21st Celebrations PART 2

Im a bad blogger. A very very bad blogger.
This post is way overdue and I don't even have a legitimate excuse other than perhaps a little lac in motivation these days. But hey, Im just gonna crack on.

So in my previous post, I was halfway through my London haul, so here's the second half.

Clarins is a brand Ive recently been getting in to and so far Ive really enjoyed using some of their skincare products recommended to me. So whilst I was in London I decided to indulge in some of their make up offerings. Clarins True Radiance Foundation SPF 15 (£27.00) is a lightweight foundation, which is generally unusual for me as I tend to go for heavy duty coverage when it comes to foundation. I tried this at the counter and the reason I was so taken with it was the fresh dewy finish it creates. i find that it gives enough coverage to cover any imperfections whilst also hydrating my skin and adding a radiance you rarely get with heavier foundations.
Along with this I also purchased Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base in 01 Rose. This product I simpy adore. It is the most heavenly tone of pearlescent rose gold. I love using this as a primer, focused in areas id like a little extra highlight. The formula is lightweight and once applied leave the skin feeling hydrated and looking rather illuminated.
With these purchases I received a really cute and quite reasonably sized cosmetic bag which I think is super cute and actually much more accommodating than what I had previously.

On our last day in london we headed to Shepherds Bush to visit Westfield's Shopping Centre, which houses basically everything you could possibly want under one roof. Not to mention, the excellent selection of eateries!

I was delighted to be able to visit the Model's Own Bottleshop, which stocks their full range of nail polish, make up and accessories. They had a pretty awesome deal on which was any 6 polishes for £20, which works out pretty good considering they retail about £5 per polish in most stores. So with this is mind it was basically a Nail Polish pick 'n' mix. Very hard to decide on my colours, but eventually I picked up a few colours from their new Hypergel range as well as a couple colours that just took my fancy. In the end I picked up the following tones Ibiza Mix - Head Kandi Collection, Banana Split - Fruit Pastel Collection, Summer Solstice, Turquoise Gloss, Lilac Sheen and Naked Glow all from the Hypergel series (RRP £4.99).

And finally we come to perhaps the most comfortable and stylish pair of shoes Ive ever owned. These River Island Black cross cleated sandals (£40.00) are so comfy and add a little extra style to the simplest of summer outfits. I adore the fact that they give me some extra height without killing my feet.

So that finally concludes my London round-up! Im absolutely awful with taking pictures on my travels, but i thought id leave you with the few I actually did manage to take.

21st Birthday celebrations (&HAUL) Part 1

Hi there!
Apologies first for my prolonged absence, it has been quite a busy couple of weeks in-between birthday shenanigans, work and lots of other things. But Im back, with a very exciting post about what I've been getting up to over the last week or so surrounding my 21st.

Id been planning my birthday celebrations for quite a few months so when it finally came round to it, I went all out! Got my hair done, nails, basically the whole works. I celebrated my actual birthday with friends and family and received some truly lovely things. The following week me and mum stayed in London and enjoyed a weekend of shopping, eating, drinking and most exciting of all... I finally got to see Wicked, a musical Ive been dying to see for about 6 years.

Over the course of the weekend I treated myself to quite a few things Ive had my eye on for a while.

Our first day in London was dedicated to Oxford Street and the surrounding area where I picked up the above lovelies. The Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette (£37.50) is an item Ive coveted since its release earlier this year. I haven't had much of a chance to play with it yet but just looking at it makes me drool, it's just so beautiful.

Later in the afternoon, the pull to visit Liberty was just too strong and the idea that i'd almost definitely be able to pick my next item was too much to resist. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (£38.00) in Ambient Lighting is a pressed powder that captures, diffuses and softens the way light is reflected on the skin. What Ive found I like most about this product is how it sets my liquid foundations with the right amount of coverage whilst adding a flawless glow. 

Other items I acquired that afternoon included Bumble & bumble Pret a Powder (£21.50), River Island La Vie Belle tank top (£14.00) as well as MAC lipstick in Pink Nouveau and Flamingo (£15.50 each).

Stay tuned for Part 2!

IMATS Haul

So, this is post is a little late considering the majority of people who went to this event posted probably 2 or 3 days ago. However, in-between work this week Ive also been moving house so I think I deserve a little extension.
So as many of you know, last weekend was IMATS and on Sunday me and a friend embarked on our journey to Olmypia, giddy with excitement over our first taste of this annual event.
Armed with a wish list for many of the exhibiting brands including MAC, Bobbi Brown and OCC I considered myself well prepared. The thing I was slightly underprepared for was the sheer amount of people squeezed in to the fairly small exhibition hall. Once I had managed to grab the items I could, I was intending to venture round the hall a second time to take studied views of some of the demonstrations taking place across the booths, however by this time I was so frustrated and hot that we decided to head out for lunch and a much needed alcoholic beverage!

Our first stop of the day was to the Crown Brush stall and I was overwhelmed by the choice. I consider Crown Brush to be a fairly good value brand, the only issue is the not being able to touch and feel the brushes before you buy so being able to have a play with all the different styles was great. I managed to pick up all of these for just £24.

C406 Large Duo Fibre Face Brush (RRP £9.29), C428 Deluxe Duo Fibre Shadow Brush (RRP £5.49), SS021 Syntho Blending Fluff Brush (RRP £4.99), C412 Deluxe Pointed Crease Brush (RRP £5.19) and C207 Sable Angle Liner Brush (RRP £3.69).

My next little purchase came from the MAC stand, and let me tell you...It was packed. Despite being incredibly busy, they had a very organised system and I wasn't waiting around for ages to be served like I would have expected. On the downside, being the third and final day of the showcase MAC were completely out of everything i had on my wish list. On the plus side, I was able to find a couple things to suppress my disappointment. Ive been wanting to start a MAC Pro palette for a while now, and seeing as they were offering 30% discount for Pro Card holders it seemed the right time to take the plunge!

MAC Pro Palette Large £9.10 (RRP £14.00) and MAC Pro Palette Blush Insert X6 £4.23 (RRP £6.50).

My next purchases came from Bobbi Brown, a brand I have very limited experience with but was none the less very excited about. With 25% off for Student Pro card holders, I treated myself to 3 items Id had my eyes on for while.

Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual £16.00 (RRP £20.00), Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream £24.80 (RRP £31.00) and Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Eye Liner in Black Ink £9.00 (RRP £18.00).
I was absolutely chuffed with getting the Gel liner HALF PRICE???!

My final purchases of the day were from two brands Ive never tried before but heard about time and time again on various blogs.  The OCC counter was rammed, you had to be sneaky to find yourself a spot to swatch the covetable lip tars. I found their tick-off-what-you-want menu system really cute, but seeing as I only really had enough money left to buy one colour, this seemed a slight waste of paper. After about 10 minutes of deliberating, I settled on the OCC Lip Tar in Femme (RRP $18.00) for £10. Zoeva brush company I've seen mentioned in a couple of videos recently so I was intrigued to try one out and the one that appealed to me the most was the Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush (RRP £12.50) which I picked up for £9.

That concludes my London IMATS haul, overall it was fantastic experience although I wish I had taken in more of what was going on around me but theres always next year!

Keep an eye out for my next post on our afternoon trip to Westfield Shepherds Bush.

A trip to Gunwharf Quays...

Hi! Todays post features a little selection of items I purchased in Gunwharf this week - technically in two separate trips but we'll overlook that little fact. So, Gunwharf Quays is a really great place for lunching and shopping, especially in the current climate. This mostly outdoor shopping centre contains outlet stores from some of the most popular stores in the UK from Cath Kidston to Swarovski.

As my last two posts have been beauty orientated I thought Id start with the non-beauty items I acquired. Now I'm not usually a big trainer wearer, you're more likely to find me sporting pumps or sandals, but these pastel green 'Authentic Shoes' from the Vans Outlet I was practically drooling over. I absolutely love the mint shade and think these would look great with anything from denim shorts to sun dresses. Plus, at £31.00 in the sale I just couldn't resist. (also, in store if you buy two pairs of sale shoes, you get the cheapest half price - unfortunately not something they offer online) but if you don't live too far from portsmouth it may well be worth a little visit.
Check out the sale here for yourselves.

The second of my non-beauty offerings is a the most adorable little bento box from Cath Kidston. I thought this would be ideal for lunches at work and university. It's the perfect size for handbags and just £4.50 - unfortunately I couldn't find this on their online site but there are some full price alternatives here.

Possibly my favourite shop in Gunwharf is the Cosmetics Company Store, not really surprising as it's actually part of the Estee Lauder group. This incredible outlet offers products from most of the company's sub-brand's including MAC, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox, Origins and Bumble &Bumble. I first tried the Estee Lauder DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme (£40.00) as a trial sample size a number of months ago and almost instantly fell in love. I used this religiously everyday for about 2 weeks and the difference it made in the texture of my skin was phenomenal, so much smoother, brighter and generally healthier looking. The scent also is really refreshing and the fact that it gives me some SPF protection throughout the day is fantastic. I managed to pick this up for just £30 which is a whole £10 cheaper than the counter price, so I was pretty chuffed to say the least! I was also pleasantly surprised to find a teeny sample of the Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator tucked inside (£43.00/£65.00).

Finally, the Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent 100ml (£47.00) is actually an item I still have at least 50% remaining of. But again, the Cosmetics Company Store were selling this for an incredible £33.75, which is a fantastic reduction of over £10. This is probably my all time favourite perfume, it has such a warm, summery scent that when I saw it standing proud on the first set of shelves, I just had to stock up!

So that rounds up my little spending spree from my trip to Gunwharf Quays this week, I hope you've enjoyed the warm weather as much as I have and would love to hear where you've been spending you're hard earned cash :)

Lottie
x

Heatwave Must-Haves!

As I'm sure many of you are aware the weather over the last week or so has been fabulous! Overlooking a few overcast days, it's been pretty baking! I have to admit throughout my younger years I was the type of person who would be the first to seek out the nearest spot of shade once the sun decided to shine. However, in more recent years I have become much more of a sun worshipper. 

But with all this fantastic weather, Im still very much concerned with the effects of over exposure to the sun. So, from my hoard of beauty products, I dug out these two gems.

First is the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Protective Sun Lotion SPF 15 (£15.00). When it comes to sun lotion, I will return to this one again and again. The smell is insatiable and the texture is beautifully velvety. I generally hate having to top up sun cream throughout the day but when i apply this it doesn't feel like such a chore. Containing 'creme ribbons' infused with silk proteins and glycerin to keep the skin hydrated in the sun for 12 hours - now that sounds pretty nifty to me.

The second of the two I originally had difficulty getting my hands on. Last year I spent a few days in magaluf with a friend and i was looking for a product that would provide some coverage but keep my all important skin protected from the rays! I actually managed to pick up the Clinque Super City Block SPF 40 (£17.00) at the airport before boarding my flight, as all local stockists were completely out - clearly everyone was having the same idea as me. What I like most about the product is light coverage it gives, the formula provides just enough so that if the postman were to knock at the door whilst I was sunbathing in the garden I wouldn't be ashamed to answer the door. Plus the fact that it provides a whopping SPF of 40 is big game changer for me. However, with this high factor there does come a slight drawback, the scent of the City Block is just a tad on the clinical side, so this is one I reserve for the hottest of afternoons. 

These next two offerings are a tad more indulgent. For summer nail colour, there is no shade I love more than Essie 'Cute as a button' (£7.99). This is a juicy watermelon pink that seems to go with just about anything and looks great in a pair of stroppy sandals! If I can't decide on a shade, this one is generally my 'go-to' colour, which is kind of a shame cos I really don't try enough variety as I should do. But theres plenty of summer months ahead! The Essie brush is nicely tapered to give a really easy application and your first coat dries in seconds.

Last but not least is the Elemis Skincare Soothing Apricot Toner (£22.00). This product works great as a final step in your skincare routine, specifically for those with sensitive skin. I, however, have found an equally great use for this product... a summer spritz! The formula is so refreshing and whilst I've been sat in the garden the last few afternoons, its really come in handy as a little 'pick-me-up' when I start to feel a little too warm.

So that concludes some of my top picks for sunny days.
You may have noticed a little surprise appearance in some of the photos and this would be Ginny, my springer spaniel, and she loves the sun just as much as me. Here's a few extras of her, she likes the camera too.

Happy Sunning!
Lottie x

Welcome to Beauty Gabble! First up... My Summer Body Routine

Hello and Welcome to Beauty Gabble's first ever blog post!

I thought Id give you a little insight in to who I am and what the blog is about before I dive in to the world of reviewing and product sampling. 

My name is Lottie and I'm currently a Student in the UK, living in the south of England. I have an astonishing love of all things beauty and fashion related. Having followed beauty bloggers for a number of years, Ive finally plucked up the courage to start my own, an idea I've been toying with for quite a while now. Ive previously worked on beauty counters and in fashion retail, I don't proclaim to be a professional make up artist but I reckon I know my way around a dressing table pretty well by now. My initial ideas for the blog include talking about some of my favourite products, general make up and skincare routines, new releases and possibly the occasional fashion or lifestyle post just for some refreshing content.

So for my first post I thought Id talk about something thats been playing on my mind for a while now and that's summertime! Yes, it's soon to be that time of year when we don our sunglasses and pull out the shorts and skirts that have been hibernating in our wardrobes for the last 6 months.

But Im sure Im not alone when I say that this change of season brings with it woeful concerns of whether our bodies are quite ready to be flashed in the summer sun. 

So in preparation for this time of year I have adopted a new body care routine that will (hopefully) have me summer wardrobe ready! Ive been on a weightless journey for a number of weeks now and that's all well and good but the idea of getting my legs out is still a daunting prospect. I do unfortunately have the dreaded 'orange-peel' affect on my upper thighs. So as I headed to my local Boots I was determined to find some remedies for my little cellulite problem.

The first in this little summer haul is the Nivea Good-bye Cellulite Gel-Cream (£10.89) which claims to firm and reduce the appearance of cellulite without the need to massage the product in. I have to admit before my trip to Boots, I did do a little pre-shop research and was impressed by this products reviews and was already set upon purchasing. Overall, Im pleased to say that I don't regret doing so! The formula is absorbed effortlessly and immediately leaves my skin feeling slightly taught and very soft. It does however, have that almost clinical generic cellulite cream smell. 

However, my second cellulite busting product more than makes up for this. The Sanctuary Sculpt & Smooth Anti-cellulite Treatment (£12.50) has the most heavenly scent on earth. The aroma is reminiscent of lemon meringue pie and for me provides an incredibly relaxing effect for bedtime. The formula requires more work than the Nivea offering but I would say that both deliver the same results. I have taken to using these two products in conjunction the first as a morning body cream and the latter as part of my pre-bedtime routine. In the last two weeks of using these products I have genuinely noticed a difference in the appearance of my cellulite, the simples seem less prominent and my legs seem just a little less wobbly in areas. 

So all in all, a successful shopping trip!

Now a post about summer skin would not be complete without a mention to one of my all time favourite body products and that is Soap And Glory's Breakfast Scrub (£8.00). Ive been repurchasing this product for years, I find it to be an incredibly effective pre-shave scrub leaving my legs super smooth. This sugar scrub is only needed once a week, the sugar and oatmeal granules buff away dead skin and unwanted little surface bumps easily. Now, the best feature of this product is without doubt the mouth-watering smell. Breakfast Scrub contains banana, almond, honey and best of all maple fragrance which just leaves me longing to taste it. So far, Ive managed to resist. 

So thus concludes my round up of my summer skin essentials, I hope i haven't waffled on too much for a first time post!

Id love to hear your thoughts and any body care products you couldn't live without.

Lottie x