The Righteous Butter vs The Righteous Butter Body Lotion♥

The Righteous Butter has to be one of the most popular body butters out there, as well as one of Soap and Glory's most popular items. I hear many people rave about it, and I must admit, it really is great. Alongside it is the Righteous Butter Body Lotion. I own both, and really love both of them, therefore thought I'd compare the two.

The Righteous Butter

Perhaps one of my favourite body butters ever. It's intensely moisturising, minus the greasiness. It leaves your skin feeling super smooth, as well as smelling delicious (Did I add how gorgeous the scent is?! It smells like marshmallow!) It contains shea butter which is sure to leave your skin in good condition. It is a butter, meaning it is a little heavier on the skin, therefore I prefer to apply it in the evening and go into my pyjamas! The packaging of it is adorable - the pink is sure to catch anyone's eye! Whenever I'm wearing this, people always say how amazing it smells! Also, a bonus for people with dry skin - it helps with any dry patches of skin! The odd few times I've had dry patches of skin, this has helped with them.

The Righteous Butter Body Lotion

This is a lighter formula to the butter. It has the same scent as the Righteous Butter so still smells gorgeous! I have a mini size one as I got it as a gift, although, there is a larger size one available. It is lightweight but still feels moisturising at the same time. I feel this one is more wearable for during the daytime as it isn't as heavy at the other one. I love using this on my legs and arms, and it leaves them feeling silky. It isn't oily nor greasy in anyway, which I'm so glad of!

Which is best for dry skin?

Definitely the Righteous Butter!

Do you need to use a lot each time you use them?

Not at all. They're both really rich!

Roughly, how long do they last for?

I reckon that; the mini size of the Righteous Butter lasts between 4-6 months, the full size Righteous Butter lasts between 7-12 months and the mini Righteous Butter Body Lotion may last about 2-3 months. Of course, it depends on how often you use them too.

I've been through many Righteous Butters because I adore them. I think I have to say that I prefer the Righteous Butter to the body lotion, mainly because I would rather use a butter to a lotion as I feel it works better on my skin.

Have you tried any of these two? Which do you prefer?

Extra : Thank you so much for 20k pageviews! That's amazing!

Drugstore Makeup Starter Kit♥ || Collab

With such a variety of makeup brands and products out there, it's hard to pick out just one makeup item. If you've just got into makeup, it can be quite daunting to find some good quality products. I've picked out my favourite drugstore makeup items to share with you, whether you're new to makeup, or just looking for some new products. 

For face makeup, I wouldn't exact say it's essentials for a full coverage foundation. Of course, you can get light coverage BB creams and CC creams, but they aren't always necessary. If you feel like you need to cover up a few problem areas, I highly suggest the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. This is great for using on spots, or redness. It's creamy yet covers up everything.

For us people who have been blessed with oily skin, I'd recommend using a powder. I've been using the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. Not only does this hide shine, but it also sets any other makeup you may be wearing, such as the concealer. There's a translucent one, as well as one's with colour.

Eye makeup is either a hit or a miss. You might find an eyeshadow which looks stunning in the pan, yet is very chalky and not pigmented. It can either make or break your whole makeup look. A natural eyeshadow palette which is pretty, and inexpensive, is the Barry M Natural Glow Eyeshadow Palette. The colours in this are gorgeous, and can create multiple eye looks. It even comes with a lovely blush shade too.

Something every makeup brands sells is mascara. If I could only wear one makeup item, it would be mascara. It just defines your eyelashes, making them look longer or thicker. I've tried many, some great, and some not so good. One I recommend is the Maybelline Volum Express Colassol Mascara. This makes your eyelashes look great, and the wand is phenomenal. 

I know for sure that I absolutely love lip products; lipstick, lipgloss, lipstain, the lot. There's just loads of different formulas, colours, brands and everything in between. For lip balms, I must say the Maybelline Baby Lips. These are a balm and tint in one. I have the shade Pink Punch, and it gives a slight hint of pink. I used to love this at one point, then never bothered much with it but have been loving it lately. It's not extremely moisturising, but it keeps your lips from going dry.

Some days, I feel like wearing lipgloss. I like the Barry M Lip Gloss Wands. Mine is a light pink colour, so looks natural. They're not sticky at all, and give a nice shine. They smell sweet but not sickly. Mine has hints of glitter, but when wearing it, you don't tend to notice it. To be honest, they're great!

Something that hit the blogging world a few years ago, and everyone went crazy, is the Revlon Lip Butters. I actually adore these! I bought one ages ago, but wasn't keen on the shade, so I decided to give them another shot, except, buy a different one. They have great colour pay off, as well as feel hydrating! They're like a lipstick and lipbalm in one. I have the shade lollipop, which is basically the colour of the packaging, but it's a stunning pink/berry colour and looks great with natural eyes.

They are all my drugstore favourites which are ideal for a makeup starter kit. I've tried many items from the drugstore, but these are the ones I like most. This post is a collab with Alana, who will be posting her collab on Wednesday.

What products are in your ideal makeup starter kit?

A Skincare Routine For Oily Skin♥*

Oily skin can be a nightmare to handle. I have an oily T-Zone, and it can drive me insane. I've tried everything possible, I mainly look out for oily skin products, but they tend to not work with me. However, I've been trying out a few products which help keep oils at bay.

In the morning, all I do is wash my face with the Skin Therapy Sensitive Face Wash* (which actually isn't pictured above, must have forgot about it). It is fragrance free, and just cleanses your skin, leaving it smooth and clean.

I use a few more products in the evening as there may be dirt or makeup build up throughout the day.

Before any skincare routine in the evening, it is essential to remove any makeup you might be wearing. Micellar water is exceptionally good at removing everything, I reviewed the Garnier one here. Anything that removes makeup is all that's needed, but it's best you don't skip this step.

After doing so, I wash my face with the Skin Therapy Tea Tree Face Wash*. I like this as it contains tea tree, which is good for oily and spot prone skin. It feels cooling on the skin, and very refreshing. It does have a scent, which doesn't bother me much, but it might not be good for sensitive skin.

Once my skin is nice and clean, I take a cotton pad and use the Skin Therapy Dry Sensitive Toner*. This just removes any excess makeup or dirt. This is one of my favourite steps as I find it quite soothing. Again, it's fragrance free, and just does the job.

The Skin Therapy Dry Sensitive Cleanser* just finished off the cleansing part for the skin. This closes the pores, blocking any dirt from entering. I use a cotton pad again and just wipe it all over my face, focusing mostly on my T-Zone.

On my nose, I use the Skin Therapy Blemish Serum Tea Tree*. The only reason I use this over my nose is because I often suffer from spots there, and by using tea tree, it helps dry spots out. It's a thick yet runny consistency and is quite moisturising. It doesn't leave you feeling oily, and isn't drying either.

For moisturiser, I use my usual, the Boots Essentials Fragrance Free Moisturising Cream. If you've read my blog for a while, you'll have heard about this before. It's not too thin, thankfully. It's quite moisturising. Sometimes, I get strange dry patches on my forehead, and this just keeps them from getting too flaky. 

I've been doing this for about a month now, and it has been helping my skin. There's days where I'm feeling lazy, tired or cannot be bothered, but I know it needs done. 

Is there any good skincare products for oily skin that you've tried?

* PR samples

Worth The Hype? - Hollister Body Sprays♥

Hollister body sprays. I remember years ago, everyone had them and they were everywhere. Everyone raved about them. I didn't own any until February, when I went shopping with Emma and we just happened to have gone into Hollister to have a look. We were astonished when we discovered they were only £5 each, yes £5, instead of the RRP of £11 (they were selling them off as they were bringing out new packaged ones). I jumped at the chance and bought two, I couldn't choose between the two. But the real question - are they worth the hype?

If you've been a reader of my blog since it started, then you'll remember I reviewed the Hollister Silver Strand Beach Body Wash and Lotion here. I absolutely loved the scent, so I grabbed a body spray version. Crescent Bay is one which is adored very much, and a lot of people I know own it - whenever someone sprayed it, I was always asking them what they were wearing.

Crescent Bay is a light fruity scent. It has notes of watermelon, poppy and sugary woods. I love spraying this on days where I don't feel like wearing a over-powering perfume and just want a light, girly scent. Personally, I wear this on warm, Summery days as watermelon reminds me of Summertime as it's a typical Summer fruit. I'd describe this one to be very sweet but not too sickly.

Silver Strand Beach is my Summer scent. It has notes of sparkling mandarin, mango and coconut. It literally reminds me of a beach. It's quite a citrus scent, and it's stronger than Crescent Bay. Even though the notes in this are fruits, it isn't too fruity, surprisingly. On days where it's warm and sunny, I will reach for this. I've obviously used it, but I've been keeping majority of it for the Summer, and days where it's warm as this is perfect!

Are they worth the hype though?

Well, I think these are ideal for an alternative to perfume or for a lighter scent. They have cute packaging, although, it's now changed (the new packaging is a similar idea to Victoria's Secret body sprays). I think they are lovely products, and I'm glad I got two of them on sale but I don't know if I would pay the full price for them. Once sprayed, you can smell it on you, and you can do for a few hours at least. I mainly spray it on my neck and wrists.

I would recommend these to anyone looking for a light Summer scent!

If you're looking for a long lasting perfume, I suggest you check out their perfumes.

Have you tried any Hollister body sprays? Do you think they're worth the hype?

2 Non-Heat Hairstyles♥*

I am often guilty of wearing the same hairstyles all the time. I've recently been trying out different hairstyles, two which require no heat, great news for my hair! Both give a nice result, and are sure to receive lots of compliments!

Hairstyle 1 : The Curls

Majority of people I know who curl their hair use a hair tool. My hair is quite long, and thick, therefore takes AGES to curl but the curls drop super quickly. Everyone's hair is different in how it holds, but this is the method that works for me.

This hairstyle can be done on either damp hair or dry. For me, it works best when my hair is dry. It's easy - all you need are some bendy rollers.

You can find them absolutely everywhere, and are inexpensive too! They're bendy, so roll easily around your hair and are comfortable enough to sleep in. It's hard to explain how to do it without showing, but you can find millions of tutorials on Youtube, just search up bendy rollers tutorial. Once they're in, I spray hairspray over them to keep them in hold.

I find it's best to wear these overnight as that way then, they've been in for numerous hours. Once I'm up in the morning and I'm doing my hair, I simply remove them, by rolling them, and once I'm roller-free, I shake my head upside down to loosen the curls. You could alternatively brush your hair out slightly but I like to keep the curls.

Once I'm happy with how my curls are, I apply some of the Lee Stafford Here Come the Curls Creme*. This can be used on naturally curly hair or hair which has been curled. It gives an extra bounce to the curls and makes them feel smooth. I use a small amount and generously apply throughout the hair. I also spray some hairspray to help the curls stay in.

Hairstyle 2 : Mermaid Waves

The dreaded task of drying hair, sound familiar? I know for a fact I hate this, I don't mind washing my hair but it's the drying part. I've found a simple hairstyle to do instead of drying my hair. 

After I've towel-dried my hair and combed through it, I love using the Lee Stafford Argan Oil Nourishing Miracle Oil*. I apply one to two pumps on my hand for the ends of my hair and it just helps smooth the ends and keep them hydration. It can be used on either wet or dry hair, but it works better with my hair whilst damp.

Next, I part my hair and split it into two sections and do two ordinary pleats (plaits). If you are good enough at hair, you could do a French braid, but I haven't "aced" that yet!

I normally wait until the morning to remove my pleats. Once I do, I run my fingers through my hair before applying the Lee Stafford Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray*. I never understood the point of sea salt sprays but oh my goodness, this adds heaps of volume to my hair! I apply some to my hair, scrunch my hair up, flip my head upside down, spray some and flip my head back up and it makes my hair bigger. It makes my hair look like mermaid locks!

Those are my two non-heat hairstyles. What are your go-to non-heat hairstyles?

* PR samples

Marc Jacobs Dot♥ || Collab

I've had my eye on the Marc Jacobs perfumes for ages. I don't know why, maybe the adorable packaging and the gorgeous scents. I'm forever looking them up on Boots or Feelunique, and knowing how cute the bottles would look in my collection. When I happened to have gone onto feelunique the other week, I noticed there was a sale on some of the perfumes. I was intrigued and just had to get one.

"Marc Jacobs Dot is a lush juicy floral - happy and vivacious.

The top captivates with a delectable blend of red berries, succulent dragonfruit, and sweet honeysuckle. The lush floral heart of the fragrance blooms with addictive jasmine mingled with energizing notes of coconut water and orange blossom. The scent rounds out with a feminine drydown of creamy vanilla, driftwood, and sensual musks.

Top notes: Red Berries, Dragonfruit, Honeysuckle.

Heart notes: Jasmine, Coconut Water, Orange Blossom.

Base notes: Vanilla, Driftwood, Musk." - feelunique

Fragrance

As you can read from the feelunique statement, it's a fruity perfume. To me, it's also a little bit on the floral side too. It's got a variety of notes, and it's definitely different to any other perfumes I own. 

Packaging

I must admit, the bottle is stunning! I like how the colours have been chosen and how the design works well with the colours. I keep mine in the box, as I do with all my perfumes, but this would stand out from the crowd if you were to display it!

Opinion

I am so glad I bought this perfume! It was difficult to choose just one (I would easily buy all of them if I had enough money!) but Dot stood out to me the most. Whenever I wear this, I receive lots of compliments and questions to what perfume I'm wearing. It has a good staying power - sometimes I can spray it around 9am and still smell it around 4pm, but you would expect that from an expensive perfume. I would class this as highend, so it was definitely a splurge for me!

Do I recommend?

Yes, yes and yes! If you're into fruity perfumes, which are strong but not too overpowering, I totally recommend you smell this. If you prefer more floral, feminine and pretty perfumes, I suggest checking out Daisy.

I 100% recommend this perfume. If you haven't smelt it before, I suggest you get down to a local Boots and have a sniff of it! I bought the 100ml bottle which originally is £68. I couldn't justify paying that much for a perfume, as much as I love it, however, like I said, I got it in sale for £42. The perfume takes pride in sitting on my perfume shelf within my collection.

100ml - £67.50 at Boots

50ml - £49.50 at Boots

30ml - £38.50 at Boots

This post is a collab with the lovely Hannah! She's also reviewing a Marc Jacobs perfume, so you should check out her review! Her blog is mainly fashion based with the odd few beauty posts, baking, DIY, lifestyle and lots more. Oh, and her blog is a joint one with her friend, even cooler! Make sure to also follow her instagram - @Fabblog_

Do you own any Marc Jacobs perfume(s)? If so which one(s)? If not, which one(s) you got your eye on?

My Everyday Makeup Look♥*

I usually wear the same makeup look everyday, however, I've recently found some new products I love and switched up my look. I'm a big fan of each of the products, so thought I'd share my quick and easy everyday makeup look!

Of course I moisturise beforehand but I didn't think it was necessary to include that! You may be familiar with this product as I featured it here. It's the No7 Instant Illusions Airbrush Away Primer. I'm not going into too much detail as I already have but it's a good primer as it gives you a smooth base to work on, and fills in any visible pores.

I sometimes skip this step as I feel like I don't need to use it, but it's the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. You probably know by now this is my favourite concealer, as it's been featured plenty of times on my blog! I just use it on any blemishes or under my eyes.

This is a step I've been loving doing lately. I use the blush out of my Urban Decay Naked Flushed Compact in Native. It's a gorgeous pink colour and it's perfect for the Spring time! I just apply it to the apples of my cheeks and blend outwards for a natural look. I've been using the W7 Blusher Brush* for this step and it's such a soft brush! Plus, it distributes blush evenly onto my cheeks.

I've liked using bronzer lately to warm up my face. I've been using the W7 Smooch Bronzer in Smooched*. At first, I was afraid incase this was too orange and shimmery. But trust me, once applied to the face, it's not at all. I use the little brush it comes with to put product on my face then blend out with my angled top brush.

Going back to my Naked Flushed palette, I take the highlighter. Sometimes I use this old foundation brush and other times I use my finger. I apply some to the tops of my cheekbones, inner corner of my eyes, my brow bones and cupid's bone.

Now for eyes. I use my W7 In The Buff palette, which if you didn't know, I adore. I use the first shade on the left (Buff) all over my eyelid as a base colour. Then into my crease, I blend the fifth colour (Chocolate) for depth and definition. Finally, I use the third colour (Sand) all over the lid for a little extra sparkle and make my eyes appear more awake.

Now for my favourite but trickiest part! Liquid eyeliner. I adore using the Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner. The tip is so thin making it easy for a thin line. Lately, I've been drawing a thick line across my top lash line and leaving it, whilst other days where I have more time and feel like it, I will wing it out. It doesn't budge all day! Once you get how to use it, it's super easy to do.

Mascara is definitely one of my favourite makeup items. The W7 Absolute Lashes mascara* has been used a lot lately. Firstly, can we look at the packaging? It looks almost identical to the Benefit's They're Real mascara. This gives loads of length, I've been loving it!

I usually just finish off with a lipbalm or gloss, or a lipstick depending on where I'm going. 

It's a quick look which looks fresh, and nice for Spring.

What products are in your everyday makeup look?

*PR Samples

My One Year Blogging Anniversary♥

On Friday 10th April 2015, my blog will be one year old! I posted my first ever post a year ago that day, and that post is still up actually! Over the past year, I've learnt things about blogging, which I thought I'd share with you, whether you're a blogger, an aspiring blogger or just a regular reader of my blog. In no means am I an expert blogger, this is just what I find is best for my blog. I've also got a little Q&A at the bottom! This post is a little different, but enjoy!

1. Be Unique.

This is definitely the most important part of blogging. I'm a beauty blogger, and there's millions upon millions of other beauty blogs out there, so for mine to be noticed, I have to have unique content. Whether that's unique with photos, blog layout etc, it's best to be different for people to find your blog interesting. Are you telling me someone's wanting to read 10 blog posts reviewing the exact same products and basically saying the same thing?

2. Blog about what you want.

Every single time that a make-up brand brings out a new product, there's a guarantee that a huge majority of beauty bloggers will review that. Don't feel pressured to review it as well! Of course you can review it whenever you want, but don't blog about it just because everyone else is. Blog about it in your own time. If you're wanting to blog about a make-up item which everyone raved about years ago, go for it! Chances are there's new people out there looking for reviews on it! It's your blog - blog what you want!

3. Don't be afraid to show off your content.

Now talking from personal experience, I was nervous to what everyone would think. I didn't really tell anyone about my blog, which is silly, because my blog wouldn't have grown this much if nobody knew! I promote and share my blog on all my social media (which is always linked at the bottom of my posts.) People are usually glad to find new blogs to read, well I know I am. By sharing your blog, you're a) increasing views and b) helping people find your blog. It's a win win situation for everyone!

4. It's not all about the number.

By saying number, I mean amount of views each post gets and total number of pageviews. I think this is a point which people get worried over. Blogging is NOT all about the numbers you receive. Of course it's nice to see your blog grow, which it does over time. trust me. For me, blogging is something I do because I enjoy it, and I love sharing the products I love with people to help them find new products. I've had my blog for almost a year, and I have over 13,000 page views. It takes time to grow your blog!

5. Enjoy what you do!

This is probably the most important part of blogging. Whether you blog about beauty, fashion, food etc, enjoy what you do. It's like the quote, "Do what you love and love what you do". If you don't enjoy blogging, then why do it?

Instagram Question & Answer

@bearbeauty00 

 What made you want to start blogging?

I started blogging simply because I wanted to share products I love with other beauty lovers!

@_bekka_b00

Who is your favourite blogger?

Oh that's so hard! I've lately found some amazing new blogs which I love. A few of my favourite blogs are : Raspberrykiss, Shy Nature, Magpie Jasmine, FashStyleLiv and The Perks Of Mollie Quirk.

@wallfl0wers

What blogs inspire you?

Basically all the blogs I mentioned above! All the blogs I read inspire me, but three of them are definitely : The Sunday Girl, Fleur De Force and GabriellaLovesxo.

@uni._.rns

How did you design your blog?

All I did was choose a layout design from blogger and then changed the settings around to what I liked and chose a pink background! Simple really!

@heyzono

What's your favourite thing about blogging? (For example, helping people make good make-up choices or taking photos or having an excuse to buy new things).

Definitely knowing that people like my content, especially when they leave me comments - I love comments! I think that having the excuse to buy new make-up as well, although I've been quite good and haven't bought any in ages! I also like giving recommendations to people who are looking for new products. Another thing is collaborating. I've done a few collabs with some fabulous bloggers and it's so fun!

@xits_mollyx

What has been the hardest thing about blogging for you personally?

I think sharing my blog to people. I was worried of what people would think, as are many bloggers at first. But now, I look back and think, why was I so scared? There's nothing wrong with having a blog. It's something I love doing, so there isn't any point about being nervous! I have the most amazing people who support me for having a blog and I'm so grateful. I often have people ask me about my blog in confidence, and even tell me they're thinking of buying a product which I reviewed, it's a good feeling knowing I've gave them a good impression on the product!

Emma❤

What's the most satisfying thing about blogging for you personally?

Like I said above, probably helping people find new products to try!

Would you ever consider YouTube if enough people requested you to do so?

Oh, I don't know! I like the whole aspect of sitting down and typing, otherwise if I was to film, I'd most likely get tongue-tied!

Where do you see your blog in 5 years time?

I'd like to still be blogging! If I am, I hope my blog has grown lots!

@floralblogger

What do you use to take photos?

The camera I use is the Olympus VG-170!

How did you gain followers and views?

I share my blog on all my social media, read other people's blogs and comment, and I follow people and they sometimes follow back.

@bumblebeezoe

Any tips for new bloggers?

I'd pretty much just say all the steps I said above; be unique, blog about what you want, don't be afraid to share your content, it's not all about the number and enjoy doing it! For me, I would also say have a schedule. You can dedicate one day for a post to go up, like me, or post one a week, but let your readers know you blog once/twice a week. By informing your readers on your ideas, people will check back each week/that day to see if there's a new post.

A question a lot of people often ask - working with brands. It's definitely something which takes time to gradually happen. I first got the opportunity to work with the lovely Lee Stafford back in January. Since then, I've worked with a few brands. I think you should have your blog for almost a year before considering doing it. Brands are interested in how many pageviews you have, so it's a good idea to have quite a high number. I was the one to contact the brand myself, since there's so many blogs, they might not look through them all. People often think it's not a good idea, but I've worked with brands by contacting them myself. However, please, do not just email the brand in the hope of "free items". They're doing it for you to share their products on the blog. The brand have to earn trust in you!

This is just from my own personal experience. Each and every blogger is different and has experienced something different. I've only blogged for a year, but my blog has grown so much - over 13,000 pageviews, 100 bloglovin followers, 1900+ Instagram followers and 200+ twitter followers. Thank you all so much! 

I hope this post has given you an insight into blogging. If you're interested, then I think you should go for it!

Do you have a blog? Or are you thinking about starting one? Leave me a comment, as well as your link so I can check out your blog!