soap and glory gift set review♡

   

With all the festivities and Christmas shopping happening this season it's very rare for me to spend money on makeup so close to Christmas. However, whilst buying presents for friends and family from Soap and Glory beauty I noticed that they had an amazing offer where if you spend £15 than you can get a gift set of makeup which is worth £25. It was a no brainer - spending money on Christmas presents whilst getting a special treat for myself?! I'm in! Hopefully, this offer is still on, if not definitely keep your eye out for these future deals in Boots and Superdrug. 

The first thing in this gift set is the 'Love At First Blush' blusher. It originally retails for £11 so to get it in this set is such a bargain. The compact itself is adorable and although the photograph doesn't do it justice, the pink areas on the compact actually glisten much like the blusher itself! The blusher itself has lots of different segments of colour that when all swirled together create a very shimmery light pink shade. Although, the blusher itself is gorgeous, it has to be applied sparingly as it has the highlighting quality and you don't want to walk out looking like a glittery disco ball! It definitely gives you an illuminated glow to the cheek bones and makes you look really 'alive.' It's such a beautiful shade and will definitely be much loved in the Spring and Summer months. 

Next up is the Thick and Fast mascara which retails for a pricey £10.50. I am absolutely in love with this mascara. On the first coat it gives me lots of length and on the second coat it really does make my lashes look thick and provides lots of volume. I also love the sleek gold packaging. The wand is a bristle brush not plastic which I really like! This is one of the first bristle brush wand mascaras I have used in the last year and I will definitely be looking into trying more. 

I am a massive fan of chubby sticks so I was more than excited to sample one of the ever so loved Sexy Mother-Pucker gloss sticks. I have to say I was a little bit worried to find out the colour was a red as I am not the biggest fan of a strong bold lip. However, the colour did not disappoint. The gloss stick is called 'Berry Gorgeous' and appears a bright red colour in the stick, however on the lips in comes out more of a blood-orange sort of shade. It's also not overly pigmented and is such a glossy sheer consistency. I absolutely love this and because of how little you get in the tube it means I will definitely be using this up! I am so impressed. They also smell of vanilla which is delicious. 

Emily x

deck the halls♡

It's finally December and after months of wishing the Christmas and festive season to arrive it finally has! One of my favourite things to do is decorate for Christmas and although this post is being uploaded in December I actually decorated my Christmas tree in my room in November. I just thought I would share with you a selection of photographs about how I'm decking the halls this Christmas time!

(This post is part of a little blogger series I'm taking part in called the "secret blogger project 2015" run by teen bloggers Emily , Rebekka and Charlotte. About 30 of us will be writing twice a week on selected little lifestyle topics and you can also go onto the twitter and Instagram hash tag "#secretbp2015" to have a little chat and view everyone's posts. If you would like to join or know more (we'd love to have you!)  Instagram dm @theperks0fbeingemily or if you don't have Instagram, send a quick email to  rebekkarosebeautyxo@gmail.com!)

Emily x

fleur de force beauty review♡

I'm back, finally after so long! Over my weeks away I had a case of the flu and was feeling very sorry for myself so I did a bit of retail therapy to help cheer me up. I popped on to the Feel Unique website and made an order for Fleur De Force's beauty products. Fleur is a YouTuber and blogger who I have been watching for a few years. The launch of her beauty products really excited me and I couldn't resist so had a little spend on Feel Unique...

The first thing I adore about these products is there classy packaging. Compared to other beauty YouTuber's and branding this looks really sleek. I really love the pop of the metallic space grey. It also suits all ages. Unlike other brands sometimes the packaging appeals to a more younger audience but Fleur has really adapted it and made it appeal to a larger age group of people. 

The first product I picked up was the Lunar Rose eyeshadow quad. I was debating as to which one to buy as Fleur has two in the range - Cosmic Bronze and Lunar Rose. Cosmic Bronze is more of a brown and bronze pallet and out of the two colour choices, I thought this pallet was more seasonally appropriate and I wear pinky tones a lot on my eyes. Unlike other pinky pallets I have tried such as the Naked 3, the tones in this pallet are more cool based. They have that frosty look to them and they are so different to anything else I own. It also comes with a small eyeshadow brush which is perfect to line the bottom lash line. The pallet is also a really lovely makeup bag size which makes it ideal for a weekend away or a holiday. This will definitely be my pallet of choice for my Disneyland trip next month :) 

So now for the shades! The first shade (top left) is a light demure pink and the finish is matt. I use this as a base colour all over the lid. It's very sheer and subtle, although it can be worn on it's own and still look noticeable. The second shade (top right) is this beautiful rose gold colour which is very metallic and shimmery. It looks beautiful as an all over the lid colour. The third shade (bottom left) is a shimmery frosty pink with a hint of lilac. This is lovely as an all over the lid colour or in the inner corners of the eyes to brighten. The last shade (bottom right) is my favourite! I absolutely adore this colour. I didn't think this would be my favourite shade at all because it looks very dark and vampy but alas I have worn this many times as a crease colour. It is a gorgeous burgundy-purple with subtle gold shimmer and although it looks like a very dark colour, it's not as pigmented which is a major plus as it looks more subtle as a crease colour. This pallet has some stunning shades in it. The only downside is they don't have names which I think would have been lovely to make the pallet a bit more personal!

I also picked up one of Fleur's lip glosses. I have previously tried Tanya Burr's lip glosses and they didn't really work for me as they were very thick and sticky so I was a bit hesitant, however, Fleur did not disappoint! The lip glosses have such a different formula than any I have tried. Lip glosses aren't my favourite lip products as I find that they can be a bit messy and can get everywhere but I actually really love this one. The consistency and the formula is perfect for me. Like Fleur describes, they are a cross between a gloss and a liquid lipstick. The formula is creamy, it has the perfect amount of stickiness and it is also moisturising on the lips. It smells like sweet vanilla which is such a beautiful scent as I find a lot of lip glosses that I have tried have a Calpol scent or have a fruity scent which I am not a fan of as it just makes me feel sick. The scent is so delectable - it makes me want to eat cake every time I put this lip gloss on! 

There are six different shades in the lipstick range. Fleur has really thought of all the colours. There's a light pink, a classic red, a berry-toned pink, a bright pink, a coral and the one that I chose which is a rosy nude pink called 'Written In the Stars.' I will just mention that I love how Fleur has personalised them with linking the names to stars. I feel like it's a really personal touch. In the swatch, 'Written in the Stars' looks a bit orange-toned but it's really not. It's a perfect nude pink. It's such a wearable everyday shade and it's right up my street. I love the rosy pinks as on me they are a 'your lips but better colour'. The pigmentation is good for a lipgloss. I feel like it gives the right amount of colour but it is also sheer depending on the amount you apply. 

I hope you enjoyed this review and let me know if you have tried any of Fleur's new products :) 

Emily xx

my blogging break♡

Hello my blog readers,

You may have been wondering where I have been recently and I have popped on here just to inform you all about my absence!
 I am currently on a BLOGGING BREAK...dun dun dun....

I have several mocks and important things in the upcoming weeks and although blogging is one of my favourite things to do in my spare time I feel as though I need a break. Over the past year, I have been on a roll with blogging every week but I feel as though I need to take a few weeks off to re-think my blog and come up with fresh content as well as prioritising revision etc.  I will be back after all my mocks are over and I can spend time into preparing new posts for you all.

Thank you so much for all your support over the years!

Emily xx

an autumn lush haul♡

Whoops..what can I say. I love Lush and ever since I heard the final release dates I was counting down the days 'til I could get my hands on the new products. I adore all things Christmas based and all things bath based. I basically wanted a massive excuse to go into Lush and spend my money.  I tried to pick the least Christmassy things and tried to lean towards the more Autumn products..which is basically my excuse to go into Lush and buy the Christmas stuff at a later date! 

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar 

This is a returning classic for me. It's the Candy Mountain bubble bar which has the classic Snow Fairy scent which is a sickly sweet candy smell. I love Snow Fairy in small doses, otherwise it gives me a headache. This bubble bar is a pink and white mountain with slight shimmer on the outside. If you didn't know, you break off a piece of this bubble bar and then crumble it under running water which creates lots of bubbles!

Butter Bear Bath Bomb 

I love this so much! This was one of my favourites from last years Christmas range. Butter Bear bath bomb is the Butterball scent in a bear shape. It smells like subtle vanilla and contains cocoa butter chunks which melt in the bath and leave your skin feeling silky smooth. I really recommend this for the non-glitter and non-colour lovers or for those with sensitive skin because it has amazing qualities and it is just plain white. I will continue to purchase this over and over this festive period. 

Cinders Bath Ballistic 

This is a bath ballistic I have never owned before and I don't know why because I love the smell! It smells like hot fruit punch or mulled wine. It smells a little spicy and a little fruity. I think I read somewhere that it contains popping candy so it sounds like a fireplace crackling. I am excited to use this. I'm guessing it turns your bath an orangey shade!

Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar 

I'm not always as keen on the Halloween ranges at Lush but this caught my fancy last year and I never bought it! I'm so happy I did this time round. The sparkly pumpkin is a pumpkin shape covered in gold glitter. It looks so pretty! It's quite a citrusy scent. It contains juniperberry, lime oil and grapefruit oil. It's not exactly a warming festive smell but it is quite refreshing. I wish they had made it smell like pumpkin pie or something!

Star Dust Bath Bomb

This is a new release from Lush this year. It's another bath bomb. It's plain white on the outside but the lady in Lush said it contains stars and underneath you can see a bit of blue. This smells like vanilla like Butterbear but it's a bit fresher as it contains Rosewood and Bergamot oil. 

Yog Nog Bath Bomb

This turned my white pillow a powdered orange colour...whoops! I believe this is a new release as I believe it was a soap before. It smells like christmas baking and caramel and contains lovely ingredients like clove bud oil which make it smell like Christmas. I also read that it contains cocoa butter which acts like a bath melt and makes your skin silky smooth! It turns your bath a bright yellow shade. 

Emily x

autumn essentials: lipsticks♡

Autumn lipsticks! The time to branch out from the corals and the pinks and brave the deeper berry tones. I don't know if my lipstick taste is particularly adventurous. I can't pull off a classic red lip but I can get away with berry pinks! I also have one of my favourite nude lipsticks and a lip balm thrown in for good measure!

Revlon Colourburst Balm in 001 Honey♡

I recently bought this balm stain because I have been after a berry toned darker nude pink colour for a while. I love the laquer balms from Revlon which are glossy and packed with glitter so I was a bit hesitant as to whether the original collection would be as good however, I was so impressed with this as I thought it would be more on the drying side but this is equally as glossy as the Laquer balms but with no shimmer. This is so moisturising and I adore the colour. 

Collection Cream Puff in Cotton Candy♡

I did a full review of this lip cream back in the Summer but to keep it short and sweet - I really love this colour because I think it's a lovely pink. It is also really long-lasting because it has a dry matt effect, however, it's not drying. It's a velvety formula and is really moisturising on the lips. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie♡

This trusty lip butter has been in my makeup stash for a long 'ol time. It's one of those really wearable lip shades that are so pretty. It's a darker berry pink shade and is definitely the glossiest out of all of these products. Because of it's buttery formula, it's really moisturising and looks glossy. 

Mac lipstick in Hue♡

I really love Hue as it's a really wearable nude shade. It's not the most 'autumnal' lipstick but I have been wearing it a lot. As it's a glaze, it gives your lips a wash of colour. It is really glossy and pretty. It's not overly pigmented but I really love it for an everyday nude shade.

Baby Lips Dr Rescue in Too Cool♡

I love lip balms and in Autumn and Winter, lip balms are needed especially! This is one of my favourites. It's so moisturising and has a medicine kind of smell which feels like it's really working!

From left: Revlon Colourburst balm, Collection Cream Puff, Revlon Lip Butter and Mac's Hue.

Emily xx

(This post is part of a little blogger series I'm taking part in called the "secret blogger project 2015" run by teen bloggers Emily , Rebekka and Charlotte. About 30 of us will be writing twice a week on selected little lifestyle topics and you can also go onto the twitter and Instagram hash tag "#secretbp2015" to have a little chat and view everyone's posts. If you would like to join or know more (we'd love to have you!)  Instagram dm @theperks0fbeingemily or if you don't have Instagram, send a quick email to  rebekkarosebeautyxo@gmail.com!)

autumn outfits: comfy and casual♡

I love Autumnal outfits and dressing for the season. I also feel like Autumn is the time to wear really cosy, casual and warm pieces of clothing that are just really easy to 'throw' on and go out in. I also roped in my sister to give me a hand and to show you her favourite autumn casual/comfy outfit!

My Outfit♡

I like to call this jumper sort of the 'boggy'/'mustard' jumper because it is quite an odd colour. However, I think this colour is very autumnal and the jumper itself is so warm and cosy.

Jumper - H&M

Jeggings - H&M

Boots - Primark

Sophie's Outfit♡

Sophie is wearing this beautiful dress that I also have myself! I love the blue, peach, orange and cream flowers. It's an all seasons dress but looks especially autumnal with a cosy cardigan!

Dress - New Look

Cardigan - Primark 

Emily x

                                                     

the library of fragrance review♡

I never really review fragrances on my blog because I generally stick to the same scents but seeing as I now have some new fragrances in my collection, I thought I would review them for you!

These two delicious scents are from The Library of Fragrance which is a very different and interesting brand! It is basically a Library of Fragrance. What I love about these scents is they have a scent to suit everybody. They have created over 300 different weird and wonderful scents, 101 are available via there website and a selection of favourites are available in Boots stores across the UK. They are also currently on a deal in Boots where you can buy 2 for £25, otherwise they retail for £15 each. The Library of Fragrance scents are created as singular individual fragrances which are designed to be suitable to layer and create new scents.

So the scents I own are - 

Vanilla Ice Cream♡

Vanilla Ice Cream is a warming vanilliary sweet scent. It is quite strong and from others opinions, many people think it is quite overpowering when you first put it on. To me, it smells delicious because I am a big vanilla fan. I also find that it has a slight gingerbread undertone to it as well. 

Cherry Blossom♡

I have had the most compliments on Cherry Blossom. It's a lovely fresh scent. It is also a little sweet and floral too. It smells like freshly washed hair or a fresh Spring morning. It's really uplifting too. 

Packaging♡

The packaging is very sleek and simple. I love how they have a band of colour so the scent stands out. They are also contained in bottles suitable for travelling and taking in your handbag. I love taking these in my bag for school etc. 

Staying Power♡

I did the famous staying power test. The scent 'Cherry Blossom' lasted for 5 hours on it's own. The scent 'Vanilla Ice Cream' lasted for about 4 hours. Personally, I think that it's a good amount of time and usually, people top up scents throughout the day anyway. And as these are the perfect handbag size there is no worries about taking these in your bag. 

Have you tried any of the scents from The Library of Fragrance? 

Emily xx