LUSH - Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask

Hey peeps its been a while!!!! Works kinda got in the way of my blogging/vlogging life, I've just not had much time lately to commit to my blog or youtube but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things as I really do enjoy it! ;)

So today's blog post I've decided to give my thoughts on Lush's 'Catastrophe Cosmetic' fresh face mask as I thought it deserved a mention! And I know a few of you also requested this on my instagram (Bronnylovesyou).

It was basically an impulse buy at the time thanks to a very persuasive sales assistant in lush and I'm so glad I took the plunge spending £6.50 investing in this miracle. The face mask itself has to be kept cool as it has ingredients which shouldn't be kept out of the fridge for longer than 24 hours so don't panic if you've been out all day shopping!! I just popped it straight in the fridge when I got home and it was fine.

The reason I bought this was for those unwanted angry breakouts that refuse to disappear. The mask is described on the packaging to "calm and cleanse the skin" which it totally does and even better it smells nice too!! That was a nice bonus, it reminds me of parmaviolet sweets which could be the blueberries in it?!

In the mask it contains blueberries which are full of anti-oxidants, soothing chamomile, Irish moss and calamine to gently cleanse your skin. I usually jump into a lush bath and pop this on whilst having a soak, the scent is soothing and makes me feel relaxed and refreshed. Another thing is you have a whole month to use it in and for a pot that is a mere 75 gram in weight it's lasted me several uses.... plus I have about a third left!!! I'm still using it after the use by date and the only difference I've noticed is the consistency is a bit thicker so there's no rush to use it! The consistency when you first get it is like a watery toothpaste but with little bits of blueberry etc in it so it was easy to apply and it wasn't a disgusting colour on my face either (not that the colour bothers me too much).

 

Immediately after using my mask my face feels super smooth and by the next day my spots are less red and having used the mask once a week for a month I've found I do have less breakouts. Also before buying the mask if you're not sure on it let them demonstrate it on your skin first and you'll see how smooth your skin feels after it's been washed off ;)

So would I recommend it? YES I totally would you get several uses and it works wonders just for £6.50! And now I'm going to start experimenting even more with their face/hair products as I'm so pleased with this :) plus if you take 5 full sized pots back to them you get one of your choice free!! I've just spent £60 on lush online the other day but I'm sure it'll be worth it!!!

Have any of you used this mask? And are there any specific lush products you recommend?

Blog you later xoxo

Styling A Duster Coat - Featuring House Of Jam/Fashion Union

What's up guys! Safe to say im all wrapped up in today's post thanks to House Of Jam, I really enjoyed styling this as I'd recently purchased some other clothing that I thought would go down a treat with my duster coat perfectly! I got the oversized duster coat in a small and I am 5ft 4 and it lifts off the ground just about so if you're short I'd recommend heeled footwear. I was really impressed with their very swift delivery and fab customer service which I think is an important trait in a company.

House Of Jam have a boutique on ASOS and have everything for your vintage needs but at more affordable prices. They sell beautiful one off vintage designs and also new designs which they have multiples of. I have to say I found it hard to pick something from them as they have so many pretty things and I've already got my eyes on a dress of theirs hehe.

I'm impressed with how soft and fleecy the duster jacket is which makes it a must have for the now turning bitter weather that's arrived (yes it's car scraping weather again!!!) I'm not a huge fan of the cold so this is the ideal warmer for me! It has two deep pockets and two buttons that can be done up if necessary but I personally like it open, everyone's different. It's like walking around in a big fleecy blanket!!

This duster coat is very versatile and I think would look fab with a swing dress, ankle boots and a fedora hat or like I have styled it in my pictures on the blog today! Or if you're in a party mood it's a nice coat to take with you for blog events/parties/a show etc it will keep you warm whilst looking stylish!! You can buy the coat on House Of Jam's website (will leave a link at the end to their boutique) it was a mere £60 which to me for a good quality, thick, full length duster coat is a justifiable price to pay.

I decided to go for an everyday look and chose two items of clothing to wear with it which I picked up whilst in Canterbury the other week....I was supposed to be buying "Christmas presents" but of course I ended up having to treat myself for my hard efforts hehe why not!!

My khaki green knit jumper was from H&M, I tried a size 8 on and it was quite fitted so I went for a size 10 as I much prefer baggy knits. I bought it for £14.99 which I think is reasonable price for a jumper! It's got a textured pattern which drew me to it as I love things like that.

I tucked the jumper loosely into my other investment, a tartan skort (my first ever skort!!) which is fairly short by the way so you could wear leggings or tights with it but as I had the duster coat on I was nice and cosy. I got the skort from Primark in a size 8....another impulse buy in Canterbury and it was £10 not bad, not bad!

And I added a nice necklace to my jumper to brighten up the outfit. It's a lovely necklace from a shop on instagram called @blossomapparel which are now also designing a cool clothing line, some phone accessories and selling a selection of jewellery too. It's a purple stoned necklace and I wore my purple crystal drop earrings from new look to match which I got from my friend and I am totally in love with!

For footwear im wearing another amazing pair of boots from the lovely Fashion Union girls which are £34.00 and if you fancy having a peek at these on their website they are the "Phuong Double Buckled Chunky Boot" in black. Oh and a little tip if you sign up to their newsletter you get a cheeky 15% off your next order with them...even more reason to purchase these booties! They are true to size and comfy considering it's a high heel. I love the buckle detailing on the sides too these are a must have! And yes fyi girls and boys I am wearing Christmas penguin socks with this outfit!! The red rims on the socks went with my tartan skort it's never too early for Christmas!! ;)

So that's my outfit wrapped up I hope you enjoyed my post! I have something more beauty related coming your way next...thought i'd change it up a bit as I enjoy posting both!

What blog posts would you guys like to see me do in the future? I have lots of ideas but i'd like to get your ideas too!!

Links:

Fashion Union: http://www.fashionunion.com/boots/phuong-double-buckled-chunky-boot-in-black/invt/fwbt0511blk
House Of Jam: https://marketplace.asos.com/listing/coats/new-fleeced-oversized-duster-coat/1998709
H&M khaki green knit: http://www.hm.com/gb/product/23948?article=23948-A
Tartan Skort - Primark
Necklace - Instagram shop - @BlossomApparel

Wearing MISSPAP - Second Outfit!!

Hey guys I haven't blogged for a while so I do apologise! I've been feeling a bit run down in the past few weeks as I have been ill with flu and then working ALOT more than normal which of course is due to Christmas (most of you guys im sure will know what it's like for us retail workers - it's the busiest time of the year!) and I work at a Yankee candle shop so we are a very seasonal shop too, everyone goes crazy for candles specifically in the autumn/winter. Unlike me who burns them almost everyday of the year aha! ;)

So today's post is my second outfit from misspap http://www.misspap.co.uk wearing their Holly Floral Shift Dress but a more casual style this time. I've shown you how I'd wear it on a night out somewhere in my second to last post if you haven't seen that already btw ;)

So I decided to wear a black lace collared t-shirt over the top of the dress 1. to give extra warmth in this chilly weather and 2. to give it a skirt and tee look! It just looks like I'm wearing a skirt!

I also added some tights into the equation to dress it down and the tights co-ordinate with the lace on my top.....even better!

I thought I'd wear my gorgeous +Fashion Union reanne booties too as they're a lot flatter than the boots in my last misspap outfit so they are much easier to walk about in if you're just going to uni, college, town etc!

And finally I grabbed my super cute Kipling bag I've had for YONKS which I decided to pick out of the closet cz it's cute aha ;) the bag also picks out the blue in the Daisy's so I'm pretty coordinated!

I hope you like this outfit idea! You could also use this idea for any of your dresses especially if your dying to wear a dress but hating the idea of being cold wearing it or just want to wear it without looking ott if your just going for a casual look!

That's it for this post! I'm currently in the middle of editing my next Youtube video too and I'm super excited as just before Halloween I hit 2000 subscribers which I'm super happy about as it's a big thing for me! My youtube link is http://www.youtube.com/bronnylovesyou so hit the sub button and give my vlogs a watch too I'd really appreciate it! I've got so many videos coming up!

I have a few blogpost ideas coming your way on here too so make sure you keep up with me!! :)

Here's a breakdown of my outfit:

- Lace collared tee - Primark - £8

- Lace black tights - New look

- Reanne black boots - Fashion Union - £30.00

- Holly Floral Shift Dress - Misspap - £19.99

- Blue Kipling Bag - Gift

REVIEW - ARK SKINCARE Age Aware Discovery Collection

Hey guys my day has been pretty crazy today! I went to a cocktail bar last night for a friends birthday celebrations and well...I had a few too many cocktails but hey ho it was 2 for 1 I could hardly argue with that!! And somehow I ended up completely breaking my phone which was major drama for me as that's how I film/blog photos so my phone is literally my life! So there I was rushing into town today to get it fixed which cost me a whopping £100 for a new screen but it was either that or I go without for two whole weeks....anyway the main thing is it's fixed and now I can blog this to you today thank god!!!!

So today's blogpost I thought I'd do a review on some lovely products sent to me from Ark Skincare. Their products are made in the U.K and are never tested on animals. The range is all natural ingredients so no horrible artificial colours/fragrances or irritants!

I've struggled to find something that works for my skin as it's quite dry and sensitive but can get oily too at times which is such a nightmare... I can't stand oily looking skin! So usually the only thing I use on my skin is Simple products which is pretty boring and I wanted to change it up a bit! Anyway I just happened to come by their instagram page which is @arkskincare by the way and had a little nose! I like how the ranges target ages and not skin types and the packaging is so sophisticated. They were kind enough to send out a trial sized pouch of goodies called Age Aware Discovery Collection and I'm quite pleased with the results already I have to say!

On arrival it got 10/10 straight away for presentation! It was in a gift bag all ribboned up and inside there was a pretty white/clear mesh bag (pretty posh compared to my usual simple stuff!) and in the pack I got four squeezy tubes! In there was an exfoliator, a skin purifying mask, a cleanser (recommended by More) and a moisturiser (recommended by OK!) Gotta be good right?!

The trial size pack is on their website: www.arkskincare.com retailing at £28 which is a reasonable price as it kick starts your skin care regime and then if you like their products you can invest in bigger bottles! All the products have a fresh, zingy professional smell too, like you've just gone to the spa for a facial and the packaging is clean/simple but sophisticated. I've tried a few skincare products and I really like ark skincare as I can use their products often as its not harsh on my skin and doesn't break me out into a rash! Having sensitive skin can be such a pain and this is the first brand that leaves me with soft skin and doesn't flare my skin up.

Also you'll get a book when you purchase from them on all of Ark Skincare's range with information on each item. It's very informative and it has tabs on the side to categorise each product age wise. There are tons of products for all ages and all skin types inside it so it's quite helpful for deciding on what to get and finding what's right for you. 

I cleanse and moisturise every other day and in between I use the exfoliator and skin purifying mask twice a week. I find after using them my skin feels young and smooth again and just an overall fresh feeling, It's reduced the shine on my skin and at first it broke me out into a few spots but you've gotta take the good with the bad after all. But 3 weeks later I have had very little breakouts and still no bad reactions to their products so I highly recommend this for sensitive skin! Plus with all their products you really don't need a lot.

The moisturiser is quite thick (not oily thick though) so it spreads really well, it's rich in antioxidants and provides daily protection from the environment. The exfoliator isn't too harsh on your skin like some products I've tried in the past and removes those flaky bits of dead skin and prevents blocked pores! Which is fab as I can't stand horrible black heads! If your having a bad spot day then the skin purifying mask is great for congested pores as it calms and diminishes blemishes. And lastly in the cleanser there's no soap (not harsh on the skin) and it balances out the oily and dry areas and gets rid of any excess sebum and blemishes. 

So overall I genuinely love the product and I'd definitely use it again. It's pricey but it's worth the money! And I think if you have skin like me you'll love Ark Skincare. Make sure you take a look for yourself!!

www.arkskincare.com

Whilst on the subject of skincare what are your fave skin products at the moment?! 

Hope you enjoyed this blogpost! And it proved helpful. Stay tuned for more coming soon xxx

MISSPAP "Going Out Look" - Outfit 1

Heyyyyy guys! I hope you are all fabby and enjoying October so far! The weathers not been too bad up until now and I don't know about you guys but I've been investing in some Autumn/Winter clothes and of course candles (my obsession). I'm really looking forward to Halloween though as I just love the whole idea of acting like a community, dressing up and giving out sweets. I will probably be getting the Halloween dec's out! Do you guys have much planned?!

Onto my outfit I was very kindly sent a stunning pale blue daisy shift dress from  http://www.misspap.co.uk and I'm so glad I got it as it's just so stunning and the pale blue Daisy's work with my purple hair (without trying to sound big headish!). I wanted to create a daytime look and nightime look and so this is my "going out night clubbing look" but to be fair you could wear this to any party or a meal out and still look classy! The dress is quite short so if you're tall you'd probably feel more comfortable with leggings or tights, I'm 5ft 4 and it was just right for me. It's very true to size aswell which I'm glad as normally I struggle to get that in other shops! And the dress was only £19.99 which is a very reasonable price. The dress has a zip which starts right from the top all the way down to the bottom of the back so it's very easy to slip into and out of! Even easier if you have a boyfriend...cheeky!!!

I decided to pair this dress with a jacket as the nights can get nippy now although you don't want something too heavy whilst going out as it can get too hot when boogying on down! So my little denim jacket did me well here. The jacket was from somewhere called Internationale which actually closed down a few months ago where i live but it wasn't very expensive and it's quite light. And to make my outfit feel more 'going outty' I paired it with some wedge heeled River Island boots which were £35 and are available still online I do believe. They are super comfy! I have to have comfy heels when going out as there's nothing worse than getting blisters and swollen tootsies!!

And then finally I added a faux leather silver studded purse to the outfit which went nicely with the black on my dress and gave it an edge.

What I love about this dress is you can style it so many ways whether you pair it with tights, boots and a boyfriend cardi or a leather/denim jack and heels or flats...the list could go on! All in all it's a dress worth investing in :) if you do want to buy anything from misspap's website: http://www.misspap.co.uk then use the code SEPT10OFF to get 10% off your purchase!

Thanks for reading this guys and please leave me comments on how you'd style it and what you think of my first outfit!

Blog you later xXx

Boots - River Island - £35
Dress - Misspap - £19.99
Bag - Gift
Light Blue Denim Look Jacket - Internationale

The Wooly Jumper

So the look I was going for today was simple but still chic as one it was COLD and two I was going into town again....I'm sure I must be coming across as a shopoholic to you guys! And I probably am haha. Anyway I came across a clothing brand on instagram called FashionUnion and I have to say I fell in love with a lot of their stuff! I happened to get a discount code from them to use to blog some clothes I wanted from there and so of course I went and indulged in some new boots and a jumper! (Not that I need anymore). I was really chuffed with the prices/quality of their items so I definitely advise to check out their website: http://www.fashionunion.com there's something for everyone!

So onto the outfit the jumper I bought was cream and had bell sleeves which gave it that cute 'edge' to it. I decided to turn the end of the sleeve up slightly and also roll the sleeve up (see pictures).

As the jumper is quite simple I wore a long silver heart pendant necklace which added to the cuteness! I must say the jumper is super warm and not that horrible itchy knit material that makes you look like you've got fleas! It's nice and loose too which is fab as im not a fan of tight wooly clothing.

I wore my across the body cream leather look bag that has a geometric pattern on the front and my biker look jeans from Primark as I thought they matched. Oh and FYI everyone should check Primark out atm as they have some great stuff in, I ended up spending £85 in there the other week when I popped into the Coventry store and I totally could of come out with more!

And then I wore my perfect booties that were just the right height for walking in so I didn't feel too much like the midgeti am! I love how comfy they are! They have a stretchy bit which gives you that flexibility whilst walking and didn't feel like it was cutting into my leg everytime I took a step.

So that's it for this post, I have to say I'm more of a jeans girl myself but I still like to look good, so hopefully my outfit posts like this will aid those people that aren't so inclined to getting into a skirt/dress! :) I have a few health and beauty brands I will be reviewing soon too such as Hairburst and Ark Skincare so keep an eye out for them! Remember feedback and comments are super appreciated :) thanks guys!! 

Reanne Boots - £30 - Fashion Union

Madisyn Jumper - £18 - Fashion Union

Jeans - £12 - Primark

Heart Key Locket Necklace - Avon - Gift