my top 5 spring nails

First off can I just say, at first I thought the top images were pretty cool in the sunlight and all that. Now I think it looks so bloody ridiculous hahahaha.

Anyway! Spring is very, very gradually making an appearance and after my latest nail colour/care haul (linked here) I think I've decided which shades I'll be pairing with my outfits this season. As a rule, pastels look like ass on me, seriously, my chipolata fingers - yes, I just accurately compared my fingers to small sausages - just can't pull them off, but I was converted by the Essie shades that I picked up.

First off is the L'Oreal Resist & Shine Titanium in shade 505. I think this has been discontinued now, I've never seen it in Boots or Superdrug,but it is on the Boots website just not in this shade. I picked this up for like £1.99 in TJHughes and I am absolutely in LOVE. It really reminds me of Chanel Holiday which for all you expensive nail colour lovers, will be a much loved dupe. It's a gorgeous red with orangey undertones which leaves an incredibly glossy finish as you can see above. This is going to be seeing a lot of wear this Spring/Summer from me!

Secondly in the line up is Essie's Orange, It's Obvious which is great for wearing a bold nail with more understated clothing. I wore this when I was wearing a plain black outfit and I feel it really just made me feel a little brighter! I finally dipped my toe into the ocean that is Nails Inc. I managed to pick up two mini 4ml varnishes for just £1 each from a local charity shop. One of the shades was Pink Fizz which has gained me plenty of compliments these past few days. The main thing for me is that this lasted me FOUR days with just two tiiiny chips at the end. Incredible. I never get anything like that no matter how I do my nails. I hate to say this has been discontinued as well, boo :(

Another contender on the Spring line up is Essie Muchi Muchi, a milky pink nude that is just so PRETTY. It does take around 3/4 thin coats to achieve an opaque finish, but I quite like to be able to see the white tips of my nails. Finally an odd colour out of the lot, but none the less a beautiful one, is Essie Navigate Her. A gorgeous pale, creamy green that is just lovely. Really beautiful.

So what are your favourite picks this season? Let me know down below :)

You can win some Essie and CK nail colours in my giveaway!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

a whopping big thank you :)

Hellloooo! So after a much needed week off, I didn't realise just how much I missed blogging, which is pretty ridiculous haha! Thank you so much for your support, you've no idea how much it means. I've also gained a handful of subscribers whilst I haven't been posting... what are you trying to tell me?!

I also hit 10,000 page views the other day which is just incredible, I never thought in a million years I'd get anything like that so thank you thank you thank you! If you read one of my older posts, you'd have seen I got an interview for Lush. I attended that last week and was lucky enough to receive an invitation for a trial shift which I did today. It was so much fun, after getting over that initial nerve, you really get into it, so I'm hoping and praying to receive a good email regarding that soon so PLEASE tell your well wishes my way :).

After a lot of consideration, and a nightmare trying to find my camera, I'm hopefully going to be starting a YouTube soon! What do you guys think? I don't want to be jumping into it too soon so I'd really love some of your advice, guidance and just some helpful tips.

Got some exciting things happening in the next few weeks, very much beauty related so I'll keep you all updated with it and definitely have some posts scheduled and who knows, maybe a couple of vlogs here and there :).


I hope you're all taking care of yourself! Thanks ever so much for your support!

My giveaway is still running, just a couple more weeks left so get entering before it's too late :)

You can also find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

another huge sorry

Hi everyone. If you read my post last week, you would have seen I took a couple of days off due to Louis taking pretty ill. He seemed okay Monday and on Tuesday he was back to his usual self, but this weekend he took a turn for the worst again and ended up having another fit this afternoon. We decided it best for Louis to have him put down. It was cruel to see an animal suffering and even though he couldn't remember it, we were left with the memory of him crying out for help and him just giving up.

This has left me really, really emotional and I don't want to give you some crappy ass posts when I literally don't care about anything I'm saying.

Rest in peace, Louis. You were the best company a girl could have. I love you.

Do Benefit Benefit Me?

Whilst sitting in the local with my boyfriend watching the Football, I was flicking through a couple of blog posts and reading about the Benefit Fake Up event for the 20th time. I came to realise that I'm really not too sure how I feel about Benefit, so I got my trusty notepad out and jotted a couple of ideas (novels) out.
It's no lie that I'm not a Benefit expert - I can count on two hands the amount of products I've used from the compant, and I can honestly say that I've not been blown away by any of them, not how I'd imagined too anyway after all of the hype their products receive.

I love their outgoing style, the way they make make up a fun thing and the events they put on for fellow bloggers have always been something everyone else has lusted to attend. Perhaps I'm just not using the right products? But when you consider I've used some cult items such as They're Real and POREfessional, where am I going wrong?

A few months ago, I attended a Benefit Makeover (link here) and the look I was given was just awful. Like I said, perhaps I'm using the wrong products, but surely they should have been applying the products best suited to my skin rather than the cult products they want to sell more of. This tailor-made experience should not have included products that I said I specifically do not like.

I really do want to love them, their quirky style is right up my street, but I find it a chore paying for a, quite frankly, highly priced product to only receive a mediocre result. I'd really much rather pay that little bit more and get something from Yves Saint Laurent. If I was given a chance to have my mind changed, I'd jump for it, I want to love their products, but for now, alas, I will remain disappointed.

What are your favourite products? Any unsung humdingers? Leave me a quick comment below.
PS, England won the Football!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! No Benefit, I'm afraid, but there is some Essie, Trilogy, Soap and Glory and more! 

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN', TWITTER or EMAIL. 

My Origins Facial... take two.

Last week I booked myself in for one of Origins free facials and skin consultations. As most of you know, as I've been asking for advice, my skin has been an ass lately. It's been so dehydrated, dull and red, it's really been getting me down. Then after this weekends events, I had quite the breakout, so this facial couldn't have come at a better time.

Unlike my first one, which you can read here, it felt a lot more professional and I really feel I learnt a lot more about my skin. She couldn't praise me more on my skin, I was horrified and thinking she couldn't be more wrong, but for every "bad" thing I pointed out about my skin, she had a reason for it, and why it happens etc.

After pretty much everything I do, cleansing, toning, exfoliating, you name it, my cheek go bright red and look as though there are millions of spots under my skin. This has always been a problem for me, and something I'm really embarrassed about, but the lovely lady explained how my skin was sensitive, more than likely due to my age, and it's good to see that the products are reacting, but not hurting me, as it shows it's working. That confused me a bit, but then things are always worse until they get better... I dunno that's probably a load of nothing.

Luckily, I've been pretty spot on with the toner and cleanser that I've been using from Origins which are the Checks and Balances cleanser and the United States tonic. Although my usual Balanced Diet moisturiser worked, we decided that the Make A Difference + Rejuvenating Moisturiser would be more suited with my skin, and it smells GORGEOUS, just like orange sherbet. I usually use the Overnight Intensive Mask, however the Origins expert suggested this may be a little too intense for my skin, and to try using the 10 Minute Mask, which I have to agree, it works so much better.

Afterwards, I was left with really hydrated and lovely skin, which I know sounds silly from a mini facial, but I definitely think my skin has felt so much nicer since.
If you're having problems with your skin, or you need to change up your routine a bit, I definitely recommend heading over to your nearest Origins stand and booking yourself in. This is my second one and I know if my skin changes again, I'll be straight there.


Don't forget to enter my giveaway! There's loads of nice things for one lucky person to win!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER. 

my incredddible candle massage at the Relaxation Den

Last week, the ridiculously lovely people at The Relaxation Den on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield invited me for a Candle Massage* at their salon. Put it this way, as I was walking away from the salon, I was so relaxed and in such a daze I walked straight into a lamp post. No, it doesn't just happen in the movies.

I'll be honest, I was really quite nervous before - I didn't really know what to expect as it was my first ever massage, and the idea of having candle wax poured on my back was very daunting, but I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised!
I instantly relaxed as soon as I got there as the first thing you notice is the gorgeous scent of vanilla and lavender and the music they play incredibly fitting - I don't know how the salon assistants manage to stay awake in there. The interior is really modern and clean with comfy sofas across from the Dermalogica stand.

I was greeted by the absolutely gorgeous Lauren who told me to make myself comfortable and fill in the required form whilst she got me a glass of water before taking me through to the room. Oooohh lordy the room was insanely relaxing and romantic, it had an incredible atmosphere, filled with Lavender and Guava scented candles and incense, the lights were never switched on, and voices were kept to a low, with the same familiar music playing, which really set the mood to the room.
Lauren kept reminding me that this was MY room, no one else will be here and not to do anything I wasn't comfortable with. She left the room to let me undress and get myself comfortable on the massage bed and I was pretty much on my way to falling asleep. Before I knew it she'd returned and was telling me all about the massage.

To my relief, she didn't use anything like a Yankee candle, but used a candle packed with essential oils that are incredibly beneficial to the skin. It was drizzled along my spine which felt absolutely divine. It didn't sting at all, just felt like I was stepping into a warm shower, then she got to work! With a mixture of heavy handed, yet gentle pressure, and a really light touch, I had never been so relaxed in my life. The time went faaarrr too quick for my liking, yet it took around 30 minutes.
At the end, she left the room and told me to stay where I was, soak up the atmosphere, take in the music and come back round whilst she got me a drink of "Green Magic", a small drink that is packed full of your five a day, which she'd mixed with Blackcurrant so that it tasted a little more pleasant, before leaving me again to spend as much time as I needed to get up, dressed and drink the substitute (which didn't taste as bad as I imagined, and that's coming from a very fussy person!) and meet her in Reception. We had a chat all about it and I asked her a few questions about the place which she was more than happy to answer.


The Relaxation Den has been open around two years, and really sets the bar for other salons on Ecclesall Road, and perhaps even Sheffield, in my opinion! They do an amazing amount of treatments from Massages to Facials, Manicures to Waxing, Spa Days to Make Up, you are more than likely going to find something you're looking for, and with the Candle Massage coming in at £20, they are very reasonably priced considering the amazing customer service! Please check out their website, blog and Twitter for regular updates of competitions and shop antics!


Don't forget, my giveaway is still running! You can win yourself some Trilogy Oil, Essie, S&G and much more! 

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER. 

guess who's back... back again.

You had to expect that as a title!?!

I'm baaackkk! I feel much better for having a few days off, touch wood, Louis is okay for now! Look at him, waving at the camera to you guys! I think I'm definitely back to feeling a bit better, my sister loves her lock screen..

I've got loads of posts in mind for you and fiiinally a job interview! I've been lusting for this job at Lush for ages, I know the products inside out, and I received an email on Saturday asking me to come for an interview (the day Louis fell ill, which made me feel guilty!) on Friday, so I've not had long to prepare. I need to take an item with me that describes me as a person. I want to somehow link my blog into it, as this is a huge part of my life, so if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them.

Thank you SO much for your support and incredibly nice comments over these past few days. They've really cheered me up and given me a lot more motivation. There's worse things that can happen, right?!

I quite enjoying a few "personal"/lifestyle posts, what do you guys make of them? Want to read more?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Not long left and I'm getting very close to using the products myself! 

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER. 

sorry guys :(

I'm not gonna be posting for a while guys, might be a few days, might be a week. Received some pretty awful news today, my cat has taken a turn for the very worst and is really unwell. If anyone knows how much I love my Louis, you'll understand the effect this has had on me. I'm really sorry, I'll try and post soon but I can't promise anything.
Sorry!

products I'm lusting for - 19th birthday

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY SOON!
Well.. in nearly 6 weeks.. surely that qualifies as soon? I've made a bit of a wishlist as my family and boyfriend probably find it ridiculously hard to buy me things as I'm SO fussy it's stupid.

I'm moving out in September and would love this beautiful Diptyque Candle to make my room a little bit more homey! Plus, they're ridiculously expensive and I'd probably never be able to afford it otherwise..
Another thing I've thrown myself all over is this Petite Palette from Laura Mercier. At only £10 from Space.NK (NO ONE BUY IT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET IT!) it's an absolute bargain and those colours would make a perfect smokey eye.

An Origins product I've loved but never repurchased is the Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask. It's not something I need, but something I really, really want and I think that's a justified reason for me asking for it, right?
I NEEEED to change my bronzer. I hate mine and this one is just perfect for contouring. I've heard nothing but good things about it and I'd love to see if it lives up to the hype. I don't know why I've never bought it myself, but the Jouer Hydrating Bronzer is close to the top of my list.

Another product I'm desperate for is this Orla Keily Notepad which will be just perfect for University! I can't decide whether I'd use it for Uni or Blogging but I'm sure I'll find a perfect use for this gem.
Finally, Molecule 01 Perfume. It was at the top of my Christmas list and is now the top of my "Dying For" list. I've never tried it before, but I waaaaannntttt!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway, lots of lovely things for you! 

Also, give me a follow over at Blog Lovin', just in case..! 

What a bloody farce

Right, I'm not giving into all this GFC disappearing malarky, however I've heard it will probably go soon. Not in July with Google Reader, but soon.
I think it's a good time for us all the update our social networks so other people are able to find us elsewhere, if and when this ever happens.

So you can find me over on Blog Lovin'. Just click HERE to find me there. 
You can also give me a follow on Twitter, which you'll find HERE. 

favourite products UNDER £10

I've been quite naughty lately, and have neglected high street brands and gone more for high end, so this has definitely given me the incentive to head on to my local Boots and appreciate the beauty that is affordable make up products.

I didn't realise just how much I reached for my Colossal Volume Express Mascara until now. I use it nearly every day, it's perfect for creating effortless, separated, long lashes. Apply a couple more coats and you're set!

If I'm looking for more statement lashes, I nearly always reach for L'Oreal Volumnious 4X Mascara. I didn't expect much from quite a thin brush, but this never disappoints. It never clumps and it's really good to layer with, if I ever need to apply more later on.

Everyone loves a good MUA product, and their Flawless Skin Primer  has been a staple in my make up box recently. It creates a smooth, velvety base that isn't drying and really holds onto my foundation. On the subject of MUA, I adooooore the Matte Foundations that are like, £2! This is my go-to foundation when I just need some when I'm running a couple of errands, but don't need a full face. It's not really matte at all, it leaves me with a dewy finish, so I think maybe oily skinned people should look elsewhere. It's medium-full coverage is really thick, but easily blendable and covers all my blemishes. Definitely repurchasing. I needn't rave about the Brow Kit too much, as you're all aware of how incredible it is. I use it every day, a mixture of the dark and blonde powder and it rarely smudges. And that's all I'm gonna say about that!

A cult product, the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer will be a repurchase till the day they discontinue it. Okay so this shade is a little dark for me, but it blends so well it doesn't matter too much. It's perfect for under eyes and blemishes, you know, I don't know why I'm preaching to the choir!

Finally, most peoples go-to shade this Autumn/Winter, the Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107.This deep, wine shade flattered nearly every skin tone with it's blue undertones and was perfect day or night. I still wear this now. It's not drying, perfect for a statement lip, smells gorgeous and looks really, really nice... if I say so myself.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! You could win lots of goodies from Essie, Soap and Glory, Trilogy and more!

disappointing products :(

Now before I get comments like "but you use this product all the time!" or anything like that, this post is called DISAPPOINTING products. I use all of these really often, however they either don't live up to the hype, or just aren't what they used to be, sadly!

The Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Body Milk is something we heard a lot about over Christmas. This was many people's "holy grail" skin care product. The scent is just to die for, so sweet and lovely - so definitely not for those of you who don't appreciate sweet, kind of artificial scents - but for me, it didn't do much on the hydrating side. I feel a little greasy afterwards but it quickly soaks in and leaves me soft for around 12 hours, then I want to apply it again, which is not something I imagined to feel after all the rave reviews!

Now this is a product I'm super disappointed in, I don't even know why I bought it. It's the 2000 Calorie Waterproof Mascara by MaxFactor. How could this mascara ever be very volumising when the brush is SO small?! It's tiny. It makes my eyelashes look ridiculous, spidery, gave no volume or length whatsoever. It just look awful. I've started to use this on my bottom lashes just to use it up to be honest!

Benefit's They're Real Mascara  is an award winning, cult product. But of course you all already know that. It's good, I wear it, it's nice and does what it says, but it doesn't blow my mind. For me, it's nothing I can rave too much about, it's lengthens and gives nice volume, but if I apply it onto bare lashes it makes them go all sparse and crappy, so I must use another mascara as a base. This is something I'll definitely use, especially when it comes to travel make up, but I doubt I'll repurchase it, it's blooody expensive!

This has been my every day, go to foundation since I started this blog, so for what, six months? But lately my MaxFactor Face Finity Foundation has been pretttyy bad lately. It's just not blending into my skin anymore. It'll kind of, roll up.. That sounds so gross but seriously, it'll roll up and come off my skin. NICE. None of my brushes are working with it either, nor does it apply well with my fingers, I dunno. The colour has randomly gone quite dark too, eurgh. On the hunt for another nice foundation.

Illamasqua Illuminator in Slay, which has recently been recontinued, is a product I'm really trying to love. I did a review here, and you can tell how desperate I am to like it, but I cannot deal with the dryness anymore. Ten seconds left on your skin, it dries and you will not get rid of that mark. It can drag my make up off and ruin eeeverything. I use this still, I love the colour and effect, when it decides to be nice so!

And finally the POREfessional Primer from Benefit is another cult product, and another I didn't used to get along with, but am finally finding myself liking more. I don't know what I dislike, I'm just not mad over it! It's not exactly drying, but it does dry up a bit, and feel bitty sometimes. I really can't pinpoint what I don't like, I guess it just wasn't worth the hype for me!

So this was a loooong post! Sorry about that, guys!

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY! :) Lots of lovely products for you beautiful people!

some craaazy nail colour/care haul!

Well, I couldn't fail even more than I have done on already this (unofficial) spending ban. I swore to myself "I'm not buying anything until I go to London, nope, NOTHING." And then I came across Essie being sold in TJHughes for £1.99. Yes. You read right.

I couldn't resist picking a couple up, then I saw down the road they were selling 2 nail varnishes for £1.00, so I picked up two Maybelline MNY shades (one not pictured here). I got the two Sally Hansen nail treatments for £1 from work, and the others I don't even know when, why or how much I got them for, but I don't regret a single thing. I think my Spring/Summer collection is pretty much ready to go now!

You've seen my review on the Models Own Pro varnish - I'll link it here - and I've tried two of the Essie colours, I'm yet to trial the daring bright orange shade, but I'll let you guys know how I get on with them.
One top coat I'm dying to try is the Astor Top Coat which leaves a velvety matte finish - no doubt it will end up in a NOTD post!

I also picked up Technic's High Lights, which I've heard is a pretty good dupe for the High Beam(?!) from Benefit. Now I can't say whether it is or not, but the brush on this one if horrific, but there'll be a post soon enough, I'm sure.

I've been having some skin problems recently, so I turned to my beloved Origins to give me advice and some products to have a good go with, so I'll be trying these out!

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY! There's some more nail varnish there too ;). 

100 FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY! Calvin Klein, Essie, Soap & Glory and much more!

Hello you lovely, lovely people! Last week I hit 100 followers, thank you SO much!
Each time I get a new follower, I literally turn to whoever it's near me and exclaim my excitement. It's just incredible to know so many people read and like my blog! I know this sounds ridiculously cliche, but I never imagined reaching 100 followers in a million years, and I don't think anybody else around me did either.

But I'm going to stop being a soppy git and let you in on the prizes!

 So if you fancy winning yourself

Soap and Glory - Rich and Foamous Body Wash and Hand Food

Japonesque Beauty Fixation Make Up Fixer

Trilogy Face Oil

Calvin Klein and Essie Nail Varnish

ARK Age Prepare Kit

Sadly, this is a UK ONLY giveaway!!! It will run for 6 weeks, finishing on April 21st. You have 48 hours, that's TWO DAYS to forward your details to me once I've told you you're the winner! 

Good luck everyone! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Inika Liquid Mineral Foundation.

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate a sample tube of foundation coming in an exact shade for pale skin...

Inika pride themselves on being 100% natural, with their products being completely vegan, cruelty free and often organic. They're very much a luxury brand with the prices of this Liquid Mineral Foundation coming in at around £30. For me, this is way, way too much, it's vegan friendly, why can't it be purse friendly too?

Anyway, I opened up this trial size to a horrific amount of oil spilling out. There was more than in the picture above, but that's all I managed to get as the rest spilled all over my clothes. GOOD ONE. Now I've been researching this product for a while, and it seems that no one else has had this problem? Trust me to get the dodgy one. I'd expect to get about four applications with this kind of trial size, but I managed to just squeeze out two which I imagine is down to the oil.

Like I said before, it's a really good match for my skin and I'd say it has a medium coverage, quite buildable too. I found myself applying this with my fingers because I didn't want to smell of the product all over my freshly washed brushes. It smells awful. So heavily perfumed, like a mixture of celery and flowers.. I don't know if it's because it's organic or if it's been scented as there are no ingredients with it, which worried me a bit. After about 3 hours of wearing it, I got my boyfriend to quite literally, smell my face, and he said there was no scent, so it does seem the smell dies down.

On first application, it kind of tingled my skin a bit, I thought it was going to break me out or I was going to have a reaction, and then I thought, it's organic, surely I can't be allergic to anything, but who knows! It didn't break me out, thankfully!

I think it looks quite good on my skin in the picture, but in life it did seem a little blotchy or uneven. That probably wouldn't happen if I had more product left over though. What do you think about it? Will you be trying it out?

Products I'm Wearing: Inika Liquid Mineral Foundation, MUA Brow Kit

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes, Carmex Lip Balm.

TAG: Confessions of a Blogger with a super cute picture!

It's not very often I do tags, but I love reading them, and since I don't really do "personal" posts, I thought this tag would be a nice one so you can get to know me and about my blog!
If you do this tag, leave me a link below because I'd love to read it :)

1. When did you start your blog?

Well, although my Archive says September, it was only the last couple of days, so I always say October! I think it's crazy how much my blog has come on since then, my writing style has completely changed, not to mention the subjects!

2. Have you had any past online presence before?

Like this? Nothing. I have/had a Tumblr account, but it was nothing like this aaand I used to have a YouTube account when I was about 14/15 where I did song covers, but that soon got deleted and pushed under the mat hahaha. So like this, no, nothing :).

3. Why did you start a blog?

When me and my old manager were at work, we'd sit on the computer on her lunch break and lust over fashion and other blogs. We both said all the time "I'm going to start a blog" "I will definitely start a blog!" "Does it make me vain?" and after all that I just decided to go for it. At first my blog was going to be more music, lifestyle, fashion, but then I realised I know pretty much nothing about them but LOVED talking about beauty and makeup. It pretty much just went into that without me really knowing haha!

4. When did you become serious about starting a blog?

Well, I don't know really. Hahaha. I don't really consider myself a "serious blogger" but then again, this week I took a week off of work and dedicated it to my blog, making it look nicer, write some quality posts. I think it's more of a hobby that I'm really passionate about. I love having my own space with people to talk too about things I love, and I want it to be as best as it possibly can be! I hope that makes sense..

5. What was your first post?

My first post was "A little introduction to me!" hahahaha! I didn't really know what to post, I didn't want to just jump straight in there. My second post, on the same day, was a music/gig review. Fair to say my blog has changed haha.

6. What has been your biggest challenge about blogging?

I've never really had any challenges, like I've never had any nasty emails or comments, but I can often feel a little discouraged watching some of the "bigger" blogs and YouTube channels and wishing my blog was as good a quality as theirs are. But whilst I feel discouraged, it almost inspires me, as I'm really wanting to start my own YouTube now and it's given me such an insight into things I'd never thought about before.

7. Where do you see your blog in one years time?

I really couldn't say! I'm starting University in September and moving out so it's going to be a massive lifestyle change. I really, really hope I manage to keep up my blog because it really is a passion, but it's just too difficult to say :(.

8. What is the most rewarding thing to you about blogging?

Probably the pride I get when I see people have read my post, it's so encouraging to know that I'm not talking to no one. It makes me so happy when I get a comment, I literally sit there and read every single one when I get an email through. I love it when people compliment me on my blog as well, through Twitter or coming up to say "Hayley, I noticed your blog finally reached 100 followers! Well done!" it's really rewarding.

9. What is the most discouraging thing that happens to you?

Like I said above, I have a tendency to compare myself to other blogs, even though I know I shouldn't because it's absolutely ridiculous. I guess another thing is not being able to afford products. I am so grateful for what I have, but when everyone's raving about the product you're dying for it's SO hard.

10. What's your lasting inspiration or motivation? 

Like I've said so many times, other bloggers are my inspiration AND motivation. It's never good to copy a blogs entire style, which to be honest, I've figured that out myself - I used to try and write in a style I thought was "right", but now I just type as I say it in my head. It doesn't always make a load of sense but heck, people see past that! I usually get a lot of inspiration and motivation to write posts when it's not very practical, so I always type what I have onto my iPod, or into a notepad so it's there for when I have the time!


Weeeelll, that was pretty lengthy, sorry about that! But I think it's helped me a lot more than it's informed you haha. Like I said, let me know if you do this tag! I'd looove to read it. Here's a picture of me and my beautiful cat, just for you guys.

PIXI sheer cheek gel - really natural blush!

It seems I'm on a never ending quest to find the best, natural blush and this product makes me question whether I've found it or not! The shade of this Pixi Sheer Cheek Gel is absolutely gorgeous, and you get a craaazyy amount of product in this. You hardly use any either, a little goes a long way!

So, the gel isn't very pigmented, however it's really buildable which I think is great - if it was more pigmented I think it'd be really difficult to work with and yeah. You only need the smallest amount, a little smaller than a pea, and I just dot it roughly where I'd like it to go then find myself kind of sweeping/pressing/dabbing it into place. It has a tendency to go quite uneven, but it's really easy to go back over with a little more gel. Howeveeerr, it could be a recipe for disaster if you use too much without allowing it to try. It can get sticky towards the end which means it can pull your foundation up causing it to all roll up and come off, so you really need to work quick with this.
To get rid of any lines I have, I just grab the brush I applied my foundation with and buff it in gently

As you can see, it creates a really nice, natural, sheer finish that looks lovely. I think this would be a great product for those who don't wear foundation as much and just grab some blush as it looks so much more natural than cream and powder blushes which tend to sit on the skin, rather than sink in like this gel.

Products I'm wearing: Clinique Even Better Foundation

Pixi Sheer Cheek Gel, L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Alarm, MUA Brow Kit

bronzed and glowy pale face

Being pale, getting quite bronzed skin when it gets to spring/summer can be really difficult. It usually ends up looking orange and just ridiculous.
I recently came across the Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation (which is absolutely extortionately priced at £47) on the Latest in Beauty website, where I could get a sample for around £4. I'd heard of it a couple of times, but the main thing that drew me to it was that it was supposed to be £47, so obviously I had really high expectations and ordered a sample.

I always expect foundation shades to be too dark for me, but this was CRAZY dark. But I thought, since it's so light maybe you won't be able to tell when I've applied it. Oh how naive I was. It looked liked I'd applied fake tan on my face. Big no no.

For some strange reason, lord knows why, I just applied a light coverage of my every day foundation on top, rather than remove the tramp stamp stain that was already on my face. By some miracle, it gave suuuch a nice finish! It made my skin look quite sunkissed and, what do they say, "lit from within"?! I decided then to experiment and try to make a lovely, bronzed, glowy, healthy complexion for the summer time.

I applied my go-to bronzer to my contours, a little on the apples of my cheeks, up to my temples and a slight dusting on my nose, forehead, chin and jaw - basically, everywhere the sun normally hits and shadows. To give me a little more colour, I used my Dainty Doll blush in 004 You Are My Sunshine a little higher on my cheekbones than I usually would a blush. Not only is this a gorgeous colour, it has a gold shimmer in it that works perfect for this look giving an effortless highlight.

Highlighting is quite key in this look, so I used a champagne coloured, shimmery eyeshadow as my highlight. I used a light dusting on top of my cheek bones, but also brought it round my apples so you get that gorgeous sheen when you smile. A little more highlight on my nose, brow bone and inner eye and I was set!

PS, You can vote for this look on Baobella HERE

Products used: Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation, Maxfactor Facefinity Foundation

Avon Arabian Glow Bronzer, Dainty Doll You Are My Sunshine

ELF Champagne Eyeshadow, L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes

MUA Brow Kit

mothers day gift guide - give her something special!

Every year, my mum receives the usual slippers, chocolate, and perhaps a nice jumper. This year I wanted to shake things up a little, give her something to really enjoy! Here's a few things that I think would go down pretty swell!

All images taken from websites linked below

Custom Wall Quotes, Lettering and Signs
This is probably one of my favourite gift ideas, as you can customise it to anything you like into many different fonts, colours, sizes etc. Find a lovely quote that describes your home, stick it in and have it sent to you. Lovely, personal present.

Personalised Family Papercut
Another product which I find so sweet! Especially if your mum is into her interior design, this would look absolutely stunning sat on your mantle piece. It's a simple, but a really thoughtful gift.

Guerlain Insolence Perfume
I love love LOVE this perfume. It's a gorgeous, gentle scent that smells exactly like Parma Violet sweets! The bottle design is lovely and sleek too, one to save for a special occasion!

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Crystal Lipstick
Now I know that I was not the only child who found themselves swimming through their Mum's make up bag and picking up a luxurious, gold bullet filled with her favourite lipstick. Give her one back to repay all those times you used this rather haphazardly. She's bound to love a new one for those times she needs a little more.

Clinique Youth Surge Moisturiser
Whilst it may seem a little cheeky buying an age decelerating moisturiser, I'm 100% sure my mum would appreciate this. She never buys anything luxurious for herself, and I think it's time to treat her to something that will make her feel AND look good.

Diptyque Figuier Scented Mini Candle
These candles are extortionately priced for something you're literally burning away, but let's face it, everyone wants one. This would make a lovely addition to the other candles on the mantle piece and the lovely pot will make for gorgeous, classy storage.

Of course, a nice, big bouquet of flowers from the Florist (NOT Morrisons!) to top it all off, and a cheeky card, without a doubt.

who knew a nail varnish could smell so good?!

This Models Own Pro Matt Blue Nail Polish is something I came across on a whim really. I was just having a gander round Boots and saw the clearance part, and found this beauty for £3.20!
Even though I knew this was exactly the same shade as my Cobalt Blue from Barry M, I went ahead and got it anyway.
It wasn't until I painted it on and saw it dried matte that I decided to check the shade - Matt Blue

What am I liiike! Anyway, I'm so glad I picked this beauty up! It applied beautifully, not gloopy at all like other matte shades I've tried, and dried really quickly. The finish is beautiful, where as with most mattes look really dry and tend to peel and crack, this just looks like any other average polish.
I love that there's still a slight shine to it, yet it still looks completely matte, if that makes sense...!

Finally, the smell of this is GORGEOUS! It smells like holidays, coconut and the sea. I've no idea why, no where does it claim to smell nice, but even the day after applying it I can still smell it well!

Definitely a thumbs up product for me, guys!

MY GIVEAWAY WILL BE UP SOON!
Thank you so much for getting me to 100 followers! You've no idea how much it means to me, you bloody lovely people.

daniel sandler long-lasting liner, aka, the worlds greatest

A couple of you may have seen me rave on Twitter about the Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in Black Velvet. Guys, through my emo/scene kid days, I tried every liner on the market and was never completely satisfied. As I'm writing this, I've been wearing it for 11 hours on my upper and lower waterline, and I kid you not, it has not moved. At all. Nope, nothing. My eye make up still looks exactly like it did this morning.

I just can't get over it! It applied so nice and smoothly, it's incredibly creamy, I couldn't help thinking "oh, this is gonna slide straight off, it's far too soft" and I checked it religiously all day and it just wouldn't leave. I cannot tell you how impressed I am! It even took the water test in this swatch here, so I knew I had a contender on my hands before, but not this much. The colour is still as pigmented as it was when first applied too, it doesn't look like a shiny grey like is usually left on the waterline.

I'm dying to try more products from the Daniel Sandler range after being this impressed!

Other Makeup I'm Wearing:
ELF Eye palette, a taupe all over the lid, a bronze on the outer corner and crease.
Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
MUA Eyebrow Kit
Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Roomiest Rose

So what do you think?! Have you tried any products from this range?
I'm hosting a 100 follower giveaway soon, keep an eye out!

ready for spring #5 - give your hair some TLC

All images supplied from website links below

During Spring/Summer, taking care of your hair is more essential than ever. The heat and over washing can be so damaging to your hair, it's important you treat it to some TLC

No matter what the season, I ALWAYS apply a few squirts of my Avon Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil to damp hair just before I sleep. This leaves my hair in amazing condition when I wake, and it makes it much more manageable. I split my hair in two, and give each side a squirt of the Daily Shine Dry Ends Serum on the ends. This definitely smooths out any split and raggedy ends, leaving it less frizzy in the morning.

If you're looking for a beach look for your hair, but couldn't be further away from the sea, try the L'Oreal Studio Matt and Messy Salt Spray. I've heard mixed reviews about this, but I think it seems like a great investment and will definitely be purchasing it!

Everyones favourite, the Tangle Teezer! If you do have any dry, brittle ends, help to save them by brushing with this rather than your regular brush. This is at the top of my wish list at the moment, I never realised just how much difference a decent brush could make to your hair!

One thing I know a lot about is conditioner, and my all time favourite has to be the L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 Replenishing Conditioner. I massage a healthy amount of this to the ends of my hair and a little around my roots and leave it to soak in for around 5 minutes. Washing this out feels amazing, my hair has never been so soft! MUST have product!

Sorry for the bad quality photos, I really don't know why they're going crappy lately!

Find the rest of the Ready for Spring series below in the last few posts :)

PS! I'll be hosting my 100 follower giveaway soon, so keep checking back for more!