the natural eye makeup look

Firstly, on a none post related note, yesterday was Alevel Results Day and so I hope if any of you received results you were happy with your grades, and if you are in the same position as me got into University. Also good luck if you're still waiting to hear about your results good luck for them too! Back to the post, today I'm trying something slightly different and showing you how I do this ultra simple natural eye make up, I know it's not the most detailed and dramatic look but for a simple day it's normally all I have time for and can be bothered to do! So, I use three different shadows on this look, and two are within an avon compact. The AVON true colour compact is in iced coffee and the  MAC eyeshadow is a fake (from ebay) but it works perfectly fine and is in the shade Sable. Both of these were cheap which is why they have a lot of fall out and are not the most pigmented but they're good enough for me. Though to swatch the palest shade in the picture above it took a good number of tries. This is  why I just use the palest cream colour in the inner corner of my eyes to brighten them. I then swipe the "coffee" brown all over my lid, blending it into the lighter colour. Finally in the outer corner I blend a tiny bit of sable and bring it up into my crease. Normally, I'd complete the look with a little eyeliner or bring the darker eyeshadow along the lower lash line and complete with liquid eyeliner on top and a bit more mascara, I was definitely having a lazy day when I took these pictures!

the body shop blue corn 3-in-1 deep cleansing mask

This was a little treat I picked up in my recent trip to Birmingham, skincare is something that I've neglected recently and I've always found that a good pamper session and a face mask definitely does help my skin! This was a product I've heard nothing about, but I trust the body shop and love everything I've ever tried from them so I thought this would definitely be worth a try. 

It costs ten pound for 100ml, which is quite a big tub as well, and I just tent to apply it to my TZone so this definitely well last my a good few months. On the label it says it will cleanse, ex-foliate and purify and has blue corn powder and recommends its for normal to oily skin. My skin isn't the worst skin in the world but it can get oily and I'll get a series of outbreaks so this seems like the right product for my situation. Although I would be careful about using this if you have sensitive or dry skin as it does feel quite harsh when it starts to dry on your face. I find it easiest to apply with my fingers, and apply it to my forehead, nose and chin as this is where I get the worst spots. It's quite a thick mask with a strong scent, which isn't unpleasant but you can definitely smell it, because the formula is thick a little does go a long way and it's quite smooth and doesn't have a gritty texture. It's refreshing on the skin when drying and does feel a little tingly but in my head that just means it's actually doing something. I leave it for ten to fifteen minutes before washing it off. Once I've gently washed it all off my skin looks and feels refreshed, and also feels a lot smoother. However beware a couple of hours later it will have prompted some spots too emerge so definitely use this a few days before a big occasion and not a couple of hours before! Overall, this face mask does everything I could ask for and is a product I will definitely repurchase in the future and would recommend to people.

my ebay experience

This is a slightly different post to normal but I thought it would be a good idea, because until this year I was always too scared and intimidated by ebay in order to use it. However now I've used it numerous times I'm much more confident in both buying and selling and it's such a useful site as you can buy pretty much everything on there and always a reduced price. For example, I'm going to a festival, well I'll actually be there when I post this, but through ebay I was able to get some wellies but not pay a ridiculous price for them.

Firstly, let's talk about using ebay a buyer, I've hardly ever used ebay to bid on an item as I've never found anything I particularly want. However this brings me to say when you are bidding know your budget and don't pay more than you could buy it normally for, and make sure you really want the item. Don't just keep bidding just so you can say you've won. *also always include the postage price in your budget so you're not surprised at the end* This brings me on to say once you've won the item, make sure you pay sooner rather than later as not paying will not only infuriate the seller but it will also disadvantage you as your item won't be posted until you've paid.

Ebay also has the buy it now option, which I must admit, probably out of laziness I use a lot more, this is fairly simple but always read the details and description about the product and so you're completely sure what you're buying. Similarly I'd also mention that there's a lot of fakes on ebay, and so if it seems too cheap to be true it's probably not true. No genuine high end make up product, unless its been used, well cost 3 or 4 pounds. Also if you do think it's not a fake, always check the picture and the seller.No one would be selling 2948342 benefit products if they were all real, but if they only have a couple of make up items and taken a genuine picture and not a photoshopped white back ground one you can probably trust the product.

This was the part I found most taunting and was too scared to but using ebay as seller was a lot easier than I expected. Although the first few times I used it I was unsure I was doing it correctly and didn't want to do it wrong as I knew it was other peoples money I was dealing with. Firstly to be a seller you need to set up a paypal account in order for your money to go into which is so simple and easy to use. Then for selling you items you get 20 free listings a month but you want to do some research in order to make sure you get the most money possible and select the right and most sensible amount for postage. Make sure your title is relevant and in the right category and be honest in your description, don't lie and say something's new when it's obviously been worn or damaged because that will not lead to a happy customer. Something I'll stand buy is a good clear picture will also help your product sell, make sure the item is the clear focus on the photo, against a nice background and nicely displayed. No one will want to buy you top if it's all crinkled and looks like it needs a good wash and an iron. Then it's patience, though you could have 20 watchers the actual bidding probably won't start until the last 24 hours. Once the person has paid, make sure you post the item in the next two days as well. Careful if you're posting more than one as you want to get them the right way round and make sure you've included everything you've said you are selling. If you a new to ebay you'll have to wait a few weeks for your funds to be available to you, however this has benefited me ass it means I've let mine build up and so it's encouraged me to actually save some money!

So this post is significantly longer than I originally planned but I hope it's offered you some advice on using ebay and convinced you buying and selling items on the site is nothing to be intimated by. Also using ebay on an Ipad and Phone is so simple too as you can use the device to take the pictures too and it simply walks you through the process step by step so you'll soon be a pro.

natural world moroccan argan oil

Natural World's Moroccan Argan Oil is a moisture repair hair oil treatment, I've never used any form of oil on my hair before unless it's been in my shampoo so I was unsure what to expect. My hair was beginning to feel dry and a bit "lifeless" so I thought for a few pounds this could be worth a try! The packaging says that "this luxurious and lightweight hair treatment oil is infused with precious certified organic Argan Oil, known for its ability to lock in moisture, nourish, smooth, repair and instantly restore shine and softness. Silky perfection for all hair types" and that's a pretty big claim for a product. Though I have been impressed as it has restored my hair and made it feel so much more healthier, so much that I've used it every wash since I've used it and I can instantly tell if I haven't used it.

Also there isn't one set way to apply this, you can apply it to the ends of damp hair, comb through dry hair, used before shampooing in the shower or mixing a little bit with your conditioner, and after blow drying. I've tried most of these and I think it's easier to mix a few drops with my conditioner and this makes my hair feel a lot softer and harsh. Although I am interest to try it after blow drying as it says it will maintain frizz, which sadly I haven't mastered the art of blow drying my hair without it resembling hermonie granger yet.

It's also purse friendly option and a couple of pounds for 100ml it's such good value for a good product that works, and as you're only using a few drops at a time it'll last such a long time. I'd definitely recommend this, but I've never tried any other argan oils before so it could be the actual product rather than the brand's version that I like.

garnier summer body moisturising lotion

I started using this Garnier gradual fake tan/ body moisturiser last summer and because it looks like quite a big bottle I feel like I should like it more than I do. For 250ml and I'm sure this costs under a fiver it's good value for money and it does last a long time because you only need a little bit to cover your body. For the consistency, it is moisturising and refreshing on the skin and dries quite fast so you're not spending ages waiting for it to dry. It does have the fake tan biscuity kinda smell but the apricot extract mixed in with that doesn't make it unpleasant (even though the way I've described it does).

On the bottle is says it will gradually build a natural looking sun-kissed tan and gives 12 hours of moisturisation both of these I agree with. However the reason I dislike this product is I love it when it's first applied but then after one wash I'll discover an orange patch somewhere on my leg or my arm, which isn't too noticeable as this is only a gradual tan but I know it's there and it is a bit orangey. Though when it's first applied it always looks even and natural so it's hard to judge this one. So I actually do like this fake tan, I'm just not able to get the perfect even tan with it (it's probably something I'm doing rather than the fake tan itself)

the spending ban

After numerous shopping trips, it's time to start being a bit more careful with my money. This is why from the 22nd of July to the 22nd of August I am going on a spending ban. This means I'm going to not buy a single beauty product unless it's necessary and I've run out. This is because I know I'm going to need some new face wash and some new powder, but I'll definitely not be buying them to I've completely used the others up.

Though after spending a good twenty minutes telling my mum the other day how I needed to be so careful with money this month, I then found a topshop gift card left over and placed on order online, in my defence with the gift card it only cost me £7! So we'll see how this plan goes. which is why the next month of blog posts will be reviewing all the new products I've brought and have yet to post about and using all my make up. I've also got a post lined up about easy ways to save up money.

If you're thinking of doing a spending ban let me know how it goes!

what I brought in Birmingham

As of September Birmingham will be my new home, a pretty scary thought, so in order to get myself even more excited and settled I recently had a mini break there with a friend. This made me so excited to move there and I feel more settled that I at least know my way around the town centre a bit more. I also found the Bullring, it would have been rude not to get my bearings around the shopping there too. After recently having a clear out of things I tried to only buy things I actually wanted but I'm not so sure how much that worked.

First, the only item of clothing I picked up is this adorable cami dress from New Look, it's such a simple pastel pink dress with a pretty design so you can dress it up or down, and with 20% off this only cost £13!

I also brought this cute light blue/mint wash bag for Primark which is the perfect size to take only the bare necessities to a festival that I'm off to in august (I'm sure I'll take more than the essentials but I'll aim to fit it all in this bag!). The rest of my purchases are more beauty product based and I didn't really intend on buying any (apart from the face wipes because I forgot to pack any!) I just thought it would be nice to treat myself after using the cheaper budget alternatives. I've used the Palmers moisturises before and liked them so I was intrigued at the idea of this being a gradual tan as well. I've been using the Garnier Summer Body to try and build up a tan but I'm not really getting on with it so I wanted to try an alternative. Then on to the body shop treats. I thought it was time to get back into face masks as they do help to clear my skin and try and reduce the spots I get. I picked up the Blue Corn 3 in 1 Deep Cleansing Mask as it said it would cleanse, ex-foliate and purify my skin. That's exactly what I feel needs to happen, just in the summer I tend not to wear as much foundation so I find it important to try and keep my skin as clear as possible. The next were treats, but I got the pink grapefruit set for £12 when it should have actually cost £19.50. I originally wanted to try a body sorbet but it made more sense to treat myself and get the shower gel and spray instead and I'll know I'll use them.

Also if anyone has any tips for surviving a festival please comment below, I need help!