OOTD || GLAM BEACH LOOK - DAY TO NIGHT SUMMER HOLIDAYS OUTFIT

If you've already read my What To Do In The UK During Summer Holidays post then you'd know that I recently went down to the British seaside and managed to get some nice shots taken. I didn't know the weather was going to be as nice as it was (I'm sure it came up to around 30 degrees) so I would have maybe worn a playsuit, however, I feel like this dress was perfect as it's floaty and made from thin material so it turned out as the perfect outfit!

Ever since receiving this gorgeous kimono for Christmas a few years ago, I've been obsessed with it and wear it all the time in warmer weather when it's too hot for a proper jacket but not warm enough to go without one. I believe it was in the Topshop sale for around £15-£20, so it was very affordable for a statement piece that I've been loving for years!

My cute little marble bag has made an appearance in a previous post which you can find here. I love a statement micro bag - these are huge this year as mentioned by the lovely ladies at a bloggers event in Nottingham. This gorgeous bag was only £6 from Primark which my lovely mum has bought for me on a shopping trip a while back.

This dress is honestly one of the prettiest items I've ever bought from Primark - yup, you heard it right - PRIMARK! I had seen it on Instagram and was hoping to find it in store and when I did, boy was I happy! At only £13 this is definitely a must-have this Summer. I'm not sure if there will be any left as when I bought mine there were only a few sizes left, but if you're lucky enough to find one I would suggest trying on a size down as it does come up big!

My huge hat is also from Primark, I believe it was only £3!

Have you been to Primark recently? Did you come across any bargains?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || URBAN DECAY NAKED ILLUMINATED SHIMMERING POWDER FOR FACE AND BODY

I feel like this product has been so hyped about since it came out that I felt compelled to buy it and try it out for myself. I chose the shade Luminous as I felt it was best suited to my skin tone (I'm naturally very pale). The most popular shade I believe is 'Aura' but I felt that it was slightly too dark for me, but it is very beautiful as my sister has it and I love looking at it!

I feel like it is very impractical for travelling or even carrying around in a handbag as it's very bulky - it's the size of like three of the UD Afterglow highlighters! Don't get me wrong, I think that the packaging is absolutely beautiful (you go UD!), it looks lovely on display especially if I had the whole set (just you wait, it'll probably happen haha).

As you can see in the picture above, the highlight shade is very subtle and compliments my pale skin tone, however, I feel like it's too light for me as I do enjoy an intense highlight. For the price tag of £24, I expected a lot more from this product than what is offered, so I am very disappointed in the colour payoff as it's nowhere near as good as the Aura shade which is annoying, but then again it's my own fault for buying a product without looking into it first or giving it a swatch! If you're seriously thinking about buying this highlighter then I suggest you try it out in-store - ask a staff member to put some on for you or even swatch it at the back of your hand. Learn from my mistake!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Have you tried the Naked Illuminated Highlighters? If so, would you recommend it?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || L.A. GIRL PRO CONCEAL HD CONCEALER & GIVEAWAY

I finally joined the bandwagon and bought the L.A. Girl Pro Concealer, it only took me a couple of years haha... A new beauty shop opened up recently in the city so of course I had to go in and see what they were selling! To my surprise, I found a lot of L.A. Girl products as well as Milani and many others. I believe these retail at £3.50 so I thought I'd go for the lightest shade (obviously) and a slightly darker shade to use as a contour shade.

The shades I went for are 'Toast' and 'Porcelain'. At only £3.50 each, these are very affordable and come in a large variety of shades for all skin tones. The formula is very thick and creamy which is great if you're after a full coverage concealer however, it is quite hard to blend out and I find that there isn't a lot of product in the tubes which is disappointing but what can you expect for a product that costs £3.50?

Here are the concealers swatched on the back of my hand. I'm wearing fake tan in this picture hence why the lighter shade looks so bright, but I must admit that it is still light enough to use to highlight my face when I'm not wearing any fake tan. I find the contour shade a little bit harder to blend unless I use a wet beauty sponge and then set it with a powder contour.

Overall, I think that these are worth giving a go as they blend out nicely and the colour range is big so there's something for everyone. On the other hand, it did annoy me that I had used the product once and half the tube was gone, but it was cheap and should last a fair amount of time.

You're probably wondering about the giveaway - well, I decided to give away an L.A. Girl Pro Concealer to 5 lucky readers! The rules are as follows:

1. You must be 16+ years of age to enter.

2. Giveaway accounts will not be entered into the giveaway.

3. All accounts must be public, otherwise I will not be able to contact you if you're the winner.

Good luck to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you tried any of the L.A. Girl products? If so, which ones?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

2017 || JUNE FAVOURITES

June was yet an another big month full of new products for me to try out. I got my hands on some amazing limited edition products from MAC as well as my very first Milani product, but my favourite thing about June was finishing second year of university and getting a very good grade too! Happy days!

Unfortunately, June has also brought many devastating events such as the Grenfell Tower fire, the Finsbury Park attack, and many more terrible, terrible events. This month will definitely not be forgotten and my love and sympathy are with those affected by the terrible events. However, I don't want this post to be depressing and uneasy to read as we should all try to move on and share love around the world, so let's get into it.

Were coloured mascaras ever a proper thing? I remember experimenting with different colours when I was younger and going to school discos, but now it's so rare to find a wearable shade that isn't too 'in your face'. Ever since discovering the YSL Luxurious Mascara False Lash Effect in the shade Extreme Blue, I was hooked and can safely say this is my favourite summer mascara. I think the blue really complements my eye colour, especially if worn with bronze eyeshadows and a bit of liner.

Most of you probably already know that I'm a massive sucker for pretty packaging, so when I saw that MAC brought out a new Summer collection including a coconut scented Fix+, I knew I had to buy it. So, quite naturally I picked up the Fix+ which smells absolutely divine, and also this cute Hawaiian looking bronzer which makes a perfect addition to my little collection. I've said it before and will stick to it, that MAC's limited edition packaging is over-rated however, I still fall for it every time... Being a huge fan of anything coconut scented and the original Fix+ spray I knew that it was a no-brainer that I'll love this newbie (I wasn't wrong - it is amazing). On the other hand, the bronzer is so beautiful to look at that I haven't given it a proper go yet as I'm scared I'll ruin the pretty pattern! I bet I sound so whiny but I just love the pattern too much! I was the same when it came to my Elizabeth Arden bronzer but now I've used it plenty of times.

I've not tried a lot of Lancome products but the ones I have tested out were pretty damn good. Who doesn't love a new fragrance? When my mum gifted me with the Lancome La Vie Est Belle I was very happy and surprised with how much I actually loved it. Not only was I intrigued by the perfume because of the beautiful Julia Roberts who is the face of Lancome, but also because of the unique shape of the bottle and its not-so-old-fashioned scent as I expected it to be.

Finally, the star of the month. I must admit that I've not been a religious user of blushers these past few years of me using makeup however, I started to get back into wearing blusher recently and this little guy has completely won me over that I NEED the whole collection like, right now, please! I bought the shade 'Tea Rose' which is very cool-toned and I thought it'll work best with my skin tone without making me look too flushed or unnatural. I have my eyes on the other shades, so who knows maybe I'll feature another one in my next monthly favourites?

What have you been loving last month? Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

HOW I CLEARED MY ACNE IN LESS THAN 90 DAYS (AD)

*Personal post alert*

I don't even know where to start... I have been struggling with bad skin for 12 years and it's something that has bothered me since I started secondary school and met some horrible people. I wasn't too fussed about having spots and looking after my skin more until I got bullied for it - how can someone say a bad thing about something so natural? Either way, I tried a great number of different products which were either a hit or miss, but all I can say is that going to see a dermatologist was the best decision I made.

I was given yet another set of pills which were so strong that if I got pregnant while taking them, the baby would have been deformed... Is it healthy to put your body at such risk just to get off some damn spots? Either way, they did go away after a year of being on those meds but along with losing spots, I have also lost my good eyesights and now will have to wear glasses for the rest of my life.

Guess what? The spots came back, haha. At the age of 21, I still feel like a hormonal teenager who can't wait to get rid of bad skin. It might be due to my contraception method (I'm on the implant) but I can't blame all my unwellness of that, can I?

When I came across Proactiv+ I thought 'it's just another brand claiming to fight blemishes', but when I received a 90-day sample to try out for myself I was very excited to try it out for myself - got nothing left to lose, eh? I researched into the company and have seen many adverts in which Jorgie Porter shares her acne story - I knew she suffered from bad skin as I watched I'm A Celeb while she was on it. So you can imagine how much I was looking forward to trying the Proactiv+ Trio (I was also sent their face mask).

Step 1: Cleanse and Exfoliate

The Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains blemish-fighting salicylic acid and gentle exfoliating beads to slough away dead skin cells, dirt, oil, grime and makeup. It reveals fresh, smooth skin while helping to calm irritated skin as well as being oil-free and dermatologist tested + suitable for all skin types - hooray! I apply this product twice a day - once in the morning as soon as I get up, and once at night before going to bed. This exfoliator retails at £29.99 however, you can get it at a discounted price of £23.99 if you join the membership programme. I find this product very gentle for my skin without any irritation, if you have read my recent skincare routine you will already know that I have a combination skin type which makes finding the right products very difficult, so this one is honestly amazing for those who have sensitive skin.

Step 2: Target and Treat

The Pore Targeting Treatment is probably my favourite item from the collection. It's described as a blemish-fighting 'powerhouse' of the system which contains an exclusive Smart Target technology, helping to deliver salicylic acid into the pores where blemishes begin. It kills bacteria and eliminates excess oil and debris, and works deep in the pores to break down dead skin cells, dirt and sebum. Now you know why I love this product!! I feel like this treatment works very well as it pushes out all the nastiness from the debris (middle layer of the skin) which makes spots come out on the epidermis so that your skin feels fresh and clean from underneath as well as on top. I do find that when the nasties are pushed out on the surface of my skin, it makes me break out a lot but that's when I knew the product was working as it was clearing out my skin from the inside, plus the spots would only last a few days with continuous use. This little gem also retails at £29.99, and you can get it for £23.99 like the exfoliator. You get less product in this one but I would suggest buying this one over the other ones I've tried if you're after only one product.

Step 3: Hydrate and Perfect

The third and final step of the treatment includes the Complexion Perfecting Hydrator which is specifically designed to hydrate and nourish acne-prone skin. It addresses the skin tone, texture, post-blemish marks, oil, dryness, and lack of brightness. The salicylic acid helps keep pores clean and looking smaller, as well as leaving the skin hydrated, supple, smooth, even-toned and bright.
I use this as my daily moisturiser after the Pore Targeting Treatment sinks into my skin, I find it very cooling and smoothing which makes a great base for my makeup (I wear a full face of makeup most days). This moisturiser is also £29.99 but £23.99 at a member price, which will cost less than £1 a day to clear up your skin in just 90 days if you buy all 3 products.

Skin Purifying Mask:

Like I've mentioned before, I was also kindly given the Skin Purifying Mask to try out. This mask is formulated to help clear existing blemishes and help prevent new breakouts from forming. It's very tightening on the skin which makes me feel like it's actually doing something to my skin, such as clearing out and minimising my pores and getting rid of sebum. I try to use face masks once or twice a week, so I usually switch between this one and a moisturising mask each time.

The Results:

After using the Proactiv+ 90 Day 3-Step Core System and face mask, I can honestly say that I have noticed a massive difference in how my skin looks and feels. Unfortunately, I don't have a good enough image of my skin before starting the treatment but if you've been following me for a while then you'll know how bad my skin can get (the bumps are usually visible in makeup posts). I highly recommend the trio to anyone who is suffering from bad acne and has tried many products which they weren't happy with. If you're not wanting to spend a lot of money then I suggest you try out a 30 day 3-Step Core Kit with Proactiv's membership programme which allows you to get the whole bundle for only £19.99 (special discounts apply to members and occasionally regular visitors).


*The kit was kindly sent to me by Proactiv+ however, all opinions are my own. The post may include affiliate links.

Would you try the Proactiv+ kit? Do you suffer from acne?

Lots of love,

Maya xo