Comfy Yet Conservative Traveling Outfit Ideas

As I am visiting the Maldives this summer I have come up with some conservative travelling outfits which will also be comfortable during the flight! 

The first outfit is a pair of harem trousers from River Island and a thin knit top from Forever 21...

Traveling Essentials - Gap Year or Backpacking

Whether you are taking a gap year or backpacking over your summer break some of these might be something you want to pack!

These are some of my travel essentials that I am packing for my trip to the Maldives...

USA Holiday Outfit Of The Day - Visiting Washington Zoo!

Whilst in Washington DC we made a quick visit to the Smithsonian National Zoo... which is one of the best zoos I have ever been to!!

It was an incredibly hot day so this is what I decided to wear...

SHOPAHOLIC ALERT!! ... Yet another USA beauty haul!

So as you all know I was visiting family in the US over the last two weeks in July and of course I could not visit without my religious trip to Sephora and CVS to snap up some beauty goodies...

As you can see I went a bit wild and picked up quite a few things! 

Busy Busy Bee!

I just wanted to write a quick post to say sorry to you all that I haven't posted on here as regularly as I would like! 

I have been really busy the last few weeks... I was visiting America over the last few weeks of July and I had a fantastic time! Here is a quick picture of our last night there...

To add to my busy schedule this Sunday I actually go away again to the Maldives for five weeks! So I have been preparing for that as well as unpacking from America and getting over the dreaded jet lag!

I wanted to let you all know that for the next 5 weeks while I am away I will only be posting once a week (probably on a Wednesday). When I return expect lots of posts about my trip and what I got up to in the Maldives! 

Hope you are all having a great summer and tune in this Wednesday for a USA beauty haul!

Love Katy

xxx

Holiday Outfit Of The Day... Tourist Edition!

So this week my boyfriend and I have been visiting the sights in Washington DC and doing all the typical touristy things! 

Deciding what to wear in a hot climate whilst on holiday can be tricky especially balancing comfort with looking good!! 

USA Holiday Outfit Of The Day!

As I am currently on holiday in the US I thought I would do a few outfits of the day while I'm here! That way you can see some of my new purchases and what kind of clothes I wear on holiday!

Without realising most of this outfit is from TK Maxx (TJ Maxx in the US)! I love a bargain and although TK Maxx in the UK can sometimes be a bit hit and miss TJ Maxx in the US is great and full of fantastic bargains. 

Looking for a cheap and cheerful eye cream??... look no further!

Yet again Simple have knocked it out of the park with this product! 

This soothing eye cream is affordable yet really moisturising and does the job brilliantly!

Scrub Your Nose Into This!

This facial scrub from Soap and Glory is perfect for a girlie pamper night in or a weekly treat for your face!

After using this product my face felt noticeably smoother and softer! 

This particular one is for oily/combination skin but Soap and Glory do have similar alternatives for dry skin.

Top Affordable Drugstore Concealer...Collection's Lasting Perfection!!

As concealers go this one from Collection has to be one of the best I have ever used!! 

It is perfect for covering those pesky dark circles under your eyes and it's available in most drugstores  in the UK such as Boots and Superdrug...

Simple Goodness... Simple Moisturising Facial Wash Review!

This face wash is 'Simply lovely!'

Apologies for the pun but this face wash really is a good product!

 It's also affordable and suitable for sensitive skin!! What could be better?!

University Graduation Outfit Of The Day!

So last week I finally graduated from Newcastle University! I cannot believe how fast these last three years have gone and after all the preparation and build up to my graduation, in a blink it's gone!

I thought you may want to see what my outfit was like and what jewellery I decided to wear...

Yes To Tomatoes Daily Moisturiser For Combination Skin Review!!

As promised here is a review of another product from the Yes To range... Yes To Tomatoes daily moisturiser for combination skin.

This moisturiser is perfect for combination skin, has almost 100% natural ingredients and smells amazing!

If you missed my previous review on the Yes To Grapefruit Face wipes then Click Here! 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water Review!

This new micellar cleansing water from Garnier is great for removing makeup at the end of the day whilst gently cleansing your face!

I use this product with two large cotton pads which you can usually find in most supermarkets and drug stores...

Yes To Grapefruit Facial Exfoliating Towelettes!

The Yes to range is pretty new to the UK but can now be found in most Boots stores. 

I believe the original line that Yes to brought out was Yes to carrots and now they have several lines including Yes to cucumbers, blueberries, tomatoes and grapefruit, each designed to benefit a different skin type. 

The Yes to grapefruit products claim to correct and repair uneven skin tone for a brighter more glowing complexion. These wipes are supposed to cleanse, exfoliate and leave the skin feeling soft and bright, they are also textured to add extra exfoliation. 

All of the Yes to products say that they are at least 90% natural! But what other pros and cons do these wipes have?...

An Amazing Shampoo That Is Environmentally Friendly... What Could Be Better?!

Not only does this shampoo leave your hair voluminous, silky smooth and smelling fantastic...

...it is also more environmentally friendly as it contains no parabens or silicone!

Summer Skincare Essentials!

If any of you are planning to go away this summer or even if you live in a hot climate, here are some of the summer skincare items that I use in the sun which might be helpful or give you some ideas for your summer skincare...

Looking after your skin in the sun is very important so matter what skin tone you have! 

I have very fair skin which burns easily and I have a lot of freckles

I use various products to protect and look after my skin in the summer...

New Loreal Nude Magique BB Cream Review!

As promised here is my review of the New Loreal Nude Magique BB Cream!

As BB creams go this one is okay, it's easy to apply and provides a light coverage perfect for summer and for those 'good skin' days...

America Sephora Haul June 2014... Life in miniature!

I am currently in the US visiting my Dad in Washington D.C. and of course I couldn't come across the pond without a religious visit to Sephora for a cheeky shop!

Sephora have a great choice of miniature samples of popular products, which are very strategically placed next to the till! Yet again I was sucked in and bought a few new products to try out...

New Loreal Nude Magique Blur Cream Review

This product is new from Loreal and claims to give the optimal blur effect for a flawless nude complexion. This cream can be used alone or under makeup. 

This cream claims to do a lot… but does it live up to expectations?

Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser Review!

After I saw this advertised on the television I immediately thought… "ooooo this product sounds perfect for me!" 

This aerosol spray is supposed to dispense a light mist of moisturiser onto the skin which sinks in super fast. 

Bonus Surprise Saturday Post!!!… Loreal Lumi Magique Concealer Pen Review

So I thought I would give you girlies a surprise bonus Saturday post as I was dying to review this little beauty for you all!

This is the Loreal Lumi Magique, touch of light highlighting pen...

Need A New Affordable Summer Blush?... Topshop Powder Blush Do It Again Review

Having never previously tried any Topshop makeup I was eager to give some of their products a go…

I needed a new blush for summer so I decided to give this blush from Topshop a try. 

This is in the colour Do It Again and it is a powder blush in a peachy pink colour with slight gold shimmer. It only cost me £7 and I was able to get a further 10% off with my student discount which was even better!

Father's Day Gift Ideas/Gift Guide!

If like me you really struggle to find presents for your Dad for Father's Day look no further… 

Here are some ideas which might give you some inspiration!

My Dad's birthday is also in June so this can be an expensive month! As a result I always buy a few little affordable presents to give to him as a birthday and Father's day present combined!

Nail Varnish of the week… Peachy Papaya!

Hey gals! Just wanted to quickly say sorry I haven't posted anything for the last week or so… I have had final university exams this month so I have been really busy!

 From now on though I plan on posting every Monday Wednesday and Friday so tune in to see my latest posts!! :)

Anyway….this weeks nail varnish is another one from Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in the colour Papaya.

Nail Varnish of the week… One Perfect Coral!

This weeks nail varnish is by Revlon and is in the colour, One Perfect Coral! 

I have loved this colour for spring/summer for years now and I keep gravitating back to it… especially when the weather is lovely and sunny. Although the weather in England is miserable again, last week we had a slight heat wave and it was positively tropical! Totally unlike our typical British summer! This weather really put me in the mood for some bright summery nail polish and so out came my trusty old coral varnish! 

Refillable Travel Atomiser For Your Favourite Perfumes!

This handy little gadget is a travel refillable atomiser which you can fill with your favourite perfume and pop in your handbag! 

The Travelo is perfect for travelling or just to throw in your bag instead of lugging around a huge perfume bottle.

Silky Smooth Timeless Skin??

So if you are looking for a really affordable facial scrub that also does its job, you should give this one by St. Ives a try! This is their apricot renew and firm scrub.

Lip products I am loving for Spring… Loreal, Rimmel and Revlon

I love bright pink lips for the spring and summer and here are the lip products I am loving at the moment to create a nice bold look…

Nail varnish of the week… Another Barry M beauty!

This week I'm in love with another Barry M Gelly Hi-shine Nail paint but this time in a mint green pastel colour! I am loving this colour for spring as you may have noticed after my Spring fashion haul post which included a mint jumper… click here if you would like to see that post :)

As you can see from the pictures similarly to last weeks nail varnish this polish leaves a smooth and shiny finish, and this is a beautiful colour! 

The perfect dry shampoo for any hair colour!

Dry shampoo is perfect if like me you wash your hair every other day and sometimes need something to give your hair a boost in-between washes. As a brunette I have always struggled with dry shampoo as most are a white spray which can leave a residue resembling grey roots, which is never attractive! 

I spotted this Batiste dry shampoo a while ago now in Boots and thought that it would be perfect for my dark brown hair! When first trying this product I have to admit I wasn't too keen as I didn't feel like it gave as much volume as dry shampoos I had previously used. 

Nail varnish of the week… Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine - Blueberry

I love Barry M Nail paints particularly their Gelly Hi-Shine colours! They leave the nails looking really shiny and pretty. I purchased this colour a few weeks ago, Blueberry. These polishes are really affordable and they have some beautiful colours. You can purchase them in shops like Boots and Superdrug and even some supermarkets. 

Fake tanning tips… my routine

I am naturally fair skinned and live in the UK, so the ability for me to get a natural tan in England is pretty slim! I therefore result to using fake tan to give me a summery warm glow.

Here are my tips and tricks for applying fake tan and what products I use and recommend…

Spring haul! Primark, H&M and Asos

Both Primark and H&M are very hit and miss for me in terms of clothes that I like… sometimes I can go in and find loads and other times there is absolutely nothing I like! During a few recent shopping trip I did find some hidden gems.

Anyone sick of pastels yet?? Yeh they are everywhere and can be a tad irritating but this year I have to admit I am loving anything mint! I loved this colour last spring also and bought far too many mint pieces of clothing… to add to my pastel collection I purchased a mint jumper in H&M last week! I have an obsession. 

Makeup look of the evening… eye makeup

As promised here is the eye makeup look I created last week when I got all dressed up for my boyfriend's work dinner. I have also written a post showing you the face makeup I was wearing if you want to check that out click here. This was the finished look...

As the event was formal and in the evening I wanted quite a smokey dramatic look but nothing too dark. Initially I applied Urban Decay's primer potion allover both eyelids to prime and prep the area. This product is also fantastic at making your eye shadow last throughout the day/night.

Primer potion and Naked 3 palette.

Urban Decay Naked Basics palette review

If you don't have any Urban Decay eye shadow palettes and want to try some of their shadows, the Naked Basics palette is probably a good place to start as it is fairly reasonably priced and has a good selection of matte, neutral, everyday colours.

You will definitely get your moneys worth if like me, you like a 'basic' eye makeup look day to day… the colours are easy to work with and blend well, they are also all fantastically pigmented so you don't need a lot of product.

Makeup look of the evening… Foundation and face makeup

Friday night I got all dressed up for my boyfriend's work doo.

Thought you might be interested in the makeup products I used to create this look…

Nail varnish of the week…

As an Essie nail varnish virgin, when I tried my first Essie polish I was hooked and immediately had to buy more!! 

With Spring apparently upon us… I felt the need to paint my nails a lovely, bright, happy spring colour, which unfortunately does not match the miserable weather in England right now. With this in mind I ventured into Superdrug on the hunt for an Essie polish in a spring shade…

I did find a lovely spring colour that is girly and feminine, but as I always do… I stayed in my comfort zone and chose a colour which I already have 3 gazillion versions of already! Where is the sense in that.

A concealer that really is Kick Ass!

Soap and Glory have brought out some fantastic products over the last few months and this is certainly one of them!

First of all,  I love the packaging and it's the perfect size for your makeup bag. The concealer pot consists of 3 products… an under eye and blemish concealer and a pressed powder to set them. Both concealers are lovely and creamy, and easy to work with. Although I don't always use the powder it is nice, but I do think the little applicator is a bit pointless! 

Finally caved!!!… Urban Decay Naked 3 palette

So I realise the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette has been out for some time now, and pretty much everyone has one! But I have put off buying one for so long now mainly because I kept telling myself "You don't need it!" "You have too many eye shadow palettes!" "It's too expensive!" which I'm sure you have all told yourselves the same when looking at a beautiful pair of shoes that you must have or a gorgeous bag that is practically perfect in every way!

Eventually my heart overruled my head and I finally bought the Naked 3 palette during a recent trip to the US. My justification was that with the current exchange rate it was cheaper than in the UK and that I must make the most of the situation! The fact that I was shopping in Sephora was another huge influence during my decision making process as the wonderful sales assistants there make you feel that if you do not leave the shop without a particular item, that is vital to your existance, your life is not worth living! (For those of you who have not experienced Sephora it is the depiction of a girls heaven, with luxurious makeup, skincare and perfume all of which I can not afford!)

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Throughout my teens and early 20s I have had temperamental skin with a few breakouts from time to time with a particularly large number around 'the time of the month', which I'm sure most of you ladies experience! As a result I have always struggled to find skincare that didn't break me out but still hydrated and nourished my skin thoroughly. Recently however I think I have found the solution!! 

I had never previously tried any of First Aid Beauty's products but I had only heard good things about them. I decided to try their Ultra Repair Cream and I instantly feel in love! I have combination skin with oily patches on my forehead and dry patches around my chin and nose however, this cream balances all aspects of my face, leaving my skin feeling soft and silky. 

Hello! I'm Katy...

Hello! I'm Katy and I am new to this blogging malarky! 

I am from the UK and into all things beauty and fashion related. 

I have wanted to do something like this for a while but never had the guts to do it...

I hope you like my posts and if there is anything that you would like me to blog about please let me know :) 

My dog Frazer says Hi! 

See you soon! xxx