june recap.

Bit of a switch up from the traditional 'monthly favourites' post, I fancied recapping not only my most loved things from June but add in a few lifestyle updates which would be nice to look back on in a few months time. It's tough now that I've finished university to get out and do things that don't cost a bomb but are still fun, but it should be easier now I've moved back home for the summer cause I get lots of time with people. 

FAVOURITES

Yankee Candle in 'Beach Flowers':-

This was bought for my birthday by my lovely mum who wanted a colour of candle that would match my room but also smell lovely and this is just it! I'm constantly burning it, but it's hardly burnt down already so I'm super impressed. Did I mention it smells incredible?! 

MAC 'Mulch' eyeshadow:-

I love love love this eyeshadow because it's great worn alone or added to a lighter matte or shimmer to create a subtle smoke and dimension to the shadow. Perfecto. 

Jewellery:-

I used to be obsessed with buying jewellery a few years ago, every time I went into town I'd always go into Accesorize and pick up a new piece to add to my collection. When I moved to university, I threw out most of it cause it was getting old and worn, so I hardly wore it. Jewellery then took a back seat for a while, until I went into Topshop the other day and picked up a few pieces which are subtle but lovely all the same. They just bring an outfit together. 

River Island Gladiator style sandals:-

I saw Zoella mention these in a video and fell in love instantly. I've never really been a shoe person, I'd always rather have a few pairs that suit all occasions but I adore these and have literally worn them every single day since I got them. They go with everything and suit all weather, rain or shine. 

Tove Lo - Stay High:-

Another song for you to feast your ears on this month and this one is equally as incredible as last months favourite. I am constantly listening to this whatever mood I'm in and the video is so powerful. The lyrics are fairly serious but the beat behind it lifts this song up so it's not so down and depressing. 

LIFE

So this month I packed up 9 months worth of junk ready to move back into my parents house for the summer. It's so strange not being self sufficient and just looking after myself. I miss cooking for one person, getting up when I'm ready and not fighting for the shower in the morning! But at the same time, I really do enjoy being home. I'm a family girl at heart, even though sometimes my independence gets in the way and I have to take time out. But equally I'm so so lucky to be back at home and have my family around me, and then when I need a little 'me' time there's plenty of countryside to wander or places to visit. I'm really trying to focus on spending time with people this summer because last summer was quite a lonely time for me and I regret not embracing life and just going with my gut. I'm planning so many trips out and meeting up with people and I'm really lucking forward to it, and yes, I may not have the budget to do everything, but I feel like right now I'm not tied down by a mortgage or children, etc so I should just go out and enjoy being young and being able to embrace all these wonderful opportunities. (Not that being tied down by those things is a bad thing, at 19 or any other age, but for me right now I'm focusing on my career and enjoying being young.)

Another big thing that happened this month was that I finally went swimming for the first time in around 7/8 years. It may not seem like a big thing to most people, but I've always had anxiety surrounding swimming but I finally stepped into the pool and swam a few lengths without a panic attack or drowning. Which to me, is such a big step, and one of which I am so proud of. Swimming is such a wonderful form of exercise so I hope to keep going and getting fitter each time. It's such an exciting prospect. 

I also went on a school trip with 60 foundation stage children from the school I woke seasonally at, to a butterfly farm in Stratford-upon-Avon, to link in with the topic they are currently studying. It was such a wonderful day consisting of stifling humidity (yay for my makeup sinking into my skin, boo), well behaved children, picnic lunches, playground time and sleepy coach rides home. It really was a lovely day and just confirmed to me even more than I'm in the right career to suit me and I can't wait to have my own class to et to know and nurture in one of the most important stages of their lives. One of the teachers there also told my mum that I was a natural with the children which makes me super happy, but also question whether foundation stage might be the right age fr me to teach. Who knows! 

covering under eye bags and puffy eyes

Whether it be due to a late night in the library, lack of sleep due to looking after a little one or just enjoying the occasional late night, eye bags and puffy eyes are a nemesis of most women out there. If they're not, I'm sure I'm not the only one that envies you! But never fear, there is a solution, and an easy one at that. Just a few nifty tricks and you'll feel awake and ready to tackle another day. 

De-Puffying eye cream:-

Try to have an eye cream in stock that helps to depuff eyes and help to get rid of dark circles, the No.7 OvernightRevitalising Eye Balm works wonders. Once applied, it soaks in to leave a cooling sensation along with less puffy undereyes and harsh dark circles. It’s a winner.

Concealor:-

Obviously, an eye cream can only reverse so much of the damage. Try to use a concealor under your eyes which is a lighter shade than your foundation (but still blends well) and one which will brighten up the undereye area. Rimmel Wake Me Up concealor does exactly this, similarly to the Wake Me Up foundation, the concealor contains little flecks of sparkle/shimmer which help to illuminate the under eye area and create the illusion of more awake eyes. If your under eye bags are still being super stubborn, then you need a heavy duty concealor, a cheap option is 17 Phwoarr Paint Concealor which can tackle anything you throw at it, particularly dark circles or blemishes.

Eye Makeup:-

Not only can you cover the under eye area, but if your eyelids are a little puffy (after you have been crying, for example) then you can use a few makeup tricks to create the illusion that your eyes are awake. Don’t use dark eyeshadows or contour the eyes, today is not the day for a heavy smoky eye! I love using MAC Vanilla/All That Glitters eyeshadows which help to brighten the eyes. All That Glitters all over the lid and heavy inner corner/browbone highlight using Vanilla works wonders. To top it off, use a lengthening mascara which will open up your eyes even further, MACZoom Fast Black Lash does a good job of this.

Drink LOTS of Water:-

To help your eyes get back to normal, re-hydrate them by drinking loads of water, I know you should do this anyway, but let’s be honest, how many of us actually do it… But now, more than ever, is the time! You’ll feel all flushed out and better in yourself anyway, there’s nothing to lose!   

shop my stash.

So I've been having a little rumage in my makeup draws over the past few weeks and found a few products that I'd either forgotten about or didn't along with at first and thought I'd show them some love rather than leaving them in my draws to be forgotten about. 

MUA Bronzed Perfection - 

The reason I picked this up in the first place is because I read someone's blog post on how they believed that this was a close dupe for the raved about NARS 'Laguna' Bronzing powder, and for only a few pounds I couldn't resist that bargain. I'm not usually one for bronzer, at any time of year, I tend to stick to contouring and a touch of blush but since the weather is getting warmer (touch wood), I whipped this out and I'm actually surprised with how much I like it. Since I've been starting to use a moisturiser/tan, my face doesn't match my body and this just gives that extra glow that my face needed without being orange or looking fake. Although the packaging is unnecessarily big, I can tell I'll be using this quite a lot this summer.

No.7 Stay Perfect Long Lasting Volume mascara - 

Now I picked this up in Boots on a total whim, I needed a new mascara and thought I'd swerve away from my love, Maybelline 'The Falsies'. At first, I didn't mind the look it gave, it certainly isn't volumous, due to the thin plastic wand, but gives great length and is perfect for every day. My only hang up is when it comes to removing it, which proves extremely difficult. No makeup remover/cleansing oil gets rid of this stuff, I should have been wise enough to read the packaging which clearly states: "Dampen a cotton pad with warm water, hold over lashes for 30 seconds and then just wipe away", silly me. But to be brutally honest, it's a right pig to get off, even when using the advised technique. As it brings off the mascara in clumps and doesn't dissolve it (hoping you understand what I mean here), I worry that it pulls out my lashes with it. I haven't noticed a difference in my lashes, but you never know so I just tread carefully with this!

Rimmel Scandeleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 'Nude' - 

I picked this up when everyone was going on about lining your waterline with a white or nude eyeliner, did it for a few weeks and then it took a step back in my makeup routine because I simply forgot. Well not any more, I do feel that this gives a new brighter appearance to my eyes, especially when tired. That's all you really need, so I'm happy I rediscovered it. 

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze' - 

During A/W this was pretty much an every day staple base for all my eyeshadow looks but come March/April it took a step back for a MAC pain pot. Now I simply use it for a swish of colour if I don't fancy using any powdered eye shadow and then blend it out. As it's so easy to apply and make look good, I have been wearing this almost every day and have fallen in love with it all over again. 

no.7 overnight revitalising eye balm.

No.7 Overnight Revitalising Eye Balm (£12)

For someone who has pretty much got my skin care routine sorted, I had never tried an eye cream until a few weeks ago *slaps self on wrist*. As the two moisturisers I use on a daily basis are from the No.7 'Beautiful Skin' range, I decided to complete the trio by adding the eye balm. I use this as directed, at night and simply use a tiny, smaller than a pea size, amount patted under both eyes using my ring fingers, as they are the more delicate.

This is a gel like consistency, rather than a thick cream and soaks into the under eye area to leave a soothing, cool sensation. I’d say that since using this balm my under eye circles have lightened and that I wake up with a fresh feeling under eye area, which sounds strange, but what I mean is that my eyes don’t feel puffy or sore from a combination of a busy day and lack of sleep. Undergraduate problems, eh! It really does exactly what it says on the tin.

I definitely won’t ever go back to not using an eye cream, whether it be this particular one, or another. I do really like this balm, and if I don’t discover another cream that I fancy trying (Origins GinZing Eye Cream??), I will definitely repurchase this one when it runs out. Boots, you have one happy customer with reduced dark circles! Winning. 

the all round primer

The Body Shop Instablur primer (£14)

This little beauty was only released into The Body Shop a matter of weeks ago, and with high promise, I was quick to pop it into my basket and try it. It promises 5 actions to achieve perfect skin: 12 hour shine control, reducing the appearance of pores, hides blemishes, unifies your complexion and extends the life of makeup. 

I would agree almost 100% with all that it claims, and for someone with oily skin, I'm delighted. It definitely covers my pores leaving my skin soft and smooth ready for foundation and leaves my base looking simply flawless. It does increase the life of my already long lasting foundation base (MAC Studio Fix Fluid), so I know for sure if I'm out all day that I won't be left with patchy, half worn off foundation by 3pm, which is just...yuck! The only claim I wouldn't necessarily agree with is that it hides blemishes... but then again, which transparent primer covers blemishes when worn alone? But a combination of this with concealor/foundation does a great job, so I can't complain. 

This product is definitely a welcome addition to my everyday makeup routine and I am so glad I chose to buy it. Although the price may be out of some peoples budgets (£14 for 25ml), it is worth the price and you don't need a ridiculous amount of product per use so I can see the tube lasting quite a while. I'm not going to hesitate in repurchasing when this runs out as it's a wonderful all round product and definitely the best primer I have tried to date.