A NEW START

Hello and let me reintroduce myself. I'm the girl who used to run this blog. I say 'used to', as I'm also the girl who gave up on her so called blog when the going got a bit too tough last year. I hate to admit I'm a quitter, but, that's exactly what I did when I let myself suffocate under the strain of University. I thought, "Yeah, yeah, everyone gets stressed in their final year." And it's true, stress may as well be included as a mandatory module choice for all Uni students. I just didn't expect it to hit me so hard. I certainly didn't expect to be bed bound in pyjamas for days on end, reclusive to anything other than takeaway pizza (I could have given Stig of the dump a good rivalry). Numerous times I was done and ready to call it a day on my degree, thinking a career as a regular bed dweller and Netflix watcher would suffice better. 

But I couldn't and I wouldn't.

I couldn't give up three years of hard work. I didn't always get the grades I wanted in my modules, but at the end of it all, it was my university experience and it was something I had accomplished on my own. I wouldn't give up because I knew deep down that the stress I had inundated myself with was the result of just wanting to succeed. At the time, I felt ashamed that I couldn't juggle this blog with my studies and social life. But now, looking back, I know it was for the best. Surely one or the other would have suffered had I separated my attention out unevenly. So here I am, a newly graduated student with a 2:1 degree in English Language and Literature, aware of the fact that I may 

get stressed and have to take a step back at times. But that doesn't mean I'm a quitter or a failure. I've shown I'm capable of tackling my stressful degree and now I turn my attention to blogging once again. I'm just a normal 21 year old girl looking to make her mark in this ever expanding online presence. I'm sure I'll hit bumps in the road this coming year when I work out what to do with my future. But at the bottom of it all, I'm allowed to take things slow, to workout my next move in my own time and there's no shame in that.

         Natalie x

SUMMER SKIN

(Left to Right: Palmer's Gradual Tanner & Garnier Oil Beauty Scrub)

 

I had a moment of sheer panic the other day as I realised Summer is fast approaching. The weather in the UK has been unbelievably hot and sunny this past week, leaving me with no choice but to get my pasty white legs out. The only tan I achieved last year was whilst attending Leeds Festival and let's just say it wasn't the most flattering (upper half of my leg golden brown, bottom half remained white from being covered by my wellies, OH DEAR!) So this year, I'm turning to beauty products and whilst shopping in Boots I stumbled across these two.

Let's start with Garnier's Ultimate Beauty Oil Beauty Scrub £7.15; wow that's a mouthful. I need to tell you now, this stuff is AMAZING. The smell, the feel, the way it leaves your skin; just amazing. Enriched with 4 incredible oils, (Argan, Macademia, Almond & Rose) the product claims to 'visibly improve and perfect the look of your skin' and it really does. I use the scrub in the shower once every couple of days when my skin isn't looking its best and to get rid of any dead skin on the surface. A little goes a long way as the scrub foams nicely onto the body, it exfoliates without being too harsh and you can really feel the difference it makes on the skin. I suffer from dry skin on both my knees and elbows and found the scrub and its benefiting oils helped re-hydrate these problem areas. Out of everything I was very impressed with the scent of the product; fresh and luxurious, I could still smell it on my body a good hour or so after I'd showered. To maintain a good tan it's vital to exfoliate the skin and I can happily say that I'll be popping this into my suitcase to use everyday whilst on holiday as well as now at home. Apparently the scrub comes in a lotion and oil treatment, both with the same scent, so I am dying to get my hands on those too!

Second on my quest to summer ready skin; Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula/Natural Bronze Gradual Tanning Moisturiser £5.35, another tongue twister! I've never had the best luck with fake tan. Back in sixth form, when I first started going on nights out, I went through a stage of wanting to look incredibly tanned; I never really mastered the art of applying fake tan so always ended up looking either too dark or streaky. Up until now I've always just played it safe and remained pale, however, now the sun is here I want a bit of colour to my skin. The cocoa butter gradual tanner gives me bronzed skin without looking orange or uneven. I apply the moisturiser straight onto my skin once I've left the shower and exfoliated, this allows the lotion to sink straight into the skin without being sticky. If you're not a fan of the original Palmer's cocoa butter or scent then I would give this a miss, the scent can be fairly overbearing. I noticed my skin held a natural looking golden glow the next morning once I woke up, and no streaks HOORAY! For those of you who are too afraid to use actual fake tan like myself, then I would definitely recommend this product. The lotion also helped me to maintain the natural tan I'd managed to catch whilst sitting in the garden. If I had one problem, it would be that the moisturiser left stains on my hands and fingers from application but this is my fault for not exfoliating and moisturising them properly beforehand. I'm very impressed with my purchases and think I'll be trying Dove's summer glow moisturiser next to see how it compares with Palmer's. I'll be sure to write a follow up review in a week or so to keep you all updated on my search for summer skin but in the meantime, I'd love to know what your favourite products are for achieving or maintaining that perfect summer glow!

MAC TAN PIGMENT

I love MAC cosmetics as much as the next girl, but I always found it quite daunting browsing around the pigments with little knowledge on them; so I ultimately kept myself to the good old eye shadow counter instead. However, after recently watching the beautiful Poppy Rawson on YouTube; seeing how amazing her eye makeup was, I came to the conclusion that I desperately needed MAC's Tan pigment. I'd always assumed that the pigments would be incredibly messy to apply and wouldn't look any different to an eye shadow. Boy, was I wrong!

The woman who served me at the counter essentially told me that, "I could use the pigment in whatever way I wished!" and after much playing around with the product, I'm happy enough to just use it on my eyes for the time being.

The pigment can be applied dry or wet. For dry application I would recommend applying a primer or paint pot to your bare lids then the pigment straight over to minimise any fallout and keep the product in tact. I personally prefer to apply it wet with a brush spritzed in MAC's Fix+, this allows the pigment to stick to the lid and create a mesmerising 3D look; if I could describe it in any other way I'd say that the pigment looks like a golden foil. It really is beautiful and I don't think my pictures do it enough justice. The colour is slightly lighter than MAC's Woodwinked (one of my all time favourite shadows) a true bronze shade. You also need the smallest amount, a little goes a long way whether working with the pigment wet/dry, meaning it is in fact great value for its £15 price tag. I'm now very open to the idea of pigments and may even use Tan as a sun-kissed highlight. I know that Vanilla is definitely next on my wishlist for my inner corner and brow highlight as so many bloggers have raved on about it! Do you own any MAC pigments? What are your opinions?

*Please excuse my hairy eyebrows, I'm in the midst of growing them out and getting them groomed!