Collaboration

Wednesday 15 November 2017

REVIEW || POUR MOI? LINGERIE SET FROM UK LINGERIE - BEST LINGERIE FOR CURVY WOMEN



Can we please have a moment of silence for all those women looking for the perfect pretty bra in their actual size that won't break their bank? Thank you. I am in fact one of those poor buggers and can never find my size in high street stores and quite frankly I am fed up with spending around £40 on a bra that will scratch my sides and poke me in the boob as the wire comes out.

So you can only imagine how excited I was when I received an email from UK Lingerie asking to try some of their products. Of course, I had to go for a full set because why the heck not?! I picked a gorgeous balconette bra, knickers and suspender belt. I have a hate-love relationship with balconette bras. They look amazing on, but the majority of the time they dig into my sides or squish my boobs, or even separate them making me look like I'm not wearing anything!

You can buy the set here:
Bra           Knickers        Suspenders


Even though the bra does not have super thick padding, it does provide really good support and natural lift to the breasts. The matching knickers are very comfy and come slightly high waisted which I find very flattering on my figure. I usually wear lacy underwear as I find it most comfortable, but this style of pants is actually so comfy and looks amazing on - I will happily order 10 more pairs of the same style! Now, the suspender belt is beautiful and looks great on, it cinches the waist really nicely but doesn't make it hard for me to breathe which is the most important thing. I don't wear it very often unless I'm wearing a see-through shirt as it looks really lovely 'secretly on show'.



I would highly recommend looking into some sets on UK Lingerie as they have a great variety of brands and cater for many sizes starting from 30A up to 48J so there's something for everyone. The set that I have is the Pour Moi? set and it reminds me a lot of the Agent Provocateur lingerie but at a much better price, of course.

Do you also find it difficult to find your bra size in high street stores?

Lots of love,
Maya xo

Wednesday 1 November 2017

BEST AFFORDABLE DRUGSTORE DUPES FOR HIGH-END MAKEUP


I cannot be the only person who's on a constant lookout for a more affordable dupe of a favourite product. It all started with my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, one that I love and use regularly but never want it to run out so when I saw that W7 created a palette with similar shades I had to try it out.
If you have read my review of the UD Naked palettes then you'll know that I think they're slightly overpriced for what you get. On the other hand, the W7 palette is only £7.99 but you can buy it here for only £5.99 which is less than 1/6 of the price for the real thing. The W7 palette is very similar to the UD Naked 3, the shadows swatch nicely and come up quite pigmented on the lid but there is a bit more fallout which is to be expected.


Another product that I've had my eyes on was the Milani Conceal and Perfect 2in1 foundation which has to be the perfect dupe for the Clinique Beyond Perfecting foundation. I picked the shade 05A Natural which turned out to be a lot darker than I thought but it blends lovely when I wear fake tan. One thing I noticed about the Clinique foundation was that it comes in 28 shades, but the Milani one only comes in 16 shades which is a downside to it as it might not suit everyone. The coverage of the Milani foundation is absolutely fantastic, I feel like it sits on my skin better than the Beyond Perfecting foundation and for only £12.95 I cannot fault it at all.


Last but not least, the L.A. Girl Strobe Light Highlighter! I'm a huge fan of the L.A. Girl Pro Concealers so I've been wanting to try more of their products, including this strobing highlighter as it's the perfect dupe for the Jeffree Star Skinfrost in Ice Cold. Being pale isn't fun when it comes to picking the right highlighter shade, so when I saw that L.A. Girl has come out with the brightest highlighter in the drugstore I knew I had to have it. At first it might feel like it's a bit too powdery but once you go in and swirl your brush in the compact you'll see the pigment transfer onto the brush and change your life forever... I have been wearing this highlighter every day for a while now and I must say it is now a staple in my makeup bag and I wear it more than the JS Skinfrost as it shows up more pigmented and stays on for longer.

*This post was a collaboration with Beauty Based and the products mentioned were gifted to me. However, all opinions are mine and always remain honest.

What's your favourite high-end makeup product that you found a perfect dupe for?

Lots of love,
Maya xo

Friday 13 October 2017

REVIEW || OPTREX ACTIMIST 2 IN 1 SPRAY FOR DRY AND IRRITATED EYES


How annoying can dry eyes get? As a constant glasses and contact lens wearer, I find it very difficult to keep my eyes moist and ready for the day. I have naturally quite dry eyes and as you can imagine staring at a screen all day long will hurt my eyes twice as much because of how dry they get. Another annoying thing is that I wear quite a lot of eye makeup nearly every day, so when it comes to using eye drops it's a no-go as I don't want my makeup to run down my face. So, when I was sent to try out the Optrex ActiMist for dry and irritated eyes I was super excited to try it out and see if it will work well.

Brian Tompkins who is one of the UK's top optometrists says: 
While ‘Screen Eyes’ symptoms are often mild, having irritated or gritty eyes can be a nuisance and disruptive when you’re trying to go about your day. I find that sufferers don’t link dryness or soreness to staring at their screen or recognise that it could be exacerbating their symptoms. The first step we should take as eye health practitioners is to educate people about ‘Screen Eyes’ and help them both recognise the symptoms and manage them. There is currently a lot of confusion on this topic.”

The bottle is very handy, it's small and not an awkward shape which makes it easy to carry around - even if you want to pop it in your coat pocket or clutch bag on a night out. I was sort of expecting it to look more like a nasal spray but I'm glad it comes in a cute little bottle!


Now, the instructions advise to use it on bare eyes, but you should familiarise yourself with the instructions where you will find that it is okay to use it on top of makeup but be sure to use a good eyeshadow primer as you don't want it to run! I use it in the morning and at night before bed, and anytime my eyes feel very dry and need a moisture boost.

The smell, on the other hand, is very different from what I expected it to be. I thought it'll smell like a usual glasses cleaner or something along the lines but it actually is sort of scentless but reminds me slightly of the 1 calorie cooking oil spray hahaha! I mean, it's not a bad thing but that's what I familiarise it with.


Overall, I do enjoy using this product and feel like it does help relieve my eyes after a long day of staring at a screen and reading seminar papers. I would recommend it to makeup wearers especially, as it comes in a lot handier than regular eye drops.

*This post contains a PR sample.

Are you a glasses/contact lens wearer? Would you try this mist?

Lots of love,
Maya xo

Wednesday 7 June 2017

HOW TO STAY FEELING HEALTHY THIS SPRING WITH HELLO DAY


This Spring has been a weather roller coaster. From gorgeous sunny days to miserable rainy ones, it feels like England will never settle! I'm one of those people who's moods change depending on the weather - I feel super productive and happy on sunny days, and down and lazy on rainy ones! So, when I heard about the Hello Day Spring Box I was very excited to try it out for myself to keep on top of my mood swings!


I love the box itself, it's so pretty and screams 'Spring'. The colourful butterflies make it a great decoration for Spring time. I wasn't expecting the box to be as big as it was,  I was happily surprised as it's easy to store and useful to store medicine/supplements inside once open.


The Hello Spring box comes as a seasonal kit (there are also Summer, Autumn and Winter boxes available), containing 4 coordinated food supplements to improve your health and wellbeing. The Spring Box comes with Vitality Balance, Circulation Activate, Digestion Detox, and Libido Stimulate (ikr). I was really keen to try out the Detox sticks which you dilute in water the most as I have recently been trying to lose weight and tone up, and what's a better way to start than have a full on body detox?



Both, Digestion Detox and Circulation Active come in a form of 'sticks' which contain the product in powder that needs to be diluted in a glass of water and best taken during lunch. The Digestion Detox is formulated with Fennel which helps support a healthy appetite and aids the digestive tract to detox. Like I've mentioned above, I was very excited to try this one out as I feel like I've definitely put on some weight over Winter, and I find that this product works well but I don't like the taste of it so as soon as I drank it, I follow it up by a full glass of water to wash down the taste!
On the other hand, the Circulation Active sachets contain Red Vine Leaf and Blackcurrant Berries (much more tasty) which help improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure naturally - my dad would love this. For best results this should be taken before dinner diluted in a glass of water - it's a pre-dinner treat due to its sweet taste!


The Libido Stimulate tablets - not a very well spoken topic on this blog, helps to reduce fatigue, promote desire (yup) and restore positive wellbeing. This little one is formulated with Magnesium and Maca Root which are the key ingredients for supporting sexual function in men and women, and has best effects when taken after dinner.
Last but not least, the Vitality Balance are great multivitamins combining Magnesium and Siberian Ginseng to reduce tiredness while strengthening mental and physical energy (yes please). This one can be taken whenever with a glass of water to help keep it down but I like to take mine in the morning with my breakfast to start the day off nice and fresh!


Overall, I'm very happy with my Hello Spring box, I'd love to try the other boxes available throughout the year to see if there would be a visible difference. I do have to say that I feel more energised and less bloated thanks to these supplements and following a healthy diet.

You can buy a Hello Day Box for £69.00 here, or download the free Hello Day app from the App Store or Google Play to manage your health and wellbeing.

*The Hello Day Spring Box was sent for me to review, all opinions are honest and my own!

Have you tried a Hello Day seasonal box? 

Lots of love,
Maya xo

Monday 5 June 2017

MY GYM/WORKOUT MUST-HAVES


I've lost track of how many times I've attempted to stay motivated and exercise a thousand times now with the same excuse - "I'll try again tomorrow". I've had enough now as I feel so bad about what I eat and how I feel on the inside when I don't work out, so I finally decided to eat cleaner (but not deprive myself of chocolate etc.) and work out more. I think what's motivating me the most right now is the fact that I'm going away in July so I want to feel good in my own body and reduce bloating! Honestly, even a cup of bloody tea makes me bloated now!

My absolute workout must-have is weights. Even if they are very light, such as 1kg, they make a huge difference and make any workout more intense and I always notice the difference whenever I'm able to move up a weight. The most important thing when using weights is to make sure you do it the right way. You can watch a very helpful video on how to tone up your arms with or without weights here. I always ensure that I have my gloves with me as my hands get really dry from doing weights, this helps me reduce the dryness and prevent getting calluses.


Another staple is a good sports bra. I'm currently loving this one from H&M. I feel like I work out better knowing I have nice sportswear and am comfortable. I'm currently obsessing over yoga tights - I have some gorgeous tie-up ones that make a cute bow on the calves from Primark which only cost me £3 in the sale (I bought them in black, and grey!).

My favourite gym top has to be the Ivy Park Oversized T-shirt as it covers my bum up (reduces the number of looks I get from both girls and boys) and covers up my sweaty back hahaha!! I don't think I'll ever be one of those girls who wears a sports bra as a top because I'm way too self-conscious. Also, if you already do or want to do Yoga then I suggest you wear a vest or a tight top as it makes it easier to move around.

My no.1 tip: ALWAYS stretch before and after exercise to reduce achiness the next day!

What are your staples for working out? Any particular outfit that you love to wear?

Lots of love,
Maya xo
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