2020 || SUMMER SKINCARE WISHLIST

*The images used in this post have been taken from the Cult Beauty website, and are not my own.

I haven't bought any skincare since December 2019, can you believe it?! I have so many unused products put away in the drawers that I wanted to get through before buying new products to try, but I can't help but create a wishlist of a few products I am dying to try! To be honest with you all, I have never tried any of these brands other than a couple of body products from Caudalie which I really liked. I'm hoping that my family members will come across this post and decide to treat me to something nice 😂

2018 || WHAT TO WEAR TO A PROM/GRADUATION/FORMAL BALL THIS SPRING/SUMMER

I often find it very difficult to find the right outfit for a formal event. This summer I will be graduating from university and I couldn't be more excited and proud of myself. I remember how long it took me to find my prom dress and it wasn't even my first choice but I had to pick something, right? So now I am more prepared for my formal event this time and have picked around 5 different outfits to choose from (you will see the 'chosen' one in an upcoming graduation post).

In this post, I will share with you my top pick from an online brand that I think would make a great outfit for a formal event this spring/summer. I'm a huge fan of dresses at the moment which is a massive change for me as I am more of a jeans-and-tshirt kind of gal, but I can't say that I'm not loving it!

After a thorough research, I found that lace, mauve and lilac are very stylish colours and material to wear this year. I was kindly gifted with a gorgeous dress by Tobi which is an online clothing brand based in the US and has something for everybody.

I was really excited to receive my parcel from Tobi as I haven't previously shopped from there but have wanted to for a while now. It was difficult to choose the outfits I liked the most, but once I did and they arrived I couldn't be happier. One of the items that caught my eye straight away was this beautiful Kinsley Lace Ruffle Skater Dress.

The quality of this dress is absolutely exquisite and I couldn't fault it at all. It is very comfortable and true to size, I was worried it'll be see-through as I wore it without a bra but it really isn't! It looks great on and is very flattering on my figure - we're not all blessed with a tiny waist(!).
If you did want to wear a bra for extra support, then I would suggest wearing a strapless or stick-on bra as then you won't be able to see it, but do make sure it isn't a balconette bra but more of a low-cut style one like this one here.

The off-the-shoulder lace sleeves are very flattering for people with broad shoulders. I don't particularly have very wide shoulders but I feel like this dress looks quite nice on my arms and makes them look more toned than they are, which is always a plus! The length is also perfect as it isn't too short but not too long either, making this dress a great outfit to wear in the summer - (bear in mind that I had these pictures taken when it was 3 degrees outside).

What drew me to this dress the most was probably the neckline detail. I have always been a huge fan of drawstring type of tops and to see it on a classy dress is always a positive. The strings are adjustable so you can show as little or as much cleavage as you like, but it's also great for gals who are a different size in their top half to the bottom half as you can really adjust the way it looks and sits on your figure.

Now I really want to get it in the other colours too! You can shop this gorgeous dress here (BTW IT'S IN THE SALE, GO GO GO!)

*I was sent some clothes by Tobi in exchange for an honest review. This is not a sponsored post but does include some affiliate links. All opinions are honest and my own. The photographs were kindly taken by my talented sister.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Drugstore Beauty Haul

So, yesterday I went a bit mad at Boots and bought a few beauty items - even though I was only after a foundation! I grabbed myself a basket and started shoving everything I liked in it. I did save a lot of money as most the items I purchased were on offer.

So as you can see, I bought L'oreal's Line Studio Hair products, foundation and primer. Then from Rimmel I got a foundation and powder, and from Seventeen (One of my all-time favourite high street brands) I got a brow kit, bronzer, mascara and lipstick.

First up, we've got the Seventeen products. So, I've never used these but have heard great things about those products. The Brow's That kit was on my wishlist for quite a while now, especially as I've seen how amazing it looks on my mum as she has one. I really enjoyed using it and it's a fantastic dupe for Benefit's BrowZings but comes with a brow pencil and a highlighter for the brow bone instead of the tweezers. a small brow brush is also included, however, I prefer to use an angled brush for my brows.

The Instant Glow Bronzing Powder in Medium caught my eye as I was looking at powders in the 17 section. It is very pigmented and looks natural at the same time. It's matte so it gave me a nice subtle and natural-looking contour. I will definitely repurchase this product when (or shall I say IF) I run out of it, as it's very pigmented and you don't need a lot of the product for the desired look. I would say it's very good for beginners as is a much cheaper option than opting for Benefit's Hoola.

The Supreme Shine Lipstick in shade Bon Bon is a great dupe for Ellie Goulding's MAC lipstick in shade 'Only You'. The finish is lustre but is quite pigmented and looks natural - my new go-to lipstick for a natural look!

Right, moving onto the mascara - I didn't realise that I picked out the colour Brown/Black, therefore, I can't say much about it as I will be exchanging it for a black one, but I really like the slim packaging of it!

I've wanted to try L'oreal's Infallible products for quite a while now and was stuck between the matte and satin finish foundations. As you can see, I decided to go for the Matte finish as it provides full coverage - and I have enough light to medium coverage foundations so thought I'll try this one out. I really like the primer, it has a gel texture and glides on beautifully onto my skin, filling out all the pores and imperfections. The foundation is also a very good buy, YAY! It does not look drying when it comes out of the tube and is very easy to apply. It does not dry as soon as in contact with skin which makes it really easy to blend. I would say I prefer this foundation to MAC's Studio Fix, but I need to wear it for a few days before making my mind up completely.

If there is anyone who hasn't yet tried Rimmel's Stay Matte powder then you really need to reconsider whether you really are into make-up or not. It is my holy grail and for only £3.99 I don't see why you wouldn't have it in your make-up bag already. I always choose the shade 'transparent' to set my foundation. It does not dry out my skin and makes it look natural as well as mattifying.

I've not tried the foundation yet, but I've heard many good things about it. I am slightly concerned about the shade though as it has a yellow undertone and looks like it would suit someone with olive skin, rather than pale me. However, it is the lightest shade from the collection and I am willing to try it even if I have to apply fake tan beforehand.

Last but not least, a few non-beauty products. I don't know about you, but I always have a body spray in my handbag to use throughout the day - it's a necessity if you're always busy and on the go. This one was actually reduced to 43 pence I think, total bargain!

I do like L'oreal's hair products and I've used the hair mousse before and loved it, therefore repurchased it for the first time. On the other hand, the Sculpting Spritz is a new addition to my hair products and I am hoping it will keep my hair in place! I do love a sleek ponytail or hair swept back and straight. I will do a full review of it once I start using it.

Have you used any of those products? If so, did you like them? What other high street products do you recommend?

Lots of love,

Maya xo 

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

Good Afternoon Beauties!

So, recently I discovered the amazing Tmart online shopping website and couldn't believe my own eyes over the deals that they have! I've previously read about Tmart on other blogs and thought 'hmm maybe I should try it!'. I wasn't too sure at first whether I could trust the site as it includes ridiculously low prices and the delivery is free?! But I was persuaded by all the amazing reviews I've read online.

I bought quite a few things, but this item was the first to arrive as the rest was shipped from around the world. As you can see below, this looks like the authentic naked 2 palette by Urban Decay which costs around £37. This palette cost me £5.20!!! I was just as shocked as you guys! 

This is the palette in the original box. It looks 100% authentic and nobody would know that this is a dupe. As you can see, the box is a little bit creased on the right hand side and has glue from the promotional code sticker on the front of it from where I tried to scrub it off!

Here is the palette taken out of the box. It has a dint in the top right corner but I'm not too bothered about it as it was so cheap, otherwise I would have sent it back and asked for a new one.

Here's a picture of the eyeshadows. Nearly all are the same shades as the real Naked 2 palette, besides a couple which are slightly different. They all have the same names as the real palette. The brush included in the palette is very soft and firm at the same time. Very good for contouring.

This is the back of the box which shows all the eyeshadow colours, ingredients and the use-by date.

Lots of love,

Maya xo