When it comes to makeup, I've always been interested in foundation. For me, it's the most important part of any make up look- if it's wrong, it's wrong. There's no clawing back a bad base. I don't know if it's the same for everyone else, maybe you're more interested in your eyeshadow or your eyebrows, but when you've suffered with acne for years as a teenager, any sort of cover up is a blessing.

My skin has changed quite a lot over the years, from really oily to dry, to combination (which is where I'm at now.) So once I find the right foundation, I don't tend to change it much. For the past year or two, I've been using Too Faced Born This Way- which is also absolutely amazing so check it out if you haven't. I had no reason to change from it, other than the fact I stumbled into Sephora in Dubai and found myself at the Tarte section. I'd hear about their Under The Sea foundation but they didn't have it in store, and the lovely sales assistant was showing me the Amazonian Clay Foundation instead. It is oil free, and felt so lightweight as soon as she put it on my skin. The coverage and matte look was exactly what I wanted and so I wanted to know more about the range!

About ten minutes later, I ended up with the primer, the brush and the foundation and I left Sephora so happy! I felt confident and yet, not full of makeup. My skin can breathe with these products, and it actually doesn't move from my face. Even though I don't suffer from severe acne anymore, I always want to have a good coverage foundation and I honestly can't recommend this one more. It's hard to buy in the UK as we don't have any stores where you can have a colour match, but if you want to buy it online then just click here.

I know the base of your make up can be boring but it's so important! What's your favourite make up product?

Emma :) 

Hello!

I hope that you all had an amazing Christmas and New Year. I certainly did! I'm trying to get back to normal with uploading both on YouTube and my blog so keep your eyes peeled this year for some (hopefully) amazing posts. 

I recently uploaded a video on What I got For Christmas so feel free to check it out. I received a lot of skincare and beauty products this year and I've already been using them non-stop. Just some of them include the Clinique Sonic Cleansing Face Brush and the Rose Gold Oral B Genius 9000. 

I might post an updated skincare routine and some products that I've been enjoying so that I can give you a bit more of a review and just my general thoughts on the products. So if that is something that you would be interested in then be sure to let me know. 

Here's to an amazing 2017 with many new products to come. 

Emma :)

There are a lot of products out there than are made to clean make-up brushes. More often than not they are fairly expensive, and although there are D.I.Y tutorials everywhere, I just don't trust myself to do it.

As someone who has struggled with skin problems before, I'd been told that I shouldn't use brushes to apply make up as it can spread bacteria. I still do but I have to clean them regularly and it really does help. 

I use a product from Lush (yet again!) that is easy and affordable. It's from their 'fun' range which is mouldable and has multi-purposes. They have a variety of colours and scents to choose from too. At a price of £5, you can't really complain. You get a good few washes out of each one! 

As you can see they aren't that dirty really but I like to keep mine clean. I use a small amount and then add more if I need to. All you need to do is rinse the hot water over both the brush and the soap, then rub the bristles into the mould.  The dirtier brushes always take a little longer but that is to be expected! 

Afterwards my brushes are much cleaner and just need to be left to dry! 

I'll definitely be sticking to these products for my brushes anyway! Hope this helps some of you who are stuck with too much choice. 

Emma :)

When I realised I had; yet another, empty shampoo bottle, I just had to write a blog post on it!

It's the I Love Juicy shampoo from Lush. The first thing that drew me to it was the smell, it's so fruity and fresh. It's just a bonus that it's great for oilier hair. According to the packaging, it's makes oily hair bouncy and clean once more. 

I absolutely love it, it leaves my hair feeling soft and is great for maintaining the fresh hair feeling for longer! No more oils! 

Even better still, these huge bottles last forever! You only need a small amount for each wash, so it really is worth the money- it's around the £18 mark. If you are still a bit spectacle though, there are smaller sizes available so if you are prone to greasy hair, I'd give this a go. (So glamorous!)

Let me know if you like it or if you have any other good hair recommendations. I may be posting on some other empty products soon, so keep an eye out!

Emma :) 

I think I've found a potential favourite brand, and I've only tried three products.

You might have noticed in pictures or vlogs, my lips are always incredibly dry. I'r tried a million lip balms, one minute they seem to work and then a few days later and they are back to their horrible old self. 

But I've found the perfect solution and you wouldn't believe how much it cost! Sephora's own branded products have done nothing but please me since the moment I tried them. I purchased these items in Rome when I went for a short visit, and they are fast becoming favourites. 

The first is of course, the lip balm. It's a clear stick that smells really nice and feels nourishing. It's helped my lips much better than any other products and it seems to have helped them in the long term too, preventing dry lips even when I don't use it. The best bit, it cost me 4 euros!! I can't recommend this enough.

The next product is another dry skin related problem. This time for my hands, I tend to have a problem with picking a good moisturiser that isn't too greasy. I'll admit, my first use of this I thought I'd picked another bad one. Turns out I squirted too much on my hands and when using a smaller amount, it has again prevented the dry skin and instantly moisturisers my hands. It's a nice little size for your handbag too- always a bonus. I can't remember the exact price, but I'm sure it's around the 6 euro mark. Another great bargain! 

The last product is the one I was originally looking for. I've heard so many good things about the red shade lip stains from Sephora, so I wanted to try one for myself. This one is in the shade 03 and is easy to wear. It looks a bit like a gloss but it dries matte, the only problem I've found is that it takes a while before it stops smudging. So I'd advise to put it on early, especially before you eat or anything likewise. Regardless, I still like it and I'm excited to use it more. 

If only there was a Sephora near me! 

Emma :) 

I always have high hopes for products with good reviews but I can't say either these products fufilled them. I'd seen a lot of rave about the JorgObé Peel Off Mask and I know Burt's Bees is a popular brand for their lip care but I hadn't tried their Almond & Milk hand cream.

First of all the products packaging are both to the standards I would expect, by saying that I mean that they both look nice. 

The mask is supposedly supposed to diminish pores and minimize blackheads. I can assure you that it did neither, in fact I've never been conscious of blackheads but this has made them noticeably worse! 

As you can see, it's a fairly thick black and is quite hard to spread. You also have to allow it to set for half an hour- much longer than most face masks. 

The second product smells lovely, very sweet and feels smooth on the skin. It's the usual creamy colour and its pot makes it good to pop in your handbag. I find it a little bit of a waste though as most of the product will probably stick to the bottom. 

As you can see it on my hand, it looks like your average cream. The consistency of it though is terrible, it makes my hands so greasy that I feel like I need to wash them straight after using it. I've never been a great fan of Burt's bees but I thought with it being a different product I might like it. I was definitely wrong! 

Now I'm still on the search for a great blackhead remover (I've been reading up on baking soda) and back to my old hand cream. 

Emma :)