PS Love: Makeup Review;

Good evenin'! How are you all doing?
In the past few months Primark have been selling make-up, and bloggers all over the country went crazy when it first came out so, of course, I had to get my hands on a couple of things.

The first thing I think is quite the little gem and costed just £1, and I think it's quite great. It is a Moisturising Lip Gloss Crayon, I don't think they have shade names but its obviously the light pink one. This is a little chubby stick 'dupe' of sorts, which I have tried a lot of (but never the Clinique ones...) and I think that it makes application a tonne easier. I also love the gold accents and writing on the packaging, and the product has a lovely buttery sweet scent. It has glitter, chunky glitter which I usually am not a fan of in lip products. That being said, although you can see it in the stick itself doesn't over power on your lips. It is also essentially a gloss so it can be sheer and rub off quickly. Built up it can give a lovely colour, a gorgeous light pink that is perfect for spring. I have found myself reaching for this quite a bit. And against all odds I have found myself loving this, I think it is definitely worth the tiny price tag. 

The second thing I picked up was an eyeshadow palette for £2.50, this palette is the day palette. The packaging is matte black with gold writing which does look lovely. On the inside there is a really sizeable mirror which is great for the price. There are 8 eyeshadow shades, both matte and shimmery. The left four are brown in tone and the right are grey and cool toned, which I personally don't think is what most people would consider a daytime shade. The top left is a lovely shimmery champagne colour, the bottom left is a matte mid-tone brown, and the 1 one from right is a lovely grey with blue shimmer. But as for the rest of the shades... there isn't a lot of colour at all. I know it was £2.50 but I'd have rather bought a Starbucks than a palette that sits in a drawer because I only like a few of the shades.. sorry Primark!

The last thing I bought was a double-ended make up brush. One end has a flat, large top which I use for blending in my Benetint, it blends easily and doesn't stain the brush due to the pink bristles (or my fingers). The other is smaller but thicker and it is great for blending in both concealer and highlighter. This brush is also great for on-the-go as its 2 in 1!
Thank you for reading, I urge you not to overlook Primark for makeup as it may pleasantly surprise you!
Have you tried any of the PS Love range?

A Green Smokey Eye;

Good afternoon, today I wanted to share a little look I created. I decided to change up my usual makeup by creating a green toned smokier eye and I hope you like it.

I began with my base and face makeup. I primed my face with the Body Shop Instablur Primer which I picked up recently and am enjoying so far. I applied to this to my t-zone and then blended it out to the rest of my face to prolong the wear of my makeup and for a bit of oil control. Next I took my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair under my eyes and on my blemishes (which I have a lot of today) and blend in with a brush. I then went in with foundation, today I am using the L'Oreal True Match Foundation in the shade Rose Ivory, I like to use a small amount of foundation and really work it into the skin for a while with a flat top stippling brush. This gives the most flawless effect and keeps it looking great for longer. The last part of my base I used my trusty Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Ivory just to powder my t-zone. Moving onto my cheeks I first took my Avon Marbelized Blush. As this is both pink and bronze toned, I used it to contour my cheekbones on an angled blusher brush. Then I took possibly my favourite ever blush, Benefit Boxed Powder in Rockateur and dusted this across my cheeks with a tapered blush brush. This product gives such a lovely sheen I didn't feel the need for highlighter today.

 Next I moved onto lips, before applying my makeup I prepped my lips by exfoliating them with my LUSH Popcorn Lip Scrub and applied Carmex Cherry Lip Balm. Before applying my lip colour I used my Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch as I find it keeps my lips moisturised underneath my lip stick for longer. To add a bit of colour to my lips I used my Revlon Matte Balm in the shade Elusive which is lovely matte, dusty rose shade.
I then brushed out my brows and then I used an Accessorize Eyebrow Palette (no longer available online) taking the middle shade to fill in sparse areas and define the arch. To keep them in place all day I took my lifesaving Collection Clear Mascara and combed through my brows.

Moving onto the most exciting part- my eyes. I primed my lids with Revlon Photoready Eye Primer which I think is a great drugstore eye primer and keeps your shadow on all day. Then I took a Rimmel Eyeliner in the shade White to line my water line and inner corner to make my eyes look bigger. Moving onto shadow I created this look using my I <3 Makeup 'No Photos Please' Palette which is a great palette as it has neutral shades and brights, it is great for slight variations of your daily look or a really eye-catching look for a special event. I first took the shade 'Discrete' on my lids, I then took 'No Comment' and blended it through my outer corner, to add the hint of green throughout my eye look I took the shade 'Jealous of Success' through my crease and blended over the other shades, lastly I took 'Lights!' and used it as a brow bone highlight. After that I used my L'Oreal Super Liner in Black Lacquer to frame my lids with a thing line. The last step was to take my favourite mascara which is the Avon Mega Effects Mascara and added a few coats.

I hope you liked this look if you like the eye colours I have a few more photos in a post here.

Caviar Nails from Ciate;

Hey there!

Today I thought I'd present my first every nail post (sound of trumpets). I used to be quite into nails but lazy person + working in a bar = constantly chipped nails. But with Marie Clare a couple of months ago I spied a Ciate caviar nails set for just £2 and I had to give it a shot.

In this set, there is a lovely almost-coral, almost-red and the caviar beads are pearlescent, transparent and a metallic red. The polish itself is very watery but in a good way, it makes a thinner layer which makes for quicker drying time hurray! It doesn't chip as quickly as other brands but like I said pub work doesn't make for long-lasting polish. It's super shiny which looks amazing.

Onto the beads and technique. Do this on a flat surface and on a peice of paper to catch most of them to put back into the bottle and expect beads to scurry away from you onto the floor, into your bed and even in the loo. Quick tip: Probably keep a Hoover at hand. The idea is you leave your nails wet and just sprinkle the caviar-ness on top which works it just makes one hell of a mess. When you're done your nails look and feel fabulous... while it lasts. The beads in this kit are smaller than from cheaper brands I think the idea is that they will stay on for longer, but even with top coat they were dropping on like flies from day one.

Don't misjudge this I did genuinely like the look it gave, but I think I will be saving this for 'special event nails' and I think you should save your money if you're paying full price kit because a cheaper one will do the same short-term job.

DIY Sunglasses Holder;

Good evening and welcome to the world's simplest DIY. The picture pretty much shows you what to do because it is that simple, regardless I'm going to tell you how I did it and the utensils I used.

It all started on a hot summer day when I retrieved my many 14 pairs of sunglasses and set to put them back in the drawer they're supposed to be kept in, but it simply wasn't happening. I have quite a collection of boxes and pots that I have once used as makeup storage but none quite worked. I keep all of my bits and pieces on a shelf in my wardrobe, and on a trip to find another pot I was, quite literally hit in the head with idea, actually with a coat hanger but hey ho! It is a velvet covered one from a set in Primark that I keep all of my more sheer items of clothing on as they don't slip off. Any hanger with a bottom will do, and I decided to hook my sunglasses around it. I had a spare screw in the wall from an old photo but any hook, screw or nail will do. To jazz it up I used a tartan bow from an old dress that's been hanging around my wardrobe handle for an eternity. I grabbed a hair band and tied it around the handle.

I think this looks chic, tidies my sunglasses and is something Kirsty Allsopp would be proud of. I discovered afterwards that this is all over Pinterest already so I won't be buying hangers and ribbon to make my millions in after all....

xoxox

Haul and First Impressions: I Heart Makeup;

Warning photo-heavy post coming up....

So recently I couldn't resist making yet another order from Makeup Revolution. They have recently started offering a new brand called I <3 Makeup. I decided to pick up two items from the range, which I bring to you today.

The first item I ordered is this beyond gorgeous Blushing Hearts, Triple Baked Blusher in the shade. This is clearly a complete dupe for Too Faced blush and the packaging is so amazing I almost wouldn't care if the product were crap because it looks great just sitting on my dresser.

It comes in a gorgeous pink box with metallic fuschia writing and the bottom gives you a preview of the product, which I think will be so handy when the product is in store. The blush itself comes in a sturdy cardboard casing in the shape of a heart, this really makes the product stand out in my opinion. The top is the same pink and fuschia as the box but the bottom is metallic gold. Inside the product is held by a plastic container which is held in place pretty strong (I have tried to shake it loose). The only only problem with the packaging is that over time I can see excess product building up between the plastic and the cardboard. The product itself is made up of 3 striped shades of blush. Starting from left we have a light pink with a slight sheen, a sheeny peach shade and a darker pink with glitter. In theory you could use these shades together or separately (if you can find a small enough blush brush). If you're a lover of matte blushes this probably isn't the one for you. The last shade has a lot of chunky glitter, but I find it you don't go in too heavy on that shade it isn't too noticeable. The overall shade is a lovely more pink that peach shade with a nice sheen.

The second thing I purchased was one of the slogan pallettes, ironically named 'No Photos Please'. Ironic purely because the shades are so eye-catching that they call for about 143 selfies. This products' box also comes with a preview of the shades. The front of the palette is holographic although shows both; from some angles you see 'No Photos' and from others it says 'Please', I think this is a unique twist. This is a small size compared to the Makeup Revolution Palettes, but that makes it great for putting into your handbag. It has a mirror along the top, and ten sparkly shadows. A favourite feature of mine it that this palette has shade names such as, 'Back Exit' and 'Publicist' which I think are absolute show stoppers.
I decided to get this palette over the rest as, like any makeup lover I own far too many neutral palettes. This has a few sparkly brown shades to add a twist to an everyday eye look, but also a lot of really eye-catching blues and greens which will be amazing for trying out different styles and for nights out. I've only created two looks with this so far but the shade I have used are both highly pigmented and easily blendable. Paired with my Revlon Photo Ready Eyeshadow Primer the looks lasted very well and the palette has impressed me.

Along with this palette came a free, Mini Eye Primer. I tested this on my lids and was surprised to find it had a sparkle through it, which even though the shadows are glittery, immediately made me think this wasn't for me. To make matters worse once I'd applied a shade to my brush and went back to my eyes the primer had creased, badly. If the primer creases on its own it doesn't strike me as a product that will keep my makeup on. This, I'm afraid is sitting in the drawer for emergencies, but the shadows are what I ordered and they're good enough not to put me off ordering another palette.
Have you tried anything from the I <3 Makeup line?
xoxox

June Favourites;

I will do this every month, I will do this every month.

It's that time again, I only have a few products this time around as I haven't switched up my makeup too much.

Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Ivory

The first thing is my Revlon Colorstay foundation in the lightest shade they do. This is an older foundation of mine that I have been neglecting for a few months. It is medium/high coverage that makes you look flawless. I love this foundation to death but even though mine is in the normal/combination skin version I find it can be abit drying. But my skin has been oily from the hot weather so this foundation is working wonders at keeping me matte all day. Another great thing is that this foundation is offered in a range of shades that actually goes pale enough for me hallelujah! This doesn't come with a pump but if you remove the cotton from a Q tip you can scoop out the right amount and not end up with half the pot on the back of your hand.

Avon Glow Illuminating Bronze Duo in Light Bronze

Avon is one of those brands I think is overlooked and I think this bronze/highlight duo is a little gem. One side is a matte bronzer and the other a highlighter. The bronze is lighter than any other I've tried which makes it great for pale skin. You can't really go overboard and it always looks natural. It still gives a nice amount of contour to the face and I think it would also be great for anyone just starting out with contouring. I have only tried the highlighter a few times its a nice warm-toned highlight but it isn't too gold.

Jelly Belly Eau De Toilette in Blueberry

This isn't strictly beauty but I have been loving this blueberry scent from Jelly Belly. It's a lovely sweet but light scent to pop that I think is great for summer. And the bottle is small enough to pop in your bag for a midday touch up.

Muchos Love, Girl About Village

XOXO

Vaseline Spray and Go: Review;

Hello! Today I'm bringining you a little review that I am very excited about. It is the absolutely ingenious Vaseline Spray & Go.

I know I'm a little late on the band-wagon for this, but I think it's the perfect summer product! It is basically a spray form of the everyday moisturiser from Vaseline, but my god does it make my life  easier. Spraying your mousturiser on means you always put the perfect amount on. You can't over-squeeze the bottle and end up taking half an hour working it in. Of course you do still have to work this in a little but it takes next-to-no time. Having the perfect amount on your skin also reduces drying time, give it about a minute and a half and you can pop your clothes! It also irridicates any awkward reaching when trying to reach your back as you can spray all over perfectly. I think this would be perfect for popping in your handbag, taking on holiday or camping. 

The one thing I will say is that the formula is the same as their other moisturisers so if you don't like them you won't like this. I have used the unscented one since I was about 14 and I think is great and doesn't harm my oh so sensitive skin. But it is an everyday mousturiser so if your skin is overly thirsty this probably won't do anything for you.

I also think this is perfect for summer as the spray is super refreshing and I bought mine with aloe vera as it can help calm down angry sunburn, so it even has a dual-purpose.

Being a sucker for a gimmick I've actually been using this everyday without fail, which for me is a triumph in inself.

May (Holiday) Favourites;

Hello again!

Today I bring you my monthly favourites for the month of May. This is a holiday/ summer favourites even though the weather outside has been a bit drab for the past week. Most of these products are things I used and tested out during my holiday to Gran Canaria. No further ado...

Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Pallette

The first and by far my favourite of the bunch has to be the gorgeous Iconic 3 Pallette from Makeup Revolution. The brand is quickly becoming one of my favourite drugstore brands, my last post was a review of their amazing baked blushers, this pallette is a £4 dupe of the Naked 3 Pallette. I have worn an we look from this everyday since I bought it. The pink shades are perfect for spring and the copper toned shadows help the summer transition. The shadows are easily blended and I would say the pigmentation is similar to the Sleek eyeshadow palettes. And paired with my Revlon eye primer even lasted a dip in the resort pool! Makeup Revolution offer dupes for all of the Naked Pallettes for the same price as well as a whole range of purse-friendly goodies, any girl on a budget needs to take a browse.

Benefit POREfessional Primer

My next favourite isn't something I ammediately loved mostly because of the hefty price tag. The Benefit Porefessional does everything you need a primer to do, it makes your skin smooth, it helps the application of foundation and it helps it looking good all day. However generally I think there are a lot of products for a lot cheaper that will give you the same, great effect one from MUA has to be my go-to everyday primer for a while. But I have been reaching for this one during May because it minimalizes the appearance of pores (duh, it's in the name), the heat also made my skin more oily than it ever has been and this disguised it as well as keeping me oil free all day. I'd say if you have oily skin and a few extra pounds in your pocket this will be worth it for you.

Makeup Academy Pro-Base Fixing Mist

The MUA Fixing Spray is great teamed with Porefessional, together they keep your makeup almost as perfect as when you applied it. Just add a few spritses after you've finished your look an it won't budge. It is also great for the heat as it stops any run down if you get hot and sweaty. It has a cooling effect and it has neither broke me out or dried out my skin. I would say wait a couple of minutes after putting in mascara before you apply this, but it is an all around great product including the price.

No7 Skin Illuminater & MeMeMe Beat the Blues Highlighter in Oyster Gold

My new makeup trick revolves around gold toned highlighter, the two I have been using are No7 and MeMeMe. Being a pale skinned girl it can be difficult to pull off golden highlighters but I apply it in the same areas you would normally apply highlight before I apply my foundation. It gives a gorgeous natural looking highlight to the skin and I prefer it to pink toned highlight in the summer. It's also great when you're a bit squished for time as you don't have to worry about blending as you can blend it in with your foundation.

Vaseline Lip Therapy with Aloe Vera

Although I put this product in my last (and first) favourites but I am also including Aloe Vera Vaseline in this favourites post because I have found a new use for it. Being my silly self I forgot to take aftersun on holiday with me, and my last minute stroke of genius led me to try putting some Vaseline on it. And it worked! The aloe vera helped to sooth the sore areas while moisturising my skin. This is a great idea to take on holiday as it will fit nicely in your bag.

What are your favourite summery products?

Makeup Revolution: Baked Blush Review;

Buenos Dias!

I have just returned from a holiday in Gran Canaria so I thought I'd test out my Spanish. During my holiday I tested out a few products I bought from Makeup Revolution. Everyone on the blogosphere is raving about the Naked 3 Dupe, called the Iconic Pallette so I decided to shake things up and review another product I loved from them, the Baked Blusher.

Mine is in the shade 'Bang Bang You're Dead'. Firstly I love that a budget brand has thought through the names of their product, although some of the names are a little weird I think it's a nice touch.

This shade is a gorgeous light flushed pink that is perfect for spring/summer and really compliments pale skin. It has a lovely golden shimmer which gives a sheen to the face without being full of chunky glitter, I personally like a shimmery blusher. It gives a glow to the skin and irradicates the need for highlighter which means it's perfect to pop over your cheekbones when you're in a rush. The product is easily buildable to make it look really something special. I'd also say it has the same staying power for something that costs a lot more than £2.50.

This baked blusher is quickly taking over Benefit Rockatuer as my favourite blush and I want all of the other shades!

Buy Makeup Revolution products here and let me know what you think in the comments below,

Adios amigos

GAV

Xoxo

OOTD: Spring Layers;

First Post of My Face Alert!

Aloha fashion blog readers of the interweb! First things first yes, that is a Justin Bieber calendar but everyone needs a guilty pleasure don't they? And many apologies for awkward poses I'm not exactly made for standing in front of a camera.

Can I be the first (I'm really not the first) to say that I am done with winter!? Any excuse to crack out my legs in a skirt/ tights combo and I am there! This time I've opted for this Quiz playsuit, I'm also trying to break out of my black winter wardrobe and I thought the red did that nicely. I think a light jumper is a way to adapt it into spring when its still as cold as ice here! I also like the way I can still see my playsuit through this sheer jumper from Primark. 

I accessorised this outfit with my everyday ring that my dad bought be and a silver plain above the knuckle ring from Kukee. The bottom 2 of my necklaces are also from Kukee and the star necklace is from Delilah Dust. My nails are Queen of Green from Topshop dotted with a nail pen from Argos.

Is anyone as fed up with the weather as I am? And if you've been affected by the floods I send my love!

Lots of love, GAV

xoxo

February Favourites;

Okay, okay. My apologies for the being the crappest blog-writer ever, I will get the hang of regular posting. Anyone who is reading this; I commend you. On to the post! I know its not yet the end of February but I have favourites adding up that must be written about!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

This has to be the single best cleanser I've ever tried! I get quite apprehensive about switching up my skincare routine as I have very sensitive skin and after some nasty rashes bought out by some of the Simple range I'm even wary of so-called suitable for sensitive skin products. But after reading review after review about how amazing this stuff was and how alike it was to Bioderma I just had to give it a try. It is an amazing cleanser it smells and looks just like water, it removes all of my makeup without any scrubbing, waterproof mascara is usually a bit of bugger but I've had no trouble! It doesn't dry my skin out, hasn't given me any break outs and doesn't sting my eyes like most cleansers do. It was £4.99 but for a bottle this size I don't paying that, I've used this 10-20 times and used barely any! Can I give this any more compliments?!

Elf Brush Shampoo

My new Christmas brushes definitely went far too long without cleaning (ew) but when I eventually got off of my arse this is what I used. Aside from my foundation brush which needed a long soak, I simply ran this through my brushes and rinsed it out and they returned to their pre-25th of December state. This did everything it says on the tin... Actually it doesn't say an awful lot on the tin...

LUSH Ocean Salt Facial Scrub

Firstly, don't use this on your face, ever, please. But if you're looking for a body scrub give this a whirl, it has large and small chunks (grains?) of salt which means it gets a tonne more dead skin than any other scrub I've used, hence why I don't let it touch my face ouch. I first bought this during summer and as LUSH can be on the pricey side I tried a few different scrubs but I found none of them did the job as well as this did.

Warning really rubbish photos coming up!

Elf Studio Matte Lip Colour in Tea Rose

After spending early November until mid January in bright, glossy lip colours with matching mini skirts, my lips have gone completely neutral. Matte lip colours in general have become a massive favourite but this Elf studio matte lip colour has taken the crown, the slightly purple shade probably doesn't suit my skin tone but I love it! The grey and brown make it subtle enough to wear in the day, the one negative with Elf is their horrendous online swatching so I had to do some blog-stalking before I bought this but I'm so glad I did!

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer

My little trial of Boi-ing came in a sale Christmas box set I managed to nab before they all sold out and I'm so glad I did! This has to be the best item of them all. I didn't know what more to expect from a concealer I'll admit I did they all did the same job, oh but how wrong I was... This makes me look human even under my eyes which completely unheard of before. At £25 a pop I'm not sure I could justify buying the full size on a student budget but we'll have to see.

Fashionista Custom Design Blush

L-R Crimson, Milan, Blushing, Rome

I found out that Fashionista did these build your own palettes via Instagram, they are a great idea. So much cheaper than other brands, I picked out 6 eyeshadows 3 blushes and a bronzer, the blushes are what have stood out to me as the best. The pigmentation is so great for the price and they have such a great choice of colours. I will write a full review on these soon so keep your eyes peeled!

Maybelline Babylips in Pink Punch & Valseline with Aloe Vera

Lip balms in general are a must with the typical British weather at the moment! The Maybelline Babylips was definitely a grower to me at first I didn't buy into the hype and I hated it! I found if I applied this before I left the house it would evaporate leaving my lips even drier, but I tried using this mostly to get rid of it and to my surprize I ended up loving it. I use it underneath my lipstick as I find it keeps my lips silky smooth and moisturised all day. I have the Vaseline lip therapies in every variety as Vaseline is the only thing I find makes my lips soft and actually keeps them that way, but the one with aloe vera is the one I've been reaching for most this month. My Vaseline with aloe vera is my more deep action lip balm as the aloe vera sooths any chapping. Vaseline is the only thing I find makes my lips soft and actually keeps them that way.

Thank you for reading and if anyone could comment decent but cheap (or free) photo editing software I would be very appreciative

Lots of love, GAV

xoxo