Any one that knows me will probably tell you that I have an unhealthy obsession with Primark. I love their clothing, jewellery, nightwear, the shoes, and the kids stuff is great as well- I admit I am a massive fan of them.
Body confidence and Scoliosis
But there’s one section I always avoid. I’m going to be honest with you, It may sound really silly but I have a huge issue with swimwear!! The idea of having to put on a swimsuit or go and buy one actually makes me feel sick. I’m a size 16 and I have huge hang ups about my body.
I’ve had a spinal condition called Scoliosis since I was 10 yrs old. It causes a curvature of the spine. In my case, my shoulders, hips, ribs and pelvis are not in the correct position. Doctors and other health professionals often refer to these things as deformities, my body is deformed. That phrase, those words were always in the back of my mind even as a kid.
I’ve had a spinal fusion operation to try to straighten and strengthen my spine but it’s not an easy fix. I’ve also got hip problems so my mobility is affected and I’m in constant high levels of pain.
Scoliosis
I’d love to lose around 2 stone in weight but it’s difficult isn’t it. There are so many times I feel stressed out about it and I’d love to just go and run, run until all that stress disappears.
My idea of a perfect outfit is a baggy t shirt, a oversized hoodie, jeans or leggings and preferable a huge winter coat to disappear underneath it!
Camo Queen
It’s probably no coincidence that camo is my favourite pattern. I want to hide, I don’t want to stand out or have people see me and in my eyes a swimsuit is the exact opposite of those things. In a swimsuit I am totally exposed. My flaws, my issues, my deformed body would be exposed for everyone to see. It’s terrifying.
Checking out Primark Swimwear
I am very surprised to find myself obsessing over the Swimwear Section on the Primark website. Obviously I wouldn’t wear a lot of them but damn it Primark have slayed it this year!!
There are so many gorgeous pieces and the designers have really tried to make pieces for all shapes and sizes. The styles, the patterns, the colours are just so pretty!! There is not one thing I saw that I thought was really horrible.
I recently saw several Youtubers review Storybook Cosmetics Harry Potter wand inspired Make up brushes and they looked stunning but sadly they were out of my price range at $55:99 for a five set of brushes.
Storybook Cosmetics 5 brushes set $55:99
Last week I got an email from LivingSocial (a site similar to Wowcher) who were offering a very similar set of ten brushes on offer via Forever Cosmetics for £10:99! I couldn’t resist and ordered them straightaway. They are very good dupes and much cheaper so they are a real must have for Harry Potter fans!
Forever Cosmetics 10 brush set
They arrived yesterday and the first thing that struck me was the weight of the package.
The brush handles are a metal material that is extremely intricately designed. The brushes themselves are very well packed and really soft on the skin. There are a variety of brush types in the set. Five brushes have a silver finish to the ends and five are black.
I don’t think you have to be a huge Harry Potter fan to appreciate the brush set and even if you don’t want to use them they will be a beautiful finishing touch to your vanity.
One of my current favs for super dry skin and cracked lips… it’s a really creamy textured balm that leaves lips feeling moisturised for hours. I put it on b4 I go to bed and it lasts for hours! I received it in a Glossybox and it is amazing!
If you are looking for a stunning highlight that will have you glowing to the gods this summer I think this ice-cold Mermaid highlight £3 from Primark will be one for you!
It’s crazy pigmentation is absolutely blinding! It’s long lasting and the packaging is not super cheap looking which is a nice touch!
Alongside these ultra Holographic nail varnishes Primark are ticking all the popular make-up trends for this season!
Mermaid highlighter and Holographic nail polishes from Primark
I am obsessed with YouTube and I spend hours watching Beauty Guru’s. There are so many styles of guru and their personality often reflects their make up which I think is brilliant.
Make up is a great way to bring your character to life so to speak and to show the world who you are and what your about. I follow a range of people but they all have a huge passion for make up and bringing their skills and styles to a wider audience.
GlamLifeGuru : Tati Westbrook is a former make up artist who puts out 5 videos each week. She is best known for her series ‘WTF’ where she puts high-end and expensive cosmetics to the test to see if they are worth the money and hype or not. Her make up style is traditional glamour and putting make up through its paces with 12 hour reviews vlogs. Her channel is a professional set up with fabulous lighting, a bespoke beauty room band filing set up but I do think she gives her honest thoughts on products and she knows so much about all aspects of make up that teaches you so much as you watch her.
GlamLifeGuru Tati Westbrook
Jeffree Star : Jeffree Star is the owner of Jeffree Star Cosmetics who are famous for the modern take on highlighters (sky blue, green and black have featured) and the revolutionary coloured liquid lipsticks.
Jeffree Star Cosmetics (photo from Beautylish)
He is a controversial, outspoken guy whose style is more rock, modern glam and on trend. He has a professional filming area and I believe he uses professionals to film and product his videos but he is the CEO of a make up line so he is very busy. It’s fair to say he is like Marmite, love him or hate him but his incredible make up skills and cosmetic line cannot be faulted.
Jeffree Star
NikkieTutorials : Nikkie is a Dutch guru who started her channel over 6 years ago and now has 6.8 million subscribers. Nikkie rose to fame with her ‘The Power of Make Up’ video in which she painted half of her face with make up and left the other side bare. She wanted to raise awareness of how much make up can change a person. She is a phenomenal make up artist and her promotion of self-confidence for everyone is awesome! She has come along way since she started off filming videos in a poorly lit area of her bedroom as a teenager. She now films in a dedicated beauty area and the videos are always very well produced. She has released two collaborations to date, last year she worked with Two Faced on the ‘Power of Make Up’ set and recently Nikkie released a collaboration with Ofra Cosmetics
NikkieTutorialsNikkieTutorials collaborations. Too faced X the Power of Make Up and Ofra cosmetics X NikkieTutorials
ThriftThick : Cassie began her channel showing off cute outfits and bargains she got at the Thrift Shop. She gradually expanded into testing out make up and doing tutorials on her looks. She has two themes on her channel ‘YouTube made me buy it’ in which she tries out products that are big on other channels. She also has the theme ‘Let’s test’ where she reviews make up and vlogs her day wearing it. Cassie is a much more ‘normal’ vlogger. Her set up is much more simple and she doesn’t have a camera crew and amazingly lit beauty room but the personal relationship you get with Cassie is what makes her so successful. It’s like watching a friend on YouTube and getting truthful, unbiased reviews without any underlying sponsorships or affiliations that might sway opinion.
ThriftThick
Stephanie Nicole : Stephanie works within the beauty industry and has an amazing knowledge of make up right down to ingredients and formulas. She is very forth right with her opinions and breaks her reviews down to value of money, a full comparison to similar products, formula, wearability. If you want facts and figures aswell as how the make up works out for her than this is the channel for you. Stephanie Nicole’s reviews are the most thorough you will find anyway.
Stephanie Nicole
Do you watch YouTube or any of these Beauty guru’s ? I’d be really interested to find out who you watch and what you think of them?! Do you think Beauty Gurus on YouTube are the modern version of Make Up Artists or do you think they just got lucky playing around with make up?! X
A few weeks ago Primark posted a picture on its social media platforms that has caused a countrywide struggle to find the allusive pair of £8 mules that bear a big resemblance to a pair of Prada mules that sell for almost £500.
Primark Mules in black, Denim and nude (photo from Primark Instagram page)
Prada mules £470
In fact people as far away as America were attempting to find a person here in the UK to buy them and ship them to the USA, at any cost apparently!! People were spending all day travelling to 4/5 different stores desperately wanting these shoes! I read a few news articles about this and thought I’d check it out.
Most stores have sold out but on EBay they are selling for over triple the original Price.
So I couldn’t resist, the nude pair are perfect for spring and summer and they add a classy touch to any outfit! They are really comfortable but if you do get a pair I’d recommend going up on size for a more comfortable fit!
This month I’ve worked with Dollibox to review Mays subscription box.
Dollibox is a monthly subscription box that is full beauty goodies, full and sample size. There is a huge range of brands that work with Dollibox so there’s always fun products to test out!
Dollibox – May 2017
Deborella Mermaid Necklace RRP £6
This is such a cute, fun summer necklace with the slogan ‘Mermaid Life’ on a dual pink seashell! Absolutely perfect for summer holidays or those of us who just think we were once mermaids!
Mermaid necklace
CougarRichHoneyMoisturiser RRP $17.90
Honey is a rich source of moisture and a form of natural antiseptic which means this product will clear up dry patches and treat any blemishes that you might have.
Cougar Honey Moisturiser
SeacretMake up Removerwipes
RRP £ 19.95 These wipes are oil based and have minerals from the Dead Sea so they hydrate as they cleanse. They are ideal to have nearby when you do your make up to correct any mistakes or for when you take your make up off after a long day. Even waterproof make up will vanish with a few gently strokes of these wipes. There is nothing worse than cleaning your face but having stubborn eyeliner or mascara that doesn’t want to budge, you end up with a messy panda face!!
Seacret make up remover wipes
FocallureBlusher in ‘coral’ RRP $7.99
This is a lovely hue of pink that will give your cheeks a summery flush of colour. It has a very nice smooth buttery texture that blends effortlessly!
Blush in shade ‘Coral’
Leopard Cat Eyebrow kit RRP £5.26
Everybody needs this brow kit, end of story. It’s compact enough to go in your handbag and the quirky animal print case is a cool feature! The kit comes with a perfect sized brow brush that means you can curve out your brows like an expert! Eyebrows on fleek!
Leopard Cat eyebrow palette
Palmersoilconditioningprotein pack RRP £2.09
This rich treatment has coconut oil and Vitamin E. and it aims to replenish damaged, dry and coloured hair which describes my hair exactly so I cannot wait to try this out. I sense a little pamper session coming soon!
