Monday 18 September 2017

TOP 5 || £5 & UNDER


So you're curious about my top 5 beauty products that cost £5 or less? Well, you've clicked on the right post because these products will change your makeup routine forever.
You might have probably already seen some of these items in previous posts as I cannot stress enough about how good they are. Let's start off with the L.A. Girl Pro Concealers - I bet you're bored of hearing about them but they are as good as they all say! I own the shades Porcelain for highlighting and concealing and the shade Toast for contouring, even though it's a little bit too warm toned for my liking. These come in a great variety of shades, including colour correcting concealers for better coverage. I have reviewed both of these shades already, so if you'd like to see what I thought of them in detail then click here to read my post.

Talking about the perfect base, my new favourite setting powder has to be the Collection Primed & Ready Invisible Setting Powder. Not only does it provide really good coverage, but it stays put all day and has witch hazel in it to keep the spots at bay! It costs a bit over £5 on Amazon, however you can get it on Superdrug for £3.99 when it's back in stock here.

There seems to be a pattern forming as the next two products I'm about to mention are also by Collection! Maybe they're the new best affordable brand? Moving on, glitter liners have been a big hit in the noughties, but now majority makeup fanatics and artists love to use loose glitter - not me because it goes everywhere hence why I love the Collection Glam Crystals Gel Liner. These come in a big range of colours and I own about 7 of them! The gold one is my most worn one as it goes with any eyeshadow looks and creates an instant glam effect. Another product which I think goes perfectly with the glitter liners is the Collection Extreme 24 Hours Felt Tip Liner as it glides on very smoothly, even on bumpy surfaces. The tip of this liner is very thin so it makes creating a slim and precise wing a lot easier!

Now, last but not least a set of 4 Eyeshadow Brushes for 97 pence! Yup, you heard it right 97p. I use these on a daily basis, even when I want to do simple eyeshadow look but especially when I go for a dramatic smokey eye as they are very easy to use, and for less than a quid you can't go wrong! Out of all these products, I would highly recommend the brushes and the concealers as they are something I use daily.

*This post includes affiliate links.

What are your favourite affordable products? Have you tried any of the ones I mentioned above?

Lots of love,
Maya xo

Wednesday 6 September 2017

REVIEW || ALL IN FLAVOUR SILICONE CACTUS PHONE CASE


When I was contacted by All In Flavour to try out one of their phone cases, I got very excited! I love the whole different themes they offer, especially the plants one as they're super adorable. I picked out a cute little cacti phone case for my iPhone 5s in a silicone finish as I drop my phone at least 10 times a day so I needed the extra safety!


Can we just appreciate how nice this phone case actually is? I've not seen one like it before, and I just knew I had to have it. Being a blogger and social media fanatic I have come across many different brands selling phone cases, some nice and some not as nice as others but All In Flavour has a humble but interesting collection - it was tough for me to pick just one case!!


Of course, me being me I put the case to the test and came to the conclusion that it's very hard-wearing as well as gorgeous! Like I said before, I tend to drop my phone many times a day (I'm shocked it hasn't broken yet) so I usually go for silicone cases and I truly believe that I had hit jackpot with this one. It feels comfortable in my hands and isn't too think thus it does not make my phone resemble a brick which is always a plus!

*This post contains a PR item.

Where do you usually buy your phone cases from? What do you think of this cute little number?

Lots of love,
Maya xo

Monday 4 September 2017

FOTD || EVERYDAY AUTUMNAL EASY GLAM MAKEUP LOOK


Autumn is definitely my favourite season of the year, even though I love Summer because it usually means that I get to travel somewhere nice, but Autumn is the season of cosy clothes and nice smelling candles. What I'm looking forward to the most is being able to wear dark lipstick and dark eyeshadow without getting judged by people - no, I am not a goth.


I don't necessarily think that this is a very dark or gothic look, but for me, this is the perfect Autumnal makeup look for my skin tone and hair colour. It is very flattering and easy to create, and here are the items I had used to create it:



The eyeshadows I had used include: NYX shadow in the shade Immaculate, and MUG shadows in shades Grandstand, Morocco, and Bitten. I wanted to wear a bit of eyeliner to make this look a bit more glam, but I'm out of practice and found this look glam enough to leave it as it is! The magic mascara that I've been obsessing over since the first use is the Lancome Hypnose Mascara. I love this one for elongating and volumising my lashes, it's got amazing coverage to it and I find that only one coat is enough for a full look.


If you've been after a full coverage foundation that isn't extortionate, then you need to try the L'Oreal Total Cover foundation, like, now. It glides on very smoothly and feels like velvet on my skin which is always a plus because who wouldn't want baby-soft skin? I find that the coverage of this product is very high - but I won't get into it too much as I'd like to save it for a full review. Of course, I had to use my current favourite concealer and contour shade, both by L.A. Girl as these work amazingly and the price is very much affordable! To set my foundation in place, I used the Collection Primed & Ready Invisible Setting Powder which works wonders for my combination skin, especially the oily t-zone. My favourite bronzer since 2015 has to be Hoola by Benefit which has actually lasted me nearly 2 years when I've been using it every day, so it's definitely worth the high price tag. To brighten up my face, I use my favourite Milani blusher in shade Tea Rose and Sleek highlighter in Midas Touch - I mix the pink and the white together for a blinding, yet natural highlight. My current go-to lipstick is the Colourpop Ultra Matte Lipstick in shade LAX, which was obviously applied over my favourite lip balm from Carmex.


As you can see, the majority of tools I had used to create this makeup look are by Real Techniques as they truly do amazing brushes, and I cannot wait to complete my collection! I also really want to try the Bold Metals collection, but because they're quite pricey I think I'll wait until Father Christmas pays a visit to my house! I also included a brush from MAC and Colourpop which are some of my all-time favourites.


*This post includes gifted items - all opinions are my own and are in no way influenced at all.

Have you caught up with my monthly favourites post? What's your favourite autumnal makeup look? Would you try this one out?

Lots of love,
Maya xo

Monday 28 August 2017

2017 || AUGUST FAVOURITES


August wasn't the best of months for beauty products for me, but I did manage to find some products that I loved - including an app which I never really mention on here. The one makeup product that I loved was the L'oreal Infallible Total Cover Foundation in shade Porcelain (yup, I'm that pale). I must say that this is one of the best full coverage drugstore foundations I have ever used and reminds me of this high-end product. As August was a bit of a hit-or-miss month when it came to the weather, I was loving Carmex's Lime Twist lip balm to hydrate my dry lips. I love the scent and flavour of this little gem, as well as the tingly feeling it leaves on my mouth - does that sound weird? Because it works amazingly!


My current skincare consists of smothering myself up in Vaseline's Intensive Care Advanced Repair moisturiser, followed by the St. Tropez Instant Tan for a natural and glowy look. I have to admit and say that I'm quite lazy when it comes to caring for my skin, especially when I have to moisturise as to me it feels like a chore. However, since I started using this moisturiser I have noticed positive results in my dry skin and it feels a lot more nourished than usual. The St. Tropez Instant Tan is great as a last minute tan boost before an event etc. as it develops very quickly and doesn't stain your clothes!


The app that I've been using daily (besides Instagram and Twitter, obvs) is My Fitness Pal which has helped me keep track of how many calories I eat in a day and what foods to avoid, and what to eat more of. It also sends me reminders to drink more water which I've been trying to be very good with - my goal is to drink 3 litres a day.
I've been trying to lose some weight and tone up for the past few weeks and I won't lie and say I've been good because I haven't. I will try and keep up with my fitness routine and get back to y'all in a couple of months.


My favourite hair products during August were the Lee Stafford Coco Loco Coconut Heat Protection Mist, and Superdrug's Bloomin' Barnet Dry Shampoo. I was in need of a new heat protection spray so grabbed the Coco Loco one to try out as I'm a sucker for anything coconut scented and I must say that I love it very much and use it all the time before using hot irons. On the other hand, the dry shampoo is my life saver on sweaty and oily days when my hair needs a little bit of refreshment, as well as for when it needs some extra 'oomph'.

What did you enjoy using this month? Have you tried any of the products I've mentioned in this post?

Lots of love
Maya xo

Friday 25 August 2017

OOTD || LUNCH DATE WITH THE GIRLS - CASUAL DAYTIME OUTFIT FOR AUTUMN/FALL


New clothes = picture time! I took advantage of the Missguided 50% student discount on A-level results day, and I couldn't be happier with some of the items I had picked out but this post is all about the amazing Regina George style off-the-shoulder jumper.


I am sooo excited for Autumn, I cannot describe my love for candles, sweaters, blankets, scary movies etc. the list could go on and on and on! Even though it's still Summer - it surely does not feel like it! I recently went out for a lunch date with one of my good friends, Rebekah, and decided to take my new jumper out for a stroll around town.


The jumper is slightly cropped so I think it'll be most flattering with high waisted jeans and a chunky belt - I wanted to wear a belt with this pair but unfortunately, these don't have belt loops so I couldn't wear my black embroidery one :(




These Primark shoes are great, are they slippers? Are they designer? Who knows?! All I care about is that they are very comfortable to wear and look fashionable AF and cost me £1 in the sale!


I always pay attention to detail whenever I'm out with the girls just because we like to exchange jewellery from time to time, as well as recommend some brands. I recently got this birthstone ring from Boots in the sale for only £2 and thought it'll make a great addition to my already big collection. It's very comfortable to wear and is adjustable so you don't have to worry about it fitting on any finger!



If you struggle with self-confidence when it comes to trying out different styles etc. then read my post on how I face my fashion fears, or what I used to wear before I gained weight.



If you're wondering how I created this makeup look then stay tuned as there will be a tutorial on it soon!

What's your go-to lunch date outfit?

Lots of love,
Maya xo
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