Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 17 August 2015

What’s in my Handbag?

Hey everyone, today I thought I’d go through what I keep in my handbag! I usually have a far bigger handbag but I bought this one a few months ago from River Island (it doesn’t seem to be online anymore) because I loved the colour and thought it would be perfect for summer! When I changed over I took out some unnecessary weight I was carrying round so here are my absolute essentials!

From left to right:

Plasters

I go through phases where if I’m breaking in new shoes (flat or heeled) I will get at least one new blister a day for about two weeks so I always have patches to hand in case this happens to help cushion my poor heels and/or toes!

Painkillers and a bobble

I don’t actually use painkillers all that often but I always carry some on me in case of emergency and end up giving more away to people that have asked me for them than using myself! The bobble is just there because it fits on nicely and you never know when you will need one!

Tooth Floss

This is an absolute must for me; I hate feeling like I have food stuck between my teeth after meals so I love having this to get rid of any that’s left behind! Nice!

Nail File

This is just a cheap glass file off eBay and the quality isn’t great but if I snag a nail it’s handy to have to smooth over! I want to upgrade this soon to a better quality one like the one I have in my manicure post here!

Tissues

In case of emergency sneezes, nosebleeds or getting stuck in a public bathroom with no toilet roll. Enough said!

Soap and Glory Hand Maid Hand Cleansing Gel

For freshening up on the go if there’s no sink to wash your hands! I love the smell of this one!

Soap and Glory Mist you Madly

This is usually my scent of choice so I keep this smaller bottle in my bag to freshen up throughout the day! This stuff smells seriously amazing, I love it!

Soap and Glory Hand Dream Super Cream

I can’t be without hand cream in my bag I reapply so often throughout the day! This one absorbs quickly and smells lovely!

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer

This is a powder, concealer and mirror in one and I couldn’t be without it! See my full review here.

Marc B purse

I like purses that have a zip pocket with plenty of spaces for cards and a coin zip inside and this has all that! I’m slightly disappointed with the quality of the outter lining of this; it’s looking a bit battered now. Although it’s not real leather it was the most expensive purse I’d bought so I think I’ll stick to my usual River Island offerings in future!

Lip products including Max Factor Intensifying Lip Balm in Charming Coral, Carmex Pomegranate lipbalm and Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Carnival Spirit

I feel naked without some sort of lip product on so I’m surprised there is only three in my bag this time! The Max Factor and Revlon ones are great for adding a bit of colour to my lips and the Carmex one is so moisturising!

Diary and pen

To write down all my exciting weekly plans…not. I do like to have it to write down appointment times and birthdays though! This pen is the best handwriting pen ever, I went through so many of these at school and university then I can’t find them in shops anymore but they are still available online! It’s the Breast Cancer Campaign Pentel Line Style ballpoint pen and if you write a lot you need one of these!

Chewing gum

Self-explanatory, you’re either the person always asking for chewing gum or the one trying to hide it so you don’t have to share it out ;)

Like I said at the start, this handbag is a lot smaller than I would usually use but it’s good to clear out your handbag in a while! I usually prefer bags that zip over completely but I love the colour and style of this one so much I made an exception! It does have two outer zips as you can see in the photo as well as a main compartment. It has a removable shoulder strap but I like to keep it on and another thing to note about this bag is there is no mini compartment in the main bit to hold your phone which is a bit annoying!

PS. Apologies for the crinkled state my bed is in; I swear it came up worse on camera than it actually is! What are your handbag essentials?

Makeup Storage Solutions/Alternatives using Nutella and Ferrero Rocher packaging

Makeup storage that is affordable is something I am always on the lookout for and I usually get mine from Homebase, H&M or Ikea. However, last Christmas I had a few bits and pieces of makeup lying out on my desk that I wanted to tidy up and found an even cheaper alternative.

nutella glass ferrero rocher storage makeup alternative

My aunt had got me a box of Ferrero Rocher’s as a present and once I worked my way through it I tried out a few blushers and bronzers inside and was happy with how they fit. It also easily holds a few eye shadow quads from Soap and Glory and the fact it’s so compact encourages me to use different makeup I have more often!

ferrero rocher alternative makeup storage

Similarly, a few of my eye products started rolling around my desk and were too small for my Ikea plant pots which are already full of brushes so I went downstairs and grabbed a Nutella glass. It was the perfect size to store mascaras, eyebrow pencils and concealers!

nutella glass makeup storage alternative

Anyway, I thought I would put up a quick post showing how I use my alternative storage for anyone who is maybe on a budget (and also so I would have an excuse to buy myself a box of Ferrero Rocher and another jar of Nutella)! It’s definitely not the most pretty of storage but it’s cheap and it’s handy and you do get a chocolate fix out of it :)

The Ferrero Rocher packaging can also be used for storing lipsticks upright or chubby lip pencils laid down which is what I’m using my second one for now!

ferrero rocher lipstick alternative makeup storge

ferrero rocher packaging lipstick makeup alternative storage

Here’s a little look at what powders fit in my Ferrero Rocher packaging.It’s the perfect size for the Soap and Glory eye shadow quads (What’s Nude and Smokey Dokey) and Solar Powder, The Balm’s Bahama Mama, The Body Shop Honey Bronzer 02, L’Oreal Glam Bronze 06, Illamasqua blusher in Hussy and the Wet n Wild blushers (Mellow Wine and Pearlescent Pink)!

soap and glory eye shadow quads illamasqua wet n wild loreal the balm the body shop

While we're on the subject of Nutella jars, does anyone else have about 100 Simpson’s glasses from a few years back? I was obsessed! Do you use anything strange to store your makeup in?

How to get rid of those Annoying Arm Bumps

Get rid of bumps on the back of arms exfoliation and moisturising

Arm bumps or keratosis pilaris to give it its proper name is a harmless condition that results in rough, almost permanent like goose bumps on the back of some people’s arms. Excess keratin builds up blocking the hair follicles resulting in the white bumps on the back of the arms and this article explains it a whole lot better than I can if you want more information!

There are a few things I do to minimise the appearance of my own “arm bumps” which is important for me especially in the summer when I’m wearing t-shirts and sleeveless tops. This is just what I’ve found that works for me as I don’t particularly like the look or feel of them on myself and if any of you are bothered by the same condition it might help you too :)

When I’m in the shower I’ll make sure to exfoliate using exfoliating gloves like the ones pictured (which are £1 from Poundland) and a good exfoliator like Soap and Glory’s Pulp Friction. This lathers up really nicely while providing a good exfoliation ensuring my skin is at soft as possible.

After I’m dried off I will moisturise my body as normal then use a thicker cream such as Nivea Soft or First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream to rub in a splodge (technical term there) quite vigorously onto the backs of my arms until it’s all dried in. I feel like this action gets the blood moving like dry brushing would but takes a lot less time!

My arms will be a little red afterwards from the rubbing but this soon calms down to leave nice, soft almost bump free arms! (Sadly I don’t think anything gets rid of them completely) I’ll exfoliate about once a week but will rub the thicker cream on my arms about twice a week to keep them as soft as possible and the bumps at bay!

Have you got any tips to get rid of the arm bumps or any products that help you?

Best Concealer Ever - Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer Best Concealer Ever Review

Soap and Glory’s Kick Ass Concealer Three Piece Flaw Camouflage Kit (to give it its full name) is my favourite concealer in the world; I bloody love the stuff as you will see!

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer and Powder Light review

Before even getting into the product, the packaging is perfect. It’s a little compact that holds a setting powder (and puff), a mirror and two shades of concealer. It’s so handy to throw in your bag for on the go touch ups, and saves on carrying a separate powder, concealer and mirror!

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer and Powder Light swatches and review

I have the shade light and while it looks quite yellow toned here in the swatches it is so creamy it blends in straight away. I like to use my finger when I’m applying this to keep it as warm as possible as it is quick thick and I find this spreads it evenly over the area I’m using it on. The slightly salmon shade is for correcting under eye circles and the yellow shade is a concealer for imperfections. The powder is so finely milled and completely transparent and a smaller version of the One Heck of a Blot powder. I like to use this with my Real Techniques setting brush to set under my eyes which keeps any creasing at bay. I will then use the miniature powder puff also included for touch ups during the day!

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer Light shades and mirror

I find both shades offer me great full coverage and believe me with my acne prone skin and existing scarring, I am all about the coverage. In case you’re wondering, the one time I was matched to a MAC foundation I was NW20 and I usually use either the lightest or second lightest shade in most drugstore foundations (I’m Buff in Revlon ColourStay and Ivory in Rimmel Lasting Finish).

I really want to start putting a date sticker on my products to see how long they actually last me but this definitely lasts at least 6 months with daily use if not more!

Finally here is a photo of all the compacts I found after a quick search through my bags and bedrooom! As you can see this concealer is a constant repurchase for me, I have one in my daily handbag, one in my going out handbag, one on my dressing table and obviously a few more for good luck!

I rotate them so the oldest one gets dumped and I don’t actually have any concealer left in the pot of the old ones but there is still powder and I love having it in my bag along with the mirror for touch ups! I always buy mine when it’s on offer in Boots and I think it’s reasonably priced at £10!

Have you tried this concealer? What did you think? Let me know your favourite concealer in the comments!

Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 17 August 2015

What’s in my Handbag?

Monday, 10 August 2015

Makeup Storage Solutions/Alternatives using Nutella and Ferrero Rocher packaging

Monday, 3 August 2015

How to get rid of those Annoying Arm Bumps

Monday, 27 July 2015

Best Concealer Ever - Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer