Holiday Guest Blogger: Imogen!

When Char asked for guest bloggers I knew I wanted to do it. She's been kind enough to write a brilliant post over on my blog and I wanted to write something to do her justice. So why not my favourite type of post? I've been doing 'Finished products' over on my blog for a year and a half and I love writing them and reading others so it seemed to fit.

June for me was Skincare! Skincare! Skincare! I started using some interesting new things that I can't wait to blog about but I'm keeping quiet until I've perfected my routine. Unfortunately this meant I didn't finish off a huge amount, only 4 products.

Lush's Let the Good Times Roll Facial Cleanser, No longer Available.

I've given this a full review over on my blog here [Link: http://imogenrosebeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/let-good-times-roll.html ] but to put if simply this is love. I'm really sad that this is no longer being sold by Lush and I'm tempted just to try and mix some myself as the ingredients, in line with Lush's ethos are all natural and fairly easy to come by but I know I probably won't just out of pure laziness!

Repurchase? Prayer circle for this to come back please!

17's Peep Show Mascara, £6.29

This mascara really impressed me! My lashes were lengthened, I found that I got a lot of volume with this which I love and it only got better as it started to dry a little. It was definitely the mascara I've reached for the past few months and I'm sad to see the end of it but I just have so many mascaras. The only problem I had with it is it did clump occasionally and I needed to pull out a clean mascara wand to brush them out but this wasn't a regular occurrence.

Repurchase? I'm still on the search for Holy Grail but I may come back to this.

Boots Expert Nail Strength Solution, 8ml - £4.20.

You know how everyone loves the O.P.I Nail Envy? This is it, cheaper and packaged differently. I've used this on one hand and O.P.I on the other hand and seen exactly the same results. This really protects my nails from splitting and peeling and makes a great base coat. An all round great product that really impressed me and I've bought again and again!
Repurchase? Heck yes!

Benefit's "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer, 11ml - £22.50.

Yikes, I didn't notice that price per ml when I bought this, that's over £2 per ml. Anyway, it's money spent. This had a very fruity smell that I found pleasant but very strong, even when I rubbed it in I could still smell it. It was a nice base for my make-up and worked well with my dry skin to smooth out any un-even texture and dry patches but I never really reached for it as a necessary thing to apply pre-foundation so it clearly didn't impress me much. There are a lot of better primers for a much more reasonable price.
Repurchase? No, I don't buy Benefit products anymore.

What did you use up this month?

* Thank You Imogen! If you aren't already following Imogen's blog then why the hell not!? She is one of the sweetest girls I've had the pleasure of tweeting. Go now, Go Go Go!! 

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What's In My Holiday Carry On?

I actually used my gym bag as my carry on, luckily I emptied it out of all the used gym clothes!

So we have.. 

My Ipad / Phone / Camera / Camera charger / Phone&Ipad Charger/ Purse / Book / Magazine / Lip balm / Hairbrush / Spare pair of socks / Sunglasses / Baby wipes / Travel sickness bands (review soon) / Notebook and pen. 

Other than the above of course I will have my passport (not at my house at the time of prepping) some water and something to nibble on in the event of me actually getting hungry (I get weird travel sickness nerves and don't tend to eat until the flight is over.. 14 hours later..) I also take a little white bear called 'Percil' as my travel companion. 

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Whats In My Holiday Beach Bag?

Cover up dress/ Towel (mine is actually pink but I couldn't find it when prepping this post) / Baby wipes/ Sunglasses

Sun cream / Hydrating spray for my hair / Hydrating spray for my face / Company Magazine / My current favourite book

My Camera / More sun cream / Lip Balm with SPF / Note pad and pen

As you read this is am probably laying out by the pool indulging in a book or listening to my ipod. Hope its raining in the UK! (kidding)

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Holiday Guest Blogger: Sylvia

Benefit

Hello fellow bloggers! My name is Sylvia of 'Sylvie-ah'and I'm here while Char is away (lucky!)

I thought I would tell you about Benefit as I recently had my makeup done there for prom(!)

For just £10 i was given a full face make over and i found their service to be wonderful. The beauty artist i has was so lovely and friendly, and i loved that she told me what she was doing even though i was in control of what she was doing. 

I found that their products to be amazing quality and they lasted for so long! I had my make up done at 1 and it was still intact at half four the next morning! 

I have a few of their products at home but not for a whole face.

                           I was lucky enough to win a competition to win the majority of these products!

                                                           This is, without a doubt the best product they have by far!

They started off cleansing my face and then used moisturiser and primer. Then from there there were so many options! 

I went for a basic look but for any event or evening or whatever, the Benefit service is a wonderful and affordable choice! 

I hope you enjoyed this post, it was very different to what I normally do but I was in a prommy mood! 

Make sure to check out my blog for other prom posts! and if you're not already, follow this blog! 

Have a lovely day!

Sylvia, xx

* Thank You to the ever so lovely Sylvia! Everyone needs to go and check out her blog because its such a good read. She's just fabulous in general! 

Find me here: 

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Whats In My Holiday Make Up Bag?

 L-R: MAC 'Creme Cup' / Rimmel '101' / MAC 'Shy Girl' 

Top - Bottom: MAC 'Boy Bait' / TopShop 'Bubblegum' / Collection 2000 'Cotton Candy'

Urban Decay 'The Feminine Pallet' / Collection 2000 'Cookie Dough'

Barry M 'Lash Vegas' / Sigma E25 brush / MAC 275SE brush / MAC 266SE brush

Find me here: 

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Holiday Guest Blogger: Morgan!

Money-Saving Perks for Fashion and Every Day

You probably already know that money doesn’t grow on trees. Even if it did, it wouldn’t help much due to basic economic principles. You can, however, find ways to save without compromising on the quality of your life. First, identify some of the areas where you spend a lot of money. Then follow these tips for saving wherever you spend.

Many fashionable women find it tempting to spend a lot of money on accessories. While many expensive options exist, there are some money-saving alternatives.

Personally, I love the hot trend of vintage jewelry. Rather than buy expensive vintage looks, I enjoy getting older pieces from garage sales and flea markets. These cute pieces often provide the perfect finishing touch for a new outfit I just purchased or one of my wardrobe favorites.

I absolutely must have a trendy pair of sunglasses to wear this spring, and I can now that I have discovered Warby Parker. Here you can pick up eyewear for a fraction of the cost without sacrificing quality! Ever order something off line that you loved on the screen, but got the product and ended up disappointed because it didn’t fit you quite right? Warby Parker offers a Home Try-on Program at no cost to you. You can choose up to 5 frames and try them in the comfort of your own home for 5 days!

Beauty products also tend to eat up a large portion of my discretionary income. Fortunately, many of my favorite brands have great customer-loyalty programs. At Sephora, I receive great products for free on my birthday as well as other perks throughout the year as a member of their Beauty Insiders program. I also receive regular coupons and discounts on my favorite products from Victoria’s Secret as a member of their mailing list.

The ways to save money are about as numerous as the ways to spend it. In order to stretch my money, I look for money-saving resources everywhere.

One of my biggest weaknesses is a fashion magazine. After falling prey to these in the checkout line over and over again, I realized that purchasing a subscription is actually cheaper than buying only three of them from the newsstand. To save even more money, I search online for discounts at places such as Thriftymags.com or Discountmags.com.

Like most fashion-conscious women, I also find it easy to spend too much money on clothes. I’ve heard over and over that I should shop my own closet, but that can be difficult. Recently, however, I downloaded a mobile phone app called Stylebook that lets me take photos of wardrobe items and then mix and match for great looks I hadn’t yet discovered.

Post written by Morgan. 

* Thank you so much Morgan for writing this fabulous post! Stay tuned for another guest blogger over the next couple of days.. 

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Whats In My Holiday Wash Bag?

Baby wipes/ Baby powder/ Disposable razors/ Deodorant 

After sun (and sun lotion, which is not pictured because I was using it for a different post) / Sun, Swim & Gym hair and body wash (review soon)

Victoria Secret PINK body spray/ Hair pins/ Tweezers/ Toothbrush/ Toothpaste 

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CNL: Champagne & Glitter

This is the first time in a long time that I've actually been into boots, picked out some nail varnish that isn't a bright or bold colour and actually gone "yeah, I really like these, I'm going to wear them.. A lot" That was my exact feeling after I picked out 'Silver Kisses' and 'Darling' from the new and improved Seventeen counter. They are both from the lasting fix nail colour range which boasts a quick dry and perfect colour from just one coat, costing just £2.99, its a surprisingly good result. 

Well done Seventeen, you will be seeing me again soon!

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CNL: GreenBerry!

I've seen this polish floating around numerous blogs over the past month or so and every time I looked at it I had to add it to my collection. Eventually I "dragged" myself into boots and picked up the infamous 'GreenBerry' by Barry M. It is such a nice green, I have other greens that wash my hands out but this is one of those polishes that will look great with a tan and that is always a winner in my eyes! 

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Where Have I Been!?

I feel like I haven't stopped over the last few weeks yet I can't really piece together what has been going on. One things for sure is that I have been massively neglecting my poor little blog! 

Me and Josh celebrated our first year together at the beginning of the month the best way that we could by doing all our favourite things! We went to our favourite american diner, Buddies, played pirate mini golf and had a yummy dinner at TGI's, I was completely spoilt with a new camera which I am so in love with and still trying to get to grips with all of its amazing features. We've also been on a lot of mini adventures to various places, one of my favourites was our trip to Winpole Hall to visit the farm and piggery they have there, I love pigs, we even got to see lots of little piglets which were so adorable! 

I'm coming to the end of my college course so I have been working my little butt off trying to get all my final assignments complete and handed in as soon as possible so I can get signed off and start enjoying my summer. With summer comes holidays and I am frantically preparing for mine to Mexico in a few weeks time. I have started writing lists and dedicated a drawer under my bed to start storing my holiday clothes in so they are ready to be bunged in my suitcase the night before. 

I am currently working on a little project of my own as part of my future career and business so I've dedicated a lot of time to planning and researching anything and everything related to running and owning a business as well as the essentials I need for the job. Its a lot of hard work but hopefully it will pay off soon!

On Friday through to Saturday evening myself and Josh took part in a charity challenge for work. We signed up for the Bike24 challenge which involved teams from every Marks & Spencer store in the country coming together to complete a 24 hour bike ride around rockingham race track. We had a team of four and did hour shifts in a four hour rotation cycling for a total of 6 hours throughout the 24 hour period. That may not seem that hard but trust me, when its windy, raining and you are running on less that two hours sleep it really takes its tole. I cycled a total of 89km over the 24 hours and we raised over £850,000 for multiple cancer charities. I am still recovering today! 

Find me here: 

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My Everyday MakeUp Routine!

I love watching everyday makeup routine videos but when you aren't a youtuber there is only so much you can do with a camera! Welcome to my blogger version of my everyday makeup routine on the occasion I actually wear it..

I always reach for my Urban Decay De Slick first to banish the oily skin. I follow that with one pea sized pump of Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation smoothed in with my Real Techniques powder brush.

 I have quite bad dark circles under my eyes so I apply a little bit of benefit's erase paste under my eyes with a topshop concealer brush and a little dab of my finger. To get a little bit of colour from Benefit's Havanna blush on my cheek bones.

 Lastly I tackle my very minimal eye look with a couple of coats of my favourite mascara, Barry M Lash Vegas and a dab of Revlon Lip Butter in Cupcake and that is my very minimal and probably very boring make up routine!

Calling All Guest Bloggers!

In just under a month I am going away to Mexico and for the two weeks I am away I am going to be handing my little blog over to you lovely lot!
I am looking for some guest bloggers to feature on my blog whilst I am away. Your posts can be about anything thing you want them to be about (within reason)..

If you are interested or want to ask any questions then drop me an email to:
itscharrchats@gmail.com
by the 30th of June to give me a chance to get the posts up and ready in time for me to go away :)

May Favourites!

Well I haven't done one of these posts for absolutely ages! 

This month I have been loving some brand new products and rediscovering some oldies. 

My lips have been getting some special attention this month due to them being so dry so I have rediscovered the classic Revlon lip butter in 'Cupcake' it is delicious in colour and name. It applies so smooth and stays like a dream. Another lip butter has crept into my collection in the form of the new Nivea Raspberry Rose. I love this! It is my new favourite and essential everyday product. My lips feel nourished and so soft after just one application. 

I have super sensitive skin, especially around my eyes, so removing make up with wipes is torture even if they are for sensitive skin so I'd like to take this opportunity to say Thank You Huggies! Huggies pure baby wipes are the only wipe I have found that will remove even waterproof mascara without stinging my eyes unbearably, they are so soft and gentle its like using pure water. Love.

I got the MonuSpa hand and nail moisturiser in a glossybox way back when ItsCharr first started and sort of neglected it in a drawer somewhere. Since rediscovering it a few weeks ago my hands have never felt softer. It will not being going back into a drawer anytime soon!

I've written a whole post about how much I love Barry M's Lash Vegas so read all about that right here!

Barry M Gelly polishes are their best invention ever. I love the thicker consistency and easier application the gelly polishes have. I pretty much want to own the whole collection. Did anyone else notice that the Barry M counters were completely stripped of nail polishes a week or so ago? 

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Mallzee - Your Personal Online Mall!

I received an email nearly, a year ago now, from the lovely Cally at Mallzee to tell me about the brand new website that was due to launch this year. A couple of weeks ago Cally emailed me again to tell me they were now Live! Since then I have been addicted.

Mallzee is basically your own tailor made mall on the internet, combining your own personal style with your favourite stores. Before you get to visit your personal mall Mallzee supplies you with a selection of outfit pictures and a like and dislike button for you to tell them what your personal style is like, next you are given a list of stores, online and on the high street, for you to select the ones that you like to shop at. Analysis complete its onto your mall! The mall itself actually really surprised me as mine was really accurate to the styles I would normally go for. Each store is individually categorized or you can search for 'tops' 'dresses' ect.. All items contain a price and 'buy me' option. Another feature I like on Mallzee is the 'add to wardrobe' button. This allows you to save items for later purchases, like when pay day is too far away and your money is somewhat dwindling, and it also allows your friends to check it out and tell you their opinions, if you want them. Connecting to Mallzee via facebook gives you the opportunity to chat with your friends about anything you want, comparing outfits or boys. Mallzee offer a points scheme in the form of Mallzee dollars, every time you shop you earn dollars towards future purchases, they pay you to shop!

Despite being a skeptic when it comes to websites like these, Mallzee has really impressed me and I will definitely be using this when I'm shopping in the future!
What are you waiting for, get over to Mallzee.com for some VIP treatment, discounts and your own tailor made shopping experience!

I am not affiliated with Mallzee, all opinions are my own, I am not being compensated.

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I've Been Featured!

Quick one from me today!
The lovely Candice from YouReview featured me on her Behind The Blog series which was super nice of her! I love Candice's blog and have done for ages so if you haven't already seen it get on over there and have a read!

http://candiceyoureview.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/behind-blog-its-charr.html

Thanks a lot Candice, it was a pleasure!

Colbolt Glitter

Barry M - Colbolt Blue / Barry M - Blue Glitter

I have been looking for a Colbolt blue polish for ages and you just know good old Barry M is bound to have absolute,y any colour you could possibly want so unsurprisingly that is where I found mine. I only applied one coat of both polishes as the cosistency, especially the Colbolt, we're really thick so a second coat wasn't essential.