Yellow obsession

Looking through all my pics and realised over the past few weeks I seem to be slightly addicted to yellow especially if it's neon, I think it's time to start wearing some other colours but in the mean time i will share my yellow obsession 

I will always will love anything containing print and this top is perfect for those sunny days.

Outfit details 

Sunflower top £5 from primark 

Sunglasses £12.99 river island

Jeans and sandals oldies but ripped jeans are in right now so can easily be found in most high street shops I purchased these partucular jeans from new look

This playsuit is too cute and the price was pretty cute too I purchased this from the new look sales which started on Thursday 

Outfit details

Playsuit from newlook £12.99 was £22.99

Sunglasses  h&m £6.99

Wedges eBay £16

Bag purchased from Camden market

Battle of the foundations

I don't know about you but I'm constantly on the look out for the perfect foundation, and I'm yet to find one that ticks all the boxes.

I have oily skin particularly in the summer and prone to acne breakouts so a perfect foundation is something I'm always on the hunt for.

I've tried so many foundations either they don't do anything for me or my skin gets to used to it and I start to break out. 

Mac studio fix fluid NC45

£21.50

I wish I could say this is my favourite foundation but unfortunately as soon as summer comes if I wear this my skin breaks out like crazy, and I wouldn't have to be on a constant search for a good foundation, the coverage is spot on, lasts all day and the bottle lasts a decent amount of time claims it's oil free however one thing I would suggest when purchasing this bottle is to pay the extra money for a pump so you don't end up waisting too much product or scraping the last drops out with a cotton bud (yes I'm guilty of doing that).

Pros

Good full coverage, lasts all day, easy to apply, Has an SPF 15, come in loads of shades

Cons

Breaks me out.

Benefit cosmetics hello flawless nutmeg

£26.50

I have a love/hate relationship with this foundation.

I love that it's lightweight on the skin hardly feels like your wearing anything.

It has an SPF 25 and is oil free.

Coverage is light to medium so great if you want good coverage but still look very natural also blends well and the way the pump is designed you get no wastage of product. 

The finish is quite dewy great if you like that look not so great if like me you have oily skin and for that reason It's not something I would wear all the time as I find myself applying powder a lot more than I do with other foundations, nobody ain't got time for that however all the foundations have a powder to match which costs £25.50.

Another downfall about this foundation is the lack of colours for darker skin tones their our only 3 shades and are all orange based so not so great if your more of a yellow tone.

The bottle pictured is nutmeg but I'm usually hazelnut I only use the nutmeg for mixing with other foundations. It's great to have a lighter and darker foundation amongst your makeup collection for mixing, as we all know how hard it is to find a perfect match.

Pros 

Lightweight, oil free, has an SPF 25 and no wastage

Cons

Not enough shades for darker skin tones and doesn't last all day.

Bh cosmetics liquid foundation

£2.32

For the cost of this foundation you can't really complain it does have it's downfalls however it is good value for money, these would be great if your a new makeup artist building up your kit on a budget. They come in a variety of 12 shades.

It's full coverage and blends well but is not oil free so not so good if you have oily skin it doesn't have any SPF and has a really strong smell to it.

I would only wear this in the winter with a powder and primer but would not wear this on a night out or special occasion as it doesn't last all day.

One big downfall is that it's an American website  and I'm in the UK the shipping is quite hefty around £12 but they do have a good selection of makeup and brushes so it's worth it if your doing a big order or perhaps can do an order with a friend and split the cost. The price I stated for this foundation is £2.32 on sale but they seem to have sales all year round so you can grab some fab bargains.

Pros 

Good value for money, good coverage.

Cons 

Doesn't last all day, no SPF and not oil free.

Smashbox studio skin

£28

Well, well, well where do I start I had high expectations for this foundation especially for how much I paid for it!!

I always read reviews before purchasing makeup and skincare products everyone seemed to state how excellent this product was so thinking this foundation was amazing I felt confident buying it. I really don't see what the fuss was about first of all I struggled to get a good match and ended up with 3.4 the first few days of wearing this I really liked it and was getting loads of compliments of how clear my skin looked. But than I started to notice the cracks literally cracks after a few hours of wear I realised around my nose upper lip and forehead the foundation was separting that's the only way I can describe it, not a good look at all. You really have to work fast with this foundation as it dries quick I found it easier to blend by spraying fixing spray on my foundation brush before applying. The biggest downfall was how long the bottle lasted within four weeks it was gone for £28 I don't think it's worth the price and personally I wouldn't purchase again!!

Pros 

Good coverage, oil free

Cons 

Expensive and hard to apply.

Revlon colourstay oily/combination Caramel 

£12.49 

Currently my favourite foundation this is such good value for money and very similar to mac studio fix.

I usually shy away from high street foundations and tend to only go for premium brands but I'm so glad I got this I really can't fault it. The coverage is really good a little goes along way lasts all day and blends really easy. The only downfall is it doesn't have a pump so can end up pouring out too much I always pour a bit on the back of my hand than apply with my real techniques face brush best foundation brush ever but nots let get into that I will save that for another blog lol. There isn't many shades for darker skin tones caramel works perfect for me now in the summer but I know as soon as winter comes it will be too dark so will have to mix it with a lighter foundation. This comes in two types oily/combination and dry/normal so make sure you purchase the right one suited to your skin type.

Currently on offer in Boots buy one get second half price.

Pros good coverage, lasts all day good value for money. 

Cons not enough shades for darker skin tones and no pump.

Hope you found all my reviews useful just remember just because it didn't work for me or vice versa doesn't mean it won't work for you everyone has different skin and looks for different things in foundations. 

Would love to hear your opinions if you have ever tried any of these foundations.

My skincare routine for acne prone and oily skin

Suffering from oily skin and occasional acne break outs I'm on a mission to find a skin care regime suited to my skin that can keep my oily skin under control and reduce acne breakouts I've had creams subscribed to me from the doctors but find they don't seem to work and I don't have the patience to use them for long enough to see results but with this new routine I've adapted I have seen great results I'm not breaking out as much as I used too and I have more control over my oily skin making it easier for my makeup to last longer throughout the day.

The days are getting hotter and we all want that sun kissed look but are you looking after your? skin in particular face after all It is the first place to show signs of aging mainly caused by sun damage and let's face it unfortunately we're not getting any younger.

So a few months back I received some new products at work (I'm a beauty consultant at Benefit cosmetics) Dream Screen and Instant Comeback and for some reason or another I never got round to trying them until recently and I've actually fallen In love with both products.

I have been using them for little over a month now and have to say they will probably be permanent fixtures in my skin care routine.

Dream screen £25

Benefit cosmetics 

I've never been a fan of putting sun screen on my face as I don't like the feel on my face as I feel they are to heavy and make my skin even oiler. But than Benefit cosmetics braught out this little beauty it's oil free and lightweight and has a whopping 45 SPF a little goes a long away so this product can easily last throughout the whole summer. 

Instant comeback £36

Benefit Cosmetics 

This has to be my favourite product so far amongst the Benefit Cosmetics skin care range I never used to leave the house without makeup on but since discovering this I've started to give my skin the occasional days off from a full face of make up.

Instant comeback is an age defying booster serum it's a bit pricy at £36 but it really does deliver and a small pea size amount is enough to cover your whole face so despite the price it will last a long time not only does it really work like all the other products within the skin care range the packaging is really cute.

 Pop a bit of this on in the morning and your tired skin looks plumped and hydrated my skin looks more glowy and awake no matter how much sleep I got the night before I apply this before I apply any other products to my face in the morning can also be used at night.

Organic tea tree face wash

Holland & Barretts £6.39

My first ever product purchased from holland and Barrett and defiantly won't be the last at the time of purchasing they had 50% off their beauty range so I actually only paid £3.19 for this face wash and they always seem to have different offers on so worth checking out!

I always do my research before purchasing beauty products and had seen so many great reviews on how great this product is for acne prone snd oily skin, so I had to give it try, I'm so glad i did as this is the holy grail of all face washes. 

I was a bit sceptical to using a tea tree face wash as I usually find them quite drying on my skin and i don't like the smell of tea tree I find it can be rather over whelming at times but this is none of the sort it doesn't dry my skin out and smells quite pleasant my skin feels instantly refreshed after using this and is gentle enough to use every day. 

It's not tested on animals, ingredients are natural and organic it contains pure tea tree oil, mandarin oil, lemon oil and whitch hazel hence why it doesn't have that overpowering tea tree oil smell.

Being an antibacterial cleanser I feel this has helped greatly on keeping my acne breakouts at bay which to me is a god send!

Tea tree skin clearin lotion

The body shop £8.00

I really did hesitate when purchasing this as I don't usually shop in body shop and £8 for 50ml had me indecisive but than I remembered all the great things I have heard about this product.

I apply this after applying my instant comeback serum it instantly mattifies my skin and helps keep my oily skin under control I have struggled to find a moisturiser suitable for oily skin and despite this not actually being like my usual moisturisers it has to be the best thing I've ever tried and now seeing how effective it is I think it is more than worth it for £8.00 I've had it for a little over a month now and still have half a tube left my skin no longer looks as oily as it used too and my makeup lasts longer my acne  marks seem to be clearing up and I'm getting less breakouts so for now this is here to stay in my everyday skincare routine.

Hope you have found my review useful I have reviewed these products on the bases of helping anyone who is looking for products that can benefit oily and acne prone skin however these can be suitable for other skin types depending on what your skin needs. 

Mad hatters tea party

It's my birthday..... It's my birthday 

If you haven't yet experienced a Mad hatters tea party at sandersons hotel, it's a must to add to your bucket list, an experience like no other in a really trendy atmosphere with a modern twist.

The fun starts as soon as you sit down your offered a selection of different aromas to smell and decide which flavour tea you want we had a selection of rhubarb and custard, apple pie, chocolate mint and strawberrys and cream, by far the apple pie tea was the nicest smelt and tasted like apple pie.

Everything comes out on a cake stand a selection of carefully crafted deserts and savourys, one thing I would say if you don't have a sweet tooth you probably wouldn't enjoy as their is more sweet stuff than savoury.

My favourite had to be the sweet scones and green tea mousse which contained popping candy bringing me back to my childhood memories and the cup was made from edible chocolate.

Outfit details 

Powder pink tulle skirt £10 eBay 

Black bralet £1.99 H&M

Black and gold shoes £24.99 New look

Clutch bag £19.99 Zara 

If your a selfie addict like me you won't be short of scenery to catch some nice pics unfortunately my camera was playing up so the lighting in my pics wasn't too great. Selfie fail lol!!

I'm such a lover of tea party's and can't wait to find another cool venue to try out.

Prices start from around £38 per person including a 15% service charge.

If your planning a big booking I strongly suggest you book early to avoid disappointment.

Instagram : alsbeautyinabox 

Feeling fruity?

How cute are these fruity clutch bags from New Look, and so affordable, priced at only £9.99 it's tempting to get them all.

I ended up purchasing the watermelon and lemon clutch, their perfect for those summer outfits, well when the sun eventually comes out to play again!!

And just the right size for essiantals.

Still currently in new look stores but grab them quick they sold out fast when they first came out.

Zara sale haul

So it's that time of year again when all the summer sales start I actually hate sale shopping but zara is always a must and I'm also a sucker for the river island sales, take note the river island sale starts   

Tomorrow the 10th July.

I always head straight for the jackets and shoes in the zara sale sadly I didn't find any shoes to my liking but I did find 3 statement jackets all in fun colours and some clutch bags which I really needed or shall I say really wanted.

I'm loving the colours of these my favourite by far is the neon lime jacket I'm obsessed with all things neon.

Lime neon zara jacket

Was £59.99 reduced to £29.99

Hot pink biker style zara jacket 

Was £45.99 reduced to £35.99

Powder pink zara jacket

Was £59.99 reduced to £29.99

I fell in love with these clutch bags will add some excitement to any outfit unfortunately the black one wasn't in the sale but I couldn't bring myself to put it back when I realised it wasn't in the sales.

Hate me love me zara clutch bag

Was £19.99 reduced to £9.99

Fashion code zara clutch bag

£19.99 

I try to buy pieces that will take me through the whole year, especially with a pop of colour to brighten up those dull winter days.

Can't wait to style my buys will post some pics up of how I wore them.

Let me introduce myself

Hey

So I am completely new to this whole blogging thing but it's something I've always wanted to do, better late than never! 

So here goes my first post....

Fashion and beauty is my passion maybe to a degree of obsession but a healthy obsession that's ok right? 

I see my wardrobe as my dressing up box no day is ever the same I don't follow a particular trend I just go with my mood and inspiration!!

Can't get any more comfy on a Sunday than wearing dungarees and converses and not to forget my trademark turban any excuse not to do my hair.

Outfit details 

Dungarees H&M

Blouse Newlook 

Converse Footlocker

Headscarf primark