Blog Post Look Back

For today's post I thought that I would have a look back over the blog posts I have done so far this year. I like to look back over my posts as I find it interesting to read my previous posts and see how they have changed over time. So I thought I would share some of the posts I enjoyed rereading and maybe you would too, or if you are new to my blog this can be a good way to look over some of my past posts.

 Problems Only Beauty Lovers Will Understand

Confessions Of A Mini Beauty Haul

Nails of the Day

Pink Beauty Haul

2nd Blogiversary

Hairstyle Inspiration

Eyebrows 101

New Blog Design

I hope you enjoyed these posts. What type of blog posts do you enjoy reading?

Love Bella x 

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Pink Beauty Haul

I recently made a trip to boots as I wanted to try out some new products and as there are offers on at the moment I thought that it would be the perfect time to pick up some new products to try. With the added bonus that all of the products I bought were pink!

After trying the Superfacialist rose face wash I really wanted to try out some more of the products in that range. So I picked up the rose hydrate mask and night cream. (At the moment the Superfacialist range is on offer in boots and with these products you save £5!)
I also picked up an Essie polish that I have had my eye on for a while now. It is the shade 'lovie dovie' and is a beautiful flamingo pink colour. Lastly a good old trusty favourite of mine, batiste dry shampoo in 'blush'. I got it in the mini size so it is perfect to pop in my handbag and ready for when I want to give my hair a quick refresh on the go.

What pink products have you bought recently?

Love Bella x 

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Links I'm Loving

Links below from left to right

A quicker way to curl your hair

An easier way to create marble nail art

Might have to try out some face yoga!

Different ways to use jars

A great blog post for deciding who to vote for in the election

The right way that you should be exfoliating

Portion control for beauty products

The best food based Instagram!

What links have you been loving recently?
Love Bella x 

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Hair Product Haul

I have recently been more interested in hair care/styling products. Whenever I'm out shopping I usually but more beauty/make up related products but this time I bought more hair products, so of course I decided to do a little haul! I know that I haven't got a whole lot but I want to try a few things first then try other things in stages so that I don't have an overwhelming amount of new products to try!

So onto the hair products that I bought:

Batiste Dry Shampoo - Fresh
I love the Batiste dry shampoos, so when my current one was close to running out, I thought that I would try out a different scented one. Before this one my favourite was the Oriental one but I have given this one a quick try and I do really like this scent.

V05 Give Me Texture Instant Oomph Powder
My hair can be quite flat at times so I am on the search for something to give me some volume. I decided to pick this one up after a recommendation I was given when I last had my hair cut. You just put a little of the powder onto your roots and rub in (a bit like dry shampoo) and it add some volume.

Umberto Giannini Backcomb In A Bottle
Again another product to add some volume. I picked up the small travel size one to try first then if I liked it I would do back and buy it full size. This product was recommended to me in a beauty bloggers chat by a few people so I thought it would be worth trying out!

Umberto Giannini Beauty Secrets Beauty Balm
Lastly I picked up this overnight moisture balm. It has quite a lot of good reviews so again I thought I would give this a try and hopefully it will give me gorgeous locks!

Have you tried any of these products? What hair products have you bought recently?

Love Bella x 

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Beauty Product Empties

I have come to the end of a few beauty products recently, so I thought that I would do another empties post for you! 

Benefit Fakeup concealer 

This is probably one of my holy grail products at the moment. I really love this concealer, in fact when I was coming to the end of this one I told myself that I would try and use up some of the other concealers I have before buying a new one. However that didn't quite work out and I have already repurchased! Whoops! I also have a review on this if you want to know some more about it. 

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes (already have!)
Product rating out of 5: 5/5

Benefit They're real mascara

Much like fakeup this has been my go to mascara for a while. I always have one in my makeup collection. However there are so many mascaras that I hear are really good so I have put off repurchasing to try some others. 

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Not at the moment as want to try other mascaras, but in the future yes
Product rating out of 5: 4/5

TRESemme Ultimate hold hairspray

I don't tend to use hairspray a lot but when I do this is the one I always go for. I don't like the sticky or crunchy feel that some hairspray can be. However this one holds my hair in place and doesn't leave that horrible sticky or crunchy feel, hooray! 

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes
Product rating out of 5: 5/5

Sanex Zero deodorant

The reason I bought this deodorant was because I heard that normal deodorants contain quite a few bad for skin ingredients, so when I read a review on this one I thought I would give it a try. I think that it was well worth trying, I really like this deodorant and I also like knowing that I'm using something that is better for my skin too!

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes (already have!)
Product rating out of 5: 4/5

Boots Build up removal shampoo

I also bought this after reading a few good reviews. I like to use this around once a month or when ever I feel my hair needs an extra refresh. It basically removes any build up of hair products left leaving hair squeaky clean. It is a bit of a tricky product to get hold of though as it is difficult to find online so going in store is your best bet!

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes (already have!)
Product rating out of 5: 4/5

Have you tried any of these products? What products have you come to the end of recently? 

Love Bella x 

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Hairstyle Inspiration

Left - Right

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

When it comes to trying out new hairstyles I never know where to start, so Pinterest becomes my best friend for inspiration. There are so many pretty hairstyles to try and I have put together a few of my favourite braided hairstyles.  There are also so many useful how to pins on creating so many different hairstyles for all types of hair too. 

I feel that I need to be a bit more adventurous with my hairstyles sometimes as it can get a bit boring wearing my hair the same way all the time. So I have decided that I will try out some different styles, you never know I may find my new go to hair look! If you are interested in the hairstyles and hairstyle how to's I have pinned you can have a look over at my Pinterest 'Hair' board.

What is your favourite place to find hairstyle inspiration? 
Love Bella x 

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Beauty Product Empties

Well as you might have already guessed I have finished a few beauty products recently! What better way to celebrate than to do my first product empties post! I am so proud of myself for actually finishing beauty products as I quite often forget about a product then find it again much later, and by that time it usually needs to be thrown out. So I have been very determined to get better at finishing products and I have managed to finish quite a few. Well enough rambling from me and onto the products!

Simple eye make up remover

If you know me you will already know how much I love simple products! One of my favourites from this brand has to be this eye make up remover! It removes make up so well and even stubborn waterproof mascara! 

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes (already have!)
Product rating out of 5: 5/5


TRESemme heat defence spray

It is so important to protect your hair from any heat, and I have been using this spray from TRESemme. I like to use this spray with any heat tools, blow dry, straightening, curling, the lot! It is so easy to use and I love that it has a UV filter and also protection up to quite a high temperature! 

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes (again I already have!)
Product rating out of 5: 5/5


Batiste dry shampoo

I really like the batiste dry shampoo's. They are so good to have at hand when you want to give your hair a quick refresh, and they have such pretty scents as well! I do find though that if you apply too much it can be difficult to completely rub in.

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes 
Product rating out of 5: 4/5


Norwegian formula hand cream 

I get really dry skin and often find it very difficult to find a hand cream that will moisturise my skin enough. I also really hate the greasy feeling that hand creams have so when I found this one I was so happy. It moisturises well and really does absorb quickly! It is perfect for the upcoming winter months too! 

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes (already have!)
Product rating out of 5: 5/5


Maybelline the rocket mascara

I have been impressed with the Maybelline mascara's and this one is one of my favourites. I have the waterproof one and I think it I better than the non waterproof as I have found it lasts longer and also does't 'fall' down giving that dreaded panda eye look! As good as it is though I still prefer some of the 'higher end' mascara's as they last a lot longer and have a bit more omph, however this is a great non expensive mascara!

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes
Product rating out of 5: 3.5/5


Maybelline gel eyeliner

I really like the gel eyeliner and for me it is easy to apply with some practice. I like the brush that is included but also found that using an angled brush works well too. It lasts well throughout the day and is also easy enough to remove.

Did I like using this product? Yes
Will I repurchase this? Yes
Product rating out of 5: 4/5

What products have you finished recently?

Love Bella x 

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A Lush Wishlist

There have been a lot of Lush hauls around at the moment and with the release of the new Halloween and Christmas items I have been even more inspired to create a wishlist of some products from Lush that I would love to try! So onto the products I have chosen! Some of them I have read some good reviews of on other blogs, some from hauls videos and others are ones I have spotted in the shop and like the sound of! I have listed below each product from left to right.

American Cream - Conditioner I Dream Time - Bath Melt I Northern Lights - Bath Bomb I Sparkly Pumpkin - Bubble Bar I Popcorn - Lip Scrub  I Dreamwash - Shower Smoothie I Ultimate Shine - Shampoo Bar I Rub Rub Rub - Shower Scrub I Fresh Farmacy - Facial Wash

What Lush products do you have your eye on at the moment? 
Love Bella x 

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You Beauty Discovery Box

This month I ordered a You Beauty Discovery Box. I have wanted to see what this little box was like for a while but have always left it too late in the month to order so a lot of the samples had already sold out. However this month I went over to the site at the beginning of the month and ordered my first box! 

So how does this box work? Well there is a selection of products to choose from some are sample size and full size. As well as your choice of two products from the list you also get some other samples to try in the box. There is also a magazine included in the box.

The two products I picked are the Pixi eyeliner and the Eyeko eye patches (both sample sizes). Also included is a Toni & Guy volume plumping whip, make up sponge, Hello Fresh £25 card and Crabtree & Evelyn teas. 

I am very excited to try out these different products. I am impressed with this beauty box and and think it is a very good value for money. I really like that you can choose some of the samples as you know that you will get something you want to try, as well as some surprise products too!  

What do you think of the You Beauty box? 
Love Bella x 

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August Favourites

It is now the end of August, and that means favourites time! I haven't worn a lot of makeup over the summer and have mainly been focusing in skincare. However I have been trying out different eye looks. So onto my favourites for this month.

Simple Eye Make-up Remover This is the best eye make-up remover I have used. It is gentle on the eyes and it removes all eye makeup easily without having to scrub away at the delicate eye area, it even removes waterproof mascara really well. 

Simple Protecting Moisture Cream I really like this moisturiser, it has SPF 30 and UVA and UVB protection which is really important to protect your skin. I also like that it doesn't have a heavy, greasy feel that other moisturisers and sun protection product have. 

Benefit POREfessional This is a lovely primer and has been featured many times on my blog. It is great for keeping make up in place and also for the days when I don't want to wear a lot of makeup. 

Nails inc The Perfect Nude - Charlotte Street This polish was featured in my nails of the day post this month. It really is the perfect nude colour and with lots of nail loving ingredients it means that when my nails are in need of a bit of care I can still wear a nail polish! 

Eco Tools Brush This is a really nice brush. The eco tools brushes are good quality and have soft bristles and don't scratch away at the eyes. I really like this brush as it has two different brushes on each end, one end for the crease and the other for smudging. 

Hair Clip With the warmer weather we have had I have I have been using this clip to keep my hair out of my face without having to tie my hair up in a ponytail all the time. I just section the front part of my hair that falls onto my face and clip it up. 

What has been your favourites this month?

Love Bella x 

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Beauty This or That Tag

Hello beauties I really enjoy doing tag posts so I when I came across the this or that tag on a few blogs I decided that I would do it too! Just quickly a bit of information about this tag, for this tag there are two options and you have to choose which one you prefer/would choose over the other. So onto the tag!

Make up:

Blush or bronzer - Blush

Lip gloss or lipstick - Lipgloss

Eye liner or mascara - Mascara

Foundation or concealer - Concealer

Neutral or colour eye shadow - Neutral

Pressed or loose eye shadows - Pressed

Brushes or sponges - Brushes

Nails:

OPI or China glaze - OPI (as haven't tried any china glaze polishes)

Long or short - Short

Acrylic or natural - Natural 

Brights or dark's - Brights

Body:

Perfume or body splash - Perfume

Lotion or body butter - Lotion

Body wash or soap - Body wash

Lush or other bath company - Lush

Hair:

Curly or straight - Curly

Bun or ponytail - Ponytail

Bobby pins or butterfly clips - Bobby pins

Hair spray or gel - Hair spray

Long or short - Long

Up or down - Down

Have you done this tag? What would you answer to these questions? 
Love Bella x 

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Collective Beauty Haul

Hello there! It feels like ages since I did my last haul post all the way back in March, and as I haven't really been buying at lot recently I thought that I could collect together the products I have bought and share them with you in a collective haul! 

To start with my most recent purchase of two new Essie shades! Yes that's right I am still adding to my Essie collection! The first colour I got is 'splash of grenadine' I have seen this colour at lot recently and every time I saw it I knew that it would be a colour I would love wearing, (and I was right as I have already worn it a lot)! The next polish is a top coat with sparkly bits in it called 'sparkle on top'. It is so pretty and I love a good sparkly top coat! 

Next up the Simple kind to skin + Illuminating radiance cream. It says that it includes 'Instant radiance boost, infused with multi-vitamins, skin loving ingredients and light reflecting minerals for immediate natural radiant looking skin with UVA/UVB SPF 15 protection. Perfect even for sensitive skin.' I have tried it a couple of times so far but will try it for a bit longer before I write a review on it. 

Onto the Batiste XXL volume dry shampoo. My current dry shampoo is coming to an end and as I love batiste I thought that I would try this one. My hair is very flat so adding volume is a definite must, so what better way than to try this dry shampoo that will add some volume too! 

Of course I also got some makeup too, so lets start with the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation. I have wanted to try this foundation ever since it first came out but the lightest shade they had was too dark for my pale skin! All I ever heard was people raving about this foundation and I was very upset that I couldn't try it. I was so happy when they released a lighter shade and after searching around I finally found it in stock and bought it straight away! I have tried it a few times since but will save my thoughts on it for a review post! 

Another thing I have been after for some time is a felt tip liner. I looked into pretty much every eyeliner available but decided on this one from Bourjois. I decided to get this one as It came in more than one colour than black as I prefer using a brown eyeliner to black.

I also picked up a Tanya Burr lipgloss. Even though I am not a big lover of lip products I much prefer lipglosses to lipstick and thought it would be nice to wear in the summer months. I got the colour 'Aurora' which is a really pretty pink, I also love the name of it! 

Lastly I got a Rimmel hide the blemish concealer. It was featured in my May favourites so if you would like to know a bit more about it definitely go and have a read. To sum up I was in need of a concealer and I re-found an old favourite. I really like this for use under my eyes as it is very good at hiding dark circles! 

Have you tried any of these products? What have you bought recently?

Love Bella x 

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Selfridges Beauty Project Box

Hello beauties! I have a very exciting post for you today and, as you might have already guessed it has a little something to do with the Selfridges beauty project! Yes that's right I managed to get my hands on one of the amazing Selfridges beauty project boxes! I didn't manage to get the box last year, but I am glad that I got this year's one as I much prefer it. There are 14 products in total in the box, some full sized and some sample sized. Now then on to whats inside!

First up, hair care.
Phyto 7 day cream which is a leave in conditioner. You can apply it to wet or dry hair and it is said to add shine, increase hydration and prevent split ends. 
Percy and Reed no-fuss fabulousness dry shampoo I have heard some good things about Percy and Reed products so I am looking forward to trying this out. 
Original tangle teezer is a very well known and loved hairbrush. It is the perfect little brush to take with you on the go and also good for popping in your beach bag.

Now onto the skin care products. 
EOS Berry Hand Cream I have wanted to try some of the EOS products fro a while now so I am looking forward to using this and seeing what it is like. It also has such a pretty scent!
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is a rice based powder, which when mixed with water creates a paste. You then massage this paste over your face for around 1 minute, then rinse off. I am so excited about this product as after I had heard a few other bloggers talking about it I knew I had to try it out! 
Lancaster Silky Milk Tanning Lotion is a sun protector and moisturizing cream for use on face and décolleté. 
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser is a gentle foaming cleanser which is pH-balanced. It is said to work for all skin types so i'm hoping my sensitive skin will like it! Kiehl's is another brand that I have been wanting to try, so another perfect addition to the box.
Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Wipes, now these are some fancy face wipes. They have a citrus and vanilla scent and include skin care benefits like brightening, firming and repairing the skin to name a few. I think that these would be the perfect little packet to have in your bag for on the go. 
Carmex Limited Edition Lip Balm, now I get very dry lips and i'm always on the hunt for a good lip balm. I haven't tried any of carmex lip balms yet but as it has been around for 75 years it must be good! 

Last but not least makeup! 
Paul and Joe Blotting Paper, firstly I love the design on the packaging for this, it is perfect for summer! As I have dry skin I haven't really needed to use blotting papers but as it is coming up to the summer months I have noticed that my skin has started to get a little bit oily on my t-zone, so will be great to have at hand for a very hot day!
Eyeko Mini Black Magic Mascara, eyeko is another brand that I have been interested in trying, but as it is quite expensive I have put off trying it as i don't like to spend a lot on a product that i don't know if I will like, so this sample sized mascara is perfect!
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, I know that this primer is well loved by many people and as after I found my love for the POREfessional, I haven't really tried many other primers. So it will be interesting to see what this is like (and if I prefer it to the POREfessional)!
Nars Mini Blusher, how cute is this little blusher! The Nars sheer glow foundation has been on my wishlist for ages, and my shade is never in when I have the money saved aside so I was very excited about this little Nars product! I think that this blush is great for popping in your bag or traveling as it is so small and also includes a mirror in the lid!

Lastly this limited edition make up bag, because you are going to need something to keep all these products in!

What product would you most like to try from this box?
Love Bella x 

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Instagram Round Up

May Love Me Beauty box - Skincare Treats - Benefit's 'From Lee Lee With Love' tin

Shades of purple polish - Some Sunday pampering treats - Pretty floral nails

Loving this palette right now - Saturday shampooing - April Love Me Beauty box

My Essie nail polish collection - Pretty pink rose - The five product face


What have you been up to this month? 
Love Bella x 

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