5 Minute Make-Up with NO MIRRORS Challenge with Taupe and Teacups || hellobeccy

YES it's happened, it's real, HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS. YouTube virginity taken. Here you can find me and the lovely Jess from Taupe and Teacups trying to apply our makeup in less than 5 minutes and without use of mirrors. Feel free to take a look at our ridiculous faces, it would make me very cheerful if you did and especially if you gave it a thumbs up!!

You can also find us doing the same thing but WITH mirrors (this is actually more difficult) over on Jess's channel or just click below!

on my iPhone - protection Kate Spade style

Lets be honest - noone wants to shell out big bucks because they've broken their iPhone, and this is exactly what I had to do this last month. Dropped to the floor at a wonderful (and wine-ful) wedding and the screen smashed to pieces. Not my only regret in the morning but certainly the most expensive and painful to think about with a hangover.

So, £87 later, I am reunited with my phone and decided to invest in a blummin good case for it. For as long as i've been buying iPhones i've been totally obsessed with the Kate Spade cases. They are the most stylish ones I have ever come across as well as the most protective. Genuinely. I have used them for my iPhone 4, iPhone 5 and now iPhone 6. Until recently there were none easily available in the UK and i'm pretty certain I wouldn't have smashed anything had I already had this case.

 So why are they so good?! Well for one they protect everything except the screen. There are two layers to them - a rubber layer that protects the sides and all the 'rims' around the edges of the phone, including the bottom of it. This also protects all the buttons. On top of this the plastic (and pretty) part clicks into place and adds the extra hardshell protection.

For only £29.95 from the Apple Store for iPhone 6 and iPhone 5 (I had the black one with white dots) they are worth EVERY PENNY. I promise.

Also if you ever do smash an iPhone 6 screen - Apple repair it for £87 and it's a genuine repair.

Lots of love,
Beccy

On Military Red Burberry Kisses

You know those tweets you get offering free samples that seem too good to be true?! Well I went for one... And it looks pretty legit! And even if it isn't this is the most beautiful fake lipstick I've ever encountered!!

There were a few colour options for Burberry Kisses lipstick samples and I went for Military Red because I don't have any reds quite like it and I wanted to give red a try!

          

The colour and formula of this lipstick is GORGEOUS. Not to mention the pattern on the packaging and product which is lovely by itself. 

The colour is stunning - almost a pillar box red as you can see in the bottom picture but a bit deeper. It's a moisturising, creamy formula that slides easily onto the lips and leaves a shiny finish. In short - I LOVE it!

Have you tried any of the Burberry Kisses lipsticks? Or received any other free samples that are frankly unbelievable??! And which colour do you think would suit my skin best? Please help me out!!

Beccy xx

on my nails - Barry M Gelly Nail Paint

WHY is it raining? We had a couple of ridiculously beautiful days but now it seems like I wake up to rain every day. On a recent horribly wet and glum day I found myself in Boots (where else) picking out some bright, happy nail polishes.

I love the gelly nail polish from Barry M - the formula is so easy to apply and the colour payoff is amazing. The gel like finish is perfect, smooth and snhiny. I've been wearing Huckleberry for almost a week and with only minimal chips, nothing to complain about there! These were £3.99 and are often on 3 for 2 - I got three of these for the price of one Essie polish. I do love Essie but sometimes I can't limit myself to one colour and my bank balance is VERY thankful for cheaper alternatives!

I'm thinking Prickly Pear for Easter weekend to add some cheer to my fingertips while stuck at work.

Have a very happy Easter!!
Beccy x

on my wish list - Springspiration

iPhone 6 Case - kate spade new york // Cagefighter Purple Sunglasses - House of Holland // 

Teal Blue Orchid - Essie

Orange Cut Out Skater - Miss Selfridge // Rebel 24 Leather Shoulder Bag - Marc by Marc Jacobs // Tropical Tie Front Playsuit - Miss Selfridge

Zoe - Vagabond // Volupte Shine in Jealous Coral - YSL // Grace - Vagabond 

Just a few things I want need for Spring 2015!!!

Whats on your wishlist?

Love,  Beccy x

on my nails - Essie Splash of Grenadine

After two 60 hour weeks at work and zero energy for blogging/moving/staying awake past 9pm I have been fully loving the sun this weekend!

Yes, it really feels like SPRING HAS ARRIVED *sounds claxon* and with it is the return of the brighter nails into my life. I like a red or purple over winter but spring and summer bring the ridiculously bright taxi yellow, the flashy corals and any possible shade of pastel anything back to my fingertips.

Here we have Essie's Splash of Grenadine brightening up my fingers and toes and adding a little extra happy to my day.

What colour makes you feel like spring?

Love,

Beccy

on anosmia - Life With No Sense of Smell

 

I love perfume.

Well... I love the IDEA of perfume. I love the pretty bottles, the feeling of using a luxury product and the hope that people will be distracted by how I smell and not notice that my winged eyeliner is painfully uneven. A girl can live in hope.

Ever since I can remember I have had no sense of smell. I don't often feel like I'm missing out because I never knew what it was like to smell and have no concept of what a smell really is (but yes I can taste the difference between a potato and an onion).

Anyhow, the whole anosmia situation makes perfume buying... Tricky. I tend to be drawn to the prettiest bottles then need to rely on whoever I'm shopping with at the time to confirm that it does smell good, it does suit me and it is worth the investment. This is where honesty is realllly important because all too often we say 'oh yes that's nice' because we don't want to offend a friend but I like to think my mum/boyfriend/shopping partner du jour is kind enough to let me not walk around smelling horrific for the sake of a pretty bottle.

So now if you ever bump into me in the hospital coffee shop smelling like I'm trying to attract wild males on a night out in town you'll know why! And maybe not judge too harshly! A lot of hope going on here.

I'll leave it there with a plea for your suggestions of perfume that comes in a pretty or interesting bottle to force other people to smell next time I find myself in boots and this picture of me 5 years ago. I went to the toilet at the library and came back to find a kind friend had left this on my desk. Hint: it didn't work.

Love,

Beccy x

on disappointment - Is this the worst product EVER?!

So we all know that feeling. We spend £10 on something and it doesn't quite do exactly what we expected and we feel a bit annoyed we spent £10 on it but give it a good use and are secretly happy when it runs out, right? There's 'wasting money' which is when we buy all the naked palettes at once because we have to have them even though they might not really suit our skin tone *ahem* and then there's actually wasting money. Where we'd have been no better off just shredding a £10 note.

For the first time EVER I have spent money on something that is frankly unusable. Welcome to my diary of disappointment Nip + Fab Bee Sting Eye Fix.

The first dissapointment was the amount of product in the pot. You buy a pot of something and expect it to be at least 3/4 full if not full to the brim. This is how much product you get. 

I would say it is about 1/8 the size of the pot. It's pretty deceptive! Give me a tiny pot and at least I'll know how much to expect but this is ridiculous!

Have I just got a duff one?!

Second disappointment is that this 1/8 of product is super dry. You can see where I've stuck my finger in it and only been able to make a finger mark, not get any out.

You can get... Flakes out. If you stick your nails into it. Which is a bit disgusting. 

And even when you HAVE got some flakes out when you try and rub it onto your under eye or between your fingers it stays as flakes!!!! What is the point?!

I don't even think I can put into words how alarmed I am at the uselessness of this product!

Is it supposed to be in tiny amounts and completely unusable?!

Am I doing something wrong?!

No link to where you can get this from because I don't want to be responsible for genuinely wasting your money.

Stay away!!!

Beccy x

on an adventure - Trentham Gardens

Whilst on annual leave last week I visited Trentham Gardens with my Aunty Kate.

Trentham Gardens in Stoke on Trent incorporates a large lake with numerous garden areas, a waterside cafe and a maze.

There is a walk around the lake with these gorgeous, arty fairys to look out for with the purpose of keeping children interested. 

It's free to park and only £7.35 to get into the gardens - totally worth it!

There is also a shopping village and large garden centre adjacent to the gardens. The shops range from clothing to trinkets, art to food. Its really beautiful to have a mooch around or, if you're like me, accidentally spend all your money.

My favourite store is Yellowstone Art Boutique - full of gorgeous cards, posters, wrapping paper... my idea of heaven! You can have a browse online -  far too much lovely stuff and I am a bit worried now I've opened the website that I might accidentally buy EVERYTHING.

What do you all like to do on a weekend?

Love Beccy x

on ambience - Hourglass Ambient Lighting

Holy mackerel this stuff is GOOD.

And you know its good when fish is referenced in the first sentence of a blog post - that's all I'm saying.

I'm relatively late to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette party but having used this almost daily for the last month I can safely say I am obsessed.
I don't have any idea how they do it.

Dim light is a perfect powder shade for me - it adds a bit of extra colour as it is a little darker than my skin. I use just a slight wash of this over my skin.
Incandescent light is the highlighter shade but it is incredibly subtle, which for me makes it even more beautiful. There's no glitter or sparkle but a gives a sheen finish 'brightness'.
Radiant light is far too dark to be used all over my face but in small doses add a subtle bronzey glow to contour areas.

This trio of powders provides all the right colours for me to bronze, highlight and set my face and add a 'glow from within' exactly as Hourglass say it should!

The palette was pricey but for all three colours I really can't complain, especially as you use such small amounts each time.

The individual colours can be bought here at Space NK for £38.

What do you think - worth the cost?

Beccy x

on an adventure - Crufts + Vlog

Yesterday my gorgeous friend Liz and I went to Crufts along with her gorgeous baby daughter.

For those who don't know, Crufts is one of the largest dog events in the world and is held in Birmingham at the NEC. Saturday was Hound and Terrier day so we got to meet all kinds of hounds and terriers and see them do obedience events and group events.

There are 5 halls full of stalls and dogs and each with activity rings for the events.
There is also an arena which is the bit shown on TV - dogs jumping through hoops, doing heelwork, having their agility tested. We didn't go into the arena and stuck to the halls and meeting the dogs!

We took the camera along for the day and I made my first ever vlog which has just been uploaded to YouTube - have a look and join us on our exciting trip!!

Beccy x

on my face - Chanel Perfection Lumiere

At this time of year my skin takes a disliking for my all time favourite foundation Estee Lauder's Double Wear.  I'm combination to oily on the best of days but when the weather is colder Double Wear becomes just too sticky and thick.

Step up Chanel Perfection Lumiere.

I have to admit when I found myself in Debenhams in Chester I was not expecting to leave with something with the polar opposite amount of coverage to what I am used to. I wanted something lighter on the skin but still with good staying power and ability to mask redness, enormous pores and my oily nose.

The colour of this foundation matches my skin perfectly, blends in like a dream and leaves a nice velvety finish. It looks perfect when first applied and provides a wonderful base for blush, contour and powder. It provides light to medium coverage and feels unbelievably lightweight on the skin.

My only issue with the foundation is that by the end of the working day my skin is looking far from perfect and the redness in my skin is starting to shine through like a beacon saying 'LET ME GO TO BED NOW'.

So girls - help a sista out.
I need something long wearing, slightly dewy, oil controlling and light. Is this impossible?! I need suggestions for what to try or confirmation that I'm asking for something that just doesn't exist so I can move on with my life!!

Beccy

on a roll - Benefit Roller Lash Review

I thought Benefit had outdone themselves when they released 'They're Real' - a mascara so good I forgot for a long while that YSL's Effet Faux Cils even existed.

And then came Roller Lash.

As you can see I rushed out to buy Elle magazine for my free sample and having tried it for the past 2 weeks let me put it out there - I am converted.

I'll let the pictures do the talking from here but safe to say I'll be purchasing the full size when mine runs out.

Hands up if you'll be running out to buy this mascara!

Available from feelunique.com for £19.50

Beccy

on Grace and Greta - NARS Audacious Lipstick

Without hesitation let me introduce you to two new and exquisitely beautiful ladies in my life - Grace and Greta.

Whilst killing time in Selfridges on Tuesday (always a dangerous place to kill time) I discovered two lipsticks that I didn't even know I needed. The NARS counter with its beautiful matte black packaging called to me across the beauty hall and I just got swept towards it. There are times in your life when you realise resistance is futile and this was one of those times.

The Audacious lippies come in beautiful matte black metal packaging with the signature NARS written around the bottom. If you had 4 of these lined up they would actually spell NARS across them (hello excuse to buy two more).

The packaging is also metallic so the lid sticks to the base - useful if you are carrying one round in your bag! They also slightly attract and repel one another which has no real benefit apart from being slightly overexciting to the inner physicist in me.

Grace is a bright pink coral which for me is on the border of red and pink and can certainly look more red or more pink depending on the lighting.
Greta is a much pinker colour. NARS describe this colour as wild azalea and my goodness it is beautiful and I think I might be in love.

Both lipsticks are creamy and the colour pay-off is incredible. They are bright enough to add something special for a night out or to just add a pop of extra colour during the day.

Have you tried any of the Audacious lipsticks and introduced some new ladies into your life?! Let me know who(!) you like the best.

Beccy
x

You can buy these beauties or any of their friends from Space NK and Selfridges .