Maybelline Colour Drama | Intense Velvet Lip Pencil

As soon as I heard about the Maybelline Lip Pencils I knew I wanted to give them a try. I think this is the first lip pencil I've owned, as I haven't been able to justify spending £18 on a Nars Velvet Matte Pencil. I expect they are very similar though! 

The colour range isn't huge, but hopefully more will be released later on. I decided to go for 'Fab Orange', which is bright, but a great all year round shade. I was worried that it might be difficult to apply, but I actually found it more straight forward than using a lipstick. I've given this shade a good test run on two separate evenings and found that it lasts around six hours and when drinking and eating you would probably need to reapply after four or five. These pencils have a matte texture but are not too drying at all, which is what makes them a winner for me. 

One thing that I did find strange was that when I wore this lip pencil for the second time it kept ending up on my chin or smudged across my forehead. This didn't happen at all the first time I used it and I reckon it was just down to me being carless and that it wasn't the product. I was wondering if anyone else has found this when they've used this lip pencil?

Overall, I think these are great value for £4.99 and I've got my eye on a couple of the darker shades for winter.

Have you tried the Maybelline Velvet Lip Pencils? 

Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner

Benefit's 'They're Real' mascara is very popular and probably my all time favourite mascara- If you haven't tried it then I recommend you do. So I was very excited to see that they have also recently released a push up liner. The interesting thing about this is that it's a gel liner in the form of a pen. I've used a gel liner once before and love the texture and look, but didn't get on well applying it with a brush. 

I've been using this liner for about month now in order to give an honest review because, I wasn't a big fan to start with. I think this is because of it's dry consistency. The key to getting along with this liner is practice, practice, practice. Once you overcome the strange push up technique, it actually becomes a pretty easy and effective liner to use. It drys very quickly, but once it's dry it does not budge or transfer onto your eyelids and has such amazing lasting power. The gel liner is activated when the base is twisted and I learnt pretty quickly that you only need one click to release a small amount of liner which goes a long way. When I was in the States in September I bought the 'Real Steal' set which contains a smaller version of the liner, full sized mascara and a sample of the remover for $24. Such a bargain...especially as it's a great way to try the liner for the first time. Although the liner is a miniature version, it is still substantial and easy to hold (see photo above for size comparison to the mascara).

I can understand why Benefit have made a remover to go with this push up liner as it does take a lot of scrubbing to get rid of. However, a full sized bottle is £14.50 which is very pricey considering a good (cheaper) make up remover can do the same job. 

If you enjoy using gel liner then I would recommend this product. I do feel that $18.50 is over priced, but if you already love the mascara then I would suggest getting it as part of this set.  It's available in Boots in the UK and is only £19.50, meaning that you are in fact getting the eyeliner for free. 

Have you tried this liner before? Did you find it easy or difficult to use?

Fortnight in Photos #16 | Trip to Los Angeles

 I've been a bit quiet on here and that's because I've been in the lovely state of California for two weeks. Well, more specifically Los Angeles. But I quickly learnt that a lot of the places I visited, like Santa Monica, are in fact separate to LA and are not part of the city. Fun fact for you there!

I went by myself which was pretty scary at first. But I soon started to enjoy my own company and met new people and friends of friends. It's such a different world there to what I'm used to and there just happened to be a crazy heat wave, which lasted the whole of the two weeks. I found my accommodation through Airbnb, which I would highly recommend! I stayed in a house in Hollywood looking after three cats and it was so affordable...you can find some great places on there.

I had a great time and wanted to share some photos with you from the trip because they pretty much sum up the weather and the fun things that I got up to. Have you been to LA before? What did you think? 

Santa Monica beach, sitting on the Friends couch at the Warner Brothers studio lot, Hollywood High School, Disneyland, one of the cats hiding under the couch, Venice Beach.

Manhattan Beach, Venice Beach- dipping my feet in the sea, GIANT pancakes at The Griddle in Hollywood, Manhattan beach again, walking through a fridge door to get to a bar, a beautiful roof terrace at The Redbury in Hollywood. 

USA Beauty Goodies | Part 2: Mary Kay

Today I'm going to share some more lovely beauty products from my trip to the States back in May. My cousin Jessica kindly gave me some Mary Kay cosmetics, which I have since discovered are also available in the UK- yay! 

Have you ever heard of a Lip Mask? I hadn't until she showed me the Satin Lips set. All you do is apply the mask to your lips and leave for just one minute, then once it's washed off your lips are left looking and feeling silky smooth. The great thing about this mask is that it buffs off all of the dry skin and when you follow it up with the lip balm your lips will be smooth ALL DAY. I always find balms more drying, but you only need to apply the Satin Lips balm once and you're good to go. 

It's always handy to have a face cream with a high spf. I applied this Time Wise lotion yesterday before going to the Air Show in Bournemouth. I was not prepared for the weather at all...it actually turned out to be incredibly sunny! So I was relieved to at least have protection on my face. The one thing I don't really like about this cream is the consistency because it's quite runny, making it difficult to rub into your skin. But then I guess this could be because it has the formula of a sun cream instead of a face cream?

The last product is the Oil-Free Eye Make Up Remover. This is good for taking off mascara, however I do find it takes a while to remove it. But I think that's because I'm so used to using micellar water which removes make up instantly. This will be perfect for taking away on holiday! 

Have you used any Mary Kay products? Which is your favourite? 

Orelia | Delicate Jewellery & Giveaway

The Orelia jewellerry stand always catches my eye when I'm in Topshop because their designs are so pretty and delicate. I think sometimes it's more fun to try out more subtle jewellery, so I wanted to share a couple of my favourite items.

Rose Gold Triple Triangle Necklace *

I love this necklace. The chain is quite short but this makes it look really pretty when you wear it with a top that has a lower neck. The three triangles are so simple and tiny and I think that this design would be great for layering with longer necklaces. I don't know whether it's because everyone has been going crazy for rose gold jewellery for the past year or so, but there really is something about the colour that makes it appeal more to me than gold or silver. You can buy this necklace in gold or silver or with just one triangle pendant, but my personal favourite is this design. 

V Swing Earrings *

I usually stick with studs because I'm never sure whether dangly/drop earrings suit me. But recently i've been trying to make them work. So when I saw these I thought they were perfect because they aren't too over the top. This simplicity means that you can pair them with a gold necklace or possibly even a bolder item of jewellery. I would definitely recommend them if you are looking for some elegant but eye catching earrings. A quick tip is to keep those tiny bits of plastic that slide onto the backs of the earrings. I always throw them away but when I didn't use them with these earrings they did fall out of my ears a couple of times and I was terrified of losing them. 

If you'd like to order anything from their website then you can use the code 'Blog20' to get 20% off. They have a lovely range of gorgeous accessories from leather bags to embroidered scarves as well as jewellery. 

I'm going to be giving away this beautiful necklace below with semi precious beads on a (very) long chain. So please log into the rafflecopter below if you would like to be in with a chance of winning. The giveaway is open to UK residents only and will close on Saturday 30th, so get entering while you can!

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Striped Shorts

Shorts- New Look

The sun has actually come out in the UK this summer and stayed out. I am happy about this...honestly! So please ignore the very serious look on my face.

I was delighted when I spotted these black and white shorts in New Look a few weeks ago. They are the perfect length and the horizontal stripes means that they are pretty flattering. I thought they were really unique, compared to every other bright floral pair of shorts in the shops at the moment. The best thing is that they are extremely affordable at £14.99! 

I hope you've been enjoying the lovely weather. Have you found a pair of perfect shorts? 

USA Beauty Goodies | Part 1: Flower Power

When I visited the US in May my wonderful cousins very kindly gave me some make up bags filled with beauty goodies to try. They had all contributed a few of their favourite beauty products and I was so excited and overwhelmed by how thoughtful this was. If you're reading this guys...you're the best!

I have been using the American beauty goodies for three months now, so I thought it was time to write a series of posts and share my thoughts on them. Each one of my cousins included a hand written statement about the favourites they has chosen, explaining why they love them so much. This post includes some brilliant make up and thoughts from Christina.  

In today's post, I'm going to be talking about some make up from the beauty products line 'Flower' by Drew Barrymore. You'll be pleased to know that her products are not tested on animals! I was particularly excited to try things from this line because as far as I'm aware none of her products are available in the UK. 

My favourite is the lipstick. Firstly, just look at how beautiful that packaging is. My cousin Christina said- "Cherry Chiffon is a heavily pigmented red. It can be sheer and neutral if applied lightly and then you can build if you want more colour. It's my go to lip butter". Well let me tell you, this has become my own go to lip product. It's very well pigmented for a lip butter and has a slightly glossy finish. It claims to have a plumping effect and I think the texture helps to achieve this. (See a photo of the lip butter applied below). 

Next up, is a Lip and Cheek Chubby Stick. Christina said- "Raisin the Roof is a beautiful deep berry red. Be sure to use a light touch and build. It has a velvet texture when used on moisturised skin." She's right about not applying too much. This stuff comes out pretty dark so I haven't been using it on my cheeks. But it makes a nice lip tint. I just use my finger to apply a little bit at a time as the tip of the product is way too big to apply like a lip stick. This is probably my least favourite product out of the three. 

Again, look at the beautiful packaging! This is a Créme Blush from the range. When I first saw it I wasn't sure how I would use it because it's a brown shade. Christina said- "I know Rose-o-den-dron looks more like a bronzer than a blush, but it works great as both! It has a butter texture and a small amount gives me a nice natural glow". She was so right. The fact that this blush is so creamy and buttery means that applying a tiny bit to your cheeks using either your fingers or a brush gives your cheeks a lovely natural glow. I am really enjoying using this on a daily basis at the moment. 

Here, I have used the Créme Blush and the Lip Butter to create a minimal summer make up look. I'm visiting the US again in September and hope to pick up more products from this range because I've really enjoyed using the Lip Butter and Blush. I do like the lip and cheek stick but I think I'll use it more during the winter time because it's a darker shade.

Christina also gave me two 'Flower' nail polishes so expect a separate review on these soon!

Have you tried any of the products from Drew Barrymore's line? Which is your favourite? 

Looking for Deer...

I've lived in London for almost a year and have never been to Richmond Park. It had been on my list of things to do for a while, so I finally hopped on a bus and set off for a day of exploration.

It is so humid in London at the moment, which makes it difficult to know what to wear. I went for this giant blue T Shirt that I picked up in H&M recently and it did the job perfectly. I think I will invest in a few more of these because they are so easy to throw on and are incredibly comfortable. They will be great for wearing with leggings or tights when the weather gets a bit cooler again. 

These shoes are from Primark and I can't stop wearing them. I love the way they look and they are unbelievably comfortable so I can walk around in them all day long.

Have you been to Richmond Park? It's such an incredible place! We even spotted some deer in the end...

I will be moving out of London in a few weeks so I'm trying to tick off as many places as possible, can you recommend anywhere else to visit?

The Olive Branch Shower Gel | Review

I was delighted to discover 'The Olive Branch' shower gel in a gorgeous Lush gift set I received for my birthday last month. I absolutely love anything with bergamot as an ingredient, so I couldn't wait to hop in the shower and cover myself in this heavenly scent.
This shower gel contains fair trade olive oil. I have only ever used olive oil as a cooking ingredient, i've never thought of covering my body in it. But this stuff really works. It leaves your skin feeling silky smooth and smelling delicious. A friend of mine (who used to work in Lush) advised me to shake before use in order to mix in the oil. Thanks for the heads up Sid! The consistency of this shower gel is very strange because it's not 'gel' like at all...it's actually very runny. However, this doesn't stop you from lathering it up. I would suggest only pouring a small amount onto your hand though so that you don't waste any, as it tends to run all over the place.

Overall, this has quickly become one of my favourite scents from Lush and I would definitely recommend it if you want smooth, Mediterranean smelling skin...or hair!

What's your favourite Lush product to use during the summer? 

L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint | Review

I used to wear fairly heavy foundation with a medium coverage but recently I've found that it just doesn't agree with my skin and I end up feeling unfomfortable throughout the day. I don't know about you but now that it's summer in the UK I only ever feel like wearing something light on my skin...or nothing at all. But the problem is I haven't quite built up enough confidence to go out with a completely bare face. (I am getting better though!) I'd heard great things about the L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint and was sold after reading the words 'Fresh Feel' and 'Weightless' on the bottle so decided to give it a go. 

After using this foundation on and off for the past few months I wanted to share my honest thoughts with you because I don't feel like this foundation is for me. The main thing I found difficult when choosing the foundation was the limited range of shades. There weren't many to choose from at all and they all seemed to be pretty dark. I haven't got fair skin and would usually go for something between medium and light (if they have it). I went for shade 110 'Warm Ivory' after trying a tester in the shop and hoped for the best! It's not an awful match but it does seem to have a very orangey tone to it...yes I know the shade does have the word warm in it! But it was literally the only shade that remotely matched my skin. 

The formulation of this foundation is very thin and liquid-y (which is obviously the point), I'd never seen a foundation like it before. The bottle instructs you to give it a shake before using and the good thing about this foundation is that a tiny bit of product tipped out onto your finger seems to go a long way.

Like I said before, the whole reason I wanted to try this is because I wanted a lighter foundation and didn't want to cake my face in product. But I still found myself using this and then applying a layer of bareMinerals foundation over the top, just to even everything out. That's probably just me being weird though and applying much more make up than I need! I think this foundation would be great for taking on holiday with you to a hot country if you didn't want to wear much make up. But I don't think I'll be continuing to use it and will just stick to the bareMinerals foundation alone. I will be sure to give the bareMinerals foundation it's very own review because it definitely deserves it! 

Have you tried this foundation? What are your thoughts? 

Getting Crafty | Don't Throw Away Your Empty Jars

Does anyone else spend hours browsing for craft ideas on Pinterest? I always come across ways of decorating jars, from decoupage to painting. Jars are so easy to collect at home so I gave it a go myself! 

After compiling a craft board I decided that I would spray paint some jars and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. All you need is, a can of spray paint, a collection of empty glass jars/bottles, an area and something to cover that area like a dust for the decorating to take place. 

The most tedious bit is getting the labels off of the jars, especially if there is a lot of glue. I found that soaking them in warm soapy water overnight made the labels peel off easily. I then used nail polish remover to get rid of any excess glue and then gave the jars another wash, drying them thoroughly.

When you are spray painting the jars make sure that you have a large area to do this in. I laid out an old dust sheet in the garage and then placed the jars upside down on the sheet. If you have a space outside then this might also be a good area to use. I would also recommend wearing old clothes and some gloves when painting the jars just in case. Then follow the instructions on the can of paint. I'm guessing most are the same but it's always best to check just in case. I made the mistake of holding the can too close to the jar when I first started using the spray paint which meant that the paint went on way too thick and then started to run down the jar. For an even finish try not to hold the can too close and constantly move it from side to side as you work round the jar so that you are evenly distributing the paint. You usually need to do a couple of coats and some instructions suggest that you leave the paint to dry for a certain amount of time and then go back to apply another coat.

I tried to use masking tape but the only effect that worked was the round bottle in the photo above. I found that the paint would end up going on areas that I wanted to keep clear so found it pretty difficult. I think if you want to achieve a stripy effect or something similar then you would need to use paint and a brush in order to stay in the lines and control the paint. 

Have you tried making anything like this at home? How did it turn out?

Thrift Store Shopping | Video

I love browsing charity shops in the UK and finding interesting pieces of clothing. So I was really excited to go to a big thrift store when I was in the States recently. My family and I chose to go to Red Racks in St Joe, Missouri whose profits go to local veterans. 

We decided to do a $10 challenge where we would try and find a crazy outfit for that price. We all failed the challenge but we did pick up some great things! Instead of telling you about my experience I thought I would take you guys with me and show you all of the fun things I found...

A Weekend By the Sea...

Last weekend I travelled down to Plymouth on the train to visit Ben's family. It was so nice to get out of busy London for a couple of days and enjoy being by the sea. On the first day we explored the countryside, wandered around the shops in town and went out for a delicious meal at a steak and omelette place. Then on the Sunday Ben's mum Helen gave us a guided tour and we went to a beautiful seaside pub for lunch. It was like a mini holiday! 

Ben takes lovely photos on his 35mm film camera and I thought I would share a couple that he took last Saturday evening.

What have you been up to recently?

Teapigs Matcha Tea | Review & Giveaway

I'm a big tea drinker. I mean, I'm the kind of person who has to start every day with a cup of tea. However recently, I have swapped the English Breakfast for a strange bright green powder called 'matcha'. I'm guessing most of you will have heard of matcha by now, but just in case you haven't here's how teapigs describe it...

"Matcha is 100% natural, organic ground green tea leaves- essentially a concentrated green tea."

"Matcha contains a very special amino acid called L-theanine. This works to slowly release matcha's natural caffeine to give our bodies a gentle and sustained energy boot lasting 4-6 hours."

I was extremely excited when I was given the chance to try out the teapigs matcha powder as it's something that I've been very intrigued about for a while. I won't lie, I was a little sceptical when I opened the box and read that 'A 1g serving of teapigs matcha is equivalent to 15 cups of green tea'. I literally thought that as soon as I started adding this stuff to my food and drink that I would be bouncing off the walls. But as teapigs mention, the point is that it releases the energy slowly. Two more very interesting and positive sounding things about this powder are that it's extremely high in antioxidants and that it boosts metabolism. It seems to do so much! 

The really great thing about the powder is that you can add to anything you want! I even saw a matcha cocktail on a drinks menu when I was on holiday the other week. You could also try sprinkling it on top of food instead of adding it to drinks. You can buy it as part of a kit, which comes with everything you need to mix it up as a drink. On day one I added it to hot water and used the electric whisk that teapigs provide in their starter kit to whizz up the concoction. I love the taste of green tea but this powder is extremely strong and I really didn't enjoy the taste of it with just water. On the second day I decided to use the shot glass and mix the powder with orange juice. Now this...I like! But be careful not to fill the shot glass to the top like I did or you'll end up with green worktops when you start whisking! I guess it depends on how much of a fan you are of the strong green tea flavour, but I really enjoy the taste of it mixed with orange juice. I've been drinking it every morning at 8.30am before I go to work. I did go on holiday for two weeks between using the matcha so it gave me a chance to see if it was making a difference. I haven't noticed the matcha massively affecting my energy levels. But now that I'm back on it I think it will be something that I will drink every morning. 

If you'd like to order anything from teapigs (I highly recommend their delicious range of teas) then you can use the code blab to get 10% off (this excludes cheeky, bulk buys, pick & mix and matcha kits) until the end of June.  If you'd like to sign up for any extra discounts, there's a newsletter on the teapigs homepage. 

I am also giving away one of their modern matcha kits so if you would like to be in with the chance to try one out then please enter by logging into the Rafflecopter below. This giveaway is open to UK residents only and will close on Thursday 12th June so get entering while you can! 

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Video: Meet Biggie the Cat

Mr. Bigs features frequently on this blog and when he does he seems to get more attention than the topic I'm writing about. I mean...just look at that little face! I thought it would be fun to film the crazy cat so that you guys could meet him. 

He's very greedy and is always looking for food...he even ate half a pumpkin pie that was left out on the side once. And only the other day he stole a whole block of cheese and tried to run away with it between his teeth when my friends and I had our backs turned!  Because of this we had to put him on a diet. So he's actually looking a lot slimmer these days, compared to the photo below which was taken last year. 

You can find the video here and be sure to subscribe if you want to!

Fortnight in Photos #15

 This used to be the 'Sunday Post'. But I decided that I would just give you guys an update if I've been up to something interesting. Exactly a week ago I flew back after a fantastic two weeks in the States...that's interesting enough for a post right?? (It's also the reason the blog has been quiet for a couple of weeks, sorry!). 

 We spent the first week exploring Philadelphia and Washington D.C- both were very lovely places. My dad is American (but he lives in the UK) so we then spent the second week visiting our amazing family in Missouri. Take me back there please...

I went a bit overboard with the Instagram photos whilst I was there, so I thought I would share them with you. I'd love to hear if you've been to any of these places, are planning on going or can recommend any other places to visit in the States. I would definitely recommend taking a trip to Washing D.C if you can! 

 Exploring Phildadelphia, The Liberty Bell and Benjamin Franklin, New Watch, the room The Declaration of Independence was signed in, Lincoln Memorial in D.C, Beautiful Washington D.C.

 Pretty new wallet, Marceline- Walt Disney's boyhood home, my mum and me chilling on the porch, The Arch in St Louis, Old Time Soda Fountain treats, my cousins absolutely wonderful dog Ferris. 

 My cousin Jessica and I enjoying some $1 hot dogs at the KC Royals baseball game, stray kittens- they were very very scared, a skirt I found in the thrift store for less than $3!

What have you guys been up to recently?

Instagram @hannahcelder

I Recommend...The Garnier Micellar Water

Thanks to this miracle Micellar Water, the days of make up wipes are long gone. I've never tried Bioderma but I started using the L'Oreal Micellar Water last year. I couldn't believe how effortlessly it removes make up.

Garnier recently brought out their own version in a bottle twice the size for the same price as the L'Oreal water. After being told by a friend that the ingredients are the same and reading Kat's review on Blushing Rose  I decided to go for Garnier's version this time round. It's strange because I do actually prefer it, even though it's exactly the same product. This is because it's much easier to get the product out of the bottle without wasting any and because I feel like it works quicker to remove my eye make up. It's so easy to use too, just apply to a cotton pad and hold over your eyes/face/lips for a few seconds and then wipe. 

This Micellar Water is brilliant and I would recommend it if you are looking for something that removes your make up quickly but thoroughly. 

All Used Up #3 | Empty Products

I've written about products I've used up a couple of times before and always have so much to say about each one. So here's another post in the form of a video- on my newer channel. I talk about what I thought of each one and whether I would repurchase them.

I really enjoy making videos so please let me know if you enjoy watching them and subscribe or give the video a thumbs up if you do!

Juice & Roller Coasters

Coldpress kindly sent me two of their juices* and two smoothies* to take on my trip to Alton Towers (a Theme Park here in the UK) last week. It was my close friend Laura who originally introduced me to their drinks last year. She was on the trip so I was really pleased to be able to share the drinks with her. 

In their own words "Coldpress is the last word in 'indulgent nutrition', a fresh, new-fangled range of award-winning chilled juices brimming with extra gravitas and 'flavour conviction'." They use "high pressure processing (HPP)" which means that no heat is used when making the drinks. This process definitely seems to make the flavours more intense. For example, when you are drinking the different apple flavoured juice drinks it tastes like you are literally biting into an apple. Because of this, I am seriously a big fan of their juice drinks. I know that flavours like "Apple Raspberry" and "Tropical" are also available but I've always found these really difficult to track down in the shops. 

The smoothies are a more recent release from Coldpress and I believe that they are only available at Tesco. The Pineapple Coconut and Banana one was right up my street and is absolutely delicious. However, Laura told me that the Strawberry and Banana one isn't as good and after trying it I'd have to say that I agree with her. I think the reason we weren't as keen is because it's not a sweet as other smoothies that we have tried and the strawberry was quite bitter. 

The weather was lovely the first day that we were at Alton Towers so we enjoyed a picnic lunch whilst watching their newest roller coaster, The Smiler. I did go on it and it was the most intense roller coaster that I've ever been on- I wouldn't say that I enjoyed it! We all had to enjoy our Coldpress drinks afterwards as a way of calming our nerves! 

Some nosey geese even tried to get hold of our drinks!

Have you tried any Coldpress drinks? What's your favourite flavour?

Happy Birthday BLAB & Giveaway

Exactly one year ago today I gathered my favourite spring make up products, took a tonne of photos and then sat down to write the very first post on this blog. That’s right, BLAB is one year old today and I cannot believe how quickly the time as gone. I also can’t believe how many lovely people I’ve met a long the way and how many amazing blogs I’ve been introduced to because of it.

Writing a blog as a hobby is so much fun, I would recommend it to anyone and I’m sure you guys would say the same. I know that this blog has a small following but every follower and reader means so much to me. To know that you guys are interested in what I have to say and are willing to take the time to read posts and give feedback makes me so happy. So this post is to say THANK YOU to all of you.

To do this I am holding a giveaway where you could to win a bareMinerals Purifying Facial Cleanser and a nailsinc Feather Effect Nail Polish- quite spring appropriate I thought. This giveaway is open to UK residents only and you can enter by using the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveway will be open until Monday 28^th April so get entering while you can!

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