore Purifying Clay Mask and the Quenching Mineral Mask. All three of them include the famous Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water which contains 15 beneficial Volcanic minerals and is recognised for its remarkable soothing and fortifying properties. The Mineral Masks contain super charged minerals taken from Earth, Water and Rock.  Whatever your skin type or dilemma may be - there's a mask out there for you!

I chose the Pore Purifying Clay Mask. I've tried loads of gel masks but not that many clay ones which is why I was particularly drawn to this one. It's formulated with two types of white clay and of course the Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water. It's aim is to immediately unclog pores and purify oily skin leaving the skin feeling calm, balanced and soft. Now I'm not particularly oily, but I do suffer with clogged pores that often lead to blemishes. This one has Kaolins and Bentonite Clays which help to absorb impurities which I have a lot of at the moment - another major factor in my choosing of this mask.

It also contains:

• Aloe Vera - To soothe and hydrate the skin.
• Allantoin - Extracted from the roots of the perennial comfrey plant to soothe damaged, fragile skin.
• Remineralizing Thermal Water - Reinforces the skins natural moisture barrier, giving it time to regenerate and rebalance.

So I applied mine with a brush - I tend to use a flat foundation brush as these are perfect for applying face masks. Avoiding the eye area, I applied all over my face really focusing on my cheeks as these are currently my problem areas. I left it to dry for five minutes and then washed off using a warm face cloth. 

As clay masks go - this is my favourite one I've tried. I find that some others can leave your face feeling particularly dry and tight, which isn't what I'm looking for - this one left my face feeling hydrated and soft, not to mention my current breakouts looked a lot calmer! 

I absolutely love Vichy products and have a bit of a list to try. You can grab this one at Boots for £14. Have you tried any Vichy products? What are your favourites?

NIP + FAB VIPER VENOM MICRO BLUR FIX.

Anyone that knows me should know of my love for Nip + Fab skincare, but I've recently discovered something new of theirs, the Viper Venom Micro Blur Fix which is essentially a primer. It's one of Kylie Jenner's favourites and anything that's okay for her is definitely okay for me! I absolutely love the scent, and the texture of this product!

I use my hands to apply this, starting in the centre of the face and working outwards. The Viper Venom Micro Blur Fix contains Aesthetic Enhancing Polymers which give a soft focus effect to the skin, and help to reduce the effects of oily skin. It also contains Syn-ake Dipeptides which smooth the skins surface, and Liftonin which reduces the visual appearance of pores - this formula completely changes the appearance of the skin in one application.

I'm not usually a fan of a matte finish, or even a fan of primers that smooth the appearance of the skin but there's definitely something about this product that makes me love it. After application I've even noticed a certain sticky texture to my skin which means that it's really going to make my makeup stick to my face and it does!

This primer has definitely changed my opinion and I'm looking forward to using the entire bottle! Anyone else a Nip + Fab fan? I couldn't live without it!

BENEFIT COSMETICS: BIG EASY MULTI-BALANCING COMPLEXION PERFECTOR.

I recently received the Benefit Cosmetics Big Easy Multi-Balancing Complexion Perfector. I went for shade 4 which is Medium, but this comes in shades 1-6 so it's suitable for a large variety of skin tones.

So the Big Easy is SPF 35 PA +++ (For those who are unaware PA +++ provides good UVA protection - it is the strongest grade of UVA protection available - which is great!) and contains ingredients known to help balance moisture and control oil - the perfect balance! The liquid to powder formula is lightweight and comfortable to wear, whilst providing an amazing coverage - BB creams are notoriously lightweight, and this usually means a light coverage too - however the Big Easy provides more than a light coverage and that's one of the many things that makes it so popular.

I like to moisturise and prime before using mine - be aware that it dries to a powder finish so there's no need to powder after application - you can apply with a brush, sponge or even your fingers!

I've been trying a few BB creams through the Summer months and the Big Easy is amongst my favourites. Does anyone have any recommendations of ones that they have been loving?

NIP + FAB DRAGONS BLOOD HYALURONIC SHOT.

When I first saw that Nip + Fab were bringing out a facial oil I knew I had to try it - I think it's the word 'hyaluronic', it gets me excited! When I saw it was a Superdrug exclusive I began scouring every Superdrug I passed, to no avail. I couldn't find it anywhere and I had to have it! When I finally got it, I was so excited to use it - so excited I took it on holiday with me!

The Nip + Fab Dragons Blood Hyaluronic Shot is designed to rescue thirsty, dehydrated skin. It's an intense moisture concentrate which you can apply directly to the skin as an overnight treatment or you can mix a couple of drops with your daily moisturiser to give that extra shot of hydration. I've used mine both ways, and I think I definitely favour applying directly to the skin as I feel that it gives my skin the hydration it needs after a long day at work - I really like to pamper my skin in the evening as I wear a lot of make up during the day.

I love the texture of this product and it's rapidly becoming one of my favourite Nip + Fab products - I think it's safe to say I'm obsessed, especially with the Dragons Blood range (the serum is my favourite) - using Dragons Blood comforts and restores hydration in the skin, but it also makes me sound like I'm from Game of Thrones or something similar.

If you haven't tried this yet then dig through six Superdrugs until you find it like I did. Then let me know what you think. 

*Small Disclaimer - you can find this in a few other places, however Superdrug has the best price*

WHAT'S IN MY HOLIDAY MAKE UP BAG?

A  holiday make up bag is probably one of the hardest but most fun to pack - not only do you have to take the hotter climate into account, you have to pack enough to last and create as many different looks as necessary. I tried to pack a compact make up bag, and of course, being the over packer that I am, I packed far too much and didn't use half of it!

For a base, I used the Nip + Fab Viper Venom Micro Blur Fix - a mattifying gel primer which smooths the skin - I fell in love with this so look out for a post on this soon! Of course I packed a foundation but never ended up using it - so I used the Vichy Normaderm BB Cream - again something I'd never used but utterly fell in love with. I only used a small amount for the first few days as I ended up getting a lot browner than anticipated. Eventually I was only using the Bourjois Radiance Reveal Concealer - definitely a lot better than I expected. I only used this under the eyes to brighten and blended with a Beauty Blender.

I packed my Benefit Cheekathon Palette to use for blusher and bronzer - this palette is incredible and holds five full size blushers including the infamous Hoola bronzer, Dallas, Dandelion, Coralista and Rockateur. I usually religiously apply Hoola as a transition shade through the crease so this was a must have for me to take with me. My choices of blusher varied from night to night but most nights I used Rockateur or Coralista as they complimented my ever growing suntan the most.

For highlighter there was one choice only and that was the Urban Decay Naked Illuminated in Luminous - I saw it and utterly fell in love, and the gorgeous glittery highlighter is a must for any holiday. It's amazing on the cheekbones and collarbones too!

I mainly focused on eye make up as I wasn't wearing a lot of base due to the fact it wasn't particularly necessary - I packed a couple of Clinique Pop Shadows - Cream Pop and Petal Pop which are two beautiful shimmery shades, one gold tone and one pink tone. I also packed two palettes - one used more than the other and they were the Maybelline Nudes Palettes. I used the darker matte shades to create smokey eye looks each evening. I even used cool tone shades which I never usually do - I'm much more of a brown shadow girl! I lined my upper lids using Benefit's They're Real Push Up Liner as it's a highly pigmented black liner that doesn't smudge, and of course because I wasn't wearing a lot of make up the liner really helped to finish the look. I finished by curling my eyelashes and applied a generous coating of the L'Oreal False Lash Sculpt Mascara which I was apprehensive to try but it's one of the best drugstore mascaras I've ever tried.

Brows really help to frame the face and I've been using Benefit's Ka-Brow! which is 24 hour waterproof wear so perfect for those warm summer nights abroad - I set with Benefit's Ready Set Brow and used Benefit's High Brow (again, there really is nowhere else to go for brow product) to carve out the brow and highlight the browbone.

Finishing off with lip product, I hardly used any and packed loads. I used the Kylie Cosmetics Candy K Lipliner, and the Kylie Cosmetics Lipgloss in So Cute as I love that browny nude colouring. I also used Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lipliner in Pillow Talk as it's a gorgeous natural pink colour.

Admittedly, I'd packed a lot more than this but hardly used it - it's definitely a learning curve packing your holiday make up - I think I just got over excited!

What are your holiday make up must haves?

BENEFIT COSMETICS: DANDELION DEW

I've wanted Benefit's Dandelion Dew for donkeys years. Ok - slight exaggeration but I've wanted it for a long time and as it's an online exclusive it was the first product in my basket when it came to work's A/W Allocation.

I've been really getting into blusher lately - I never really got into them as I always though they would accentuate my chubby cheeks. The Dandelion range from Benefit Cosmetics is absolutely perfect for me as it's a a baby pink so it's not too bright on my cheeks yet still gives a gorgeous pop of colour. The Dandelion Dew is a sheer baby pink liquid formula - the texture is so soft and radiant it gives a gorgeous glow too!

This liquid formula is beautiful and lightweight - I apply mine with a beauty blender but you could apply with your fingertips or a buffing brush. It's definitely buildable too so if you wanted more of a pink cheek glow then just build it up. Overall I love the look this product gives - the Benefit Box O'Powder Blushers are famous - this one is definitely underrated!

I'm absolutely in love with the packaging - I don't think I've ever loved a product's packaging more! 

Have you tried Benefit's blusher range? What's your favourite?

NIP + FAB VIPER VENOM EYE FIX

I've never been an avid eye cream user, and we can blame that on laziness - I don't mind. I can also blame that on the fact that I've yet to find one that I absolutely love, or one that makes a huge difference. With that being said, there's not a lot of difference to make. I'm quite proud of my under eye area if I do say so myself.

So - the eyes. The eye area is delicate and is ten times thinner than the rest of the face. Due to the fact that the skin is thinner, dark circles (or a lack of hydration) is more likely to show there than anywhere else. Your eyes do an average of 10,000 movements a day - isn't that crazy! Meaning that we should all start to look after our eyes - whether you can see problems there or not.

This Nip + Fab Viper Venom Eye Fix is a refreshing eye gel in a roll on style - the cooling applicator helps to reduce puffiness, the Liftonin helps to minimise wrinkles (yes, it's anti-aging) and the Syn-ake (inspired by the potent effect of venom from the Temple Viper) smoothes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This also contains Red Algae Extract which reduces the look of dark circles for a radiance boosting effect.

I can safely say I'm enjoying using this eye gel - although I haven't seen dramatic changes, I have noticed that my under eye concealer doesn't crease as much since I've started using this - meaning that any fine lines I did have are starting to be smoothed out!

Help me complete my quest to find the perfect eye cream - what are your favourites?

BENEFIT COSMETICS - THE CONCEALERS.

I've been searching for the perfect concealers for a long time - concealer was one of the first make up items I ever used, and Fake Up in particular was the first ever Benefit product I ever purchased. I recently received all three concealers from Benefit Cosmetics and I thought I'd write a post to differentiate between the three, and explain why all three are as brilliant as they seem.

First of all - Fake Up. Fake Up is in a stick formula, so straight away there is a huge difference from the other two which are in pans or pots. It has a hydrating ring around the edge of the concealer, and the coverage remains in the middle. This lightweight formula contains Vitamin E and Apple Seed extract to hydrate the under eye area to hide dark circles and diffuse fine lines. Of the three, Fake Up is your most lightweight coverage however when applied correctly it can work wonders. I like to apply mine in a tick shape underneath the eye and blend with my finger.

Boiing is Benefit's 'industrial strength' concealer - and you can see why. Boiing camouflages dark circles, shadows and discolouration and it's my go to concealer for any blemishes as it lasts all day without creasing or fading. I like to apply Boiing with my finger, or a brush using the pinpointing method (brilliant for blemishes). This comes in six shades - so there's a shade for everyone.

Finally, Erase Paste. This is a product I'd wanted to try long before working at Benefit.  It's a concentrated, creamy concealer which is incredible for masking any under eye darkness making stress and fatigue a thing of the past. The pink tone of the concealer counteracts any darkness around the eye giving the perfect brightened look. I apply this with a brush - just a warning to use it sparingly as a little really does go a long way! This comes in three shades meaning that everyone can get their perfect brightened under eye - yay!

All three Benefit Cosmetics concealers in one post - have you ever tried any of these? What did you think?

VICHY NORMADERM BB CLEAR.

I was looking for a BB cream to wear whilst away on holiday, and to wear on weekends if I wanted a light coverage - I wear a lot of makeup through the week and therefore wanted something lighter to wear of a weekend - this is when I went to the Vichy stand in my local Boots. I always associated Vichy with problematic skin, and as I am becoming increasingly blemish prone I decided Vichy was a good place to start. I found their Normaderm BB Clear, which was in two shades and even has an SPF 16 - picking the lighter I decided to give it a try.

The Normaderm BB Clear is listed as a corrective BB cream containing mineral pigments and 2% Salicylic Acid (commonly found in products aimed at problematic skin). It is light which is great for me usually (during and after holiday I found I couldn't use it as I tanned) and it's lightweight to wear - two of my favourite things when looking for a complexion product. I was expecting more skincare than cosmetics and I was proved wrong - the Normaderm managed to even my skin tone and give a radiance rather than a dullness that I have experienced when using other BB creams. To build the coverage, I used a lightweight powder over the top and then finished the rest of my make up and it really worked well.

The Normaderm claims to reduce any blemishes after one month of use, however I didn't get to use it for that long before it became too light - when my long awaited tan fades I'm sure I'll get to test that aspect of the product!

I'm looking forward to trying other Vichy make up products - does anyone have any recommendations?

BENEFIT COSMETICS: THEY'RE REAL BIG SEXY LIP KIT.

The Benefit They're Real Big Sexy Lip Kit is a recent addition to my make up collection and I'm absolutely loving it - it contains four all in one lipstick and lip liners! For any avid Benefit fans, we all know that colour is exciting - and nothing comes more exciting than this lip kit!

This double the lip set creates visibly fuller looking lips in one easy step and that is down to the custom teardrop shape of the lipstick. The teardrop grabs and defines your lip line and fills in with beautiful colour! The top third is a darker colour - that part acts as the lip liner! Use the tear drop upwards on the top lip, and upside down on the bottom lip - it really is that easy!

The lipsticks come in four colours; Flame Game which is a gorgeous coral, Pink Thrills which is a beautiful bright pink, Revved-Up Red which is a bright red, and Lusty Rose which is my favourite, and is a natural rose toned pink.

They are super easy to apply and super long lasting for up to eight hours! For £24.50 that works out as £6.13 per lipstick - bargain!

These guys have only been out for a couple of weeks and are only available to buy as a set - get out there and get them, or regret it!

Have you tried any of Benefit's lip colours before? What's your favourite?