Haulin'

Most of my recent purchases have been bits I have had to replace, but a couple of bits are shiny newbies. I firstly got my trusty Kiehls Micro-Blur Skin Perfector. I cannot rave about this stuff enough, it keeps my make up in place, minimises the appearance of pores and gives my skin a smooth velvety feeling. I use a pea sized blob before my make up, after my moisturiser and I highly recommend this! Especially if you have larger pores like myself. 

Next were two MAC products I recently ran out of, the brow pencil in Lingering and Prep and Prime Highlighter in Light Boost. This is the most natural looking eyebrow product I have ever used, and it also doesn't smudge off or wear away throughout the day. The prep and prime highlighter is great to use over foundation and concealer to not only brighten the under eye area, but also highlight other areas of the face. 

I purchased the Clinique Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder in the shade 101. I like to set my make up with a light powder, that doesn't provide extra coverage but prevents shine and oiliness coming through. I have used this before and loved it, but I don't know why I didn't buy it again sooner. This is a great powder if you want to set your make up but not have your skin turn flat and cakey. 

I also purchased a Laura Mercier Nail Varnish in the shade Bare Espresso which is a deep dark brown shade and perfect for Autumn. I love brown nails anyway, and this shade is so shiny and perfect for the seasonal change. I really like the formula and it applies really nicely. I used it a few days ago and haven't had any chipping yet so fingers crossed!

I also recently stocked up on some hair products. I got the Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce shampoo and conditioner. This is ok, but I found that I didn't feel like I had given my hair a good wash after using it. My hair felt a little heavy and got greasy quite quickly, but to be fair my hair does that anyway. It isn't the worst I have used but I don't think I will be buying it again.

Finally, I also got the Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray. I haven't used this too much as the main reason I got it was for travelling, but the times I have used it I have enjoyed it. It leaves my hair a little crispy, but it it is a great cheaper alternative to the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray.

A Short but Sweet August Favourites

I only have a few favourites this month, not because these are the only products I am currently loving, because they're not. They are just the ones that I am reaching for on a daily basis and have been doing so for the last month. 

First is my most favouritestest favourite of the bunch. It is the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. This cleanser is so light on the skin, I look forward to using it at the end of the day. It is an oily balm that turns milky when mixed with water. Oily girls, fear not, it does not make oily skin any oilier (trust me, i'm an oily skinned gal myself), it just makes your skin feel so smooth and soft. It aims to deeply cleanse pores and remove make up but this is not all. It also supposedly protects the skin and improves elasticity and firmness. What's not to love? The final great thing about this product is the smell. Chamomile and Rose. Need I say more?

Another product I have been loving this month is the Avon Make Up Setting Spray. I have been using this every day on top of my make up as the final step in my make up routine and I have definitely noticed a difference by the end of the day. Anything that helps to keep my make up in place, and save me having to top up through the day instantly becomes a favourite of mine. It is also non sticky and contains vitamins A, C and E. I know there are other popular alternatives such as the Urban Decay Setting spray, but this Avon spray only costs £6, but is on offer for £3 at the moment so grab it  here while you can! 

Onto make up, first is the No. 7 Instant Radiance Highlighter. I love a natural looking highlighter, and at first I wasn't too keen on this but now I love it. It gives you a really natural looking pinky glow with the perfect amount of shimmer. I have been using this on top of my cheekbones every day. I love the chubby stick style of this highlighter, even though I don't rub it directly onto my face, instead I rub it on my finger and then dab it onto my skin. It is only £9.95 from Boots, but they are always giving out £5 vouchers, so I only paid £4.95 for this which is a bargain.

My final monthly favourite is the Clinique Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Oil Free. As I have mentioned a gazillion times, I have oily skin. Therefore, I cannot get away with being completely powder free. I have to at least powder my T Zone, but I really hate that cakey built up product look that so many powders cause. Enter the Clinique Sheer Pressed Powder. This is so light that it is undetectable on the skin, it just gives your skin a silky finish and removes excess oil without disturbing your make up. There are eight shades to choose from, I was matched by someone on the counter in store, and the match is so close to my skin tone. One thing I did not want was a powder with too much coverage, as I always intended to use this on top of foundation. This has definitely pipped my Laura Mercier Pressed Powder to the top spot, and it is cheaper which is an added bonus. It is not as cheap as high street brands, but at £23 I think this product is well worth it. 

Finished Products

Recently I seem to have come to the end of quite a few products, so I thought it would be fun to do a blog post on a few bits I have finished. First is the Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce Texturising Spray. I purchased this after reading a few rave reviews about it and I definitely think I will be repurchasing this. It is really great at giving your hair some added texture but also va va voom volume. As I have said before, I have really flat hair, so for me sprays like this are an everyday necessity and this did exactly what I had hoped it would do. It gave me a choppy texture and thicker looking hair in seconds. My only problem with this spray is that it does feel quite stiff in your hair, and I find makes it quite knotty. However, for the way it makes my hair look and also smell (oh the smell) it is well worth it. 

Next is my Bioderma Micellar Water. This one was only a mini because I used it when I went to Paris and Glastonbury which was so so handy. I am keeping the bottle to refill for times I go away as it is the perfect size. I don't need to go on about this because i'm sure you all know how good this is at removing make up and how gentle on the skin it is, so i'll save you another ramble about the stuff. 

I have also used up all of my Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum and I have not taken the loss well. I can't justify spending £69 on skincare at the moment as I have so many other outgoings at the moment (how expensive are driving lessons can I point out here), but I am hating being without this stuff until pay day. I find that this really calms redness in my skin, and a spot has actually appeared this week - coincidence? I think not. 

Onto make up, firstly I ran out of my CHANEL Perfection Lumiere Velvet foundation in B20, but I have already repurchased this. I do have a bottle of B10 but I'm not quite ready to embrace the paleness in August, and I like to always have a B20 to hand. This stuff is great at making my skin look naturally good which is always great. I have recommended this to so many friends who now love it and cannot imagine using anything else. I prefer this to the much loved Vitalumiere Aqua, mainly because I have oily skin so need the slightly more matte effect this gives. 

I ran out of two MAC products this week, one being something I didn't mind waiting a few days to repurchase and have delivered to me, another that left me going slightly insane waiting for its arrival. First was the MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter in Light Boost. I love this stuff, and use it most days because it just makes me look so much more awake. It is also great to use if contouring and highlighting and I am planning on trying out a few of the other shades soon. The other MAC product to bite the dust this week was my Brow Pencil in the shade Lingering. I have tried so many different products to make my naturally skinny non existent brows look thicker but also natural and this is definitely my favourite. It is so soft so does not look harsh at all, and lasts all day. It has also lasted me so long but is so reasonably priced at only £13.50. My replacement for this did actually arrive this morning so my Saturday just got a whole lot better.

I have replaced a few of these products, and also made a few other sneaky purchases so will doing a haul soon!

Current Favourites

Okay, I have been out of the blogging world for a shamefully long time now. This post was originally meant to be a July favourites, but time has just flown by and now August is nearly over (what the hell!). Hopefully there won't be such a huge gap between this post and my next one, so i'll go ahead and talk about my July favourites now anyway. 

First is Lee Stafford's Big Fat Root Boost Mousse Spray. I'm a self confessed sucker for a hair product that promises volume and a little added oomph to my flat lacklustre locks, and I am also a massive Lee Stafford fan. When I therefore saw Lee Stafford haircare on a 3 for 2 in boots, I was certainly not going to walk away from the offer. One new thing I grabbed was this root boost and I am in love. A little goes a long way, and I do think that if not rubbed into the roots properly, it can go a little stiff in your hair, but this really does add a bit of va va voom to your hair. I have already purchased another bottle for when this one runs out.

Next is the St Tropez Self Tan Express Bronze Mousse. This has made its way to the top of my tanning list, and replaced my beloved Xen Tan. This tan applies so nicely and does not streak at all. It also lasts ages, I have so far found that it easily lasts me a week. It also fades so nicely, none of that streaky patchy fading with this stuff. It is pricy at £33 but so worth it!

Another haircare product is the Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo. As well as being prone to flatness, my hair gets greasy very quickly. I wash it every other day, but I also have to dry shampoo it on the days I don't wash it. I do also use a lot of products on my hair throughout the week, such as the root boost, dry shampoo, texturising spray, salt spray…the list goes on. It is therefore so nice once a week (usually sunday) to use a great clarifying shampoo. This stuff really throughly cleans my hair. It isn't one to go for if you're looking for volume or shine etc, but if you just want really clean hair, this stuff is great.

Next is a rediscovered product, and it is Chanel Le Blanc. I stopped using this for a while, but lately I have been mixing it in with my moisturiser and it has been leaving a natural looking glow and dewy finish under my make up. It is also great to mix with a foundation that may be a bit too dark for you to make it a better match, or using on top of make up as a highlighter. 

Another Chanel product is the Illusion D'Ombre Eyeshadow in the shade Mirage. This is a bronze/brown shade that looks great all over the lid or in the crease. It has some shimmer to it which I like for a made up look. It's creamy, long lasting and comes with a cute little brush to apply it on the go!

Last is the Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Varnish in the shade Hip Hop. This has been my go to summer shade, and is somewhere in between a red/orange shade. These nail varnishes are really long lasting and do not chip at all which I love, because I find so few are like this for me! The brush is also great as it is as wide as your nail, so application is so quick and easy. 

T'is the season to be tanning

Okay I have to admit this is a slightly misleading blog title, because for me every season is the season to be tanning. I am naturally paler than Casper, and a little faux glow makes me feel a whole lot better about myself. However, for most of you who only need a bit of tan in the summer months, here are some recommendations of my personal faves. I consider myself a bit of a pro when it comes to tanning as its something I do at least once a week, and I have tried most of the ones out there, but I have whittled it down to a few of my favourites. 

First up is the St Tropez Self Tan Express Bronze Mousse. This tan is being raved about in the beauty blogging world at the moment and after using it I see why. Mousse's are my personal favourite choice of tanners because I find them easier to work into the skin, and they are usually coloured meaning it is much easier to see how much and where you are applying your tan. I leave this on for 3 hours which is said to give a dark tan. I don't find it that dark more medium, and I don't think that leaving it on for an hour leaves much colour at all. After washing it off, it continues to develop for 8 hours, so I like to use the day before an event, and it tends to last me 3-4 days, and fades very naturally. This is definitely more of a high end tan as it costs £33 so I tend to save this one for special occasions. 

A cheaper alternative to the Express Bronze Mousse is the Cocoa Brown One Hour Tan Mousse. This product works exactly the same way as the St Tropez, again with three different shades developing depending on whether you leave it on for 1, 2 or 3 hours. Again I also leave this one on for 3. This is a much cheaper alternative as it only costs £7.99 from feel unique. It doesn't last quite as long as the St Tropez but gives you the same great results. 

The most expensive and also the most long lasting tan I am going to mention is the Xen Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe. This costs a whopping £40 which is a lot of money for a fake tan, but it really does last ages. I save this for if I am going away on holiday, or to a festival or something, and don't want to take tan with me so need something that will last me about a week. This is a gel like lotion formula that is meant to be applied before going to bed and then washed off in the morning, so that it is left on for around 8 hours. Don't let the word dark put you off if you are fair skinned, it leaves a much more olive tone than dark or orange. I do however have a few small complaints about this product. Firstly, for some reason it does always seem to make my hands a little orange for the first two days, so I always apply it a couple of days before going away. Secondly, it is my least favourite tan to be sitting around in as I find it to be quite greasy and tacky. Despite that though, this tan really does last longer than any other I have used, usually for about 6-7 days and fades really naturally also.

If I haven't bothered to tan properly for something, and I just want some instant colour, I always use the Rimmel Sunshimmer Instant Tan Matte in the shade light. This costs £6.99, lasts ages, and is water resistant. I have sometimes showered quickly and this has actually stayed on so it's great for times when you haven't gone all out on your tan. Only a small amount of this is needed, and I recommend the shade light as this can come out quite dark. 

Finally, is another instant tan the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs in Light Glow, which is a spray on tan. This tan is make up for your legs, but I actually sometimes use it all over. It conceals bruises, cellulite, veins, pores and any other leg imperfections you may have going on. It leaves your legs looking so smooth and gives them a beautiful shimmery glow. Again I use the shade light as it can be quite dark. This is also great to use on top of tan on your legs if you have your legs out and really want them to look perfect. This does need to be quite fiercely scrubbed off in the shower if you want to remove it though as it stays on pretty well and is also water resistant. This only costs £9.99 which I think is so much less than it is worth. 

June Favourites

June has really flown by, and has been such a busy month for me! I've finished uni, got a job, been to Paris and been to Glastonbury so I have really neglected Naomi Rose this month. Shame on me. However, I have nothing else coming up to distract me (boo hoo) so can really get back into the blogging world. 

This month i've discovered some new bits that have really changed my beauty routine, and bits that I will definitely be, or have already repurchased. Theres quite a few so sorry about that but I really couldn't leave any out.

First is a body product. I'm really lazy when it comes to taking care of my body. I fake tan once a week so also exfoliate, but i'm so lazy when it comes to moisturising. However, I was bought a soap and glory gift set for my birthday, and only recently started using the bits in it. One of them was the Soap and Glory Righteous Body Butter. This moisturiser smells so amazing and makes my skin feel so smooth and not oily or greasy, I have fallen in love. The pot is also huge so has lasted me ages and i'm only about halfway through. It is also great for fake tanners like myself to preserve the tan and also stop it clinging onto any dry bits. Definitely recommend this for lazy body moisturisers like myself!

Next is the Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask, which I have been wanting to get my hands on for ages. I love the Drink up Intensive overnight mask, so was sure that I would love this too. You apply it to damp skin, wait for it to dry and then wash it off, and your skin instantly feels so much cleaner and smoother. I used this after Glastonbury, when my skin was feeling dry and neglected and it made such a difference. I also find that if i'm having a bad skin day, using this quickly before applying my make up makes such a big difference. I do find that I do have to rub it off my skin a bit more than I would like, but my sensitive skin doesn't go red or stingy afterwards which is always a bonus for me.

Another skin care product I have been loving this month is the much raved about Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum. I have wanted this for ages but finally caved this month and I don't know how I ever coped without it. I use a few drops of the oil before going to bed, and wake up with my skin feeling so much smoother and plumper. My skin has always been quite red, and I really think that this has calmed it down so much, and also prevented me having break outs. I cannot recommend this product enough. 

Where make up is concerned, there is one product that has changed my routine forever. It's the Kiehls Micro Blur Skin Perfector. This claims to refine and smooth skin texture, minimise the appearance of pores and improve skins quality over time. I use a small blob all over as a primer, but it can also be used as a treatment at night time. When I first started using this, so many people commented on how good my skin looks. It minimise the appearance of my pores and makes my skin look so much smoother, and definitely keeps my make up on for longer. I really really love this product and have already bought another one just before this one runs out. It also lasts ages which is great and I definitely think it is worth the £23 price tag.

Another make up product is a foundation i'm late to rave about. It's the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet. I never thought there would be a foundation to replace Estee Lauder Double Wear for me, but this has swayed my view on foundations totally. It is so much more sheer and lightweight compared to the double wear which I never thought I would like but now love. I prefer this to the vitalumiere aqua, as it offers a little more coverage, and has a more matte finish, which is good for those with oily skin like myself. I purchased this in both B10 and B20 as i'm B10 naturally and B20 with a tan.

I've mentioned before that I don't use a lot on my lips, but I have purchased a lip balm that I love. It's the EOS lipbalm in pomegranate and raspberry. It leaves my lips feeling smooth and good enough to eat. Theres also so much of it I can see it lasting me ages, and i'm definitely going to try some new flavours. 

Finally (sorry for listing so many products I had to include them all) is a perfume. I love all of the Marc Jacobs fragrances and have an ever growing collection, and my newest addition is the Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau so Fresh. This is such a nice sweet floral fragrance for summer, and is sweeter than the regular Daisy. I have had so many compliments when I have worn this, and of course the bottle looks so pretty up on my shelf!

Paris

I have well and truly neglected my blog for what feels like forever, but thats because I have just been crazy busy. I won't bore you with all the details, but one thing I did do was go to Paris with Andy, and I thought I would just do a short post on it as I had the most amazing time in the most beautiful place.

We did all of the expected touristy stuff you would expect to do if going to Paris, and it was all just so pretty. We were also so so lucky with the weather.

 I am also going to do a blog post on how I packed for the trip as we only took hand luggage, but anyway, here are a few pictures of the trip, and I will definitely be getting back into regular posting from now on!