#69 The 90's Lip | Review

Hello! 

Today I'm back onto one of my favourite subjects, lipsticks. Thanks to Kylie Jenner, the 90's style lip is back and I'm all for it! Although I am a fan of nude lipsticks I can't say no to a bold lip, so this new craze is perfect for me! These brown tones work as a kind of statement nude, a lip that you can easily team with a heavy eye without the possibility of looking like a drag queen. 

I was desperate to try out this new trend so took a trip to boots and spent ages browsing numerous counters until I stumbled on No.7. None of the other counters seemed to have what I was looking for, they had nudes and bolds but no in-between, which I was quite surprised about.  I was torn between both the shades pictured above so I caved in a bought both, as well as a lip pencil of course. 

My favourite of the two has to be Bare from No.7's Stay Perfect collection (the first swatch shown above). Out of the two products this one is more matte and creamy. Although I describe the finish as being 'matte' it is very moisturising and there is a slight shine to it but nothing overpowering. It has great lasting power and the shape of the bullet makes applying easy whilst helping keep the shape of the lipstick. 

The other option I chose was Wine, which is part of No.7's Moisture Drench collection. Understandably the finish is a lot shinier in this product. However, I would like to state that neither of the products have a shimmery or glittery finish, it's more moisturising and dewy. Wine has a slightly heavier red undertone in comparison to Bare but the lasting power is just as good. I'm not really sure why I don't reach for this that often as looking at it now I really like it! 

Finally I team both of these lipsticks with No.7's Precision Lip Pencil in Caramel. This shade is such a great match for both products, it also looks great on it's own if you use it to fill in your entire lips. I definitely recommend lining your entire lips before applying any lipstick as it's a great way to keep lipstick there for longer, as well as preventing the dreading liner look if lipstick fades. 

What do you think about this lip trend?

Becmo

xo

#68 Flippin' Great Brownies | Baking

Good Morning! 

As you might be able to tell, I recently made some brownies and oh my they went down a treat. I am not exaggerating when I say that they are probably the nicest brownies that I've ever had. They were so moist and just melted in the mouth - pure heaven. Even after about a week (if not longer) they hadn't dried out at all and still tasted as good as when they popped out the oven. 

 So, as they tasted so flippin' great I thought it was only fair that I shared the (not so made up) recipe with you all. Once I'd decided that brownies were the way to go I did a little Google search and came across this wonderful, easy recipe. Personally I like my brownies to have a little crunch so I also added some pecans to the mix - they made the brownies if you ask me. They didn't take too long to make and most of the ingredients used are things that people tend to already have in their house, which makes life easier.

If you're having a bit of a lazy day and are craving something sweet and delicious,  I definitely recommend giving these a go! If you do, let me know how they turn out - I assure you you wont be disappointed! 

I hope you've had a lovely weekend, 

Becmo

xo

#67 September Empties

Good Morning!

Today I'm here to talk to you about some products that I have recently used up and whether they make the cut for a repurchase or not. Lets take a look at the goodies... 

Clinique Take The Day Off Make Up Remover
 In the past I have stocked up on multiple bottles of this stuff at one time, it's that good. So it'll come as no surprise that this is definitely on the cards for a repurchase. I can't recommend this product more, it is bloody amazing at removing eye make up, no matter how stubborn it is. Also, it's never had a negative effect on my eye area such as drying it out or causing irritation, it's so gentle.

BOSS Jour Body Lotion
I received this body lotion in a perfume gift set for my birthday last year and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It smelt lovely and was the fasted drying body lotion/moisturiser that I've ever used. I'm not sure that I would purchase it again because it's very pricey for what it is, but I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for a cheaper alternative.

REN Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream
Throughout the summer months my skin hasn't needed as much moisture as it does in the winter months, so this moisturiser has been perfect. It's light and nourishing but nothing overly special. It's always good to have a couple of moisturisers on the go as our skin can vary from day to day, so although this isn't anything too moisturising it's one for the collection.

REN Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel 
Again, I wasn't particularly blown away by this product but on the other hand I wasn't disappointed. It does the job but the gel is quite thin and runny which I wasn't too keen on. I don't think I'll be rushing out to get another of these but I would use it if I got it in a free gift or something.

L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim
I've had a bit of a love-hate relationship with this eyeliner but we've ended on good terms. When I first started using it, it would smudge really easily and was just a big black, smudgy mess. After a while I found that using a primer or shadow over the eyelid before applying the eyeliner stopped all smudging and all love was restored! It's so easy to apply and as the name suggests, you can create really thin, neat lines. As this product isn't waterproof it doesn't mix well with watery eyes, but it's general lasting power is amazing. I will definitely be repurchasing this beauty.

STILA Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Colour
I decided to try this after using the Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil (which I love) and I really like it! Obviously it lacks the pencil that comes with the Soap and Glory option but on the plus side the tip didn't dry up until the product was empty. It's lasting power is great and it's really easy to use, I definitely recommend it.

The Body Shop Instablur Primer
I spoke about this primer in more depth here so I'll keep this short and sweet. It's affordable, it does a great job and it's a definite repurchase.

Becmo
xo

#66 Stila 'In The Light' Palette | Review

From left to right: Bare, Kitten, Bliss, Sunset, Sandstone, Bubbly, Gilded Gold, Luster, Night Sky and Ebony

Hello! 

I'd forgotten about these photos so thought it was about time I put them to good use alongside a little review. Now I must admit I'm not usually a huge wearer of eyeshadow as I'm more of a lipstick kind of gal and as I have quite small, hooded eyes eyeshadow can look a little much sometimes. However, recently I've been trying to incorporate it more into my make up looks which means I'm finally getting some good use out of my eyeshadow palettes! 

Stila's In The Light palette (£25) contains 4 matte and 6 shimmer shades so there is a pretty even mix. I tend to reach for the shades across the top row a lot more frequently than the bottom row, although I do also get a lot of use out of 'Bubbly'. There is a pretty good selection of shades and tones within this palette that can easily take a look from day to night, however personally I would have liked to have seen a matte taupe added to the mix. Kitten, Sunset and Bubbly are exactly what I would expect from a 'shimmer' shade, they are very pigmented and the shimmer is very fine without the dreaded chunks of glitter. Kitten and Bubbly are lovely for highlighting the inner corners and brightening up the eye area and Sunset is perfect for a less intense smokey eye. Sadly the other 'shimmer' shades are a little too glittery for me. Whereas the others are more of a shimmer with a hint of colour, the rest are basically a colour that contains shimmer (or more accurately, glitter). Don't get me wrong, they aren't hideous but they aren't really my cup of tea. 

The shade I get the most use out of it most definitely Bare. I use this matte shade daily as a base for my shadow or on it's own if I'm opting for an 'I'm not wearing eyeshadow' look. 

Like most eyeshadows these lose pigmentation throughout the day but they are long lasting, particularly if a primer is used. They are easy to blend and you can create some beautiful looks with the shades provided. No matter what palette you opt for there are always going to be some shades that you reach for more than others, but that's just how it is when you haven't created it yourself. 

As well as 10 eyeshadows this palette also contains a deep brown eyeliner. I haven't got on with this amazingly but I think that is simply down to the fact that I have hooded eyes. When I have used it I've found that it looks best when applied from the pencil then smudged with an angled brush. It's not the smoothest formula so can be a bit tricky to use but it's not the worst eyeliner I've ever tried.

I would probably rate this product a 7/10 overall as the formula, longevity and pigmentation of everything included is great, it's just a shame about the 'glitter' shades and the lack of a taupe toned shade. 

Becmo 

xo

#65 Fieldview 500 | OOTD

Good Morning! 

Last weekend I went to a small festival local to where I live, Fieldview 500. The festival is usually known as Fieldview Festival but sadly that came to an end last summer, so this year they organised a smaller, invite only event in it's place. I had a lovely couple of days with some of my favourite people. We saw some great bands, my personal favourite was Sam Green & The Midnight Heist. The second day of the festival was Superheros and Villians dress up so I might share some of those photos another time, but today I wanted to share what I wore on the Friday.

Personally I am not opposed to the whole double denim rule, in fact I like it, I like it a lot. I picked up this Levis denim jacket at a Vintage Fare in Southampton for about £15 - what a bargain! To be honest I don't wear it as much as I would like to/should, but whenever I do I fall back in love with it. It's in such good condition for the price and it actually keeps me pretty warm! My Levis shorts are from Urban Outfitters (currently on offer), if you haven't got a pair then what are you doing!? I also have these in a lighter denim and have got so much use out of both pairs. My almost favourite item is this gorgeous hat from H&M, I don't think I need to say a lot really - just look at it *swoon*. Now onto the blouse, my favourite item in this look. I picked up this beauty from Topshop and I don't think anyone has seen me wear much else since. You can't quite see it properly in this post so I'll use it in another OOTD soon, it's just so simple yet different to any standard white blouse. I also love stacking jewellery and think these necklaces look good together, the elephant is from Accessorize and the other is from Urban Outfitters (similar here). It was a bit chilly and the weather wasn't looking great (it rained as soon as we wanted to put the tent up, typical) so I opted to tights and black converse - which I quickly changed for wellies!

Becmo 

xo

#64 A Family Trip to Argegno

As many of you may know, particularly if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, I recently went away with my family for two weeks to Argegno, Italy. As I had a job whilst at university I didn't manage to come home for long periods of time so I hadn't been able to spend loads of time with them in one go until now. It was such a lovely holiday and (as you can see) the views were incredible, wherever you went on the lake (Lake Como) the views took your breath away.

As well as exploring what the lake had to offer we also took at trip to Switzerland one day which was nice. We hired a speedboat on one of the nicer days (the weather was a bit temperamental - a lot like England really!) and had a sneak peak at one of George Clooney's so say holiday homes. As well as the speedboat we also hired out a peddle boat one day, as lets face it, nothing beats watching your mum panic that she's going to fall into the water whilst your brother manically pedals away! On our final day we went for a short walk and came across a bunker and some trenches. I am fascinated by all things war related so was in my element there!

The sights do not stop at the lovely scenery, the food was also divine. Eating out is definitely one of my family's favourite things to do whilst on holiday. Of course, you can't go to Italy and not consumer multiple pizzas and ice cream now can you? Although I ate a lot of pizza I'm not an overly big lover of ice cream so didn't have too much of the stuff. Also Italian hot chocolates are on another level completely. I'm usually a tea of coffee kind of gal but on our first afternoon I was craving hot chocolate so that's what I asked for - what I received was not what I was expecting! It was SO thick, literally like melted chocolate with bits of chocolate in it... Although it was nice, it was a little too chocolately for my liking (I'm a savoury girl at heart).

So there you have it! I also posted some OOTD/N's whilst I was away so if you haven't seen them yet continue scrolling down and you'll come across them.

I hope you're having a lovely weekend so far,

Becmo
xo

#63 Cleanse and Polish | Review

Good Morning! 

Today is all about skincare, Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish to be exact. Recently as I've been away the majority of my posts have all had a fashion focus, so I thought it was about time we have a change of topic. Looking back on my beauty routine history I literally do not understand how I used to cope with make up wipes. Don't get me wrong, they are great for festivals when you need to freshen up and I do occasionally use them to wipe the make up off the back of my hand etc. but never ever to remove my make up/cleanse, they just don't make the cut anymore! 

Nowadays, in the morning I like to use Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish straight after my shower, then follow with a water based cleanser, then toner and finally moisturiser. However, in the evening I use a water based cleanser and eye make up remover to get rid of my make up, then follow with the Cleanse and Polish, then toner and moisturiser. 

If you aren't aware of how Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish is used then listen up. Using the pump you simply pump out as much cleanser as you need onto your fingertips (it's a creamy texture), then you rub it in all over your face, finally you wet the muslin cloth with hot water and use it to remove any excess cleanser. Easy!   

The main reason that I use this cleanser is simply due to the fact that it gives such a deep clean, removing all dirt without drying the skin. In the evenings I feel as though it works so well on removing any excess make up/dirt that hasn't been removed by my water based cleanser. As it is a creamy formula it is also very soothing and gentle on the skin. Finally, the smell is amazing!

If you're looking to add another step to your beauty routine or simply try something new, I really recommend that you give this a go! 

Becmo

xo