RMK Brightening Jelly Sheet

 Warning: in the next photo I look like something from a horror movie.

I've stayed loyal to my Origins Clear Improvement mask for over a year now but my lovely little sister bought me a RMK mask to test out because "it makes your face soft and glow-y" she's very picky so if it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me.

The packet is filled with a liquid so the jelly doesn't dry out (I wasn't aware of this so had to change outfits straight after using it- clever!) and the jelly comes placed between two plastic sheets. The sheets smell fruity but aren't overbearing. When taking the first plastic sheet off you have to be very careful that none of the mask is caught on the piece you're removing or the jelly gets stuck together. Then place the jelly, still with one piece of plastic on, to your face until you have aligned all of the holes. Once this is done, the other plastic sheet can be removed.

For 15 minutes you will look like you've just stepped off the makeup van for a horror movie but after that you are left with radiant, moisturised skin. I tried to take a photo but the camera couldn't catch a difference even though there was a very clear one in person. My skin looked more plump and bright after using this. I did, however, notice that the results were very short term and only lasted a day. Therefore, I highly recommend this before a big night out or if you're feeling particularly tired. It is a bit pricy at £40 for 4 from Selfridges but makes for the perfect pamper treat.

Show-stopper Hair and Where I've Been

Let me just start by saying: i've missed you!

Biggest thing that's happened since I left: SEPHORA NOW SHIPS TO THE UK. YAY. Goodbye money, helloooo new collections. Right, now to the point...

I took a little break from blogging, simply, because i was absolutely exhausted. I've been in an amazing production of "West Side Story" playing "Maria" (If you fancy a nosy there is an article on it here). It was such a great experience and I learnt so much but boy, was I tired! After shows I didn't get home until 1am and was going to school at 7am so had next to no sleep which meant my lovely little blog got no attention. That being said, I am back! I'm planning on posting every week, again, and I felt the best way to come back was to talk about the products I used in my hair to make sure it stayed healthy whilst not moving for 5 hours- tough but doable.
*ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY AND PROPERTY OF DANNY FITZPATRICK*

After washing my hair the first thing I do is brush it to get rid of knots to make adding products much easier. The first thing I added was "It's a 10!" to reduce frizz, help detangle and soften my hair. To moisturise my hair I add Moroccan oil (I use the cheap alternative).

During blowdrying i used the Moroccan oil large barrel brush alongside the GHD heat protectant to reduce damage. To finish off the look I use some more Moroccan oil to give some extra moisture and shine. To make sure the curls held I used Pantene Volume & Body Ultra Strong Hairspray. Mini rave: Best hairspray i've ever used. My hair looked natural and stayed in place all evening but with the stroke of a brush went back to my normal, natural, hair. Extremely impressive. 

After doing the show i've found myself following this routine for nights out and my hair stays put. Do you have any tips/ products to get your hair to stay in place? 

Collection 2000 "Does It All" Waterproof mascara

I look for two things in a mascara; volume and the ability to hold a curl. My eyelashes, like shown in the before photo, are really flat so need a really strong mascara to hold it up. Luckily, for me, this mascara did just that.

The brush is made of rubber and has thick bristles which separate the lashes as the mascara is applied which helps to avoid clumping. The mascara is jet black  which makes the white part of your eyes appear whiter and your eye colour "pop" a bit more. The bottom lashes were lengthened and didn't clump which is very rare with rubber bristle mascaras; I was pleasantly surprised.

My only problem with this product is that it isn't massively lengthening, it does a fair job but it doesn't have the "wow" factor on that front. That being said I absolutely adore this mascara for £3.99 it's exceptionally good quality. It's definitely going to become one of my make-up bag staples; even if it is just for my bottom lashes. Buy (here).

Valentine's Day: Gift Guide for Her

When I think "Valentines" I instantly think chocolates. The best chocolates on the market are, in my opinion, Charbonnel and Walker chocolates. They have a large selection of gift boxes and, if you don't want to splurge, lots of little heart shaped truffle boxes. My personal favourites are Pink champagne truffles (here), sea salt truffles (here) and milk chocolate truffles (here); all £4.99.

1) OPI Take Ten Mini Kit (10 products) £28.50
2) Stila In The Light eyeshadow £25 
3)Kerastase revitalising duo £42.10
4) Veuve clicquot yellow label brut £29.95 
5) Neom real luxury candle £39.50
6) By Terry Baume De Rose 10 year edition £38
7) NARS Ream of the Senses blush palette £35
8) Tom Ford Black Orchid Coffret £75

Soap and glory "Solar Power"

I envy people who can contour. I just can't do it, well, I couldn't. I decided to read a few online reviews on which bronzers were good for contouring and came across "Solar Power". The product comes with half a pan of a dark bronze shade and half a pan of a gold highlighter. The S&G sign has a slight shimmer across it which disappears upon first stroke.

The product is very creamy, odd to say about a powder, and it glides on leaving no clear lines. It blends easily and doesn't look chalky upon the skin. I use the dark shade below my cheeks to define my cheek bones and the highlighter above for colour contrast. The product blends so seamlessly into your skin it looks like you were born with perfect cheekbones. Even an amateur like me could create a contoured look!

This is one of the best bronzers i've come into contact with and it doesn't come with a hefty price tag. Massive thumbs up from me. The product is available for £11 (here).

Covergirl "Hot passion" Lipstick

Let's just start off by saying i'm a massive Taylor Swift fan. I've heard every song, watched every interview, read every magazine special on her, you get the drift. So, when i heard about her favourite go to red lipstick I had to buy it.

The product comes off brighter than it appeared it would from the bullet and has a bit of a blue undertone. The formula is extremely pigmented so only needed to be applied very lightly. The product is so moisturising it almost melts on your lips and i've found that stay time lasts between 2-3 hours without reapplication.

I'm a big fan of this product and have no issue with it but if I had to pick a flaw out it would have to be that the product stains your lips almost immediately. I don't know about you but I know when i'm choosing which lipstick to wear I try them all on and then wipe them off, when i wiped this off i was left with a faded red lip. If you do choose to wear this is can be seen as a bonus as it makes fading less obvious.

I picked mine up in the states from (here) for $7.99.

Best of the beauty sales

Feel unique:

1) Real techniques Sam's picks collection from £29.99 to £20.99:

- Multi-Task Brush: for effortless application of powder, blush and bronzer
- Buffing Brush: ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation
- Essential Crease Brush: soft, tapered design for effortless contouring
- Setting Brush: complete any look with a controlled dusting of powder or highlighter
- Pointed Foundation brush: use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage
- Fine Liner Brush: ultimate tool for precision application of liquid or cream eyeliner

2) Glamglow mud mask from £49.99 to £37.49

3) Emma hardie Amazing face balm from £34.00 to £28.90

4)Tigi bed head party girl from £29.99 to £22.46

5) GHD IV styler from £99.99 to £79.20

6) L'oreal professional repairing shampoo 750ml from £50.49 to £15.14

Space NK:

1) Body and bath ambre vanilla Laura Mercier from £60 to £30

2) Terrybly or Rose from £72 to £36

3) Diptyque l'eau de lierre £68 to £24