Heres to 2015

Hey my lovelies!!

Happy New Year!!

So as I sit here on New Years Day writing this, waiting on the roast beef cooking (yes its 12.30 lol) my mind wanders to this time last year, Passionsandpreening blog and youtube hadn’t been born and I had all this passion for beauty, fashion and life and nowhere to put it, in steps a Twitter competition from the wonderful Dave Lackie, check him out @davelackie he was running a competition for the Rhianna MAC range of makeup, and I was lucky enough to win it, we got chatting and we talked about blogging etc, and something clicked inside of me. Then came the questions, how would I do it, could I do it, would anyone want to read it? Self doubt faded and excitement set in. I started to reseach and decided I would go for it!

Passionsandpreening was born and on the 6^th August I wrote my first little post, just a little intro about me, but wow the buzz I got from it!! From there on in I wrote steadily and I always wondered about having a youtube channel. I have watched many great beauty gurus over the years, and wondered could I do videos?

 So I thought I would start with a few vlogs, something more informal, on 1^st November my wee youtube channel came to life, and I started with weekly vlogs, till December when I started the famous Vlogmas! From then I have started channel videos, and 2015 will bring weekly videos, vlogs and blog posts!

Unfortunately I only got out and about doing it for the first 12 days of vlogmas as we had a serious car crash, the car bless wee Pete had to be put to sleep, Scott my husband, Tom his friend and I all got out ok, but I firmly believe my mummy was looking over us that night, even the ambulance and police said we shouldn’t have got out so lucky. So that was definitely a low point of the year, but there have been many highs, my best friend Nicola got married to the amazing Alex and we all enjoyed a beautiful day, surrounded by all our friends.

To my amazing friends, our core group, Joanne, Monica, Lou, Nikki, Angie, Elaine, Norma, louise, Kim,Tom,(and all the partners etc) I will never thank you enough for everything you guys have done for us not only since the crash but all year, it took me 28 years to find this special group of friends and I am never letting youse go, so you are stuck with scott and I, I pray 2015 is amazing for you all, all for different reasons, but know I will be there through it all standing by your side.

I am so blessed to have an amazing husband who is literally my hero now, ( cheers hun for pulling me outta the car) he has stood by me through all my illness and never once complained. I thank God each day for him, as I know I can be a moany pain! So Scott if you are reading this, words will never thank you enough! Heres to 2015 being our year!

To my wonderful daddy, you have become my rock, I turn to you in my sad and happy times, and mummy would be so proud of how we have pulled together to get through her passing.

Mummy, another year goes by without you, cant believe it will be 4 in March 2015, days it feels like years ago that I last hugged you, and others it feels like yesterday I felt your warm embrace, I know you are in a better place now with no more heart attacks etc, anyone who knew my mum would say she was a fighter and fought everything head on. As I wrote on your plaque, everything I am I owe to you.

So as 2015 begins, my goals are to get healthier, aim for my fertility treatment weight goal, and grow my blog and youtube, oh and pass my degree would be nice!!

So I will sign off now, to do some more study, and find a gift for scott and mine 7 year wedding anniversary on the 4^th January!!

Lots of love to each and every one of you, lets make 2015 a year to remember!!!!



What I got for Christmas 2014

Hey my lovelies

So I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and you all got lots of nice things, but let's take a moment to remember the real meaning of Christmas, it's not all about the presents and the turkey dinner, it is about spending time with family, friends and loved ones and making memories that last a lot longer than a lipstick will.

Just want to get this out of the way, as I know it’s the done thing on blogs and youtube, this post is not bragging or showing off, I have wonderful friends and family who know me very well indeed, and the gifts from my husband, most I asked for and some he bought himself, but we buy gifts from June onwards and save hard, so we treat ourselves! Why not I say.

On to what you really came here to see! I will split it up into skincare, make up and other bits!

SKINCARE

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

I was running out of my amazing Liz Earle cleanse and polish, if any of you are looking for a gentle but good cleanser that really gets everything off, I can really recommend this, I can see why it has the cult status it has. Christmas night was great, getting the make up and cleansed with this!!

My skin has become combination now, if you have read my previous posts on any skincare items you will see that most of the time my skin can get very dry, I have been putting this down to medication but for some reason I have reverted back to the crazy oily t zone, so I really had to look for something else. I am a firm believer if you spend your money on keeping your skin good then you can get away with cheaper makeup.

Origins Products

 I have heard a lot about Origins as a brand and I went and talked with the girl in my local store. We decided on the following for my skin:

10 minute rescue mask

She said this would help balance out my skin and I will admit the first time I used it after a thorough cleanse, my skin felt wonderful and soft and I definitely saw a difference

Modern Friction Gentle Exfoliator

She said that I needed something gentle as I had combo skin and redness etc, she suggested this and I used it the other night and it has an oaty texture which I was unsure of, but the results were great

Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask

This was actually a free gift because Scott had spent over a certain amount of money, so that was a bonus, she said this would be good for only my tzone, I haven’t tried this out yet, but I have heard lots of great reports about it, so looking forward to trying it this week

MAKE UP

As you all know I started a MAC palette not that long ago, I want a range of neutrals and smokey eye colours, if any of you have any cult faves let me know!

I already had wedge and all that glitters, and wanted a base shimmery colour, a matte brown and a grey shimmer for a smokey eye. I ended up getting shroom, sable and knight divine. Shroom got battered a bit in the car accident we had, you can check my youtube channel out for updates on that, so I was annoyed it had a little mark on it,

I had been lusting after the MAC Soft and Gentle Skinfinish for ages after it had been used on me after trying foundations in store one day, its very very pretty and when I tried it on I liked it, but it is definitely something that you need a light hand for, I would never think of putting it over my whole face, I just used it for highlighting.

I saw the holiday collection brush sets online in MAC and really wanted one, but at the price I thought would it be worth it, so when we were in Belfast shopping I looked at it and the brushes yes are small but very usable, scott kindly got this for me, and it is so pretty, I got the duo fibre face brushes as it was mainly the 187 I was after, The bag they come in is stunning! I am going to use it as a pencil case for uni next year, as in all honesty all my make up brushes aint gonna fit!

Make Up Revolution has become a favourite with me, and their pallets are fab, great buttery eyeshadows and little or no fallout, and at between £4 and £6 sure you couldn’t beat it! I picked up the acid brights and the iconic 3 which is a dupe for the naked 3 and is a great dupe at that!. The acid brights is amazing and would be great for a pop of colour on a night out

Real Techniques are wonderful and I am sure you all know by now there is a new bold metals collection coming soon so I am sure we will all be lusting after those. Nic brought out a Nics Picks set in a gorgeous chrome and black colour, these were on offer for £20 in superdrug and I think they still are so pop over and buy them while they are cheap. It has 5 brushes 2 face and 3 eyes, they are the duo fibre ones and I haven’t properly used them all yet but they feel fab!

OTHER GIFTS

My daddy got me a new camera, I picked the sony a5000 as I wanted something of a dslr quality but in a compact size, I cant rave about this enough, its sleek enough to look compact but it has great features.

My hubby knows I adore yankee candles and he got me my favourite clean cotton one, this was my mummys favourite so I always burn it and it just gives me a nice feeling. He also bought me a couple of little mini jars to go with my burner.

I love Disney films and Scott got me frozen and malficent, even scott has said frozen is good, I caught him singing let it go in the kitchen last night!!

My faith is very important to me and Scott surprised me with this beautiful frame with the verse “Love Never Fails” It actually made me tear up because of everything we have been through, he has stood by me through all my illness and has been my rock, and literally pulled me out of the car after the accident a couple of weeks ago. Scott isn’t a massive believer but for him to buy me that was very special and priceless to me.

My friends got me some stunning gifts including bobbi brown eye pallete, an owl handbag, vouchers for Debenhams, charm for my bracelet, scarves etc, but I will tease you and say you can see more of these on my youtube video which will go up tomorrow.

So that’s it folks Christmas 2014 is over. I hope you all had an amazing one!!  Cant believe its nearly 2015, my wee blog has been going since August and my channel for just over 2 months, there is a long way to go and I am always learning, but to have amazing support from all you guys is wonderful!!

Lots of love to you all

Next weeks post will be based around New Year and everything in between!! If you have any suggestions for posts or videos just yell and I will add them to the list

Ali xxxx



Happy Christmas Everyone!!

Hey my lovelies!!!

Hope you have all had a wonderful day.

Just wanted to pop on and say hey!

Hope Santa came and spoilt you all rotten, I was pretty spoiled, but I will do some posts about the products etc in the New Year.

Cant believe I have had my blog from August, I am loving the feeling of having my little space on the net to say what I want without judgement, i am sure you all feel the same!

This is just a short post tonight because I think I hear another turkey sandwich calling my name!

This Christmas has been a strange one for me, If you follow me on twitter or youtube you will know i was involved in a serious car accident Saturday 13th december, but we were all very lucky to get out, the car on the other hand it wasnt so lucky. It has made me think very long about what is important etc, and Christmas is always about the birth of Jesus and family, but dont get me wrong its nice to get some treats lol!

Okay so I feel I could sit and ramble all day, but I wont bore you all, heres to an amazing 2015 for us all.

My schedule for posting etc will be as follows from now on

Weekly Vlog uploaded on a sunday

Weekly main video uploaded on a Saturday

Weekly blog post on a Friday

If you guys have any suggestions as to what you would like to see me write about or do videos on, i am open to suggestions!

Signing off now

NIght guys

Love you all

If you dont follow me on my other social media sites, hit the wee buttons and come say hello!!

xxxx

Decleor Aroma Cleanse Exfoliating Cream Review

Hey My Lovelies

Hope you are all super well.

This is one of these posts that i had to do, no doubt about it, i have found my holy grail exfoliator!!

I was talking with a friend about exfoliators and was discussing how my skin reacts very easily to exfoliants and he asked had I ever tried a cream exfoliator. He offered to send me a sample to try, so this is not a paid review or anything, he works in the beauty industry and was able to send me something to try, this was even before my blog started! But now I feel that this product warrants a full review!

My skin is very dry in patches but with an oily tzone, so I am always happy to see if I can find the perfect exfoliator for me, without having to harshly rub at my face. I always wondered how a cream could exfoliate well, but I was without a doubt proved wrong! This has massive pros and cons, but for me personally the result it gives outweighs the cons.

The bottle is the gorgeous yellow colour famous with the brand, and it comes in a 50ml squeezy tube. Its so cute and easy to use.

 The cream itself is pretty thick and I was initially concerned about how much I would need to cover my face, I dispersed a little and started on my cheeks and soon realised that it spread well. You have to get a nice amount on your face to give a good exfoliation, so on my first attempt I think I put too little on as it was patchy in areas as it started to dry. I started to gently rub my face in circular motions and was amazed and horrified at the same time as to how much dry skin came off. I thought I exfoliated well, how wrong was I!!  The negative I will say is that in areas like my chin and nose I felt that I had to rub pretty hard to get it off, which concerned me. When it was all off, the areas that I had rubbed harder were definitely redder and more sensitive, but a good slather of intensive moisturiser sorted that out! This without any shadow of a doubt is the best exfoliator I have used on my face. Even my husband said my skin looked very fresh after it, so it must be doing something right for him to notice! I have been using this over 3 months now and I am as happy with it today as I was the first time I used it.

Without a doubt I would recommend this to anyone who has issues with sensitivity, but one thing I would say is ensure you gently rub it; a gentle circular motion is all that’s needed. Then afterwards make sure you moisturise well to keep your skin in tip top shape.

Has anyone else tried this product, or do you guys have any of suggestions? Let me know

Come say hello on my other social media links!

youtube: www.youtube.com/user/passionsandpreening

fb: Passionsandpreening

Twitter: @passionandpreen

Ali x

Mens Christmas Gift Guide!!

Hey my lovelies!

Hope you are all well today!

First of all apologies that this is up a couple of days late, our kitty was very poorly and i didnt get a chance to upload it, but she is on the mend now so back to you guys!

Last week I wrote a post on gift ideas for the ladies, now its the time of you guys!

Again there will be a luxury, high street and stocking filler option, so something for everyone.

Luxury Gifts

1. Leather Jacket   All Saints £398

I think this leather jacket is going to take your man from year to year. Its a lovely black with great zip and pattern details, which gives it an edge but in my opinion doesnt make it too fashionable that the normal guy wouldnt want to wear it. My hubby isnt a "hipster" but even he said he would wear something like it. It is expensive but it is fantastic quality and i fully believe it will last a long time

2. Emporio Armani Watch £379 Goldsmiths

I fell in love with this watch the minute i saw it! I was actually looking for a birthday gift for a friend at the time, and just thought I would have a nosy in the watches. I think this is such a classic yet funky watch, and it was last again year on year. My hubby has a watch from Armani that I could him as an engagement gift 10 years ago and its as good today as it was then. This watch could be worn with jeans everyday or even with a suit for work, its a great all rounder!! Looking at it I think a woman could wear it too, if they really like that big watch boyfriend feel to an item! I would be very tempted to get this for Scott if I hadn't already spoiled him enough lol.





3. Xbox one Console with Assassins Creed games £299.99 Game

Doesnt every man and their friend want one of these consoles this year!! In all honesty I dont know much about these, just ask scott I cant even turn his on to watch a DVD its that bad!! All I know is that these are the "next gen" of consoles and the graphics quality etc is amazing! So why not treat the man in your life, and while he is gaming you can be watching the soaps, its win win in my books!!

So thats just a few wee ideas for a special gift for the men in our lives, some men can be so hard to buy for and others easy, my hubby is good to buy for but my Dad goodness he is the hardest, but I hope thats give you a few ideas if you wanna get them a little something extra special!

Mid Range/ High Street Gifts

1. The Perfect Gentleman Set ROYAL APOTHIC MENS £58 Space NK

This is a gorgeous grooming set which includes Ultra Shave Creme-Gel and The Scent no.1. The scent is described as being "a refreshing fusion of citrus, vanilla, amber and vetiver, layered over a woody, masculine base of patchouli, sandalwood, cedarwood, grey musk" This sounds heavenly to me! Some men are very particular about scents etc but I dont think you can go wrong with something very classic and manly like this. They describe the shave gel as being lightly exfoliating and moisturising. This is a lovely set which any man would love to open.

2. Ghostbusters Onesie £15 Asda

Onesies are fab as a Christmas idea, just imagine getting cosy on the sofa on Christmas Night with your man beside you in this fab onesie, and any man will love the Ghostbusters, this is definitley on Scotts list for this year!!

3. PowerBeats Sport Headphones £95.99 John Lewis

For the man who loves to go to the gym or run, these are a great pressie. They are specially made to hug around the ear giving a comfortable fit without compromising on the great quality Beats are now known for. The hook for your ear is bendable and adjustable so this will ensure a custom and comfortable fit.







4. Personalised Favourite Song Soundwave Print £25 Not on the High Street

I first spied this when looking for a personalised gift for our friend Tom, this just attracted me instantly, i think it is such a quirky unique idea, and even for the guy who has everything this would definitely be a welcomed addition. You can fully personalise this including, soundwave colour, text colour and orientation so this gives it a real personal touch,

Stocking Fillers under £15

1. Mini Hip Flask £6 M&S

This is such a cute little 3oz flask, just enough for a wee nip of something to keep your man warm. I could this being used as a little gift for a groom or wedding party it could make for a fab photo opportunity. Its a beautiful vintage globe design print and without a doubt looks a lot more expensive that its price.

2. Scribble Clock £11.95 red5

This is one of the most genius ideas i have come across. It is an alarm clock with a little screen that you can scribble a note on. They say on the website you can use it for notes for the next day or ideas etc, but I think it would be really cute to leave your man a wee note so that when his alarm goes off he will see it. Its such a simple but effective idea in my opinion and at the price its a great wee addition to his pressies.



3. Top Gear Alternative Highway Code £9.99 Presents for Men

This is a fab book for any Top Gear lover, its got loads of snippets of advice on motoring and everyday hazards and it all relates back to the Top Gear TV Series.

So there you have it, some ideas for your dad, brother, hubby, partner or colleague. I hope there is something there that you all will love. Let me know what you think of the ideas!!

Lots of Love

ali xxx



















Christmas Gift Guide for the ladies, Luxury, Budget and Stocking Fillers

Hey my lovelies!!!

Hope you are all really well today, and getting all your Christmas shopping sorted.

Loads of fab bloggers are doing these Xmas guides, so i thought, why not indulge myself in some virtual shopping and create a guide for you lovely readers!
I will do a mans gift guide on Wednesday 26th November so keep your eye out for that!

I am going to include suggestions for women, and also they will range in price from Luxury through budget and stocking filler.

If any of you decide to buy any of these let me know which ones, cause i have seen too many bits i like whilst doing this guide!!

GIFTS FOR HER

Luxury

We all need a little luxury in our lives so i have decided to add in a few little luxuries, you could casually leave the links to on your other half, parents or friends desktop, or you could just treat yourself!!

1. Watch

Every woman needs a gorgeous watch in her life, they can instantly transform an outfit from drab to glam and this Michael Kors one is stunning Rose Glitz watch It is £229 which is a lot of money, but i feel that this will be timeless for years to come, so you can look at it as an investment piece

2. Tom Ford Lip Color

These are simply luxury, no other words to describe them. They are priced at £37 but if a woman gets one of these, trust me she will be happy. We all need a little Tom Ford in our lives. To play it safe when it comes to buying a lipstick at this price, I would suggest going for a nude colour shade like Coco Ravish Tom Ford lipstick 

3. Fragrance

Perfume is very hard to choose for a woman, just ask my husband, but i really feel you cant go wrong with a Jo Malone scent. There are lots of options available ranging from citrus to floral to woody. A good way to find out what perfume she likes, is either ask her or look at her current perfumes, google them and see what category they fall under. One of the classic scents is the Pomegranate Noir or the Peony and Blush Suede These both are £82 for the 100ml bottle.

4. Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer

For the women who loves to bake, this is just perfect! Some people may say that this is not your typical gift, but in all honesty if your friend or partner loves to bake etc, this is a great addition to the kitchen. This one is £379 and is a lovely classic almond cream shade, so it will fit in with the kitchen easily. Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer



So I definitley think there are a couple of great options for the ladies in your life who deserve a little luxry, but if you want to spend a little less, then there are some amazing items out there also.

High Street Gifts

1.Gwen Stefani for OPI nail polish range



This holiday collection features 10 little mini bottles which i think is a fab pressie, cause it lets you try a lot of colours, then if you really like any you can go buy the full size. OPI are known for their amazing formula and long lasting polishes and are a firm favourite with me. This set is £29.95. Gwen Stefani OPI holiday mini collection

2. Diptique Winter Scented Mini Candle

These are the most amazing scented candles around, the scents are stunning, and the brand is well known for its quality. This is priced at £26 and it has a 30 hour burning time, which is great value. The candle itself is stunning, so it will look beautiful on anyone's fireplace or dressing table.

Diptique Winter Scented Mini Candle

3. MAC Keepsakes Beige Eyes Holiday Collection

This is such a stunning pallette and is priced at £32 The packaging this year is just stunning, and any woman would love to have this in their bag! There are different colour options available, but I think if you are going to buy friends or family make up, go for a neutral shade, and they can do day and night time looks from this one pallette MAC Holiday COllection Keepsake Beige Eyes







 4 ASOS Poodle Print Clutch

Why not buy her a lovely quirky clutch that is going to brighten up any outfit over the festive season and into 2015. At £18 it is a great price! Poodle print clutch

I think these are some fab options for a friend or even a coworker, they will love them all!

Now on to the little stocking fillers, these are my favourite by far, so many of the big brands bring out little treats at Christmas so it makes the brand more affordable to the everyday person

Stocking Fillers £15 and Under

1. Caudalie Hand Cream Trio
This is a gorgeous set of three hand an nail creams which are a limited edition. These are gorgeous and you could either leave them as a 3 piece or you could split them up and add them as little treats for 3 people. It costs £12 for the set, which i honestly think is a bargain for such a great brand. Hand Cream Trio

2. Yankee Candle Christmas Eve Pillar Candle

This is my second candle in the guide, but I wanted to give you an option for a cheaper budget, but not compromising on the quality or look of the product. This is such a gorgeous candle, and has a real wintery Xmas scent. It costs £14.99 for the medium pillar and is festive scents including sugared plums and candied fruits. This has a burn time of up to 95 hours, so will last you well over the festivities. Christmas Eve Candle  

  


 3. Polished Silver Star Studs

I came across these when looking for unique jewellery for my friend Lou's birthday gift, and thought I would make a note of them for a stocking filler guide. They are from a company Silver Bubble, and they do they most gorgeous unique bits and bobs i have seen online. These earrings are only £7 and would be lovely for a wee treat Star Studs





4.Makeup revolution 144 Eyeshadow Collection

Hubby bought this for me as a little treat a few weeks ago and it is just amazing. The colours range from subtle to crazy and everything in between. The quality of this brand is without a doubt fantastic, the shadows are buttery and blend very easy. It is priced at £10 currently and I think this is something any makeup lover cannot live without! Makeup Revolution 144 Eyeshadow Collection

So there you have it my lovelies, something for the ladies in your life, or even maybe just a little treat for yourself, cause if you can't spoil yourself at Christmas when can you.

If you like this post let me know, and keep an eye out over next few days, for the guide to shopping for the men in your life!

Lots of love

Ali xx

Grief and Anxiety

Hey my lovelies!!

Hope you are all doing really well this week!

This is a bit of a different post for me today, I wanted to address the subject of grief and anxiety, the reasoning behind this is simple, the passing of my mummy

So my mum passed away st paddys day of 2011 from a sudden cardiac arrest. She had 9 heart attacks over a period of 9 or so years, and this event was her tenth and unfortunatley her wee heart just couldnt take anymore. She had went in to the hospital in the November of 2010 with a big abcess which led to sceptecemia which in my opinion led to everything getting too much of a battering.

I just wanted to do a post on grief, and the fact that so many people believe that time heals and that grief becomes easier. In a nutshell i dont believe this, but what I do believe is that you as a person become equipped to deal with it better as time goes on.

I suffered from severe depression when i took my epilepsy and fybromyalgia when i learnt i wasnt able to continue my degree or working and would have to move back to N.I, we are not talking a case of the blues we are talking severe depression with self harm etc, but by the grace of God, my family and medication I am in such a better place 10 years on! Lets all woohoo to that

I didnt really know an angle that this post would take, all i knew was that i wanted to address the feeling, that i believe we all deal with grief differently, in terms of areas like how long it takes us to feel happy again, how long it takes us to believe there was a reason behind the death etc

It will take us all a different amount of time to come to terms with the death of a loved one, but i can say looking back now nearly 4 years on, that I believe her wee body just couldnt cope anymore and God decided to call her back to him.

My views are mine, and I wouldnt expect everyone to understand, agree or believe them. We are all different people and that is what makes us amazing!

Grief can do crazy things to you, then main thing that i have realised is that I have this complete panic if i cant contact my dad at exactly 10.30 every night. It was something I have done since i went on my gap year, and i done it the night mum passed, and this leads me on to the next aspect of the post, anxiety.

As crazy and as silly as it sounds, I feel physically ill if i cant get to call my dad, and even now, Scott knows how serious it is, he will always remind me or get me a phone even before 10.30. Isnt he a keeper lol!

Anxiety can manifest itself in so many ways, and for me its the feeling of dread, if i dont get to call dad at exactly half past, i get these awful feelings like, what if something happens at 10.29 or 10.31 its crazy saying it out loud i know, but when you go through something as devastating as losing your right arm basically, you tend to deal with things differently.

As i write this i still dont know if there is a theme to this post, but i think the main thing i wanted to convey was that its okay to grieve and have anxiety, its just all about how we deal with it and move forward from it!

If any of you reading this are oging through grief, anxiety or are just feeling a little low, I want you to know it will get better, maybe not tomorrow or next week, but there will always be light at the end of the tunnel. There will always be someone there to talk with should it be a friend, doctor or family member, and if you are feeling low please seek help

I dedicate this post to my amazing Mum, Dad and hubby, below you can see a few special pics.

The one of mum and dad was her last trip out to the seaside at Ballintoy harbour before she went to hospital.

I still dont know where I wanted this post to go, all i know is that i wanted to write it.

Lots of love to you all for your continued support.

Ali xxx



Chanel CC Cream Review

Hey my lovelies!!

Hope you are all having a fab Sunday, and you have already been over and checked out my 2nd vlog at PassionsandPreening Youtube

I was really lucky to have won an amazing competition quite a while back from Twitter, and in the package i got a few little samples, one being the Chanel CC Cream, so thought I would do a little review on it!

On opening this, it just screamed luxury, the distinctive Chanel logo and the black and white packaging was gorgeous. I opened the foil covering and it was a tiny opening, which initially i wasn’t sure about as I thought it could be hard for the product to come out nicely, but I was very wrong. The produt is thin, but thick enough to initially see that it was going to give a nice coverage. There is a slight scent from it, but it isn’t strong enough to put me off using it at all, it just smells like your typical foundation.

 I decided to use my fingertips to apply as this is the method I have used before with other CC creams I have tried. I applied my moisturiser as normal but didn’t use a primer. I put a few dots over my face and in an upwards and outwards motion started to blend it in to skin. One thing I noticed straight away was that it was a little heavy going on to skin, but the finish I got was as good as my normal beloved MAC studio fix foundation. It is branded as a CC cream, and without a doubt it done wonders with my high coloured cheeks, I had an even colour after application. 

 A little goes a very long way with this product, so I think it will last a long time. I would definitely suggest a moisturiser  before application if your skin is any way dry as I felt it stuck a little on my dry patches. When I applied it the second time, I used my moisturiser, primer then this, and it went on like a dream. It has now become a staple in my make up bag, and I find myself lifting it over my foundation due to the fab coverage.

Since starting using this, I have started to use my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and i feel this is giving an even better finish.

It has a built in spf30 so this is great, for all us lazy people who hate having to put on a multitude of products! It comes in a very limited amount of shades, so there is a possibility you will have to mix it with a foundation, the beige suited my skin pretty well, although i think in the summer months where i would have a little more colour, i would have to mix this or try and find an alternative brand.

Overall a fantastic CC cream and it would lead me to want to try more of the Chanel foundation types.

IF you guys have used this, or any similar ones let me know something that I could use in the summer months!

Lots of love

Ali x

I now have a youTube channel!!!

Hey everyone!!

Well I took the leap and started a youTube channel, I must be mad lol

Anyways here is the link, head over and subscribe!!!

Love Ali xxx

My channel

My 1st Giveaway

Hey everyone

Have decided to run a giveaway, gonna include beauty, makeup, candle products, choccies, everything a girly could want!

<a id="rc-40e4c0b91" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40e4c0b91/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>

Michael Van Clarke 3 More Inches Life Saver Spray review

Hey everyone!!!

Hope you are all doing really well today :)

So when a friend a few months back saw a tweet from Michael Van Clarke asking for people to review their products, she sent me the link, and I tweeted them saying I would be interested, as it was a brand I hadn't heard much about, and anything that promises to make my hair grow I am up for!!

So they said they would send me a product to try and give a review on, so this is it!

I decided to give it 8 weeks to see how it performs overall and if it did give any extra length.

Let me first tell you, my hair is not good, its soo dry due to medications that unfortunately I will be on for life, so it is just a matter of finding something to really help and nourish it. When i let my hair naturally dry omg it needs worked with my GHDs it goes all frizzy and has a life of its own, and to top it off I normally get a day out of a fresh wash, then I have to turn to my trusty dry shampoo for a day or two till i wash it again.

So they had a task on their hands!!

They decided to send me the Life Saver Spray, and on the site it states it is like magic in a bottle, and smoothes even the frizziest of hair! hhmmm this would be great if it does I thought!!

The packaging itself was gorgeous, really luxurious

It retails at £19.50 in the UK, and is a great 500ml size, and looking at what I have used it will last a good while!

I was advised to spray into hair and style as normal or leave to dry.

The consistency was very gloopy and it ran out of the sprayer rather than a spray, so I ended up putting it on my hand and running a comb through it and into my hair.

I decided to leave to dry to see if it had any good effect, and in all honesty I wasn't impressed by using it this way, so then I thought why don't i try it on wet just washed hair, and yep there was a noticeable difference!

When I dried my hair you can see from the picture below, it was pretty frizz free, so I was pleased with that outcome!

I think my ends are always going to be dry, but I honestly couldn't complain, as here in this pic, I hadn't touched it with straighteners yet!

The best thing I noticed with the product was that on my second day after wash, I would have always been reaching for the dry shampoo but I didn't need it, it was grand!! On my third day I definitely needed it, but anything that cuts a day out is great in my book.

In terms of the length aspect, I honestly don't think it helped or hindered it. I haven't seen any changes, so I don't know if i would purchase it if it wasn't helping the frizz!

Michael Van Clarke have a huge range of products, and it is definitely a brand that I would consider in the future, the only negative I found was the consistency, but as I found a way around this, it wouldn't be something that would put me off the product!

Excuse the dodgy eyes on the pic, i honestly don't know what was going on here!! I wanted to give you a pic of the top of the head, where i normally have a lot of breakage issues, but this definitely helped matters!!

So to finish off, I definitely recommend you guys having a look at his store site, as I honestly think that there will be something to help anyone's hair. In terms of whether overall I think it has helped, there is no doubt it has helped the condition, but unfortunately not the growth, but I would definitely purchase as a leave in conditioner, no doubt about it!

Hope you liked the review, any advice on using it, or if you guys have used it before, let me know in the comments section!

Lots of love

Ali x