My lip dissolving journey

I’ve been having my lips done since I was 18 and I’ve visited so many different practitioners, some doctors and nurses and others trained without a medical qualification. Naturally having small lips, I have always been conscious of them and therefore thought that by continuing to have lots of filler every 3 months, that I would end up with my dream lips. This sadly wasn’t the case and ended up with the filler migrating above my top lip over time causing a swollen look. 

I therefore decided to take the plunge and have my lips dissolved and refilled, using the ‘Russian lip’ technique, a method that produces flatter but fuller lips. However, I was so nervous! I’ve seen horror stories online of the filler being squeezed out bit by bit so I genuinely didn’t know what to expect! 

This blog will explain the process of dissolving, my experience and the refilling results!

Saorsa Cosmetics: Self-Tanning Mousse

Set up by Jennifer Boídheach in 2020 in Glasgow, Saorsa Cosmetics was a business plan aiming to enable Jennifer to provide a better life for her family whilst having the opportunity to spend more time with them. ‘Saorsa’ is Scottish Gaelic for freedom, a concept that describes the purpose of the business.

Saorsa are also both vegan & cruelty free, meaning that all products are not derived from animal substances and are also not tested on animals. In addition, Saorsa are an eco-conscious brand ensuring that all packaging is recyclable and environmentally friendly. A percentage of proceeds from each sale at Saorsa is donated to worldwide projects which help communities, animals and the environment. 

Hey Estrid: a cruelty free shaving experience

 

Hey Estrid; the cruelty free and sustainable subscription box providing a stress free shaving experience whilst promoting women empowerment. Created by Amanda Westerborn, her vision was to create an affordable razor which operates at the same quality as those for men. As a woman herself, she struggled to find a razor that shaved close to the skin and provided a good experience without spending a bomb.

This is honestly a brand I've wanted to work with for so long due to their amazing quality products, women focused values and charity engagement. I am so grateful that I've had the opportunity and it has even exceeded expectations.

BeautiEdit: a luxury tanning foam

 I’ve recently been lucky enough to try the new tanning foam from Beauti Edit. Starting as a cosmetics company selling luxury brush sets, the Irish brand has branched out and created a brand new tan that is set to enter the market by storm.

As I’ve previously tried their products, I was really excited to see what this brand new tan was like! 

Scentsational Beauty: Olaplex & Moroccan Oil

Scentsational is a modern online supplier of beauty products internationally for both men and women. As an online retailer, many of the products are discounted - allowing you to buy high quality, popular products without the designer price tag!  I love this as it means that products are accessible to a wider audience.

There are a wide array of different products: perfume, hair products, skincare and cosmetics (amongst many others) as well as a variety of great brands. 

I opted to try Olaplex and Moroccan Oil, two brands I’ve heard endless positives about!

2020 Christmas Gift Guide for Her

 

Is it just me or does anyone else much prefer giving gifts at Christmas? I just don't think you can beat selecting a gift for someone and seeing their face when they open it and love it!

If you're struggling for ideas for her, I've put together a list of 10 gift ideas for her - all for under £40! Whether you're exchanging for a Secret Santa or you're after a stocking filler, these gifts will all be the perfect addition this year.

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Pretty Little Lashes London

Pretty Little Lashes London started in 2020 by two UK based friends, Hayley Bronti and Ella Downs. Their makeup artist backgrounds provided knowledge on what makes a good lash and has enabled them to create, in my opinion, a high quality brand. Since opening, the brand has gone from strength to strength now also branching out into their own makeup brushes and makeup sponges.

Scentful

Smelling good is something that everyone strives for and nowadays, scents are so readily available and accessible that this is possible. Sometimes life can get busy and we don't always have the time to try new fragrances, or we're so comfortable with our firm favourite that we don't want to part from it just yet...

Canuki skincare

 

CBD Oil, and the use of CBD (one of many cannabinoids) has become very popular over the last couple of years but more so over the last 6-9 months. With all of its health benefits, including reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, treating skin conditions and relieving pain, it’s easy to see why this addition is so popular.

One brand incorporating CBD into its products is health company, Canuki. Originally specialising in CBD-infused bath bombs, Canuki has branched out and launched a brand new skincare range.

Beguile Beauty Box

I was recently lucky enough to be sent the amazing Beguile Beauty Box. Launched first in 2019, this subscription box provides 4-5 of the latest beauty and skincare products each month for just a small fee in comparison to the overall price of the products when sold separately. You can also get 50% off your first box which I think is amazing as it gives you the opportunity to try the service and see if it is for you.

My favourite summer makeup looks

Makeup has always been a love of mine but I've found myself, probably over the last 6-9 months (pre-lockdown) repeating the same makeup looks for ease and to save time. I got lazy with experimenting and trying new looks was a thing of the past. However, thanks to lockdown, I have had a lot more free time on my hands and so one of my favourite things to do has been to practice makeup.

I'm lucky to have had some amazing friends that have kept me sane, organising regular house party video calls and group quizzes, so I've had a reason to dress up a bit and make myself feel good. I've given myself extra time to get ready for these calls and have spent the time trying out new makeup looks I've found on Pinterest, or that have been inspired by some of my favourite makeup artists on Instagram.

Here are 5 of my favourite looks!

SNIPH: A personalised perfume journey

Perfume is such a personal product with each person attracted to different scents and smells. This is why, when Sniph contacted me about their products, I was really keen to try them out.

Sniph is an independent perfume brand founded in Sweden that aims to provide a stress-free experience and assist customers in finding the perfect scent for them. Sniph offers a personalised service where scents are individually suited to each customer based on their preferences. 

Women Love Business: A luxury shopping experience

On Thursday 6 February, I attended the #WomenLoveBusiness event. This concept was first created in 2018 by Lyn from The Edge Events who saw a gap in the Manchester market and wanted to design an event where business women could support and empower one another. The event has grown into a success with regular business women attending and providing sponsorship.

Makeup Mobile To You Launch

 

On Sunday I attended the launch for the brand new Makeup Mobile To You Studio. Originally located in Reddish, this studio began as a small room with just one make-up artist (the founder, Kirsty Scott Gordon) and a singular hair stylist over 6 years ago. The name originated from the initial company relying on mobile appointments. However, the company has gone from strength to strength, growing the studio to a large space at the Reddish base with a variety of treatments available.

2018: A year in review (pt. 2)

If you're just joining then thank you so much for visiting my blog! It will probably make more sense to read part 1 of this series first which you can do so by clicking here.

The second half of 2018 was equally as busy for me. I attended lots of blog events and had the opportunity to travel more.

I hope you enjoy!

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Probably one of my favourite months of the year was July as I finallllly visited Vietnam. This is somewhere I had wanted to visit for years but, at the time, none of my friends were at the stage where they would want to go. Either they'd already been, were enjoying their careers and couldn't take enough time to enjoy it or that kind of trip just wasn't for them. Plus, I didn't have a guy in my life to travel with (no surprise there). So, I took the plunge and decided to go alone!

2018: A year in review (pt. 1)

So, I know I'm a few days late, I've been nursing a killer chest infection (Happy 2019 to me). I wanted to start 2019 first with a reflection of the past year. Firstly, Happy New Year! I can't actually believe we are in 2019 already. I feel like I blinked and 2018 was over but overall, it was a pretty amazing year for me.

I didn't actually realise just HOW much I did in 2018 before looking back through all of my pictures so I will be splitting this into two posts.

Here's part 1 of my 2018 in review. Grab a hot drink and lots of snacks - enjoy!

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January for me was a bit of a blur. I have the worst memory when it comes to remembering significant things and dates/details, yet I seem to remember minor ridiculous things that I would never ever need to know. Anyone else, orrrr just me?

Blogmas #21: My favourite red lipstick

I haven't really done any beauty themed blogs in a long time so I wanted to talk about one of my favourite products in particular; my Powerlips liquid lipsticks.

Christmas is the best time, in my opinion, to wear a red lip. It is so festive and looks amazing. I'm not one to wear a red lip a lot - I prefer heavier eyes and a nude lip. However, towards Christmas time I do love the red lip look.

Soigné

Last week I attended the launch of new brand, Soigné. Hosted at Neighbourhood Manchester, the night celebrated Soigné with an intimate launch party. 

The product consists of a 6-set of beautiful makeup brushes that are aimed at including everything required for your everyday makeup. 

Why I no longer wear foundation daily (& my new alternative product)

I've had so many questions about my skin at the minute & what foundation I've been using so I thought I'd write a post to encompass all of these answers into one; from what I wear to why I've made a change.

Why the change?

As we get older, healthy skin and anti-ageing is at the forefront of our minds. Some may say I'm not old at all and, at 22 years, I'm not. However, skincare can become extremely important to you at any age and I've recently started to take more of an interest in looking after my skin.

Juvenat: Naturally Young

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the launch of a new natural skin care range, Juvenat. Held at The Living Room in Manchester, the night provided the opportunity to meet with founder, David Fiani, and learn more about the products. Guests were also invited to try out the products and pre-order them.

The night saw the launch of five new products: two facial serums, two moisturisers and an eye serum.