Beauty | Review | So Susan Dual Brow Powder

Looking for a new eyebrow powder to stand out in 2015? Then here's one for you. Susan Chyi is the founder and creator of So Susan Cosmetics and believes in bringing out the fun and brightness in makeup. It's all been about staying neutral with our makeup for the past few decades and now So Susan is here to bring back the colour into our lives.

What I'm looking at today is the Dual Brow Powder, which is not only appealing by its name, but the look of it as well! Honestly, until about a month or so ago I'd never even heard of So Susan Cosmetics. It wasn't until I went to Clothes Show Live in Birmingham back in December that I was looking around and bought a So Susan goody bag for £5, where I received the Dual Brow Powder, Flutter Mascara and Liquid Shadow Powder Palette all worth over £30.

With the Dual Brow Powder, you get a light brown and a dark brown and creates perfectly defined eyebrows with minimal use of the powder. Personally, I have never used the light brown because I prefer darker eyebrows because my hair is jet black. However, you can mix the two if you want to create a look going from light to dark, which always looks wonderful! Here's how my brows looked after using the dark brown (top) and how they compare to Kylie Jenners (bottom). You see the similarity that the powder can create with the shape and colour, although, Kylie's are a lot lighter in the middle (which you can do if you like, I just prefer not to).

"So Susan is where colour meets science"

Totally smudge proof, the Dual Brow Powder is only £11.95 from the So Susan Website <<<< click here to be taken right to it and also receive 50% off Lip Love when ordering online! It works wonders on creating the best brows in Britain as well as saving a lot of money in the process.

"The medium coverage enables you to glide the product on gently, using short light strokes to fill in sparse brows for a completely natural look. Infused with Aloe Extract and Carrot Seed Oil to nourish and rejuvenate the sensitive skin around the eyes." as stated on the So Susan website, not too shabby.

Nothing feels better than having amazing looking eyebrows and this product is definitely worth a buy!

Thanks for stopping by everyone and I'll see you again next time!

Katy xo

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Beauty | Review | Clinique 3-Step Introduction Kit

Founded in 1968 and with it’s headquarters in New York, Clinique are a worldwide known brand famous for their amazing skincare products. If you didn’t already know, they also manufacture toiletries, fragrances and cosmetics. Clinique is owned by the Estée Lauder Corporation and is primarily sold in department stores such as Debenhams and John Lewis (in the UK), making it one of Britain’s best selling brands at cheap prices for great quality.

I recently had a foundation colour match with Clinique and this led onto how my skin reacts to different products. I was asked whether my skin was dry, oily, flakey, spotty (all the questions that need to be asked so you’re given the right product). Although it took a while to find the right product for me, it was time well spent rather than just going into a shop and picking something up without knowing what it will do to my skin.

I was shown the 3-Step Introduction Kit which features a facial soap (50ml) to cleanse your face, a clarifying lotion (100 ml) to exfoliate and a moisturising gel (30ml) to finish off the routine. All of this came in a handy little box with separators inside for each product. Online, the kit is £20.00 from clinique.co.uk which is such a great price for what you’re getting!

All three of these products had cleared up most of my blemishes within a week of using them!  The moisturising gel is fantastic, it leaves my skin feeling radiant and fresh, which is extraordinary coming from someone who constantly has blemishes and dry skin with an oily T-zone, it just seems to even everything out.

The kit comes in 4 different skin types.

1 – VERY DRY TO DRY | 2 – DRY COMBINATION

3 –  COMBINATION OILY | 4 – OILY

I currently use products for skin type 3 as I have both oily and dry skin. When online, the product description reads:

“Dermatologist-developed to meet your skin’s needs and custom-fit by Skin Type”

When visiting a store that sells Clinique, you can easily find out your skin type during a free consultation.

You're sure to find the right product for you and with Clinique, it's so easy to do so! Why not pop in store after work or at the weekend to see how you could improve your skin with the 3-Step Introduction Kit.

Thanks for stopping by everyone and I'll see you again next time!

Katy xo

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Beauty | 10 Money Saving Beauty Hacks

We all know that January is a tough time for money, we've got Christmas out of the way and now there's the meals out and the New Years Eve parties that you're going to be wearing your best clothes and make up for, so we expect that you're going to be low on funds come the new year. There's no need to panic though, here are some money saving beauty hacks that you can use until you get your next pay or for however long you'd like if you're looking to save as a new years resolution.

1. Use your old mascara wand as an eyebrow brush:

It's clear to all of us that eyebrows are one of the most important features of your face. They not only help to shape the face but if we didn't have them, we would look pretty odd. Eyebrow styles have changed so much throughout the years and we honestly have no idea what would be the next big thing for 2015. But to keep up to date with the eyebrow trends without splashing out on an expensive eyebrow brush is to use an old mascara wand, which does exactly the same thing. Simply wipe off the excess mascara when your bottle is empty and shape away!

2. Cut open your old makeup/skincare tubes:

To get the most out of your make up or skincare tubes, it's best to cut them open rather than spending x amount of time trying to squeeze the rest out. Cutting open the tube makes it easy to scoop your hand in and carry on with your morning routine before heading out looking radiant as ever. You can keep them fresh by using pegs to close them when not in use or alternatively pop them into empty containers.

3. Create your own exfoliating scrub:

You can create your own body scrub to exfoliate your skin on a weekly basis, it's just like going into the shop and buying one. All you need is some brown sugar and honey. Mix them together in a bowl with a spoon or a whisk, make sure that you remove most of the sugar clumps but not all of them, you still want it to scrub onto you. Don't add too much honey either, the smoother the scrub, the less it will work. Once you've mastered this technique, you probably won't have to buy a body scrub again!

4. Alternative make up remover:

Did you know that using Johnson's 'No More Tears' Baby Shampoo is a great alternative for make up remover? It's just as soft and just as gentle, there are no harsh chemicals in it and can lift the make up right off your face. Where normal make up removers cost from £10 upwards, this Johnson's Baby shampoo is just £3.35 for a 500ml bottle from Boots.com. Not a bad start to the new year having baby soft skin for a quarter of the price.

5. Rubbing Vaseline on your pulse:

To make your perfume last, rub a bit of Vaseline on your pulse points before you apply your perfume. Doing this helps to keep the scent on your body for a lot longer than using nothing at all and also smell nicer, it's the same as using body lotion with a matching perfume. You can find Vaseline at pretty much any drug store for less than £5. You can use it with cheap perfumes or even your most expensive ones.

6. Trade in empty pots for a free one:

MAC do a BAck-To-MAC Program where if you trade in 6 empty MAC containers, you can receive a free MAC lipstick of your choice (except Viva La Glam lipsticks). Lush also do the same thing where if you return 5 empty Lush pots, you can receive a free chilled face mask, as a thank you for recycling. I know a lot of people that swap their empty Lush and MAC product pots all the time to get free goodies when they're running low on money, it's a great idea and is good for the environment!

7. Make your own toner water:

You can buy toner tabs from Lush for just £1 each, they're probably the cheapest product you can buy in Lush and are an absolute life saver when you can't afford a new toner until the end of the month! What you do is get a bowl of warm water and drop the tab in, it should fizz up for about a minute or two and then settle down again. If you hold your face over the bowl, you can give yourself a facial steam to open your pores and let your skin breathe. Once the water has cooled down, pour it into a spray bottle and use it as a toner.

8. Eyeliner as primer:

If you can't afford an eyeshadow primer until the end of January, then it's best to use a white pencil eyeliner. Eyeshadow primer usually helps to keep your eyeshadow on your eyelids and keep it bright as well, so white eyeliner is pretty much going to do the same job since it's a great base for any colour you want to use. Even if you have a darker skin tone, white eyeliner is still good to use because there will be a colour on top of it, making it even more vibrant and last longer for your night out this new year.

9. Make your own gel eyeliner:

Let's be honest, even when we have money the best gel eyeliner is pretty expensive to buy out there. So what the best thing to do is to create your own gel eyeliner by grabbing a lighter and a pencil eyeliner. Hold the pencil eyeliner horizontally and light your match/lighter directly under it, making the tip touch the flame just slightly. Do this only for about 30 seconds and wait for it to cool down before testing it on your hand to make sure that it's turned more gel like. This will give a much more defined look on your eyes for a night out.

10. Use a toothbrush to get rid of flyaways:

When we tie our hair back, it's hard to get rid of those little baby hairs and flyaways from the top of our head. All we want is the latest red carpet hair style, so why is it so difficult to master? A little bit of hairspray and an old toothbrush (don't use the one you currently use) should go a long way with styling your hair this Winter. All you need to do is tie your hair into whatever style you prefer, apply the hairspray to keep it held together and brush the little unwanted parts of your hair down with the old toothbrush. It's as simple as that!

All of these little beauty hacks are easy to follow and will save you some serious money this Winter. As I've said before, you can continue to use these for however long you like and you can always come back to them when you're running low on money again. Have a happy new year and stay safe.

Thanks for stopping by everyone and I'll see you again next time!

Katy xo

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Beauty | Clothes Show Live 2014

So on Saturday 6th December, I visited the NEC in Birmingham and attended the Clothes Show Live with my mum! It wasn't until last week we knew we were going because we bought the tickets last minute, so nothing was planned, no money was saved up to do loads of shopping but we managed to have a pretty good day!

We ended up buying Platinum tickets for the event, in which we received a t-shirt designed by Zandra Rhodes and a little wristband and other goodies all in a lovely bag! The show that we went to watch started at 10am, so we got there in good time and was seated right near the front, which was amazing! There was a male model called Freddie holding a goody bag to give away and the person who made the most noise in the audience won... It wasn't me, which was upsetting and I ended up hurting my voice.

I bought a number of goody bags from the event and ended up getting some really great cosmetics from brands such as Rimmel London, Helen E and So Susan. I was extremely excited about all the makeup that I was buying, because what beauty blogger wouldn't be excited about that? It was heaven for me and I could see that a lot of other people that were there also had their cameras and notepads and goody bags with them so I assumed they were all online too.

There was a stall called Sensationail where you could paint your own nails for free with their gel nail varnishes, which was pretty cool. My mum decided to have a go and I tagged along, I filed my nails, but a base coat on, dried them, put a colour on, dried them again, put a top coat on, dried them again and in the end they didn't look amazing because my nails are short at the moment and I am terrible at painting my right hand! Here's what it all looked like, for anyone who wasn't there, if you did go then let me know what you thought and what colour you painted your nails:

I did wait in line twice and for a long time to meet vlogger Alfie Deyes (aka PointlessBlog) but the first time, he left just as I was near the front and the second time, people kept cutting in and the security guards cut the line off after a certain amount of people. I wasn't too happy about that, but at least I still had a nice day. At least I still saw him on stage, it just would have been nice to get some advice because I'm thinking of going back to making videos after the New Year, but I'm not 100% sure yet, I'm enjoying blogging a lot right now. 

I did manage to meet Andy Jordan and Stevie Johnson from Made In Chelsea, which I didn't think was too bad. Everyone else that had met them hugged them and were crying and screaming... When I met them, I shook both of their hands and said "It's nice to meet you". I'm not gonna hug someone I don't know am I? Of course though, I tweeted them both with this picture, I just wish I wasn't smiling. Me smiling is a bad move with those eyes!

In the end it was a fantastic day, I can't wait to try out the products that I bought and most of all, I can't wait until next year! If you haven't been or want to go, see if there's any tickets left online as the last day is TOMORROW! Very last minute, but if you're prepared to do that then go for it!

Thanks for stopping by everyone and I'll see you again next time!

Katy xo

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Beauty | The Clinique Consultation

Yesterday I went into Debenhams in Warrington just for a little look around, not to look for anything for myself, but mainly to buy Christmas presents for people. I have all of my presents sorted now and they're all wrapped up so I am very happy about that! Back to what I was originally saying... I was in Debenhams and a woman called Michelle from the Clinique stall came up to me and starting talking about free foundation samples and colour matching and skincare and it really grabbed my attention quite quickly. So I went ahead and talked about everything from my skin to my foundation colour.

I was seated on a little white stool, took my coat off and popped my bag down so that we could talk, which we ended up doing for about half an hour I think it was. She asked me all kinds of questions about my skin, whether it was oily or dry? Is there redness? Is it sensitive? Am I worrying about wrinkles? Do I get a lot of spots? I answered all of these the best that I could, trying to explain to her how my skin reacted to different products was a little difficult because I couldn't properly get out the words of what I meant in my head. 

Michelle then tested some products on my skin after telling me that my skin was suited to 'number 3'... This is what the numbers on the Clinique bottles means, it's all about the different skin types and what not, so I thought that it was good they had products designed for different skin types. She wiped some cleanser on one of my hands and massaged it in with the Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush, which is self timed to 15 seconds. You can find this product from Boots.com for £79, it is on the pricey side but totally worth the money because the amount of difference I saw from both of my hands was incredible! She then used the Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion afterwards and it was softer than a little baby's bottom, it felt amazing on my skin and it's only £14 from Boots.com

Because I was worried about some lines under my eyes and was telling her about how I'm too young for wrinkles and I don't want to look too much older than I am, she reassured me that the lines under my eyes weren't wrinkles, but just too much dehydration under the eye, because there's 50% less skin around the eye than the rest of the face, which is why they're more delicate than anywhere else. What was used around the bottom of my eyes was the All About Eyes Serum from Clinique.co.uk for just £23. Of course, because the products that I'm linking you to are online, they are a little bit more than what you would pay if you went into the Debenhams store or on their website as there's currently 10% off this weekend - so I'd recommend you get down there if you want a bargain!

Lastly, my skin was matched against different shades of foundation and surprise surprise, I was matched to the lightest shade. The others were just way too dark for my skin, which I am both happy and sad about. I love being pale but when it's Summer and I want my legs out, I look like a ghost. So I was given a little sample of foundation to take home with me and try out because Clinique foundations also have ingredients in them to care for the skin and help your blemishes stay down, which is always a bonus!

At the start of the consultation, I wasn't planning on buying anything, I just thought to myself 'oh, this is all free so why not?' Little did I know that I would buy a product at the end, not because I felt forced into it but because I actually wanted to buy it. I ended up buying the 3 Step Introduction Kit, for Skin Type 3 from Clinique.co.uk on the link, the skin type says 2, as I couldn't find any 3's online. The best advice I could give is to go into Debenhams or a Clinique store and find out what your skin type is before you buy any of their products because you don't want to be using the wrong products on your skin. On the website it's £20, I paid £17 and it will stay that way this weekend, so again - Best get down there quick!

Thanks for stopping by everyone and I'll see you again next time!

Katy xo

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Beauty | Review | Dior Addict Lipstick

It's December, which mean's I'm gonna get all Christmassy on yo asses! Yeah, I totally just sounded so cool then. Let me start again, hey everyone! It's finally December and I have a great product that I am going to be reviewing for you and it's a beautiful Dior lipstick in the colour 783 - Londres. This is a gorgeous brown/red with hints of purple to create a subtle and sophisticated look with 'vibrant colour, spectacular shine'.

Dior was founded in 1946 by the one and only Christian Dior and is known and sold worldwide to this day. Dior sells products such as makeup, fragrances, accessories, footwear, leather goods and clothing which have been used by most celebrities and models on red carpets and catwalks throughout the years.

Dior is primarily targeted towards people with expensive taste that either want to splash out on their products or have enough money to not even call it 'splashing out'. I'd say women aged 20+ use Dior the most, as it's not often you see a teenager have the money to buy a Dior fragrance or lipstick, unless it was a birthday/Christmas present, then sure! It was Dior who launched the New Look, creating amazing new styles and eventually inspiring the clothes store New Look to create its popular name, and we all love New Look don't we?

The benefits of this gorgeous lipstick is that it is handy for all occasions. You want to wear it to do your weekly shopping, go ahead! The bright pigmentation is there but it gives a light sheer when applied, so it's bold but not too bold. It also has a slight shimmer, which is perfect for a night time look as well, it can also work with a smokey eye because it's a neutral. It is the perfect colour this Christmas time as well, so it would be a lovely gift for yourself or someone special, it also has the perfect little packaging that will make you actually want to carry it around and show it off.

The price of this lipstick, surprisingly isn't too expensive for Dior. 783 - Londres can be found at the Dior stand in department stores across the UK such as John Lewis, Selfridges and Debenhams for £20-£25 depending on the store. It's been very hard for me to find online, unless it's in the US or it's in a different colour. There doesn't seem to be an online option for the colour that I'm advertising, however, if you do want a different colour to the beautiful seasonal colour that I've reviewed, then go ahead!

So after researching, testing and loving for the many months that I've had this lipstick, I give it 10/10. I only give products 10/10 when I really love them and there's something special about them. This lipstick is a lovely colour, great value for money and the perfect gift this season.

Thanks for stopping by everyone and I'll see you again next time!

Katy xo

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Beauty | Review | Pink Friday Nicki Minaj Eau De Parfum

‘Pink Friday’ is the first of the perfume collection by the superstar rapper Nicki Minaj. The perfume is named after her debut album ‘Pink Friday’, which features some of her chart topping songs including ‘Superbass’ and ‘Moment 4 Life’. I bought this when it first hit the shelves in the UK and I fell in love with it, not only because I am a fan of Nicki, but because it's the perfect scent for 'girly girls' like myself. 

'Pink Friday' is mainly aimed towards girls between the ages of 13-30, which is also the ages that her music is targeted at. However, it can be used on the opposite sex if you prefer. It's also aimed at a lot of 'girly girls', these are girls who love doing their hair and makeup, love perfumes and getting their nails done on a regular basis. Though, this isn't the case for every girl that likes her perfume, but more of a stereotype. The scent is really sweet and to me smells a bit like candy floss, consisting of boysenberry, lotus flower, Italian mandarin, star fruit and vanilla. Mmm!

The benefits of this perfume is that it can be worn for pretty much any occasion and it isn't too strong. It stays on a long time too, so you won't have to re-apply it to yourself, meaning you won't have to carry it in your bag. I know when I used to carry it in my bag (because I sprayed it religiously cos I loved it too much) the bottle ended up getting scratched and chipped... I wasn't too happy about that. It comes in a lovely little bottle shaped like Nicki Minaj and has long pink hair, super cute!

You can buy the bottles in 30ml for £23 from feelunique.com, 50ml for £28 from feelunique.com and 100ml for £38 from feelunique.com (each link you click on will take you to the different sizes)

All in all, I give this product a 10/10! I absolutely love it because it's great value for money, the packaging is adorable because pink is my favourite colour and the smell is perfect for my skin type and personal preference.

Let me know if you have the perfume, where you bought it and whether you have any of her others?

Thanks for stopping by everyone and I'll see you again next time!

Katy xo

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