Estee Lauder | Pure Color Envy Sculpting Eye Shadow 5-Colour Palette in 'Rebel Metal'

I wasn't planning to do a review on this item as it is fairly pricey (retails at £40,00 on the Estee Lauder website!!) and not something I would have looked at twice in the shops if I hadn't been given it as a gift...but Estee Lauder you have made a believer out of me! I was recently given the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy
Sculpting Eye Shadow 5-Colour Palette in 'Rebel Metal' and on first glance I wasn't overly enthusiastic because I have never been much of a shimmery eye shadow lover. The more matte the shadow the better in my opinion. I think it was the gorgeous selection of neutral browns and golds that intrigued me enough to give this palette a try and I am so glad I did! The plus points of this palette are that it has a large mirror inside (yessssssssss), five shades including a light, shimmery highlighter shade which immediately caught my eye and is encase in slim packaging, which makes this product a hand bag must have. The selection of colours makes it easy to create so many different yet stunning looks with minimal effort as they were so easy to blend and had almost no fall out onto the face, making them perfect to use when touching up from day to night. The shadows aren't too shimmery where you can see each fleck of glitter on your lids, but creates a dewy sheen that looks very natural. Blending these shadows together creates a seamless gradient of colours that can be used lightly as a wash of colour over the lids or built up to create a dramatic look, perfect for day time or night time! All in all I am very happy with this palette and will continue to use these buttery, blend-able, beautiful shadows for all occasions.

Link: http://www.esteelauder.co.uk/product/631/31435/Product-Catalog/Makeup/Pure-Color-Envy/Sculpting-EyeShadow-5-Color-Palette

Fitness Apps | Hit or Miss: Yoga Studio

App name: 'Yoga Studio' by Modern Lotus

Price: £2.99

Compatibility: Apple software (Information from the app store: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimised for iPhone 5) I have an iPhone 4S (living in the stone age, I know!) and it works perfectly on mine.

Other Information: Voted 'Best Yoga App for iPhone' in the Best App Ever Awards 2013 (see app store for reviews and more information).

Verdict: HIT!!

If you have read my previous blog post on dealing with stress on my old blog site (www.georgiageorgiou17.wix.xom/beautyandtheteach) you will know that I am very much into yoga and have been since January 2014. Through my yoga practice so far, I have been to many different classes and tried a few different styles to see what suited me the most as I was mainly there for stress relief and relaxation. Personally, having a dance background, I found it easy to pick up techniques, poses and routines fairly quickly which meant that I enjoyed challenging myself with harder, more complex moves as time went on. One problem I did have was my schedule; I was too busy to commit to attend classes on a weekly basis and being a student sometimes meant that I didn't always have money to spend on classes each week. I decided to try and find yoga routines that I could follow at home when and if I had any free time, which is when I stumbled across Yoga Studio in the app store.

Now let me tell you straight, this app is good. I wouldn't be recommending a £2.99 app to you otherwise because we all love a good free alternative! The main things I love about Yoga Studio is that it has classes readily prepared for you to follow for all levels/abilities (which come complete with an instructors voice to follow and on screen demonstrations as well), there are different types of classes for different needs such as stretching, meditation etc and there is a whole bank of yoga asanas/poses at your disposal with a full description and accompanying image telling you how to do each one correctly. Each pose in the bank has the names in English and Sanskrit (if they aren't new variations) as well, so whichever way you have been learning the asanas in class or if you are a complete yoga novice you can understand everything. Also, there is a scheduling tool whereby you download the classes you want to do and schedule to do them into your day and it remembers the time and date to remind you! This links to your iPhone/pod/pad calendar so it's visible there too! What more could you need!

The 'Studio' section of the app is where you can customise your routines, classes, yoga focus and duration of the classes you chose to do. This is great because each person can make a full routine which suits their level, focus and time frame they have to do the workout in, so if you have 5 minutes to spare or 45 minutes there is something for everyone.

I won't go on too much more because there are just so many great things about this app that really make it worth the price in my opinion. I have had the app for around a year now and always know I have a full yoga class to complete, tailored to me when I have the time to do it.  

I hope this post helped to encourage more of you to go out and try yoga, especially with this great app at your fingertips, and be active no matter what your schedule is like! I'd love to hear in the comments what fitness apps you have been loving so I can try them out too!  Thank you for reading and share this post if you liked it xoxo





















Links for more information on the app and to download it:
http://yogastudioapp.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/yoga-studio/id567767430?mt=8

ASOS Must Haves | Spring Wishlist

Now that Spring has officially sprung, I am in full pastel swing! I have been scrolling through the ASOS website recently to see what beautiful clothes they have out for spring and these are a few looks I have come across that have caught my eye! From the colours to the styles, I can't get enough! I order from this site all the time and love the different varieties of brands they stock so there is always something for everyone, no matter your budget. I would definitely recommend having a look on their website to see some more stylish outfits for spring inspiration!
Let me know in the comments what fashion trends you are loving this spring and if you shop at ASOS too!
Thanks for reading xoxo

This Months Line Up | March Favourites

 Hi guys! This post is dedicated to my monthly favourites from March including some beauty, fashion and lifestyle bits I've been loving so I hope you enjoy!


Firstly I'm going to talk about my newest perfume obsession: YSL Black Opium. If any of you remember the original YSL Opium and it's very strong, distinctive scent, you may feel skeptical to try this perfume as I know that scent wasn't for everyone. This perfume is nothing like the original
Opium as it is much more understated and wearable for everyday but still has a long lasting scent. The top to base notes are black coffee, white florals  and vanilla which seem like an odd mix but really work together. I have been complimented by absolute strangers when I have been wearing this smell which shows how attention grabbing it is even though it is quite muted. I am in love with this fragrance and can't wait to repurchase it!






Next is a product I'm not going to dwell on too much as my previous post was dedicated to it and that is the Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara. The packaging is slim and luxurious, the formula is fast drying yet not so much that you can't apply a few layers without it clumping and the wand has a plastic brush with short and long bristles to create length, add volume and coat even the tiniest lashes to create a lash doubling effect... all for £7.99. Wow.

 Coming into spring, I've been more inclined to wear a glossier, nude lip to compliment pastel shades and fresher makeup. So far, this Barry M lip gloss is by far my number one drug store lip product of the moment as this gloss is just everything. It's tinted but still sheer, long lasting and makes your lips look fuller without too much effort on your part. It also looks good on top of other lipsticks to give them a glossy finish as well as looking amazing on its own. It is a one stop shop for all around better looking lips and is great for those of us on a budget too! This one is in the shade Tofee (spelt that way on the Superdrug website) and is currently on sale for £3.49! You can't get much better than that really!  



My next favourite are these lashes from Eylure. They are new to the 'Exaggerate' range and I love them! For me, they are dupes of the Ardell Wispies as they are long and fluttery with a similar lash formation. They are easier for me to find in the UK as I usually have to buy my Wispies online which can drive the price up with delivery included. One downside is that these 141 lashes were a little long for my eyes so I did have to cut a bit off of them to make them look more natural and sit better on my eye. Other than that these are a fantastic pair of lashes that give equal amounts of volume and length to the lashes, perfect for a night out!



Next I have another dupe! This month I have been IN LOVE with the Maybelline Fit Me concealer in the shade 15. The coverage is so good, it's light weight and is so soft on the skin that it doesn't feel like you are wearing makeup. I got this concealer in a lighter shade to my skin tone to use as a highlighter under the eyes and I do believe this to be a dupe of the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. Obviously they are not identical but not everyone has the budget to spend £22 on a concealer so this is a great alternative that rivals a lot of high end products in my opinion. If you are in the market for a new under eye brightener/highlighter/concealer this product is for you.



A fashion favourite for this month are these beautiful Ferni boots in black from Public Desire. These boots are so feminine and stylish I couldn't say no! They are made from synthetic leather and come up just above the ankle which is a really unusual cut in a boot which made me love them even more. I purchased them when the website was having a 15% off boots sale so I didn't pay the full £34.99, I paid £29.74 which made buying them all the more sweeter! I recently wore them out to dinner and to a party with friends so they are quite versatile in regards to wearing them to many different places. Jeans, trousers, a skirt, a dress; these bad boys will go with anything! And, get this, they are easy to walk in! I was very afraid of falling over in them when I saw how thin the heel was but the boot is so sturdy round the ankle area its almost impossible to lose your balance. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for an ankle-ish high style boot with a heel!


Finally, a food favourite for the month of March is KALE CHIPS! These tasty snacks are so yummy and not bad for you like crisps and require little to no effort to make! If you would want me to write a post on how I make my kale chips let me know in the comments!

That's all my favourites for March, thank you for reading and share this post if you liked it! Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' and send me your blog links too! xoxo

Links:
Black Opium Perfume http://www.theperfumeshop.com/fcp/product/womens-perfumes/yves-saint-laurent/black%20opium/3373
Lash Sensational mascara http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Lash-Sensational-Lash-Multiplying-Mascara-9-5ml_1655586/
Barry M Lip Gloss http://www.superdrug.com/Barry-M/Barry-M-Lip-Gloss-Wand-Tofee/p/582328#.VR2xYPnF-So
Eylure Exaggerate Lashes 141 http://www.boots.com/en/Eylure-Exaggerate-141-Lashes_1457852/
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer http://www.superdrug.com/Maybelline/Maybelline-Fit-Me-Concealer-Medium-25/p/498753#.VR2x7vnF-So
Ferni Black PU Boots http://www.publicdesire.co.uk/back-in-stock/ferni-black-pu-boots.html

Maybelline Lash Sensational vs Benefit Roller Lash

Recently I've been in the market for a new mascara and, considering as I've used the same type of mascara for the majority of my makeup wearing days, this was a new experience for me! I decided on narrowing my choices down to two mascaras that are similar in wand shape and formula to try out. These are the Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara and the Benefit Roller Lash which have both taken the beauty world by storm.

After trying both products throughout March, I can say I much prefer the Lash Sensational over the Benefit mascara for various different reasons; however, there are good and bad points about both products in my opinion that I will be sharing with you.



On first impressions after opening the products, the wands are extremely similar. Benefit's brush is patent-pending with the unique 'hook and roll' technology that is supposed to grab hold of the lashes at the root and pull them into a curl as you roll the brush upwards. Personally, I have very long, straight lashes that need curling beforehand for them to stay curled throughout the day, but I was assured by the sales assistant that I didn't need to do this because of the products immense holding power. Unfortunately for me it didn't quite live up to the '12 hour hold' expectation expressed on the Benefit Cosmetics website as the formula didn't hold its curl for that long at all, but for people with natural curled lashes the quick drying formula will keep your lashes nicely curled for a fair amount of time. Also, the fast drying formula made my lashes clump after a few coats and further weighed them down, losing any traces of a curl.

In contrast, I was skeptical about the Lash Sensational mascara as the formula was slightly wetter and I usually try to avoid wet formulas as they weigh down my lashes and do not hold a curl. The brush was very similar in general shape to the Roller Lash so I was interested to see if the results would be the same. To my surprise, the wand separated and lengthened my lashes beautifully and even gave me some volume after I used the longer bristles on the outer side of the brush. The formula was not too dry so it didn't clump when I applied a few layers but still fast drying so it would hold my lashes curl throughout the day. All in all, I was extremely impressed with the Maybelline mascara and will continue to purchase it again. Obviously each mascara works differently on different lashes and I've heard so many great things about both products so I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
 

My overall thoughts on the products:

Lash sensational:

• Sleek, pretty packaging.
• Not an overly drying formula so can be layered to create volume without clumping.
• Plastic wand with short and long bristles to create different effects.
• Wand head is a bit too large to get super close to the lash line for those of us with smaller eyes.
• Small bristles coat even the tiniest of lashes giving a 'doubling' effect.
• Lengthened my lashes to give a fluttery effect.
• Purse friendly (£7.99 at boots).

Roller Lash:

• Pretty, ergonomic rubber handle that is easy to grip.
• Fun packaging which is nice to look at.
• Fast drying formula.
• Can be clumpy because of the drier formula.
• Smaller wand head so great for those of us with smaller eyes.
• Does not hold a curl for long on straight lashes without curling first.
• Did not lengthen my lashes as much as I'd hoped.   
• Pretty pricey (I paid £19.50 for mine at Debenhams).

 Thank you for reading and share this post if you liked it! xoxo

Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara: http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Lash-Sensational-Lash-Multiplying-Mascara-9-5ml_1655586/
Benefit Roller Lash mascara: http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123901013699_-1