Current Favourites ♥

I haven't done a monthly favourites in ages, I tend to keep to the same skincare products, the only things I change are my nails and my hair care products and that is not enough to create a monthly favourites. So I will just do occasional current favourites posts instead, hopefully they will be more interesting.

Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation - £7.99 (RRP £9.99
This is such a lovely medium coverage foundation, I wasn't too sure if the colour would match my pale skin but it does! It has a lovely soft finish and it lasts all day. I don't find it goes patchy or slides off my face in hot weather. I imagine it would be a good winter foundation too, it could be built up to full coverage if that is what you prefer but I just use it as medium. It covers up blemish marks nicely and it doesn't feel heavy on my skin.
LBC Colour Changing UV Gel Nail Polish - £4.20
This is the coolest nail polish/uv nail polish I own! It changes colour depending on the heat of your hands! If your hands are cold it turns blue/purple and if your hands are warm it turns pink! Of course it is always a blue colour with me as my hands are never warm due to my terrible circulation, however, I love the blue colour so this really doesn't bother me! It is such a cool idea and it lasted about 5 days on my nails before I got my first chip (due to work.. grr). There are loads of different colours so if you use UV gel nail polishes I totally recommend you check these out!
Palmers Cocoa Butter Lip Balm - £1.26
My lips have been really chapped recently and I've tried so many lip balms but none seem to be doing the job, however, this one was on offer in Superdrug so I decided to try it out and it has saved my lips! They are so much softer now and the lip balm lasts a good while, it doesn't dry up and it doesn't need about one hundred reapplications throughout the day!
Avon Advanced Techniques 360 Nourishment Argan Oil - £3.30
I have tried to find a reasonably priced argan oil for so long, I was pleased to find this one in the Avon sale, it is usually £5.50 (which is still a good buy!). I thought I would give it a go and see how my hair turned out. I have been using it for about 2 months now and I love it. My hair feels protected and nourished every time I use it, the condition of my hair has improved and everyone keeps commenting on how healthy and shiny it looks! I apply it to the ends of my hair after I have washed it and towel dried it. It doesn't feel greasy or heavy in my hair once blow dried which is fab!
Avon Lash Extend Mascara - £8.50 (I got it for £3.50)
The above link is to a new Lash Extend Mascara as the one I have isn't avaliable now.. (annoying!). I have been loving using this mascara, it isn't clumpy at all, it holds my lashes up all day and makes them look even longer than they already are!
Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser - £19.25
This is my all time favourite moisturiser, it doesn't break me out, it smells lovely and it is super light and effective on my skin. I use it every morning before I apply my primer and foundation, it soaks into my skin within a couple of minutes. If my skin has reacted badly to any new products I have used this to help calm it down and bring it back to normal. 10/10 product!
Miss Sporty Khol Eye Pencil  - £1.99 (Savage 18)
I am pretty sure Miss Sporty was the first makeup line I ever used.. I always see young girls at it comparing bright pink lipsticks and blue mascara, so I felt like a big kid buying from it, however, this eye pencil is exactly what I have been looking for! It is a lovely soft brown shade which isn't so harsh on my eyes as a black eyeliner. I sometimes use it under my waterline and smudge it to create a soft smokey look, it is great value for £1.99!

What have you been loving recently? x

Top 10 Beauty Products - Collaboration Post! ♥

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a good week. I have a different kind of post today so I hope you like it!

Taylor from Taylorscollectionn tweeted the other day asking if anyone would like to do a collaboration post with her, so I thought I would give it a try, I've never done a collab post before so this is all new to me! I love how these kinds of posts connect bloggers and I love how we are all helping promote each other in a more interesting way than just an Instagram or Twitter shout out! I hope you like the topic we picked to talk about. All of Taylor's links will be below so definitely check out her beauty blog and twitter profile! If any of you would like to do a collaboration post with me then please get in touch via email (nataliemaac@googlemail.com) or tweet me @shabbychicndtea and I will consider it, I love making new friends through blogger! 

Click on Taylor's Links: Blog ♥, Twitter ♥ & Bloglovin' ♥

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

To the majority of you this will come as no surprise that I love this concealer, everyone does, however, I don't use it as a concealer, I use it as an eyeshadow base! It gives my eyelids a perfect all over natural colour and it makes my eyeshadow last all day! Of course all the packaging has rubbed off as usual! Which is so annoying.

Bourjois 1001 Clis Mascara

This has become my all time favourite mascara, you can get it on Fragrance Direct for only £2.99, bargain! It separates and spreads out my eyelashes evenly and holds them up all day.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - Grapefruit and Patchouli

Those of you who are familiar with my blog will know how much I adore this limited edition cleanse and polish. I love the smell and results from this cleanser, it makes my skin feel silky smooth and oil free! Worth every penny.

Naked 2 Palette

Another all time favourite, I have a full review here. I use this palette every day, all the eye shadows are super pigmented, they blend perfectly together and they last all day. Definitely a palette every aspiring makeup artist should have in their kit!

NYC Pressed Powder

This is my new favourite powder. It brightens up my foundation even more and it makes my skin look smooth and silky once I've applied it on top of my foundation. And it's only £1.99 from Fragrance Direct which is amazing!

Liz Earle Skin Tonic

I have a full review on this tonic here, I use it every day after I have cleansed my face, it has helped brighten and clear my skin when I need it most and it makes my skin feel hydrated and soft.

MUA eye shadow shade 1 (Superdrug)

I use this eyeshadow as a brow and cheek bone highlight. It is only £1 from Superdrug. I have had this pot for over a year now and I haven't even hit pan yet! It makes my skin glow without looking caked or too shimmery, definitely worth trying out!

Elf Bronze and Blush Duo - St. Lucia

I use this duo every day, it compliments my pale skin perfectly and it lasts all day. I love how easy it glides onto my face and how well these colours compliment each other. I have heard and seen it is a good dupe for the Nars Laguna duo too!

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Polish
I love all of the Gelly Hi Shine polishes but this one in particular is amazing! It matches every outfit and it lasts for about 4/5 days! I use it all the time and its only £3.99, what's not to love?!
Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser

I use this as my daily moisturiser before I apply my foundation. It is brilliant for my sensitive skin and it gets rid of any dry patches I happen to get in the colder winter months. Simple is a brand I absolutely adore because their products are full of vitamins and they don't have any perfumes or bad stuff in their products!

Did you enjoy this post? xo

Weekly Catchup ♥

Hello! I have been so busy the past week, I had a job interview at my work to become a team leader (fingers crossed), I've been working, I went away for the day with James, I changed round some furniture in my room, I completely tidied it..(I have neglected it the past week) and I have tried my best to type up some more blog posts! There will be plenty coming up soon as I have something very exciting happening (well I'm excited anyway)! I wanted to post this on Sunday as a 'Sunday Catchup' post but that didn't work out as planned so here is a little catch up with what I have been up to recently! I hope you enjoy my random phone/ipad pictures :) xo 

From left to right, top to bottom

-My new hello kitty ipad case from eBay & clique magazine it's free each month and full of fashion and beauty, definitely check it out! (@cliquemaguk)

-I got cosy on my couch and had some pizza while I caught up with some YouTube videos and Blogs

-Mango & Pineapple McCafe smoothie.. Y U M 

-Lazy day watching YouTube (AmyValentine shown in the picture)

-I moved a few furniture pieces around my room (puffy denim jacket from Sheinside)

-I painted my nails using a couple of my gel polishes, they lasted over a week without any chipping!

-Strawberries and melted chocolate YUM

-I went to Jimmy Chungs restaurant which is an all you can eat Chinese buffet, it was amazing!

How has your week been? xo

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Review ♥

Liz Earle Skin Tonic 200ml - £13.25

Happy Valentine's day! I hope you're all having a good day, whether you are with someone or not this Valentine's, you should take the opportunity to pamper yourself! Get a good DVD, some munchies and your favourite face mask and have a good evening:)!

I have been using this skin tonic religiously every morning and night after I have cleansed my face, I'm obsessed! My skin feels cool, refreshed and hydrated after I have applied this using a cotton pad. All the good ingredients and vitamins make me feel like my skin is being looked after, these include; Organic Aloe Vera, Calendula, Rose-scented Geranium, Cucumber and Vitamin E (which is an antioxidant that helps repair and protect your skin!). The smell of this product is amazing, as are all Liz Earle products, it has a very heavenly rose scent, which lasts ages! I have also noticed my skin hasn't had as many breakouts recently and my blemish marks are starting to fade? I can't think of any other product that could be doing this apart from this tonic, so that has pleased me. If you have used this product then comment your thoughts below!

(p.s I know that the bunny chocolates in the picture look like they have been involved in a chocolate bunny massacre but they taste amazing and were too cute not to feature in this post! They're from Tesco!)

♥What are your plans this Valentine's day? :)♥

Blogging Days ♥

hey hey hey! I felt like having a chit chat about blogging and how I keep myself and my blog organised and how I get my motivation to blog! Please comment your blogging tips below!

Note keeping & being organised

I've had a mad obsession with stationery since I was about 5.. I don't know what it is about it but I just need about 100 notepads even if I don't write anything in them. If I see a cute notebook I will buy it, if I see a pretty pen I will buy it and if I see any reduced stationery at all I will buy it. Am I the only one? Surely not. But a key point to blogging is keeping notes and lists. Lists of blog post ideas, lists of your favourite products throughout the month for 'monthly favourites' and lists of products you have seen on other blogs and you are desperate to buy (this is usually my biggest, never ending list). I also recommend you type up lots of blog posts for the following week and schedule them for when you are at work/school. This is a good way of keeping your blog active.

Inspiration

I love reading beauty insider magazines from different companies such as Liz Earle which comes through the post every month, I love reading about new products and reading the descriptions of popular products. I am subscribed to Company magazine which at times I think could be a bloggers best friend. I absolutely love every aspect of this magazine, it has fashion, beauty, social media and of course blogging sections which are so interesting to read. Zoe from Zoella is going to be on next months front cover so keep an eye out for that one! Company also do an interactive weekly edit app which is only 69p, each issue, from the app store and is now available on iPad WOO! Tanya Burr is this weeks cover girl!

Social Media and Apps

I love using Twitter and Instagram as I feel like everyone is having a big chat with each other. If you don't have a twitter for your blog then I highly recommend you create one. I have found so many lovely bloggers from Twitter and I love the #bbloggers chats we have every Wednesday and Sunday at 8pm (uk time). It is a great way to get your blog out there and known, it has definitely helped me. 

Bloglovin, Polyvore, Tumblr and Pinterest are all great apps to have on your phone, ipad or tablet to help you get into the blogging mood. I use all of them regularly. Bloglovin is brilliant to have on the go to catch up with your favourite blogs. I use it every day and I find it so much easier than using the blogger home page! Polyvore is fab for making collages for Instagram, Twitter or even your blog. I created my Valentines Day Wishlist using Polyvore. 

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and I have given you an inspiring insight into how I blog and I hope you find some useful information from this post! xo

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

I know that everyone and their mother raves about this product, but I wanted to feature it on my blog because I also like it and I like this mini 50ml version.

My mum and I have been buying products from Liz Earle for many years now and the Hot Cloth Cleanser is something that has been repurchased umpteen times! Even the title of it sounds relaxing.. I have seen and tried similar products after first using this one but none of them seem to give the same results. I like this mini bottle for travelling, its a perfect size and has plenty product in it.

I use it as they suggest you should, I apply a small amount at a time all over my face without any water and allow it to sink into my skin for about 5 minutes, I then soak my muslin cloth in hot water and start to buff the cream off my face, once I have got it all off I wash my face with cold water and pat it dry. 

Instantly after using it my skin feels clean, fresh and soft. The smell of all Liz Earle products are lovely, especially this one, it has almond milk, rosemary, chamomile and eucalyptus essential oil in it. 

What do you think of this hot cloth cleanser?