MUA haul, make up look and first impressions review!

If you haven't already heard of MUA, they are an incredibly cheap brand that are available solely in Superdrug stores or off their website. I never really paid them too much attention as there was never anything that particularly caught my eye. However, what did catch my eye was MAC blue green pigment, which a lot of people compared to MUA's shade 12 pearl eye shadow, saying they were very similar. I headed over to the online store to pick up the aforementioned eye shadow, and as there was a sale on (50p for the eye shadow, I kid you not!) I decided to pick up some more bits too.

So let's start with the eye shadow (50p in the sale); this is a shade that I found so interesting, when first packed onto the lid it had a very true-to-palette blue brown shimmer, when blended out however it went a very warm, and almost matte, red-brown shade! Initially I wasn't keen, but once I had gotten used to it I actually love that a seemingly complex eye look with different textures and colours can be made with one eye shadow, the mind boggles! Using a black eyeliner also made the eye shadow more of a true blue shimmer. I seriously couldn't recommend this product enough when you consider the price. It lasts fairly well throughout an 8-hour day, there is a bit of creasing but I didn't use a primer, so I am sure that would be easily fixed. I think this will definitely become a go to staple if I am in a hurry.

Next we have the Shimmer Kiss Blusher (£1 in the sale) ; This is a lot less pigmented on the cheeks than it looks in the pan, never-the-less I think it gives a gorgeous and subtle flushed glow, perfect for daytime or light make up looks.

Lastly from the actual make up items we have a lip liner in the shade Caramel Nougat (£1); I was surprised at how much I liked this, it definitely defies the £1 price tag!the formula is smooth and the colour is a lovely brown nude, very in vogue right now! like all lip-liners it was a tad drying but that meant that the lasting power was pretty good. I love topping with sheerer lipsticks or glosses.

Then we have the 2 brushes, I got the small  fan brush and the blending and shadow brush which both come in at less than 2£, bloomin' marvelous!! The fan brush is a bit unloved at the moment, I am unsure of exactly what to do with it, I will keep trying it in different ways and hopefully I will find something I like, but I am not that fussed as it was so darn cheap. The eye brush though, goodness me I love it! It is so soft and blends everything so easy that it is definitely my go to brush, for any look. I am definitely going to get some more brushes from MUA, it feels so much more expensive than what it was!

I hope you like the look I made, have you tried anything from MUA? I definitely want to try more so leave your suggestions!

Slimfast 321 plan 3 week review: The results!

I have finished my 3 week review of the Slimfast 321 plan, wooo! For those who want to get down to the nitty gritty; I lost 7 lbs! I am amazed, especially considering I did not follow the plan at weekends, and didn't spend all my free time at the gym! For a more detailed overview of my time of the 321 plan then please read on:

Is it easy?

I actually find the plan really easy to stick to and convenient  during the week, I love that there is no preparation and I can just grab a shake or a bar, and some snacks before I run out the door for work. Then in the evenings when I actually have time to enjoy preparing my meal, I take a lot more care over it, ensuring I am sticking to the 600 calorie limit and filling it with good foods.

With the 3 snack allowance I don't often find myself getting hungry, though I have been eating my dinners a lot sooner than I used to. I started off by drinking a milkshake for lunch, it was really easy to make in my flask, or grab a bottle, and take it to work with me. However, I found that it wasn't filling enough for the middle of the day, I have now swapped it with my morning meal bar and it is exactly right, so you may need to find the perfect balance for you.

Where I have been struggling with sticking to the plan is at weekends. My first weekend on the plan I went away for my friends birthday.  There wasn't enough order to the days for me to be able to do the plan, so instead I ate normal food but was mindful of staying the set calorie limit(not sure how well I did though). The next weekend I was surprised with a visit from my boyfriend, although I tried a lot harder to stick to the plan I did struggle. After the weekends I found it very easy to just slip back into the diet, and despite my slight over indulgence I have still lost 7lbs in the three weeks. 

What is the food like?

For my breakfast I will make myself a shake, these come in a range of flavours (I haven't tried the caramel yet, I want to!) yet I usually gravitate towards the vanilla, chocolate or a mixture of both. They are easiest to make in a shake-able container, as it can take quite a bit of stirring to get rid of all the lumps. They taste just as you would expect a milkshake to taste and there is a decent amount in each tin. The shakes also come on a convenient bottled form, of which you can choose extra flavours, Mocha and Cafe Latte. As I mentioned before these shakes don't fill me up an awful lot, so I prefer to have these for breakfast when I don't have a huge appetite anyway. 

Lunch is in the form of a meal bar and when eaten with one of my snacks (you can have 3 a day) it fills me up nicely. There are a nice range of snacks, the standouts for me are definitely the heavenly chocolate delight bar and the bbq tortillas! A snack on the plan can be anything under 100 calories, I love eating frozen grapes and cup-a-soups as well. 

What exercise did you do?

My daily commute to and from work works out at about an hours walking, so before even trying I have 1 hour of gentle exercise in my day. In the evenings I would sometimes go for another walk, this could be anything from 15-40 minutes. Occasionally I would do some youtube workouts in my living room or body strength exercises such as squats and sit-ups whilst I was catching up on t.v or videos! I am definitely not the most active person and this is something I am trying to change - moving away from home with my near by gym jam-packed with fun classes has been quite hard! However, I have never had an hour long walking commute so that must be making quite a difference!

Then I guess the biggest question of all; Are you going to stick to it?

YES! - This plans seems to be absolutely perfect for me, there have been many other diet plans and detoxes that I have failed miserably at. Just remember that what works for me, may not work for you and vice versa. I would definitely recommend trying the slimfast 321 plan out though, especially as it is currently a third off in boots!

I realise this post may not cover everything you wanted to know about the plan, I didn't want to ramble on too much. If you have any more questions then feel free to tweet me @emmiegeeblog and I will answer anything you would like to know :)

What caught my eye...

 Images from Tumblr

Slimfast 321 Plan review: What is it & preparing for the start!

My weight has been steadily creeping up since I left university, add a new sedentary desk job and the festive period into the mix, and it has practically snowballed. I worked really hard to get my weight down at the end of university and, although it is entirely my fault, I do feel cheated that it has crept up so quickly.Whilst overall I am not extremely unhappy with my body (there have been a few tears when clothes no longer fit) I know I felt happier and healthier when had lost some weight. 

Slimfast has been something that I have always seen, but never quite focused on, it instead hovered in my periphery vision as I browsed the make up aisles of Boots. However, when I received an email inviting me to take the 321 3 week challenge I felt like it was exactly what I needed, and I decided to use it as a way to kick my bad eating habits and start afresh!

So what is the Slimfast 321 plan? The plan consists of swapping to of your meals a day with a replacement shake or meal bar, these allow you to have all the nutrients you need whilst lowering your calories - the aim is to have a total calorific intake of 1,200-1,400 per day. To help fulfill this aim you can also have 3 snacks a day, and one calorie controlled meal - 600 for women, 800 for men (You can see all the products here). During this plan you must keep up your water intake and try and do some exercise, things we should be doing anyway! The plan is recommended for those who have  a BMI or 25 or above, which you can work out using a BMI Calculator. However, as Slimfast say on their website, your ideal weight is one where your 'physical and mental health is best promoted' and is not easily defined by a BMI number. So please don't let the little number rule your entire life, or get you too upset.

Lastly, how am I feeling about the imminent plan? Well, although I am pretty apprehensive about not  having 3 regular meals a day, I am  actually quite excited. I have tried WeightWatchers before and it was an utter failure, I am just far too lazy to weigh things out etc, so this plan seems perfect for me. Of course I am not looking forward to the feeling of hunger, but 3 snacks with what is essentially 3 meals sounds like it should be enough to stop the dreaded grumble, we shall see! In terms of preperation I have actually just not been denying myself anything, then if anyone gives me a look I simply retort with 'I am having milkshakes as my meals next week ok...milkshakes.'(Can you tell that I love my food!)

My plan is to do regular posts like these, maybe one a week showing what meals I have had, how I am finding the plan, if I stuck to it etc what do you think?

Safa facial skin care - review & giveaway!

Safa is a brand that has a very strong focus on nature and what it can provide. Recently I have become a lot more aware of what I am actually putting on my skin, and try to be as gentle and natural as possible, so I was very intrigued when Safa contacted me.

Safa have just 2 tag lines attached to their products; Organic and Halal. If you, like me, are a tad confused ( call me ignorant, but I had only ever heard of Halal being used in reference to meat products) it just means that there are no alcohol or animal-derived ingredients in the products, so they are certified Halal by the Muslim Food Board. I think this is great as there are a lot of products that contain alcohol or animal products which can make them unsuitable for use by many people, including Vegans, Muslims and those with sensitive skin.

The packaging of the product is nice and simple, and really reflects the natural ethos of the brand. The milk itself is very lightweight and has a gorgeous herbal-lavender scent thanks to the many oils, including lavender(duh!), that it contains ( it actually smells very similar to my Caudalie purifying mask!).

There are 3 main oils which are present in the cleansing milk; Rosehip, Sweet Almond and Calendula. Safa claim that this mix;

'allows for immediate and visible skin regeneration with a mild anti-wrinkle effect...your skin will feel more fresh and restored...recommended for those with acne because it is lightweight and will not block your pores'

Safa recommend using the milk twice if you are wearing a lot of make up, and this I totally agree with. This product worked best for me when used either on a light layer of make up (it didn't remove waterproof or heavy eye make up!) or my personal preference, a make up-free face.

The lightweight formula didn't clog my pores and left my skin feeling clean and fresh but not stripped. The scent worked really well to either wind me down before bed, or give me a moments peace before a hectic day! My skin has been very temperamental lately, with hormonal breakouts and redness galore. I found this cleansing milk to be deliciously cooling and soothing, and I love that there are no harsh chemicals to further irritate my skin. I cannot comment on the anti-wrinkle effect as I don't really have any, but my skin is cleansed, calmer and very soft after use.

If this sounds like your kind of product, then you are in luck as I have one to give away! Just fill out the rafflecopter form below:

-GIVE AWAY CLOSED- 

p.s This is for U.K followers only I am afraid! But Safa will soon be for sale in Holland and Barret online where it will be delivered worldwide!

LOOK beauty at Tk Maxx: Glow and Go, Stretch factor, and Cherry Bomb lipstick review.

Whilst having a mooch around to Maxx the other day I saw that they had quite a large selection of Look Beauty products, with all the products around the 1.99 mark. I couldn't resist picking up a gorgeous looking red lipstick, a mascara and a liquid highlighter. I am unsure as to where else you can purchase these products, they used to be a superdrug exclusive but I can't find them on the website, leave a comment if you know! 

As always the highlighter is impossible to capture!  I am unsure of where I stand on Glow and Go and think I need to give it more testing. Unlike the usual pink or gold toned highlighter this product has both colours running through, kind of like a petrol slick looks like on the ground. It definitely adds a glow-y sheen and for the size of the product you really can't go wrong. So far I have only used it like a traditional highlight (along my cheek bones etc). As it is such good value I am going to try mixing it with foundations and primers, something I cant bring myself to do with my high end ones! I would recommend trying it out if you spot it in tk maxx.

Next is the mascara, my lashes are very stubby and I am always looking for mascara that promise length, so the name of this one really jumped out at me. I bought it in Brown/black as I wanted something a bit softer to wear at the  office and for minimal-makeup days. The brush is a spiky plastic one, which I actually really like. This mascara does indeed stretch my lashes and also gives great definition, a perfect everyday mascara which is exactly what I wanted. It is lacking slightly in the volume department, so if I was to wear this on a night out I would layer it with a more volumising formula, getting the best of both products!

Lastly is the lipstick in the shade Cherry Bomb. For me this is the star of the show, with everything from packaging to longevity going far beyond it's 1.99 price tag. The sleek packaging has an embossed lid, giving it a very Burberry-feel, the only downside is the magnetic closure. Whilst providing a satisfying click the closure does not feel very secure, so I wouldn't take this lippie travelling much. The colour is an amazing slightly pink toned red and it dries to a satin finish. It had a good 3 hours wear which would have lasted longer, I think, if I didn't stuff my face with dinner and a drink ( from a bottle too, lipsticks worst enemy!). This colour would be amazing for the festive season, for 1.99 you simply have to try it if you can! 

Your Dreamcatcher Clothing

A while ago I was given the chance to choose an item from Your Dreamcatcher clothing to try out. Seeing that winter was closing in, and nights getting progressively chillier, I was drawn to the warmest looking item in the site - the tracksuits.

The item arrived very quickly and nicely packaged bearing the Your Dreamcatcher logo. The actual quality of the garment itself is very good, the lining is that glorious fluffy-felty-cosy material that is so soft against your skin. The logo is placed on the top of the leg, which adds a nice bit of interest without being too distracting.  The length and fit of the legs is perfect for me, not too tight, just relaxed and roomy. However, I do have a bit of a niggle with the waist. In most shops I am inbetween sizes, so I sized up just to be sure. Lets be honest, you kind of can with loungewear as the whole idea of it is to be comfy and non-restricting. As I have said before, the legs were perfect for me. The waist, a little too large, so firstly, size down if you are a fellow inbetweener. Secondly, take note that these tracksuits do not have an elasticated waist like most usually do. They instead just have a drawstring to tie and tighten the garment to your desired fit. This isn't really the most practical if you are quite an active person at home. Lots of moving around means knots will loosen, trousers will slip down and knickers will be on show. However, if you are quite a sedentary person, which I most definitely am when I am lounging around my home, then you shouldn't really encounter any problems, so it doesn't bother me that much.

I think these will make a great early present for yourself this Christmas, as they will most definitely keep you warm and snug throughout the cold months (and with the English summer you will probably be wearing them all year round!)

 Unfortunately I am still having camera issues, so the photo is from the Your Dreamcatcher website, will replace as soon as I can!

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 review.

Hello, I am back! Between going to Greece on holiday and starting a new job I haven't had time for much else, but I'm getting there. 

Today I am going to show you the latest offering from the infamous Urban Decay Naked range; Naked Basics 2. I bought this on a brilliant shopping website; Cohorted. This site offers discounts on a whole host of brilliant products, and the more people shop, the more the price drops! (nice little rhyme there). So I received my palette for around £15. 

The palette is made up of 6 cool toned eye shadows, all matte aside from 'skimp' which has a slightly more satin finish, making it perfect for highlighting (Can I just quickly mention, the lady at the UD counter suggested that warmer colours would suit my colouring more, but I actually think these look great, so don't let the 'rules' of make up put you off!). The shade range is great, as it has light, medium and dark colours, all you need to make any look.

 I actually love this palette for popping into my 'commute make up bag' (yes, I am the person who does their make up on the train) as the colours lend themselves perfectly for an everyday look and the case is nice and compact, but still has a decent mirror in the lid. My usual look for work would be to sweep Skimp on the inner half of my eye and under my brown bone with Stark blended into the outer half. Then I add a bit of definition along my lashline and crease using either Frisk, Cover or Primal (depending on my mood) and I am done! If I want to smoke up my look after work I can easily do that using Undone. These shadows blend so smoothly and easily, and all though there is a bit of product displaced when you put your brush to the powder, there is no fall out on the eye.

I also love using these shades to fill in my brows, and reckon you could get a contour our of it too if you're in a pinch, so it's a multi tasking marvel!

 Have you tried this palette yet, what do you think?

I'm going on holiday!

Less than a week until I leave for my holiday! So, to get into the spirit of things I have selected 3 dresses from the quiz website, that I would wear in 3 different holiday situations.

                              1                                                                   2                                                                 3                                     

1. First up is   Hot pink textured tunic I think this is perfect for a daytime/beach dress. On holiday you have to go bright, and this block pink dress is really eye catching. The loose fit will stop the unpleasant sticky feeling from tight clothing in hot weather, and keep everything nice and breezy.

2. Then we have the Tribal print maxi which is ideal for a trip to the pool bar or restaurant in the evenings. Still nice and loose with a lovely tribal print that just screams 'holiday!'. A swoosh of body shimmer over the shoulder and collarbones will make the most of this neckline, and hopefully your tan!

3. Lastly, the Coral v-neck embellished dress this is my holiday clubbing look, still nothing too tight, and still a holiday bright holiday, but set off with beautiful gems. A tan will be shown to perfection with bare arms, legs and chest. 

What do you think of my picks, would you wear them?

A free Kindle e-book review: 'Sea Sisters'

I love my Kindle, mostly because there are so many free books to read, and more often than not they are really good. 'Sea Sisters' is definitely in my top 3 books that I have read on my Kindle (and I have read a lot!).  It follows a haunting tale of a woman who loses her sister in somewhat tragic circumstances, and her struggle to understand and come to terms with her death. This journey to acceptance takes her to many different countries, following in the footsteps of her sibling, with just her journal as a guide. I got completely caught up in the ride of this book, and even thought to myself 'I don't want to read another book for a while' when I had finished, as I just needed to reflect a bit more. My mum has read this book also and loved it just the same. If you have a kindle I highly recommend you download it, it's free so you have nothing to lose!

100 follower giveaway!

I cannot believe I have hit over 100 followers on Bloglovin !! to celebrate and show my gratitude I picked up a little something in boots to give away to you all! The first is a Maybelline big eyes waterproof mascara, I have been loving this lately and posted a picture on twitter here of just how nicely the bottom lash wand works in particular.  Then we also have a Maybelline gloss, which I could not resist when I saw the shade 'Cashmere rose' it just looked such a gorgeous peachy-nude!! Just enter via the rafflecopter app below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Work wear haul: SHOES.

A while ago I was lucky enough to win a competition hosted by Debenhams in which part of the prize was a gift voucher and personal shopper. Even more lucky for me was that it coincided with me getting my first actual grown-up job, so I could use it to get my work-wear wardrobe in one go rather than saving and buying as I go along. Anyway, here is the first part of my work wear wardrobe, the shoes!

For the shoes comfort was key, I am going to be working long days with a hefty commute. I also needed colours that would work with whatever I was wearing. When we saw these shoes mum literally squealed, apparently Hotter are very well known for their comfort. These pairs usually retailed at £70 but were down to £22 in the sale, and then it was 'Buy one get one half price' so a complete bargain!

These shoes really are so comfy, thanks to the cushioned inner sole, and have great arch support. I think they are completely perfect for an office environment! I also love the little details such as the rose atop the black leather pair, and the gorgeous lining and stitching on the suede nude ones. Plus, the little height to the the shoes helps me to feel more put together and confident.

Purple Haze-y eyes and matte pink lips.

I love this look for something fresh and summery, a lilac-purple wash around the outer crease of my eye (I find it really brings out the green in my iris') paired with a matte natural  pink lip. For the eyes I used Max Factor mono eye shadow in 02 Creme Champagne (currently on 3 for 2 in boots!) all over my lid and up to my brow bone as a base. I love using this as it makes everything I put on top so easy to blend! I then take a shimmery purple shade from a Clinique quad, it was actually a GWP, but I believe but the shadow is from the Beach Plum duo. Using a fluffy blush I gently blend this around the crease of my eye to get a sheer wash of colour. I find leaving the Max Factor shade on the lids helps to keep everything  away from the punched-in-the-face kind of look. For the day time I leave it at this and use a light coat of mascara, but this look could easily be ramped up for the evening with more colour and more lashes! On my lips I used my NARS velvet matte lip pencil in Sex Machine. This is a gorgeously creamy matte pencil that does not dry out my lips at all, the colour is a lovely dusky pink that is close to my natural lips so I love wearing it during the day!

Burnished gold nails.

Initially when I started painting my nails I wanted a light to dark gold dip dye effect. However, once I started it wasn't quite as easy, but I realised that I quite like the 'burnished' effect I got when dabbing the lighter gold over my darker, bronzey base. I love both of these colours separately as well, they have a beautiful shimmer and sparkle to them. The lighter gold is from Avon, and the darker base is OPI.

Polka dot playsuits and plaits.

Bit of a tongue twister title eh! This is another go-to summer outfit that I like to throw on. The playsuit is actually from this website called next2nowt who (from what I can gather) source clothes direct from manufacturers, so are able to give you the best price, even if the exact same item is priced a lot higher in a high-street store. I would highly reccomend you check them out as there are some great items available.  The crop I am wearing underneath is the same as my last post and I think that together it is such an adorable outfit! My nails are a 'persimmon' by a brand called Soigne which I received in a birchbox (A monthly subscription beauty box). I also thought I would just throw in a picture of my hair, I did a quick and loose plait to just keep everything off my face and I think it turned out quick well :)

£5 Muji-like make up storage.

Just a quick post to let you all know about this muji lookey-likey storage which I picked up in the John Lewis sale for £5! It looks very similar and even comes with hooks so that it can be mounted to your wall, I cannot wait to sort out my make up and fill them up! Available here.

Bargain summer nail varnish; No7 Spring Meadow

Oh the clearance stand at boots, home to so many unloved and forgotten beauty items. This time, however, my eye was caught by this beautiful  Tiffany blue-ish shade from No7.  A group of this 'spring meadow'shade were priced at £3 each, which is half of their usual price. I thought this was the perfect summer colour so happily picked it up.

Now, I do still think this is a gorgeous colour but I can see why it was reduced, the formula is just so thin! I had to apply 3-4 coats until I was happy. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means this wouldn't be a shade you would reach for if you wanted a speedy mani. I used a topcoat and have slight chip wear after a couple of days, believe it or not that is actually pretty rare on my nails so I guess the building of layers pays off. I am glad that I got this shade as I do think it is divine, and I don't mind a long winded mani, I just watch a YT video in between each coat!

Would you wear this colour, or be put off by the formula?

Book Club: 'What To Do When Someone Dies' by Nicci French.

'Ellie Faulkner's world has been destroyed. Her husband Greg died in a car crash- and he wasn't alone. In the passenger seat was the body of Milena Livingstone- a woman Ellie's never heard of.

But Ellie refuses to leap to the obvious conclusion, despite the whispers and suspicions of those around her. Maybe it's the grief, but Ellie has to find out who this woman was - and must prove Greg wasn't having an affair' 

The moody coloured cover with the gold accent is what first drew me to this book, I do not normally go for crime fiction but in this case, I am glad that I did. I really do not like books that I have to wait to get into, but the very first line in this had me wanting to read more; 'Moments when your life changes: there will always be a before and an after' which drew me into this mysterious tale of grief and mystery. This book kept me guessing and had lots of unexpected twists and turns, it also gives an insight into a grief ridden mind and the strength and importance of friendship during hard times. Adding another, slightly gentler, facet to this crime story.  This book was a good page turner and I would recommend it a light summer holiday read.

Genre: Murder Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction.

How to look your best, without wearing make up.

I am a firm believer that everyone should let their skin breathe once in a while, but lets be honest, no one looks their best when they roll out of bed in the morning. So I have a few little things that I like to do, following my normal morning skincare routine, to help me feel a bit more fresh and out together.

1. Cold water; I don't mean splashing your face, although it definitely perks me up it causes me to go as red as a beetroot, not a good look! Therefore, I run my fingers under cold water and then gently press them over my eyes, and around my nose, chin etc (any pore-y areas really) which really helps brighten and tighten everything. Drinking a glass with lemon will also kick-start your metabolism!

2. Spoolie, Spoolie, Spoolie!; I love a spoolie to groom unruly brows and separate tangled lashes.

3. Curlers; Curling your eyelashes gives an instant wide awake look!

4. Vaseline; Oh vaseline, the trusty bathroom cabinet staple. I slick this on my eyebrows to keep them looking sleek, my eyelashes to add a gorgeous gloss, my lips to add a balm-y shine and the cheekbones to act as a hydrating highlighter.

and that's really it, nothing overly special but is enough to just help you feel a little more put together!

p.s Feel free to leave your own tips below!

A summers day outfit: Maxi skirt and accents of blue.

As the weather has been surprisingly sunny lately, I have been venturing into more summery and heat-appropriate ensembles. This actually turned out to be one of my favourite outfits for summer! The maxi skirt, which I bought online years ago, skims over any 'bloaty' days I may be having. However, the tie detail at the waist, and strip of skin shown under the crop ( sneakily taken from my house mate, originally from new look) add definition to my shape. The denim jacket is an old faithful and carried on the casual summer look.  Then came the shoes and bag; normally I gravitate to black, but I wanted to keep the look bright so rummaged around to see what I had. I stumbled across some Kurt Geiger pumps in a bright cornflower-blue colour, and realised they matched perfectly to the *cough* fake *cough* Michael Kors bag that my dad bought me from China. I really liked the finished outfit, it is perfect for a casual summer day out, barbecue or trip to the local beer garden!