Pick of the Peachy Pouts

My go to lip is a healthy, peachy, glossy finish. I'm going to give you a lowdown of my two current faves; one high end, and one cheap as chips! So let us commence...

Rimmel Vynil Gloss Hippy Spirit- £4.99

I really like this lipgloss because it isn't at all sticky or tacky, and you don't get the problem of biscuit crumbs clinging to your lips; meaning I can wear a glossy lip, and munch on crumbly snacks - what could be better? But anyway, my eating habits aside, it's really comfortable to wear, not very pigmented; but just what you need for a natural peachy nude sheer glossy pout! I prefer to wear this during the daytime as it has a very subtle shimmer. It doesn't last long on the lips, but what gloss does? So for the price this is pretty good!

Yves Saint Laurent Golden Gloss 30- £22

I love this, and it is a real treat to wear; as with everything from YSL! This is much more shimmery than the Rimmel offering above; with flecks of gold glitter running through, which stay on your lips even after the gloss has worn off. The really high shine finish makes your lips look plump, without feeling sticky. I do prefer this for the evening, as it is a little too glossy for the daytime. This smells amazing too (why do I always mention the smell?!). 

Overall I think the YSL golden gloss is my favourite, but it should be at over four times the price! If I'm honest though, if I were to buy more shades from either range, unless I won the lottery, it would be the Rimmel Vynil Glosses, purely to save the pennies (or pounds!).

Do you have any lipgloss formulas you love? 

But for now! 

M x

Product of the week #3

This week I have been loving 'OPI Cajun Shrimp'. The picture doesn't really show the colour well due to the lighting, and nor does the one on their website, but if you look at the two, the actual shade is somewhere in the middle! 

Not only do I love this colour, a sort of coraly, reddish, orangey pink; but I would just like to take a moment to announce how much I freaking love OPI polishes! They have a flat brush, which I love (why don't all nail polishes have these???), they're so so pigmented that you could get away with one coat if you're in a hurry (but I went for two just for the sake of it), and omg the application actually makes me enjoy painting my nails; a task usually resulting in me becoming incredibly frustrated from streaks, smudges and all round messy application! Last but certainly not least, these polishes are so durable, I went five days without any chips at all, a record for someone who can barely usually go one day. Their staying power is probably also down to being paired with my 'OPI Natural Nail Base Coat', and 'Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat'; two of my nail painting staples. I will definitely be extending my OPI collection, as I think they're worth forking out that extra little bit of money; and there are so many colours to choose from! You can always also find them a bit cheaper than the usual £11.50 online, so there's no excuse not to try them!

Do you recommend any shades, or maybe you have a brand of nail polishes you love? Let us know!

Bye for now! 

M x

Empty Products...

I love a good empties post as I feel they show the products people really like, enough to use all the way to the end, rather than the ones raved about for the sake of raving. You'll notice the majority of these are hair products, as I seem to go through them like anything with my fairly long, very thick hair; but there is a range of other good stuff too! 

VO5 Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo

I hate washing my hair, so dry shampoo is something I find myself reaching for quite often in a quest to prolongue the interval between washes! This one is my favourite; it smells AMAZING, isn't too heavy in my hair, and I must be on at least my fourth bottle which shows how much I love it! 

Repurchased? Yes

Aussie Dual Personality Coloured Hair Protection + Shine Serum

This too smells amazing, and I have also gone through a fair few of these too! I run it through my damp hair after every wash, and it's also light enough to use a tiny bit in dry hair to take away any frizziness and leave it soft and shiny.

Repurchased? Yes

Tressemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray

This really helped to smooth down my split ends, and gave my hair a healthy shine.

Repurchased? Not yet - I'm trying out the tressemme straightening spray with argan oil but not loving it as much so I think I will go back to the keratin one!

Loreal Telescopic Waterproof

I LOVE THIS MASCARA!!! Before this, my favourite mascara was benefit they're real, but as they unfortunately don't have a waterproof offering, I had to hunt for one with that to offer. And along came this. It makes lashes volumised, lengthened, and separated; the perfect balance between everything you want in a mascara. 

Repurchased? Ofcourse!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Radience Reveal Foundation

Another favourite of mine! Although my skin is combination, sometimes verging on oily, and this is supposed to be a dewy offering, it doesn't make my face look at all greasy, as long as I set it with a  light dusting of powder. It's hydrating, so much so that my skin feels moisturised when I take of my make up; and a high enough coverage to cover blemishes, but low enough to look natural.

Repurchased? Yes

Body Shop Shower Gels in Strawberry and Passion Fruit

In my opinion shower gels don't get any better than body shops creations; purely for their smell. They do a range of scents, and I love them all; but these two are my faves!

Repurchased? Yes both, and more scents too!

Body Shop Tea Tree Face Wash

Tea tree is so refreshing, and great for combination skin like mine; as it clears blemishes and spots a treat, however I do occasionally find it a little drying as my skin isn't really, really oily. So I think although it's attributes are impressive, I'm going to hunt for a more moisturising alternative. 

Repurchased? No - but I may come back to it if I don't find anything better

So, that's it for my empties, and keep your eyes peeled for more in the future as I get through lots of products!

Bye for now!

M x

Product of the week #2

It's fair to say I'm very lazy when it comes to lip products, forgetting to re-apply throughout the day; and I'm not at all daring with my choice of colours either! I very rarely wear a lipstick, often opting for a safe gloss, or even just a slick of tinted balm. So to ease me into the world of lipsticks, I have been on the look out for the perfect nude/pink 'your lips but better' colour for a long time. I've found it difficult to find the right one, especially with my extremely fair skin; often resulting in either the colour being too dark, or the 'concealer lips' look. But now I have finally found one I think I lurve! All hail Sleek True Colour Sheen Lipstick in Barely There.

Although I'm not entirely sure this can be called 'nude', it is very close to the colour of my lips, enhancing them without the use of a bold colour. I have heard many good things about sleek lipsticks, but sleek unfortunately isn't sold in my local superdrug *sob*! So, when I came across the brand slightly further afield, I couldn't resist a gander! Although the good reviews I've heard have largely been for the brighter shades, I didn't feel quite ready for that; and 'Barely There' sounds right up my street! For the £4.99 price tag, these are such a bargain, and I would definitely, definitely recommend them. They're long lasting, hydrating, and highly pigmented; I'll certainly be purchasing more colours from the range! Maybe papaya punch next? Who knows; I may become a bold lips lover after all with sleek!

Bye for now! 

M x

Product of the week #1

So... I have really neglected blogging recently and I don't actually have any excuse- my exams are over and I just haven't felt motivated. Because of this I decided not to clutter up my little space here with writing for the sake of it, but now I really am feeling inspired to write and have found some great new summer products so this isn't a promise it's a "I will really try" to blog at least weekly to update you on a new find or an old favourite that you might also enjoy!

So, that out of the way this weeks find is a waterproof mascara that is actually waterproof! Yes ladies it does exist- the new maybelline the rocket in the waterproof version!

Now normally I don't bother with waterproof formulas as I find that they usually aren't even splash-proof and there are other things higher on the agenda like length, volume etc. however this week has been a bit of a disaster eyes-wise, resulting in a trip to the hospital only to find out I have developed very severe hayfever! While that in itself is not a disaster (it's hardly life threatening and is controllable now I know) it does mean that until my symptoms die down and the medication kicks in my eyes have been streaming 24/7- to the extent that an old lady in asda thought I was crying! 

So I popped into boots and picked this up and I can safely say IT DOESN'T MOVE! 

I'm currently on 20 eye drops a day and its not even smudged. I also jumped off a boat into the sea (several times) the other day and it stayed perfectly in place, wow! I am impressed!

The brush of this mascara is a plastic one, which I don't normally go for but it is actually really good and I personally prefer this to the maybelline the falsies. It gives good volume as well as length and is relative cheap!

The one negative is it has such good lasting power I haven't actually managed to get it off with my make up remover, although this is probably a fault of owning a cheapie make up remover- I use the simple one. This has just made me yet more determined to get my hands on some bioderma, but until that wonderful day, any recommendations?

E x 

Hello Again!

So it's fair to say that the blog has been a little neglected recently, and no one feels worse about that than us *bowing our heads in shame*. But unfortunately those horrible little things known as exams showed their ugly faces and put our lives on hold! Then of course as I'm sure many of you will know, even the thought of any post exam mental activity (even writing an enjoyable blog post!) is not something that seems appealing for a good few weeks. However we are back, yay!!! And to be honest, bored of relaxing; so we're more determined than ever to share everything with you! We are going to get our acts together and plan all sorts of posts, from more beauty tips and product reviews, to more recipes, with a few lifestyle things thrown into the mix for good measure. So if you have any suggestions for posts, we would love to hear them; just comment below, or tweet us - @vanillavelvets !

Bye for now! x

(And we promise to have another proper post for you soon!)

100 Calorie Courgette Soup Recipe...

Hey! At this time of year many if us (including me) are desperate to shed a few pounds for summer, and personally I am bored of the usual salads which leave  my tummy rumbling away all afternoon! So when on the hunt for a quick, easy, filling, yet low calorie and healthy lunchtime option, I came across this tasty courgette soup, which for a pretty generous bowl full comes in at around 100 calories and takes me about 30 minutes to make; sounds hard to believe I know! I would usually have this with two rice cakes or low fat cream crackers just to give it that extra tummy filling factor and I'm good to go!

The recipe serves 2 people if your having it as a meal, or you could have it as a light starter and spread it between 3-4 people; I like to make it in big batches, bung it in the freezer in containers and then heat it in the microwave when I want  some!

Ingredients

2 large courgettes

1 large onion

350ml of vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste 

Method 

1. Chop the onion and courgettes

2. Sweat the onions in a tiny bit of olive oil, I have a spray bottle which I love as you don't use any excess oil. You can get them in cook shops for less than a tenner and they're a really good investment if your serious about the dieting lark!

3. Once the onions are softened, add the courgettes, followed by the stock and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until everything is softened.

4. Now blend the soup, either using a hand or a jug blender, serve, and enjoy!

Let us know if you find these recipes useful in the comments or on twitter - @vanillavelvets

Bye for now! x