Mid-Month Must Haves January 2014

Hey Beauts,

Usually 'favourite' posts are done at the end of the month and don't get me wrong - I love reading them - It's just by the twentieth one, I usually get a tad bored. So I thought I'd do mine half way through the month to keep you going! 

First off I'll mention my make-up picks. Just because I'm so excited to! I've discovered some great products since Christmas! :D 

Brave Red - MAC Lipstick! (RRP: £15) This is my favourite, favourite, favourite red lipstick by far! I love the creamy-ness it has, I love the shine it gives off and it just applies really well like any other MAC lipstick does. It stays on for quite a while too considering how creamy it is and for that I love it! Perfect for winter time too.

Strawberry Shortcake - Revlon Lip Butter! (RRP:£ 7.99) The Revlon lip butters are a new discovery for me this month. I finally decided to jump on the band wagon. They are great formulas that apply to the lips so well and last a really long time for the price. I don't really like the nude lip and it washes me out so I picked up this colour that has a little bit of pink to it.

Sorbet - Revlon Lip Butter! (RRP: £7.99) Same as before! I wanted to try a bright pink shade and picked up this! I'm working towards being confident enough to wear it on it's own but I do like to add a bit of Strawberry shortcake on top to dull the brightness down slightly and have been loving this combination.

Telescopic - L'oreal Mascara! (RRP: £10.99) This is just an all time favourite. I haven't worn this in easily five years and bought it on a whim for nostalgic reasons a couple of weeks ago and I have been loving it. I've even forgotten about wearing my other mascaras!

NC20 - MAC Prolongwear Concealer! (RRP: £15.50) I'd heard so many great reviews on this product online so I just popped into a MAC store, asked them to pair me up and somehow I ended up walking out with this. I don't know how it happened, but it did...And now my bank balance hates me. It applies so well, it covers blemishes easily and it hides the bags under my eyes!

Coconut - The Body Shop Lip Butter! (RRP: £4.00) I've loved this product forever and ever and I rediscovered it this month. It soaks into your lips so easily, tastes good, smells good and leaves my lips soft.

Stippling Brush - Real Techniques! (RRP :£11.99) So I splurged on some real techniques brushes this month and this has been by far my favourite to apply foundation. It leaves foundation looking natural and smooth and I just think it's great

So now we move on to face, body and hair products! 

BIG Seat Salt Shampoo - LUSH! (RRP: £11.50) Review here I do have a full review on this product, but I really am in love with it. I don't have to wash my hair for four days when using this and it smells of sweets. It does tangle and dry my hair out quite a bit but when it's dry it is so soft and silky. Miracle product. 

Korres Pomegranate Moisturising Cream Gel! (RRP: £19.00) Review here Again I have done a full review on this too. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and hydrated without leaving my skin oily!

Coconut Body Butter - The Body Shop! (RRP: £13.00) I was given this as a Christmas present a couple of years ago and never used it as I don't really like the feeling that cream leaves on your skin. So the other night I just decided to try it! I didn't leave the creamy feeling on my skin at all and my skin soaked it all up lovely. The smell lingered for quite a while too which is very pleasant when I'm wearing coconut body spray that day too! 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Ceanser Starter Kit! (RRP: £14.75) This stuff is amazing. Seriously. I was sceptical after the buzz that surrounds this product online and within the blogging community and one day I took the plunge and purchased it. I do not regret it. It makes my skin feel lovely and clean, it doesn't sting my eyes at all (and I have quite sensitive eyes), it foams up lovely, doesn't dry my skin out, reduces redness, reduces break outs and cleans up blackheads quite well. Miracle product indeed! 

Agadir Argan Oil! (RRP: £17.50) It makes my hair shiney and soft and just smells nice! Not much to say except that!

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star The Breakfast Scrub! (RRP: £8.00) My mouth waters every time I open this product. It just smells like maple syrup and pancakes, it's gorgeous! I don't have to use much either and it goes a long way! My skin is left beautifully soft and my mouth waters every time I use it. Did I mention that my mouth waters every time I use it? Well it does! Yum!

How about some fun random little Mid-Month Must Haves?

Favourite Song: Pitbull Ft. Ke$ha - Timber! This song just gives me energy and makes me happy! I love how it's got a hoedown feel to it too! It really does make me happy though! Great song!

Favourite Film: Iron Man 3! I watched the whole Iron Man series a week ago and I love it! He's the best super hero by far and I really love the third one in the series - Although I think the first one maybe my all time favourite Iron Man film.

Favourite App: Tiny Tower! I'm addicted. Currently on floor 136. You can get it on iPhone and Android. It's addictive. But get it, it's awesome! 

Favourite Blog: Chelsea Leigh Beauty! I'm really loving this girls blog! She started back in 2012 and deserves a lot more followers so check her out! Her posts are really easy to read and I get that added excitement when a new blog post pops up from her on Bloglovin'.

If you like the idea of 'Mid-Month Must Haves' leave your opinions down below! I thought It was a good idea but we know I'm crazy! Are there any products here that you are in love with too? Or any that you really don't get along with? Tell me! I love to hear your opinions and remember to follow on GFC so you don't miss out on anything!

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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A 'BIG' Review

Hey Beauts!

I know all I've been talking about lately is LUSH, but I've only just discovered how amazing that shop really is! For someone who doesn't usually spend that much money on beauty, I've found out how affordable LUSH really is due to the fact that their products really do go a long way. Big is no different. With this product though there have been so many different reviews. Good, bad and all of in-between, so I thought I'd give my honest opinion too. Big is a shampoo crammed with salt, citrus oils, coconut and seaweed that claims to give your hair 'sea-breezy' volume yet leaving your hair soft and shiny. When purchasing this product, the lady in the shop said use once for cleansing and twice for volume - So I did. 

So one of the main things about this product that I absolutely love is the consistency. It's like a slightly thicker more jellified version of a normal shampoo which means that It doesn't slip and slide everywhere and actually stays in your hand. The chunks of sea salt in the mixture surprisingly felt really nice when massaged into the scalp, making it feel as though I was doing something pro-active in making my hair grow because apparently massaging your scalp helps your hair grow. (Er, yeah!) The product itself foams up lovely though! More so than I thought it would, and when I used it the second time, It foamed up even more. This provided me with much entertainment as I could easily give myself funny hairstyles which I mainly used to do as a child, but lets be honest - It's fun! :D But whilst the product was in my hair, it made it feel so thick and voluminous. It wasn't until I rinsed my hair that my hair was very dry and very tangled. Because of this, I really don't recommend this product if you have dry or normal hair! As for greasy hair, It's beautiful. I can go 2 days without dry shampoo and 4 days with dry shampoo (YES, 4 DAYS!!) which is a definate bonus in my eyes!

After getting out of the shower, I tamed my hair and just blow dried my hair as usual. Now I just have to say my hair was transformed. It was so soft and silky, and the instant shine was beautiful!  I just couldn't stop touching it. When LUSH say the lemon and lime juice help shine and the coconut oil and seaweed help with softness they really were not lying. Straightening my hair further just added to the shine and softness. I was genuinely flawed. Going from it feeling horrible, dry and tangled in the shower to this was quite amazing! Unfortunately though, there wasn't much volume which the product is actually for. On the top of my head where I really wanted it there was only a tiny bit more volume than normal but the ends of my hair felt a lot fuller which I suppose is better than nothing. 

Finally, I just have to mention the scent. If you have ever had parma violets - the sweets - this smells exactly like that! (& I love those sweets, so BONUS!) It fills the shower which is nice and the scent sticks with your hair. Three days later and I can still smell it. I can't smell any coconut or citrus scents within the product but the parma violets scent definatly pleases me more. So I'm not complaining. 

I personally love this product though, even if it doesn't add much volume. The softness, shineyness, scent and being able to go 4 days without washing my hair are definatly big, big positives in my books and after trying this product I am highly tempted to purchase the Big conditioner which is supposed to do everything that the shampoo is supposed to do, plus condition your hair. So maybe it will actually add volume? Although I've never used a solid conditioner, nor the ones from LUSH so I have no opinion on these yet. I guess it's just something I will have to bite the bullet and try. My poor bank balance.

Have you ever tried Big shampoo? Did you get on with it? and have you tried the Big conditioner? What did you think of it? Continue the discussion down below because I do love to hear your opinions! If you enjoyed reading this review or anything else on the blog remember to follow on GFC and Bloglovin' so you don't miss out on anything in the future!  

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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