To blog or not to blog

Hi guys. So you may have noticed my absence recently. I am going through a bit of a tough time at the moment and finding normal things hard, never mind blogging. I'm not sure when or if things will be up and running again - although I hope they will be it's not fair to make a promise I don't have the means to fulfil. 

Thanks to the understanding readers and PRs who have been (and are being) so patient with me - it means more than you would think. 

Hopefully speak soon, 

Elspeth xx

NYX Blush in Taupe - the perfect contour

If you haven't heard of Estée of Essie Button then I'm not sure where you've been. She is one of my all time favourite beauty YouTubers not least because she's a porcelain princess and has some really good recommendations of products that suit us pale gals. Quite a while ago in one of her videos she mentioned using this NYX Blush in the shade Taupe as a contour, and I ordered it immediately!

Contouring isn't something I have always done. If you're a long time follower of Bee's Knees, you might know that I'm a relative newbie to the world of make up and concepts like contouring were things I found a little bit scary to start with! Thanks to YouTube and brilliant gurus like Estée I now understand contouring but this is the first product I bought to try it out with!

Packaging-wise I have to say, this is pretty cheap looking. I didn't pay over the odds for this and I'm aware that in the US NYX is a drugstore brand and the quality of the packaging reflects this. In practical terms it does the job and closes securely in your hand bag or make up bag, and I do quite like the pyramind print in the powder.

Taupe is the subtlest matte cappuccino colour and absolutely spot on for girls who have pale and almost-transparent skin, like me! I find this is exactly right for contouring because once it's applied and blended properly, it gives a really natural look and to the untrained eye it doesn't look like I'm wearing anything! I apply this using my Real Techniques contour brush and blend with the blending brush. 

It's quite hard to photograph this but I tried! Honestly if you're the kind of girl who is too pale for the more popular contour products and bronzers, I really recommend giving this a try. I picked mine up from a seller on eBay (£7.00 HERE) but you can also find NYX on Amazon (£7.99 HERE). Unfortunately it's not very widely available in the UK at the moment so we are limited in where we can buy it from. You lucky girls in the US!

Have you tried NYX before? What did you think? What's your go-to contour product?

xx

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The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter

Well this is embarrassing. I bought this product absolutely ages ago and put it away in my basket of toiletries and then completely forgot about it until I moved house and discovered it hiding! It's the Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter.

I am quite partial to a hair mask every week or so - because my hair is curly it can be prone to breaking and looking frizzy so keeping it moisturised and healthy is one of my biggest concerns. I picked up this hair butter because it's a concept I haven't tried before and I had a discount code to use. What stood out to me the most about this product when I bought it was that it's free from parabens and silicones, which can build up in your hair and cause damage.

Packaging-wise, this is almost identical to The Body Shop's regular body butters, and it smells really similar to them too. It's quite thick and firm in consistency (as you can see in the photo below), and it does feel a little bit strange applying it to hair because it truly seems to all extents and purposes to be a body butter!

I tend to use this when I'm taking a bath, so I can give it a good 15-20 minutes to soak into my hair before washing out. I have to say my least favourite thing about this product is the smell - it smelt nice at first in the tub but once you've got it on your hair and have to leave it there it does become a bit overpowering and not in a good way! In fact I almost stopped using this because I don't like the smell. As for how well it works as a hair butter, I'm also not completely won over. It does leave my hair soft to the touch and it feels moisturised, but it can take a while to wash out and even when it is completely gone my hair doesn't feel quite right.

Overall I am disappointed and don't think I would buy this product again - using it just isn't an enjoyable experience for me and I have tried other treatment masks that I much prefer. I intend to finish up this tub but once it's gone, I'll be looking forward to moving on to something different.

200ml of The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter is £8.49 from your local Body Shop or online HERE.

Are you a fan of The Body Shop? Which is your favourite product?

xx

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Autumn Primark Haul

Hi everyone! Today's post is a little overdue - I lost control in Primark a couple of weekends ago and bought a few bits and pieces that I'm sure will be staples in my autumn wardrobe..

First up is this incredible statement spiked necklace. This necklace has so much going on it definitely needs to be worn with an understated jumper or top, but it's pretty amazing and adds that little extra something to most outfits! I think this was about £4 which is ridiculously cheap compared to other high street stores (TOPSHOP!)

Another necklace, this one is slightly more toned down but still adds a particular edge to a plain oversized jumper (i.e. all I ever wear in the winter). It has three different shades of metal which I love because mixing metals is one of my favourite ways to wear jewellery and I can tell I'm going to get a lot of wear out of this all year around. Again I think this was around the £4 mark.

On to oversized jumpers, I bought the big black fluffy Primark cardigan that pretty much everyone owns a couple of months ago and I love it! I wear it far too much and so when I spotted this jumper, my cardigan's fairer and snugglier sister, I couldn't resist popping it in my basket! I don't often wear white/cream but the texture of this jumper is amazing and it's so soft and comfortable on. I've been wearing this with a black skirt and polka dot tights, with one of the statement necklaces I bought worn over the top. It's simple but bang on trend and oh so warm and snuggly for those colder autumn days! Plus this was only £10 which is CHEAP.

By far my favourite jumper already, this royal blue beauty drew me to it like a magnet when I saw it in the shop! It's actually got full length sleeves but I find rolling them up gives it a nicer shape and a bit of structure. This is quite a fitted jumper with a round neck, which I'm not so keen on, but worn with some patterned leggings and statement boots it looks great! And the best thing? This was only £8 - SO much cheaper than similar jumpers I've seen on the high street.

On to shoes and statement boots! I spotted these gorgeous lace up boots absolutely ages ago but they didn't have them in my size. I kept checking back at my local Primark but after a couple of weeks I gave up hope. And then I saw them in a size 6 - bear in mind that I'm usually a size 4 or a 5 in boots (space for socks!) - so I picked up some insoles and they fit fine! The insoles actually make them even more comfortable. These are by far the comfiest heeled boots I own and I've worn them loads already. They're definitely worth the wait, and the £18 I paid for them!

Last but not least are these cut out flats - I saw some very similar to these in Topshop but when on closer inspection I discovered the Topshop ones were made from leather I was heartbroken! So imagine my delight finding these in Primark! I think these were £8 or £10 which is far cheaper than the Topshop alternatives. I've worn these already to a gig with black frill top socks, tights and a black jersey dress and leather jacket. They're surprisingly comfy and sturdy to wear and I'm looking forward to styling them in all sorts of different ways over the autumn months.

Have you had any spending sprees recently? Where did you splurge?

xx

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October Magazine Freebies!

Hi guys! Today is a post letting you guys know/reminding those of you that already know to get down to your local newsagent pronto! October magazines are all about the FREEBIES!

I picked up Marie Claire and InStyle at the weekend but I know there are a few other magazines with freebies too this month! I'm planning on heading out to get Red magazine tomorrow because they have a free This Works product.

With Marie Claire this month you can get a free L'Occitane hand cream - with four different fragrances to choose from! I opted for Shea Butter Subtle Violet and will let you know how I get on after a few weeks - I've never tried anything from this brand before but it's obviously a firm favourite with a lot of other beauty bloggers. This is a really good deal because Marie Claire only costs £3.90 and the hand cream retails for £8!

InStyle are giving away this set of miniature products from Ren - another renowned brand I have no experience of! I always like getting mini skincare products because I find they last much longer than you expect, and I'm really excited about giving these a whirl - the pack contains the Ever Calm Gentle Cleansing Milk, the Vita Mineral Active 7 Eye Gel and the Ever Calm Global Protection Day Cream. InStyle is reduced to £2 this month so if you're keen to try Ren products then grab it before the end of the month!

Two other magazines giving away freebies this month are Cosmo (free San Tropez Face & Body Instant Tan) and Company (two free nail polishes). I don't fancy either of these but if they sound like your cup of tea get yourself to your nearest newsagent, supermarket or WHSmiths now!

Have you picked up any of the freebies this month? Which is your favourite?

xx

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Fabulous Nails #53 - Jacava London*

Hi guys! Today is another Fabulous Nails post but featuring a different and new brand for me - Jacava London*. I was lucky enough to be sent a polish and top coat from the lovely people at Jacava, so read on for my thoughts!

Jacava nail varnishes stand out from most other brands because they are '8 free' - this basically means they don't contain DBP, Camphor, Formaldehyde, Toluene, Cellophane, Parabens, Phthalates and Animal Ingredients and they're also vegan friendly! I was very intrigued to try a natural polish to see what it would be like...

My first impressions of Jacava were good - I like the bottles because they're different to other brands. They remind me slightly of the Bourjois polishes because of the long handle but really they're much prettier, classier and look beautiful sitting on my dressing table. 

I chose the colour Blueberry Muffin because it looked so unique and unlike anything I own already (which is no mean feat!) It reminded me a little of a Barry M polish I love but I was delighted when I actually received the polish in the post to see that it really isn't the same at all.

Blueberry Muffin is the prettiest, most true purple shade I've come across. It's a classy creme colour that strikes the right balance between bright and pastel and I can tell already it's going to be a favourite of mine. As for the application, the Jacava brushes are really easy to use because of the long handle and they apply the polish onto the nail well. The formula of the polish reminds me of Barry M Gelly Hi Shine because it's quite thick and creamy, but this dried much quicker. I was impressed that after only two coats my nails were opaque - in fact I think you could probably get away with one thick coat if you're in a rush. I followed two coats with one coat of the UV inhibiting top coat, which was also thick in consistency but again dried surprisingly fast. I think this is one of the quickest manicures I've done for a while!

As you can see on my nails, the finish is very glossy and reminds me of a gel manicure (in fact several people have stopped to ask where I got my gels done!). The longevity is what really seals the deal for me though, this just lasts and lasts and lasts! If you read Bee's Knees you'll know I don't do too well with chip free nails but I am currently typing this after having Blueberry Muffin on for 48 hours and my nails remain perfect, which is nothing short of a miracle for my flakey dry nails! I am seriously, seriously impressed with this polish, especially because my initial expectations of a 'natural' nail polish were that it wouldn't apply well or last at all.

Overall I think you can tell I'm blown away by this nail varnish, which doesn't happen often to a seasoned nail gal like me! I think this combination of colour and top coat from Jacava is a winner and I'm so pleased I have this gorgeous shade to add to my collection! I will definitely be asking for another colour for Christmas.

The only downside for me is the price, because Jacava polishes retail for £14.50 each which is out of my usual price bracket. But if you're looking for something really special that will be a firm favourite in your collection I definitely recommend giving this a try. You can pick up Jacava nail polishes direct online HERE or from Feel Unique HERE.

xx

*PR sample

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Nip + Fab Coconut Latte Dry Skin Fix Body Butter

Hi guys! Today's review is a product I received in my first (and last) ever Glossybox way back in April (blog post HERE). I had heard of Nip + Fab before but this is my first time actually trying a product. I guess that's the great thing about beauty boxes, you get to try things you wouldn't necessarily have bought before.

The Nip + Fab Coconut Latte Body Butter is much thicker than other body butters I've used. It's almost solid when it's fresh out of the tub but melts a little when it gets warm. This makes it a real delight to use when you're fresh out of the bath and warm and toasty.

I'm usually the kind of girl that picks out more floral scents, and I love the way the Soap and Glory body butters smell so I wasn't sure how I would find this coconut scent. But it's a real winner for me, especially in the summer! It's just the nicest subtle coconut scent and actually lasts on the skin for a good 4-5 hours after you've applied it. It keeps your skin soft all day though!

My only negative is that my tub didn't last very long - I only had a small 50ml travel size and although I didn't expect it to last months and months it's almost finished and I've only been using it consistently for a few weeks. But if you're looking for a really nice smelling body butter that's a little bit different to everything else on the market, I really recommend giving this a go!

You can pick up the full sized (200ml) Nip + Fab Coconut Latte Dry Skin Fix Body Butter for £8.49 from Look Fantastic HERE.

Have you tried Nip + Fab before? Are you a fan of the brand?

xx

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