Beauty | My Pregnancy Skincare Routine

Hello there! Hope everyone is having/had a fab January! Thank goodness it's almost over though, it's definitely one of those months that just seems to last forever, and when you have animals and horses it is one of the worst months there just seems to be rain, mud and grey skies everywhere. Oh and wind no one likes that thing either. Hurry up spring, you are very much wanted now.

I thought I would do a post on my pregnancy skincare routine. Can't lie, to some of you it might be rather simple and boring but I've found since being pregnant this so called 'pregnancy glow' does not exist or is still trying to find me! I've not had an easy pregnancy, can't say I'm enjoying it either but I know the end goal will be worth it!

Instead of this so called glowing skin I seem to have found dry, spotty skin. Thanks little thing in my belly I hope your glowing inside there! Firstly the majority of my pregnancy has been spent either being sick or feeling sick so a skincare routine has not always been at the top of my list, but seen as they go on about how you should look after yourself when your pregnant I have been trying harder recently. Also don't want to scare the little thing when he pops out my belly and see's a scary looking mum so thought I should try and improve the look for him a bit.

I've found my skin has become super sensitive in this pregnancy, it seems to react to everything. The joys of hormones hey! I've tried sticking to fairly basic products that don't seem to make me look worse. I'm also using the products my mum has been using since forever because thought I should probably take more of the mum approach now, plus she seems to have great skin in her late 40's so something must be working.

The first product I have been using is No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing lotion. I have this one in the normal/dry version which is also hypo-allergenic. I use my cleansing lotion as my first step of my skincare routine. Sorry I have no fancy new unused bottle to take a picture of, thought a half used one is more of a reality. This product seems to work great at removing all of my daily grub off my face, and it's nice and gentle to. The other plus is that it doesn't really smell of much which is great as those pregnancy hormones make everything smell like rubbish and make those gag reflexes kick in so this has definitely been one of my go to products. It's easy to use too just put a blob on one of those round pad things (names gone silly baby brain) rub round your face gently and jobs done! I try and use this morning and night but the reality is that once a day is a bonus and it seems to help calm down my face and make me feel better.

The second product I use in my skincare routine is the No7 Soft and Soothed  Gentle Toner. This one is also hypo-allergenic. Again apologise for no fancy unused bottle but again thats not always the reality plus life is hectic getting ready for the new arrival. I use this after the cleansing lotion and it really helps to soothe my skin and makes me feel refreshed. The other great thing about this is that it also does not have a strong smell if any smell which is a big bonus if your pregnant. Those smelly products just don't smell nice at the moment. 

The final product I use in my skincare routine is the No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream. Again this is also hypo-allergenic and this has the added bonus of also having SPF 15 in it. Remember you should also put on some sun protection even when it's dull and cloudy. Apparently your skin will thank you in years to come but can't give you my opinion on that seen as I only have 22yr old skin at the moment. I love this moisturiser as it is nice and thick and as my skin seems to have gone lovely and dry (thanks again pregnancy hormones) it helps to put the moisture back in my face and makes it feel all lovely and smooth again. 

This blog post photo is a Robin one today as he was feeling in the mood to pose for the camera and well you can't say no to those eyes! 

Hope you are all well and jolly :)

Anna-Louise

xx

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FOTD #2

Hello there :) 

How are you all today?! Hope all is fine and dandy and that you had lovely weekends :) Did you do anything nice over the weekend? I went horse riding with my mum which was lovely because I don't really ride anymore since my last horse and it was nice to be back in the saddle! I think it would be super cool to go horse riding in America on one of those ranches! Has anyone done that before? 

I know another FOTD but they are an easy blog post to do and as I've got a lot on they are perfect and I don't know about you but I love being nosey at what different makeup people use! 

Now as I have said before I'm really loving natural fresh looking makeup at the minute so I am into tinted moisturisers and BB creams! I have decided that over the summer months I am going to try out a few different ones to see which ones I love! So for todays FOTD I have used the Diorskin Nude BB creme which has SPF 10 in it and I have it in the shade Light.  Currently I am really liking this one but we shall see how it plays out over time. I've been putting this on with the Dior backstage blender which is just Dior's version of a beauty blender and also slightly cheaper than a beauty blender! 

For blush I have been using one of my favourite blush's. It is a Bobbi Brown and their blush's are my favourites. This particular one is lovely as it gives a lovely warm colour to the cheeks without being too much which makes you look happy and healthy. This blush is in the shade Tawny which is a medium pinky brown. 

I then used a loose powder from No7 which is their perfect light loose powder and I have this in the shade translucent. I love loose powders apart from the mess they make, but they don't tend to make me look as cakey as pressed powders do so I love this for a natural day time look. 

The concealer I went for was a Rimmel wake me up one. I'm not sure whether I love or hate this yet so thought I would use it again.  I put this on with a micro - mini beauty blender. I absolutely love these for blending out concealer as they are the perfect size for your eye area. 

For my eyes I wanted to keep it simple today so I only used my MAC paint pot in painterly which is currently my favourite eyeshadow base and as well as being great if I want a natural look like today to cover up any redness or veins. 

For my brows I used the amazing Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in blonde and then the clear brow gel from her range! She really is the queen of brows! I'm loving the Dipbrow at the moment and have been incredibly grateful that I've been wearing it recently as working in a pub means that things can get rather warm and my eyebrows don't budge. 

For my lashes I used my current favourite mascara which I'm sure everyone has heard about by now as when the samples were in ELLE magazine it seemed like almost every blog talked about it. It's Benefit Roller Lash of course! I love this as it really does make my lashes look that little bit longer and curled! 

Today's Barney picture is well a picture of Barney! He has been out for two lovely walks today and loved splashing around in a stream this morning! I love his expression in this picture today! We met a  lovely dog on our afternoon walk today, it was a giant though! It's the first time I've thought that Barney looks small! 

Hope you are all well and jolly 

Anna-Louise 

xx

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Beauty | Combating those annoying dry lips

Hello there :) 

How are you all? Hope you all had great weekends and that you are all fine and dandy! I hope you all spoilt your mothers on mothers day! I was working so didn't get to spoil mine quite how I would have liked to, I think she knows how much I love her though, and look up to her and am incredibly grateful for everything she does for despite me not being the easiest of people to live with and bring up! So thank you mum for everything you do for me, I couldn't ask for a better mother! The sun has gone this week, so if you happen to read this sun, please come back and shine as that makes me feel happy! 

 Anyway I thought I would do another beauty post as I seem to be in the mood for these at the moment. I don't know about you guys but I find that during the winter months my lips tend to suffer a bit from the harsher weather and need a lot of TLC. I'm always trying to prevent getting dry lips because once they are they can be so painful and lipstick never looks great when you have annoying dry lips. I put on a form of lip balm at least once a day to keep my lips in tip top condition and I wouldn't be able to do this without my trusty lip balms. So today I thought I would share with you the lip saviours in my life :) 

Lush Lip Scrub 

Now this lip product is one that has only come in to my life recently and its fair to say it was love at first sight or smell maybe. I can honestly say this is one of the best smelling lip products I have ever come across and I'm so glad I did. Let me tell you all a little secret....sometimes I just like to smell it. Weird I know but I'm sure there are others out there who do the exact same because it smells amazing. This lip product is a LUSH one which is probably why it smells so nice, most things from lush do! The particular one that I am talking about is the LUSH lip scrub in Popcorn. I love putting this on my lips as I find it helps make them super soft, it also tastes great although I'm probably not meant to eat it! 

Soap and Glory Smooch Operator 

The next lip product in my lip balm collection was one that I kindly got from a lady who's horses I used to help look after and ride. She is somebody who always likes to get people practical presents and things that people will use (she also got me socks) and I have used both my presents lots. She chose this particular lip balm as it is one she has had before and loved. She found that it lasted a long while which is great. I haven't used much of this lip balm yet, I love the smell of it but I find it hard to get much product out, it's not an overly moisturising one in my opinion. 

Burt's Bees Lip Balm

This lip balm is another one I got for christmas, people obviously thought I had dry lips or something. I was really excited to get this one as I have heard lots of good things about Burt's Bees products and I have not been disappointed. I love this, it smells great and is really easy to apply and have found it makes my lips really smooth :) 

Dr PAW PAW lip balm

I received this lip balm in Februarys Look Fantastic beauty box. It's not a brand I had heard of before I received this product but I've been really impressed with it, despite the strange name. It doesn't have much of a smell, and the product is a sort of clear gel but it works great and is really easy to apply. You also don't need much product for it to do it's job :) 

Vaseline

Now who doesn't own a pot of or tin of Vaseline?! I think this is the first lip product I ever bought, not this exact one obviously. I love vaseline for a lip product, it works great and it's super moisturising and really easy to apply. Just don't let it get too hot because then it goes too soft and runny and you then always get more than you need. My favourite one is the rosy lips one as it gives a very subtle pink colour to your lips. 

EOS Lip Balm 

I absolutely love this lip balm, it's my all time favourite so much so that I take it everywhere with me. It smells amazing, has great packaging, is easy to apply so what more can you ask for. I can't remember which one I have as there are so many all I know is that it's the red one. It makes my lips super smooth and gives them the TLC that they need. I will definitely be purchasing more EOS lip balms in the future :) They are about £5.99 each and some of them also come in sets. These lip balms have featured in a couple of music videos and adverts so they are quite well known and loved. 

The Barney picture today is yet again of him on a dog walk, but I guess that's because we walk twice everyday and I'm always taking my camera with me unless it is raining. He was sick on the carpet this morning which was rather amusing, my parents didn't think so! I pretended I was still asleep so I didn't have to clear it up, I can just about tolerate picking up dog poo, but dog sick is a big no no! Not that you all wanted to know that but now you do! 

Hope you are all well and jolly 

Anna-Louise 

xx

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FOTD | Quick and easy everyday spring makeup

Hello there :) 

How is everyone today?! Hope all is fine and dandy and that the sun is shining nice and brightly with you :) I hope you are all having fantastic weeks, not long to go till the weekend and Mothers Day! Have any of you got any nice plans for Mothers Day? I'm working, we are fully booked twice over so it's going to be a busy old day fingers crossed we might get some good tips though! My Dad being the best Dad in the world took me to the cinema today as I'm really struggling at the moment and feeling quite low. Friendships seem to be a big problem at the moment I don't seem to have any, apart from the lovely Hannah from Suitcase and Sandals ( go check out her blog it's a lovely one). Having Aspergers has meant that friendships have always been a struggle for me and well at the moment I'm just feeling very lonely! Have any of you lovely people got any tips for how to make friends? 

Anyway we went to see Big Hero 6 which is a new Disney film, and it was brilliant and rather funny! Definitely recommend going to see it! I really want to go and see the new Cinderella film, looks so good! Is anyone going to see it? Let me know what you think of it!! 

So today I thought I would do another beauty post as that is where my passion really lies and I could talk about beauty products all day long! My favourite bloggers chat at the moment is #bbloggers. I love talking with like minded people about beauty! 

Seen as the weather has started to improve I have changed my makeup a little bit. During the winter months I tend to wear much heavier makeup but when the sun starts to shine I much prefer the subtle and natural looks! Also as the weather gets warmer I don't like to have too much on my face as it makes me feel hotter if that makes sense so I tend to opt for as little as possible. 

For my base I like to use a tinted moisturiser as they provide SPF which is great for added protection in the spring and summer months. Tinted moisturisers are also great because they give your face the moisture they need as well as providing your skin with a subtle tint to even out your skin tone and give your skin a healthy looking glow! I'm currently using No7 tinted moisturiser in fair/medium. I'm not 100% sure yet whether I love this particular one or not, I used it all last summer and my mum is a big fan but I'm just not quite in love. I think I may try some other brands this summer to truly make my mind up. I have heard lots of good things about the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser so I think that's going to be the next one on my list. 

I don't really tend to use a powder or bronzer when I'm using tinted moisturiser as I don't feel my skin needs it so I jump straight in for the blusher. I sometimes use a bit of concealer when I need it but forgot to add it in the photo opps sorry! My current favourite blush at the moment is the Bobbi Brown Cheek Palette in Pink. I absolutely love the colours in it and I think they add a really healthy looking pink colour to my cheeks. 

For an everyday easy makeup look I tend to keep my eyes super simple and I also think simple eyes really helps me to keep a natural looking face. At the moment I'm using a MAC Paint pot in Painterly as this is a lovely nude shade and just provides a lovely base and covers up any veins. 

I then just put some of Benefit Cosmetics roller lash mascara on as this makes my lashes look extra long! And then thats my eyes done, boring I know but it's super quick to do makeup look. 

I'm obsessed with having good brows, always have been since I was about 13! So this is the most important part of any makeup look I do. If I'm really short of time I will just do my brows because having good brows just makes me feel ready to go into the outside world! Crazy I know! Anyway I'm currently using Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade as in my opinion she has some of the best brow products currently on the market (I'm also a big fan of brow wizz) and the great thing about the Dipbrow is that it's perfect for the summer months as it's waterproof and doesn't smudge so even if your face is dripping in sweat your eyebrows still look great! And this product really doesn't move! 

I then use some of the Anastasia Beverly Hills clear brow gel to set everything in place :) 

Then to finish off this look I use my current favourite Lipstick which is MAC Pink Pearl Pop. I absolutely love this lipstick at the moment and think its the perfect colour for spring :) You can read my review on it here. 

What are your favourite products for spring and summer? 

Today's Barney picture is one of him on a walk the other day! This lovely weather is amazing as it's meant that we have been able to go on some fantastic walks and not come back covered in mud! He looks so handsome in this picture he really does love to pose for the camera! We have just been over the road to play ball which he thought was amazing and is now completely shattered and fast asleep on my bed bless him! I'm so grateful for my dog, he always makes me smile even when I'm feeling down, 100% best dog in the world (well to me anyway). 

Hope you are all well and jolly :) 

Anna-Louise

xx

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Review | MAC Pink Pearl Pop Lipstick

Hello there :) 

How is everyone today? Hope you have all had lovely weekends, and if you have had the amazing sun and warm weather we have I hope you have been able to make the most of it. If you haven't had any sun I shall send some your way :) I swear the weeks seem to go by quicker and quicker I don't know where this week has gone! I've been working everyday this week which has been great as it has given me something to do but it's fair to say I'm knackered now so can't wait to curl up in bed later! 

So today's post is another beauty post because why not!  Okay I know it's another review of a MAC lipstick, you are probably all bored of seeing MAC lipstick reviews but they are just so great it's hard not to review them, and well they are kind of an all time favourite for everybody! MAC lipstick reviews seem to pop up all the time in the blogging community so I thought I would jump on the band wagon and do one because why not join in hey! Some of you might be big fans of these reviews so are probably over the moon right now (slight exaggeration). If this is you then welcome, keep on reading, however if this isn't you well it would still be nice for you to keep on reading but not to worry if not! If we all liked the same things life would be very boring.

I had never really heard about MAC lipsticks or MAC in general till about 9 months ago, and oh my I wish I had found out about them sooner because not only have I fallen in love with them but Mumma M has too! We are both hooked so have started to build up a little collection together because sharing is caring or something like that! 

Anyway my latest addition  to the collection is the gorgeous Pink Pearl Pop! Which is a shade that I had not heard of before I stumbled across it at a MAC counter. This could be an incredibly popular colour that I'm just a bit slow to find out about or just one of those ones that you happen to stumble across. Either way I'm so glad I stumbled across this shade because I absolutely love it, infact it's probably my favourite lipstick at the moment especially as it's such a perfect colour for spring!

Pink Pearl Pop is a bright pink cremesheen lipstick which leaves a really pretty finish. When I first saw this I was a little bit put off by the colour as it is so bright, but once I swatched it I fell in love. As it is a cremesheen the brightness is not overpowering. It gives a warm pink sheen tint to the lips and doesn't look unnatural. I'm not very good at describing looks and colours so I do apologise. It's sort of your perfect barbie pink doll colour that once on your lips looks almost neutral pink (because it's a cremesheen). It's a really cute colour that works well with a number of different looks even a smokey eye and would be a great go to lipstick for a spring/summer makeup look. So if you are looking for a new lipstick to add to your spring makeup collection then I definitely recommend Pink Pearl Pop or if you just fancy a new lipstick then this one is worth checking out :)

What is your current favourite lipstick?

The Barney picture today is another one of him on one of our sunny walks this week! I love this photo as it looks like he is smiling! He is such a little cutie at times, he is also a great poser for the camera. He has enjoyed some lovely long walks this week in the sun, hopefully this lovely weather will continue. I'm just about to give him pilchards in tomato sauce for his dinner as a Sunday night treat as it's his favourite. 

Hope you are all well and jolly :) 

Anna-Louise

xx

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Beauty | Current skincare routine

Hello there :) 

How is everyone today? Hope all is fine and dandy and that you are all having a lovely jubbly week :)

We have now had 3 days of proper sunshine here, so Spring definitely feels like it's on it's way at last which is super exciting because Spring and Summer are my favourite seasons and I love the sun it just puts me in such a happy mood and the sun just looks so friendly and happy too, not that I look directly at it, never do that! I just always think of the sun having a happy face with a big cheesy grin and that it looks a bit like the lion. I don't know about you guys but I don't actually know that many facts about the sun, maybe I need to learn some and do some investigating about them. 

Also what do people think of dungarees? There are loads in the shops at the moment which I am super excited about because I love them, but would love to know what you guys think of them! Dungarees always remind me of the countryside. 

Anyway enough of my rambling now, let's talk about what this post is going to be all about. Now I'm sure all of you have your own skincare routines there will be products that you love and products that you hate. I love reading about people's skincare routines as it's a great way to find out about some great products and well I find it interesting finding out what works for people and what doesn't and I have also found some great skincare tips from posts like these so who knows maybe you might take some useful away from this post, even if it is only the bit about Barney at the end of the post. 

(from left to right: Cleanser, Exfoliator, moisturiser, eye cream, moisturising treatment mask, 8hr cream)

Now I never really used to be into skincare, but then I never really used to be into makeup either. Anyway because I never used to be interested in it I didn't really care so didn't have a skincare routine. (I was also just lazy shh) Anyway all I used to use was a face wipe and moisturiser when I could be bothered. My poor skin I know, I feel so guilty for not giving it more TLC sooner. Anyway since I now care more about my skin, I do now have a skincare routine and well I think my skin is very grateful that I do. 

In the summer I tend to have pretty average normal skin, I put suncream on everyday because it protects your skin and I love the smell of it. Anyway my skin tends to be in fairly good condition throughout the summer months. However in the winter my skin tends to suffer more and I get really dry skin and more breakouts, this probably isn't helped by the fact that naturally we all tend to wear more makeup in the winter which although looks great when it's on it can make our skin suffer more. 

Anyway I have now finally got a skincare routine that seems to be working for me which is great and I quite enjoy doing it too, so I thought I would share with you what I use :) Having a proper skincare routine has also helped with my dry skin and has helped to restore my skin to a healthy condition. I have a daily skincare routine and then I have a couple of products that I only use once or twice a week. These products are the ones that have worked for me and the type of skin that I have. 

The daily skin care routine: 

• Liz Earle  cleanse and polish which is the hot cloth one. I use this everyday twice a day including for removing makeup, which has never been so easy before. I use this with the Liz Earle muslin  cloth. 

Muslin Cloth

• Liz Earle skin repair moisturiser for dry/sensitive skin (this is a really nourishing moisturiser, works wonders for dry skin) 

• Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye cream (this is great for helping me feel refreshed and also works as a concealer primer )

• Elizabeth Arden 8hr Cream I use this on my lips every night before bed as it's incredibly moisturising, I also put this on any dry spots that are particularly dry and need that extra bit of help to recover. 

Products I use once or twice a week: 

• Liz Earle gentle face exfoliator: I tend to use this once or twice a week depending on how much my skin needs it. I only use this after I have cleansed my face first with the cleanse and Polish. 

• Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask: I use this once a week especially at this time of year to really moisturise my skin. I also only use this after I have used cleaned my face with the cleanse and polish. 

Do you have a skincare routine? What are your favourite skincare products? Do you use any of these products. 

The Barney picture today is of Barney on his walk this morning! He looks super happy in this picture almost like he is smiling bless him! Katie and him were running around the fields this morning like crazy dogs, they just love to play and chase each other. Walking has been lovely at the moment especially with this beautiful sun that we have at the moment. 

Hope you are all well and jolly :)

Anna-Louise 

xx

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Beauty | High end products worth the hype

Hello there :)

How is everyone today? Hope you are all fine and dandy :) I've just got back from a family holiday in Wales which I must say is a beautiful country, however I'm not such a fan of the steep hills, heights are not really my thing! Do any of you like heights? I'm currently writing this in front of a lovely warm log burner, I don't know what it is about log burners but there is just something very calm and relaxing about them and they also make me feel very homely. 

I'm really enjoying writing some beauty posts at the moment, and have really been enjoying the #bbloggers chats on Sundays and 8pm and Wednesdays at 8pm! I love finding out what others think about beauty products and also finding out about what products others think are worth the hype which is kind of what inspired me to do this post. I have also seen similar posts so thought I would share my thoughts on which high end beauty products I think are worth the hype. I find posts like this incredibly useful as high end products are never on the cheap side so it's useful to find out if you are going to get your money's worth. 

There are so many beauty products out there at the moment all claiming they are the best so it can sometimes be difficult to pick one! I tend to read a lot of reviews before I purchase something as I want to make sure others have loved it as then I'm more likely to get on with it and especially when they are products that are going to make me spend a few penny's. I have in the past rushed out to buy certain products that I have then not got on with and I wish I had researched more into before hand.  

There are a number of high end beauty products that have been raved about in the blogging community and I thought I would share with you today the ones that I thought where worth the hype! You may already have some of these products and love them or hate them or you may be tempted to buy them! Either way I hope this post is either  enjoyable to read or helps you :) 

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation: Now I'm sure you all have either heard about this product or have it yourself. It is certainly a product that has been talked about non stop in the blogging community and I'm not surprised why. I must admit I heard about it through other bloggers and vloggers and I'm so glad I did as this has easily become my new holy grail foundation. I have quite dry skin in the winter and fairly normal skin the rest of the year so I wasn't really after a heavy or matte foundation. I was after something that would provide me with light to medium coverage and give me a healthy looking glow and Nars sheer glow has definitely met all of my requirements. It's super easy to apply and blend and gives such a nice healthy looking finish. I've been impressed with this product since day one of owning it and I can't recommend it enough. The other great thing about it is that it lasts all day, which is great as there is nothing worse than wearing a foundation that slips off your face throughout the day. Although this foundation is not on the cheaper side of things I can definitely see why people rate it so highly and if you are thinking about purchasing this personally I feel it's worth a little spending splurge on. 

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream: Now I'm sure lots of you again either own this magical cream or have heard about it. This was another product that I had heard being rated so highly throughout the blogging community and as it's winter and my skin tends to suffer I wanted to give this a try to combat some of my worst dry spots and let me tell you I am extremely glad I did. This cream is so moisturising and is great for lips and those dry spots other products can't quite seem to sort out. I tend to use it when I do my morning and evening skincare routines and you don't need much of it for it to work it's magic. My lips have been super soft since I have been using it, and it has really helped some of the dry areas on my face. If I'm honest I'm not a fan of the taste but that's probably because your not meant to really eat it so I don't recommend trying that. If your thinking of purchasing this product I say go for it you won't be disappointed I certainly wasn't!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wizz: Now I don't know about you guys but I'm obsessed with my brows and always have been since I was a young teen so am always on the hunt for the next best eyebrow product and well I think I may just have found it. I'm sure lots of you will have heard of the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow range as Anastasia is the queen of brows after all. I have tried a couple of other brow products on the market but nothing worked as well for me as her Brow Wizz has done! I'm officially in love with it, and the best thing about it is that it makes my brows look great without looking fake or drawn on. I really want to try the brow promenade but I don't quite trust myself with it as it's a gel and well me and gel products have a love hate relationship but it's something I want to try in the future for sure. The Brow Wizz has a wax pencil at one end and a spooley brush at the other end. It's a great product for filling in your brows quickly and easily. It's certainly a product I can see being in my make up bag for a very long time in the future. 

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara: Now I'm sure you will have all heard of this product! It has been talked about non stop recently in the blogging community as it is Benefits newest mascara and there was a free sample in the latest ELLE magazine which everyone including myself jumped at the chance of trying. When I first heard about this product I just thought it would be another one of those products claiming they can make your lashes look insane but always being disappointed when you actually try them. However Benefit have got this one just right, I have been beyond impressed with this mascara, and even my mum has who has short lashes with no real curl. Now we both have super long curled lashes and I can see why everyone was raving about it. I currently only have the tester version but both me and my mum will be purchasing the full size versions of this product. I have found my holy grail mascara.

Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette: Hourglass is a brand that I have only stumbled across in the past few months and I'm sure glad I did, the blogging community is partly to thank for this. They are a more expensive high end brand but the quality of their products is incredible. I stumbled across this palette and fell in love so got my aunt to pick it up from America for me for Christmas as it's much cheaper over there and I'm so glad she did. You get 3 different shades of blushes in this product; Luminous Flash which is a champagne rose colour, Incandescent Electra which is a peach colour and Mood Exposure which is a plum colour. All of these shades also have a illuminating powders in which make the colours look amazing. The great thing about these blushes is that a little product goes a long way which is great as it means this is hopefully going to be a long lasting palette that you get your money's worth from. I've been super impressed with this palette every time I have used it and is a great addition to my makeup collection. 

What high end products do you think are worth the hype? Have any of you managed to find any dupes for these products? 

Now today's Barney picture was taken by my lovely father, I thought I better give him credit for this photo as he took it and it will make him feel special! He's cute and reads all my blogs too so hi dad this photo is a shoutout to you! This Barney photo was taken on our last walk in Wales on our holiday, I think someone was holding a stick for Barney to pose like this, he loves sticks and there were plenty of them in the woods we walked in. Poor Barney did get a bit confused with what was a stick and what was actually still a tree at times. 

Hope you are all well and jolly :) 

Anna-Louise

xx

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