Top Tips For Healthy Hair This Winter

Christmas is nearly here and the Christmas parties are upon us. This is the time I need my hair to be looking its best. Winter is one of the most damaging times of year for our hair. With the chilly weather outside and the central heating on inside, I find my hair becomes very dry and it can lose its natural healthy shine, leaving it feeling limp and brittle. However, by looking after my hair I can stop this from happening. So I have written my top tips for you, to help your hair prevent this winter weakness.   Regular Trims   I am in the process of growing my hair and I hate having to go get it cut. I feel like I spend six weeks growing it, to go in to my local hairdressers for her to cut it off! Makes me want to cry when I look at the floor and see my blonde locks laying there, but it is a massive essential. The best way to keep your hair healthy is to get rid of those dry split ends.
 Protecting  I am terrible at remembering to protect my hair with a heat protection spray. I wouldn't lay in the sun without protecting my skin, so I need to remember to protect my hair when blasting it with heated appliances. Blow drying, straightening and curling tongs can really dry the hair out but a lot of brands do a heat protection spray that is so lightweight you can not feel it in your hair. I just divide my hair into sections and give it a light spritz. Wearing a woolly hat is a great way to protect your hair, although they can cause havoc for perfectly styled locks. Try wrapping your hair in a silk scarf under your woolly hat. There is less friction to your hair as the silk is smooth and it will also help to keep your hair looking pretty underneath. Wearing your hair in protective styles will also make a difference. Plaits, twists and buns are a great way to protect your hair as you are minimizing how much hair is in the elements and you are less likely to use heated appliances to achieve these looks.

  Good Hair products  I use a different shampoo and conditioner in the winter months to the summer time as my hair needs that extra moisture. I opt for a more milder, alcohol-free shampoo and lather less as shampoo can strip the natural oils from the scalp. Also try not to over rinse hair, as the squeaky clean feeling can mean the natural conditioning agents have been stripped and this can cause those pesky split ends.  I find if I reduce how many times a week I wash my hair, it helps my hair a lot. I have very fine hair and it frustrates me when it looses it's volume. So I wash less and opt for a volumising dry shampoo.   Include a hair mask at least once a week and if you can leave it in overnight, it works wonders. I love a DIY hair mask. A great one to try is a banana homemade hair mask. Bananas are super rich in potassium, vitamins, anti-oxidants and contain natural oils and moisture. A banana hair mask will help strengthen hair to prevent split ends and breakage and add that all important moisture. Blend together two overripe bananas, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of honey. Make sure you blend it so there is no lumps, as trying to comb banana out of your hair after is no fun! Your hair will thank you after this mask! A spray leave in conditioner I find is a must in winter. Towel dry hair and give the ends of your hair a good spritz with a leave in conditioner, it will give a replenishing boost that instantly helps to detangle your hair and make it more manageable. My favourite leave in conditioner is Schwarzkopf Gliss Liquid Silk Express Hair Repair This makes my hair feel so soft and makes combing wet hair a dream. 

Low Heat Blow drying at a low heat make take longer but the heat from the hair dryer vaporises the water in our hair making it dry, so keep it low. It's a simple one, but if you can, don't use heat at all. I try really hard to only blow dry my hair once a week or for special occasions. Since leaving my hair to dry naturally I have noticed a massive difference in the overall condition. Washing your hair the night before and leaving it to dry naturally avoids going out with damp hair, as this can cause split ends where it dries in the cold air. 
Diet Eating lots of fruit and vegetables will provide your body with the necessary vitamins to make your hair stronger and healthier. Also drinking plenty of water helps to keep your hair hydrated from within. 
So here's my tips to battle the winter weakness and to maintain healthy hair.
Do you have any tips for winter healthy hair? 
Samantha x
*Pictures from this post are sourced from Pinterest

My November Favourites

I am very excited to be sharing my first monthly product favourites with you. I can not actually believe it is the 1st of December tomorrow, seriously how fast has this month gone! All of these products I love and a couple of them I have been using longer than a month but I just had to tell you about them.

Tresemme Platinum Strength Leave In Conditioner This leave in conditioner by Tresemme leaves my hair feeling silky smooth. It reinforces hairs naturally protective layer, restoring your hair and preventing future damage. I am a huge fan of leave in conditioners as I don't always have time to stand in the shower and let my usual conditioner work it's magic. This is where this bottle is a great time saver. Tresemme claim, when used correctly with the Platinum Strength shampoo and conditioner, it will reverse up to two years visible damage to your hair with just five uses. I can not say it has made that much of a dramatic result but what I can say is that after years of bleaching my hair, this product helped with my dry split ends and made my hair more manageable, softer and easier to style. 

Lancome Hypnose Mascara I don't think there are enough words to explain how much I LOVE this mascara. I have used this mascara for the past seven years and it would take a miracle of a mascara to take this one away from me. With just one coat your eyelashes are so unbelievably volumised and thickened.  The formula allows you to build and build your lashes and it never clumps, using Vitamin B-5 to keep the lashes soft and subtle all day long. I recommend this mascara to my clients, friends and anyone who will listen for a day time or evening mascara.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil can be used for a variety of skin concerns, such as dehydration, scarring, fine lines and wrinkles. I use a lot of natural oils on my skin and I have been using this for dehydration and acne scarring. I apply this at night time before my moisturiser every couple of days and I awake in the morning to plumped and glowing looking skin. It has improved the overall appearance of my skin and has helped to heal old blemish marks from previous breakouts. You only need a few drops of this as a little goes a long way with this product, despite it being a oil it absorbs quickly and there is no oily residue in the morning. Would highly recommend it!

NARS Blusher In Orgasm ohhh NARS with their very controversial names! You can see my love for this blusher as I have started to hit the pan. This blusher in the colour 'Orgasm' is renowned in the blogging world, bloggers went crazy for it and I have to say I followed the hype. The compact itself is so light and sleek. It is a gorgeous peachy-pink coral colour with a golden sheen that blends effortlessly over my cheek. It suits my skin tone perfectly and I would probably say I wear this every day as it gives such a lovely natural look.

Mac Cremesheen In Loud & Lovely I know this colour isn't your typical winter colour but I have to admit I have been wearing this a lot! Mainly because my lips can get really dry in the winter and this gloss keeps them so moist.  The Cremesheen formula is just lovely, the gloss is so creamy without being overly thick and is nice and sheer when first applied to the lips. Loud & Lovely is a medium-deep pink, a great pop of colour and easily buildable. When used alone, it looks just like a stain on my lips as it starts to wears off , but it looks fab over the top of any pink lipstick.

Have you tried any of these products? What have you been loving this month?

Samantha x

A Little Lush Haul

Ohhhh how I love Lush. I became a massive Lush fan a few years back when my best friend bought me one of their amazing bath bombs for Christmas, I haven't looked back since. If I am not lying in a purple bath with stars floating around my toes and the bathroom isn't filled with some kind of amazing fragrance then life just doesn't make sense!!
Lush is a company that makes handmade products from fresh organic fruit and vegetables. All their products are made with the finest essential oils with no preservatives. They buy their ingredients from companies that do not commission tests on animals and believe in testing their products on humans. They're leading the way on reduce, reuse and recycling of their packaging in the hope that one day they can eliminate packaging altogether. They value and support ethical buying to find local sources of ingredients within our own communities, whilst helping maintain sustainable practices as well as fair conditions for the workers. What's not to love about that?
So with that all in mind I headed to my local Lush Shop. When you walk in you are over come with the most amazing smell of all the soaps and cosmetics combined, that I wish you could just bottle up and take home. The ladies that were working that day were so friendly and helpful, I purchased a shampoo and 3 bath bombs and had to share them with you.
Daddy-O Shampoo  I just love this shampoo! I love the scent, the way it leaves my hair and the shine it gives. It works to add volume and shine to the hair, using lemon and lime juice, which allow the cuticles to lie flat and reflect more light. Seaweed to cleanse and soften and virgin coconut oil to hydrate the hair, whilst sea salt gives body to my flat lifeless hair. It also revives my bleached blonde hair and the bright violet helps to tone and neutralise the brassy yellow tones. I use this shampoo every couple of days and love it!!

Butterball Bath Bomb  My favourite bath bomb! It looks like a plain white ball but don't be fooled, it is packed full of cocoa butter. It has tiny chunks of cocoa butter that melt in your bath water, leaving your skin so silky and soft. If your skin is dry and sensitive you will love this! It doesn't leave any colour to your water so it's great to mix with a bright bath bomb.

So White Bath Bomb  I loved the smell of this one in the store, it smells like apples with a hint of floral. Watch it fizzle and foam away to create a snow-like apple scented froth in the tub and then its rosy center reveals itself. This bomb is part of the Lush Christmas Holiday 2014 collection and in the words of Lush "it revives your Christmas spirit".

Golden Wonder Bath Bomb  Another bomb from the Christmas collection. The colours in this bath bomb are AMAZING!! It is three bath bombs in one and when you shake it you can hear them rattle inside, just like shaking a present from under the Christmas tree. I found the scent very pleasant if you like a citrus smell. Drop into the bath and it reveals so many beautiful colours, the gold outside quickly gives way to a blue, a burst of purple and gorgeous sparkling stars. It left my bath water a lovely turqoisey colour with swirls of gold glitter. This bomb makes a lovely festive treat!

I could have bought so many items in Lush that day but I resisted and have put them on my Christmas list instead.  P.s., Don't worry none of these products stain you or the bath!!!!
Have you tried any of these products? Can you recommend me any Lush products you have tried?
Samantha x

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

Today, I thought I would share with you one of my holy grail products. I am the biggest skin care junkie and I am always trying out new products, but the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil is a product I have used for many years and love. I have a combination skin type and sometimes more to the oilier side than being dry, no matter what time of year it is. This is where this product just works magically for me.

With a oily skin type the sebaceous glands are overactive and produce more oil than is actually needed. I know, to many people, the thought of putting an oil on to a oily skin type sounds crazy and you feel like it will make the problem worse. However, applying a oil will trick the skin into thinking it has produced enough oil and will help to balance the skin out. 
With 100% pure plant extracts with no preservatives, The Blue Orchid Treatment Oil contains Lotus oil from the Lotus Water Lilly Flower. It is one of the most expensive essential oils for its proven results to improve skin tone, tighten pores, purify and reduce wrinkles. Rosewood extracts, which is anti-bacterial and can help heal blemishes and fade scarring, Geranium extracts for its toning and balancing effect on the skin and finally Hazelnut oil to soften and soothe, locking in moisture to prevent fine lines. 
This is a really light oil, it doesn't feel heavy or unbearable on the skin and it absorbs in quickly. I use three drops at night after toning and before my night time moisturiser. I rub the oil into my palms to warm the product up and then massage it into my face. The smell reminds me of being at a spa with its herbal fragrance. When you wake up in the morning, there is no oily residue and your skin looks even, bright and has a gorgeous healthy glow.   I have seen a dramatic improvement in my skin using this product, I still get oily but not nearly as much or as fast throughout the day, as I did before. It really helps to balance my skin and helps my skin to feel less congested. Also, a bottle of this lasts me months! I have just repurchased another bottle but the previous one lasted for nearly a year!
Clarins do have a few facial oils, so if you have a dry skin Santal Face Treatment Oil is one that you can try or if like myself,  you have a combination to oily skin type, then the Lotus face Treatment Oil is the one for you. It retails at £32 and I think it is money well spent for the results and for how long the bottle lasts.    If you are looking for the perfect evening treatment to improve your complexion, I can not recommend this product enough.
Have you tried The Clarins Lotus face Treatment Oil?
Samantha x

My Favourite Christmas Beauty Gift Sets

As there is only 35 sleeps till Christmas (eekkkk), I thought I would share with you some of  my favorite beauty sets I have found this Christmas. Not only are there some brilliant bargains out there this year, but there is always some kind of deal to tempt you, like triple points, 3 for 2 or money off. Now is the right time to start shopping for beauty sets whether you want to treat yourself or buy one of them as a gift and I think I have found the perfect beauty ideas for you.

Lancome All Eyes On You £30  This set contains four of Lancome's best selling mascaras. A full size Hypnose mascara in black and three handbag-sizes mascaras, which are Hypnose Drama, Hypnose Doll Eyes and Hypnose Star. My all time favourite mascara is Lancome Hypnose, it is a great volumising mascara. I think this is absolute fantastic value for money. Boots have a great deal when you buy two Lancome items at the moment online, you will receive 750 points. That is £7.50 in points! Bargain!!

Benefit Sweet Spot Box O'Blushes £29.50  Five Blushers, one Bronzer and a Highlighter! Amazing! The blushers are "Dandelion", "Sugar Bomb", "CORAlista", "Bella Bamba" and their newest blusher "Rockateur". The bronzer is their all time best seller Hoola and the highlighter is called Watt's up! Don't you just love the names of their products! First time ever Benefit have brought us this gift! It is my favourite Benefit Christmas set this year and it is exceptional value for money. It is beautifully packaged with good sized blushes. A perfect set for the blush lovers out there!

Mac Keepsakes Red Lip bag £32  When I saw this on the Mac website, I'm not going to lie, I squealed a bit! I wrote on my first wish list here on my blog (can read here) I wanted to try the Mac "Ruby Woo" lipstick, so this set is perfect! It comes with the full size lipstick, the full sized lip gloss "Ruby Woo" and the full size lip liner "Ruby Woo". A "Ruby Woo" overload! All nestled in this beautiful limited edition cream glitter makeup bag, with a pearl beaded trim. It is now pretty much sold out everywhere and the only place I can still find it, is on the Selfridges website. Grab it quick!

Boots Mini Fragrance Set £40  I think this set is such a fantastic idea! Boots have picked their favourite fragrances for women in sample sizes.You then pick which one you like the most and you can redeem the voucher given in the set against the full size product. Great idea if you want to buy a perfume for someone or yourself and can't decide which one to choose.

Lush Treat Your Dears £19.50  A red nose reindeer filled with four festive bath and shower goodies. "Yog Nog" soap, "Snowman" shower jelly, a "Dashing Santa" bath bomb and "Golden Wonder" bath bomb. Lush have picked their most popular festive items and I think this set is just too cute!

O.P.I Mini Christmas Holiday Stars £14.50  Each shade in this mini nail varnish set is Christmas inspired. It would make a perfect little stocking filler and O.P.I nail varnishes always deliver in my eyes.This set includes "Red Fingers & Mistletoe", "What's Your Point-Settia?", "I Carol About You" and "Kiss Me Or Elf". I was lucky enough to receive one of their Christmas sets last year and the colours are always fab!

The Body Shop Coconut Festive Picks £17  I have been using the Coconut Body Butter from The Body Shop for a month now and it really is a feast for the skin. The butter just melts into the skin, leaving it feeling so soft and smooth. So I was excited to see they have a Christmas set with the Coconut range. The festive box contains 250ml shower gel, 50ml body scrub, 50ml body butter, coconut soap and a body polisher. This is a must on my Christmas list.

NARS Lip Pencil Set £32  The sought after satin Lip pencils! I have one in the shade Luxembourg and it is a stunning colour (review here). They provide great wear and an intense colour with a satin finish. I would highly recommend them, this set is a little beauty. Comes with five shades and is packaged within a frosted box. The shades are "Yu", "Torres Del Paine", "Descanso", "Iberico" and "Cruella". I love the variety of colours in this set comprising of a vibrant red and a subtle nude.

Real Techniques Brush Set £29.99  In case you are not familiar, these brushes are part of a line created by well known makeup artist and YouTuber Samantha Chapman. I find theses brushes to be of a real high quality but at an affordable price. The brushes are really soft and made of a synthetic taklon bristle. This set is amazing value for money with six full sized brushes in total and are Sam's very own favourite picks. Included are the Multi-Task Brush for powder, blush and bronzer. The Buffing Brush is ideal for full coverage of powder and mineral foundation. The Crease Brush is designed for contouring. The Setting brush to complete any look with a controlled dusting of powder or highlighter. The Foundation Brush to apply a liquid foundation and the Ultimate Fine liner brush to apply precision liquid or cream eyeliner. A great collection of brushes for someone starting out new with brushes or even a full proof makeup buff. 

So here they are.... my favourite Christmas beauty gifts. I hope you love them as much as I do and I hope this may have helped you with your Christmas shopping. 

Will you be putting any of these on your Christmas list?

Samantha x

Rimmel London Wonder'Full Mascara With Argan Oil Review

After having eyelash extensions for the past three months my eyelashes are in need of some TLC. I loved having eyelash extensions, it made life in the morning so much easier and quicker getting ready for work. I have always had thick, long eyelashes and only had the extensions done for my summer holiday, just so I wouldn't need to apply waterproof mascara for laying by the pool (lazy I know!). Now after three months of extensions my eyelashes have lost their length, which I am hoping will come back!

So when I saw this Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara with Argan Oil, my eyes lit up! I use Argan oil on my hair every day and thought my hair loves it, so hopefully my eyelashes will too. I decided to go with the colour Extreme Black. I posted a picture to instagram and the response was of mixed reviews, but I was still excited to try it.

Rimmel is one of my favourite highstreet brands and this mascara is a fairly new mascara, as it has only been out for a few months. It is a super smooth formula that uses the Argan oil to condition the lashes and it does actually feel very conditioning as it goes on. I have to say I love the texture of this mascara on my lashes, there is a no crunchy feel to you lashes once it has dried. Rimmel claim it is a clump free mascara and I really do think this claim does deliver. This mascara is all about the volume and length. It glides onto the lashes and really does create volume from the roots of the lashes to the tip, however I did find this is after I applied a few coats. It does build beautifully and no matter how many coats you apply, it still feels lovely and light.

The real point of difference, I think, with this mascara compared to others, is the flexiable brush. It kind of bends whilst you're applying, really grabbing at the lashes separating and fanning them out with hardly any effort. I also really like when you open the mascara the rubber brush comes out excess mascara product free, with just a blob on the end of the tip.

  I think this mascara is perfect for a everyday natural look or buildable if you do like a volumised eyelash look. I  probably wouldn't use this mascara for a evening night out look as I like my lashes to look really dramatic of an evening.   Has it helped with the condition of my lashes? I have been using this mascara for over a week now and they haven't grown in length (think it is going to take a few months of TLC) however, I have noticed a difference in the overall condition of my lashes.
Have you tried Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara? Do you have any tips to help my eyelashes grow?
Samantha x

A Massive Thank You

I woke up this morning and whilst drinking my morning coffee I checked my emails......I was completely over the moon to see my, little, blog, had 90 followers. As I am writing this now, All Over This has 101 followers and 885 page views....WOW!!!! I have been blogging for just over a month now and there really is no better feeling than knowing people are reading and hopefully, enjoying my blog. 

I really am so very grateful and I am thoroughly enjoying reviewing products and writing posts for you all. My blog posts list is growing bigger everyday, so keep your eyes peeled for lots of festive December posts, my top make up tips and my birthday trip to New York!

There are a few ways you can follow me to keep up to date

I love posting pictures on Instagram, so you can follow me here if you're not all ready!

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You can also follow me via twitter here and read my daily ramblings!

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Last but not least, you can follow me on bloglovin here!

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Thank you again for all that have followed me. I really do appreciate it! If there is any future posts you would like to see, please do leave me a comment in the box below or drop me a email.

Samantha x

My Winter Warmers

Now Halloween and Bonfire Night are out of the way, I find myself focusing on all things wintery and Christmassy. The frosty mornings have started and the cold dark evenings have arrived. I just love wrapping up in my onesie being all snug by the fire with a hot chocolate. Going fairy light crazy with smelly candles everywhere, it really is the most wonderful time of the year.

So with that in mind, here are my winter warmers that I have started buying to get me all winter ready.

 New Look Tan Double Buckle High Ankle Boots The other day I was browsing New Looks website and I just so happened to see that they do shoes in a adult size 2. This made my day! I struggle to find shoes that fit my tiny size 2 feet, so New Look is officially my new best friend. I have been looking for a nice tanned pair of boots and these are going to look lovely with a pair of skinny jeans this winter. They do also come in bigger sizes.

Miss Selfridge Beanie Hat How cute is this is? I went to purchase it this morning and it is out of stock. Fingers crossed Miss Selfridge get some more in .They do have a lovely mint colour one which I am going to have to buy as well.

Bohoo Snowflake Onesie I have way to many Onesie's but this Boohoo snowflake one caught my eye. It is perfect to cosy up in.

Next Mouse Ballerina Slippers Every year around this time, I have to buy a new pair of slippers. These mouse slippers from Next are so adorable.

Yankee Christmas Cookie Candle I love the smell of cookies baking in the oven and the scent of this is just as sweet and sugary. If you like a sweet smelling candle then you will love Christmas Cookie.

New Look Blanket Wrap A staple piece for winter. I am loving the trend of cape jackets and blanket wraps. This navy and red check will keep me lovely and warm, teamed with a pair of thick leggings and knee high boots.

Whittard White Hot Chocolate A lush white hot chocolate with a Christmas twist. Add a avalanche of whipped cream and marshmallows and it just melts in your mouth. YUM!!!!

Amazon Snowman Phone Case Last Christmas was the first Christmas I purchased a themed case for my iphone. Everyone commented and said what a fab idea it was (thanks to Amazon). This cute snowman cover is made of a hard plastic to protect your phone, and it allows access to all ports and function buttons.

Sorry I have a few Christmas things in there, but you can never be to early hehe!

Have you started buying your winter warmers? Will you be buying any of these?

Samantha x

NARS Satin Lip Pencil

I thought I would share with you my favourite lipstick of the moment. I have to admit I do love a bright lip and this little beauty gives me just that. The NARS Satin Lip Pencil comes in 20 different shades from subtle nudes, soft sparkling pinks or bold vibrant shades. They are packaged in a matte black pencil with a colour swatch on the tail end. Today I am going to show you the shade Luxembourg which is named after Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.

NARS Satin Lip Pencil In Luxembourg is a vivid watermelon colour. This jumbo lip pencil can be used for lining the lip, as well as an all over lip colour and the pencil makes for a super easy application, with a long-lasting satin finish. The pencil glides effortlessly over the lip and you can create the shape of your own lips perfectly with it. I like how the pencil itself remains in shape, so it doesn't go all mushy or squashed when applying to your lips. I love how it feels on my lips, as it is so lightweight, non sticky and creamy.  It is so unbelievably moisturising, as it uses vitamin E to nourish and soothe, helping to create a fuller looking lip, that doesn't give you that dry feeling that you get with some other lipsticks. I am pleasantly surprised with the colour as it gives your lips a great bold look, it complimented a simple face of makeup. However, I am looking forward to wearing it with a smokey smoldering eye on a night out. Once applied, it lasted for a good 5 hours or so and once the shine wears away, my lips remained stained and heavily pigmented. You will need to top up after eating or drinking though.

I've tried to show you the colour as best as I could and as you can see on me, the colour is a lovely, bright fuchsia. I would say it is mixed with a red tone rather than a watermelon red, as the NARS website describes. Just like all lipsticks the pigment changes based on your own lip tone. I am a massive NARS fan and after buying this I can tell you I am a even bigger fan! The price comes in at £18 which is a lot to spend, I think, on a lipstick but after wearing this and falling in love with it's gorgeous satin, long-lasting finish, I am so glad that I bought it. I would highly recommend these stunning lip pencils and I will be definitely adding more colours to my collection. 

Have you tried the NARS Satin Lip Pencil? What do you think of the shade Luxembourg?

Samantha x

The Liebster Award Nomination

Wahoooo!!!! I am sooooo excited I have been nominated for The Liebster Award and not only once but three times! I was very shocked when I saw the nominations on Twitter and so very thankful. This is definitely a very happy moment for my little blog. So thank you to Nadine Brooklyn and Megan. All three of these lovely ladies are new bloggers just like myself, so do have a look at their amazing blogs. 

The Liebster Award requires you to answer eleven questions given to you by the blogger that nominated you. I am then to pass on this award to eleven new bloggers with a set of eleven new questions. The aim of this award is to recognise and/or discover new bloggers and welcome them to the blogging community!

Rules

1. Answer the questions sent to you.

2. Nominate 11 bloggers who have under 200 followers on Twitter.

3. Ask them 11 questions thought of by yourself.

4. Inform them of their nomination.

As I was nominated three times I am going to pick questions from each of the girls....so here goes

1.What inspired you to start your blog?

I have read many beauty blogs over the years and last Christmas was when I decided I wanted my very own little blog. Personally, whenever I want to buy a new beauty product, I always Google blog reviews to see if the product is worth it or not. After reading blogs on a regular basis ( I read them like newspapers everyday!) I thought hang on......I could do this! I like to talk a LOT about make up and skin care to my friends and family (think they were getting fed up) and decided why not talk and share with like minded people. So I took the plunge and here I am!

2.Name your top three bloggers

This question is so hard as I have so many!!! Okay my first blogger has to be Anna behind Vivianna Does Makeup. Not only is she beautiful but she is a inspiration. She is sweet, funny and her recommendations on makeup are extremely helpful. I have purchased many of things after reading her blog or watching her videos on YouTube! Next up is Kayleigh who writes Couture Girl. I am so jealous of her long Rapunzel gold locks and she is stunning! She writes some amazing posts and her photos are beautiful. I love reading her blog! Last but not least is Caroline Hirons She is hilarious and I find I can relate to her because she is so down-to-earth.  Her knowledge on skincare is second to none.

3.How are you finding your new blogging lifestyle?

I love it! Everyone is so friendly and helpful. I do still feel a little bit lost as I have only been blogging for two weeks. There is so much to learn and everyday I am finding out new things but I am enjoying my new little journey. It's all very exciting!

4.What is the thing you find most challenging in running a blog?

I must admit starting my blog in the winter probably wasn't one of my best ideas as trying to take photo's without the natural light is a pain! Hopefully by next winter I will be a pro!

5.What is your signature makeup look?

I don't think I have one as I like to mix things up all the time. Nothing quite like creating a new makeup look. However, I can not leave the house without concealer and mascara on!

6.What is your favorite item of clothing?

I am obsessed with jeans! Especially Topshop jeans, I have a very big collection of their Joni Jeans.

7.What is your best beauty tip?

ALWAYS take your makeup off before you go to sleep! Or even better as soon as you are home!

8.What was the last thing you brought yourself?

I bought three Essie nail varnishes. Not going too tell to much as they were a bargain so will do a full post on them.

9.What Three products could you not live without?

Ohhhh this one is a tuffy!!! Would have to be Lancome Hypnose Mascara, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair and any kind of purple shampoo!

10.What is your biggest fear/pet peeve?

My biggest fear is spiders just like most girls! I tend to refer to them as Aragog (the big hairy in Harry Potter) no matter what their size. My biggest pet peeve is rude people who are rude for no reason! Like when you hold a door open for someone you don't know and they walk straight through without a glance! It doesn't hurt to say thank you!

11.What advice can you give for someone who is thinking about starting a blog?

Just go for it! The blogging world is a very big one and has one of the most welcoming communities. I wish I had taken the plunge sooner.

The eleven new bloggers who I award the Liebster Award are

@blushingbeautea

@itakefotographs

@KnockoutCouture

@lydiafedora_

@GigiMelano

@steph_blog

@KirstyTalks_

@WNLBlog

@AnniaHale

@laurelloves85

@SarahLipLustre

And my eleven questions for you are:

1.How did you come up with the name of your blog?

2.What inspired you to become a blogger?

3.Who is your role model and why?

4.If your blog could have a theme tune what would it be?

5.One word that describes you?

6.Who is your favourite blogger and why?

7.What is your favourite season and why?

8.Who is your favourite makeup brand?

9.What is the most expensive purchase you have ever made?

10.Would you rather be invisible for the day or be able to read people's minds?

11.What is the one thing that always makes you happy?

I hope you all enjoyed this post and I am excited to read your answers!

Samantha x

  

Clarins The Essential Mineral Eye Make Up Palette

When I stumbled across this little beauty at my local Clarins Counter, I just had to have it! I'm such a sucker for a great nude eye palette. This Christmas limited edition palette is packaged within a sleek, rich chocolate brown compact, containing a mirror and a double-ended applicator. The palette contains a collection of ten very wearable eye shadows. It has a well balanced collection of colours from warm browns to a very vibrant gold and the pressed mineral formula of these shadows can be used wet or dry. The super silky eye shadows are long lasting and are suitable for sensitive eyes as they are ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested.

The pigmentation lets this palette down a little which is a shame as Clarins is one of my favorite brands. There were three shades when swatched that I felt you really had to work hard with to get the colour on the eye lid when used dry. The first colour being the palest; number 1. However, when used wet the colour was a lot stronger but it is not ideal to use wet if you're using this colour for your natural base.

How amazing is number 6?! The bright, sparkly, vibrant gold. This colour is very pigmented and will look great for a night-time makeup look, especially for those Christmas parties! A tip for when applying this gold to the eye is to press the eye shadow on not rub, otherwise you will end up with gold glitter all over your face. The last two colours 9 and 10 again, when used dry, I felt like you had to work really hard with to get a good build up of colour on your eyes. Although when used wet for contouring and blending in the crease and corners for that smokey eye look, it works perfectly.

 I created a natural smokey eye for a day time look using colours 2, 3 and 8. The look lasted perfect all day. The colours in this palette are gorgeous and I would actually say this palette reminds me of the famous Urban Decay Naked Palettes.

The Clarins Essential Eye Palette is available for £35 but it is a limited edition for Christmas, so I imagine it will sell out quick.

What eye shadow palette have you been using recently? Which colours do you like in this palette?

I hope you enjoyed this post and if you have any questions do leave me a comment in the box below

Samantha x

My Wish List

I thought my second post should be a wish list of some of the things I would like to try and review on my blog for you all. I have been swooning over these items and I am terrible if I see something online  or in a magazine I write it down. My list is endless so I picked these six to start. Hopefully you will like them and want to try yourself..... 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo My brows and I have a love/hate relationship. When you want them to look perfect they never do.  I have heard so many good reviews from other makeup artists on this product. It is specially developed with a smudgeproof formula and is enriched with vitamin C and E which helps to nourish and protect the brow. The claim is its long lasting and provides a natural look  Sounds great don't you think?

Nars Sheer Matte Foundation I have so many items of Nars in my makeup collection but this is one I have never tried. I have a combination to oily skin type so I do struggle with foundations. By lunch time my face can look annoyingly shiny! As I am getting older I really do not like the caked on foundation look and with this foundation it has a sheer, buildable coverage that controls shine throughout the day. Cannot wait to try this!

Lush Big Shampoo Okay confession I have already tried a tiny sample of this. I went into lush to purchase this and they were out of stock, so the lovely lady gave me a sample to try. I will do a full review when I have actually purchased the product and used it a few times. What I can say is that it was amazing! It is a volumising shampoo with seaweed and sea salt. The sea salt lifts the hair and gives it body whilst alongside the seaweed and extra virgin coconut oil soften the hair. Just Amazing!

Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Treatment This product excites me a lot! I have read and heard many reviews on this product. It is a specially formulated night serum which accelerates cell turnover (speeds your skin up) to smooth out your skin, refine fine lines, clears and minimises your pores, treats blemishes and helps to control oil production on the skin. Sounds great in my book! Your skin needs to look good in order for your foundation to work properly and this sounds like a product I don't want but need in my life!

Zoeva Golen Luxury Brush Set  I only have one of Zoeva's brushes, so this kit would be perfect. The brushes in the kit are made of high quality natural hair and also synthetic taklon bristles, so they can be used with powder or cream makeup products. They are stored within a very sleek classic clutch. I have put this kit on my Christmas list (Santa I have been a very good girl this year!). 

Mac Ruby Woo Lipstick  My love of Mac lipsticks knows no bounds! You can never really fault with Mac lipsticks in my eyes. I would say this colour is also very famous in itself so sorry about that but I have been lusting over for this a while. I am led to believe it is the ultimate matte red lipstick so I really can not wait to try it. I have lots of red lipsticks that I love so I'm looking forward to adding this to my collection.

What is on your wishlist? Have you tried any of the above? I would love to hear your reviews!

My First Ever Blog Post

Hello and welcome to my blog All Over This

 

My name is Samantha and I have wanted to start a blog for agessssss! So I have finally taken the plunge and I'm so excited to start my new little adventure. 

I am a part time Nanny to my two amazing cousins, a part time freelance make-up artist and now a part time blogger! Eeekkkk! Can I do all three?! I am determined! I have worked in the retail beauty industry for over 10 years, so I'm looking forward to sharing my love of all things beauty, my experiences and reviews with you all.

I thought I'd share five random facts about me in my first post for you guys as my introduction,

        so here goes.......
 I have size 2 feet *cue a very sad screwed up face.* All girls will probably understand how frustrating this is! Trying to find those perfect heels to match your perfect outfit is a very long and painful story in my life!

I have three suitcases of makeup under my bed. Every girls dream right? Think I could open a shop! 

Very randomly I collect thimbles! When ever I go on holiday I have to find a thimble! The funnier part is, who ever I am on holiday with becomes obsessed with finding a thimble too! 

I love cheese!!!! Give me a block of cheese and a glass of red over chocolate any day! 

I am a movie buff! My favourite kind of day off is to snuggle up and watch movies (if I'm not shopping). 

Hope you enjoyed my first little post and I hope you all enjoy reading my blog.  Any questions please don't hesitate to contact me. 
Samantha x