How To Keep Your Lips Soft

One of the worst things about it getting colder is dry lips and the problems that they cause, particularly in the lipstick department. Lipstick looks awful on cracked and uneven lips no matter how well you prep them and I have often given up on trying half way through application and taken it off again.
I'm very thorough with taking care of my lips, and the number one product that I would recommend is the LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub (£5.50, 25g).

Bubblegum Lip Scrub

This is one of the best selling products from Lush and it's very easy to understand why. All you do is take a small amount of the scrub and rub it on your lips before licking off any excess. Once it is all gone I find that I can genuinely feel the difference in my lips before and after. I do think it's a bit pricey for something with only 6 ingredients but you don't really need to use much each time so it should last you a while. You can may DIY scrubs if you want to though, you can easily find instructions with a quick google search. Also, if the Bubblegum flavour isn't really to your liking they have Mint Julips and Popcorn all year round and Santa's Lip Scrub at Christmas time so you're sure to find something you like. This is a product I would repurchase again and again so if you haven't got round to trying it yet head out to your nearest Lush immediately!

After using the scrubs I like to use some Vaseline (£2.18, 20g) or another lip balm just to add a little extra moisture. Some others that I like are the Maybelline Baby Lips or Nivea Hydro Care Lip Protection.

Vaseline

I'm not sure there's much I can say about Vaseline apart from that it's effective and that I find that it helps my lips. At the moment it's being sold in cute little Vintage pots which I quite like too. I want to try some new lip balms as I haven't really tested that many so if anyone has any recommendations let me know! I just thought I'd include Vaseline as it is what I typically use after the scrub and it seemed like it fit in nicely to the post.

Have any of you tried the Lush scrub or have any even better solutions? Having soft lips is something that I think is quite important so be sure to let me know!

Thanks for reading,

Eleanor xx

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5 Back To School Make Up Essentials

The time has finally come upon us - it's time for those who are in school to go back. Dragging yourself out of your bed every morning for school is not the most fun activity, so is often delayed as long as possible. This leaves very little time for doing your make up.
I personally go for basics when I do my make up for school anyway; avoiding foundation, my eyebrows, or anything makes me look as though I'm done up. As I went back today I thought I'd compile a list of my 5 essential make up products that I wear for school. These could also be done for a lazy day or just a day where you don't want to wear heavy make up, it's not exclusive to school.

Top left to right: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, Vaseline Rosy Lips
Bottom left to right: Gosh White Kohl Eye Pencil, No7 Extreme Length Mascara, No7 Translucent Loose Powder

Concealer - Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer; Boots; £4.19;  ???

For me, concealer is the most important product. I'd say that if I was only allowed one make up product for the rest of my life I would choose concealer. I wear it at school as it gives a lighter look due to you only having coverage where you particularly need it, in my case I mostly concentrate on under my eyes due to my dark circle problem.

This particular concealer has great coverage for the price and helps to conceal any imperfections wonderfully. I find that it dries quite quickly, though. This can be good  in some ways but means that I have to try to blend it as quickly as possible so that it looks how I would like it to.

Powder - No7 Translucent Perfect Light Loose Powder; Boots; £10.50; 20g

Even when you have very little make up on you must use powder to set it. Doing this makes it last longer so you are less likely to have to reapply during the day. If you have oily skin or skin that is shiny it is even more important to use powder as it takes away this shine, too.

I use this powder from No7 that I got when testing their Match Made Foundation service. I'm not always a fan of loose powder but this  is just what I need. I prefer translucent powders like this as you don't have to worry about getting the wrong shade.

Eye Pencil - Gosh Kohl Eye Pencil (White); Superdrug; £4.49; 1.1g

While you may think that white eye liner is a little strange, it does help to brighten up the eyes when used on the waterline - perfect for school! I'm always tired when I'm at school and the eye pencil helps to make my eyes look brighter, wider, and more awake. Plus the white colour is a lot more subtle and therefore is perfect for a minimal make up look. I personally would not use it anywhere but my waterline, especially for school.

This eye pencil is pretty good and doesn't tug at the eyes when you try and apply it. It doesn't take long to do and is easy to control

Mascara - No7 Extreme Length Mascara; Boots; £12.50; ???

Mascara is obviously one of the most important steps. It makes your eyes look bolder and bigger, as well as making your lashes look longer and more defined.

I don't remember getting this mascara and I think I have a sample version as it is fairly small. Despite that, it is a good mascara that I like to wear and that extends the length of my eyelashes just as the name suggests. It isn't my all time favourite mascara but it serves its purpose just fine. It doesn't clump and I'd say that overall it's a good mascara.

Lips - Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips Rose And Almond Oil Petroleum Jelly; Boots; £2.19; 20g

I personally like to wear a lipgloss to school or something that will tint my lips slightly and make them look shiny. I also like things that are moisturising on my lips as I am concerned about them being dry, especially as it will start getting colder soon and that is probably going to dry them out and if they are dry it makes life much more difficult when applying lipstick.

Although Vaseline isn't technically lipgloss I like this as it has a pink tint to it as well as being moisturising. It is also good value for money and all types of vaseline are very good for the lips.

I hope this has helped anyone who wants a basic make up look, whether they are in school or not.

Eleanor xx