Payday Haul: Victoria’s Secret & Other bits

Hey Internet Friends,

So, when payday comes around me and my fiancé like to have a little splurge (within our means) and really treat ourselves. This month was no different and me and Jay went to Meadowhall Shopping centre and had such a nice day full of shopping, wagamama’s and fun! So I’d like to show you what I bought….

Victoria’s Secret purchases

I must say, this was the purchase that I was so pleased to get, I’ve had my eye on these Victoria’s Secret Joggers for so long and they’re ridiculously comfortable and look super cute too!
There perfect for lounging around the house in the winter months and make me feel super snuggly!
You can see them on the VS website HERE

I also picked up some new underwear bottoms because Victoria’s Secret do a fantastic offer of 5 pairs for £20 and I find these so comfortable and fantastic value! The waist band from VS is really sturdy and looks so unbelievably cute.
You can see the ranges in the offer HERE

Nicky Clarke Desired Hairdryer

My old hairdryer has been very poorly recently and overheating constantly so I set out today with the idea of getting a new one. When I saw this all Shiny and red I thought it was perfect for me.
What Nicky Clarke Says
“Bring the glamour of red carpet celebrity into your home with the Desired range by Nicky Clarke, from the UK’s leading celebrity hairdresser.

Featuring a powerful 2000W long life A.C. professional motor and compact lightweight design, the Professional A.C. Dryer has the substance to match the style, with salon performance and great features.

Ionic technology helps to control frizz , the dryer has 3 heat settings and 2 speed settings for maximum versatility, a cool-shot button to add the finishing touch to enhance any style, a removable air filter and a professional styling concentrator.

The Desired by Nicky Clarke range: bringing salon standards and red carpet glamour to your home, because we all want to be Desired.“

Sounds good to me! You can check it out on the website HERE

Soap & Glory
After recently picking up some Soap & Glory products (you can read the post about it HERE) I have completely fell in love with the brand and especially the amazing Shampoo and Scrubs so today in the boots 3 for two offer I picked up the following:
Glad Hair Day Shampoo – “No build-up formula with raspberry fruit vinegar, panthenol, glycerin and phytantriol to gloss, smooth, repair and strengthen. For all hair types including highlighted and heat processed.”
Glad Hair Day Conditioner – “No build-up formula with raspberry fruit vinegar, shea butter, panthenol, phytantriol and glycerin to help detangle, gloss, protect and strengthen. For fine to normal hair types.”
Rich & Foamous Shower Gel – “Almond and honey milks, oat extract, and our soft and frothy M-SUDS™ MoistureBoost system leave skin clean, supple and irresistibly scented. The next best thing to waking up to the smell of fresh baking is taking a shower with RICH & FOAMOUS™ Body Wash. Super creamy, ultra sudsy, conditioning on dry skin, it’s everything you ever wanted in a wash.“

Im really excited to try the two new products I picked up as they smell absolutely divine!
You can check out Soap & Glory at boots HERE

New Hair Colour & Shower Puffy
Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Colour in Midnight Blue – I feel like when it gets a bit cooler and my hair starts loosing its colour I like to go for a darker colour and this year Im trying a really dark Midnight Blue. Fingers crossed it turns out ok.

12 Millies Cookies

Theres absolutely nothing finer than after a long day shopping then taking home some Millie’s Cookies. I absolutely love these and think there the perfect treat while Im cuddled up in my new Joggers watching TV. Bliss!

Hope you guys enjoyed my little payday Haul!

What are you guys looking forward to buying the next time you feel like a little treat?

Link me to any posts you think I might like in the comments!

Speak Soon,

HollyPop xxxx

Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel Review

Hey Internet Friends,

I recently saw Sam from Pixiwoo and Real Techniques post on twitter about their very own Deep Cleansing Gel and as a massive fan of both their youtube channel and brush products I was gobsmacked that I’d never heard of it! I quickly began researching the product and sent her a tweet asking where I could get it from and she replied so quickly! Honestly, its so lovely that social media gives us this platform to find out about these things direct from the source. So, lets get down to the nitty gritty shall we?!

Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel
he Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel is made by the same people who make the majority of my brushes, so obviously I was expecting brilliant things. It makes logical sense that people who make great brushes should make great products to support them!
Before purchasing the cleaner I watched the youtube tutorial by Nic on the Real Techniques website so I had an idea what I was doing with it and read a few reviews obviously!

Where you can buy it
You can buy this at all the usual places, basically anywhere you can buy the make up brushes. I did try ordering this from boots however they were all sold out so I opted to have it shipped from the Real Techniques website. 
Amazingly this only cost me £5.92!! (but I had to pay the shipping)
Boots retail it at £7.50
Superdrug retail it at £6.99

Regardless, its pretty cheap for a good quality brush cleaner and when its specifically designed for your brushes its even more of a bargain!

What Real Techniques Say
“Designed for deep cleaning, with the cleansing power of a concentrate, this formula is laboratory proven to effectively remove nearly all makeup residue. It removes what you see…and even impurities you can’t see for a new brush clean.
> dermatologist tested for gentleness
> no alcohol or phthalates
> quick, clean rinse
> tested safe for all Real Techniques brushes“

How I use it
Everyone has there own way and I am in no way a professional, If you want to see how a pro does it check out the Real Techniques Website

1. I lightly rinse my brushes under warm water ensuring I am just wetting the ends of the bristles and going nowhere near the part where the glue lives (the ferrule?)
2. I then apply a tiny pea sized amount onto the very ends of the bristles and rub the brush around my hand to work the product in and let it work its cleaning magic.
3. Rinse the brush ensuring all the product is off the brush and no soapy suds remain. (Again being careful not to damage the Glue part)
4. If trying to remove stubborn make up like foundation or eyeshadow primer you may need to repeat the above steps.
5. Gently squeeze down the bristles to remove any water residue.
6. I then re shape the brush and lie the majority down flat and the super fluffy or hard to try ones (like that tricky RT sculpting brush) I let them dry facing down in a stand.

You should be washing your brushes fully about once a week, not washing your brushes can lead to rubbing bacteria all over your face. Theres zero point having amazing make up, flawless application skills and a strict skincare regime if you don’t wash your make up brushes.
Plus, they look so pretty when there clean!

What Did I think

Hallelujah! My prayers have been answered. This cleaner has made my friday night brush cleaning an absolute dream, it takes nowhere near as long and they are completely spotless. They smell super fresh and amazing, they dry quicker and I know the product Im using is specifically designed to work with my make up brushes so I don’t have to worry about damaging them.
For the price this stuff is absolutely fantastic, I can safely say I will continue using this as long as I can get my hands on it.
The texture of this is a little weird, I couldn’t really get my head about using a gel on something so delicate as a make up brush but once I saw it completely remove Mac Studio Fix foundation from my notoriously tricky to clean buffing brush I was completely and utterly sold.
My only slight tiny moan is that I find the actual bottle a little tricky, its a hard plastic and it makes it a little tricky to squeeze the product out with one hand. But if thats all I can find to moan about then I think its pretty good.
Do I wish I could buy a larger bottle a time?! Of course I do. I wish that about all products I love but Im guessing its going to last a fair while and even if it doesn’t, its that good I really don’t care.

If you haven’t tried this wonder cleaner yet, please I encourage you too. 
Verdict – 9/10

Hope you found this post useful guys!

Have you guys tried this cleaner yet?!

Link me to your posts about brush cleaning in the comments. 

Speak Soon,

HollyPop xxx

National Pet Show 2015

Hey Internet Friends,

Bit of a different post then usual today but I had a fantastic day last week at the National Pet show in Birmingham and really wanted to share with you all the photos I took and a little bit about the people I met.

Before getting to the show I was super excited for all the cute animals and to see the legendary Noel Fitzpatrick do a talk about One Medicine (more on that later).
It was all a bit overwhelming and I met some lovely people and beautiful animals.

SuperVet Live!

For those of you that don’t know about Noel Fitzpatrick and the amazing work he does for the veterinary profession you can find his website HERE

Noel is working towards an amazing future where Human and Animal medicine work as one, allowing doctors and vets to bridge the gap and learn from each other so both the animals and people can benefit. Its an amazing charity that really can make a massive impact to our future. If you would like to find out more about the charity you can HERE. I’m sure you’ll support it as much as I do.
Why shouldn’t we have access to the same prosthetics and revolutionary medicine available to animals already?
Why should animals be used to test medicine for humans and not benefit from the results?!
Its just common sense.

Made friends with these absolutely gorgeous dogs!
I wanted them to come home and be my new animal soulmates.

Crufts Winner (2012?)

Photobombed by an angry Alpaca!

And I got to do all this super fun stuff with my Mum & Grandad!

If you ever get the chance to attend something like this, please do!
It filled my heart with so much joy and happiness, everyone was so lovely and sometimes you need a day like this to get things into perspective and realise whats truly important in life and what really makes you happy.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and don’t mind that its a little different then usual.

Sometimes you just have to do things that make you happy, you know?

Do you guys have any pets?!

Whats your favourite animal?!

Speak Soon,

HollyPop xxxx

UPDATED Make Up Brush Collection

Hey Internet Friends,

Since I posted my first Make Up Brush collection post that you can read HERE it has gotten a lot of attention, people seem to like having a look at other peoples collections and I am no different, there one of my favourite posts/videos to see. They make me happy, just as shiny new make up brushes do. This post isn’t about showing off or anything like that its just about sharing things with you.

There are 21 brushes in my collection so I have broken them down into manageable chunks, this makes them a bit easier for me to talk about.
Sorry about the image quality, it was taken on my iPhone.

Real Techniques Core Collection

The Real Techniques Core collection contains four face brushes

Buffing Brush – I use this for really working liquid foundations into my skin for a flawless and airbrushed finish. This brush is certainly worth the hype everyone gives it and it’s the perfectly structured so that the fibres bend easily as you’re using it.

Contour Brush – I absolutely love this brush! Its perfect for getting into the hollows of your cheeks and under your eyes for brilliant contouring. I tend to use it for a powder matte highlight under my eyes and above my jawline, I honestly don’t know what I did without it.

Detailer Brush – I use this for mistakes, its like my perfect little smudge eraser. Its just a general multi purpose brush thats forever useful.

Pointed Foundation Brush – This brush allows for precision application of both foundation and concealer. The brush is designed to allow for you to choose the coverage of your foundation and allows for you to really build a product.

Real Techniques Starter Set

The Real Techniques Starter set contains five eye brushes

Deluxe Crease Brush – This brush is designed to fit in the crease of the eye but seen as my eyeballs are unnaturally tiny I use this iF I want a quick full colour lid or a nice base colour. Its also perfect for blending out a full smokey eye.

 Base Shadow Brush – Super soft and fluffy brush thats perfect for smoothing out harsh lines and blending more intricately. I probably use this brush the most when it comes to everyday make up.

Pixel Point eyeliner brush – I don’t use this for eyeliner, in fact Ive never even tried using it for eyeliner, I predominantly use this for cleaning mistakes like those annoying mascara smudges.

Accent Brush – This is one of my favourites, I find it just perfect for highlighting the corner of my eye and taking shadow below the waterline.

Brow Brush – I absolutely love this brush for doing my eyebrows, it works perfectly with my benefits brow zings kit. Super soft so it is really easy to create both natural and dramatic brow looks.

Face Brushes
From Left to Right.

Real Techniques Powder Brush – Large and super fluffy this is absolutely perfect for both loose and pressed powders and I use it every single day without fail.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush – Incredibly multifunctional face brush, Ive used this for so many things and its never failed at a single one! My current way of using it is for applying blush, I find because the apples of my cheeks are so small this works amazingly. I have also used this for foundation and find the finish absolutely beautiful and easy to apply, its that good Ive even bough one for my mum and best friend because I strongly believe every woman should have one!

Real Techniques Foundation Brush – I don’t use this for foundation but I do find it works incredibly well with a cream highlight like watts up by benefit.

Real Techniques Blush Brush – Again, I don’t use this brush for its purpose! I use this for bronzing as I feel the softness of the bristles really allows for a light dusting of my favourite Hoola bronzer. Perfect for a paler complexion.

Real Techniques Sculpting Brush – I find this brush works well for a lot of uses, both as an amazing foundation applicator (really flawless finish) and for getting rid of annoying under eyeshadow fall down.

No7 concealer brush – I rarely use this brush anymore because the Real Techniques brushes sort of blow these out of the water. But it is ok for concealer blending.

No7 Powder Brush – This is so old the bristles fall out, if I’m being truly honest I mostly use this for things I don’t want my Real Techniques brushes being used for like liquid latex on halloween or watching new products.

Eye Brushes

Urban Decay double ended shadow brush from Naked 2, Naked 3 and Smoky – Perfect for eyeshadow application with the smaller end to pack on the product and the fluffier end to blend and smooth eyeshadows. I find it incredible the quality of these brushes considering there sold with a palette, I was them every week just like my Real Techniques Brushes and they are still perfectly soft and like new.

Revlon Double ended brush – I use this for liquid eyeliner application on the angled side and correcting mistakes with the rounded end. This brush is a lot denser than the majority of my brushes and the quality isnt amazing but for how inexpensive it is I think its a great little brush.

No7 Eyeshadow Brush – I use this for one thing and thats highlighting under my brow bone but it is a great little shadow brush for packing on product.

Wow, this post took so long to write!

I love seeing other peoples brush collections so please link me in the comments?

Speak Soon,

HollyPop xxxx

Back to basics : Simple & Yes to Tomato Skincare review

Hey Internet Friends,

I don’t know about you but I love the look of beautiful skin, I love the way it helps my make up application and I love the way it makes me feel! Its really easy to loose sight of how to care of your skin, especially with all the different products available and different variations for skin types, thats why every once in a while its really nice to go back to basics.

First things first – Cleanser
Simple Kind to Skin Refreshing Facial Wash

What Simple says:
“When your skin’s happy and fresh faced, you feel healthier and happier too!

Our Refreshing Facial Wash Gel is a perfect blend of ingredients to help to keep your skin thoroughly cleansed and revived. Perfect for even sensitive skin.”

Ingredients and Benefits:
Pro – Vitamin B5 works as a moisturiser, also as an anti inflammatory to encourage the skin to heal and is deeply hydrating.
Vitamin E also moisturises to help improve skins texture, contains anti oxidants to help protect skin from damage and helps fight signs of premature ageing.

This will not work as a make up remover but it is an excellent face wash, no horrid tingling or tight.  It does however really leave the skin feeling super clean and fresh!

Exfoliate
Simple Clear Skin oil balancing Facial scrub

What Simple says:
“When your skin is happy and clear, you feel healthier and happier too!

Our Clear Skin Oil Balancing Facial Scrub contains the perfect blend of ingredients to help exfoliate your skin removing dead skin cells, dirt and impurities. Clinically proven to reduce blackheads and blemishes in just 7 days. Perfect for even sensitive skin.”

Ingredients and Benefits
Witch Hazel to help reduce blemishes
Natural Zinc PCA to help control oily skin types like myself
Rice Powder is the exfoliation property to help smooth.
Vitamin E
Pro-Vitamin B5

Feels creamy on the skin without leaving an residue so thats a big plus! Also unlike other scrubs aimed at Oily skin this doesn’t leave your skin feeling overly tight, just smooth and refreshed.
Also, it really does reduce blackheads and for the amazing price of the product you cant ask for much more.

Toner
Simple kind to skin soothing Facial Toner

Now, Do you really need a toner?

It all depends on if your buying the right toner. The right toner can give your skin the ingredients it needs to feel fresher and younger, the idea is that you use a toner after cleansing to replace any skin repairing substances you take away you cleanse.
Alcohol free is always best and packed full of vitamins and natural ingredients.

What Simple says:
“Our Soothing Facial Toner is a perfect blend of ingredients for keeping your skin toned and refreshed. Perfect for even sensitive skin.”

Ingredients and benefits
Pro-Vitamin B5
Pro-Vitamin B3 helps the skin stay hydrated while fighting ageing
Chamomile works as an anti-inflammatory and helps to soothe the skin
Witch Hazel
Allantoin encourages the growth and regeneration of healthy skin cells

Really works to tighten the skin and make it feel so much healthier, I often skip toner in my routine because I frankly never saw the point but after trying this little beauty I will NEVER do that again, the difference is so obvious!

Day Moisturiser
Yes to Tomatoes daily balancing Moisturiser

What Yes to says:
“We know you juggle many aspects of life on a daily basis, hydrating and balancing your skin shouldn’t be one of them! Let us tend to your needs with Yes to Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturiser. Rich in antioxidants and powerful sebum (acne-causing oil) absorbers, it both moisturises and balances, keeping your complexion carefree. So, go on, give up the balancing act and try something more fun, like the trapeze!”

Ingredients and benefits
Tomatoes contains anti oxidants to clear excess oil and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
Red tea is also a powerful antioxidant
Watermelons hydrate skin and naturally exfoliate and cleanse combination skin.

Contains 97% natural ingredients perfectly formulated for combination skin types. You get a lot of product for your money and its deeply hydrating making it perfect for the winter months, the smell from this is also not overpowering so thats an added bonus.

Night Moisturiser
Simple kind to skin vital vitamin Night cream

What Simple says:
“Our Vital Vitamin Night Cream is a perfect blend of ingredients to help restore and replenish skin throughout the night. Perfect for even sensitive skin.”

Ingredients and benefits
Pro- Vitamins B5
Vitamin E
Glycerin helps to hydrate and moisturise skin absorbing water from the air to increase hydration in the skins cells.
Bisabolol is from the chamomile plant and works as an anti-inflammatory
Allantoin
Borage Oil contains essential acids to keep the skins natural moisturisation process in place.

This cream is a gel like substance that really soaks into the skin and wakes you up feeling beautiful.

Simple Sense Skincare Routine
I found out about these products by using the Simple Sense Skincare questionnaire, you guys can access this here. I had to share this little tool with you guys as it really helped me understand the best products for my skin type and lifestyle. 

Hope you guys enjoyed this back to basics skincare routine and product review.

Have you guys tried the Simple or Yes to Tomatoes range?

What did you think?

Speak Soon,

HollyPop xx

My Christmas Wishlist 2015!!

Hey Internet Friends,

Its November now, so you know what that means right? ITS NEARLY CHRISTMAS!!!
Im the most festive person that I know, and although Christmas is all about spending time with family and spreading the love its also hard to imagine Christmas without a few gifts. So in this post Im going to talk about my Christmas Wishlist.

Lets be honest, its mostly going to consist of make up and skincare, so lets just do this…

My list consists of:
Black Radley Handbag
Sony E mount Macro Lense
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Gift Set
Make Up Brushes Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection
Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette
Urban Decay original Naked Palette
Mac Lipsticks
Mac Volcanic Ash Exfoliator
Mac Eyeshadows
Mac Mascara
Mac Prep & Prime Highlighter
Shiny New Hairdryer
Burts Bee’s lipcare
Candle
Soap & Glory products

I realise this is a lot to ask for, especially as these are mostly higher end products but as this is just a wishlist I don’t feel too bad saying that if I woke up to all this on christmas I would be incredibly happy!
Who wouldn’t right?

Hope you guys enjoyed a nosey at my Christmas Wishlist!

Whats on your lists this year?!

Anything you’d be especially happy to wake up too?

Speak Soon,

HollyPop x x

My Halloween Make up Idea

Hey Internet Friends,

I love halloween! Its one of my favourite holidays and I desperately wish it was celebrated more in the UK, this year Im fortunate enough to be invited to a halloween party so its time to wack out the liquid latex and the fake blood. LETS ZOMBIE UP!

The Base

I start off with a full coverage foundation, my Mac studio fix fluid, making sure to blend this fully for a flawless finish – I want to look dead not like I’m going all glam!

I then apply the liquid latex in layers with a sponge until I get the desired effects, this takes a while as you have to wait for it to dry in-between or it will smudge horribly.

I then take a matte black eyeshadow and dab it around the edge of the liquid latex, this will later add dimension to the fake blood I will apply.

I set the entire base with a white matte eyeshadow to make the face look grey, washed out and fully DEAD!

Top Tips for Liquid Latex
Moisturiser is your friend – apply liberally before starting your base, your skin will thank you later.
If your impatient like me a hair dryer can come in really handy for drying the product in-between applications, also wrinkling your face as it dries helps with the real ‘scar’ look.
If your using it on an area with hair like eyebrows coat them in vegetable oil first, that way you’ll still have your eyebrows left when you take it off!

The Details
All you need is some black eyeshadow, black or brown eyeliner and some red lipstick.
Get smudging!
Layering/ sandwiching the product really helps to create a prominent and dark look without looking polished.
Anywhere you plan on applying fake blood later lightly dab lipstick as this will really help the intensity of the dried blood to stay looking fresh all night.
I used Mac Coffee eye pencil, Urban Decay basic palette and Mac Russian Red.

The Special bits
This is the bit that really makes the look amazing and terrifying!
Its also the funnest part.
I love nothing more than seeing how special effect contacts and a good helping of fake blood finishes such an easy halloween look.

My tip for contacts is simple – don’t look up! Most people think that this is the easiest way to apply contacts but I really struggle when I can see them going into my eye thats why I look down, makes those bad boys just hop right in!

The fake blood cost about £1 and yes it will crack throughout the night, there really is no way to avoid that without paying a fortune on special effects make up so just keep some with you and dap a little on when you go to the bathroom, the cracked stuff underneath will just add to the texture.

Hope you guys enjoyed this quick halloween post!

What are you guys going as this year?

Leave me a link below to your Halloween ideas!

Happy Spooking, speak soon,

HollyPop x x x

First Impressions : Soap & Glory

Hey Internet Friends,

I might have slightly maybe been shopping and bought some new shower products. I know what your thinking, how many products can one person uses?
BUT Ive never owned any Soap & Glory products before and nobody can deny a 3 for 2 offer can they? So I want to share with you what I picked up and my first impressions of the products.

Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub
What Soap & Glory Says:
“Exfoliator with organic cupuacu bio scrubs, bananas, almond and honey extracts. Features a great new maple fragrance.”

This is a relatively inexpensive body scrub retailing at around £8 for a 300ml tub.
I actually very sneakily opened this in the shop and it was the amazing smell that made me want to buy it so much, it smells exactly like an amazingly sweet breakfast smoothie.

Ingredients
Oat and Shea butter work as to moisturise dry skin.
Cupuacu is a natural exfoliant and gentle enough to use daily.
Packed full of Vitamin E and A so incredibly beneficial for damaged skin.
Almond is commonly known as food for your skin as it really nourishes and tightens.
Honey is a great moisturiser and gives a super nice smell.

I love this scrub! Where has it been all my life and how do I marry it?
It smells absolutely amazing and is really moisturising, I don’t necessarily think it is the best scrub to work as an exfoliator as it is sugar based and not salt but its pretty amazing otherwise.
If you haven’t tried it already GO AND BUY IT.

8/10

Clean On Me Shower GelWhat Soap & Glory says:
“Soft, smooth, sexy skin whenever you want it. Contains natural mandarin peel extract and a bonus built-in body lotion. Scented with our Original Pink™ fragrance.”

This shower gel is enormous! For £6.50 you get half a litre of product, amazing value.
It lathers up so well when used with a shower puff and you really don’t need a lot of product for a fantastic lather. I think this smells like perfect mixture of floral and cake.
The scent form this product isn’t overpowering however it does linger on the skin after the shower so thats especially lovely considering the scent.
The product also contains a body lotion so leaves you skin feeling incredibly soft, especially if used with the breakfast scrub.

I give this a massive and well deserved 9/10

Glad Hair DayWhat Soap & Glory says:
“No build-up formula with raspberry fruit vinegar, panthenol, glycerin and phytantriol to gloss, smooth, repair and strengthen. For all hair types including highlighted and heat processed.”

For a shampoo suitable for all hair types including heat processed and highlighted this is a reasonably priced product retailing at £5.50.
I have a constant struggle with hair that goes greasy really quickly, and this is the first drugstore brand I have found that solves this problem. It gives my hair a lovely shine and texture and I am ridiculously hard to please so well done Soap & Glory!
This shampoo also has an amazing fruity fragrance that makes my hair, bathroom and everything else smell absolutely divine!

Im giving this a 8/10

Soap and Glory gets my vote! I love the packaging and the amazing smells.

What Soap and Glory Products do you guys love?

Speak Soon,

HollyPop xxx

My Grandmothers all time Favourites.

Hey Internet Friends,

If you come to my blog then you know about my glamorous gran! She’s one of my best friends, she’s given me my passion for beauty and skincare products and like all Grandmothers should she can always no matter what be who I turn to for anything and everything.
Since I started this blog I’ve wanted to share this with you, Ive wanted to write this post for so long that now its here I just want you guys to love it and I want you to love her.
So without any further rambling here are my grandmothers all time favourites….

Me and My Grandmother Sylvia

Now before we start I need to say something, I know you should never say a ladies age but lets pretend Im whispering it? That way it doesn’t really count?
My Grandma is 71 and in this post she’s listed a lot of skincare options for you lovely lot so when your a bit more mature you can have  skin as nice as this.
My gran has a dry skin type but Im fairly sure these products will work for all skin types.

The Favourite Products
Astral Cream, Nivea, Atrixo, Johnsons baby shampoo, Elizabeth Arden and Clinique.

Astral Cream

The Original formula that my Grandma uses is specifically formulated for mature skin and for use as a multipurpose moisturiser, this basically means any dry skin anywhere this will solve your problem.
I feel like for younger skin this would work fantastically as a night cream, its super thick and with active ingredients like Lanolin and Glycerine it instantly locks moisture into your skin.

What my Grandma Says:
“Its ideal for moisturising the skin! Its been around for over 60 years, my mother used it before me and it is so reasonably priced. If your on a budget and cant afford the posh stuff, give this a try!“

And she’s incredibly right! At £3.89 from Boots you just cant go wrong.
Also, Astral have brought out a light and creamy formulation for a more oily skin type like me.

Nivea

Now who doesn’t have a pot of Nivea kicking about the house somewhere?
I personally love this stuff and so does my grandma, nivea is a brand that you know is good because its been used for generations.
Nivea works as a great all round moisturiser applying twice a day – once in the morning before make up and once at night after removing your make up. It gives you perfectly that moisturised skin, that doesn’t feel all horrible and greasy. The cream soaks into skin, giving the perfect result of soft, smooth skin.

What my Grandma says:
“Nivea is another tried and tested moisturiser. This has also been sold for a long time, It contains ingredients like glycerin so leaves the skin really soft“

Nivea now has an improved formula with Jajoba Oil that contains even more moisturising care, while Vitamin E helps protect its natural structure.

Atrixo

Now Id never heard of this stuff before, my Grandma does like to have her secrets, so I did a little research and this is what I found….

* Formulated with natural Camomile to keep your skin soft and smooth.
* Apply on clean hands whenever they feel taut and dry for
instant relief.
* Available in 50ml & 200ml tubs and 100ml tube.
* Product has been available for over 50 years
* Sinks into skin quickly for instant relief

And I must tell you on smelling this at my Grandmothers, I want it. It seems like its exactly what I need for my horrendous dermatitis hands and the next time I’m in boots I will certainly be making a purchase.

What my Grandma Says:
“This hand cream is ideal for dry hands and sensitive skin without causing any irritation”

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo

If this wasn’t in my grandmas favourites I would be incredibly upset and let me tell you why. Every single time I call her up with a skin complaint she recommends this stuff, now I know what your thinking, Holly thats shampoo. But wait, hear her out because she’s onto something here guys!

What my grandma says:
“Johnson’s Baby Shampoo doubles as a face wash and opticians recommend this for sensitive eyes. If you thought this was for babies then think again! Wash your hair and face with this and ditch the chemicals“

Elizabeth Arden Cream Foundation
This luxurious product is a medium to full coverage cream foundation, with elizabeth arden promising that the product will hydrate and offer radiance-boosting coverage this is due to the micronised diamond powder and soft focus microspheres, the idea behind this is that it bounces the light away to minimise the appearance of fine lines and pores.

What my Grandma says:
“I love Ardens flawless finish, I have the toasty beige and although it looks dark once applied it blends nicely and doesn’t crease or become patchy like most cream foundations’

I will say guys, this is a pricey product retailing at £25 but it is a fantastic product with a long established credibility.

Clinique eyeshadow Trio

When my Grandma first showed me this palette I was so jealous! It looks like the perfect everyday palette and I think the three steps really make it so easy to create a fantastic neutral look. I also imagine the base colour would work amazingly as a cheek highlighter.
I remember when I first started showing an interest in make up one of the first products I bought was from Clinique purely because it was the only brand I knew was good and that was because my grandma wore it.
I remember thinking it was so expensive and a real luxury, thats where it all began for me. That feeling of having something special and it making you feel special.

What my Grandma says:
“Clinique eyeshadows come in a lovely range. I have a trio set of chocolate chip, strawberry fudge and daybreak – they sound good enough to eat! This palette comes with a handy mirror and a brush”

With Special Thanks

When I first asked my grandmother to collaborate with me on this blog post it was originally about delivering great content to you, my followers and my friends.
Its become a little more than that to me, its given me an opportunity to learn a little bit more about my grandmother. And that is a rare gift to be given.
Its no secret to anyone who knows me personally what a valued addition to my life she is, its also no secret that I value her opinions on  my life and she is who I turn to for advice.
And thats why most of you come here, for advice and opinions so its been amazing to involve her in this, Ive learnt a lot and I hope you have too.

Thank you Grandma for being a part of this, nothing I ever ask from you is too much and it means the world to me.
I love you.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it.

What beauty tips and tricks did you learn from your family?

Any comments left for my gran I will be sure to pass along. 

Speak Soon,

HollyPop xxx

Winter Night in : Featuring NEW Lush face mask.

Hey Internet Friends,

Winter is fast approaching and with the nights getting longer and colder its nice to have a lovely routine to make you feel all warm and cosy! I spend a lot of evenings on my own in the flat these days due to my Fiancés new job so this is how I like to keep myself happy in Winter.

First of all its time to get a little bit snuggly…
I like to get all lovely and comfortable in my pyjamas and then to top it off for that little extra clothing hug I am loving my new dressing gown from Marks & Spencer.
It also probably wouldn’t be a Night in for me without a pretty candle and my current choice is a incredibly cost effective candle from Air wick that is a berry scent for the festive season.

Next its time to remove the Make Up of the day


As mentioned in my September Favourites, I have never found a better make up remover than the Garnier Micellar Water and the new Mattifying version really is brilliant for oily skin.
It takes all my make up off including waterproof mascara almost instantly.

Now my skin is all lovely and clear its time for the Skin Mask. 
The New Don’t look at me mask from Lush
What Lush Says:
“Well, hello, don’t be shy. I caught you looking at my rich, exfoliating texture, filled with nourishing murumuru butter. I saw you checking out my ground rice. Let me assure you that I’m all substance: they’ve packed me full of zingy lemon juice to tone your complexion, Tunisian neroli to brighten and organic silken tofu to soften you up in all the right ways. A dash of rice syrup and grapefruit oil will have you coming back for more of my scrubby, softening skincare goodness.”

Key Ingredients
Lemon Juice (and lots of it judging by the smell)
Murumuru Butter – from the seeds of a brazilian palm tree
Grapefruit Oil
Tofu

First Impressions
This product smells absolutely amazing, I mean honestly truly divine and the colour is so fun I cant help but love it!
My skin seemed a more even colour and really toned. The exfoliating little bits in this mask have worked wonders for my pores.
I think I might have found a new favourite!

While I wait for my skin mask to set, I move onto nails. 

My perfect colour for both a cosy night in and to compliment the berry tones I love throughout the colder months I have chosen Bright Purple by Barry M.
It comes out a lot darker than the bottle would suggest but it really is a beautiful colour.

Snacks & Entertainment

Nothing beats a cosy night in than snacks! Tonight Im choosing my absolute favourite cookies Maryland Double Chocolate Chips.
The cookies will go down a treat while I enjoy my super relaxing and fun adult colouring book.
The book is Enchanted Forest by Johanna Bamford and its so intricate and beautiful I could get lost in it for hours, the perfect end to a perfect relaxing night.

Hope you guys enjoyed a warm and cosy night in with me!

Whats your cosy night in must haves?

Have you tried any of what I mentioned? What did you think?

Speak Soon,

HollyPop xxx

Where to buy
Dressing Gown (Similar) – http://www.marksandspencer.com/textured-fleece-shimmer-dressing-gown/p/p22406021

Micellar Cleansing Water – http://www.boots.com/en/Garnier-Skin-Naturals-Micellar-Cleansing-Water-Combination-Sensitive-Skin-400ml_1656090/

Don’t look at me mask – https://www.lush.co.uk/products/masks/dont-look-me

Barry M Nail Paint – http://www.boots.com/en/Barry-M-Nail-Paint_947704/

Colouring Book – https://www.waterstones.com/book/enchanted-forest/johanna-basford/9781780674872