In terms of product, I love the product and it made my eyebrows super defined, super quickly which I loved. However, I don't always define and highlight my brows, meaning I ran out of the actual brow make-up lots quicker than the other two shades. Compared to my holy grail brow-zings it also ran out much much quicker (2 months as opposed to 6-8 months). As they are both a similar price, I think I'll stick with my holy grail Brow-zings. Good effort Benefit- but perhaps a refillable pen would be something to look into!

So, if you follow me on Twitter (if you don't... have you been living under a rock?!) you will know that in a short TWO WEEKS, I am going to Las Vegas with one of my main gals, Liz. As much as I am excited for it, there is A LOT of preparation to get done before I go, especially in the beauty department.

I thought I'd share the sort of prep I do in terms of pre-holiday beauty and the sort of time guide I follow to ensure I am holiday ready!


1. HAIR

A Month Before: As a platinum blonde, I need all the help I can get in the hair department. I tend to find my hair is really prone to breakage due to having it peroxided/ constantly straightening it so around a month before I go on holiday I begin taking a supplement for Hair, Nails and Skin. This time round I've opted to test our HairBurst (review pending!).

Two Weeks Before: Two weeks before, I'll get my hair coloured (shout out to the only salon I'd get my hair done, Legally Blondes) . I know it's nice having your hair all freshly dyed right before holiday BUT from my research... the sun can fade your expensive dye-job so it's worth having it done a few weeks before as the colour will have settled and won't fade but still look fresh.

Two Washes Before: Two hair washes before I go, I will use a deep conditioning treatment like my favourite Palmer's Protein Hair Mask (which I reviewed here). I find that they make my hair so smooth but also tend to make my hair slightly greasier, so I won't use it on the wash right before I go.

The Night Before: I will tone my hair the night before I fly so the colour is at it's best and not brassy (I use Bleach London products, see my review here)! As I have red (read: ginger) undertones, I am prone to my colour looking brassy. I'll also do a full blow-dry and straighten so my hair is ready rock when I emerge in sunnier climes.

2. TAN

Three Weeks Before: As a fake tanning novice, I always do a test run about three weeks before I go away to ensure the colour I want is coming out of the bottle and that my application techniques are still up to scratch. It also gives me a week to scrub it off, and begin my real prep for the real tan.

Two Weeks Before: I am one of those people who absolutely detest being all slimy and cold having got out the bath and having to douse myself in moisturiser. It's one of my pet hates. However, the key to a beautiful and most importantly, even, tan is having well nourished and moisturised skin. So, two weeks before I go away, I begin the hideous process of dousing myself in moisturiser morning and night to prepare for my tan.

A Week Before: A week before, and it's time for extreme exfoliation. An even starting skin means an even tan!

Two Days Before: I will tan up two days before, right before bed, and snuggle up in my sleeping bag liner so I don't ruin my sheets. Definitely thinking of trying the Purity St Tropez range which promises no ruined bedsheets! Side note: has anyone tried it?? Is it good?!?! Two days before also gives me time to rectify any mishaps (hello orange hands).

3. WAX/ SHAVE

Three Days Before: As I tan two days before I go, I will wax/ shave three days before. I usually decide whether it will be wax or shave dependent on how lazy I've been in the weeks up to departure... LOL.

4. TEETH WHITENING

Two Weeks Before: I use Crest whitening strips (which, yasss I'll be stocking up on when I'm in 'murica) and will use these everyday for two weeks pre-departure to ensure my teeth are gleaming and picture ready.

5. SKINCARE

Three Weeks Before: I am terrible for skincare. Like, literally awful. I rarely cleanse, tone and moisturise, despite having the Clinique 1, 2, 3 system (reviewed here back when I did used to do this every single day). Three weeks before, I try to make a consientious effort to actually cleanse, tone, moisturise and apply an anti-ageing serum. I've hit the ripe old age of 25. ALL OF THE ANTI-AGEING COME AT ME.

One Week Before: I make sure to apply a face-mask a week before so any impurities can come out and be gone before I fly!

6. LASHES AND BROWS

One Week Before: As standard, I get my eyebrows waxed and dyed and lashes dyed (hello lazy girl life, no mascara or filling in my eyebrows for a daytime look!), but I'll arrange my standing appointment to be a week before I jet off.

7. MANI/ PEDI

A Few Days Before: As an acrylic nail fanatic, I'll get my nails infilled as close to departure as possible. In terms of pedicure, I tend to get this done at the same time as my infills and I usually opt for shellac to ensure it's long lasting and won't chip off around the pool or when I excessively wear my flip flops.

With both of the packs, you wash your hair, as normal and apply the pack leaving on for 15-20 minutes. As my hair is in need of the moisture, I choose to leave the pack on for the full 20 minutes and I found that both packs left my hair smooth, non-frizzy and both feeling and looking healthy!

Although I liked the Manuka Flower Honey Protein pack, I found the Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning pack did more for my hair, and gave my hair more of the moisture boost it craved. I would re-purchase the Manuka Flower Honey pack if the Coconut Oil Protein pack wasn't available. I use the Coconut Oil Protein pack every Sunday now, without fail, as part of my Sunday night routine (as detailed in my Skinny Tan Review!).

You can purchase both of these packs from Superdrug (I should really buy some shares in Superdrug now!) here. The Coconut Oil pack retails for £2.09 and the Manuka Flower Honet pack retails for £2.99.

I've used all manner of tans, with varying results. Only recently have I got into the weekly routine of exfoliating and tanning on a Sunday night and moisturising throughout the week. I thought I'd share my ride- or- die tan with you and do a small review on it.

I found the tan, Skinny Tan, whilst browsing Facebook and it was suggested to me in one of those weird-ass creepy adverts which are tailored to your google searches (still freaks me out!). The advert itself was a clip of the owners of Skinny Tan presenting it as a project for investment to the Dragons (Dragon's Den) with some girls in bikinis, showing off their tans, shouting the most ridiculously catchy song (Who want's a skinny tan?! I want a skinny tan!).

Firstly, props to whoever thought of that marketing ploy, because I COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD. So, I did my research and off I popped to my local Superdrug and bought myself a bottle of the good stuff and a mitt (v. necessary for all you first time tanners).


Let me say, I LOVE THIS TAN.

Much like the White to Brown tan which I reviewed, it has a great guide colour against my skin which enabled me to ensure I didn't miss any major bits.

I hopped into my sleeping bag liner to avoid the whole tanned sheets debacle (and seeing as my sheets are all white, this would have been a major problem!), slept away and I woke up ready to wash the tan off. After a quick bath sesh, I was left with a beautiful but natural tan. There is a slight smell to this tan, but with the results it gives, I really don't care that it's there.

I would 100% recommend with no doubts. It's also interesting to note that the ingredients within the tan are 90% naturally derived and parabens and sulfates are avoided leaving you using a more natural tan! It also not tested on animals, which is a huge plus.

You can buy it from the Skinny Tan Website or from Superdrug- and it starts at £21.99 for the original tan (which is the one I buy!).

As many of you know, I am never without my trusty eyeliner flicks on my eyes. Without them, I feel basically naked. When the opportunity presented itself to test out the Flawless Eyeliner by Loreta Flawless Lashes, I jumped at it!

Firstly, I love love love the packaging of this product. It's small and petite and can fit into even the smallest of handbags. The only thing I would say is that I wish the lid would fit on the end of the product like a pen.

The product itself is a marker pen type eyeliner. I'm used to liquid eyeliner with a brush so this took some initial getting used to, but honestly, it makes creating those feline type flicks super easy to do!

The eyeliner claims to last all day and not smudge and my god does it! This heatwave we've had has been the perfect conditions (read: humid and sweaty a f) to test it in- it's lasted through the gym, whilst I slept (ooooooops!) and in general day to day wear. I'm ashamed to admit because I know you're not supposed to constantly touch your eyes but I always rub them and end up looking like Mr Incredible. I rub my eyes wearing this eyeliner- and it stays perfectly intact. SO LONG MR INCREDIBLE LOOK!



Would I buy again? Certainly!  I am super impressed with the Flawless Eyeliner by Loreta Flawless Lashes. It retails for £19.99 (which for a good eyeliner I'd definitely be willing to pay!) and you can purchase from the Loreta Flawless Lashes website.

It's that time of the year where all the products we got for Christmas are starting to run out and I thought I'd share my mid-year empties and whether or not I'd re-purchase! Also, I'm sorry I've used the picture of the Ordinary foundation twice, I really hated my initial main photo because it was too dark (blogger problems...!).




Wonderland Loose Pigment
I love love love using this little loose pigment in the corners of my eyes. I was actually sent this to test out and I'd definitely re-purchase. As I said in my initial review, I might order some different colours too, read my review here.

NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray
I like to use this little finishing spray from NYX on a day-to-day basis and keep my Urban Decay setting spray for nights out/ special events. I think it's lightweight and dries quickly and leaves my make up looking flawless all day. I'd re-purchase.

I also have run out of the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer which I don't actually have a photo of (except in the background of all the other pictures!). I do like this primer, but as I said in my Wonderland review which is linked above, their formula is very similar and at a snip of the price so I think I'd buy the Wonderland version instead.