Monday, 6 January 2014

Maybelline fit me concealer review | handpicked beauty



I purchased the Maybelline Fit me concealer a few months ago, because I was looking for a new concealer as I have gone off the collection one as I find it really thick and cakey. The colour of the collection one is so perfect for me (1 fair) and the coverage is great, but I just find that it isn't good for dry skin like mine as it cakes onto blemishes :( Fit me is £5.99 from Boots, which I personally think is a little pricey considering the collection one is about £4 and much better (and I don't even like that one!)

Fit me concealer is a really lovely product, however it does have some downsides which make it not an every day product for me unfortunately. It is basically the exact opposite of the collection one! It is super blendable and never looks cakey, so it is looks like you aren't wearing any makeup! It covers undereye circles really well too and feels so light on the skin.

It has a cool applicator (I think it's called a doefoot applicator), so it can be dotted onto blemishes and then patted in for a seamlessly blended look.


The main problem I have with this concealer is the colour. It is really orangey looking on my skin, and as I mainly use it on my chin it makes me look like I have some weird fake tan only on my chin (not a good look), so I always have to go over with the collection one anyway to balance it out. I think this is a great concealer for someone who has a bit of a tan, but for anyone pale like me it just looks really orange. I got the shade 15; there was a shade under this one but it looked a little more yellowy so I went for shade 15...looking back shade 10 might have been better for my skin tone.  I find it looks good in the evenings when there isn't any harsh light to show up the orange, so it is worth having for covering up imperfections for the night.
 It is brilliant for undereye circles as the orange cancels them out, however it isn't highlighting so if you want a brightening effect another concealer is needed. Also, the coverage isn't as good as the collection so I find that quite a bit of product is needed to get the effect I want.



Overall, I think this is a lovely concealer as it is super blendable and feels light on the skin, however the colour range isn't great and it's not great for people with lots of blemishes as it isn't the best coverage.

Have you tried this concealer? What do you think?

Emma-Kate
xxx

Friday, 3 January 2014

Barry M nail polish 'Majesty' | handpicked beauty


Hi everyone and a very happy new year! 

I recently picked up this gorgeous gold nail polish from Barry M called 'Majesty'. It was reduced from £3.99 to £2.99 in Superdrug, and I think it still is! I love Barry M nail polishes; they're so pretty and lovely on the nails, and they always dry super fast.  Majesty is no exception; it's a beautiful colour with little specks of glitter in it, and I think it's really festive and lovely for this time of year. I wore it for New Years eve and I couldn't stop looking at my nails.



It applies so nicely and also it dries really quickly, which is great for me as I get so impatient when nail polishes take ages to dry!

 A downside to it is that I do think it chips quite easily, but I didn't use a basecoat or topcoat so maybe if I do next time it won't chip as much.

I love this nail polish so much and it is one I will definitely wear to occasions like meals out or any parties. I'd love to get more- they do a clear glittery one too which looks amazing.









Have you tried any Barry M nail polishes?

Emma-Kate
xxx

Monday, 30 December 2013

Lush Haul!

So I went shopping to delve into the post christmas sales, and obviously I had a little peek into Lush. They have an amazing sale on with most of the Christmas stock 50% off, so I bought a few to treat myself! I really don't' mind using the Christmas stuff after Christmas because I love it either way. And to get 5 bathbombs for half price I'm not complaining! Snowfairy was sold out so I am really guttered about that as I was so excited to use it :-(



THINK PINK

This bath ballistic is quite small and dinky, and it's bright pink! It looks so cute and pretty, and I really hope it makes my bath really really pink.


CREAMY CANDY BATH
I've only ever used one of Lush's bubble bars once and it was ages ago, so I've wanted to try another for a while! This smells so incredible, like sweets-I'm rubbish at describing scents so it's probably best if you just try it in the shop :). I love that you can break a little off and use it bit by bit, so it's not all gone in one go. I love bubbles, and when I tried a bit of this it made my bath so bubbly and relaxing.

SNOWMAN

This one is super cute! It smells quite almondy and calming, and I love the way it has a little scarf and carrot nose :) It looks so adorable and I can't wait to use it on a cold winters day :)




FATHER CHRISTMAS
Father Christmas bath ballistic is a pink and white Santa face. It smells really festive and gorgeous!








GOLDEN WONDER
This is my third golden wonder this Christmas! I love it so much; it turns the bath turquoise and so glittery, and I always feel like I'm in an exotic ocean. It kinda reminds me of when I went to Mexico. It smells so so incredible! It's shaped like a present so is a brilliant gift for someone (It's not that festive so it's a great present for a birthday too) so I would defnitely reccomend snapping it up before it dissapears until next Christmas! I think it's about £2 reduced from £4, which is so reasonable. It's one of my favourite bath ballistics from Lush and I loveeeee it.


Did anyone else get anything from the Lush sale?

Emma-Kate
xxxx


Monday, 23 December 2013

The christmas tag!


Hey everyone,
I can't believe that in less than 48 hours it will be christmas! I'm so excited, and I thought
 I would do the Christmas tag because it seems so fun and festive. I am so excited for new year and I have loads of posts planned so I can't wait :)

Questions

What is Your Favourite Holiday Movie? 
Home alone 2 or the polar express!

Whats Your Favourite Christmas Colour? 
Red, gold and a pine tree green.

Do You Like To Stay in Your PJs Or Dress Up For Christmas?
In the morning, me and my brothers and sisters all run down stairs and open any presents in our pyjamas, and then later when I go out to a church service I wear a casual dress or skirt or something. We usually spend christmas day witho ur family and it isn't really formal, so I like to wait until a new year party to dress up properly :)

If You Could Only Buy One Person a Present This Year Who Would It Be?
Either my Mum or Dad, because they do so much for me and they deserve endless presents :)

Do You Open Your Present Christmas Eve Or Christmas Morning?
On Christmas eve, me and my siblings all give it each other presents and we give presents to our parents, but any presents from my parents to us are opened on christmas morning!


Have You Ever Built a Ginger Bread House?
Yes, I buy one from IKEA every year and spend an afternoon building it :)

What Do You Like To Do On Your Christmas Break?

I've had write a few exams before I broke up for the holidays, so I chill out, watch festive films and do some baking, and just relax and allow myself to have a bit of 'me time'. From Christmas day onwards, it's really busy because we meet up with both my mum's and dad's side of the family, and we go and stay at my Auntie's farm in Wales for a night or two. It's so amazing seeing everyone!
  
Any Christmas Wishes?
For all the family to be together and have fun, because my Grandad hasn't been well so I will be so grateful if we can all have a laugh together without any health worries. Also to just destress :)
 Favourite Christmas Smell?

IKEA berry candles (So amazing) or the Yankee candle 'Christmas eve'. I also love Cinnamon stick too!
  
 Favourite Christmas Meal Or Treat?
Mince pies...I love them so much! Or vegetable crisps; that sounds so weird but they taste amazing and as I don't eat normal crisps they are such a tasty but healthy snack :)





















Thanks for reading everyone, and I hope you all have an amazing Christmas <3

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Hello December.


http://www.pinterest.com/pin/241787073718020911/

Long time no blog! I have been soo busy lately and I feel really bad for not blogging. On Friday I have two exams and the week after I have one, and in January I have got some too! I'm so stressed about it but today I thought I'd just take a step back, breathe and blog. So happy December everyone! 
December is my favourite month EVER. The frosty air, merry atmosphere, twinkling lights, wrapping presents and cosy socks in front of the fire is my dream scenario and I am so happy Christmas is coming up! My brother is coming home from university on Friday so I am so excited to see him and have Christmas with the whole family together :D 
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/310396599289172576/

                                        What is your favourite thing about December? 

                                                                             ♡  

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

DIY christmas present idea: Peppermint foot scrub ♡ | Handpicked Beauty



I am wanting to start doing loads of DIY posts, as I am a crazily obsessed DIY person, and for Christmas I am making pretty much all of the presents I'm giving to people. It's much cheaper, funner and you can personalise to make extra special, thoughtful gifts.

For my Mum, I am making her a Peppermint foot scrub as it is so easy to make, and I know she will love using it and really appreciate me making it for her. I was inspired by seeing this one from the Body Shop and realising I could easily make it for a fraction of the price. It's so easy to personalise, and you can use any essential oil of your choice to create a different scent, but as it is christmas I thought peppermint was really cute and festive. I think this is a great present to get for anyone and it is ridiculously easy to make!

What you will need:
Adjust the quantities according to the container you are using, I just used rough measurements but you can add or take depending on your preference.

 2tbsp granulated sugar( doesn't really matter what kind, but the granier it is, the more exfoliating it will be)

♡ 2tbsp brown sugar

 1 tbsp olive oil(you can use any type of oil you want; e.g: almond oil)

  A dash of peppermint extract

  1 tbspHoney


The sugar gently exfoliates dead skin cells, the olive oil softly moisturises, the peppermint essence adds a fun scent and the honey is antibacterial and leaves the skin feeling super soft!

How to make it:



















add the granulated sugar ♡add the brown sugar ♡ add the oil ♡add the honey ♡ add the peppermint extract ♡ mix it all up and add it to a pretty jar ♡

I put it in a cute jar and added a checked piece of fabric with twine and a homemade label. I think it looks so pretty and festive and it's so easy to make :)


Let me know if you try this, and if you want to see any more DIY posts! Lots of love, Emma-Kate 
xxx





What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

  ♡  

Friday, 15 November 2013

Products I have been loving lately! ♡


I was going to call this post 'October favourites' but then I realised that October has been and gone, so this is my 'Products I have been loving lately'!

I haven't done my monthly favourites for a really long time, as I haven't been trying many new products but recently I have bought a few bits and pieces which I've been loving for the Autumn season. I decided to just write them out on my blog this time, and enjoy taking photos and describing the products as I haven't felt up to doing YouTube videos lately(hope you all understand!). However, I adore blogging and can't wait to show you my favourite products of the moment!


OPI shatter nail polishes

I treated myself to some OPI nail polishes recently, and I have been absolutely loving these shatter colours 'Silver Shatter', 'Red Shatter' and 'Shatter the scales'. They look amazing over a black coat of nail varnish, and the emerald shade is sooo gorgeous for the Autumn season! I think Silver shatter is lovely over any polish and is so gorgeous on the nails, and I also think the red and silver are really festive and christmassy :)


Rimmel stay matte pressed powder

I only just got round to trying this powder, after hearing sooo many people rave about it. I was previously using the Rimmel Clear complexion powder because the stay matte wasn't in stock when I bought it, but it smashed when I took it to Mexico in August so I have been using my natural collection one since then (which I really don't like). I finally bought the stay matte powder and I love it! It's so natural and finely milled, and isn't cakey at all. You can barely tell when it is on and it keeps my skin non shiny and clean throughout the day. I absolutely love it and after previously considering a Mac mineralise skin finish, I'm so happy I tried this and saved myself £20+! 










Maybelline Fit me concealer
I am so excited about this concealer! I bought it because lately I have really gone off my Collection lasting perfection one, as it seems to be quite cakey and thick when covering up blemishes. It is the only liquid concealer I've tried so I wanted to try something new, so I bought Fit Me in York. Although it is a little bit dark for me, it looks SO natural and it blends seamlessly into the skin; so perfect for school. It literally blends so so so well and covers up any redness amazingly, so I can work with the slightly off shades. I was hesitant to buy this, but I have loved it so much so far! I will be doing a full review after I have been using it for a little longer :)



MUA lipliner in 'Brooding Plum'
I picked up this lipliner because I was looking for something to go with my beloved Rimmel 107( review coming very soon). It is a dark red/burgundy shade and it looks amazing on the lips. I sometimes use it on it's own, or with lipstick to highlight and shape my lips. I always feel so confident when I wear it as it just looks so beautiful and perfect for Autumn. It can slide a little bit, but nothing too bad! And for £1 you can't really go wrong- definitely buying more shades!


The BodyShop berry lip roll on
This is basically a lip moisturiser in the form of a roll on. It's so easy to use and so hydrating for the Autumn weather when my lips get so cracked and dry. I apply this whenever I'm wearing lipstick as it leaves my lips so smooth and soft, and is such a lovely product to whip out of my handbag.









                             What are your October favourites/ products you've been loving lately?



                                                                                  ♡ 



Please let me know if you would like me to review any of the products mentioned in detail (as you can tell I have a lot to say about them but I don't want to bore anyone! :P ) xxx