SLEEK PALETTE GIVEAWAY! -closed-

Hey everyone,

So I hope you are all as excited as me about the first (of many) giveaways on Handpicked Beauty!
I just wanted to say a massive thankyou to everybody who has liked my little piece of the internet which I write whilst snuggled up in my pyjamas drinking tea, a shy girl who just wants to talk about beauty. It really means a lot to me, especially as I recently started a YouTube channel which took every bit of confidence I have!

I thought I'd give away a Sleek palette, as I have heard about how great they are! It is hard for me to give this away as I'd love it myself but I love you guys too much to do that ;) I chose the I-Divine 'Oh so special' palette as I've heard so many great reviews.
The colours are soft and subtle and so wearable, and would look so pretty on the eyes!

Sorry for not doing any swatches but obviously I want to give it away in perfect condition; I was sooo careful opening the package haha!n I'll announce the winner on a blog post on the 26th May.

Thanks so much everyone and good luck!
Emma-Kate xxx

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Neutrogena Visibly Clear pore & shine facial wash!

Hey everyone,
So in my recent haul post, I mentioned that I had bought the new Neutrogena Visibly Clear pore&shine facial wash on offer in Boots. The full price is £4.49 but I got it for £2. I have already tried the Grapefruit one- the review is here- and I love it, so I couldn't wait to see if I love this one too!
My skin is combination, so around the sides of my face, especially my forehead and my cheeks, and the sides of my nose can get quite dehydrated and dry, yet at the same time the centre of my nose and my chin can get very oily. This means when I am cleaning my skin I don't want to strip my skin of all oil and dry it out more, but I don't want to add too much unnecessary moisture by using something which is too heavy for my skin and will clog my pores. I am prone to blackheads and getting blocked pores anyway, and as this product targets this issue I was excited to try it.

The packaging is the same as the grapefruit one, with an easy to use pump and a clear bottle so it is obvious how much product you have left which is a great factor. It is a green colour, but when you apply it on your skin it looks clear.
I soak my skin in warm water to open my pores, and then I massage this in, focusing on the nose, forehead and chin. It lathers up into almost a foam so it is really easy to blend all over your face to clean it, however if you get it in your eyes it stings; I learnt this the hard way!!  This takes off all of my concealer and foundation really nicely, and when I wash it all off my skin feels fresh, clean, all the horrible grime from the day is gone and my pores look smaller with less blockage!

 After daily use (once a day) lots of my blackheads were gone and visibly reduced so that makes me super duper happy!

The scent isn't as nice as the grapefruit one, however it isn't off putting at all and I just ignore it. I wouldn't say it's nasty but I also wouldn't say I love it either...it just smells like a lime basically! I have also heard that lemon and lime can be detoxing for the skin and helps to unblock the pores.

If you have oily skin, I would definitely recommend this, as after a long day and when your skin is feeling unclean and full of makeup, this really refreshes it and removes all excess oil and dirt as well as brightening your complexion! I have noticed my skin looks more matte during the day and doesn't get oily as quickly. I think this product does everything that it advertises which I find is rare, and it is quickly becoming a staple in my skincare routine.

Lots of love,
Emma-Kate
xxx

The Shopaholic TAG!(video)

Hey everyone,
So I filmed this video a while ago and I wasn't sure whether to upload it or not, but I thought it was a really fun tag and I loved filming it and answering the questions! I tag everyone to do it, on blogger or on YouTube, and let me know if you do because I really want to see some other versions of the tag :).

Hope you like the video and thanks for supporting me and watching my channel and blog, it means a lot to me!




Lots of love,
Emma-Kate
xxx

Charity shop discussion!

Hey everyone,
So I've been on blogger for about a week now, as I haven't been feeling too  great lately and going back to school after a break always gets me down!

I wanted to talk on the subject of charity shops, to see what you guys think!

I recently went into a charity shop after hearing so many bloggers and YouTubers show amazing thrifty finds, especially one of my friends who bought a vintage chest of drawers for £15. I was quite surprised to find loads of clothes, jewellery, home stuff and books, all for really cheap, and being the bargain hunter I am I loved it!

 I didn't buy any clothes for two reasons: 1. I am very tall but slim and most of the clothes were too big 2. I felt a little awkward buying second hand clothing. Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great idea to have clothes donations  but something in me felt slightly weird at buying clothes someone else didn't want. I'm not saying they aren't good enough, or anything like that but it did made me feel a bit funny and I'm not really sure why. In a weird way I would rather donate money than buy the things. Does anyone else get this?

I could definitely see myself going again as I am a big bargain hunter and I love the idea of looking through the shop finding cool, antique and unique items! One man's rubbish is another's treasure (or something like that:P).
immediately
However, I picked up two bracelets which are so pretty and were so cheap! When I saw the little bucket of jewellery I rushed over very quickly and immediately saw these two. I love the fact that buying things from the shop was helping others out and not just going to some multi million pound business who just use the money to make more clothes.
I was just interested to know whether any of you have bought any amazing thrifty finds from a charity shop, and what your views are! :D

Hope you are all ok,

lots of love,
Emma-Kate
xxx

Simple Kind To Skin hydrating light moisturiser

Hey everyone, so today I thought I'd review my favourite moisturiser, the Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser. Try saying that fast! I've been using it for about two months, and I originally bought the mini size but I loved it so much I now have the full size.

The packaging is almost identical to the cleanser packaging, so that can be a little annoying as tehy get mixed up but I like it because it is simple, gives quite a natural look and it isn't all gimmicky and promoting things, it just simply says what the product does. This is really appealing to me because it makes the company appear more genuine in the product and beliefs they try to associate themselves with!

The product itself is super light. You only need a very small amount as it just spreads beautifully all over your skin leaving it so soft and smooth. This is perfect for someone with oily skin, or in summer when you don't want a really rich moisturiser to be weighing your skin down, because it is so light and it sinks into the skin straight away, leaving no residue at all so your skin never feels greasy. It hasn't broken me out at all, and it is the perfect base for applying makeup because it leaves the skin super duper smooth. Next winter when my skin is all dry I will probably try the rich moisturiser from Simple, but this is great for when your skin doesn't really need much more additional moisture.

I was really suprised bu the consistency of the product, as it isn't fully opaque, it's almost translucent. It has an almost watery consistency as it is so thin, but not so it's runny, just so it applies and spreads evenly over the skin.

Like I said, you barely need any product which makes it last for ages. I always apply too much on the back of my hand because you literally need a tiny blob to cover the whole face. For example, on this picture I only need about half that amount!

This is my favourite moisturiser because it keeps extra oil at bay and doesn't leave your skin greasy as some moisturisers do! For the amazing drugstore price, I would 100% recommend it.

Have you tried anything from this amazing range? 

Emma-Kate

xxx

Big beauty and accessories haul!

Hey everyone,

So today I went shopping and had a little spend...oops. I was really happy with what I bought though, because I got some great bargains and bought things I've wanted for ages!

From Boots, I bought the new Revlon Nearly Naked foundation. I have wanted this for a while, and as I am not very experienced with foundation purchasing and my collection is tiny, I kept getting put off so I am glad I've finally bought it! The colour is not perfect for me as I am super pale, but this was the palest they have so I think if I only use a small amount and maybe mix in moisturiser it will be fine.

I don't buy mascara very often so I am soo excited to try a new one! After a lot of umming and ahhing between this and the Rimmel lash accelerator, I decided to give this a whirl as it was in nicer packaging and the wand looked great. I can't wait to try it and I really hope I'm not disappointed! 

From Boots I also picked up this Rimmel blush in the colour 'bronze'. I am a bit disappointed as I thought it was matte but it isn't. I was actually looking for a decent Bronzer but they were all too shimmery or too dark. Does anyone know a good drugstore Bronzer for pale skin? I guess although it is no bronzer like I'd hoped, this blush will look nice on my cheekbones for a slight contour and the shimmer will catch the sunlight when it gets warmer.

 I bought the 'Neutrogena Visibly Clear pore and shine daily wash' which is really similar to the pink grapefruit one. It says on the back that it removes 77% of excess sebum on the skin, so I am looking forward to seeing results! I love the Pink Grapefruit one so I hope I love this too :)

I also bought some Nivea facewipes because they are £1 and seem really handy! Although I wouldn't use these to remove makeup because I prefer to use proper cleansers and things.

As if I didn't have enough makeup, after that I went into Superdrug and I picked up the MUA nail varnish in Pistachio Ice Cream. It looks exactly the same as Essie's Mint Candy Apple, which I've wanted to try for ages but it is only £1 so I thought I'd give this a go first! The colour is identical, and the only difference with the packaging is that it says MUA instead of Essie. I hope this is h=good but for £1 I'm not expecting much. I also got the MUA cream blush in 'Dolly' because I've heard loads about it. It isn't that pigmented but I don't really mind because it gives a natural flush. It was £1 which is amazing so I will be getting more of these for sure! 

As I was having an MUA party in there, I also picked up a white eyeliner to use on my waterline to make me look more awake. This is really pigmented and was also £1, so I'm really happy I have discovered MUA products because for the price they are really good quality. I want to try the lipsticks now :) 

The last thing I bought from Superdrug was the Simple Kind to Skin soothing facial toner which I have tried before and I love it! 

I then went into Paperchase because they had a hugeee sale on, and I found some amazing bargains. Firstly I got this notebook with little hearts on, which I think is so handy and cute. I also got this stamp which says 'Happy Easter', which will be great for next year!

I picked up a set of two mugs for TWO POUNDS FIFTY. I can't believe it because usually they are £5 each! They are in gorgeous heart designs so I think I will give these as a present to someone. I also picked up this lovely mug with clocks on, which came in a really nice box too.

The last thing I bought was a bit wierd, but it is this sandwich press in a really cute print. I've got this for my friend's birthday because she loves quirky and fun things like this, so I can't wait to give it to her! Hayley, if you are reading, sorry! :P 

Thanks for reading,

Emma-Kate

xxx

March favourites :D

Hey everyone,

So today I have my first ever favourites (woop) and I thought I'd do it in a video because I had quiteee a lot! I'm only doing a video every now and again so it's just a coincidence that I've done a few in a row. What are your March Favourites?
Emma-Kate
xxx