May Favourites

And so we are about to start the sixth chapter of the year it's crazy to think we're almost halfway through the year, time really does fly. Next month will bring with it festival season, the return of Pretty Little Liars, the third season of Orange Is The New Black and summer but before we get into June let me share with you what I've been loving during May.



This month I've been loving Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser £3.69 for when I'm too lazy to moisturiser. You simply pop some on your hands and rub it into your skin then rinse it off then when you're out the shower your skin feels soft and moisturised and you don't have to wait for it to dry. I picked up the pampering honey one but it actually smells more like cocoanut than honey this is going to come in so handy throughout summer for making my skin softer without much work.

 

I've also been loving Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It £9.00 this month, I've used this before and recently started using it again to give my face a good scrub, Scrub Your Nose In It is a pore refining exfoliator that cleans, exfoliates, stimulates your skin and soaks up excess oil. I really like this exfoliator because it's not rough on your skin but you still feel like you're giving it a good scrub and it feels really refreshing. I can't tell you if it refines your pore or not because I've not been using it long enough to notice a difference but I don't have overly large pores at the minute now but I love this as an exfoliator.

 

 

I've got another skincare favourite this month and it's the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water £4.19 I love this for removing my makeup especially eye make up as it takes it off really easily. I use two cotton pads with some of the micellar water on them and just hold them on my eyes for a few second and then my eye makeup melts away. I also like to use it after my shower to makeup I'm 100% makeup free, I've had this for a while now and it's lasted really well.

 

 

I've gotten back into wearing jewellery more this past month and thought I'd share a few of my most worn pieces. I often forget to wear jewellery even though I have a lot and I really want to get back into wearing jewellery as it can really complete and outfit, I love this gold circle necklace from Primark it was only £1.50. I'm also in love with these earrings from River Island they photo just doesn't do them justice they are gold with pale pink stones and they are the front and back style, I absolutely love them and they are only £4 (I've linked the clear style as I can't find these on the website). The cute silver bracelet is the Karma bracelet from Joma Jewellery £12.50 I really like these 'A little' bracelets from Joma Jewellery they are classic, very wearable and reasonably priced and there's such a fantastic range. They come on a gift card with a little saying and make a great gift, the bracelets are elasticated so roll over your handy easily and once on you cannot see the elastic.

 

 

My new favourite blusher say hello to Benefit Dallas Blush £23.50 I've got a post coming up on this shortly so keep an eye out for that! Spoiler alert this blush is a beauty it's a blush meets bronzer with a hint of highlight. I really love this on my skin it gives a lovely flush of colour without being OTT and in your face. The packaging is cute and quirky with just the right amount of gimmick, Benefit describe this blush as 'an outdoor glow for an indoor gal' pop back next Friday to see my review.

 

 

This month I bought myself the Real Techniques Sculpting Set £20.99 and have been trying it out since the set comes with 3 brushes including one exclusive brush for just over £20 you get the sculpting brush, fan brush and seeing brush. The sculpting brush is brilliant for contouring, I love the fan brush for applying highlighter and the setting brush is perfect at blending and setting my under eye concealer. I've got a post coming up on the Real Techniques Sculpting Set shortly so keep your eyes peeled.

 

There you have it my May favourites, what have you been loving this month? Follow me on Bloglovin to keep up to date with all my future post and if you want to see my May music favourites pop back on Sunday!





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The Topshop Sunglasses



Topshop Sunglasses £16

For me Topshop is the best place on the high street for great quality sunglasses, sure they are on the more pricey scale for high street sunglasses but the design and quality are great! All my sunglasses from Topshop are still going strong and looking good as new despite them being bashed around and wore to their fair share of festivals, I've got my fair share of cheaper sunglasses too but find they break easily so I don't grudge paying Topshop prices.

Browsing round Topshop in Glasgow I stopped by the huge sunglass stand where I spotted these babies, tried them on and had to have them. I love the tobacco tortoise shell frame and the gold metal detail but what I love most is the unique shape. They look slightly like clubmaster meets wayfarer style with a hint of cats eye and round frame it's a mismatch the completely works, I love them! Unfortunately I cannot find them on the Topshop website to link them but I've linked the closest I could find. Also can we take a minute to talk about the gorgeous free pouch you get with them, you get to choose what one you want and I went for the dark silver holographic pouch. It's so cool!

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Soap & Glory Solar Powder

Soap & Glory Solar Powder £11 - Boots 

 

When my favourite bronzer from The Body Shop seriously hit pan and I had a tiny bit left I decided to give a new bronzer a try and after hearing so many great reviews about on the Soap & Glory Solar Powder I decided to buy it and give it a try. Solar Powder is housed in a round cardboard compact complete with a mirror inside and comes in one universal shade called 'Bronzo' however it contains two bronzer shades. One is a lighter shade and one is a tad darker I love that you can use each side separately or mix them both together, the darker shade is perfect for contouring and the lighter shades gives a nice subtle glow.

 

Sometime bronzers can be overly shimmer or too chalky but this one is spot on, the powder is buttery and creamy that applies and blends really well plus it's really pigmented. Being pale my fear with bronzer is it can look a little muddy or orange on but this doesn't it gives a nice healthy glow that's long lasting. This is a perfect bronzer for all year round, I've been using it everyday since I bought it and it'll be in my makeup bag for the foreseeable future.

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Urban Decay All Night Setting Spray

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (118ml) £21

I finally bought myself the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray a few weeks ago when I was in Glasgow, I've used it before as my sister let me borrow hers and knew I needed to get one for myself. I've used other makeup setting sprays in the past but none have been as good as this, the All Nighter Setting Spray is a weightless mist that sets your makeup and makes it last longer. You spray 2-4 pumps over your face  in an X and T motion.

The spray makes my makeup look fresher for longer and makes it last longer through the day when I use it. For extra staying power use it before you apply your base then after you've applied your base and once more once your whole makeup is completed and your makeup won't budge. A warning though if your eye makeup isn't waterproof it might smudge a little, overall this is a great setting spray that might be a little on the pricey side but really does the job.

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Revlon Creamy Blush



You might have see this blusher in my recent mini beauty haul post and I've been trying it out since then and I've been disappointed with it. The blush is really creamy, blends well and can be applied and blended with your fingers or a brush all's well with it so far but my problem lies with the colour, it's so sheer. In the pot it's a gorgeous shade of orange shade but once applied it's very sheer and leaves a very faint tint on the cheeks almost nothing it has very little impact, not that I expected. You can build it up to be a little brighter but it still is sheer and looks nothing like the gorgeous vibrant shade you see in the pot which is such a shame. 

I can only speak for the shade I have -pinched 100- but I wouldn't buy anymore shades from the range based on this one. It's such a shame because it looks so nice in the pot and applies well but it doesn't do what I wanted and expected it to do. Have you tried this blush or any of the other shades?

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Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation

Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation (30ml) £11.99

In my mini beauty haul post the other week you may have seen this foundation, I've been trying it out every other day since and thought I'd share my thoughts about it in a post. Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation comes in a lightweight plastic see through bottle with a gold pump and there's around 6 shades to choose from, I got the lightest number 40 'light ivory'. The foundation is really creamy and has a slightly thicker consistency than other foundation, it sits on the back of your hand without running about but it blends easily. One to two pumps of the foundation gives you the right amount to blend over your face and neck giving a light to medium coverage that you can build up to your desired finish.

 

I found this foundation to be really lightweight once applied it doesn't feel like you're wearing anything on you face. The name skin luminizer suggests a dewy finish but I'd say the foundation gives a demi-matte finish that's not dewy instead it gives a slight glow which I like. The lasting power of this foundation is nothing special I'd say it lasts for most of my working day, around 7/8 hours, and I only top up with powder once. Overall I think its a good foundation but those of you who are after a dewy finish don't be fooled by the name!

 

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Let's Bake | Lemon Drizzle Cake

 

What you need:

2 Lemons 

3 Eggs

A tea spoon of Baking Powder

8oz of icing sugar
8oz of caster sugar

8oz of butter

8oz of self raising flour 

 

A couple of weeks ago you might have seen a tasty looking lemon drizzle cake pop up on my Instagram- you can follow me at @terriswan if you don't already. My sister and I set about making the cake to find our scales where a bit rubbish -must invest in better scales- so we had to adapt the amount into onuses, thank you Google!

Here's what we did:

Start by preheating your oven to 180 degrees then grate the zest of two lemons and add it to a bowl with the flour, caster sugar, butter, egg and baking powder. 

We then mixed the ingredients together and placed the mix into a loaf/cake tin, make sure to pre-grease the tin before putting in the ingredients. 

Leave in the oven to cook this will take around 40 minutes, however tempting don't open the oven door! If your unsure if the cake is cooked or not you can put a knife through the middle of it comes out clear then it ready and I it comes out with cake mix on it then it needs longer in the oven. 

While the cake is cooking you can get your icing ready to do this all you need to do it mix the icing sugar and the juice of two lemons together. 

Once the cake is ready take a knife and poke little holes into the cake then pour your icing over the cake. You can do this when it's still warm or once it's cooked, I done it while it was still warm so the icing would infuse the inside of the cake. I then let the cake cool and put a little lemon zest on the top then it was ready to eat. It really is that easy and it tastes delicious, the perfect spring cake!

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Blanx White Shock Teeth Whitening

 

 

 

A few weeks ago I picked up the BlanX White Shock Teeth Whitening Treatment £15.99 from Boots. I've been wanting to whitening my teeth for a while now but wasn't sure about at home kits but this one seemed simple no fiddly strips or making your own mouth mould so I decided to give it ago. The kit includes a whitening toothpaste and a LED bite and the instructions are simple, brush your teeth 3 times a day using the whitening toothpaste and use the LED bite after brushing for one minute and once a week for 10 minutes. BlanX White Shock Teeth Whitening Treatment claims to get your teeth up to 4 shades whiter in 2 weeks.

I found the kit really easy to use and the routine was nice and simple, the toothpaste was a little bit waterier than your average toothpaste and I found it had a slight taste of the dentist. The LED bite fits nicely into your mouth and when you press the button it lights up blue, the bite also switches itself off after 5 minutes which is a tad annoying when your doing your weekly 10 minutes. I noticed a difference in my teeth a couple of days in nothing wow but they looked slightly whiter and I was impressed with how fast it worked. My toothpaste lasted just over the two week mark so I kept it up until it ran out by the end my teeth definitely looked a couple of shades whiter. This was my first time trying to whiten my teeth and the results were good I found the kit really simple and easy to use and my teeth did look whiter, I'm not sure how long the results will last though.

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Twin Atlantic | The SSE Hydro | 09/05/15

Photo Credit

 

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

Last weekend was undoubtedly Twin Atlantics biggest gig to date which saw them play The SSE Hydro in Glasgow. As the lights came down Bohemian Rhapsody played out and the crowd sung back word for word. When Twin took to the stage the crowd erupted, the boys were home and Glasgow was so, so happy to have them!

They started their set with Make A Beast Of Myself as Sam belted out 'it's great to be home' and the entire set was packed full of hits old and new. You could tell the band were incredibly happy and the crowd was witnessing a very special thing a group of hometown lads living their dream playing Scotland's biggest venue. The energy didn't dip once during the entire set even on the slower ballad songs the hydro was lit up with phone lights and the crowd still singing along. During I Am An Animal Sam McTrusty got the entire standing crown to sit down - a hydro first I believe - and jump back up which was fun and I imagine looked amazing from the stage and seating area. Crash Land is always a highlight at any Twin Atlantic gig and this time was no exception as the entire crowd sang back and along to it, in an especially gorgeous moment. 

'And that's why you're the fucking greatest city in the world' declared McTrusty, while he couldn't get over the fact he could ask if the people in the seats were ok. With the encore came a balloon drop and an ecstatic crowd, no one wanted it to end. It was a great night that I'm sure the band will never forget and they've set themselves up nicely for T in the Park, see you there!

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Anastasia Brow Dip Pomade

A few weeks ago I got sucked in to a promotion on BeautyBay and ended up buying myself the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Dip Pomade £15 and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Duo Brow Brush #12 £14. I got 15% off which was what persuaded me to buy these as lets face it they aren't exactly cheap but the discount managed to soften the blow a bit, admittedly they were still on the expensive side. This product has got a lot of hype over the past year between the Dip Brow and the Brow Whiz Anastasia Beverly Hills is leading the way in brow products. I was really impressed with the colour range available there are 11 shades to choose from whereas most drugstore brands only offer around two and I find the brunette ones can be rather red toned.

I went for the shade dark brown and it's a cool toned dark brown that looks great on my eyebrows, you only need a little bit to do your brows I recommend having a cotton pad on hand to remove the excess before you apply it. You can use this to create both strong and natural brows and the Duo Brow Brush is perfect for applying it, it makes sculpting and defining your eyebrows easy once you get the hang of it. The Dip Brow Pomade is waterproof which I can completely agree with I poked and prodded and tried my hardest to smudge it once I'd applied it and it stayed put so you can itch those eyebrows without creating a mess!

I'm really impressed with the ABH Dip Brow I can completely see why it's got all the hype and it's pushed all my other brow kits aside. This is now pride of place in my make up bag and the brow product that I reach for on a daily basis, it's not cheap but if you struggle to find the right brow shade on the high street it's worth investing in because it looks like it will last a long time.

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Evening Skincare Routine

 

 

 

The other day I posted my morning skincare routine and today I'm sharing my evening one with you. I take my evening skincare a bit more serious that my morning one mostly because I'm not rushed. I start with The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil  £10 I used 2 pumps and work it all over my face on top of my makeup until my make up dissolves away then I use a cloth to remove the oil and make up. Next I like to give my face a scrub and I like to use Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It £9 to give my skin a bit of a scrub and exfoliation, it leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean without being too rough and leaving my face really red also it helps refine pores. I do both these steps either in the sink or in the shower if I'm being lazy which is more often that not.

Then after my shower I put some Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water £4.99 on to cotton pads and apply it over my face and eyes so that my face is super clean and to make sure that I haven't missed any grime or makeup before using Lush Tea Tree Water Toner £7.95, I'll spritz a couple of sprays over my face and neck then use cotton pads to remove it. The toner feels so refreshing and the bottle is so big that it lasts for ages. After I've done all that I let my skin breath for a minute or so before applying a night cream. My everyday night cream is cheap and cheerful is the Nivea Daily Essentials Regenerating Night Cream £4.19 I slather it over my face and neck it's a rich thick moisturiser that leaves my skin so soft and moisturised by the morning, then apply some Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm £9.50 on my lips and I'm ready for bed this lip balm is one of my all time favourites it leaves my lips feeling moisturised and hydrated for hours. 

Every now and again I'll mix up my skincare routine by throwing in an oil or a serum or using a different moisturiser depending on how my skin is but overall this is my normal everyday evening skincare routine.

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Another Mini Beauty Haul



Damn those 3 for 2 offers! It's so hard to resist especially when you work and town and pass the shops twice a day. A few weeks ago I post a mini beauty haul and you can read that here, today I've got another mini beauty haul for you. I like to take advantage of makeup 3 for 2 and use it as the perfect excuse to try new products keep on reading if you'd like to hear what I've picked up lately.

 

First I'll start with the cheapest product a £1 lipstick that I got from Superdrug. My local Superdrug have just started to stock Makeup Revolution and I'd been wanting to try this range for a while as I heard great things about it. When I went it lots of the product space said coming soon so I picked up a lipstick and went for a colour that I don't have anything like already. I bought the shade Depraved part of the Makeup Revolution Scandalous range which is purple in the packaging but more of a lilac purple when swatches, I love the colour its a little different from most of the purple drugstore lipsticks out there.
 



 

Now onto Boots 3 for 2. I bought myself two new foundations both I'd been wanting to try for a while now firstly I got the Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation £10.99 because I love the CC cream version of this product and wanted to see how the foundation fairs. I also bought the MaxFactor Skin Luminizer £11.99 another foundations I'd wanted to try for a while and never got round to, I'm hoping it will give a nice dewy luminous finish perfect for spring and summer. With my Body Shop Honey Bronzer practically gone (I've hit Pan and have the smallest outline left!) I decided to try a new bronzer and I've heard so many rave rivers about the Soap & Glory Solar Powder £11 that I decided to give it a try for myself, it looks so pretty I hope it's as good as everyone said.

 

On my next trip to Boots -the next day no joke- I bought myself the Rimmel Lasting Perfecting Primer £6.99 as I needed a new primer, I went for this one as it's not a mattifying one like lots of others and I've seen some good reviews on it. Then I got myself a gorgeous cream blusher from Revlon Photoready Cream Blush range £7.99 I wasn't looking for a blusher but when I walked past the Revlon stand this caught my eye and I couldn't resist it. I bought the shade 100 'pinched' which looks like a gorgeous peachy shade. Lastly I got myself the L'oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim Liquid Eyeliner £6.99 I used this last year and somehow never repurchased it when it eventually ran out, the fine nib makes it easy to get right to the last line to give a fine line and flick. 

If you'd like to see posts on anything above let me know in the comments below. Once I've tried them out I'll let you know my thoughts on them. Remember to follow me on Bloglovin' to never miss a post.

 

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