Clinique - Days Of The Week Lipstick Set.

whether your new to the Clinque brand, a long lasting lover who wants to add to the collection or love buying lipsticks in bulk this day of the week lipstick set is a great gem. All brands really pull out the big guns for the winter holiday season with great gift sets showing off there best products, this set is no different. beautifully packaged with even more high quality lipstick bullets. Ultra long wearing formula with a super hydrating feel, although very pigmented idea for everyday use.

All 7 colours are limited edition to this particular set, with custom colours for every mood and occasion. Colours include Monday Mojo, Take On Tuesday, Welcome Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Finally Friday, Sassy Saturday and Sweet Sunday. - Personally i love this set because all the colours are super wearable and would suit all skin tones from peachy corals to a rich reds, theres something for everyone. For a £79 value, you can get your hands on this sleek set for just £35, ideal for a christmas present for your nearest and dearests or a treat to yourself (just because). Get yours here.

Spa Like Skin

You know that feeling when you step out of a full body massage and your skin feels brand new, super soft, cleansed and nourished, well I've just found that feeling in a bottle.. thank you Emma Hardie.

The Emma Hardie Amazing Face Luxurious Body Cleaner is not just a mouthful to say but it truly is an amazing luxurious product. infused with shea butter this shower cream is super moisturising that if your in a rush or feeling particularly lazy not moisturising after isn't such a bad thing, it includes a double sided buffing cloth to gently buff and exfoliate skin to revive and soften the body. smother over skin and add water to encourage the product to foam, feels even more spa like due to the aromatic uplifting essential oils of Mandarin, Jasmine, Bergamot and Rose. I haven't seen much hype around this product but it definitely deserves some recognation for giving your skin that extra bit of moisture, for me will be an absolute essential for this autumn/winter, get your hands on this beauty for just £26.00 here.

Working out at home

Working out is massively important to me and i love a good gym sesh but after a 12 hour shift its just not always possible to head to the gym, when i can't go i still want to work out from the comfort of my own home, but there is one thing that always gets in the way LACK OF MOTIVATION. when your surrounded with other people who are all motivated to get that little bit healthier, the atmosphere rubs off on you and motivation is a lot higher. heres a few tips to help keep motivated with working out at home. 

Get dressed - this might sound silly but getting yourself up and dressed in some nice workout pants really does help motivation levels, don't wander around in your pjs for ages, get up and go. this is the same for other occasions, sometimes getting ready to go out is a lot of effort but once your all ready to go out motivation to actually leave the house soars. 

Find the right playlist - super important! wether its spotify, youtube, netflix or audible. find the right playlist for you to really get yourself going, personally i love spotify for whatever kind of workout your doing, dance/yoga/cardio/weights, there is always a playlist to suit any workout.

Change it up - although routine is good, switching things up is always better. once you get into too much of a routine you almost turn into a robot and thats when things get boring and motivation levels plummet. set yourself a weekly rota. for example cardio one day, weights the next, and maybe a fitness DVD the day after.

Record your results - it's very easy to feel demotivated if we don't instantly see inches of our waist or bigger bootys. keep a log to help you keep track, you might not instantly see the results but if you keep a record the proof is in the figures, i know from personal experience as soon as a loose a bit of weight or my triceps get bigger it makes me more motivated to keep going. 

This Week In Pictures #7

#1 clarins summer bronzers #2 ever growing sunglasses collection #3 drunk #4 henna #5 birthday at work #6 my bestie #6 hello girls #7 happy fathers day #8 we are festival #9 aunties birthday #10 tired boy #11 girls who lift  

id really love to see what you guys have been getting up too. super easy printscreeen your most recent instagram crop and blog. tag me on instagram or twitter. 

instagram - @shanblackburn

twitter - @shansemainex

Do The Hoola

Benefit are the bomb when it comes to their beauty kits, always put together great products that compliment each other really well, this one is no different. Do the hoola is a summer must have, most are benefit staple pieces with one exclusive unseen product. This kit launched in April right in time for this beautiful weather and should be in shops for the next few months. 

So lets get to the kit itself, of course the cult classic Hoola bronzer (with a bit naff brush, but come on what did we expect) great long wearing formula great for warming up the face for that signature summer bronzed look, great size sample and very travel friendly. Another unforgettable product from the brand is without a doubt They're Real mascara, everyone and their mums have probably tried and loved this, super volumising and lengthening to brighten those tired eyes.  I love that they've included a Bene balm too, a super moisturising balm with just enough of a pop of colour, doesn't last super long understandably but great for effortless get up and go days. 

Ultra Plush Lipgloss was the one product i was a bit sceptical off, in the packaging it looks very brown, a bit too nude for me, but once on the lips its super flattering, especially with a nude matte lipstick underneath, it has just enough gold shimmer to catch the light in all the right places without being too glittery. 

But for me, Dew The Hoola stole the show, its a product I've never seen from Benefit before, a soft matte liquid bronzer, with no noticeable glitter this is perfect to really sculpt the face and takes contouring to a whole new level. a little goes a long way so keep it light, super easy to blend and amazing durability. bring those cheekbones out girls!

All round a very well put together kit to try out some really great products, it also includes a good size mirror and a few tips and tricks to get the most out of these little gems. All for a very reasonable price tag of £28.50 at Feel Unique. 

White Shirt Staple

Its very rare i get excited about a item of fashion, but this little gem caught my eye as soon as i walked into Zara. A white shirt should be a staple item in every girls wardrobe, but i loved that Zara had turned something so simple into something very sophisticated, versatile and so fashionable. Its a slim fit that holds you in in all the right places but with the unique peplum pleated bottom hides any stomach issues you might have. I love the sharp collar which really gives this shirt the more classy edge. This would be ideal for a job interview or day at the office but with a slight twist to a plain white shirt. Being a lightweight cotton material it would be a great summer staple, no coat needed so you can really show it off. I also think its a very sexy piece, i wore it the other day on a date night with the hubby up London (meal and show) with some leather pants and chunky chelsea boots and it all went together really well. Shop this head turner at Zara now. 

This Week In Pictures #6

#1 chilled evening #2 tasty breakfast #3 new tattoo #4 current favourite skincare #5 space nk trip #6 nars stand #7 evening out #8 del mercato london bridge #9 prosecco #10 black cab selfie #11 malibu and monopoly (as you do) #12 girl needs options, night out struggles. 

apologies for being totally internet dead recently.. id really love to see what you guys have been getting up too. super easy printscreeen your most recent instagram crop and blog. tag me on instagram or twitter. 

instagram - @shanblackburn

twitter - @shansemainex

xx

Shopping The Stash - Drugstore Addition

If you've never heard of shopping the stash it's simply when you have a good rummage through your makeup/beauty collection to remember loved gems that you've forgotten you had. I love doing this it helps me remember great products that I've kinda forgotten about probably from being in a love daze for something else. It also helps you get use out of your whole collection rather than just the same mascara or lipstick you tend to gravitate towards every day. when I find something I love I use it endlessly before having an affair with something new this way I can rekindle my love for a few more products. The last few weeks i have been going back to some drugstore favs.. 

Firstly the Co Lab dry shampoo.. Now i'm normally not a lover of dry shampoo i find them quite powdery and seeing as i have really dark hair it tends to leave a grey tinge, this does none of those, firstly they come in great fragrances (mine being the fruity one) which is pretty essential for me and when I'm on third day hair this is a total life saver, it brings my hair back to life and takes away any greasiness without leaving any residue and finally it helps give my hair the volume it needs, quite similar to the Obey dry texturising spray at a quarter of the price.. 

The Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Nail Polish in Pat on The Black is the ideal winter colour a dark cherry with a hint of black, its super opaque with one coat and with its full and fat brush covers the nail in one sweep, its super glossy and dry drying ideal for a quick mannie. 

An ideal lipstick to go with this nail polish is the Revlon Super Lusturous Lipstick in Black Cherry, its great for these wintery nights and goes really well with a smokey eye, its a beautiful dark red plum shade which would make any make up look stand out. 

I must admit i am a concealer hoarder and love it when i find one that actually conceals the suitcases that are constantly formed under my eyes, the Maybelline Anti Age Eraser Eye is perfect for helping me look more awake and functional! the sponge applicator can get slightly messy but i actually prefer this to any other applicator, it has enough coverage but doesn't leave my under eye area looking cakey, nor does it crease. 

Last but not least is a Loreal Colour Riche single eyeshadow in the shade nude, its an great everyday shade to swoop on and your good to go, its a highly pigmented shadow with amazing colour pay off that with a good base lasts all day. 

What drugstore gems have you been loving lately?? 

High Street Just As Good As High End ?

I have always struggled with the suitcases that are constantly formed under my eyes, no matter how much sleep i get, water i drink or eye cream i put on these dark circles won't budge. Especially at this time of year, the good ol party season which means more late nights, more glasses of wine and not enough time to relax and pamper. These two little gems have definetly made life easier recently and have spent many mornings slathering either one of these on on the train to work. 

Considering the £16 price different with these two beauts they are extremely similar, the budget buy Rimmel wake me up concealer being the brands first full coverage concealer is just as good as the wake me up foundation that i wear on a daily basis. The higher end option from Nars is there radiant creamy concealer which is super creamy (as the name would suggest) light weight but still gives that amazing coverage. Both products are super hydrating without being runny or to watery, both reawaken and illuminate under the eye and are really easy to blend. 

They are not an exact dupe of each other, i would say the Nars is slightly thicker in texture but once on the eyes they look practically identical. If you've got the budget to splash out slightly more i would go for the Nars if not the Rimmel would do just as nicely! 

What have you been loving recently??