LET'S TALK PRIMERS

There are so many different primers on the market at the minute that all do different things for different skin types. As i've mentioned before my skin is combination/oily so I thought i'd share with you the primers i've found to be the best and the worst for my skin!

A primer is vital in my makeup routine to ensure that my makeup stays in place all day without shifting or going shiny.

From left to right:

Benefit Porefessional, Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot, The Body Shop Wonderblur, Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

Benefit Porefessional

This primer is my all time favourite primer! It claims to minimise the appearance of pores and it does just that, it is the perfect base for when you want a flawless face. This primer is literally as soft as silk to apply and really makes makeup cling to the face, however it doesn't cure going shiny so I can imagine it works just as well on dry skin. It's best used on the T zone as thats where pores are usually more visible. It retails at £24.50 but its honestly worth every penny and it lasts a very long time! You can get your hands on it here.

Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot

This is the newest primer in my makeup collection after seeing a bunch of positive reviews about it and I must say I LOVE this primer! "With Shine-Bloc 12HR Matte Spheres & Pore Shrink Technology." This primer is fabulous for keeping my skin matte for the longest amount of time! You only need a tiny amount of this and it still manages to shrink the appearance of pores. It is available here and only costs £10.00, DEFINITELY WORTH IT.

Now onto the primers that don't work as well for my skin:

The Body Shop Wonderblur

This primer is the strangest texture and I think that is what put me off it first. It supposed to smooth the skins texture by reducing the appearance of pores and fine lines, which it does to a certain extent. Don't get me wrong it does make them less visible however with this primer it tends to feel like its actually blocking my pores slightly so it makes my makeup feel a lot heavier than it is! It retails at £17.00 and is available here.

Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

You're probably wondering why this product is on a blog post about primers but truth is it makes your makeup last a VERY long time. A lot of people absolutely love this product as a primer but unfortunately I'm not one of them. It acts as a glue to foundation which is fab and the scent isn't too overpowering either! I did however found after using this product a couple of days in a row it actually made me break out so it's a no from me. It is only cheap so I'd definitely recommend giving it a go as it literally makes your makeup last forever, you can pick it up in boots for just £5.35.

Hope this helps!

What's your all time FAVE primer?

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CHRISTMAS BEAUTY IDEAS AT SELFRIDGES

Choosing the perfect gift for someone can be a challenge! Whilst browsing the internet I went onto Selfridges to get some inspiration and I must say there are some gorgeous gifts on there and they're not too badly priced either. I've gathered a collection of the ones I thought were mega cute, so hopefully this will help some of you buy your friends/families gifts this year!

MAC - Irresistibly Charming 

 Lip Gloss £26.00   

CHARLOTTE TILBURY - Six

 Shades Of Love £49.00

CLINIQUE - Shining Stars Beauty 

Box £25.00

LANCOME - La Vie Est Belle Gift Set

 £62.00

CLARINS - Body Care Collection 

£30.00

ORIGINS - Moisture and Be Merry

 £45.00

CLINIQUE - High On Lashes 

£17.50

NAILS INC - Gel Effect Duo 

£22.50

CHARLOTTE TILBURY - The Gift of 

Goddess Skin £39.00

Hope this helps, there are LOADS more gifts online here. 

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PERFECT YOUR POUT

When in doubt, POUT. Over the past few months pouts have become much more of a focus across social media, For example 'The Kylie Jenner Challenge', this is where girls suck their lips into a small cup or lid and actually causing themselves more damage than good, purely just to get a plumper pout. 

As the party season is just round the corner and mistletoe is coming your way I thought I would show you an easier/less painful alternative to plump up your pout in just 5 steps.

Heres what you're gunna need:

1. First off SCRUB, in the cold weather my lips get really dry and this Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub is perfect when it comes to getting super soft lips. I'm not sure that you're supposed to but this smells and tastes good enough to eat. The caster sugar and Jojoba oil in this lip scrub makes sure my lips stay in top condition.

2. PEPPERMINT OIL, you're probably thinking Aimee what........? but peppermint oil is an effective natural remedy that actually plumps your lips. I usually dilute it slightly by mixing it with my lip balm as it makes your lips tingle and if its not diluted the sensation can be a bit too much. Please be careful when applying this to the lips - DO NOT EAT.

3. Lip Liner. If you overdraw too much you will look like a bit of a clown, However this is a great way to give the illusion that your lips are bigger than they are. My current favourite is Rimmel Lasting Finish in Cappuccino and it's available from Boots or Lloyds Pharmacy.

4. Lipstick, like a lot of girls lipstick is my favourite part of my makeup collection! I find by applying my base colour all over, in this case Mac Viva Glam 2, then applying a slightly lighter lipstick to the centre of my lips, in this case Mac Pure Pout, to create a slight ombre which again is great at giving you a plumper looking pout.

5. Finally Highlight, by applying highlighter to your cupids bow this really finishes off any lip look, my current favourite is Mary-Lou Manizer.

Whats your favourite lip combination? Let me know.

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HANDBAG ESSENTIALS

What's in my bag changes a lot but these products have managed to stick around for a long time so I thought i'd show you the few things I always keep in my bag!

Lets get started;

The first thing is my mini Georgio Armani Si perfume, it's a tiny 7ml version so it's perfect for travelling! I got given this as a gift alongside the 30ml so i'm not entirely sure where you can get this baby one from, however if you want to know what kind of scent this is I did mention it in my October Favourites.

Next up is this Sure Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant Cream Stress Control Deodorant, the name is as long lasting as this deodorant. This deodorant I honestly couldn't live without it's so long-lasting, it doesn't have a strong scent but it also smells really fresh and it keeps underarms completely dry yet moisturised throughout the day. It retails for £4.99 and is available here. HACK: I can't remember where I saw this hack and I definitely would NOT recommend this for  everyday use - however it's helped me on the odd occasion! So you know the days when you're in such a rush you completely forget to apply any deodorant, stress no more, its not you that smells its actually the bacteria which gathers under your arms when you sweat so if you apply a small amount of hand sanitiser to your underarms it's going to prevent that bacteria from growing and you won't smell!

I honestly don't know what I would do if I hadn't discovered Mac's Blot Powder, any one with even slightly oily skin this powder will change your life! It retails at £20.50 and is available here. This powder comes with a small pad and a mirror so it saves you carrying them round separately. It somehow managed to keep me matte throughout the day and it is an absolute MUST HAVE. It is available in different colours for different skin tones so I would definitely have a look in store for the correct colour, for those of you interested I was recommended Medium/Dark, even though i'm super pale.

EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm in Summer Fruit - the condition of my lips has completely changed since I got this for christmas last year, its an absolute saviour in the cold weather. It's full of Vitamin E and Shea Butter so you really can feel a difference and it tastes good too. It retails at £6.50 and is available here.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick - Bond Girl. This lipstick is fairly new to my collection but I can't stress to you enough how pretty this lip colour is! I first saw it on Samantha Maria's Youtube channel and instantly fell in love. It says it's a matte lipstick but its honestly not drying at all it feels so lovely on the lips!

Finally, who doesn't keep a hand cream in their bag?! This L'Occitane hand cream is a gorgeous vanilla sent and I just love how moisturised my hands feel after using it! I find their regular hand creams way to big to be kept in my handbag however this one is the perfect size! It retails at £8.00 and is available here.

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know of any products you can't leave the house without!

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CHRISTMAS AT LUSH

Anyone who knows me will know that Lush is my all time favourite shop, there's nothing like an amazing bath after a long day and lush products always make the experience so much more enjoyable, PLUS they're vegan and leave your skin feeling incredible.

Christmas Lush is the best kind of Lush!

This year Lush have bought out so many amazing bath products so I thought i'd share my favourite ones! They're perfect for christmas presents so hopefully this will help some of you. If you want to see any videos of what the baths turn out like they are all available on the website which I will link for each of the products.

I'll start off with my favourite bath product this year, it is The Magic Of Christmas - Bubble Bar, it's available here. This one is re-usable which is fab and it retails at £5.95. The only way to explain this scent is Christmas, it's a mixture of cinnamon and all other types of spicy deliciousness and the fact it's on the end of a cinnamon stick and covered in gold glitter - it looks adorable too!

Here's a brief description of the scents, why I love them and where you can get your hands on them;

Bath Bombs

These you pop into your already run bath and watch them fizz away and most likely take a few photos to show everyone the amazing experience.

Luxury Lush Pud, £3.95

This bath bomb was my favourite of last years bath products, it's just perfect for a cold evening! As you can see theres a load of different colours to start and it leaves your bath a gorgeous pink colour. I find this bath bomb so relaxing, you can really unwind! To me it smells a bit like incense with a hint of lavender, this is all thanks to the lavender oil! Lavender oil is perfect for getting rid of any tension and also helps with sore muscles! It's available here.

Frozen, £3.95

This bath really is magical, it leaves the water a gorgeous glittery blue shade! The scent is so uplifting but not too much, you really can let it go. The main oils in this bath bomb are grapefruit oil, rose oil and neroli oil so of course its going to leave you feeling refreshed! It's available here.

Golden Wonder, £3.95

First of all this fills your bath with gold shimmer, if this isn't enough there is actually a surprise waiting inside! I don't normally like things that are too strong citrus scented however this product really is lush. It's a lot of peoples favourites and I can see why, its so refreshing due to the orange and lime oil! It's available here.

Yog Nog, £3.95

The shea butter in this bath leaves your skin feeling incredible! It's such a sweet scented bath with a hint of toffee which is luxurious. There is also a hint of spice which is from the clove in it, this makes it such a christmassy scent to me. It's available here.

Lord of Misrule, £3.95

Don't be fooled by the green outer coating, this bath is so pretty when the pinky/wine colour mixes with it! This one doesn't smell as christmassy, you can definitely smell the vanilla, black pepper and patchouli oil so this may not be everyones favourite - but then again I'm a sucker for musky scents as well as sweet ones! It's available here.

Father Christmas, £3.95

If you love Snow Fairy you're going to love this bath bomb! It's such a gorgeous sweet scent, almost good enough to eat. Not only is it a pretty pastel colour, it soon turns into a stunning vibrant green. It's available here.

Bubble Bars

These you break off some and crumble it under the running water to create a "blanket of bubbles".

Five Gold Rings, £4.95

With bubble bars I normally find myself using them up way too quickly, with this bubble bar it's already separated for you so you have the perfect amount of bubbles! One thing I will say is they get glitter all over the place, but hey i'm not complaining. They have quite a subtle vanilla scent to them with a hint of gardenia extract. They're available here.

Holly Golightly, £4.95

This is another one of the typical christmas scented bath products and was also my other favourite from last year! A little warning, yes the glitter gets everywhere. It turns your bath such a gorgeous green, its so comforting. Again with the orange and lime oils it's quite an uplifting bath but the clove helps even it out so you have the perfect relaxing bath. It is available here.

Penguin Bubble Bar, I dont think this one is available anymore I just couldn't resist how cute it was!!!

What's your all time favourite Lush product?

Let me know!

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Mac Strobe Cream VS Kiko Glowing Potion

This Kiko Perfecting Serum is such a good dupe for Mac's Strobe Cream and it's half the price. So spend or save?

Mac's Strobe Cream is a huge favourite of a lot of beauty bloggers so I decided to jump on the wagon and try it out and I must say I wasn't disappointed. This product leaves the skin glowing, feeling really hydrated and in a genuinely good condition. It's great as a makeup base as it really brightens the skin, however if you do have particularly oily skin then I would just apply it to the high points of your face where you would normally highlight. It's a pink/pearl white finish and it's a really creamy consistency. 

Kiko's Glowing Potion Perfecting Serum is a bit more of a mouthful but it honestly is practically the same! It's more of a silver/white finish and obviously from the name it is a bit thinner in consistency as it's a serum. I actually think this product has a much nicer scent to it, it smells quite floral where as the strobe cream just smells like product, if you get what I mean? This serum also leaves the skin feeling in a much better condition, it feels hydrated and it's glowing!

I do love Mac's Strobe Cream and would definitely re-purchase it, however if you don't wish to spend as much I would 100% recommend this dupe!

Mac's Stone Cream retails at £24.50 and is available here if you're interested or

Kiko's Glowing Potion retails at £13.90 so it's quite a bit cheaper and is available here.

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