40 Questions Beauty Tag | Laura Sivers

40 Questions Beauty Tag

Hi everyone, I thought I would do a fun Beauty tag post for you today for some light, easy reading and it was a bit of fun for me.

Hope you enjoy :)

The Questions:

SKINCARE

-How many times do you wash your face daily?

Usually twice a day; morning and night, however if I have a show in the evening and have been wearing normal make up during the day I will cleanse my fave before applying stage make up.


-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
I have combination to dry skin, my cheeks and forehead are really dry but I can get a bit oily around my nose. 

-What is your current facial wash?
La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel is my standard facial wash. If I'm in need of a deeper clean I will use Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean wash/mask.

-Do you exfoliate?
Occasionally if I feel the urge to - you know sometimes your skin feels like a bit itchy and needs a bit of a scrub??

-What brand do you use?
La Roche Posay. My favourite skincare brand.

-What moisturizer do you use?
Day time I use Estée Lauder Day Wear over the top of Hydralauron gel and at night I use Kiels Ultra Facial Creamon top of Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum.

-Do you have freckles?
Nope. I wish I did though - freckles are so super pretty.

-Do you use eye cream?
No, although as I'm heading towards my mid twenties I feel like I should be using an anti-aging eye cream.

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
Yes and it is still so super prone to acne.

-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
No I haven't ever used it or been recommended to use it.

MAKE-UP

-What foundation do you use?
Totally depends on what sort of skin day I'm having or what I'm doing or what the occasion is. During the day I would tend to just wear concealer and powder, if I were going on a night out I would wear MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation - shade NW10, for going on stage I always wear Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in shade Cameo. My most favourite foundation ever was a Benefit Play Stix in shade Jax but it was discontinued a few years ago and I am gutted. I have such pale skin I struggle to find foundation to match my skin.

-How about concealer?
Unsurprisingly it's the beauty blogger favourite Collection Lasting Finish concealer. I just love it.

-Do you know your undertone color?
Cool toned pink.

-What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I know I am rubbish at applying them. I only wear them if I'm on a big stage. I would never wear them in real life though - I am lucky and have naturally long and thick lashes.

-Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months?
Mascara would never last me 3 months. I go through A LOT of mascara.

-What brand of mascara do you use?
Benefit They're Real has been my go-to mascara for ages but I got a sample of Lancome Hypnose Star the other day and oh my I love it. Will definitely be purchasing a full size tube of that next.

-Sephora or MAC?
MAC.

-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
No I don't.

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
A varied collection of Real Techniques, MAC, Body Shop, Estée Lauder and Benefit brushes.

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Yes, I'm currently using a Soap and Glory one I picked up called Eye Bright and I'm really liking it.

-For the face?
Yes I love the Laura Mercier Radiance primer.

-What is your favorite eyeshadow?
Urban Decay Tease.

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Depends what look i'm going for, more often than not I use liquid though.

-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Not as often as I poke my eyes with my mascara wand, ouch!

-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
I think they're messy and much prefer pressed eyeshadows.

-Do you use mineral makeup?
I don't own any.

-What is your favourite lipstick?
MAC Rebel.

-How about lipgloss?
I'm really not a lipgloss kind of girl. I don't own any that I actually like.

-What is your favourite blush to use?
Benefit Dandelion.

-Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
I never have.

-Do you like drugstore makeup?
Yes, I buy too much high street make up and it's usually stuff I never use.

-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
Yes I would so love to go on a make up course!

-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
On other people yes. I really struggle doing other people's make up. I'm not clumsy really when applying it on myself.

-Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Over plucked eye brows.

-Do you like colourful shades of makeup or neutral ones?
I love colourful lipstick but would always tend to stick to neutral shades on my eyes.

-Which celebrity always has great make up?
Mila Kunis' make up always looks flawless and perfect on her.

-If you could leave the house using just one make up item,what would you use?
Brown pencil eye liner.

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes of course, but it's not enjoyable and definitely not a pretty site!!

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
Haha not at all!

-In your opinion, what is the best makeup line?
No make up line is perfect but for the sheer amount of options, shades, products, tools it would have to be MAC.

-What do you think of Makeup?
I bloody love it! 

Thanks for reading guys and I hope you enjoyed :) 

Love Laura x 

The Christmas Tag | Laura Sivers

Happy December lovely people!

It is now socially acceptable everywhere to be all consumed by everything Christmas and I am loving it and feel so festive. I thought I'd kick off December on my blog with the Christmas Tag I got from the lovely Fee - go and check out her Make up and Beauty blog http://www.makeupsavvy.co.uk/

1. Do you prefer a real Christmas tree or synthetic? 

I definitely prefer a real one as you just can't beat the gorgeous smell. We tend to get the ones where the needles don't drop which saves you from hoovering 10x a day! 

 2. You're in a coffee shop, it's December, what do you pick? 

Ooooh! Well anybody who knows me, knows I go to Starbucks practically every day! I'm currently alternating between a Gingerbread Latte, Toffee Nut Latte and a Peppermint Hot Chocolate - all with skinny of course :) I've tried every festive drink from both Starbucks and Costa and those 3 are my favourites! 

 3. Whats your favourite colour scheme for decorating the tree? 

Traditional. So reds, greens, golds and white. I love old fashioned decorations. Oh and lots and lots of fairy lights! 

 4. Giving or receiving? 

100000% giving! I get so so excited about giving people presents. I've been browsing online for Christmas gifts every day since August ended just to try and find the perfect gift. I love wrapping too and making all the gifts I give look beautiful. Ah I just love it. Receiving, for me, is always a bit awkward as I am beyond fussy and I'm really not subtle so if something isn't right or I don't like it I can't lie and pretend I do, my face always gives me away!  

 5. To mince pie or not to? 

Oh I bought some mince meat filling the other day to make some mince pies - thanks for reminding me! I have to be in the mood to actually eat mince pies but I think I quite like them. 

 6. What's your traditional Sunday lunch?  

I'm guessing this means Christmas Lunch as it's a Christmas tag. Well as a child I never used to like turkey so we always used to have roast beef on Christmas Day. Now I prefer turkey so as my Mum is amazing she does a roast turkey dinner :) So I would have turkey, loads of veg (can't actually remember what vegetables we usually have) then maybe a potato and a pig in a blanket.  

 7. Christmas day fashion 

Ever since I was tiny I've had a new dress for Christmas Day so it will always be a dress with tights and boots. This is one of my favourite Christmas Day photos of me and my brother:

8. What's your favourite Christmas song? 

If it was acceptable I would listen to Christmas music all year round I love it so much! My absolute favourite is Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. I also love Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin' Stevens too. I recorded on a Christmas CD this year which was so much fun and actually sounds pretty good - let me know if you want to buy one ;) 

 9. What's your favourite Christmas film? 

There's a big long list of my favourite Christmas films, my top three would have to be Elf, The Holiday and Miracle on 34th Street. Sky Movies is so worth having just for the month of December as there are so many amazing films on all day everyday which I am definitely taking advantage of! 

 10. Open presents before or after lunch? 

 Before! The rule in our household is my brother and I open our stockings as soon as we wake up but then we all have to be dressed and had breakfast before we all sit and open the presents under the tree. I think this system works quite nicely.

I hope to do some more Christmas themed blog posts throughout December so keep a look out for some more festive fun.

Laura x x 

November Favourites | Laura Sivers

Hi lovely people

So it's been a while since I last blogged, I'm going to blame it on me being unwell and also super busy....but really it's because I'm lazy!

So I thought I'd kick start my blog back into action with some November favourites for you. Some of these are old favourites which i've rediscovered and some are all new.

Firstly lets start with my number one favourite product I've been using this month: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex. Now this is the original one, not the newer version (Recovery Complex II is on my Christmas list!). My mum has been using this on and off for ages and I have tried it now and again but this past month I have been using this after cleansing my face every other evening pretty religiously and I have to say I have noticed a huge difference in my skin. It feels more hydrated and radiant and just generally more balanced. I haven't changed anything else in my skincare routine so i'm sure it's down to this.

Next some hair care for you; Label.M Treatment Shampoo and Moisturising Conditioner. If you have ever got your hair done at a Toni & Guy salon then I'm sure you're more than familiar with lovely Label.M products. I myself have tried a fair few over the many years I've been having my hair done at Toni & Guy and previously I've enjoyed using the products but never overly wowed by them and for the price definitely not worth it. However on my last visit I had a long chat with my hair dresser and she recommended this combination of shampoo and conditioner and it really suits my hair so well. These two combined have made my hair much more manageable and shiny and definitely less dry and flyaway. Big thumbs up from me :)

Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in Dark Brown. I picked this up in Boots a few weeks ago as honestly I was just finding something else so I could take advantage of the 3for2 offer on make up and I am so glad I did! When I opened the tube I was a bit put off by the shape of the wand as it looked really messy and thought I would end up with mascara all over my forehead but I was wrong as it is so easy to use! I always use a light hand when applying anything to my brows as it's easy to go over board but a light hand and this mascara makes getting a precise application so simple. Now I've found this it's my go-to brow product for day time, probably for evening I would still use shadow on my brows but for day time this is quick easy and keeps your brows in place all day.

Here are the old favourites and beauty blogger staples: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair and Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick by Kate in shade 107. There's not much that can really be said about these two products as they have been covered thousands of times. But if there was one beauty product I seriously could not live without it would be this Collection concealer, I wear it every single day without fail. And the lipstick is the absolutely perfect autumn/winter berry shade which is so wearable for day and night. To be honest i've mostly worn it during the day and whenever I do I always get compliments or people asking what lipstick i'm wearing. If you were going to buy just two products this season I would say these two should be it.

Lastly a random favourite for you; Yankee Candle in Salted Caramel. If you don't like sickly sugary foody scents then this candle is 100% not for you. If, however, you are like me and adore filling your house with sweet scents then I cannot recommend this candle enough. The fragrance just makes you want to eat it. It hits you as soon as you remove the lid before even lighting it, it's just simply delicious!

So there you have my top favourites for the month of November. I will try and make more of an effort with my blog this month and look out for some festive inspired posts.

Laura 

x x x

3rd Week of October?! | Laura Sivers

Happy Monday lovely people.

These weeks are rolling by so quickly, I don't know where the time goes and I can't believe we're into the third week of October already! I saw someone tweet today that it's 65 days till Christmas which makes me super excited. This past week I have definitely got my Christmas thinking cap on and have been planning lots of Christmassy goodness....my John Lewis basket online is overflowing!! Also this week I made a Christmas cake so it will have 8-9 weeks to "age". Of course I made the cake with spiced rum rather than brandy as why wouldn't you use rum?!! Also the arrival of my Selfridges Advent Calender has got me counting down the days till December 1st! 

October OOTD weekly roundup. Now you may notice that days 19&20 are missing. Day 19 I wore basically the exact same work outfit as day 18 so didn't want to double post then day 20 I forgot to take a photo...sorry! 

Day 14 - 14/10/2013.

Cosmic oversized sweater - Urban Outfitters.

Reindeer leggings - Shikha London (I bought these in a cute boutique shop in my town).

Shanleigh boots - UGG.

Day 15 - 15/10/2013

Slouch 3/4 sleeve jumper - Urban Outfitters.

Black skater skirt - Primark.

Wool tights - M&S.

Amalia boots - Topshop.

I bought the scarf years ago from a street seller in Brighton - one of my favourite scarves! 

Day 16 - 16/10/2013

Grey sweater - Topshop.

Black cami vest top - Primark.

Silk print trousers - Urban Outfitters.

Scarf - ASOS.

Bailey button boots - UGG.

Day 17 - 17/10/2013

Grey sweater - Topshop.

Pussy bow collar dress - Urban Outfitters.

Amalia boots - Topshop.

Scarf - ASOS.

Thigh high socks - American Apparel.

Black tights, leotard & ballet wrap around skirt - Dance Direct.

Day 18 - 18/10/2013

Leggings - All Saints.

Work uniform - all customised from Blue Print.

Hope you have a fab week!

Laura x

Properly Autumn | Laura Sivers

Good morning lovely people!

I think after the week we've just had it's safe to say it is well and truly Autumn! I have to say I haven't been much of a fan of the rain and cold nights but it really is a lovely time of year.

As you know, I love Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes - probably my most favourite thing about the season - so I decided to use this as inspiration to bake a Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake. I bought a small pumpkin and made pumpkin purée from scratch which was a bit of an effort but oh so worth it! The cake tasted amazing - full of spices and fruit and deliciously moist pumpkin. I'll include the recipe at the end of this post. 

So, my October Challenges week 2 update. As you can probably tell from the baking, the no sugar rule has gone out the window. I'm not sure why I ever thought I could do zero sugar, it is impossible! I have however stopped having any sugar in my tea and coffee and have stayed away from biscuits. Cake however is another story! I have been walking a lot each day - averaging about 6 miles per day which isn't quite at my 7 mile mark but I figured I either have dance classes, rehearsals or work most days where I'm dancing around so it makes up for not quite reaching 7 miles.

Now OOTD weekly round up:

Day 7 - 07/10/2013

Red Cable Knit Jumper - Republic (I found this in my brothers wardrobe so I have no idea when he bought it so it may or may not be available!).

Black Denim Biker Shorts - All Saints.

Navy cable knit socks - Primark.

Amalia Lace Up Brogues - Topshop.

Day 8 - 08/10/2013

Cooperative Penny Collar Blouse in Tartan - Urban Outfitters.

Black swing dress - Forever 21 (bought in New York in 2008).

Plum cable knit socks - Primark.

Amalia Lace Up Brogues - Topshop.

Day 9 - 09/10/2013

Linen Viscose Oversize Top - Topshop.

Tartan Skater Skirt - ASOS.

Black socks - no idea where they're from!

Amalia Lace Up Brogues - Topshop.

Wind Up Clock/Pocket Watch necklace - Urban Outfitters.

Day 10 - 10/10/2013

Burnout Tee, Skull Print Scarf, Daisy Lace Sundress - all from Topshop.

Super cosy tights - Primark.

Bailey Button boots - UGG.

Day 11 - 11/10/2013

Portere Parka Jacket - All Saints.

Green Polka Dot Skater Dress & Super Cosy tights - both from Primark.

Raspberry Bow Cardigan & Grey Knee High Socks - both from Urban Outfitters.

Bailey Button boots - UGG.

Day 12 - 12/10/2013

Basic Men's White Tee & Super Cosy Tights - both from Primark.

Cooperative Ditsy Babydoll Dress - Urban Outfitters.

Amalia Lace Up Brogues - Topshop.

Day 13 - 13/10/2013

Grey Long Slouch Vest & High Rollar Tank - both from Topshop.

Wrap around Cardigan - New Look.

Riding Pants - American Apparel.

Over The Knee Socks - Jack Wills.

Bailey Button Boots - UGG.

Pieces Crille Tube Scarf - ASOS.

Primark super cosy tights are seriously my favourite tights ever, ever time I go shopping I end up buying another pair. They will be what I live in this winter.

And there you go! Hope you all have a lovely week.

Laura x x

Pumpkin Spice Loaf Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup raisins/sultanas

3/4 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup Vegetable oil

2 medium eggs 

1 cup pumpkin purée 

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp all spice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of ground cloves

1/2 cup chopped nuts

3 pieces of ginger in syrup

Spiced rum

Method:

1. Soak raisins/sultanas in warm spiced rum for at least 1 hour.

2. Pre-heat oven to 180c.

3. Mix sugars, oil and eggs in large bowl till combined then mix in pumpkin purée and vanilla.

4. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder and spices in separate bowl then add to wet mixture.

5. Finely chop the pieces of ginger then add to the raisins/sultanas and rum and stir.

6. Drain raisins/sultanas and ginger and gold into mixture.

7. Pour mixture into a greased loaf tin lined with parchment paper and bake for approximately 1 hour.

8. Allow to cool in tin for 15 mins before removing and place on a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Week 1 of October Challenges | Laura Sivers

Hello lovely people.

It was my little brother's 20th birthday on the 1st so I decided to put this cute photo of us in! 

So week 1 of my October challenges....let's just say I've been a bit of a failure! I did really well on the first two days with no sugar and walking 7 miles, then it was our final performance of the summer season shows I've been doing since April so we had a party and yes I are copious amounts of sugar - whoops! From then until now I've been feeling super poorly! I think I'm just exhausted and run down so I've been feeling very sorry for myself. Also I think cutting out sugar completely may have contributed a bit so I've decided to adapt this challenge. I'm just going to limit myself to having one sugary drink or good each day - that should help me cure my sugar addiction but also not make me feel horrendous. 

Now here's the weekly round-up of my outfit of the day posts. I have kept this up even though especially over the weekend I was feeling and looking awful! 

01/10/2013

Cooperative Penny Collar Blouse & Cooperative Ditsy Babydoll Dress - both from Urban Outfitters.

Black super cosy tights - Primark.

Amalia Lace Up Brogue - Topshop

02/10/2013

Pins & Needles Vintage Collar Dress - Urban Outfitters.

Grey 40 denier tights - Primark.

Navy brogues - Office (I got these in 2009 so these exact ones are not available anymore).

03/10/2013

Ruby Rocks Louise Dress Black/Pink - Treds.

Grey wool tights - Accessorize (bought last year).

Alex's Platform Chelsea Boots - Topshop.

04/10/2013

Work uniform t-shirt.

Black jogging bottoms - Primark.

Purple socks - Primark.

Converse All Star Low Black - Office.

05/10/2013

Unisex Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt & Riding Pants - both from American Apparel.

Nike Air Force 1 - Office.

06/10/2013

T-Shirt - All Saints (bought last season so again not available anymore).

Maynestone Slim Sweatpant - Jack Wills.

Nike Air Force 1 - Office.

So there is my first week of my ootd posts. I'll post all the links to where you can get these things from below. 

I'm hoping I have a better week health wise this week and I hope you all have a lovely week too! 

Love Laura x x

http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

https://www.topshop.com

http://www.office.co.uk

http://www.treds.co.uk

http://store.americanapparel.co.uk

http://www.allsaints.com

https://www.jackwills.com

October Challenges | Laura Sivers

Hello lovely people.

October I find can be a bit of a strange month for me; it's not quite time to start getting excited for Christmas (although I have to admit I have already indulged in watching a Christmas movie last week) and the weather's always a bit rainy and miserable, so I've decided to set myself some challenges for this month to keep myself busy and focussed on something.

The first one I am most excited about. I'm going to be doing an OOTD (outfit of the day) post every single day throughout the month. I will post photos daily to my Instagram: @laurasivers_ and will do a weekly roundup blog post here on my blog. So make sure you're following me on Instagram and on here if you're interested in seeing my OOTDs. I wanted to do this partly because Autumn fashion is my favourite and partly because I just thought it would be fun. I'll post where I bought the clothes from and link them if they're still available.

My second lot of challenges I have been inspired by one of my favourite people on the internet Shay Carl Butler. I'm sure most of you know who he is but he is a Youtuber who currently lives in L.A. with his lovely family and he has been posting daily vlogs on http://www.youtube.com/shaytards for almost 5 years - I began watching him late 2009! Anyway he is doing Shaytober for the month of October where he is going to 'get in the best shape of his life'. He encourages people to join him on this journey and set their own personal goals to obtain a healthier lifestyle so I thought why don't I join in! I've set myself 3 goals:
1. Walk at least 7 miles every weekday (Mon-Fri).
2. By the end of the month be able to do 40 press ups in a row without stopping.
3. Cut out sugar completely from my diet.
Now I think I will find the first 2 relatively simple but number 3 - the no sugar - is going to be a real challenge. It's safe to say I have a serious sugar addiction and often rely on sugary drinks and snacks as fuel rather than eating actual substantial food so I am going to have to start eating proper food. I have done some research into this and it has surprised me how many foods contain sugar. There's the obvious chocolate, sweets, cakes, biscuits etc but theres also all white bread, white pasta, sauces/dressings, cereal. The one type of sugar I will be allowing myself though is the natural sugars found in fresh fruit. It's going to tough but once I set my mind to something I can usually stick to it so I'm hoping I wont fail. I'm sure during the month I'll be moaning about it on twitter so be sure to follow me on there @laurasivers to keep track of how I'm doing.

So there you have it, my October challenges! If this has inspired you to set yourself goals for the new month then do let me know in the comments below.

Lots of love
Laura x x

Autumn has arrived!! | Laura Sivers

Today marks the official first day of Autumn and I am so happy. Autumn is my most favourite time of the year. I love how it's starting to get colder but not quite freezing temperatures and you can later up with jumpers and cardigans and tights.

Autumn fashion has always been a real love of mine which I think I picked up from my mum as she loves it too. I've recently bought a lot of new seasonal clothes and I'm hoping to do a haul video on my YouTube channel this week so keep an eye out for that! It will include lots of long sleeve skater dresses and pinafores as that is going to be what I'll be wearing throughout Autumn/Winter. 

Beauty wise Autumn for me means one thing - berry toned lips! I recently picked up MAC Rebel satin finish lipstick which I've had my eye on since Coleyyyful swatched it on her blog (www.coleyyyful.com - check her out, she has an amazing blog and YouTube channel and is just a lovely lovely person). It is a gorgeous shade, MAC describes it as mid tonal plum, and it's really build able. I like to wear a more subtle smudge during the day then later it up for night. As I've said before I love purple toned lips and this rich, deeper shade is absolutely perfect, and as with all MAC lipsticks it's staying power is second to none. 

Next week in the UK is very exciting as Starbucks bring back the Pumpkin Spice Latte back to their menu! Anyone who knows me personally knows I am a big coffee fan and love seasonal drinks and Starbucks PSL is just my absolute favourite. It comes to UK branches on Thursday 3rd October.

I hope everybody else is looking forward to the colder and snuggly months ahead of us, let me know in the comments below what your favourite things about Autumn are - I'd love to hear from you! 

Lots of love

Laura x x

Summer favourites | Laura Sivers

Hello lovely people.

So it's suddenly September...what?! How did that happen and where did the summer go? I'm not the biggest summer fan but I had a fabulous summer this year which has been lovely, but I am so excited for Autumn/Winter and can't wait to be wearing layers and coats and cosy tights.

Anyway, while before it's a too distant memory I though I would safer some of my favourite things I've found and used over the summer.

Stila | In The Moment Eye Shadow Palette

Firstly I have to start with this stunning Stila palette which I got sometime during July and it has been practically the only eye shadow I have been wearing since I got it. The colours are beautiful and all seem to suit my pale complexion. I'm a big fan of anything purple and I've had my eye on the Stila palettes for a while so In The Moment had to be the one I chose. The shadows are so soft and blendable but really pigmented so you don't need much to create a strong colour. 

It also comes with a eye liner pencil but I haven't really used that except to test it out.

BarryM | Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint

I know I'm a little late on the band wagon for these Gelly polishes but wow I have fallen in love. I cannot fault these at all. Beautiful colours, easy smooth application and so long lasting and paired with my standard Seche Vite top coat just unbelievably shiny. Love love love. My favourites are Blueberry and Lychee (3+5).

Maybelline | Colour Sensational Vivids Lipstick in Hot Plum

My most worn lip colour of the season is definitely this. As I said before I'm a massive lover of purple so this is my ideal summery happy shade of lipstick. 

I do love a statement lip and this really does give you that. Every time I've worn it I get comments from people - even strangers - saying what a lovely shade it is. I'm sure I will continue wearing this in Autumn and Winter.

La Roche-Posay | Anthelios XL Melt-in Cream SPF 50+

Urban Veda | Purifying Day Cream

I don't think I would have survived the crazy hot weather the UK has had this season without this SPF 50+ day cream. I love La Roche-Posay products so much and am building my collection slowly but surely. Their formulas just seem to work so well with my sensitive skin. But this melt-in cream has honestly been my saviour on all these hot days where I've had to be in the sun as I burn stupidly easily. I've scent is nice and clean like all their products and it just feels nice to apply onto my skin after cleansing. It doesn't really work when applying foundation over the top but I didn't tend to do that as I didn't wear a full face of foundation during the day in summer. I wouldn't recommend it as a base for foundation.

The Urban Vida Purifying Day Cream I receives in my August Glossybox and I've included it in this as although I've only used it a few weeks I really like it. It really mattefies my skin if I'm having an oily t-zone day which I really like and it has a gorgeous scent of tea tree which makes me feel so fresh. It is just a really nice cream to apply first thing in the morning.

So there you have it, my summer favourites! 

Hope you've all had a lovely summer too :)

Laura x x 

Favourite recent beauty purchase | Stila - Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick

Hello lovely people.

I wanted to share with you my most favourite beauty purchase I've bought in recent weeks and honestly I don't know how I ever coped without it!

Being a dancer onstage means that I'm not exactly a novice at traditional stage make up - I first started wearing full stage make up for shows when I was about 9 years old. The thing that's always bugged me though is the bright red lipstick. I've never found the perfect lipstick that is the right shade and long lasting...until now!

Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in shade Beso is it. I honestly cannot praise this product enough. My friend recommended this to me during a 2 week run of a show we were in and I can't thank her enough for it! 

When I first looked at it I was a bit skeptical with the classic gloss wand applicator as I expected it to feel and look like a typical gloss but I was so wrong. The consistency when first applied is similar to a gloss but in a matter of seconds it dries to a gorgeous matte finish but unlike other matte lipsticks it doesn't feel heavy or make your lips feel coated with product, it feels like you have nothing on, if anything your lips feel slightly moisturised as if you had the smallest amount of lip balm on. The pigment of the colour is so strong, one coat is all you will ever need - so no more layering coats of lipstick trying to build to a full coverage, one swipe and you're done. But best of all it doesn't budge. Once it's on and dried it will not go anywhere, no matter how much you eat or drink or sweat. This is so important to me when I'm wearing it during shows as I always drink loads and it's such a pain to have to re apply lipstick when you're rushing trying to change costumes and shoes and wigs etc. Also never again will I have to worry about getting red lipstick marks on my costumes during frantic quick changes as it does not transfer onto anything.

Honestly I am so happy I have found the most perfect lipstick for wearing onstage,  I think I will be wearing this for the rest of my performing career.

Day to day I don't really tend to wear red lipstick, don't get me wrong I'm a huge fan of bright lip colours but I would choose more pink/purple shades rather that red as they suit my pale complexion with super dark hair more than red. 

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick comes in 10 shades and is £15 from www.stila.co.uk. I can't recommend it enough for a long lasting, matte finish super pigmented lipstick.

Laura x x

First YouTube Video | 30 Things in My Room

Hello everyone.

So today I actually got around to filming my first YouTube video - my brother was nice enough to let me use his posh camera and lights. It's great having a TV and Film production student living with you! I decided to make a really simple 30 Things in My Room video as I am not all that confident about speaking on camera and I just thought it would be a fun first video.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and hopefully this wont be my last video!

Laura x x

Bloglovin

I've just linked this blog to Bloglovin so it's much easier to follow. Give me a follow on there if you don't want to miss my next blog post.

Laura x x

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About Me

Hello :)

So I thought I'd start blogging as I spend so much of my time reading blogs I may as well start my own, not that anyone will read it but here goes anyway.

I guess this first post will be a bit about myself.

Well, my name is Laura and I'm 23 and live in Eastbourne, UK. I've lived in Eastbourne my whole life and most of the time I absolutely love it here. Right now I'm living at home with my parents and my 19 year old brother who is really cool - much cooler than me! I have two jobs; one as a professional dancer and the other as a dance/drama/singing teacher. In my opinion I have the best jobs in the entire world as I basically get paid for doing things I love with my best friends and honestly I would do it all for free (but don't tell my employers that!).

Dance and theatre have been a massive part of my life - I started dancing aged 3 so basically it's all I know. I went and trained professionally on the BA(Hons) degree course at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds for 2 years but left before I completed my degree which I'll explain why at a later date. I've also always done am-dram shows which I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with but I have had some amazing experiences doing various shows and also met the greatest people and have made the bestest friends.

Away from all that dramatic stuff I also love love love all things beauty, fashion, hair and make up etc. And being on the internet ALL the time has just fuelled this further. I follow so many beauty bloggers and YouTubers and I just love and want to try everything. My bank balance does not appreciate this however!

Anyway that's a little introduction about myself.

Hope it didn't bore you too much!

Laura x