Tuesday 25 March 2014

Quick Tip Tuesday - Fight the Frizz

Hello my lovelies!

Quick tip Tuesday is back for another week and today I'm going to be telling you how to fight the frizz! I am a sufferer of frizzy hair myself and do everything I can to counteract it, but most of my attempts fail miserably. - that was until I found out about this super simple 'routine' which makes frizz a thing of the past.

Source
After you have washed your hair and have had a shower, don't put your hair up into a 'towel turban'. Towel turbans may keep your wet hair from annoying you and helps your hair to dry, but they make frizz a whole lot worse! I'm not going to deny it, I used to put my hair in a towel too; it's just makes everything so easy.

Instead of wrapping your hair up, wring the excess water out of it with a towel. Do this whilst still in the shower so that you don't get water everywhere! - obviously turn off the water first though, otherwise you'd just be making your hair more wet! Then leave your hair to air dry for around 20 minutes.

After those 20 minutes are up you need to get a hair dryer, put it on its lowest setting and dry the rest of your hair. If you are worried about heat damage you can put on heat protecting sprays before hand or, like I do, use the VO5 Smoothly Does It shampoo and conditioner which not only helps to keep frizz to a minimum but also offers heat defence!



I hope that this quick tip helps!

Monday 24 March 2014

PROTW Superdrug Apricot Exfoliating Face Mask

Hello my lovelies!

At the weekend I treated myself to a relaxing pamper session where I tried out one of the face masks I recently purchased from Superdrug. I've been dying to try them all out but decided on the Apricot Exfoliating mask as it claimed to 'sooth and brighten skin - which is what I needed after a tiring week at school!

Although I was looking forward to trying this mask, I was slightly anxious. This is as my skin is very sensitive and in some areas quite dry, but on the packaging it says was 'ideal for normal to dry skin' so I was somewhat reassured.


On the back of the packaging it recommends applying the mask to a clean, cleansed face with your fingers and then after 10 - 15 minutes wash it off with warm water.

Before I applied the face mask I removed all my make-up and cleansed. After washing off my cleanser I dried my face and opened the packet! Whilst still 'preparing' my face fort the face mask I decided to cut two fresh pieces of cucumber for my eyes so that my pamper session was even more relaxing. I don't do things by half measures; especially face masks!

When I opened the packet I was greeted by a very strong apricot scent with an undertone of a nut of some sort. Personally I disliked the spell as I found it too over-powering but when I asked for a second opinion, my mother loved it! 
The mask had a very good consistency and was very thick and creamy. I usually purchase the gel type masks so this one was a bit of a change but I really liked it! The thickness of it made it really easy to apply and I could clearly see if I had missed any spots as it was opaque. I was also surprised to find that the mask wasn't the orange colour shown on the packaging but a very pale cream colour instead.

I had no issues when applying the mask and was very happy to see that there was an extremely generous amount of product in the sachet; in fact there was almost half of it left after I had finished applying it to my face! At first I was worried that the exfoliating seeds would make the mask feel gritty when on my face but luckily the seeds were very soft and hardly noticeable, especially when the mask had began to harden.

.

Once the mask had been on my face for a few minutes, I found that the originally strong aroma of the mask had subsided and I was left with a very nice fruity smell. I also found that after the aroma had dulled, relaxing was no problem at all and with scented candles lighted too, I almost fell asleep!  While the mask was applied I experienced no stinging or tightness, which was one of my  main worries due to my sensitive skin, and I could feel the mask starting to soothe my skin almost instantly!

After the 15 minutes were up and I was sure that the mask had set, I went to wash it off with warm water as recommended. This was the point were things got a little messy to say the least! I filled up my sink with warm water and grabbed a flannel that was laying about, I hoped to quickly wash off the mask and its remnants; if only it were that simple! When I went to wipe the mask off it just smeared all across my face and unfortunately into my hair, and I ended up having to spend around 7-8 minutes getting it fully off. Instead of taking a shower afterwards to get the face mask out like any normal person would, I waited for it to set again and then brushed it out. I was surprised it actually worked!

Despite the problems with removing it, this face mask was brilliant and left my face feeling fresh, silky smooth and noticeably brighter! My skin didn't feel dry or tight after using the mask so I just put on a light moisturiser to make my skin even more radiant!

~~~~~~~~~

Even now writing this, I can feel and see the difference in my skin so I am going to have to give it a rating of...


If you are interested about buying this mask or any other masks from the range just click here to go to the Superdrug website. Each mask costs 99p - which for the record is a B.A.R.G.A.I.N! And there is also a 4 for 3 promotion on them, so go over there and buy a few masks and have a pamper session of your own!

Friday 21 March 2014

Superdrug Haul

Hello my lovelies!

On Sunday I quickly popped into Superdrug to grab some essentials but ended up spending a lot of time and money there, so I decided that I would show you all what I bought!

Superfruits Exfoliating Mask, Chocolate Orange Self-Heating Mask,
Apricot Exfoliating Mask, Cucumber Cooling Clay Mask, Rimmel
Stay Matte Powder, MUA Lipstick Shade 3, Baby Lips Peach Kiss
MUA Pro-Brow Eyebrow Kit, Revlon Colorburst, Collection Lasting
Perfection
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer


The product that I actually went into buy was the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I know I have raved about this concealer for a long long time but it is seriously the best one - I've tried many others but have always ended up crawling back to my trusty old friend. If you have never tried it before you don't know what you're missing. It has fantastic coverage, lasts all day and you could even use it as a foundation if you wanted to.


I use the shade Fair 01; this is as I am fairly light skinned and any other colour comes out really really orange in comparison to my skin.



Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

The Rimmel Stay Matte is another of my regular purchases and has a permanent place in my make-up bag. For months this powder has prevented my face from shine, helped to better conceal my pores and has also made my face feel silky smooth! I feel that this is a must have for every girl who wears make-up and is a very affordable for its quality.



The colour I use is 005 silky beige; it adds a tad more colour to my face than my foundation does, and if I am having a good skin day I will wear this powder with just concealer. This is as I find it works just as well but allows my skin to breathe.



 MUA Pro-Brow Ultimate Eyebrow kit


In my last drugstore haul I mentioned that I was new to filling in my eyebrows, but I have gotten used to the whole deal-io now and fill them in on a daily basis. I found my Maybelline Mastershape eyebrow pencil that I used previously wasn't doing a great job and often rubbed off in a matter of hours, so I've been on the look-out for a better product for a while.

I had my eye on this but refrained from buying it the last time I was in Superdrug but this visit the temptation was too much for me and I gave in to my shopaholic tendencies.





There are two main shades that you can use to fill in your eyebrows, a dark brown and a light brown (verging on blonde) and the kit also includes a highlighter (bottom left) that you can sweep under your brow bone to lift your face and also further define your brows. I think that the highlighter could also be used for people with very very light blonde eyebrows but I personally think that it is too light to use. There is also a clear gel included in the set which you apply to your eyebrows after you shade them in so that the colour will set and your perfect looking brows will last as long as possible.



Also included in the set is a handy little pair of mini tweezers so you can quickly remove any unwanted strays, and a double sided angled brush. I would recommend that you use one side for shading and the other side for the gel as when applied on the brush the gel can be a bit sticky!

What I love most about this set is that it is very small so you can quickly pop it in your bag and also has a handy mirror which is a very good size for when you're out and about.




MUA Lipstick

I have always overlooked these lipsticks whenever in Superdrug because I always presumed that they wouldn't be very good quality, I mean for £1 you never really get much do you? So you can understand why I was always unsure, but now that I have purchased one I take all of my previous thoughts and doubts back because frankly, these are amazing!



Firstly the colour I bought (shade 3) was absolutely gorgeous, it's not as intense in colour as shown in these pictures but its still pretty bright.

When I applied this to my lips I found that it doesn't transfer to your lips unless they are completely dry. This made me a bit nervous as I expected it to make my lips feel horrid and dry when applied but lucky it made  my lips feel deliciously moisturised and also super soft! I also just love the sheen it has!

It has the usual lipstick smell and doesn't really taste of anything, thank god. In my experience if a lipstick ever tastes of anything it is in the flavour of ew or gross.


For a lipstick that cost me only £1 I'm very impressed and I will definitely be taking a trip back to Superdrug soon to pick up some more colours!


Another awesome thing about this product is that there is a secret lip-gloss hiding underneath the lipstick, at first I though it was just the colour indicator that most lipsticks have but then I got curious and twisted it. 
AND LOW AND BEHOLD THERE WAS A SMALL POT OF LIP-GLOSS!
For me that alone makes it worth at least double the price!



Baby Lips Peach Kiss


Yet again a Baby Lips is featured on my blog, Surprise surprise!

If you didn't already know, but I'm sure you do, I'm a hardcore baby lips addict. I was going to buy another one too but I found I had sadly run out of money. Where-ever I go I take one or two baby lips with me, be it school, shopping or even when I go to see my horse!


The Baby Lips I chose to buy this time was Peach Kiss, which many of my friends have constantly raved about and insisted I bought. I usually love peach flavoured balms and as all the other baby lips I own taste gorgeous I expected big things from this!

The purchase of this lip balm meant that I now own every flavoured baby lips (Minty Fresh, Pink Punch, Cherry Me and Peach Kiss) but I'm still going for the whole set!


Peach kiss has a lovely light peachy colour which verges on nude and also has a very slight shimmer - and if you didn't already know I'm a sucker for shimmer! Believe it or not it tastes like a lovely and sweet peach and has quickly become my joint favourite with pink punch!


The next Baby Lips I'm going to buy is definitely the Baby Lips Balm Repair as its SPF 20 and will better protect my lips on those *hopefully* hot and sunny summer days!


Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm - Coquette


I have been very excited about trying out the Revlon ColorBurst range and it seems lots of other people were too; when I went into store they were almost completely out! The two I have been interested in trying ever since they were launched were Vivacious and Coquette but Vivacious was one of the balms that were sold out so I had to buy Coquette!


The packaging its in really reminds me of those Jumbo Pencils that you used to get in Primary School and is overall very pretty. Its made of a sort of mirrored plastic that is supposed to mimic the colour of the balm inside.

What's great about this product is that there is no need to sharpen it when it gets low because the base twists to reveal more of it!


Coquette is a medium, verging on hot, pink that suits my skin tone very well, but as it is a medium pink I believe it would suit most skin tones. The photos I took here don't really do Coquette justice so I will have to make sure I do a in depth review with some pretty pictures of it so I show it in the best light - literally. The balm also has very small shimmery silver bits in it, and like I said previously, if it shimmers Claire loves!

The balm leaves a lovely glossy finish but the shimmer isn't really that noticeable :( Yet I can't complain as the balm is still amazing, even if it isn't that shimmery. It is very moisturising, softening and also feels virtually weightless on your lips. It has a very light peppermint smell and taste but it isn't overpowering. 


I love the pencil-like form of the tip as it makes applying the balm very quick, accurate and easy. The only real down side about this balm is the price, it cost me £7.99, but in all fairness, you do get what you pay for!

Superdrug Face Masks

I love putting on a face mask and relaxing after a long week at school or otherwise, so I'm always looking out for a bargain, and these masks were one! They were 99p each but there was a  4 for 3 offer on so I naturally bought 4. Those four were:


I'm really looking forward to using these and if I like them I'm definitely going to buy more! I am most looking forward to the Chocolate Orange Self-Heating Mask as I love chocolate and I love facemasks so a combination of the two is a dream come true for me!



Wednesday 19 March 2014

Wishlist Wednesday - Boohoo

Hello my lovelies!

I have found myself browsing on Boohoo a lot lately, so this Wednesday I'll be showing you some of my top picks. I mainly concentrated on Spring and Summer looks even if it isn't that hot yet!





1.Tessa Daisy Print Collared Play-Suit - £20.00
2. Tianna Neon Box Pleat Skater Skirt, Pink - £12.00
3. Beth Spotted Collar Dress, Coral - £15.00
4. Maggie Quilted Boxy Crop Top, Mint - £12.00
5. Keris Floral Sequin Collar Skater Dress - £20.00
6. Kim Oversized Baseball T-Shirt, Wine - £10.00
7. Alexandra Panthers Baseball Tee, Wine - £10.00
8. Lilly Acid Wash High Rise Disco Jeans - £25.00



Tuesday 18 March 2014

Quick Tip Tuesday

Hello my lovelies!

I've decided to start another little series for you all! This one is called quick tip Tuesday and is, surprise surprise, when I give you quick little make-up tips on a Tuesday! I may make this a weekly post or a fortnightly post; I haven't decided yet. But without further ado lets get started with the first tip!



Before you apply any of your eye make-up e.g. mascara, eye-liner or eye shadow, blend your concealer all over your eyelid. This brightens up your eyes, conceals any redness or purple you may have on or around your lid and also gives a good base for your eye make-up to stick to.

Extra tip: Make sure the concealer you use for this is good quality and also creamy so that you get the best outcome.

Saturday 15 March 2014

The Body Shop Born Lippy review

Hello my lovelies!

All the way back in October I purchased a set of the Body Shop Born Lippy on a ferry back from Germany, and since I have been using them pretty much everyday I thought I would give you a quick review of them!

The set included five different flavour lip balms - Passionberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Watermelon and Satsuma Shimmer.



The lip balms came in this cute lollipop packaging that looks so appealing, the colours compliment each other brilliantly and it's such a clever way to package products. The bow is a particularly nice touch and I think it gives the packaging the cute factor that everyone loves.

I'm really surprised that the lollipop style packaging has lasted this long because all it seems to be made of is weak cardboard, but I'm glad that it has as it looks adorable on my dresser!

Looking online it seems that these lip balms are now only sold individually which is a real shame but they're only £2.00 each so they're still good value.


All of the lip balms smell delicious and the slight tint of colour they bring really brightens up my lips. They last about 2-3 hours before they need reapplying - which is pretty average for a lip balm, and they're great for everyday moisture for people with either normal or slightly dry lips. (I don't think that they're strong enough to help with really dry/chapped lips.)

One of my favourite things about this range is that they aren't sticky at all, they're very sleek and also have a really lovely shine finish. 

Watermelon born lippy

Surprisingly, I actually like all of the flavours, but my stand out favourite is definitely Watermelon. I feel that they've pretty much captured the exact flavour of a watermelon and the peachy/nude tint of it looks really pretty when applied to my lips.

Passionberry Born Lippy

My least favourite out of all 5 would have to be Passionberry, but only because I wasn't that big of a fan of the flavour. It was still nice but it has been the balm I have used the least. When applied to your lips passionberry has a very light almost lilac tint, which I have to admit is very pretty. If you apply it very lightly you still get the same moisture and taste but without the purple tint, so if you don't like purple lip products, you can still enjoy this!

Satsuma Shimmer Born Lippy
Satsuma shimmer as suggested by the name has a gorgeous sparkle to it and I often apply it over a lipstick to give it a pretty shimmer.

At first I wasn't sure about using this balm because I didn't want to have bright orange lips but it turns out that the orange tint isn't very noticeable when applied, and looks like a light gold.

Strawberry Born Lippy
I don't normally like Strawberry flavoured balms, they're always just way too sweet and overpowering for me but this one is just right! When applied to your lips you're treated to a gorgeous rich red colour and an even more gorgeous smell. 

Raspberry Born Lippy

I haven't really got much to say about this balm apart from the fact that I love the pink tint it has, in fact the only reason I wear this balm is for the pretty pink tint. I'm not much of a fan of the taste or smell and I don't see how it smells even remotely like a raspberry; raspberry is my favourite fruit so I was very disappointed overall with this.

The only thing I don't like about all the products is the fact they are in pots. I find it's really annoying because after applying it to your lips your left with an oily finger! I also think pots aren't very hygienic so once I've finished these I'm going to buy them in stick form!
As you can see, my overall rating is 4 stars so I definitely recommend! If you're interested in purchasing any of the 5 balms I reviewed click here to be taken to The Body Shop's website!

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Wishlist Wednesday - New Look

Hello my lovelies!

Today I'm going to be sharing my current New Look wishlist with you; don't forget to suggest shops for next Wednesday!




1. Red Hudson and Rose Swallow Print Hoodie - £6
2. Light Blue Textured Floral Skater Dress - £19.99
3. Burgundy Pug Print Slogan T-Shirt - £7.99
4. Pink Sleeveless Crochet Collar Skater Dress - £14.99
5. Blue High Rise Denim Disco Shorts - £14.99
6. Black Raised Flower Clip Purse - £7.99
7. Burgundy Phoenix Arizona Burnout Sweater - £12.99
8. Yellow Hello T-Shirt - £7.99


Friday 7 March 2014

CLOSED - £10 Love to shop Voucher Giveaway! - CLOSED

Hello my lovelies!

Would you like to win £10 in Love to shop vouchers?

Seeing as you all love shopping I'm running a giveaway just for you! Why not enter?

To be in with a chance of winning, enter using the RaffleCopter form below. Leave a comment to confirm your entry and don't forget that you can get extra entries by liking the Sprinkle of Claire Facebook page and following me on Twitter!

This giveaway is open to residents of the UK and 1 winner will be randomly drawn on Tuesday 8th April.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday 6 March 2014

'Bloggers Firsts - Beauty Edition' Tag

Hello my lovelies!

I thought I'd treat you all to an extra post this week seeing as you've all been so amazing!

This is a tag that I read on my friend's blog which I thought would be nice to do! As you probably know I normally stay clear from tag posts because I often find them to be annoying and unoriginal but I think this one will be a good little post for you all.

The first brand you found out about due to blogging?
I have only been blogging for a few months myself but have been reading other blogs for years, so if I remember correctly the first brand I found out about was MAC. (which I know is kind of embarrassing seeing as its such a big brand, but it just shows how long I've been reading. I think I actually made the discovery one and a half years ago now!)

The first YouTube tutorial you watched and attempted?
I don't remember what exact tutorial it was but I distinctly remember being about 10 or 11 and sitting down in front of my mirror to try and do a 'night out on the town' look. By that I mean liquid eye-liner with big flicks and smokey eye. To 'create' the look I borrowed my sisters eye-liner and used my terrible eye shadow palette (which I'm 100% sure I got out of a magazine.) As you probably guessed it ended up with me looking like I had two black eyes and somehow I also managed to get the liquid eye-liner in my eye. Brilliant make-up skills 10 year old claire!

The first high end item you brought?
The first high end make-up product I brought was the Nars Sheer Glow foundation. It was actually featured in my 2013 Favourites!

The first product you regret buying?
Batiste dry shampoo. All my friends were raving about it so I bought some, and when I went to use it I found that I was really allergic to it; I broke out into a rash and was sneezing none stop for at least 10 hours!

The first product you repurchased?
I don't often repurchase make-up as I like trying lots of different products but the one product I've stuck with is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. It's still the best concealer I've found!

The first product you reviewed on your blog?
The first post I did that was solely dedicated to one product was my Soap and Glory Heel Genius review.

The first product you bought due to a blogger review?
Mii cosmetics blusher. It was quite pricey but was worth it!

Do you still use any of your first blogger make-up purchases?
I still use my Rimmel Match Perfection foundation and my Collection lasting perfection concealer, but I think I've changed most of the other products.

I tag all of you reading to do this tag, don't forget to leave a link in the comments so I can read it!


Wednesday 5 March 2014

Wishlist Wednesday - Asos

Hello my lovelies!

Welcome to my new mini series, wishlist Wednesday! As the names suggests on Wednesday every week I will be sharing my wishlists with you.

So to get the series started I'm going to show you my current ASOS wishlist!




1. Oasis Crochet Collar Tee - £35
2. ASOS Skater Dress with Laced Sleeves - £35
3. ASOS Satchel Bag with Scallop Bar Detail - £30
4. Lazy Oaf Pizza My Mind T-Shirt - £45
5. ASOS Swing Dress with Contrast Collar - £25
6. G-Star Denim Shirt - £90
7. ASOS Petite Exclusive Floral Print Leggings - £18
8. ASOS Phone Case in Ice Lolly Shape - £12

Monday 3 March 2014

10 things I want to do in 2014

Hello my lovelies!

Today I was going to do the usual February Favourites post but I have decided to do something a little bit different. I was going to write this post back in January as a sort of ‘New Years Resolutions’ type thing, but I feel that now is a good time!

This post will be a little bit personal but I want to share it with you all, because I feel like we’re all a big family here.

1.Watch a beautiful sunrise
I've already watched a stunning sunset this year, so I want to watch a gorgeous sunrise to top it off. One of the reasons I want to do this is because I want to seize life and make the most of this year. Even if I have to wake up really early to do so, I'm prepared!


2. Get fit
I wouldn't say I'm out of shape but I could certainly do with being a bit healthier, I mean I get out of breath taking the small walk from my room to the kitchen, and that's definitely not good! So by 2015 I will be in shape and healthy. That means a complete change in lifestyle, I'll be swapping my daily chocolate bar for an apple and that extra hour on the laptop for an hours exercise!

3. Appreciate the little things
 Its so easy just to look over small things others do for you and for them to stay unnoticed, so I'm going to make an effort to spot those small acts of kindness and thank people for them!

4. Take a step out of my comfort zone
 I want to stretch my limits and break out of my comfort zone this year. I want to experience things I wouldn't normally even dream of!

5. Do something spontaneous
Sometimes my life seems very routine and boring so whenever I feel like doing something 'crazy' and spontaneous I'm going to go with it. It's important to just have fun, and life's always better with a bit of spontaneity!

6. Focus on school work
This is a very boring one, but I realise I do need to do it. Don't get me wrong, I love my blog and it means the world to me, but for now it's just a hobby and school needs to be my main priority, I have my GCSEs to think about now! I've noticed all too often I will be working on my blog when I should be doing homework, and at school I'll be forever writing down post ideas and drawing new blog designs.
   That doesn't mean I won't be posting as often, I'll try to keep to my Monday and Friday post schedule but if a post is a bit late it just means I'm tied up with lots of work.

7. Make a YouTube video
  As I have said many a time, I have always wanted to start a YouTube channel but I've never had the courage to do so. However, this will be the year I'll at least make one video. It might be deleted afterwards but I just want to try my knack at making one!

8. Give everyone I meet a smile
I know this sounds silly, but you'd be surprised how much better a smile from someone can make you feel when you're down! If there's a chance I can make someone's day a little bit better, I want to.

9. Read a book every week
I love reading, and yet I don't do it often enough. So from now on I'm going to have a book in my hand every single week!

10. Live life to the full
I'm only 14, but I want to be able to look back and be happy with what I did in these years. I want to experience as much as I can and enjoy everything I do!

I hope you all enjoyed this post, don't forget to let me know what you want to do this year!