Freckles and Gilbert Kindle Case + A Little Bit of Literature

I cannot believe it has taken me this long to get this post up but I'm finally going to have my rave about the Freckles and Gilbert Kindle Case I won in a blog giveaway. I was given a choice of cases from the Freckles and Gilbert site, and settled on the gorgeous Elegant Owl Kindle Case. 

 It's a great case for jazzing up my kindle, protecting it and just giving it that little something extra.  The case is water resistant, cushioned inside and has a waterproof zip to ensure you device is full protected.



They case (for the Kindles) come in two sizes, so whatever kindle you have there is one for you. I picked mine up so that it fits my Keyboard Kindle, but if you have the smaller, non keyboard version or a kindle fire there is a case to fit your needs. 

The design is super cute, and much better than my plain ol' pink cover I was using before. This offers my kindle much more protection that other cases I've tried, and the water resistant cases means it's easy to wipe and keep clean. 






 You can pick the Elegant Owl Kindle Case up here for £30, or browse the other cases they have to offer here.  

Now, I'm putting up this review here because I did win it through a fellow beauty blog but also I wanted to use this opportunity to give my other blog a little shout out. I adore books and reading, so I decided to start a blog dedicated to them. It's called A Little Bit of Literature and has a few post live over there right now! I did post a few book related posts here, but I want to keep this blog focused on beauty (and maybe fashion in the future). So, if you like reading, book reviews, kindle talk and movie discussions then please check out the blog here or maybe even give it a follow on bloglovin here!

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New Fragrances: One Direction, Katy Perry and Calvin Klein

Our Moment by One Direction

This might be the most anticipated release in recent months. People have been asking non stop about when it's hitting shelves (at least where I work they have) and finally I have an answer for them. I believe it released today (at least according to the website) but you should have it by September 2nd at the latest.

It has top notes pink grapefruit, wild berries and red currents. The heart notes are a mixture of freesia, jasmine petals and frangipani. The base notes are creamy musk, sheer wood and white patchouli. 

It will be £21 for 30ml, and you can buy it here now! It releases in Superdrug on September 2nd.

The Key by Justin Beiber

The Key is the third perfume from the young star. He might be going off the rails personally but business as normal for his fragrance team.  

The Key is described as energetic, sexy and luminous with notes of fruit, musk, vanilla and exotic woods. 

The fragrance launched August 21st and prices start from £24 for 30ml.

Killer Queen by Katy Perry

I predict the latest fragrance from Katy Perry is going to be her most popular. The first, at least where I work, was a bit of a flop and we never saw any signs of the second. Killer Queen seems to be something that is going to huge. It has a scent that I know will be popular (something reminiscent of Fantasy by Britney Spears) and the bottle is gorgeous. 

It ha top notes of wild berry, plum and bergamot. The middle notes give you a hint of red velvet flower, jasmine sambac and rainbow plumeria. The base notes are cashmeran, patchouli heart and liquid praline. 
 
Prices start at £23 for 30ml and you can pick it up here.

Taylor by Taylor Swift 

This is the third offering from Taylor Swift. The first two were the popular Wonderstruck and Enchanted Wonderstuck, but this starts a set of its own. Taylor by Taylor Swift is similar to others with regards to it's scent category, but the fragrance itself is really unique. I can see people of all ages loving this because it's sweet yet sophisticated. 

The top notes lychee, tangerine and magnolia are and those are complimented by heart notes of peony, hydrangea and vanilla orchid. The base (and longest lasting notes) are sandalwood, apricot nectar, cashmere musk and blond woods. 

It's considered a fruity oriental scent with a magnetic feel. You can pick it up here and prices start from £22.

 Downtown by Calvin Klein 

Downtown is the newest offering from Calvin Klein and is targeted at people between the ages of 20 - 35.  Honestly, I think this can work for any age. It's not to floral, not to sweet and not to fruity. It's just a great subtle and sophisticated scent that I've heard the older ladies like and the younger Britney Fragrance fans like. 

The heart notes are pink peppercorn, violet and gardenia. The top notes are Cedrat, Bergamot, neroli, green pear and plum. The base notes complement the others and have cedarwood, incense, vetiver and velvet musks blended together. 
 
You can pick it up here and prices start from £33.50 and most places have a GWP at the moment too

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Yardley Royal English Daisy Eau De Toilette

If you are like me, you've stereotyped Yardley as "that old lady" scent or brand, and have never given it the time of day. I have to admit I did that for such a long time until I got a sample of the Royal English Daisy perfume in a Glossy Box. 

Some of the scents (Lavender, I talking about you) are slightly "old lady" and might not be to the younger persons taste but the newer scents from the brand are actually nice! I was shocked, but I fell in love with the Royal English Daisy scent and I now own three bottles of the Eau De Toilette, three of the Body Spray, the Hand Cream and the body lotion. (Oops?) 



The Royal English Daisy scent was released as limited edition scent to Yardley around the time of the Royal Wedding. It is inspired by the Princess, Kate Middleton and it's meant to appeal to the younger audience. It does just that, and the marketing ploy of using the ever popular Kate Middleton works because it made me want it even more and I'm not even hugely bothered by the Middleton craziness. 

It's described as a elegant, fresh  and green floral fragrance that is meant to be reminiscent of flower filled meadows in the spring sunshine. Sounds picaresque does it not? Well it gets even better! It's meant to open with a burst of energetic top notes of green leaves and apple, a heart of hyacinth and white rose. The bases notes are warm hints of sandalwood and musk. 



Fragrance descriptions always make me laugh because they really do sound like something that belongs in some kind of novel. They are really over the top but to simplify the craziness that is the above description it's a light floral scent with a hint of sweetness in there. I think it would be great for people of all ages. 

The scent doesn't last all that long on the skin, but because it's a light scent and the perfume is so cheap I don't mind reapplying it throughout the day and using a ton of it first thing in the morning. It's a  great day to day perfume, and especially great for the summer when you don't want to be weighed down by heavy scents. 

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B. Stunning Vibrant Eye Shimmer Cream Eyeshadow in Golden Sand

The B. Stunning Vibrant Eye Shimmer Cream Eyeshadow in Golden Sand is the just one of the cream shadow offerings from B. The range is exclusive to Superdurg store, and from what I can tell it's essentially going to be something like No7 for Boots. 

They have a great skincare range with something for almost everyone (maybe not acne prone skin) and they have a makeup range. The prices are pretty reasonable and the quality is pretty great too. I've raved about almost every B. product I've tried (examples here and here) because I'm pretty impressed with the brand. 

They kindly offered to send me a few bits after my B. Cheeky Blusher ran out, and the Cream Shadow in Golden Sand was one of the items I got to try. I had already tried on the the cream shadows (bittersweet) and was excited to try a lighter shade for more everyday wear. 



Sadly, this one isn't as fabulous as the darker shade but it's still a nice base for shadows. I wouldn't use this alone, because it applies as more like a creamy shimmer/glitter rather than an actually shade. It is very similar to the Eternal Gold Colour Tattoo, so if you own that I would say try a different colour of these. 

The formulation of these cream eyeshadows are great, it's just the pigmentation of this shade that lets it down. These are great at holding other shadows on top of them, and they don't crease on me at all. It's easily blendable over the lid, despite the lack of pigmentation. 

I have used this as an inner corner highlight, and because of the shimmer/glitter in the cream it works really well. It lasts ages on the tear duct, and doesn't irritate my eyes like a powder shadow can if I put it there. 

You can pick these up online or in store for just £6.99 a pot here. They are slightly more expensive that the adored Colour Tattoo Eyeshadows, but they do have some unique shades that Maybelline don't offer so I would pay the extra £2. Bittersweet is a favourite of mine, and I would recommend checking that out if you get a chance. 

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*pr sample

Soap and Glory Bright Here Bright Now Radiance Balm

The Soap and Glory Bright Here Bright Now Radiance Balm is described as an energy balm and holds similar claims to the Clarins Flash Balm. I've already reviews on supposed dupe for the Clarins option (you can read that here). 



 These balms are meant to be great for giving the skin a radiance boost alongside some added moisturization.

 I use this a primer type product over the top of a  moisturizer to give me a more dewy complexion and a smoother base for my makeup to sit on. 

I wouldn't recommend this for people with oily skin, because I feel it might just be a bit to intense for them but for people with normal to dry skin this would be great.



This, compared with the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Radiance Balm, is actually more of a balm texture rather than a lotion. Despite it being a balmy texture, it sinks into the skin really quickly leaving it feeling smooth and nourished. 

The scent of this is really strange. It's sort of similar to that of the No Clogs Allowed. I want to say it's slightly minty, but I can say for certian. If scent bothers you, this might not be for you bit it's not a irritating fragrance and it doesn't liner so you might be fine. 

 

The  packaging is gorgeous, but I think it might have been repackaged now. I'm not a fan of the minimalistic packaging that Soap and Glory have introduced, but I suppose if the product is still the same then I would repurchase this.

Overall, I would recommed this to people with normal to dry skin. If you fancy giving these balms a try, then this a good option but the superdrug option is a cheaper alternative and does very similar things to this. 

You can get this Soap and Glory Bright Here Bright Now Radiance Balm from Boots or online here for £12

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Fake Tanning 101

The phrase "practice makes perfect" was the key phrase when I started tanning. The first few times were a disaster, but over time I have picked up some tips and tricks along the way that could help you when using fake tan.

 Pick The Right Colour   

If you are pale, pick something marketed for people with pale skin tone. If you have a darker or medium skin tone, pick something aimed at your skin tone. 

If you are just starting to fake tan, don't head straight for the darkest of the dark if you the colour of Casper The Friendly Ghost right now.

You can build up over time, so once you have have gone from pale to a little less pale trying going for a slightly darker colour.  

Olive Undertones

Olive undertones are great because they counteract orange.  If you are scared of looking like a TOWIE extra or like you've been tangoed, try and pick a tan that has an olive undertone rather than an orange undertone. 

The Xen Tan lotions are the best example of this, and while expensive they are raved about left right and centre by bloggers.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare 

You need to exfoliate your skin before you even think about tanning. I would suggest doing it the night before and then moisturizing really well after that. Ensure that you are extra heavy handed on areas like knees and elbow to make the skin smoother and moisturized so the tan goes on evenly.

Be Patient 

If you are using a tan that doesn't wash off, remember that it takes time to develop. Most tans, even if they have a colour guard in them, take 3-4 hours to develop. 

If it's the first time tanning, or using a particular tan for the first time, wait at least 12 hours before slapping on more layers. 

Grab A Mitt and Apply In Circular Motions 

If you are going to be tanning, please invest in a mitt. They are really inexpensive items but make all the difference. They give you a smoother application and help avoid tan hands, which are never attractive. 

image source

To avoid streak, apply the tan in circular motions that overlap slightly. Don't apply in up and down motions, because it's pretty much a way to guarantee streaks.

I hope these tips help, even if it's just a little! Keep and eye out soon for me next tanning post, all about how to avoid common mistakes like orange hands, yellow legs or the "nothing's different" look!

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John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Serum

Hair Serum is somewhat of a hair savoir for me. I have very dry, curly hair so it's frizzy pretty much all the time. Good conditioners, hair masks and leave in conditioner are great for helping control the frizz, but they only really help for day one hair. After that, I need a little something extra to help keep the mess that is my hair under control. 

The John Frieda Frizz Ease Serum is a go to product for me. It a formula that is infused with silk proteins that is meant to give your hair a polished and glossy finish. The instructions that come with the product actually tell you to use the serum in dripping wet hair as a treatment but I actually use this on dry hair to smooth out frizz and give my hair a healthy shine. 

If you have normal to oily hair, then I wouldn't recommend using this on dry hair. You might be able to get it to work in hair that is wet, but you will need to use it in moderation. 

For people with normal to dry hair, I would suggest using this on wet hair as a treatment and maybe a little in dry hair.  If you have really dry hair, perhaps colour treated or curly, this works amazingly well for adding shine in to hair when dry. It adds a healthy shine, tames frizz and generally makes you hair look better.



I have "boob length" super curly, dry hair and I used 2 pumps to smooth frizz all over my hair. You really don't need all that much product for you entire head, so the tube lasts a really long time. 

This is probably the most popular serum of it's kind but you can find it cheaper. The original formula is replicated by many generic brands, so you might be able to find it cheaper than £6.29 but the other formulas offered (extra storng, head defense, night time) are something unique about this range from John Freida 

 

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 *gifted item

Kourtney Kardashian Makeup & skincare Must Haves

Whether you love them, or hate them I don't think many can deny that the Kardashian family are beautiful. I know Kim gets the majority of the attention (something I'm sure she loves), Kourtney and Khloe are actually beauty icons for me. I don't think there has been a time when I don't adore their makeup, so I thought I would bring to you attention some of the products they use to get their glam looks. 

Nars Sin Blush and Nars Casino Bronzer (£30) 

Nars Sin and Casino are apparently favourites of the eldest sister. Casino is similar to the ever popular Laguna, but more suited to darker complexions. It's a great bronzer for adding warmth to the skin, and for contouring the face on a day to day basis. Sin is a great berry tones blusher and again something suited to darker complexions like the Kardashians. I adore Nars quality, so this is something that appeals to me. I think I might stick to the Orgasm and Laguna duo for my pale complexion though. 

Laura Merceir Oil Free Tinted Mosituriser (£33)

Kourtney appears to have great skin, and full coverage foundation isn't needed for everyday. A simple tinted moisturizer evens out the skin and gives natural look to the skin. The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is adored my many including Miss Kardashian, who opts for the Oil Free option. 

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (£25)

Kourtney is one of the strange people that adores the scent of the 8 Hour Cream. I personally hate it, and would opt for the fragrance free option but it's still a miracle product. I've heard that she uses it on her lips, but the balm can be used on dry patches and problem areas if you need too. 

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer (£26)

I used the hear about the Secret Camouflage Concealer everyone. It was raved about all over YouTube, but has since died off or at least people speaking about it has become a rare occurrence. Kourtney hasn't given up on this old favourite yet though and uses it to concealer any imperfections of the skin or under the eyes. 

Lancome Definicils Mascara (£22) and Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler (£20)

Kourntey Kardashian opts for a classic mascara to keep her lashes looking lush. While some people might be more taken with the Hypnose range, the Definicils is one of the originals from Lancome. It offers length over volume, but lasts all day when you need it too. Used in combination with the adored Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, Kourtney's lashes are great! 


If you want to see what makeup Kim Kardashian wears and swears by, then check out this post where I explain all about her supposed favourites. 

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Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Radiance Balm

The Naturally Radiant Brightening Radiance Balm flew off of the shelves of Superdrug when some magazine named it the affordable dupe for the ever popular Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. At just £5.99, it's a massive £23 cheaper than the Clarins option.

 The Brightening Balm claims to even out skin tone (over time of course) and to illuminate and smooth skin. In just one use it's meant to leave skin feeling moisturized, and looking more radiant. It contains kiwi fruit and mulberry extracts, along with sugar beet extract to create an energizing complex that helps boost skin radiance.

In the long term it claims to keep skin looking and feeling softer, more refreshed and smother. After just four weeks of use, it claims to give the skin a more refined and evened out appearance.


It has a very strange scent to it. I'm not entirely sure what the scent is, but for me is kind of a combination of a fruity scent and that standard "natural" scent. It doesn't linger after you apply the product, so it doesn't bother me and the scent doesn't irritate my skin or break me out. 



Whilst this is called a balm, it's not quite a typical balm texture. It's very much like a moisturizer with a slightly thicker texture. It sinks into the skin quickly, despite it being thicker than general lotions. For people with normal to oily skin,  I would only suggest using this alone rather than alongside a moisturizer, but for those with dry skin this is great used, soft of, like a primer.  

I use this after a moisturizer in place of a primer. I don't find this holds my makeup in place any longer than normal but it did give the skin a natural dewy boost, a smoother finish and moisturized look. 

I didn't notice any difference to my skin tone over time. I didn't use this everyday because I was trialling other products along side this, so maybe that is why I didn't see a change in my skin tone. I did notice that when I added this into my skincare routine my skin looked healthier and less dry. It kept skin moisturized all day long, and gave my skin a smoother base for makeup to sit on.



The packaging isn't anything spectacular but the simplicity of it makes it great for travel, everyday use and keeping it clean. The simple squeeze tube makes it easy to get what you want out, and the compact size is great for chucking it in your bag (handbag or weekend trip bag).

I honestly cannot compare this to it's Clarins counterpart, but from the claims of both I would say try this before investing nearly £30 in the high end option. If you like this, maybe give the Clarins option a go. 

You can get this from your local Superdrug stores, or online here for just £5.99 a tube. 

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MAC Lustre Glass in Sinnamon

MAC Lustreglass Lipgloss in Sinnamon, 4.8g. £14 link

The MAC Lustreglass lip glosses are just one of the lip gloss offerings from the popular company. These glosses are meant to create a high shine look with an ornamental pearlized finish. Also, the shades have a duo-chrome effect to them. 

I picked up the shade Sinnamon when I was on a huge "nude brown" kick. I know many people think brown/dark nude lipsticks are for the more mature people out there, but I adore them and my collection continues to grow.



Sinnamon is descirbed as a "spicy, icy taupe beige" by MAC, but it's quite a but darker than I would imagine "beige" to be. For me I would tend to classify this colour as a tan/nude with a gorgeous shimmery finish. It does have some other colours running through it when it hits different lights but they are all very complimentary of the main tan colour. 

I found this gloss to be quite long wearing, for a lip gloss at the very least. It doesn't battle food or drink but it lasts well through me talking my little head off. It is a little sticky (what gloss isn't) but it's not to horrific. I think the regular lip glasses and dazzle glasses have a bit more a sticky texture, so don't judge these based on those. 



I love that this has a brush rather than a sponge tip applicator like many other glosses. I find that the sponge tip applicators end up wearing away so you are left with sharp plastic at the tip, and I also find that the sponge tip applicator ,when you swipe it on over lipstick, takes some of the pigment off, leaving me with patchy lips. The brush here doesn't do that. I think it might be because it holds more product within it, but it puts on the prefect amount of gloss in just one swipe and it leaves my lipstick in place as well. 

For your £14.00 you get 4.6 grams of product. It's not much. In all honestly, this is what puts me off picking up more of these glosses. For £14, I kind of want some more product. You get a comparable amount in the L'Oreal Glam Shine gloss and they are half the price. There are also similar shade available in the Glam Shine range, so I might try more of those before spending a big ol' £14 on one more of these.

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Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Peach Glow

I think people living under a rock, on a desert island, are the only ones to have not heard about the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. The Rimmel Stay Matte Powder seems to be used by everyone, their mother and the dog. It's raved about here, there and everywhere, but to be honest, I don't understand why. 

Throughout this review please bare in mind that I have normal to dry skin, with a very slightly oily patch on my nose. I tried to justify this not working for me because of that, and it does somewhat but I've heard bloggers and youtuber with dry skin rave about this as well. 

So, I picked up the Stay Matte powder when my Maybelline Fit Me Powder was on it's lasts legs. The Rimmel option was a bit cheaper, and in some kind of hope that I could try and save money I snapped it up. 

It retails for just £3.99 in Boots and Superdrug and comes in variety of shades. They have some great shades for my pale pals out there, but there really isn't anything for the darker, more tan skin tones. There is a translucent but the tester of that seems to leave a slightly hint of colour to the skin, so it might give darker skin tones a grey cast. 



The store I was in didn't have an of the Transulcent shade in stock, so I picked up Peach Glow as it looked the closet to my skin tone. The powder offers very little coverage on the skin, but claims to keep skin naturally matte (or control shine) for 5 hours. 



I just found this powder far to chalky to use. The chakly texture of the Stay Matte powder means it looks horrid on the skin making foundation look cakey and leaves skin looking dull and an all round mess. 

It didn't help keep my foundation in place any longer than it does without powder, it left it feeling cakey and heavy on my skin and overall it was a waste of £3.99. Maybe I have a bad one or something, but I expected so much more than this from the Rimmel Stay Matte powder and it just didn't deliver. I think I'll spend a little more and grab the Maybelline Fit Me or Revlon Nearly Naked powder next time I'm in need of one. 

Oh and just as a little P.S the packaging sucks. It's really flimsy, and the lid cracks pretty easily and falls off easily too. For only £2 more, you get a sturdy compact, decent powder, mirror and powder puff from Maybelline. 

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