top festival beauty picks

So we are well into the festival season with Glastonbury coming up this weekend. I was a the Isle of Wight festival a couple of weekends ago (the Killers/Bastille/Jake Bugg were my favs!) and I had an idea for a blog post whilst roughing it..

For any beauty lover, the thought of spending the weekend in a muddy field without our favourite beauty products is a little daunting. Whilst crouching outside my tent at 7.00am getting my friend to splash water on my face to help me wash it I thought about putting together a capsule list of products that will help other beauty junkies feel & look as good as possible whilst roughing it. These products definitely helped me feel more confident and got me though the festival. Here's my best of fest beauty picks.

Floral Crown- handmade|yellow & blue box t-shirt* Lasula Boutique 

Pur Minerals 3 in 1 Universal Pencil in Cocoa Topaz �14.00*LINK
I like the idea of a multi-purpose pencil. Pur say you can use this on your eyes, lips and brows. I personally wouldn't use this colour on my lips but this is a brilliant eyeliner and stays put ALL day without smudging and you don't need to sharpen it.
LUSH No Drought Dry Shampoo �6.50 for 115g LINK
Greasy roots aren't a good look so dry shampoo is a festival must have. I've been using this one from LUSH. It has a refreshing grapefruit and lime scent to it and the powder has oil absorbing properties. I just puff it into my hand and work through my hair. It is a little messier than normal spray dry shampoo's but don't let that put you off it!
No7 Stay Perfect mascara �12.95 LINK
This is the newest mascara from No7, I thought it would be perfect for festi-season as it stays put all day and it really is waterproof. Unlike other mascara's you can only remove this with warm water! This is my current go-to mascara as hayfever keeps making my eyes water like crazy - cue awkward 'No, I'm not crying I promise' response.
Vichy Idealia BB cream �14.00* LINK
I've tried a few bb creams before such as Garnier & MUA but this one has to be my favourite. Firstly, this has SPF 25 which I love! It claims to be a 6-in-1 products by helping to illuminate, hydrate, smooth wrinkles, refine skin texture, reduce dark spots and contains UVA & UVB protection. I can't coment whether it's anti-aging properties really do work but it does help to hydrate my skin and instantly illuminates it. I wear this on it's own, it give a lovely natural dewy finish.
Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray �20.50 for 125ml LINK
I wanted something to give my hair texture all weekend and the best product for that is surf spray. I've tried a few others from Toni & Guy and Charles Worthington but this has to be my favourite. I love that it doesn't leave my hair feeling stiff or sticky. I use it on my mid-lenghts to give me texture & volume for a bed-head look. This is a pricey product but you can purchase a smaller 50ml bottle for �8.50.
Jurlique Essence of Rose roll-on �16.50* LINK
So after a few days of not showering I don't smell great. This is great to take instead of taking perfume. This is a life saver as you can also use it to roll under your nose before going to the loo - enough said. The dinky 11ml roll-on is prefect for popping in your handbag.
Burts Bees Replenshing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil �3.69 LINK
Lip balm is a must have for me. This one from Burts Bees goes on smoothly and has a light pomegranate scent. I also used it around my nose to stop myself from sneezing as my hayfever was really bad & it worked, so glamourous!
Tangle Teezer �9.99 LINK
I think I've expressed my love for tangle teezer enough on here. Best.beauty.invention.ever.
Soltan Moisturising Mini Spray SPF30 �5.49 for 75ml LINK
The sun doesn't normally shine on UK festivals but just incase I bought this little bottle of sunscreen to put in my bag for easy top ups on the go.

Are you off to any festivals this year? I've got the festival bug and want to go to more now! x

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Blogger Spotlight: Tiny Twisst

I've been stalking following Laura's blog for nearly a year now and it's quickly become one of my favourites. If you've not come across Tiny Twisst before - cue serious hair envy. Keep reading to find out Laura's go to make up products and her most memorable fashion faux pas....

What's the story behind your blog name?
Tiny is because of a few minor things, mainly because the word tiny always reminds me of the first day I started School - it's a long story, so we won't go into that. When I first started my blog I loved the band Metric and their song The Twist - so that explains the 'twist' part, I added an extra 'S' because I'm a Graphic Designer and we like our text to look nice - I thought two S's together would look better. Hey-presto!
What's your daily makeup routine?
My daily makeup routine is really simple, I'm usually in a rush so it's quick and easy. A light layer of foundation and powder, a brush of mascara and a rose blusher. I do like to wear a stronger brow with a simple look though - it feels more finished off that way. Sometimes if I have more time I'll either add some winged eyeliner or some brown matte shadow in my crease.
Do you have a favourite clothing brand?
 I love all clothing brands and shops - I think that definitely comes with being an extreme shopaholic. I guess my all time favourite shop is H&M because I know I can always find something to buy. I also like Topshop (for the MOM jeans!) Miss Selfridge (for their pretty summer girly pieces) and online brands such as Missguided, Lavish Alice and Mina UK - you can really find some unique pieces for great prices online, which I love.
Most memorable fashion faux-pas
SO MANY. I remember at school I had these little twist-clips with diamonds on the top - they would twist into your hair and make it look like you had random floating diamonds in your hair, I thought I was cool. I also used to have a denim-phobia and would always wear baggy tracksuit bottoms (sometimes the velvet ones) - it was acceptable in the 90's though, honest.
Do you have a favourite beauty brand?
My favourite higher-end would have to be MAC, I like a random splurge now and then. My favourite drugstore brand is a little more tricky because I love to experiment with new brands, especially when they're more affordable. I'd say Sleek for their blushes and Maybelline for their 24hour lip-colours (they are amazing!)
Three blogs we should be reading?
 My list of blogs is endless, it takes me hours to read through them all. I'd say my current most loved are; Be Frassy (befrassy.com), She Wears Fashion (shewearsfashion.com) and Love Blair (loveblair.com)

BIG thank you to Laura for answering my questions, check out her brilliant blog Tiny Twisst here.
If you are interested in being interviewed for next months Blogger spotlight feature, please email me -kiasimpson@hotmail.com :)

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9 beauty picks that get me ready for a sweaty, scorching summer (hopefully!)

Here in the UK it feels like summer is long overdue. I just want to ditch the heavy foundations and jumpers and embrace the sunshine. My usual winter/spring beauty products just won't work as well in the warmer months - make up gets all melting, hair gets oily and skin gets frazzled.
Summer primping poses some serious issues for me; hello sweaty, frizzy, greasy Kia. Luckily, the brains behind my favourite beauty brands have bought out an array of shiny new goodies for us. Here are a few summer beauty picks i wanted to share with you so we can all avoid looking like a hot mess.

 

Lauren's Way Mini Medium Lotion Kit �19.95 (link)
I was a bit spectical about trying this, but i put my inner beauty snob to one side and tested Lauren Goodger's range. Celebrity collabs can be a bit hit & miss; Alexandra Burke for MUA - hit, Mylenne Klass nail wraps - miss. I was pleasantly surprised using these products. They came in a mini travel kit which is perfect for testing out the products if your a newbie. The colour looks even once applied with a mitt and i even got a few compliments! It doesn't look orange or patchy at all and is a close favourite after my beloved Xen-Tan. I much prefer the body spray to the lotion, and they smell citrusy! 
Wella Hair Oil 100ml �10.95 (link)
I do love a good hair oil, this is my current go to one. Firstly, I love the big glass bottle it comes in, i only use 2-3 pumps at a time so this will last ages. This oil contains ingredients such as macadamia seed oil, avocado oil and Vitamin E. All these work together to leave my thick hair looking glossy & helps smooth frizzy ends. This has a really gorgeous sweet scent to it, it's just so luxurious to use!
Bumble & Bumble Surf Foam Wash Shampoo & Conditioner �18.50 & �20.00(link)
I've never tried anything from Bumble before, not even their infamous salt spray! I love getting beachy waves after taking a dip in the sea and the idea of re-creating this at home sounded right up my street! These hair products have a faint ocean scent and lather up nicely when applied. Bumble recommend you let you hair dry naturally in the sun (wind if you're living in the UK) which i normally like to do anyway. I found it did help to enhance my waves and left my hair feeling super soft. I was really worried it would leave my hair feeling dry but it didn't at all. The only downside to these is the hefty price tag. 
Especially Escada Elixir EDP �48 50ml (link)
If you like rose scented fragrances you'll love this. This is the latest release from Escada & i've been wearing it for about a month now - it makes the perfect summer evening scent. The rose isn't too strong, it has a delicate pink rose scent with note of vanilla.
KIKO Glow Touch in 04 Pleasant Pink Azalea �5.90 (link)
I use this on my lips and cheeks for a subtle wash of pink. It looks quite scary in the tin but it doesn't apply that bright! This smells A-MAZ-ING, i want to use it all the time! On the cheeks it gives a post work-out healthy glow which is normally really hard to achieve with make up. 
SP Sun UV Spray �11.95 (link)
It doesn't happen all that often but when it does it's just as important to protect your hair from the suns rays. This is also perfect for holidays as it's water resistant and doesn't leave hair feeling greasy. SP also do a shampoo & conditioner is this range which i recommend too!
KIKO Essential Bronzer in 201 Sienna Melange �15.90 (link)
What a hunk of a bronzer, it's a hefty 20 grams so will last all summer. The pigmentation on this is brilliant but you have to be quite light handed otherwise you end up with too much on your brush. Like the KIKO glow touch this smells like chocolate/vanilla - SO GOOD!

So that's my summer beauty sorted, anything caught your eye?

The best bit of blogging for me is talking to other bloggers & reading your comments (i read every one!) Thank you to everyone who read or commented on my latest beauty haul post. I few mentioned they wanted to see some product reviews so i'll try my best - here's a review of the Bumble & Bumble surf products are requested by Harriet. Beauty Bird, Alice & Sarah i'm in the process of writing your product reviews!

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Max Factors New Lashfinity 3 Day Mascara!

This.looks.bloody.brilliant.
Flicking through the July issue of UK Vogue (i always head straight to the beauty section) a Max Factor advert caught my eye. Behold Max Factor's New Lashfinity three day mascara.
I don't like to write about things i haven't tried because i feel like you read blogs to get real reviews but i think this new product takes mascara to a whole new level and deserves it's own blog post. After doing some online research, the 72 hour mascara will be available in Boots and retails for �18.99. You apply it the same way you would with your normal mascara, the formula has 'lash-tint' technology which gives it it's staying power. It claims to be sleep-proof, sweat-proof and swim-proof - Max Factor are calling it their 'life-proof' mascara. As the mascara can't be removed with traditional cleansers or wipes, it comes with a special remover at the end of the wand.Here's a youtube advert for the new mascara if you wanted to see it in action. I live for new product launches and once in a while something unique and exciting comes along. But, will it be a hit or miss? Watch this space for a review....

I'm not sure how good this would be for your eyelashes but i can't wait to test it out. The 3 day mascara would be perfect for festivals or on holiday. Max Factor's 3 day mascara arrives on June 5th, cue beauty blogger stampede, what do you think? 

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